Hybrid vehicle

• US 10,377,370 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2016
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Yu, Ando, Takashi, Kishimoto, Takeshi, Amano, Masaya
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, Jacob S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Lori
• Application Number:
  US15/331,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20170113680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/28 characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/007 Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2063 for creeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/42 with use of more than one motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/003 relating to inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0061 relating to electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0092 with use of redundant elements for safety purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/10 using propulsion power supplied by engine-driven generators, e.g. generators driven by combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/13 using AC generators and AC motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 : including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/10 : Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/50 : Control strategies for responding to system failures, e.g. for fault diagnosis, failsafe operation or limp mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/92 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/61 : Arrangements of controllers for electric machines, e.g. inverters
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/08 : with pulse width modulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/91 : Orbital, e.g. planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 : Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle may include an engine, a first rotating electric machine, an output shaft, a planetary gear mechanism, a second rotating electric machine, a battery, an inverter and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit may be programmed to perform inverterless traveling control. The inverterless traveling control may be control for causing the hybrid vehicle to travel by placing the inverter in a gate cut-off state, and driving the engine. The electronic control unit also may be programmed to interrupt current flowing between the first rotating electric machine and the battery when a shift range other than a forward range is selected, during the inverterless traveling control.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

an engine;

a first rotating electric machine including a permanent magnet in a rotor;

an output shaft connected to drive wheels;

a planetary gear mechanism that mechanically connects the engine, the first rotating electric machine, and the output shaft, such that reaction force of output torque of the first rotating electric machine acts on the output shaft, when the engine is in a driven state;

a second rotating electric machine connected to the output shaft;

a battery;

a first inverter configured to convert electric power between the battery and the first rotating electric machine;

a second inverter configured to convert electric power between the battery and the second rotating electric machine; and

an electronic control unit programmed to

a) perform inverterless traveling control, the inverterless traveling control being control for causing the hybrid vehicle to travel by placing the first inverter and the second inverter in a gate cut-off state, and driving the engine, and

b) interrupt current flowing between the first rotating electric machine and the battery when a shift range other than a forward range is selected, during the inverterless traveling control.

2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising

a converter configured to raise a voltage applied from the battery and output the voltage to the first inverter or second inverter, wherein

the electronic control unit is programmed to interrupt the current flowing between the first rotating electric machine and the battery by placing the converter in a gate cut-off state.

3. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising

a relay provided on a pathway of current flowing between the first rotating electric machine and the battery, wherein

the electronic control unit is programmed to interrupt the current flowing between the first rotating electric machine and the battery by opening the relay.

4. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the inverterless traveling control is control for causing the hybrid vehicle to travel using a torque applied to the output shaft by placing the first inverter and the second inverter in a gate cut-off state and driving the engine,

the torque applied to the output shaft is a reaction force of a braking torque generated in the first rotating electric machine, and

the braking torque is generated by a current caused by a counter-electromotive voltage in the first rotating electric machine.

5. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

an engine;

a first rotating electric machine including a permanent magnet in a rotor;

an output shaft connected to drive wheels;

a planetary gear mechanism that mechanically connects the engine, the first rotating electric machine, and the output shaft, such that reaction force of output torque of the first rotating electric machine acts on the output shaft, when the engine is in a driven state;

a second rotating electric machine connected to the output shaft;

a battery;

an inverter configured to convert electric power between the battery, and the first rotating electric machine and the second rotating electric machine;

a converter configured to raise a voltage applied from the battery and output the voltage to the inverter;

a relay provided on a pathway of current flowing between the first rotating electric machine and the battery; and

an electronic control unit programmed to perform inverterless traveling control, the inverterless traveling control being control for causing the hybrid vehicle to travel by placing the inverter in a gate cut-off state and driving the engine, wherein

the electronic control unit is programmed to detect a shift range of the hybrid vehicle,

the electronic control unit includes a first control unit that controls the relay, and a second control unit that controls the converter, and

the first control unit is programmed to

interrupt the current flowing between the first rotating electric machine and the battery by placing the converter in a gate cut-off state, when there is no abnormality in communication between the first control unit and the second control unit and the shift range is a range other than the forward range, during the inverterless traveling control, and

interrupt the current flowing between the first rotating electric machine and the battery by opening the relay, when there is an abnormality in the communication between the first control unit and the second control unit and the shift range is a range other than the forward range, during the inverterless traveling control.