Apparatus and method for controlling start sequence of engine for vehicle

• US 10,550,818 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2017
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Choi, Kwang-Seok, Hwang, Do-Sung, Choi, Jeong-Hye, Kang, Ki-Hong
• Primary Examiner(s): Steckbauer, Kevin R
• Application Number:
  US15/839,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20180298862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/00 Starting of engines by means of electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/06 and with ignition apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0803 characterised by means for initiating engine start or stop F02N11/0814 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0866 comprising several power sources, e.g. battery and capacitor or two batteries
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2011/0874 characterised by said switch being an electronic switch
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2011/0888 DC/DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2011/0896 Inverters for electric machines, e.g. starter-generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/082 Plural DC voltage, e.g. DC supply voltage with at least two different DC voltage levels
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling a start sequence of an engine for a vehicle may include an engine, a motor configured to start the engine, a main switch configured to connect power to the motor or interrupt the power to be supplied to the motor, a main battery configured to supply the power to the motor through the main switch, a converter configured to step up a voltage of the motor by boosting reverse power through a reverse control operation, an auxiliary battery configured to supply the reverse power, and a converter controller configured to perform a pre-charging operation for a predetermined time through the reverse control operation when an ignition-ON signal is inputted, and close the main switch when the pre-charging operation is completed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a start sequence of an engine for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

the engine;

a motor configured to start the engine;

a main switch configured to connect power to the motor or interrupt the power to the supplied to the motor;

a main battery configured to supply the power to the motor by the main switch;

a converter configured to step up a voltage of the motor by boosting reverse power through a reverse control operation;

an auxiliary battery configured to supply the reverse power; and

a converter controller configured to perform a pre-charging operation for a predetermined time period through the reverse control operation in response to an ignition-ON signal being inputted, close the main switch to connect the main battery to the motor electrically when the pre-charging operation is completed and the stepping up the voltage is completed, and operate the motor so that the engine starts in response to a key start signal being inputted after the pre-charging operation has been completed.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the converter controller includes:

an execution module configured to perform the pre-charging operation;

a determination module configured to determine whether the power provided from the main battery reaches a predetermined reference value after the pre-charging operation has been completed; and

a control module configured to close the main switch when the power has reached the predetermined reference value as a result of the determination.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motor is coupled to a crankshaft of the engine by a connection device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the connection device includes a belt or chain.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the main battery includes a supercapacitor or a lithium-ion battery, and the auxiliary battery includes a lead acid battery.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motor includes an inverter-integrated mild hybrid starter and generator (MHSG).

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the converter includes a bidirectional low voltage direct current-direct current converter (LDC).

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the main switch includes a power relay, a semiconductor switching element, a thyristor, a gate turn-OFT (GTO) thyristor, a triode for alternating current (TRIAC), a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR), or an integrated circuit (IC).

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reverse control operation includes an operation of stepping up a voltage from 12 V to 48 V.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further including

a vehicle controller configured to verify that the main switch is in a closed state, when the key start signal is inputted after the pre-charging operation has been completed, and operate the motor so that the engine starts.

11. A method for controlling a start sequence of an engine for a vehicle, the method comprising:

performing, by a converter controller, a pre-charging operation for a predetermined time through a reverse control operation in response to an ignition-ON signal being inputted, wherein the reverse control operation includes providing reverse power from an auxiliary battery;

stepping up, by a converter, a voltage to be applied to a motor by boosting the reverse power provided from the auxiliary battery according to the reverse control operation;

closing, by the converter controller, a main switch to connect a main battery to the motor electrically in response to the pre-charging operation being completed and the stepping up the voltage being completed; and

supplying power from the main battery to the motor through the main switch to start the engine by operating the motor in response to a key start signal being inputted after the pre-charging operation has been completed.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the closing of the main switch includes:

determining, by a determination module, whether the power provided from the main battery reaches a predetermined reference value after the pre-charging operation is completed; and

closing, by a control module, the main switch then the power has reached the predetermined reference value as a result of the determining.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the motor is coupled to a crankshaft of the engine by a connection device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the connection device includes a belt or a chain.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the main battery includes a supercapacitor or a lithium-ion battery, and the auxiliary battery includes a lead acid battery.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the motor includes an inverter-integrated mild hybrid starter and generator (MHSG).

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the converter includes a bidirectional low voltage direct current-direct current converter (LDC).

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the main switch includes a power relay, a semiconductor switching element, a thyristor, a gate turn-OFF(GTO) thyristor, a triode for alternating current (TRIAC), a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR), or an integrated circuit (IC).

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the reverse control operation includes stepping up a voltage from 12 V to 48 V.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the supplying of the power includes:

checking, by a vehicle controller, that the main switch is in a closed state, when the key start signal is inputted after the pre-charging operation has been completed, and operating the motor so that the engine starts.