Power generation controller

• US 20060214644A1
• Filed: 03/20/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Asada, Tadatoshi, Okahara, Hideto
• Granted Patent: US 7,304,455 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 322/23
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/006 Means for protecting the generator by using control H02H7/06 takes precedence; control effected upon generator excitation circuit to reduce harmful effects of overloads or transients H02P9/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/08 Control of generator circuit during starting or stopping of driving means, e.g. for initiating excitation
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/107 for limiting effects of overloads
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles

Abstract

The power generation controller includes a control command receiving section receiving a control command transmitted from an external control unit for controlling an internal combustion engine, a control command holding section holding the control command received by the control command receiving section, and an excitation current control section controlling an excitation current of a generator driven by the internal combustion engine on the basis of the control command held by the control command holding section. The excitation current control section is configured to control the excitation current on the basis of a control command transmitted from the external control unit when the internal combustion engine is in a stopped sate.

Claims

1. A power generation controller comprising:

a control command receiving section receiving a control command transmitted from an external control unit for controlling an internal combustion engine;

a control command holding section holding said control command received by said control command receiving section; and

an excitation current control section controlling an excitation current of a generator driven by said internal combustion engine on the basis of said control command held by said control command holding section;

wherein said excitation current control section is configured to control said excitation current on the basis of a control command transmitted from said external control unit when said internal combustion engine is in stopped sate.

2. The power generation controller according to claim 1, wherein said control command includes a gradual-excitation time command instructing a time period between start and end of a gradual-excitation control over said generator, a maximum power increase command instructing a maximum power to be generated in response to a demand of increasing output power of said generator, a gradual-excitation removal speed command instructing a rotational speed of said internal combustion engine at which said gradual-excitation control should be removed, an initial excitation duty ratio command instructing a duty ratio of said excitation current during early stages of power generating operation of said generator, an excitation current limit command instructing a maximum limit value of said excitation current, and a correction command instructing how a target output voltage of said generator prestored in said excitation current control section should be corrected depending on a temperature of said power generation controller.

3. The power generation controller according to claim 1, wherein said correction command is a temperature characteristic compensation command instructing how said target output voltage should be corrected depending on a temperature of said power generation controller.

4. The power generation controller according to claim 1, wherein said control command receiving section is configured to refrain from receiving a command signal transmitted from said external control unit when said internal combustion engine is in running state.

5. The power generation controller according to claim 1, wherein said control command holding section is configured to refrain from replacing a control command transmitted from said external control unit when said internal combustion engine is in stopped state and held therein with a newly received control command transmitted from said external control unit when said internal combustion engine is in running state.

6. A power generation controller comprising:

a control command receiving section receiving a control command transmitted from an external engine control unit for controlling a vehicle engine;

a control command holding section holding said control command received by said control command receiving section; and

an excitation current control section controlling an excitation current of a vehicle generator driven by said vehicle engine on the basis of said control command held by said control command holding section;

wherein said excitation current control section is configured to control said excitation current on the basis of a control command transmitted from said external engine control unit when said vehicle engine is in stopped sate.