Electric vehicle opportunistic charging systems and methods
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsBrock Dunlap, Bryan Michael Bolger, Angel Fernando Porras, William David Treharne
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle includes an engine arranged to output torque and an electric machine arranged to apply a reaction torque against engine output torque to generate power for charging a traction battery. The vehicle also includes a controller programmed to issue a command to adjust the engine output torque and an output speed corresponding to a predetermined optimal brake specific fuel consumption while providing power to charge the fraction battery, satisfy an accessory power demand, and propel the vehicle.
Claims17
A vehicle comprising:
- an engine;
- a traction battery;
- an electric machine;
- and
- a controller programmed to select a charging rate of the traction battery associated with an increased engine torque and speed to operate the engine at an operating point that reduces brake specific fuel consumption while providing power to the electric machine that exceeds power required to satisfy an accessory power demand and propel the vehicle.
A vehicle comprising:
- an engine;
- an electric machine;
- and
- a controller programmed to, in response to vehicle route information including an upcoming low-speed travel zone, charge a traction battery using the electric machine at a charging rate that increases engine speed and torque to an operating point having reduced brake specific fuel consumption to store energy prior to encountering the low-speed travel zone sufficient to sustain electric-only operation while in the low-speed travel zone.
A vehicle comprising:
- an engine;
- an electric machine coupled to the engine to generate power for charging a traction battery;
- and
- a controller programmed to adjust charging of the traction battery to a power corresponding to a difference between an engine power output corresponding to a reduced brake specific fuel consumption and a vehicle power demand.
A traction battery charging method comprising:
- operating an engine for vehicle propulsion and generating power from an electric machine for charging the traction battery;
- increasing engine torque and speed to generate a predetermined battery charging power;
- and
- in response to route information indicating an upcoming low-speed travel zone, charging the traction battery prior to the low-speed travel zone to store energy sufficient to propel the vehicle in electric-only mode while in the low-speed travel zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.