Method for switching modes of electromechanical transmission system

This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201910699050.6 filed on Aug. 1, 2019, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

The present invention relates to a transmission system, and in particular to a method for switching modes of an electromechanical transmission system.

An electromechanical transmission system in operation may be in two states: a steady state (static) or a variable state (dynamic). A dynamic torque is zero when the system is static, i.e., a drag torque (a torque of a motor) is balanced with a load torque in the system, and the system runs at a constant speed; when the drag torque or the load torque in the system changes, there is the dynamic torque, the system is dynamic, and the speed is changing. The system is about to change from one steady operation state to the other steady operation state, and this process of change is called a transition process. During the transition process, the speed, the torque and a current of the motor change according to a certain law, and they are all functions of time. Starting, braking, speed change and load change and the like of the system can all cause the transition process.

For the convenience of experimental bench design, a coupling mechanism of an existing electromechanical transmission low-power test system does not consider stage change, an operation component such as a clutch necessary for the stage change is not designed, and only performances within stages and coordinated control within the stages are considered.

The present invention provides a method for switching modes of an electromechanical transmission system so as to solve problems proposed in the background.

To achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

A method for switching modes of an electromechanical transmission system which includes a clutch CL 0 , a motor A, a clutch CL 1 , a brake B 1 , a motor B and three planet rows K 1 , K 2 and K 3 , where the method includes the steps of achieving two different structural modes of EVT1 and EVT2 by changing states of the clutch CL 0 and the brake B 1 , where the EVT1 mode is formed when the clutch CL 0 is engaged, the clutch CL 1 is disengaged, and the brake B 1 is engaged; the EVT2 mode is formed when the clutch CL 0 is engaged, the clutch CL 1 is engaged, and the brake B 1 is disengaged; in the EVT1 mode, mechanical power is input through an input shaft and shunted at a planet carrier of the planet row K 2 ; at the planet row K 2 , a part of the mechanical power directly flows to an output end through a sun gear of the planet row K 2 , and another part is transmitted to a planet carrier of the planet row K 1 through a gear ring of the planet row K 2 for shunting; at the planet row K 1 , a part of the mechanical power flows to the output end through a sun gear of the planet row K 1 , and another part is transmitted to the motor A through a gear ring of the planet row K 1 ; the motor A is in a power generation state and converts the mechanical power transmitted from an engine into electric power which is transmitted to the motor B through an electrical control system, and the motor B is in an electric state and converts the electric power into mechanical power which is then directly transmitted to an output shaft; in the EVT2 mode, the mechanical power is input from the input shaft and shunted at the planet carrier of the planet row K 2 ; at the planet row K 2 , a part of the mechanical power is transmitted to the planet carrier of the planet row K 1 through the gear ring of the planet row K 2 and flows from the planet carrier of the planet row K 1 to the output end, and another part is shunted through the sun gear of the planet row K 2 ; at the planet row K 1 , a part of the mechanical power is transmitted to the planet carrier of the planet row K 1 through the sun gear of the planet row K 1 and flows to the output end from the planet carrier of the planet row K 1 , and another part flows to the motor B; and the motor B is in the power generation state and converts the mechanical power into the electric power which is transmitted to the motor A through the electrical control system, and the motor A is in the electric state and converts the electric power into mechanical power which is transmitted to the planet carrier of the planet row K 1 through the gear ring of the planet row K 1 and then transmitted to the output shaft.

In a further solution of the present invention: in the EVT1 mode, the brake B 1 is engaged, the clutch CL 1 is disengaged, the planet carrier of the planet row K 2 is not connected to the output end, the gear ring of the planet row K 1 is connected to the planet carrier of the planet row K 2 , a gear ring of the planet row K 3 is braked, and three sun gears of the planet rows K 1 , K 2 , and K 3 are connected.

In a further solution of the present invention: in the EVT2 mode, the brake B 1 is disengaged, the clutch CL 1 is engaged, the planet carrier of the planet row K 2 is connected to the output end, and the gear ring of the planet row K 3 rotates with a corresponding planet gear.

In a further solution of the present invention: a coupling mechanism speed relationship formula in the EVT1 mode is:

[ ω A ω B ] = [ ( 1 + k 1 ) ⁢ ( 1 + k 2 ) k 1 ⁢ k 2 - ( 1 + k 1 + k 2 ) ⁢ ( 1 + k 3 ) k 1 ⁢ k 2 0 1 + k 3 ] ⁡ [ ω i ω o ] ,

where ω A , ω B , ω i , ω o are a speed of the motor A, a speed of the motor B, a system input speed and a system output speed respectively; and k 1 , k 2 , k 3 are characteristic parameters of the planet rows K 1 , K 2 , and K 3 respectively.

In a further solution of the present invention: a coupling mechanism speed relationship formula in the EVT2 mode is:

[ ω A ω B ] = [ - 1 + k 2 k 1 1 + k 1 + k 2 k 1 1 + k 2 - k 2 ] ⁡ [ ω i ω o ] ,

where ω A , ω B , ω i , ω o are a speed of the motor A, a speed of the motor B, a system input speed and a system output speed respectively; and k 1 , k 2 , k 3 are characteristic parameters of the planet rows K 1 , K 2 , and K 3 respectively.

In a further solution of the present invention: in the EVT1 mode, a torque of the motor A and an input torque have a fixed proportional relationship, and torque signs are opposite.

In a further solution of the present invention: in the EVT2 mode, the torque signs of the motor A and the motor B are changed compared to those in the EVT1 mode, so that a working state of each motor is changed.

In a further solution of the present invention: in the EVT1 mode and the EVT2 mode, a fixed constraint relationship between an engine speed and the input speed remains unchanged, and the system output speed increases linearly, i.e., stepless change of a transmission ratio of the engine speed to the system output speed is achieved by coordinating the speed of the motor A and the speed of the motor B.

Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the beneficial effects that the electromechanical transmission system achieves two different structural modes of EVT1 and EVT2 by changing states of the clutch CL 0 and the brake B 1 . The EVT1 mode is mainly a system running state at a low vehicle speed under a high driving torque demand, and the EVT2 mode is mainly a system driving state at a high vehicle speed under a low driving torque demand. Mode switching without speed difference and power interruption can be achieved by switching vehicle speed selection and reasonable adjustment of engine and motor torque.

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an electromechanical transmission system;

FIG. 2 is a mechanism schematic diagram of an electromechanical transmission system in an EVT1 mode;

FIG. 3 is a mechanism schematic diagram of an electromechanical transmission system in an EVT2 mode;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a speed relationship of an electromechanical transmission system;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of motor speed changes at different input speeds in different structural modes in an electromechanical transmission system;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a system steady torque relationship in an electromechanical transmission system in an EVT1 mode; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a system steady torque relationship in an electromechanical transmission system in an EVT2 mode.

The following clearly and completely describes the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention with reference to accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Apparently, the described embodiments are merely some rather than all of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Refer to FIG. 1 . A method for switching modes of an electromechanical transmission system is provided. The system includes a clutch CL 0 , a motor A, a clutch CL 1 , a brake B 1 , a motor B and three planet rows K 1 , K 2 and K 3 . A structure is in a series-parallel structure form. Two different structural modes of EVT1 and EVT2 are achieved by changing states of the clutch CL 0 and the brake B 1 , where the EVT1 mode is formed when the clutch CL 0 is engaged, the clutch CL 1 is disengaged, and the brake B 1 is engaged; and the EVT2 mode is formed when the clutch CL 0 is engaged, the clutch CL 1 is engaged, and the brake B 1 is disengaged.

In the EVT1 mode, the brake B 1 is engaged, the clutch CL 1 is disengaged, the planet carrier of the planet row K 2 is not connected to the output end, and the gear ring of the planet row K 1 is connected to the planet carrier of the planet row K 2 , a gear ring of the planet row K 3 is braked, and three sun gears of the planet rows K 1 , K 2 , and K 3 are connected. The EVT1 mode is mainly a system running state at a low vehicle speed under a high driving torque demand.

In the EVT2 mode, the brake B 1 is disengaged, the clutch CL 1 is engaged, the planet carrier of the planet row K 2 is connected to the output end, and the gear ring of the planet row K 3 rotates with a corresponding planet gear. The EVT2 mode is mainly a system driving state at a high vehicle speed under a low driving torque demand.

In order to quantitatively describe operating conditions of the electromechanical transmission system, system states need to be defined. The system states are the smallest set of variables describing a system behavior. In theory, as long as a set of variables at the time t=t 0 and an input function at the time t≥t 0 are known, the system behavior at any time t≥t 0 can be completely determined. The system states mainly include a component operating state and a driving operating state. In order to describe the component operating state of the system, engine speed torque n e and T e , speed torque n A and T A of the motor A and speed torque n B and T B of the motor B are selected as the system states; in order to describe the driving state of the system, system output speed torque n o and T o are selected as the system states.

In the EVT1 mode, the system steady torque relationship is:

In the EVT2 mode, the system steady torque relationship is:

In the EVT1 mode and the EVT2 mode, a fixed constraint relationship between an engine speed and the input speed remains unchanged, and the system output speed increases linearly, i.e., stepless change of a transmission ratio of the engine speed to the system output speed is achieved by coordinating the speed of the motor A and the speed of the motor B.

According to a driving power form, the system may fall into three working modes: 1) an engine single driving mode; 2) a motor single driving mode; and 3) an engine and motor common driving mode. In order to describe the vehicle operating conditions in more detail, these three modes may be further subdivided into multiple working states, as shown in Table 2.2. Control methods are different under the different working states, and determining the operating states of the electromechanical transmission system is a prerequisite for system optimization control.

According to a basic speed relationship between the planet rows, a coupling mechanism speed relationship formula in the EVT1 mode can be obtained as follows through a system structure shown in FIG. 2 :

In a similar way, a coupling mechanism speed relationship formula in the EVT2 mode can be obtained as follows:

In the formula, ω A , ω B , ω i , ω o are a speed of the motor A, a speed of the motor B, a system input speed and a system output speed respectively; and k 1 , k 2 , k 3 are characteristic parameters of the planet rows K 1 , K 2 , and K 3 respectively. Under dynamic and steady conditions, the system satisfies speed relationships shown in formulas (2-1) and (2-2).

The speed relationships of the system can be visualized using FIG. 4 .

As can be seen from the figure, the engine speed and the output speed can be decoupled. When the output speed increases linearly, the engine speed can still be maintained at a steady speed state. Such speed decoupling helps achieve an objective that the engine can be maintained in an efficient operating area under different driving conditions. In the figure, speed trends of the motor A and the motor B change at the same time. Before the change, the system is in the EVT1 mode. After the change, the system is in the EVT2 mode. This change point can be referred to as a mode switching point. The speed at the mode switching point is affected by multiple requirements, such as performance index requirements and clutch speed difference requirements. At the same time, when the engine speed changes, the speed at the mode switching point should also change accordingly, and its changing state is shown in FIG. 5 . Reasonably setting the speed at the mode switching point greatly helps improve an overall performance index of the system.

From FIG. 5 , it can be concluded that the engine, the motor A and the motor B can have different speed combinations corresponding to the same output speed. In this way, the engine, the motor A and the motor B can be controlled to run within a desired speed range, mainly based on economy, or power, or both. In addition, when the output speed is higher and the engine speed is lower, the desired speed range of the motor A and the motor B is larger. Therefore, in a control strategy, the speed of the motor A and the speed of the motor B should be controlled within a reasonable range.

Components of the electromechanical transmission system transmit torque through mechanical connection, and the speed is adjusted by the torque of the components to achieve the objective of tracking driver instructions of the vehicle. The relationship between the torque of the components is relatively complicated. Under dynamic conditions, the operating states of the system are affected through a dynamic relationship of the system. However, under steady conditions, in order to maintain a current state of the system, the torque between the components must be balanced to meet the steady torque relationship of planet row coupling mechanisms. Under the condition that a system output torque is constant, there can be multiple combinations of motor torque and engine torque to maintain torque balance. Reasonable matching of the torque between the components can play an important role in improving system efficiency and performances. How to allocate such a balanced relationship is a focus of torque management strategy research.

According to a basic torque relationship between the planet rows, a system steady torque relationship in the EVT1 mode can be obtained as follows through a system structure shown in FIG. 2 :

A system steady torque relationship in the EVT2 mode can be obtained as follows through a system structure shown in FIG. 3 :

The torque relationships of the system can be visualized using FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 . From FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 , it can be seen that in the EVT1 mode, from a view of a power state, the motor A serves as a load of the system input torque, and the motor B participates in operation of a driving system. In the EVT2 mode, the torque signs of the motor A and the motor B are changed compared to those in the EVT1 mode, so that a working state of each motor is changed. In the two modes, a fixed constraint relationship between the engine speed and the input speed remains unchanged, the system output speed increases linearly, i.e., stepless change of a transmission ratio of the engine speed to the system output speed is achieved by coordinating the speed of the motor A and the speed of the motor B.

By combining external characteristics of the engine and the motors A and B, the steady torque relationships also limit a torque value range of each component in a steady state, which should be considered during a solution process of the control strategy to a steady optimization state point to ensure the accessibility of a given state point.

A power transmission process of the electromechanical transmission system includes multiple ways of power flow which are finally collected at the output end to drive the vehicle. Since the system does not involve an external charging effect, all energy sources are chemical energy of fuels. Through a function of the engine, the chemical energy is converted into mechanical energy. Through a function of the motors and the battery, a part of the mechanical energy is converted into electric energy. Finally, the electric energy and the mechanical energy are converged to the output end and converted into kinetic energy of the vehicle by wheels. The entire transmission process is complicated. Power flow distribution characteristics of the system are analyzed as follows:

According to a steady speed-torque relationship of the system, a torque direction of an engine input speed is positive, and an opposite direction is negative. When the torque direction at a point on a component is the same as a speed direction, a power is positive, indicating an input power. If the torque direction at the point is opposite to the speed direction, the power is negative, indicating an output power.

In the EVT1 mode, mechanical power is input through an input shaft and shunted at a planet carrier of the planet row K 2 , a part of the mechanical power directly flows to an output end through a sun gear of the planet row K 2 , and another xpart is transmitted to a planet carrier of the planet row K 1 through a gear ring of the planet row K 2 for shunting; a part of the mechanical power flows to the output end through a sun gear of the planet row K 1 , and another part is transmitted to the motor A through a gear ring of the planet row K 1 ; and the motor A is in a power generation state and converts the mechanical power transmitted from an engine into electric power which is transmitted to the motor B through an electrical control system, and the motor B is in an electric state and converts the electric power into mechanical power which is then directly transmitted to an output shaft. In the EVT2 mode, the mechanical power is transmitted from the input shaft and shunted at the planet carrier of the planet row K 2 ; a part of the mechanical power is transmitted to the planet carrier of the planet row K 1 through the gear ring of the planet row K 2 and flows from the planet carrier of the planet row K 1 to the output end, and another part is shunted through the sun gear of the planet row K 2 ; a part of the mechanical power is transmitted to the planet carrier of the planet row K 1 through the sun gear of the planet row K 1 and flows to the output end from the planet carrier of the planet row K 1 , and another part flows to the motor B; the motor B is in the power generation state and converts the mechanical power into the electric power which is transmitted to the motor A through the electrical control system, and the motor A is in the electric state and converts the electric power into mechanical power which is transmitted to the planet carrier of the planet row K 1 through the gear ring of the planet row K 1 and then transmitted to the output shaft.

It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to details of the exemplary embodiments, and the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from spirits or basic features of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be regarded as being exemplary and nonrestrictive in every respect, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the above description. Therefore, all changes within meanings and scopes of equivalent elements of the claims are intended to be incorporated into the present invention. No reference signs in the claims should be construed as limiting the claims involved.

In addition, it should be understood that although this specification is described according to implementations, not every embodiment includes only one independent technical solution. This description of the specification is for clarity only, and those skilled in the art should take the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in the embodiments can also be appropriately combined to form other implementations that can be understood by those skilled in the art.