A method for protecting a dual mass flywheel DMF, by detecting, when the engine in running, that the DMF is entering into resonance, the DMF being arranged between an internal combustion engine and a gearbox of a vehicle, comprising the following steps: Determining the average rotational speed (Vvil.sub.moy) of the crankshaft, over time, over a predetermined given period, as a first parameter constituting a risk of the DMF entering into resonance, Measuring the maximum instantaneous rotational speed and the minimum instantaneous rotational speed of the crankshaft, the difference defining the maximum amplitude (Amp.sub.Vvil) of the rotational oscillations of the crankshaft, over the period, as a second parameter constituting a risk of the DMF entering into resonance, Detecting when the DMF is entering into resonance from a determined combination of values of the first and second parameters, over the period, limiting or cutting off the fuel injection in the cylinders after said detection.

In a control device of a hybrid vehicle including an engine and an electric motor serving as drive power sources and a damper device disposed between the engine and the electric motor and having rotational characteristics related to an input torque, the control device comprises: a damper rotational characteristic detecting portion configured to measure a rotational characteristic value of the damper device by allowing the electric motor to input a torque to the damper device while rotation of a crankshaft of the engine is stopped; and an output torque correction control portion configured to control an output torque of the engine or the electric motor to suppress occurrence of vibration based on a difference between the rotational characteristic value of the damper device detected by the damper rotational characteristic detecting portion and a preset initial setting value of the rotational characteristic value of the damper device.

Provided are a driving force control method and device for a hybrid vehicle, each capable of effectively absorbing torque fluctuation of an engine while suppressing deterioration in energy efficiency. The driving force control device for a hybrid vehicle comprises a PCM configured to: identify a vehicle acceleration; estimate an average torque output by an engine; estimate a torque fluctuation component of the torque output by the engine; set a countertorque for suppressing the estimated torque fluctuation component; and control an electric motor to output the set countertorque, wherein the PCM is operable, under a condition that an engine speed and the average torque output by the engine are constant, to set the countertorque such that, as the absolute value of the vehicle acceleration becomes smaller, the absolute value of the countertorque becomes larger.

A driving torque command generating apparatus of a vehicle may include: a driving input sensor configured to detect a driving input value of a driver, including a pedal input value, in response to a manipulation of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle; a motor speed sensor configured to detect a motor speed of a drive motor of the vehicle; a wheel speed sensor configured to detect a wheel speed of a wheel of the vehicle; and a controller configured to obtain torsional state observation value information, which indicates a torsional state observation value derived from a vehicle drive system of the vehicle, according to the detected motor speed, the detected wheel speed, and a previously-generated motor torque command, and to generate a motor torque command based on the detected driving input value and the obtained torsional state observation value information.

A method and an apparatus for controlling an engine clutch are provided. The method includes determining whether an engine start condition is satisfied when an engine is stopped and performing an engine cranking operation by operating a hybrid starter & generator (HSG) when the engine start condition is satisfied. Whether an engine speed is greater than or equal to a first reference speed is determined to thus reduce an HSG torque. Then, whether the engine speed is greater than or equal to a second reference speed is determined to thus calculate a target speed of the engine. A speed control of the engine is performed using the target speed of the engine while determining whether an engine clutch engagement condition is satisfied. An engine clutch is engaged when the engine clutch engagement condition is satisfied.

A vehicle includes an electric machine, an engine, an engine mount, and a controller. The engine has a base speed that corresponds to a speed of the electric machine and an engine power demand. The engine mount is disposed between the engine and a vehicle structure such as a frame or unibody. The controller is configured to, in response to compression of the engine mount, increase an engine speed to a value that is greater than the base speed to reduce engine lugging.

An apparatus for active vibration control of a hybrid electric vehicle including an engine and a motor is disclosed. The apparatus includes: a position sensor to detect position information of the engine or the motor; and a controller to select a reference angle signal based on a signal from the position sensor. The controller performs fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis by generating a reference angle, extracts a vibration component of each frequency through the FFT analysis, generates a reference signal by performing inverse FFT, and performs active vibration control of each frequency by reflecting a basic amplitude ratio, an adjustable rate according to an engine load, and an engine torque to the reference signal.

A method is provided for controlling a hybrid drive train comprising a first partial drive train including an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft and a second partial drive train, which is separated from the first partial drive train by a torsional elasticity, having an electric machine with a rotor. A rotational characteristic value of the first partial drive train is detected via a sensor arranged on the torsional elasticity. A rotational characteristic value of the rotor is detected via a device engaged with the rotor. A quality index is determined based on the rational characteristic value of the first partial drive train and the rotational characteristic value of the rotor. The electric machine is controller to optimize the quality index.

A four-wheel drive vehicle includes: a drive-power distribution device for distributing a drive power from an engine to main and auxiliary drive wheels with a drive-power distribution ratio between the main drive wheels and auxiliary drive wheels; and a control apparatus for controlling an electric motor such that the drive-power distribution ratio becomes a target distribution ratio value, by setting an electric-current command value for driving an electric motor. The control apparatus is configured, in a drive-power transmitted state in which the drive power is transmitted to the drive-power distribution device, to execute a command-value reduction control operation for causing the electric motor to be driven with the electric-current command value being set to a value smaller than in a drive-power non-transmitted state in which the drive power is not being transmitted to the drive-power distribution device.

Disclosed are a method of and an apparatus for controlling a vibration of a hybrid electric vehicle. An apparatus of controlling a vibration of a hybrid electric vehicle disclosure may include: an engine position detector detecting a position of an engine; an air amount detector detecting an air amount flowing into the engine; an accelerator pedal position detector detecting a position of an accelerator pedal; a vehicle speed detector detecting a speed of the hybrid electric vehicle; an SOC detector detecting a state of charge (SOC) of a battery; and a controller. The controller controls the operation of a motor based of the position of the engine, the air amount, the position of the accelerator pedal, the speed of the hybrid electric vehicle, and the SOC of the battery.