POWER EFFICIENCY CONTROL MECHANISM FOR A WORKING MACHINE

• Main Authors: ZHANG Hao, CARL Blake, Collett Raymond, JIANG Zhesheng
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 11.05.2017
• Subjects: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE ORDIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TOTHE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

A control system for a working machine that includes a power consumer (14) includes a prime mover (12), an energy storage unit (24) for storing energy, an auxiliary power unit (20) for generating power or consuming power, the auxiliary power unit (20) having a first connection (20a) coupled to the prime mover (12) and a second connection couplable to the energy storage unit (24). A controller (18) operatively coupled to the prime mover (12) and operatively couplable to the power consumer (14) is configured to estimate a required power of the power consumer (14), and to command the prime mover (14) to operate at an optimal operating point that produces the estimated required power. Based on a relationship between power output capability of the prime mover and power consumption of the power consumer, the controller (18) is configured to at least one of command that excess power capacity from the prime mover be provided to the auxiliary power unit for storage in the energy storage unit, or command that energy stored in the energy storage unit be provided to the auxiliary power unit to drive the power consumer.