US 11,708,060 B2
Electrified powertrain with centralized power distribution strategy and decentralized inverters
Matthew Yard, Milford, MI (US); Krunal P. Patel, South Lyon, MI (US); Karthikeyan Palanichamy, Farmington Hills, MI (US); and Luke D. Shepley, Berkley, MI (US)
Assigned to GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Detroit, MI (US)
Filed by GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, Detroit, MI (US)
Filed on Feb. 2, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/165,145.
Prior Publication US 2022/0242387 A1, Aug. 4, 2022
Int. Cl. B60W 10/08 (2006.01); B60W 10/119 (2012.01)
CPC B60W 10/08 (2013.01) [B60W 10/119 (2013.01); B60W 2510/083 (2013.01); B60W 2710/083 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for distributing electrical power to a plurality of electric motors in an electric powertrain in which the electric motors are electrically connected to a shared power supply and locally controlled by respective motor control processors (MCPs), such that each one of the electric motors is controlled by a corresponding one of the MCPs, the method comprising:
receiving input signals via a supervisory controller, wherein the input signals include a total torque request of the electric powertrain and a set of electrical limits of the shared power supply, wherein the set of electrical limits includes a power limit of the shared power supply, a voltage limit of the shared power supply, and a current limit of the shared power supply;
determining an open-loop torque command for each respective one of the electric motors, via the supervisory controller, in response to the input signals;
determining, via the supervisory controller in response to the total torque request and the set of electrical limits, maximum and minimum power limits of each respective one of the electric motors, the maximum and minimum power limits having a calibrated power reserve margin for executing a predetermined torque operation; and
transmitting the open-loop torque command and the maximum and minimum power limits to the respective MCPs to thereby distribute power from the shared power supply to each respective one of the electric motors based on the maximum and minimum power limits to each of the respective MCPs to control the predetermined torque operation.