Patent ID: 9057317
Filing Date: 2015-06-16
Classification: B60H,B60K,B60L,F01P

Abstract:
1. A method for managing the electrical power associated with a vehicle including an engine, a generator coupled to the engine, and an electric motor powered by the generator, the method comprising: detecting whether the engine is operating within a target range of revolutions per unit time for a time period, and if so, the engine is determined to have an increased load; responsive to determining that the engine has the increased load, a power management controller reducing at least one electrical load associated with at least one cooling fan by disabling, or decreasing the speed of, the at least one cooling fan to make an electrical energy differential available to the electric motor in a power diversion mode; timing how long the at least one cooling fan has been disabled or slowed in the power diversion mode; and controlling, via the power management controller, the at least one cooling fan based on a detected temperature of a heat dissipating member when a maximum time duration for disabling or slowing the at least one cooling fan in the power diversion mode has elapsed while the engine continues to operate within the target range.