Method and device for operating a drive train

Abstract

A vehicle drive train, has a clutch unit actuatable by an actuating unit, and a sensor for determining the coupling status. The actuating unit includes an electromagnetic actuator having a piston movable from a starting to an end position. At least the piston and the clutch are acted on by a transmission fluid. Operating the drive train can include: a) actuating the actuator and moving the piston from the starting position; b) ascertaining a measured sensor value; c) ascertaining a temperature of the transmission fluid by measuring an electrical resistance of the actuator and/or measuring a first time interval between actuation of the actuator according to step a) and the detection by the sensor of an intermediate position that is reached by the piston; d) determining an actual position of the piston based on the measured sensor value and the temperature; and e) moving the piston, starting from the determined actual position, into the end position.

Claims

1. A method for operating a drive train of a vehicle, wherein the drive train has at least a transmission housing, and a clutch unit situated therein with a clutch that acts in a form-fitting manner, as well as an actuating unit for actuating the clutch, and a sensor for determining the coupling status; wherein the clutch includes at least a first clutch component and a second clutch component that are connected to one another in a form-fitting manner when the clutch is actuated; wherein the actuating unit includes an electromagnetic actuator having a piston; wherein for actuating the clutch the piston is moved from a starting position into an end position; wherein at least the piston and the clutch are acted on at least partially by a transmission fluid; wherein a torque is transmitted via the clutch components only after a fully engaged first state of the clutch components is determined in which the piston is in the end position; wherein a position of the piston may be determined with the sensor; and wherein the method includes at least the following steps: a) actuating the actuator and moving the piston from the starting position; b) ascertaining a measured sensor value; c) ascertaining a temperature of the transmission fluid; d) determining an actual position of the piston based on the measured sensor value and the temperature; and e) moving the piston, starting from the determined actual position, into the end position; wherein the temperature of the transmission fluid is ascertained at least by i) measuring an electrical resistance of the actuator, or ii) measuring a first time interval between actuation of the actuator according to step a) and the detection by the sensor of an intermediate position that is reached by the piston.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the measured sensor value is determined continuously during the displacement of the piston.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the measured sensor value is a function of temperature, and the actual position of the piston is determined in step d) from a characteristic map, taking the determined temperature into account.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a threshold value is defined for the measured sensor value, and when the measured sensor value determined in step b) corresponds to the threshold value, it is determined that the piston has moved from the starting position into the intermediate position, wherein the clutch components in the intermediate position are not connected to one another in a form-fitting manner.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, based on the determined temperature, a second time interval is determined in which the piston, starting from the actual position, reaches the end position; wherein carrying out step e) is coordinated with the second time interval.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second time interval is determined from a characteristic map.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, for measuring the electrical resistance of the actuator, the actuator is acted on by a test signal that includes an electric current and a voltage, wherein the piston is not moved by the test signal.

8. A drive train of a vehicle, including at least a transmission housing, and a clutch unit situated therein with a clutch that acts in a form-fitting manner, as well as an actuating unit for actuating the clutch, and a sensor for determining the coupling status; wherein the clutch includes at least a first clutch component and a second clutch component that are connectable to one another in a form-fitting manner when the clutch is actuated; wherein the actuating unit includes an electromagnetic actuator having a piston; wherein the piston is movable from a starting position into an end position in order to actuate the clutch; wherein at least the piston and the clutch are acted on at least partially by a transmission fluid; wherein transmission of a torque via the clutch components does not occur until a fully engaged first state of the clutch components is determined for which the piston is in the end position; wherein a position of the piston may be determined with the sensor; wherein the drive train is configured for carrying out a method including at least the following steps: a) actuating the actuator and moving the piston from the starting position; b) ascertaining a measured sensor value; c) ascertaining a temperature of the transmission fluid; d) determining an actual position of the piston based on the measured sensor value and the temperature; and e) moving the piston, starting from the determined actual position, into the end position; wherein the temperature of the transmission fluid is ascertained at least by i) measuring an electrical resistance of the actuator, or ii) measuring a first time interval between actuation of the actuator according to step a) and the detection by the sensor of an intermediate position that is reached by the piston.

9. The drive train of claim 8, wherein the measured sensor value is determined continuously during the displacement of the piston.

10. The drive train of claim 8, wherein the measured sensor value is a function of temperature, and the actual position of the piston is determined in step d) from a characteristic map, taking the determined temperature into account.

11. The drive train of claim 8, wherein a threshold value is defined for the measured sensor value, and when the measured sensor value determined in step b) corresponds to the threshold value, it is determined that the piston has moved from the starting position into the intermediate position, wherein the clutch components in the intermediate position are not connected to one another in a form-fitting manner.

12. The drive train of claim 8, wherein, based on the determined temperature, a second time interval is determined in which the piston, starting from the actual position, reaches the end position; wherein carrying out step e) is coordinated with the second time interval.

13. The drive train of claim 12, wherein the second time interval is determined from a characteristic map.

14. The drive train of claim 8, wherein, for measuring the electrical resistance of the actuator, the actuator is acted on by a test signal that includes an electric current and a voltage, wherein the piston is not moved by the test signal.

Description

(1) The invention and the technical context are explained in greater detail below with reference to the figures. It is pointed out that the invention is not to be construed as being limited by the illustrated exemplary embodiments. In particular, unless explicitly stated otherwise, it is also possible to extract partial aspects of the information shown in the figures and combine them with other components and findings from the present description and/or figures. Identical objects are denoted by the same reference numerals, so that explanations concerning other figures may possibly be supplementally used. The figures schematically show the following:

(2) FIG. 1: shows a partial side view of a drive train in cross section; and

(3) FIG. 2: shows a diagram with multiple characteristic curves of a sensor.

(4) FIG. 1 shows a partial side view of a drive train 1 in cross section. The drive train 1 is part of a vehicle 2. The drive train 1 includes a transmission housing 3, and a clutch unit 4 situated therein with a clutch 5 that acts in a form-fitting manner, as well as an actuating unit 6 for actuating the clutch 5, and a sensor 7 for determining the coupling status. The clutch 5 includes a first clutch component 8 and a second clutch component 9 which are connected to one another in a form-fitting manner when the clutch 5 is actuated. The actuating unit 6 includes an electromagnetic actuator 10 having a piston 11, the piston 11 being moved from a starting position 12 into an end position 13 in order to actuate the clutch 5. The piston 11 and the clutch 5 are situated in a transmission fluid 14. Transmission of a torque via the clutch components 8, 9 should not occur until a fully engaged first state 15 (not shown here) of the clutch components 8, 9 is determined for which the piston 11 is in the end position 13.

(5) The sliding disk 26 here is displaced by the piston 11, and the sensor disk 24 is displaced by the sliding disk 26. The sensor 7 detects the position of the sensor disk 24. The sensor disk 24 is connected to the second clutch component 11, so that a position of the piston 11 may be determined with the sensor 7.

(6) The position of the piston 11 and of the second clutch component 9 may thus be determined via the sensor 7. In step a) of the method, the actuator 10 is actuated and the piston 11 is moved from the illustrated starting position 12 toward the end position 13. A measured sensor value 16 is determined in a step b). The temperature 17 of the transmission fluid 14 is determined in step c). An actual position 18 of the piston 11 (between the starting position 12 and the end position 13) is determined in step d) based on the measured sensor value 16 and the determined temperature 17. In step e) the piston 11 is moved, starting from the determined actual position 18, into the end position 13. The temperature 17 of the transmission fluid 14 is determined by measuring an electrical resistance 19 of the coil 27 of the actuator 10 or by measuring a first time interval between actuation of the actuator 10 according to step a) and the detection by the sensor 7 of an intermediate position 20 that is reached by the piston 11.

(7) Portions of the clutch 5, for example the clutch components 8, 9, a sensor disk 24, a disk spring 25, designed as a return spring for returning the second clutch component 9 and the piston 11, a sliding disk 26, and the piston 11 of the actuating unit 6, are acted on by the transmission fluid 14 or are moved through the transmission fluid 14. The viscosity of the transmission fluid 14 thus determines the switching time of the clutch 5. In addition, the sensor 7 generates temperature-dependent measured sensor values 16, so that a position of the piston 11 cannot be (accurately) determined by sensor 7 independently of the temperature 17.

(8) The actuator 10 includes a coil 27 which for moving the piston 11 is acted on by an electric current. In the present case, the coil 27 of the actuator 10 is used as a temperature sensor. Use is made of the fact that an electrical resistance 19 of the coil 27 changes as a function of the temperature 17 (variant i. of the method). This temperature dependency may be stored, for example, in a characteristic map 21 in a control unit 30.

(9) Within the scope of the disclosed method, it is assumed that the temperature 17 of the coil 27 at least substantially corresponds to the temperature 17 of the transmission fluid 14. The temperature 17 of the transmission fluid 14 may thus be deduced from the temperature 17 of the coil 27, and on the one hand the (temperature-dependent) measured sensor value 16 determined in step b) may be interpreted with knowledge of the temperature 17 determined in step c). On the other hand, via the temperature 17 determined in step c) the viscosity of the transmission fluid 14, and thus, the speed of the components comprising the piston 11 and the clutch 5 that are moved by the transmission fluid 14, may be determined. Starting from the actual position 18 of the piston 11 (step d)), a second time interval may thus be determined after the piston 11, starting from the actual position 18, reaches the end position 13.

(10) By use of the method, the piston 11 may be further moved from a (more) accurately determined actual position 18 into the end position 13. The speed of the piston 11 may likewise be determined as a function of the determined temperature 17. Reaching the first state 15 may therefore be determined with increased accuracy, so that enabling the transmission of a torque via the clutch components 8, 9 may now take place more quickly.

(11) According to variant ii. of the method, the temperature 17 of the transmission fluid 14 (step c)) is determined by the sensor 7 based on a first time interval between the actuation of the actuator 10 according to step a) and the detection of an intermediate position 20 that is reached by the piston 11. It is assumed that the first time interval varies as a function of the viscosity of the transmission fluid 14 (and thus of the temperature 17 of the transmission fluid 14).

(12) The actual position 18 of the piston 11 is determined from a characteristic map 21 in step d). Correction factors for the measured sensor values 16 are stored in the characteristic map 21 as a function of the temperature 17. In this way, the measured sensor value 16 determined in step b) may be interpreted, and the actual position 18 of the piston 11 may thus be determined with greater accuracy.

(13) In particular, a threshold value 22 is defined for the (temperature-dependent) measured sensor value 16 determined in step b); when the measured sensor value 16 determined in step b) corresponds to the threshold value 22, it is assumed that the piston 11 has moved from the starting position 12 into the intermediate position 20, wherein the clutch components 8, 9 in the intermediate position 20 of the piston 11 are (not yet) connected to one another in a form-fitting manner. The threshold value 22 is set in such a way that on the one hand a form-fitting connection of the clutch components 8, 9 is not yet present in each case (in particular at low temperature 17), and on the other hand (at elevated temperature 17, for example) a form-fitting connection is immediately present after the threshold value 22 is exceeded.

(14) In the method, based on the temperature 17 determined in step c), a second time interval is determined in which the piston 11, starting from the actual position 18, reaches the end position 13; wherein the second time interval is taken into account for carrying out step e). The piston 11 may now be further moved from the (more) accurately determined actual position 18 into the end position 13, wherein the speed of the piston 11 may likewise be determined as a function of the ascertained temperature 17. Reaching the first state 15 may therefore be determined with increased accuracy, so that enabling the transmission of a torque via the clutch components 8, 9 may now take place more quickly.

(15) The second time interval is likewise determined from a (further) characteristic map 21. Values of the second time interval are stored in this (further) characteristic map 21 as a function of the determined temperature 17.

(16) Furthermore, it is disclosed that for measuring the electrical resistance 19 of the actuator 10 (for example, the coil 27 of the actuator 10), the actuator 10 is acted on by a test signal 23 that includes an electric current and a voltage, wherein the piston 11 is not moved by the test signal 23. Based on the measurement of the electrical resistance 19 (variant i. of the method), the temperature 17 of the transmission fluid 14 may thus be determined with sufficient accuracy.

(17) FIG. 2 shows a diagram with multiple characteristic curves 28 of a sensor. The measured sensor value 16 measured in step b) is plotted on the vertical axis. The position of the piston 11, i.e., the path 29 beginning from a starting position 12, is plotted on the horizontal axis.

(18) The three characteristic curves 28 illustrate the dependency of the measured sensor value 16 on the temperature 17. The middle characteristic curve 28 shows the characteristic curve 28 of the sensor 7 at an average temperature 17, for example 20 degrees Celsius. The lower characteristic curve 28 shows the characteristic curve 28 of the sensor 7 at a low temperature 17, for example 20 degrees Celsius. The upper characteristic curve 28 illustrated by a dashed line shows the characteristic curve 28 of the sensor 7 at a high temperature 17, for example 60 degrees Celsius.

(19) A threshold value 22 is defined for the (temperature-dependent) sensor value 16 measured in step b); when the measured sensor value 16 determined in step b) corresponds to the threshold value 22, it is assumed that the piston 11 has moved from the starting position 12 into the intermediate position 20, wherein in the intermediate position 20 of the piston 11, the clutch components 8, 9 are (not yet) connected to one another in a form-fitting manner. The threshold value 22 is set in such a way that on the one hand a form-fitting connection of the clutch components 8, 9 is not present in each case (in particular at low temperature 17, in the present case, the lower characteristic curve 28), and on the other hand (for example at elevated temperature 17, in the present case, the upper characteristic curve 28) a form-fitting connection of the clutch components 8, 9 is immediately present after the threshold value 22 is exceeded.

(20) When the threshold value 22 is reached, the piston 11 is thus in an intermediate position 20 in which a form-fitting connection of the clutch components 8, 9 is not present in each case. By measuring a first time interval between actuation of the actuator 10 according to step a) (at this point in time the piston 11 is in the starting position 12) and the detection by the sensor 7 of an intermediate position 20 that is reached by the piston 11, the speed of the piston 11 during the movement through the transmission fluid 14 may be determined. The viscosity of the transmission fluid 14, and thus its temperature 17, may be deduced from the speed of the piston 11. Based on the temperature 17, the appropriate characteristic curve 28 for the sensor 7 may be selected and the actual position 18 of the piston may thus be determined with sufficient accuracy. Starting from the actual position 18 of the piston 11 (step d)), it is then possible to determine a second time interval (taking the viscosity of the transmission fluid 14 into account) after the piston 11, starting from the actual position 18, reaches the end position 13.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(21) 1 drive train

(22) 2 vehicle

(23) 3 transmission housing

(24) 4 clutch unit

(25) 5 clutch

(26) 6 actuating unit

(27) 7 sensor

(28) 8 first clutch component

(29) 9 second clutch component

(30) 10 actuator

(31) 11 piston

(32) 12 starting position

(33) 13 end position

(34) 14 transmission fluid

(35) 15 first state

(36) 16 measured sensor value

(37) 17 temperature

(38) 18 actual position

(39) 19 resistance

(40) 20 intermediate position

(41) 21 characteristic map

(42) 22 threshold value

(43) 23 test signal

(44) 24 sensor disk

(45) 25 disk spring

(46) 26 sliding disk

(47) 27 coil

(48) 28 characteristic curve

(49) 29 path

(50) 30 control unit