US 12,246,601 B2
Methods for controlling a power level in an energy source of a vehicle unit
Leo Laine, Härryda (SE)
Assigned to Volvo Truck Corporation, Gothenburg (SE)
Appl. No. 17/908,592
Filed by Volvo Truck Corporation, Gothenburg (SE)
PCT Filed Mar. 9, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/056183
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 1, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/180300, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 16, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0112013 A1, Apr. 13, 2023
Int. Cl. B60L 15/38 (2006.01); B60L 7/10 (2006.01); B60L 50/60 (2019.01); B60L 58/13 (2019.01)
CPC B60L 15/38 (2013.01) [B60L 7/10 (2013.01); B60L 50/60 (2019.02); B60L 58/13 (2019.02); B60L 2200/28 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for controlling an articulated vehicle combination comprising a plurality of self-powered vehicle units, wherein each self-powered vehicle unit comprises a propulsion device and a regenerative braking device connected to an energy source, the method comprising the steps of:
determining a current state of charge associated with an energy source of a target vehicle unit of the plurality of self-powered vehicle units, and
if the current state of charge is below a desired state of charge,
issuing a request for energy transfer by the target vehicle unit,
generating a negative torque by the regenerative braking device of the target vehicle unit, where generating the negative torque is postponed until at least one source vehicle unit acknowledges the request, and
compensating, at least partly, for the generated negative torque by generating a positive torque by the propulsion device of the at least one source vehicle unit of the plurality of self-powered vehicle units,
thereby transferring an amount of energy from an energy source of the at least one source vehicle unit to the energy source of the target vehicle unit;
wherein the method further comprises at least one of the following steps (i) to (iii):
(i) synchronizing an onset and a cessation of the generation of negative torque with a respective onset and cessation of the generation of positive torque,
(ii) initializing the energy transfer operation in dependence of a distance remaining until the articulated vehicle combination reaches a pre-determined geographical location, and
(iii) compensating, at least partly, for the negative torque by generating a total positive torque by the propulsion devices of a plurality of source vehicle units of the plurality of self-powered vehicle units.