METHOD FOR CONTROLLING OIL PRESSURE IN AN OIL PUMP OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE SYSTEM

Abstract

A method for controlling oil pressure in a controllable oil pump of an internal combustion engine system. A vehicle is arranged in communication with a control unit, the method comprising: receiving an indication of an upcoming vehicle operating situation affecting an operation of the ICE system; determining an expected change in the operation of the ICE system for the upcoming vehicle operating situation; determining a current oil pressure of the oil pump; and on the basis of said determined expected change in the operation of the ICE system and the determined current oil pressure of the oil pump, determining a minimum oil pressure for the oil pump for the upcoming vehicle operating situation.

Claims

1. A method (100) for controlling oil pressure in a controllable oil pump of an internal combustion engine, ICE, system (20), of a vehicle, the method comprising: receiving (S10) an indication of an upcoming vehicle operating situation affecting an operation of the ICE system; determining (S20) an expected change in the operation of the ICE system for the upcoming vehicle operating situation; determining (S30) a current oil pressure of the oil pump; and on the basis of said determined expected change in the operation of the ICE system and the determined current oil pressure of the oil pump, determining (S40) a minimum oil pressure for the oil pump for the upcoming vehicle operating situation.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, on the basis of said determined minimum oil pressure, further determining (S42) that the oil pressure is at a predetermined oil pressure value when the vehicle reaches the upcoming vehicle operating situation.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining (S50) to increase the operation of the oil pump to increase the oil pressure if the determined expected change in the ICE system operation amounts to an increase of the ICE system operation compared to a current level of the ICE system operation.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining (S60) to reduce the operation of the oil pump to decrease the oil pressure if the determined expected change in the ICE system operation amounts to a reduction of the ICE system operation compared to a current level of the ICE system operation.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining an expected change in the operation of the ICE system for the upcoming vehicle operating situation comprises determining any one of an expected change in engine load, engine torque, engine revolution and engine acceleration for the upcoming vehicle operating situation.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining an expected change in the operation of the ICE system for an upcoming vehicle operating situation is determined based on route information describing at least a route segment from a starting point to an end point.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the route information contains any one of an indication of a speed limit, road type, road elevation profile, construction work, traffic flow.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein determining an expected change in the operation of the ICE system is determined based on a previous ICE operating profile for the route segment.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the previous ICE operating profile for the route segment is based on previous vehicle operating cycle statistics.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining a duration of the upcoming vehicle operating situation.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising to adjust the oil pressure of the oil pump only if the duration of the upcoming vehicle operating situation exceeds at least 10 seconds.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining a start of the upcoming vehicle operating situation and a start for adjusting the oil pressure of the oil pump to the determined minimum oil pressure based on the determined start of the upcoming vehicle operating situation.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising monitoring the oil pressure of the oil pump until the start of the upcoming vehicle operating situation and adjusting the start for adjusting the oil pressure of the oil pump if the monitored oil pressure deviates from a thresholds value.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determined minimum oil pressure for the upcoming vehicle operating situation is at least partially determined on the basis of an oil pressure model data indicative of a needed oil pressure level for the determined expected change in the operation of the ICE system.

15. A control unit (90) for a vehicle (10), arranged in communication with an oil pump of an internal combustion engine, ICE, system, and configured to perform a method according to claim 1.

16. A vehicle (10) comprising an internal combustion engine, ICE, system having a controllable oil pump, and further a control unit according to claim 15.

17. A computer program comprising program code means for performing the steps of claim 1 when said program is run on a computer.

18. A computer readable medium carrying a computer program comprising program means for performing the steps of claim 1 when said program means is run on a computer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] The above, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure, will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, wherein:

[0040] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a vehicle provided with an internal combustion engine system configured to be operated according an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0041] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates further components of the internal combustion engine system according to FIG. 1, comprising a lubrication system and a controllable oil pump for controlling the oil pressure of at least one engine component of the internal combustion engine system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0042] FIG. 3 shows a flow-chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0043] FIG. 4 shows a flow-chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0044] FIG. 5 provides an illustrative example of the operation of the vehicle with the ICE system operating according a conventional method of controlling the oil pressure of the oil pump;

[0045] FIG. 6 provides an illustrative example of the operation of the vehicle with the ICE system operating according an embodiment of the method for controlling the oil pressure of the oil pump according to any one of the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 4 according to the present disclosure; and

[0046] FIG. 7 illustrates another example of an illustrative example of the operation of the vehicle with the ICE system operating according an embodiment of the method of controlling the oil pressure of the oil pump according to any one of the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 4 according to the present disclosure.

[0047] With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a more detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure cited as examples.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0048] The present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are shown. The disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided for thoroughness and completeness. The skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims. Like reference character refer to like elements throughout the description.

[0049] FIG. 1 illustrates a vehicle in the form of a truck 10. The vehicle comprises an internal combustion engine (ICE) system 20. The ICE system 20 is here an integral part of a powertrain system (although not explicitly illustrated in FIG. 1) that may generally include additional components for providing traction power to the vehicle 10 and operating the vehicle along a route. Moreover, the ICE system 20 includes an internal combustion engine 30. In this example, the ICE 30 is a diesel piston engine. In the ICE 30, fuel and oxygen are combined in a combustion process to produce power to turn a crankshaft (not shown) of the ICE 30. The combustion generates high pressure exhaust gas which exerts a force on the face of a piston of the ICE, although not specifically illustrated in FIG. 1. The piston reciprocates inside a cylinder and is connected to the crankshaft by a connection rod which transmits the power. In order to provide a reliable operation of the ICE system 20, the ICE system 20 generally comprises an ICE oil lubrication system 40, as is illustrated in FIG. 2. The function of the ICE oil lubrication system 40 is thus to distribute oil to the moving parts of the ICE system 20 to reduce friction between mating or moving surfaces which rub against each other. The ICE oil lubrication system may simply be denoted as the oil lubrication system or the lubrication system. The lubrication system generally contains an oil of a suitable type with a suitable viscosity, as is generally known in the art. It should be noted that the oil can likewise be used for cooling the engine components, as is commonly known in the art.

[0050] Turning now to FIG. 2, conceptually illustrating further components of the ICE system 20 according to FIG. 1, where the ICE system 20 comprises the oil lubrication system 40 arranged and configured to lubricate one or more components of the ICE system 20. The oil lubrication system 40 is generally arranged and configured to provide lubricating oil to a moving component 32 of the ICE 30, such as the piston, connecting rod, crankshaft, and the like. Providing adequate lubricating of these engine components provides for a more reliable operation of the ICE system for many reasons. It is to be noted that the piston, connecting rod and the crankshaft are only a few examples of moving parts of the ICE system in need of lubrication.

[0051] While there are a number of different types of lubrication systems and interfaces between the components and the lubrication system, a typical example of a lubrication system 40 comprises an oil pan 44, an oil pump 45 and an oil filter 46. The oil filter 46 may generally be secured in the oil pan in a suitable manner. The oil filter may include a housing and a lid 47, configured to provide attachment of the oil filter to a part of the oil pan 44. In FIG. 2, there is depicted a schematic overview of the lubrication system 40 for supplying oil to a single movable component 32 of the ICE 30, i.e. an oil using movable engine component.

[0052] More specifically, the lubrication system 40 here comprises the oil pan 44 for holding oil received from the engine component 32, the oil pump 45 configured to be fluidly connected to the oil pan 44 for pumping oil from the oil pan 44 to the engine component 32, the oil filter 46 configured for cleaning the oil, and the lid 47 for sealingly securing the oil filter 46 to the oil pan 44. The lubrication system 40 further contains the oil 42. The ICE system 20 may typically include a plurality of engine components 32 in fluid communication with the oil pump 45.

[0053] In order to allow the oil pressure to be adjusted in a dynamic manner, the oil pump 45 is configured to be controllable so that the oil pump 45 can regulate the oil pressure in response to a control signal from a control unit 90. While the oil pump 45 can be provided in several different manners, the oil pump 45 may as an example be a variable-capacity oil pump. Thus, the term “oil pump” as used herein, typically refers to a controllable oil pump that is configured to control the oil pressure. Hence, the oil pump can e.g. be any type of oil pump that is controllable, besides oil pumps that are mechanically fixed to the drive shaft because such oil pumps are driven directly by the engine.

[0054] As seen in FIG. 2, the oil pump 45 is fluidly connected to the oil pan 44 by means of an oil pump supply line 41. The oil pump 45 is further fluidly connected to the engine component(s) 32 by means of an oil supply line 43 extending in-between the oil pump 45 and the engine component 32. The engine component 32 is arranged downstream of the oil pump 45. The oil pump 45 is configured to transfer oil to the engine component(s) 32. From the engine components 32, oil is returned to the oil pan 44 by means of an oil return line 49 arranged between the engine components 32 and the oil pan 44. For an arrangement where there are more than one engine components in need of lubrication, it should be noted that the oil return line 49 may correspond to a plurality of different lines or paths for which the oil is returned to the oil pan 44.

[0055] The lubrication system 40 may include a number of additional components and various sub-systems as is known in the art. Although not specifically illustrated, the lubrication system 40 may comprise an oil filter line, which is a branch from the oil supply line 43, and is thus arranged downstream of the oil pump 45, for transferring oil to the oil filter 46. Thus, the pressurized oil flow from the oil pump 45 will be divided into different sub portions, a first sub-portion in the oil filter line, and a second sub-portion in the oil supply line 43. Moreover, as seen in FIG. 2, the oil pan 44 comprises a housing 48, i.e. an oil pan housing, surrounding an interior volume for holding the oil in the oil pan 44. Generally, at least a portion of the oil filter 46, such as a filter outlet (not shown), is arranged in the interior volume of the oil pan 44. Further, the oil filter 46 may comprise a filter insert for cleaning the oil. The filter insert is provided with at least one filter element having a filter material body through which the oil is arranged to pass in order to be filtered. Hence, the filter material body will capture debris and impurities in the oil and will successively be degraded and in need of maintenance or change. The lubrication system 40 may include additional components that are well-known in the field, and thus not further described herein.

[0056] Referring again to FIG. 2, the ICE system 20 here also comprises the control unit 90 in the form of an ICE system control unit. The control unit 90 is configured to perform a method of controlling the oil pressure of the controllable oil pump 45 in FIG. 2. In addition, the control unit 90 is here configured to control operation of the powertrain system, the ICE system 20 and the ICE 30, including e.g. controlling the lubrication system 40 and the oil pump 45. Optionally, the lubrication system 40 comprises one or more sensors so as to gather relevant data from the ICE system 20 and the lubrication system 40. By way of example, the lubrication system 40 comprises a pressure sensor 92 for monitoring the oil pressure downstream the oil pump 45, as illustrated in FIG. 2. As such, the control unit 90 is in communication with the oil pump 45, the lubrication system 40 and the pressure sensor 92. The control unit 90 is therefore connected to the pressure sensor 92, where the pressure sensor 92 is used for acquiring an indication of a prevailing pressure level downstream the oil pump 45. The detected oil pressure detected by the pressure sensor 92 typically corresponds to the state pressure level of the lubrication system 40.

[0057] The control unit 90 is here also arranged in communication with a geolocation arrangement 96, such as a GPS receiver or a local positioning arrangement, such as for example a Wi-Fi positioning system. The control unit 90 may thus be configured to receive geolocation data via the radio or network communication (such as e.g. the Internet) or from any other suitable network communication interface. The control unit 90 may also be in communication with a navigation system 94 of the vehicle, which is in communication with the geolocation arrangement 96 (e.g. the GPS receiver).

[0058] The control unit 90 is here further arranged in communication with a remote server 98, for example by means of the radio or network communication (such as e.g. the Internet) 96. The remote server 98 is adapted to generate Real Time Traffic Information (RTTI) to be received at the control unit 90. The RTTI may for example comprise detailed traffic information in regard to the vicinity of the vehicle, such as the within the next 1000 meters, the next 2000 meters, the next 5000 meters, or less.

[0059] Moreover, the control unit 90 is configured to receive route information. Route information can for example be acquired from the navigation system 94 of the vehicle. Route information may also be acquired from the remote server 98 or a cloud environment using a wireless connection of the vehicle. Furthermore, certain route information may be provided by the driver of the vehicle. In addition to data relating to the destination, which is typically determined by the driver, the driver may also provide information describing planned stops along the route. The planned stop may for example be a planned lunch break or other stops.

[0060] Further, in line with conventional ICE systems, the control unit 90 is configured to control various other components of the ICE system and to receive various input signals from sensors of various kinds. The control unit 90 may include a microprocessor, microcontroller, programmable digital signal processor or another programmable device. The control unit may also, or instead, include an application specific integrated circuit, a programmable gate array or programmable array logic, a programmable logic device, or a digital signal processor. Where the control unit 90 includes a programmable device such as the microprocessor, microcontroller or programmable digital signal processor mentioned above, the processor may further include computer executable code that controls operation of the programmable device. Moreover, the control unit 90 may be a dedicated control unit for controlling the ICE system 20 and for performing the methods according to various embodiments of the disclosure. It is also possible that the described functionalities of the control unit 90 are provided by a general-purpose control unit or that the functionalities are distributed over several different control units.

[0061] Before turning to the example embodiments of a method according to the disclosure, a conventional prior art method for controlling oil pressure of the ICE system will be briefly described in relation to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a conventional control of the oil pressure according to an example that is not part of the example embodiments of the disclosure. In this prior art method, the vehicle 10 is driving along a route 300′. The upper part of FIG. 5 illustrates the change in altitude (y-axis) as a function of the route distance (x-axis), while the lower part of FIG. 5 illustrates the oil pressure as a function of the route distance (x-axis). In the lower part of FIG. 5, the curve in bold line 307′ indicates the prevailing oil pressure of the oil pump, while the curve in dashed line 308′ indicates the oil pressure demand. During operation of the vehicle 10, with further reference to FIG. 5, the vehicle 10 is illustrated to be travelling along the route 300′ from a start position to an end position. At 312, the vehicle is driving uphill along a rather lengthy and inclined uphill slope. As a consequence, at least the load on the ICE will increase in order to provide appropriate extra power to the vehicle during the uphill operating situation. As such, there will be a change in the operations of the ICE at 305′, where the ICE enters into a so-called high load mode. Consequently, there will be a rise in the oil pressure demand, as shown by a rise in the dashed line 308′ at 305′, which reflects an increase in the oil pressure demand due to the change 305′ in the ICE operation. As may further be gleaned from FIG. 5, the ICE system 20 will demand more oil pressure due to the change of the vehicle operating situation. However, since there is often a delay for generating a sufficient oil pressure for sudden changes in engine load and/or engine acceleration, the oil pressure of the oil pump is not at a sufficient level until 311′, which is the intersection of the oil pressure demand curve 308′ (dashed line in FIG. 5) and the curve 307′ illustrating the prevailing oil pressure of the oil pump (bold line in FIG. 5). In other words, there will be an oil pressure delay period 314′, as shown in FIG. 5, which is defined as the difference between the intersection at 311′ and the start of the oil pressure demand from the ICE, which in FIG. 5 corresponds to the start of the high load condition 305′.

[0062] Turning now to FIG. 3, there is depicted a flow-chart of a method 100 according to example embodiments of the disclosure. The method is intended for controlling an oil pressure of the oil pump 45 of the ICE system 20 as described above in relation to FIGS. 1 and 2. The sequences of the method are here performed by the control unit 90, as described above in relation to the FIGS. 1 and 2. Thus, while referring to FIG. 3, a number of steps for controlling the oil pressure in the oil pump 45 of the ICE system 20 will now be described.

[0063] The method illustrated in FIG. 3 comprises at the least the following steps: [0064] receiving S10 an indication of an upcoming vehicle operating situation affecting an operation of the ICE system 20; [0065] determining S20 an expected change in the operation of the ICE system 20 for the upcoming vehicle operating situation; [0066] determining S30 a current oil pressure of the oil pump; and [0067] on the basis of the determined expected change in the operation of the ICE system 20 and the determined current oil pressure of the oil pump 45, determining S40 a minimum oil pressure for the oil pump for the upcoming vehicle operating situation.

[0068] The sequences of the method may further be described in relation to one or more examples of an upcoming vehicle operations. FIGS. 6 and 7 schematically illustrate two examples of possible vehicle operating situations where the method is particularly useful so as to provide a more efficient and dynamic oil pressure regulation. During operation of the vehicle 10, with further reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, the vehicle 10 is illustrated to be travelling along a route 300 from a start position 302 to an end position 304. The route 300 is in the exemplifying drawings illustrated to comprise at least one separate segment 303, in which there will be a change 305 in the operation of the ICE system due to an identified change along the route segment, affecting the ICE operation. The route segment 303 here corresponds to the upcoming vehicle operating situation, in particular the change along the route segment corresponds to the upcoming vehicle operating situation, as described above in relation to the FIGS. 2 to 4. This is also indicated in FIGS. 6 and 7 as a start of a high load condition 305 of the ICE 30. That is, in FIGS. 6 and 7, the change in the route has an impact of the operation of the ICE system, such as change from a low load condition to the high load condition 305.

[0069] In FIG. 6, the vehicle 10 is approaching an uphill slope of the route 300. Hence, in this example, the route segment 303 is the uphill slope, which amounts to the upcoming vehicle operating situation. The upper part of FIG. 6 illustrates the change in altitude (y-axis) as a function of the route distance (x-axis), while the lower part of FIG. 6 illustrates the oil pressure as a function of the route distance (x-axis). Moreover, in the lower part of FIG. 6, the curve in bold line 307 indicates the prevailing oil pressure of the oil pump, while the curve in dashed line 308 indicates the oil pressure demand. Hence, the dashed line 308 indicates the oil pressure demand due to the change in the ICE operation. Generally, an increase in altitude along the route (corresponding to an uphill slope) requires an increased engine load, e.g. a need for an increased engine torque. As a consequence, the oil pressure will increase in order to provide a sufficient lubrication of the ICE 30 during the increased engine load.

[0070] Thus, in FIG. 6, there is an increase in the ICE operation that amounts to an increase in the oil pressure level. The start of the high load ICE condition is indicated by 305. By the embodiments of the method as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, it becomes possible to adjust the oil pressure of the oil pump so that the oil pressure is adjusted early and prior to approaching the start of the high load ICE condition 305. This early control adjustment of the oil pressure demand is provided by the method according to the example embodiments, as described herein, and is schematically illustrated by the period 306 in the upper part of FIG. 6.

[0071] In order to permit an early adjustment of the oil pressure of the controllable oil pump so as to handle the increased oil pressure demand at 305, the control unit 90 is configured to gather relevant route information. The route information is used as a basis for determining the expected change in the operation of the ICE system 20 for the upcoming vehicle operating situation. By way of example, at the start position 302, the control unit 90 receives, S10, an indication of an upcoming vehicle operating situation 303, which in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 corresponds to the uphill slope. As is commonly known in the art, an upcoming vehicle operating situation in the form of driving uphill is likely to affect the operation of the ICE system to demand more power, thus requiring more lubrication or cooling of the engine components. Hence, such increase of the operation of the ICE will result in a demand on the oil pump to deliver a higher oil pressure during the route segment 303 compared to a previous route segment, e.g. at the start 302 of the route 300.

[0072] Typically, the route information comprises data indicating the starting point 302 and the end point 304 of the route 300 as illustrated by FIG. 6, thereby giving the travel distance. Moreover, in this example, the route information comprises the road elevation profile of the route 300, in particular the route elevation profile of the route segment 303.

[0073] Subsequently, on the basis of the received data indicating the road elevation profile, the control unit 90 is configured to determine the expected change in the operation of the ICE system 20 for the upcoming uphill slope, e.g. in comparison to a generally flat route segment without any change in altitude. It should be readily appreciated that the route information may comprise any or all of: speed limits, road type, road elevation profile, construction work, traffic flow, weather information or any other parameter that may influence the operation of the ICE system and thereby the oil pressure of the oil pump for the future route segment ahead of the vehicle. By way of example, the control unit 90 may also receive detailed traffic information from the remote server 98, as mentioned above. In one embodiment, the control unit receives data directly from the GPS receiver 96 and/or the navigation system 94 so as to correlate a current location of the vehicle 10 with the information received from the remote server 98, for determining when (exactly) the uphill slope is to be expected.

[0074] To sum up, while referring to e.g. FIG. 6, the method according to FIG. 3 determines the expected change in the operation of the ICE system 20 for the upcoming vehicle operating situation based on received route information describing at least the route 300 from the starting position 302 to the end position 304. The route 300 may be a predetermined segment of a planned route by the control unit 90 or a selected route segment 303 of the route ahead the vehicle 10, such as an uphill slope (FIG. 6) or an acceleration lane 320 (FIG. 7).

[0075] Subsequently, the control unit 90 receives data from the pressure sensor 92 so as to determine, S30, the current oil pressure of the oil pump 45, as mentioned above.

[0076] Based on the above received information, the control unit 90 determines, S40, that the upcoming uphill slope of the route will amount to a change of the ICE load, such as an increase in the ICE torque, of a magnitude requiring an increased demand for lubrication of the engine components during the uphill slope. Hence, based on the received information on the determined upcoming uphill slope of the route, the control unit 90 predicts that the oil pressure of the oil pump must be increased in comparison to the current oil pressure of the oil pump prior to reaching the detected upcoming uphill slope of the route so as to provide a sufficient lubrication of the engine components during the uphill slope of the route. To this end, the control unit 90 is configured to generally determine at least a minimum oil pressure of the oil pump 45 on the basis of the determined expected change in the operation of the ICE system and the determined current oil pressure of the oil pump.

[0077] Accordingly, while again referring to FIG. 6, the oil pump 45 may be operable at e.g. 301 to increase the oil pressure of the oil pump so that the oil pressure of the oil pump is at a sufficient level, or at least at a minimum level for handling the change (at 305) of the operation of the ICE, when the ICE demands more power, and thus more lubrication.

[0078] To this end, there will be an early rise in the oil pressure of the oil pump during the period 306 so that the oil pressure of the oil pump is at a sufficient level when there is a peak of the oil pressure demand at 305. This early oil pressure control adjustment of the oil pump is indicated by the arrows in FIG. 6. As may further be gleaned from FIG. 6, the ICE system 20 will demand more oil pressure due to the change in the vehicle operating situation at 305. However, due to the method of the example embodiment, there is no delay in the oil pressure rise. Rather, the method provides for delivering a sufficient oil pressure for the sudden change in the ICE operation (e.g. change in engine load) at 305, which is also exemplified by the intersection of the oil pressure demand curve 308 (dashed line in FIG. 6) and the curve 307 illustrating the prevailing oil pressure of the oil pump (bold line in FIG. 6) at 305 in FIG. 6. In other words, there will be no oil pressure delay period as previously indicated in relation to FIG. 5.

[0079] Typically, although strictly not required, the control unit 90 also determines when the oil pressure of the oil pump needs to be adjusted so as to ensure that a sufficient lubrication of the engine components is provided at and during the uphill slope of the route. In FIG. 6, the determined start of the oil pressure adjustment of the oil pump is indicated by reference numeral 301. In order to ensure that the oil pressure is at an appropriate level at the start of the high load condition 305 of the ICE system, the control unit 90 here determines to increase the operation of the oil pump at a point in time or at a certain location of the vehicle on the route, e.g. at 301, so that the oil pressure in the oil pump 45 is at the predetermined oil pressure value when the vehicle 10 reaches the upcoming vehicle operating situation on the basis of the determined minimum oil pressure. The minimum oil pressure and the predetermined oil pressure value may be derivable from an oil pressure model or from a conventional oil pressure map. By way of example, the data used as a basis for determining the required or minimum oil pressure for the upcoming vehicle operating situation may include an oil pressure model data indicative of a needed oil pressure level for the determined expected change in the operation of the ICE system. Thus, the method may include the step of determining the minimum oil pressure for the upcoming vehicle operating situation on the basis of an oil pressure model data indicative of a needed oil pressure level for the determined expected change in the operation of the ICE system. In other words, the method as illustrated in FIG. 3 here comprises the optional step of determining S42 that the oil pressure is at a predetermined oil pressure value when the vehicle reaches the upcoming vehicle operating situation on the basis of the determined minimum oil pressure.

[0080] In addition, or alternatively, the actual value of the minimum oil pressure for the determined change in the ICE operation may be derivable from the oil pressure map. By way of example, such oil pressure map contains suitable oil pressure levels as a function of predetermined data on specific engine speeds and engine torque. That is, the map may contain engine speed on the x-axis and engine torque on the y-axis, where the oil pressure can be selected depending on these two values.

[0081] In addition, or alternatively, the actual value of the minimum oil pressure for the determined change in ICE operation may be derivable from a machine learning model formed from vehicle data from the vehicle to thereby construct a model specific to that vehicle. For example, as the vehicle travels, more data is collected, to train a machine learning model, or add additional data to a statistical model. A model tailored to the specific vehicle provides for a model accurate for that specific vehicle which may have its own performance characteristics. However, the amount of data for constructing the model is limited to the data collected by that one vehicle. Accordingly, the value of the minimum oil pressure as well as the predetermined oil pressure level may be derivable from a simple look-up table, or in other embodiments such as a statistical model, or a machine learning model.

[0082] Adjusting the oil pressure on the basis of the determined expected change in the operation of the ICE system 20 and the determined current oil pressure of the oil pump 45 can be performed in several different manners by the control unit 90. In the driving situation illustrated in FIG. 6, the control unit 90 further determines to increase the operation of the oil pump 45 to increase the oil pressure of the oil pump because the determined expected change in the ICE system operation amounts to an increase of the ICE system operation compared to the determined current level of the ICE system operation.

[0083] In an extended version of the method illustrated in FIG. 3, the method comprises a number of additional steps to estimate if the oil pressure of the oil pump should increase, decrease, or remain at the determined current oil pressure level. FIG. 4 illustrates the various options of the adjustment of the oil pressure level depending on the determined expected change in the operation of the ICE system and the determined current oil pressure of the oil pump, as described above in relation to FIG. 3. In other words, the embodiment of the method illustrated in FIG. 4 generally includes the steps of the method as described above in relation to FIG. 3.

[0084] In addition, the control unit 90 is here configured to determine S50 to increase the operation of the oil pump to increase the oil pressure if the determined expected change in the ICE system operation amounts to an increase of the ICE system operation compared to a current level of the ICE system operation; determine S60 to reduce the operation of the oil pump to decrease the oil pressure if the determined expected change in the ICE system operation amounts to a reduction of the ICE system operation compared to a current level of the ICE system operation; and determine S70 to maintain the operation of the oil pump to maintain the oil pressure if the determined expected change in the ICE system operation amounts to a similar operation of the ICE system operation compared to a current level of the ICE system operation.

[0085] In other words, the method here comprises the step of determining S50 to increase the operation of the oil pump to increase the oil pressure if the determined expected change in the ICE system operation amounts to an increase of the ICE system operation compared to a current level of the ICE system operation. In addition, or alternatively, the method may comprise determining S60 to reduce the operation of the oil pump to decrease the oil pressure if the determined expected change in the ICE system operation amounts to a reduction of the ICE system operation compared to a current level of the ICE system operation. In addition, or alternatively, the method may comprise determining S70 to maintain the operation of the oil pump to maintain the oil pressure if the determined expected change in the ICE system operation amounts to a similar operation of the ICE system operation compared to a current level of the ICE system operation. As such, the control unit 90 is configured to select between the steps 50, 60 and 70 on the basis of the determined expected change in the operation of the ICE system and the determined current oil pressure of the oil pump.

[0086] Typically, if the method comprises the step 42 of determining S42 that the oil pressure is at a predetermined oil pressure value when the vehicle reaches the upcoming vehicle operating situation on the basis of the determined minimum oil pressure, also the method as illustrated in FIG. 4 may include the step of determining to increase 50, reduce 60 or maintain 70 the operation of the oil pump so that the oil pressure in the oil pump is at the predetermined oil pressure value when the vehicle reaches the upcoming vehicle operating situation on the basis of the determined minimum oil pressure.

[0087] Optionally, step S20 may comprises the step of determining if the determined expected change in the ICE system operation also differs from an expected operational behaviour of the ICE system by a threshold value indicative of a critical deviation in the operational behaviour of the ICE system. Such threshold value is generally stored in the control unit 90. If the determined expected change in the ICE system operation also differs from an expected operational behaviour of the ICE system by a threshold value, the step 40 here also comprises to include such information when determining the minimum oil pressure for the oil pump for the upcoming vehicle operating situation.

[0088] The expected change in the operation of the ICE system can be determined in several different manners. In this embodiment, the step of determining an expected change in the operation of the ICE system for the upcoming vehicle operating situation comprises determining any one of an expected change in engine load, engine torque, engine revolution and engine acceleration for the upcoming vehicle operating situation. That is, due to the upcoming vehicle operating situation, there will be a change in the operation of the ICE system. While the method may e.g. be used to determine the engine acceleration due to the upcoming vehicle operating situation, the method may also be used to adjust the oil pressure of the oil pump due to a change in engine torque, which may necessarily not be the same as a change in engine acceleration. That is, the engine torque can vary despite that the engine acceleration is constant. Hence, the method according to the example embodiment can be used in several different situations for controlling the oil pressure of the oil pump in a more predictive manner, e.g. due to the use of the route information, as described above.

[0089] It should be noted that the embodiments described herein are not limited to one specific model for determining the minimum oil pressure for the ICE system, as described herein. Rather, it may be possible to use several different models such an oil pressure data model and an oil pressure map. Which model to be used may in part depend on what information is available.

[0090] By way of example, the expected change in the operation of the ICE system may also be determined based on a previous ICE operating profile for the route segment 300. In this context, the previous ICE operating profile for the route segment 300 is based on previous vehicle operating cycle statistics for the same vehicle or for a different previous vehicle.

[0091] The expected change in the operation of the ICE system may also be determined by a combination of available data to determine oil pressure with the best possible accuracy given the available information. The amount of information and the accuracy of the gathered data may also dictate the maximum extent of a prediction window, i.e. for how long distance and/or time the oil pressure can be predicted with sufficient accuracy, thereby determining the length of the route segment. The prediction window also depends on the route information, where the oil pressure for example is more easily predictable for a road portion with a fixed speed limit and low traffic compared to for a road with varying speed limits and high traffic density. Thereby, the length of a segment may be based on speed limits of roads of the route. To this end, the method typically further comprises determining a duration of the upcoming vehicle operating situation. In view of the determined duration of the upcoming vehicle operating situation, it may be decided to adjust the oil pressure to a lower level, higher level, or maintain the current oil pressure.

[0092] Optionally, the oil pressure of the oil pump is only adjusted if the duration of the upcoming vehicle operating situation exceeds 10 seconds, still preferably exceeds 30 seconds.

[0093] To sum up, the method may generally comprise the step of determining when the oil pressure of the oil pump needs to be adjusted so as to ensure that a sufficient lubrication of the engine components is provided when the vehicle reaches the start 305 of the high load condition, as illustrated in FIG. 6. As such, in one example embodiment, the method comprises the step of determining the start of the upcoming vehicle operating situation corresponding to the start of the high load condition 305 of the ICE system by receiving an indication at the control unit 90 on the basis of the route information and/or previous driving cycles of the same vehicle or other vehicles of the same fleet.

[0094] Subsequently, the method comprises the step of determining the start for adjusting the oil pressure of the oil pump to the determined minimum oil pressure based on the determined start 305 of the upcoming vehicle operating situation. Referring to the example illustrated in FIG. 6, the start for adjusting the oil pressure of the oil pump to the determined minimum oil pressure is at the location 301. At this location 301, the control unit 90 transfers a signal to the oil pump to increase the oil pressure to the minimum oil pressure level for handling the determined high load condition at 305. To this end, the oil pressure of the oil pump 45 will be adjusted at least to a minimum oil pressure level so as to ensure that a sufficient lubrication of the engine components can be provided when the vehicle is at the location 305. This may result in that the oil pressure is either increased, decreased, or maintained in comparison to the current oil pressure of the oil pump.

[0095] Optionally, the method comprises the step of monitoring the oil pressure of the oil pump until the start of the upcoming vehicle operating situation and adjusting the start for adjusting the oil pressure of the oil pump if the monitored oil pressure deviates from a thresholds value.

[0096] In another example embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 7, and also described above, the upcoming vehicle operating situation affecting the operation of the ICE system is an acceleration lane 320. In this embodiment, the control unit 90 receives an indication of an upcoming acceleration lane from e.g. the GPS receiver 96 or any other available traffic data communicated to the control unit 90 from the navigation system 94 of the vehicle. Thereafter, the control unit 90 is configured to perform similar steps as described above in relation to FIG. 6, so as to determine a minimum oil pressure for the oil pump for the upcoming acceleration lane 320. In FIG. 7 like references between FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 refer to like elements of the control unit and steps of the method.

[0097] The method may be executed as an on-board routine by the control unit 90. In addition, or alternatively, the method may be executed remote of the vehicle by a remote-control unit.

[0098] Although FIGS. 3 and 4 show a specific order of the method steps, the order of the steps may differ from what is depicted, and various method steps may be performed simultaneously or partially simultaneously.

[0099] The disclosure also relates to a control unit 90 for a vehicle as illustrated in FIG. 1, in which the control unit 90 is arranged in communication with the oil pump of the ICE system. The control unit 90 is configured to perform a method according to any one of the example embodiments as described in relation to the FIGS. 1 to 4 and FIGS. 6 to 7. In addition, the disclosure relates to the vehicle comprising the ICE system having a controllable oil pump, and further a control unit according to any one of the example embodiments as described in relation to the FIGS. 1 to 4 and FIGS. 6 to 7. In addition, the disclosure relates to a computer program comprising program code means for performing the steps of the method as described in relation to the FIGS. 1 to 4 and FIGS. 6 to 7, when the program is run on a computer. In addition, the disclosure relates to a computer readable medium carrying a computer program comprising program means for performing the steps of the method as described in relation to the FIGS. 1 to 4 and FIGS. 6 to 7 when the program means is run on a computer.

[0100] Thanks to the present disclosure, as exemplified by the example embodiments in FIGS. 1 to 4 and FIGS. 6 to 7, it becomes possible to correct oil pressure in a more precise and dynamic manner than hitherto known prior art methods, as illustrated e.g. in FIG. 5. As such, it becomes possible to predict a future required oil pressure of the oil pump so as to control a lubrication system of an ICE system so that lubrication will occur at the same time as a change in e.g. engine speed and/or torque of an ICE.

[0101] It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims. Thus, variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by the skilled addressee in practicing the claimed disclosure, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.