Intelligent vehicles and control logic for managing faults for dual-independent drive unit axle powertrains

US12122248B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC · US

Inventors

• Aubrey Walter Downs, Jr. · Brighton, US
• Christopher L Jones · Ann Arbor, US
• James Mason Faucett · Commerce, US
• Yiran Hu · Shelby Charter Township, US
• Ruixing Long · Windsor, CA
• Brent S. Gagas · Ferndale, US
• Wei D. Wang · Troy, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 15, 2021
• Grant date: Oct 22, 2024
• Expiry date: Aug 24, 2043

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B60W2050/0292
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

Presented are control systems for operating dual-independent drive unit (DIDU) powertrains, methods for making/operating such systems, and electric-drive vehicles with fault management and mitigation for DIDU axles. A method of operating a motor vehicle with a DIDU axle includes monitoring first and second drive units (DU) that are independently operable to drive respective road wheels via respective axle shafts of the DIDU axle. A vehicle controller receives an indication of a fault condition in the first DU from a fault sensing module and responsively determines a fault type for the fault condition. The controller ascertains the vehicle's current speed and determines a respective torque limit for each of the DIDU drive units based on the fault type and current vehicle speed. Torque output of the first DU is concomitantly constrained to a first torque limit while torque output of the second DU is constrained to a second torque limit.