EP-4735311-A1 - CONTROL OF AN AUTOMOTIVE BELT-DRIVEN STARTER GENERATOR

EP4735311A1EP 4735311 A1EP4735311 A1EP 4735311A1EP-4735311-A1

Abstract

An automotive control software that can be loaded in and executed by automotive electronic processing resources (1) and designed to cause, when executed, the automotive electronic processing resources (1) to become configured to control an automotive starter generator (2) operatively coupled to a combustion engine (3) of an automotive hybrid propulsion unit to split the mechanical torque required to the automotive hybrid propulsion unit between the combustion engine (3) and the automotive starter generator (2). In order to split the delivered torque required to the automotive hybrid propulsion unit, the automotive control software is designed to cause, when executed, the automotive electronic processing resources (1) to become configured to calculate different benefit indexes associated with different possible operating conditions of the automotive starter generator (2); each benefit index is calculated based on a quantity representative of a torque delivered and/or on an electric current absorbed by the automotive starter generator (2) in the respective operating condition and is indicative of a benefit in terms of fuel saving obtainable in said operating condition in relation to a variation in the consumption of electrical energy absorbed by the automotive starter generator (2) in the respective operating condition with respect to a reference operating condition thereof. Furthermore, the automotive control software is designed to cause, when executed, the automotive electronic processing resources (1) to become configured to determine a quota of the torque required to the automotive hybrid propulsion unit to be delivered by the automotive starter generator (2) based on the benefit indexes and control the automotive starter generator (2) to make it deliver the determined torque quota attributed to it.

Inventors

GAMBINO, Piersabato
ESPOSITO, Carmine
BORRELLI, Luigi
DI MASSA, Alessio

Assignees

Stellantis Europe S.p.A.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20240627

Claims (9)

1. An automotive control software that can be loaded in and executed by automotive electronic processing resources (1) and designed to cause, when executed, the automotive electronic processing resources (1) to become configured to control an automotive starter generator (2) operatively coupled to a combustion engine (3) of an automotive hybrid propulsion unit to split the mechanical torque required to the automotive hybrid propulsion unit between the combustion engine (3) and the automotive starter generator (2); in order to split the delivered torque required to the automotive hybrid propulsion unit, the automotive control software is designed to cause, when executed, the automotive electronic processing resources (1) to become configured to: - calculate different benefit indexes associated with different possible operating conditions of the automotive starter generator (2); each benefit index is calculated based on a quantity representative of a torque delivered and/or on an electric current absorbed by the automotive starter generator (2) in the respective operating condition and is indicative of a benefit in terms of fuel saving obtainable in said operating condition in relation to a variation in the consumption of electrical energy absorbed by the automotive starter generator (2) in the respective operating condition with respect to a reference operating condition thereof; - determine a quota of the torque required to the automotive hybrid propulsion unit to be delivered by the automotive starter generator (2) based on the benefit indexes; and - control the automotive starter generator (2) to make it deliver the determined torque quota attributed to it.
2. The automotive control software according to claim 1, wherein the reference operating condition of the automotive starter generator (2) corresponds to a condition of nonoperation of the automotive starter generator (2).
3. The automotive control software according to claim 1 or 2, furthermore designed to cause, when executed, the automotive electronic processing resources (1) to become further configured to calculate the quota of the torque required to the automotive hybrid propulsion unit to be delivered by the automotive starter generator (2) also based on a charge status of an automotive electrical energy storage unit.
4. The automotive control software according to claim 3, furthermore designed to cause, when executed, the automotive electronic processing resources (1) to become further configured to calculate the quota of torque required to the automotive hybrid propulsion unit to be delivered by the automotive starter generator (2) in different possible operating conditions of the automotive starter generator (2) implementing the following operations: - determine values of a reference electric current representative of the electric absorption of the automotive starter generator (2) in the different possible operating conditions of the automotive starter generator (2), based on a calibration map (16) of the reference electric current containing different values of the reference electric current as a function of the benefit index and the electric charge status of the automotive electrical energy storage unit; - determine values of the energy losses in the different possible operating conditions of the automotive starter generator (2) based on a calibration map (17) of the energy losses containing different values of the energy losses as a function of the electric charge status of the automotive electrical energy storage unit and of the difference between the electric current absorbed by the automotive starter generator (2) and the reference electric current determined for the different possible operating conditions of the automotive starter generator (2); and - determine the quota of the torque required to the automotive hybrid propulsion unit to be delivered by the automotive starter generator (2) in the different possible operating conditions of the automotive starter generator (2) based on the values of the energy losses determined for the different possible operating conditions of the automotive starter generator (2).
5. The automotive control software according to claim 4, wherein the calibration map (16) of the reference electric current comprises: - a relatively low state-of-charge area (16A), in which the values of the reference electric current are relatively low, - a relatively high state-of-charge area (16C), in which the values of the reference electric current are relatively high; and, optionally, - an intermediate state-of-charge area (16B) with values between those of the relatively low state-of-charge area (16A) and the relatively high state-of-charge area (16C), in which the reference electric current values are intermediate between those of the relatively low state-of-charge area (16A) and the relatively high state-of-charge area (16C).
6. The automotive control software according to claim 5, wherein the area with intermediate state-of-charge values (16B) of the reference electric current calibration map (16) comprises: - a relatively low benefit-index sub-area (16BA), in which the values of the reference electric current are relatively low, in particular analogously to those of the area with relatively low state-of-charge (16A); - a relatively high benefit-index sub-area (16BC), in which the reference electric current values are relatively high, in particular equal to those of the area with relatively high state-of-charge (16C); and, optionally - an intermediate benefit-index sub-area (16BB) between those in the sub-areas with relatively low benefit index (16BA) and relatively high benefit index (16BC), in which the reference electric current values are intermediate between those in the sub-areas with relatively low benefit index (16BA) and relatively high benefit index (16BC), in particular they progressively increase as the benefit index values increase.
7. The automotive control software according to one of the claims from 4 to 6, wherein the calibration map (17) of the energy losses comprises: - an area with relatively high energy loss values (17A) for negative differences between the reference electric current determined for the given operating condition and the electric current absorbed by the automotive starter generator (2); and - an area with relatively low energy loss values (17B), in particular null values, for positive differences between the reference electric current determined for the given operating condition and the electric current absorbed by the automotive starter generator (2).
8. The automotive control software according to any one of the preceding claims and designed to cause, when executed, the automotive electronic processing resources (1), in order to determine the quota of the torque required to the automotive hybrid propulsion unit to be delivered by the automotive starter generator (2) in the different possible operating conditions of the automotive starter generator (2), to become further configured to select the quota of the torque to be delivered by the automotive starter generator (2) from the torques delivered by the automotive starter generator (2) based on which the benefit indexes have been calculated.
9. Automotive electronic processing resources (1) comprising the control software according to any one of the preceding claims.

Description

CONTROL OF AN AUTOMOTIVE BELT-DRIVEN STARTER GENERATOR CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This Patent Application claims priority from Italian Patent Application No. 102023000013683 filed on June 30, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the control of an automotive starter generator. In particular, the invention relates to the control of an automotive belt-driven starter generator in order to split the mechanical torque required to the hybrid propulsion unit between a combustion engine and the automotive starter generator. STATE OF THE ART As is known, motor vehicles with hybrid propulsion and with completely electric propulsion are provided with electric propulsion units composed of reversible electric machines which are capable of operating as electric motors for generating mechanical torques which are transmitted to the wheels of the motor vehicles for providing the latter with the propulsion and which, in the motor vehicles with hybrid propulsion, can be additional or alternative to those generated by the combustion engines, depending on their greater or smaller electric power (mild hybrid vs. classic hybrid propulsion), and electric generators for producing the so-called regenerative braking or energy recoveries, during which the kinetic energy of the motor vehicles in the braking phase is converted into electrical energy, which is then stored in specially provided electrical energy storage batteries (electric batteries) of the motor vehicles to then be subsequently utilized by the electric machines when they operate as electric motors for providing the motor vehicles with the propulsion. For example, in a motor vehicle with a mild hybrid propulsion, the reversible electric machine is composed of a reversible alternator, commonly known as Belt-driven Starter Generator (BSG) or Integrated Starter Generator (ISG), which is a motor generator operatively coupled to a combustion engine of the hybrid propulsion unit by means of a drive belt and can be electronically controlled for selectively operating as electric motor for generating a mechanical torque with which the combustion engine is to be provided and as traditional alternator for generating electrical energy, and in particular for operating as boost (+ 2 mechanical kW and +20 Nm to the drive shaft) for the combustion engine so as to assist it when there is need, as regenerator (5 electric kw) for recharging a 13.6 V battery by means of a high-efficiency energy recovery, as start and stop and for implementing a sailing function for sailing when in release, with gearbox in neutral if necessary, the combustion engine turns off. In this manner, it is possible to cover all the phases of less efficiency of the combustion engine simultaneously reducing consumption and pollution. It is known to split the mechanical torque required to the hybrid propulsion unit between the combustion engine and the BSG as a function of the energy losses of the motor vehicle calculated based on parameters relative to the combustion engine, to the BSG and to the electric battery of the motor vehicle. OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The Applicant has been able to observe that the solutions according to the prior art, although satisfactory in some respects, are open to improvements in others. The object of the present invention is thus to put at disposal a control software of an automotive BSG/ISG which allows improving the solutions of the prior art, in particular with regard to the efficiency of the overall energy exploitation of the motor vehicle. According to the present invention, a control software of an automotive BSG/ISG is put at disposal, as claimed in the appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows a functional block diagram of an electronic control unit of an automotive BSG/ISG according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 shows a more detailed functional block diagram of one of the functional blocks illustrated in Figure 1. Figure 3 illustrates a more detailed functional block diagram of another one of the functional blocks of Figure 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 shows a calibration map of the reference electric current for determining values of a reference electric current and a calibration map of the energy losses used for determining values of the energy losses of the motor vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying figures for enabling a person skilled in the art to manufacture it and utilize it. Various modifications to the described embodiments will be immediately evident for the persons skilled in the art and the described general principles can be applied to other embodiments and applications without thereby departin