Hybrid vehicle system

• US 20040026141A1
• Filed: 04/23/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Diesel Motor Co., Ltd. (Isuzu Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Nissan Diesel Motor Co., Ltd. (Isuzu Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Sasaki, Masakazu, Nishina, Mitsuhiro, Notsu, Ikurou, Gouda, Hideaki, Nishikawa, Shougo, Okazaki, Akihito
• Granted Patent: US 6,907,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• 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 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/1015 Input shaft speed, e.g. turbine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/16 Driving resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0644 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/02 peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/946 Characterized by control of driveline clutch

Abstract

This system comprises an engine 1, a transmission device 4, a clutch 3 for engaging/disengaging the engine 1 with/from the transmission device 4, a rotational electric device 2, a power transmission mechanism 5 for inputting the rotation of the rotational electric device 2 to the transmission device, and an accumulator element 7 for accumulating electrical power supplied by the rotational electric device 2. A control unit 20 calculates the required driving force of the vehicle, and sets the ratio of output load allotted to the rotational electric device 2 and the ratio of output load allotted to the engine 1 in accordance with the accumulated charge in the accumulator element 7. The control unit 20 further controls the output of the rotational electric device 2 and the engine 1 in such a manner that these respective allotted output loads are achieved, and engages said clutch 3.

Claims

1. A hybrid system for a vehicle comprising an engine, a transmission device for changing the speed of rotation of an input shaft and transmitting said rotation to vehicle wheels via an output shaft, a clutch for engaging/disengaging the output shaft of the engine with/from the input shaft of the transmission device, a rotational electric device serving as an electric motor and an electric generator, a power transmission mechanism for coupling the input and output shafts of the rotational electric device with the input shaft of the transmission device, and an accumulator element for accumulating electrical power supplied by the rotational electric device, comprising:

means for calculating the required driving force of a vehicle;

means for determining the output load allotted to the rotational electric device and the output load allotted to the engine in accordance with the accumulated charge in the accumulator element, in such a manner that the aforementioned required driving force is satisfied; and

control means for controlling the outputs of the rotational electric device and the engine in such a manner that the respective allotted output loads are achieved, and engaging said clutch.

2. The hybrid system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said control means performs control to release said clutch when the accumulated charge exceeds a prescribed value, so that the vehicle is driven by the output of said rotational electric device alone.

3. The hybrid system for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said control means performs control so that, when engaging said clutch when the accumulated charge is at or below a prescribed value, the clutch is engaged after the rotation of the input shaft of said transmission device has approximately matched the rotation of the engine.

4. The hybrid system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the ratios of output loads allotted to the rotational electric device and the engine are set in such a manner that, if the accumulated charge exceeds a prescribed value, the ratio of output load allotted to the rotational electric device is 1, and if the accumulated charge is at or below the prescribed value, the ratio of output load allotted to the rotational electric device is gradually reduced from 1 in accordance with the decline in the accumulated charge, while the ratio of output load allotted to the engine is increased from zero in accordance therewith.