Electrical assist for reducing emissions and torsion response delay in a hybrid electric vehicle

1. In a hybrid electric vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine that produces torque and an electric machine that produces torque, a method for operating the electric machine to produce electric assist to the engine comprising the steps of:

determining a magnitude of power requested by the vehicle operator;

determining a minimum power limit and a maximum power limit of the engine that will produce a response to a torque request within a desired period following the torque request;

determining a minimum and a maximum electric power limit of the electric machine;

using the magnitude of power requested, the minimum and maximum power limits of the engine, and the minimum and a maximum electric power limits to determine the upper and lower limits of the electric power assist such that the requested torque will be provided within the desired period; and

operating the electric machine to provide electric power assist within said upper and lower limits.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising the steps of:

estimating a mean value air charge of a stoichiometric turbocharged engine;

using said estimated mean value air charge to determine the minimum power limit and a maximum power limit of the engine that will produce a response to a torque request within the desired period following the torque request.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising the steps of:

estimating a mean value air charge of a stoichiometric turbocharged engine;

using said estimated mean value air charge to determine the minimum power limit and a maximum power limit of the engine that will produce a response to a torque request within two seconds following the torque request.

4. In a hybrid electric vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine that produces torque and an electric machine that produces torque, a method for operating the electric machine to produce electric assist to the engine comprising the steps of:

determining a magnitude of power requested by the vehicle operator;

determining a minimum power limit and a maximum power limit of the engine that will produce a response to a torque request within a desired period following the torque request, and engine exhaust gas emissions within a desired range that bounds said emissions resulting from an air-fuel ratio;

determining a minimum and a maximum electric power limit of the electric machine;

using the magnitude of power requested, the minimum and maximum power limits of the engine, and the minimum and a maximum electric power limits to determine the upper and lower limits of the electric power assist such that the requested torque will be provided within the desired period and engine exhaust gas emissions are lower than a desired limit; and

operating the electric machine to provide electric power assist within said upper and lower limits.

5. The method of claim 4 comprising the steps of:

determining a normalized air-fuel ratio that is rich relative to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio for a lean burn turbocharged engine;

determining a normalized air-fuel ratio that is lean relative to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio for a lean burn turbocharged engine;

using said normalized air-fuel ratios to determine the minimum power limit and a maximum power limit of the engine that will produce a response to a torque request within the desired period following the torque request and maintain engine exhaust gas emissions within a desired range that bounds said emissions resulting from the air-fuel ratio.

6. The method of claim 4 comprising the steps of:

determining a normalized air-fuel ratio that is rich relative to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio for a lean burn turbocharged engine;

determining a normalized air-fuel ratio that is lean relative to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio for a lean burn turbocharged engine;

using said normalized air-fuel ratios to determine the minimum power limit and a maximum power limit of the engine that will produce a response to a torque request within two seconds following the torque request and maintain engine exhaust gas emissions within a desired range that bounds said emissions resulting from the air-fuel ratio.

7. The method of claim 4 comprising the steps of:

determining a normalized air-fuel ratio that is rich relative to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio for a lean burn supercharged engine;

determining a normalized air-fuel ratio that is lean relative to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio for a lean burn supercharged engine;

using said normalized air-fuel ratios to determine the minimum power limit and a maximum power limit of the engine that will produce a response to a torque request within the desired period following the torque request and maintain engine exhaust gas emissions within a desired range that bounds said emissions resulting from the air-fuel ratio.

8. The method of claim 4 comprising the steps of:

determining a normalized air-fuel ratio that is rich relative to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio for a lean burn supercharged engine;

determining a normalized air-fuel ratio that is lean relative to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio for a lean burn supercharged engine;

using said normalized air-fuel ratios to determine the minimum power limit and a maximum power limit of the engine that will produce a response to a torque request within two seconds following the torque request and maintain engine exhaust gas emissions within a desired range that bounds said emissions resulting from the air-fuel ratio.

9. The method of claim 4 comprising the steps of:

determining a normalized air-fuel ratio that is rich relative to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio for a lean burn normally aspirated engine;

determining a normalized air-fuel ratio that is lean relative to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio for a lean burn normally aspirated engine;

using said normalized air-fuel ratios to determine the minimum power limit and a maximum power limit of the engine that will produce a response to a torque request within the desired period following the torque request and maintain engine exhaust gas emissions within a desired range that bounds said emissions resulting from the air-fuel ratio.

10. The method of claim 4 comprising the steps of:

determining a normalized air-fuel ratio that is rich relative to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio for a lean burn normally aspirated engine;

determining a normalized air-fuel ratio that is lean relative to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio for a lean burn normally aspirated engine;

using said normalized air-fuel ratios to determine the minimum power limit and a maximum power limit of the engine that will produce a response to a torque request within two seconds following the torque request and maintain engine exhaust gas emissions within a desired range that bounds said emissions resulting from the air-fuel ratio.

11. In a hybrid electric vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine that produces torque and an electric machine that produces torque, a method for operating the electric machine to produce electric assist to the engine comprising the steps of:

determining a magnitude of power requested by the vehicle operator;

determining a minimum power limit and a maximum power limit of the engine that will produce a response to a torque request within a desired period following the torque request, and engine exhaust gas emissions within a desired range that bounds said emissions resulting from a stoichiometric air fuel ratio;

determining a minimum and a maximum electric power limit of the electric machine;

using the magnitude of power requested, the minimum and maximum power limits of the engine, and the minimum and a maximum electric power limits to determine the upper and lower limits of the electric power assist that are a function of engine speed, air charge and a desired range of air-fuel ratio, such that the requested torque will be provided within the desired period and engine exhaust gas emissions are lower than a desired limit; and

operating the electric machine to provide electric power assist within said upper and lower limits.