ENGINE START CONTROLLING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR HYBRID VEHICLE

• US 20070275818A1
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kouno, Kazuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,874,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 477/3
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/268 Electric drive motor starts the engine, i.e. used as starter motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2054 by controlling transmissions or clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/26 Controlling the braking effect
• 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 20/40 Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0657 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/027 Clutch torque
• 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

Abstract

A hybrid-vehicle engine start controlling apparatus includes an engine, a motor connected to a vehicle driving shaft, a first engaging element provided between the engine and the motor for connecting and disconnecting the engine and the motor and engine start control means. The engine start controlling means is configured to start the engine by increasing a driving torque of the motor and increasing a transmission torque capacity of the first engaging element so as to increase a rotation speed of the engine by the driving torque of the motor in a state in which the engine is stopped and the first engaging element is released. The engine start controlling means includes a first engaging phase for increasing the transmission torque capacity of the first engaging element at a first velocity, and a second engaging phase for changing the transmission torque capacity at a second velocity lower than the first velocity.

Claims

1. A hybrid-vehicle engine start control system, comprising:

an engine;

a motor disposed between the engine and a vehicle driving shaft;

a first clutch disposed between the engine and the motor, the first clutch operable to engage and disengage the engine; and

a controller configured to;

increase a driving torque of the motor in response to a request for an increase in a driving force; and

start the engine from a disengaged state, including;

increase a transmission torque capacity of the first clutch at a first velocity in a first engaging phase; and

change the transmission torque capacity of the first clutch at a second velocity slower than the first velocity in a second engaging phase after the first engaging phase is complete.

2. The control system according to claim 1 wherein the controller is further operable to increase the transmission torque capacity of the first clutch in the first engaging phase to correspond to a torque required to start the engine.

3. The control system according to claim 1 wherein the controller is further operable to:

increase the transmission torque capacity of the first clutch in the first engaging phase to a value greater than a torque required to start the engine; and

decrease the transmission torque capacity of the first clutch in the second engaging phase to the torque required to start the engine.

4. The control system according to claim 3 wherein the controller is further operable to:

maintain the transmission torque capacity of the first clutch at the torque required to start the engine in a third engaging phase after the second engaging phase; and

start a fuel injection to the engine.

5. The control system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second clutch disposed between the motor and the vehicle driving shaft and operable to engage and disengage the motor and the vehicle driving shaft; and

wherein the controller is further operable to;

correspond a transmission torque capacity of the second clutch to a vehicle driving shaft torque when the engine is disengaged, the correspondence performed prior to the increase of the driving torque of the motor.

6. The control system according to claim 5 wherein the controller is further operable to:

decrease the transmission torque capacity of the second clutch for a time shorter than a time required to start the engine in a release phase of the start of the engine.

7. The control system according to claim 6 wherein the controller is further operable to:

perform the release phase only if a requested driving force is more than or equal to a predetermined value.

8. The control system according to claim 6 wherein the controller is further operable to:

start the release phase and the first engaging phase simultaneously.

9. The control system according to claim 5 wherein the controller is further operable to:

instruct the second clutch to slip to maintain a target vehicle driving shaft torque at a vehicle driving shaft torque when the engine is disengaged; and

wherein the slip occurs when the driving torque of the motor is increased.

10. The control system according to claim 1 wherein the increase in driving torque corresponds to an accelerator opening.

11. The hybrid-vehicle engine start control system according to claim 1 wherein the second engaging phase further comprises a fuel injection to the engine.

12. A hybrid-vehicle engine start control system, comprising:

an engine;

a motor disposed between the engine and a vehicle driving shaft;

a first clutch disposed between the engine and the motor, the first clutch engaging and disengaging the engine; and

a controller operable to start the engine from a disengaged state, the controller configured to;

increase a driving torque of the motor;

increase a transmission torque capacity of the first clutch to a torque required to start the engine, thereby initiating a rotation speed of the engine; and

further increase the transmission torque capacity of the first clutch until the rotational speed of the engine conforms to a rotational speed of the motor.

13. An engine start controller for a hybrid vehicle, the vehicle including a motor, an engine and a first clutch disposed between the motor and the engine to engage and disengage the engine, the controller comprising:

means for increasing a driving torque of the motor;

means for increasing a transmission torque capacity of the first clutch at a first velocity; and

means for changing the transmission torque capacity of the first clutch to a second velocity slower than the first velocity so as to conform a rotation speed of the engine to a rotation speed of the motor.

14. A method for controlling the engine start of a hybrid-vehicle, the hybrid-vehicle including a motor, an engine and a first clutch disposed between the motor and the engine to engage and disengage the engine, the method comprising:

increasing a driving torque of the motor;

increasing a transmission torque capacity of the first clutch at a first velocity; and

changing the transmission torque capacity of the first clutch to a second velocity slower than the first velocity so as to conform a rotation speed of the engine to a rotation speed of the motor.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein increasing the transmission torque capacity of the first clutch at the first velocity further comprises increasing the torque transmission capacity to greater than a torque required to start the engine;

and wherein changing the torque transmission capacity of the first clutch to a second velocity slower than the first velocity further comprises reducing the transmission torque capacity of the first clutch to a torque required to start the engine.

16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

corresponding a transmission torque capacity of a second clutch disposed between the motor and the vehicle driving shaft and operable to engage and disengage the motor and the vehicle driving shaft to an output shaft torque, wherein the correspondence is performed prior to increasing the driving torque of the motor.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

slipping the second clutch to maintain the output shaft torque while increasing the driving torque of the motor.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

maintaining the transmission torque capacity of the first clutch at the torque required to start the engine; and

initiating fuel injection to the engine while maintaining the transmission torque capacity.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

decreasing the transmission torque capacity of the second clutch for a time shorter than a time required to start the engine if a requested driving force is more than or equal to a predetermined value.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

simultaneously decreasing the transmission torque capacity of the second clutch and beginning increasing the transmission torque capacity of the first clutch at the first velocity.