Patent ID: 6986413
Filing Date: 2006-01-17
Classification: F16F

Abstract:
1. A method for determining a present coil temperature of a coil of a magnetorheological (MR) damper of an operating automotive vehicle, wherein the coil is powered by an output of a controller connected to the coil through a conductor, and wherein the method comprises the steps of: a) calculating that the operating automotive vehicle is in a cold start condition; b) calculating a cold-start coil-plus-conductor resistance from the voltage and the current of the output of the controller when the controller applies a test current to the coil and the conductor; c) calculating a conductor resistance by subtracting a cold-start coil resistance, corresponding to a cold-start coil temperature, from the cold-start coil-plus-conductor resistance; d) calculating a present coil-plus-conductor resistance from the voltage and the current of the controller when the controller applies a test current to the coil and the conductor; e) calculating a present coil resistance by subtracting the conductor resistance from the present coil-plus-conductor resistance; and f) calculating the present coil temperature using at least the present coil resistance, the cold-start coil resistance, the cold-start coil temperature, and a coefficient of the coil.