IP Library Granted Patent US 11,904,702
Granted Patent B2
US 11,904,702 · App. 17/573,397 · Granted Feb 20, 2024

Method and device for actuating an electrical drive of a trailer vehicle

Inventors: Nikolai Flaum (Hannover, DE); Johannes Heseding (Hannover, DE); Janik Ricke (Uetze, DE); Torsten Wallbaum (Duingen, DE)
Assignee: ZF CV Systems Global GmbH
B60L15/38B60L15/2009B62D59/04B60L2200/28B60L2240/12B60L2240/14B60L2240/26B60L2240/421B60L2240/423B60L2240/465B60L2240/54
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,904,702
App. No.
17/573,397
Granted
Feb 20, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method for actuating an electrical drive of a trailer vehicle with a towing vehicle. According to an embodiment, the method include the steps of: determining a current mass of the towing vehicle; determining a current drive force of the towing vehicle; determining an acceleration demand in dependence upon the current mass and the current drive force; and, actuating the electric drive via an actuating signal in dependence upon the acceleration demand. The disclosure also relates to a control device for executing the method, a towing vehicle, a trailer vehicle and a semi-trailer truck.

Claims (59)

1. A method for actuating an electric drive of a trailer vehicle with a towing vehicle equipped with air springs, the method comprising:

determining a current mass of the towing vehicle in dependence upon air pressure in the air springs of the towing vehicle;

determining a current drive force of the towing vehicle;

determining an acceleration demand in dependence upon the current mass of the towing vehicle and the current drive force; and,

actuating the electric drive via an actuating signal in dependence upon the acceleration demand.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acceleration demand is additionally determined in dependence upon a current trailer mass of the trailer vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a current trailer mass of the trailer vehicle; and,

wherein the acceleration demand is additionally determined in dependence upon the current trailer mass of the trailer vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acceleration demand at least one of:

corresponds to or includes a maximum value for a desired drive force or a drive force to be generated by the electric drive; and,

is conveyed by a brake control unit of the towing vehicle to a trailer brake control unit of the trailer vehicle via a CAN-ISO 11992-2 bus.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electric drive is configured to generate a drive force in dependence upon an actuating signal and the actuating signal is generated in dependence upon at least one of:

the acceleration demand and a charge status of an energy store of the electric drive; and,

the actuating signal is generated in dependence upon at least a current speed of at least one electric motor of the electric drive.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a motor speed-torque map is specified; and, the actuating signal is generated such that the electric drive generates a drive torque which lies within the motor speed-torque map at a current speed of the electric motor.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the motor speed-torque map is adjustable in dependence upon a charge status of an energy store of the electric drive.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the drive torque generated by the electric drive lies within an optimum range of the motor speed-torque map at the current speed of the electric motor.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electric drive sends a status signal to the towing vehicle, wherein the signal includes the current drive force generated by the electric drive and a current trailer mass of the trailer vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the status signal includes a current slip of at least one driven wheel of the trailer vehicle; and, the acceleration demand is determined additionally in dependence upon the current slip of the trailer vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is executed by at least one of a brake control unit of the towing vehicle and a trailer brake control unit of the trailer vehicle.

12. A method for actuating an electric drive of a trailer vehicle with a towing vehicle equipped with air springs, the method comprising:

determining a current mass of the towing vehicle in dependence upon air pressure in the air springs of the towing vehicle;

determining a current drive force of the towing vehicle;

determining an acceleration demand in dependence upon the current mass of the towing vehicle and the current drive force;

actuating the electric drive via an actuating signal in dependence upon the acceleration demand;

wherein the acceleration demand comprises a value for a desired drive force of the electric drive, the method further comprising:

determining the value of the desired drive force in that a current acceleration of the towing vehicle is first determined in dependence upon the current drive force of the towing vehicle and the current mass of the towing vehicle;

determining a desired acceleration of the trailer vehicle in dependence upon the current acceleration of the towing vehicle; and,

wherein the value of the desired drive force of the electric drive is determined in dependence upon the desired acceleration and a current trailer mass of the trailer vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the desired acceleration of the trailer vehicle is less than or equal to the current acceleration of the towing vehicle.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the current acceleration of the towing vehicle is determined in dependence upon a result of a division of the current drive force of the towing vehicle by the current mass of the towing vehicle or corresponds to this result.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the value of the desired drive force of the trailer vehicle is determined in dependence upon a result of a product of the current mass of the trailer vehicle and the desired acceleration of the trailer vehicle.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the current acceleration of the towing vehicle is additionally determined in dependence upon a current slip of at least one driven wheel of the towing vehicle.

17. A control unit comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon;

a processor;

said program code being configured, when executed by the processor, to:

determine a current mass of a towing vehicle equipped with air springs in dependence upon air pressure in the air springs;

determine a current drive force of the towing vehicle;

determine an acceleration demand in dependence upon the current mass of the towing vehicle and the current drive force; and,

actuate the electric drive via an actuating signal in dependence upon the acceleration demand.

18. The control unit as claimed in claim 17 , wherein said control unit is a brake control unit.

19. The control unit as claimed in claim 17 , wherein said control unit is a trailer brake control unit.

20. A vehicle combination comprising:

a towing vehicle equipped with air springs and including a towing brake control unit;

a trailer vehicle including a trailer brake control unit;

said brake control unit and said trailer brake control unit having a processor, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and program code stored on said non-transitory computer readable storage medium;

said program code being, when executed by the processor, configured to:

determine a current mass of a towing vehicle in dependence upon air pressure in said air springs of said towing vehicle;

determine a current drive force of said towing vehicle;

determine an acceleration demand in dependence upon the current mass and the current drive force; and,

actuate the electric drive via an actuating signal in dependence upon the acceleration demand.

21. A method for actuating an electric drive of a trailer vehicle with a towing vehicle, the method comprising:

determining a current mass of the towing vehicle;

determining a current mass of the trailer vehicle;

determining a current drive force of the towing vehicle;

determining an acceleration demand in dependence upon the current mass of the towing vehicle, the current mass of the trailer vehicle and the current drive force; and,

actuating the electric drive via an actuating signal in dependence upon the acceleration demand.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 3, 2022
From: ZF CV SYSTEMS HANNOVER GMBH
To: ZF CV SYSTEMS GLOBAL GMBH
Reel/Frame 058874/0251 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 21, 2022
From: FLAUM, NIKOLAI; HESEDING, JOHANNES; RICKE, JANIK; WALLBAUM, TORSTEN
To: ZF CV SYSTEMS HANNOVER GMBH
Reel/Frame 058720/0745 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE SERIAL NUMBER 15573397 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 058632 FRAME 0153. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Jan 20, 2022
From: FLAUM, NIKOLAI; HESEDING, JOHANNES; RICKE, JANIK; WALLBAUM, TORSTEN
To: ZF CV SYSTEMS HANNOVER GMBH
Reel/Frame 058789/0217 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2022
From: FLAUM, NIKOLAI; HESEDING, JOHANNES; RICKE, JANIK; WALLBAUM, TORSTEN
To: ZF CV SYSTEMS HANNOVER GMBH
Reel/Frame 058632/0153 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2019 119 787.2 · Jul 22, 2019 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTEP2020069206 · Jul 8, 2020
Related Publication 20220126704A1 · Apr 28, 2022
Cited By (2)
US 12,538,861 US 12,643,411