METHOD OF OPERATION FOR A HYBRID DRIVE SYSTEM, AND CONTROLLER

Abstract

A method for operating a drive system of a hybrid vehicle is provided, which comprises reserving, by a controller of the drive system of the hybrid vehicle, electrical energy stored in a traction battery of the drive system and intended for an electrical heating of a catalyst of the drive system. A controller for a drive system of a hybrid vehicle to carry out such a method is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for operating a drive system of a hybrid vehicle, comprising: reserving, by a controller of the drive system of the hybrid vehicle, electrical energy stored in a traction battery of the drive system and intended for an electrical heating of a catalyst of the drive system; and variably determining, by the controller, the reserved electrical energy.

2. The method according to claim 1, in which the reserved electrical energy is determined in dependence on current or forecast weather data.

3. The method according to claim 2, in which a communication system of the hybrid vehicle receives the weather data from a server.

4. The method according to claim 1, in which the reserved electrical energy is determined in dependence on data regarding a parking situation of the hybrid vehicle at a destination.

5. The method according to claim 1, in which the reserved electrical energy is determined in dependence on a planned departure time of the hybrid vehicle for a subsequent trip.

6. The method according to claim 4, in which a driver of the hybrid vehicle enters data regarding the parking situation by an infotainment system of the hybrid vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 5, in which a driver of the hybrid vehicle enters data regarding a departure time by an infotainment system of the hybrid vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 1, in which the reserved electrical energy is determined during a trip of the hybrid vehicle in dependence on a distance of the hybrid vehicle from a destination of the trip as provided by a navigation system of the hybrid vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 8, in which the reserved electrical energy is determined to increase with decreasing distance.

10. The method according to claim 1, in which the reserved electrical energy is determined by use of a characteristic map of the drive system which is empirically implemented in the controller.

11. A controller for a drive system of a hybrid vehicle including a traction battery and an electrically-heatable catalyst, the controller adapted to controlling the drive system of the hybrid vehicle to carry out a method comprising: reserving electrical energy stored in the traction battery of the drive system and intended for an electrical heating of the catalyst of the drive system; and variably determining the reserved electrical energy.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Embodiments of the invention are shown schematically in the drawings and shall be further described with reference to the drawings.

[0027] FIG. 1 shows in a block diagram, a drive system of a hybrid vehicle with a controller according to one embodiment for the operation of a drive system.

[0028] FIG. 2 shows in a bar graph, the electrical energy stored in the traction battery and reserved for an electrical heating of the catalyst.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] FIG. 1 shows in a block diagram a drive system 1 of a hybrid vehicle having a controller 10 according to one embodiment for operating the drive system 1. The drive system 1 furthermore comprises a traction battery 11 and an electrically heatable catalyst 12.

[0030] Moreover, the hybrid vehicle may include a communication system 13, an infotainment system 14 and a navigation system 15.

[0031] The controller 10 is adapted to implement a method for control of the drive system 1, as follows.

[0032] In the method for operating the drive system 1 of the hybrid vehicle, the controller 10 reserves electrical energy stored in a traction battery 11 of the drive system 1 which is intended for an electrical heating of the catalyst 12 of the drive system 1. The controller 10 determines the reserved electrical energy 20 in a variable manner.

[0033] The reserved electrical energy 20 can be determined as a function of current or forecast weather data 5. In particular, the communication device 13 of the hybrid vehicle can receive the weather data 5 from a server 3.

[0034] Moreover, the reserved electrical energy 20 can be determined in dependence on data 6 regarding a parking situation of the hybrid vehicle at a destination. The reserved electrical energy 20 can also be determined in dependence on a planned departure time 7 of the hybrid vehicle for a following trip. In these embodiments, a driver 4 of the hybrid vehicle enters the data 6 regarding the parking situation or the departure time 7 by means of an infotainment system 14 of the hybrid vehicle.

[0035] The reserved electrical energy 20 may be determined during a drive of the hybrid vehicle in dependence on a distance 8 of the hybrid vehicle from a trip destination as provided by a navigation system 15 of the hybrid vehicle. In particular, the reserved electrical energy 20 can be determined to increase with decreasing distance 8.

[0036] In many embodiments, the reserved electrical energy 20 will be determined by means of a characteristic map 100 of the drive system 1 which is empirically implemented in the controller 10.

[0037] FIG. 2 shows in a bar chart the electrical energy 20 stored in a traction battery 11 shown in FIG. 1 and reserved for an electrical heating of the catalyst 12 shown in FIG. 1 according to previous technologies and according to an embodiment described herein.

[0038] Each bar graph has an ordinate on which is plotted the electrical energy (State of Charge, SoC) stored in the traction battery 11. Operating methods known in previous technologies reserve a constant electrical energy 20 for the electrical heating of the catalyst 12. Accordingly, the energy 21 which can be used for the driving or stored by recuperation is likewise constant.

[0039] On the other hand, the operating method as described herein reserves a variable electrical energy 20 for the electrical heating of the catalyst 12, which corresponds at most to the constant electrical energy 20 in the prior art and which is usually less than the constant electrical energy 20 in the prior art.

[0040] Accordingly, the energy 21 which can be used for the driving or stored by recuperation is likewise variable. The variable usable or storable energy 21 corresponds at minimum to the constant usable or storable energy 21 of previous technologies and it is usually greater than the constant usable or storable energy 21 of the previous technologies.

[0041] German patent application no. 10 2021 128059.1, filed Oct. 28, 2021, to which this application claims priority, is hereby incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety.

[0042] Aspects of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.