Hybrid vehicle

• US 20070296359A1
• Filed: 05/18/2007
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Seo, Nobuhide, Amano, Ryuichiro, Yonemori, Kei
• Granted Patent: US 8,026,679 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/139
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/13 using AC generators and AC motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/16 using ac to ac converters without intermediate conversion to dc H02P27/05 takes precedence
• 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 includes: first and second rotary electric machines; a matrix converter connecting the first and second rotary electric machines to each other to provide AC to AC power conversion between both the rotary electric machines; a battery connected to an electrical path branched off between the matrix converter and the second rotary electric motor; an inverter interposed among the battery, the matrix converter and the second rotary electric machine to convert AC power to DC power and vice versa; and a controller. The controller activates the first rotary electric machine with power fed from the battery and restrains the change in torque output of the second rotary electric machine at the activation of the first rotary electric machine.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

first and second rotary electric machines each functioning as an electric motor or a generator according to the operating mode of the vehicle;

a matrix converter connecting the first and second rotary electric machines to each other to provide AC to AC power conversion between both the rotary electric machines;

a battery connected to an electrical path branched off between the matrix converter and the second rotary electric motor;

an inverter interposed among the battery, the matrix converter and the second rotary electric machine to convert AC power to DC power and vice versa; and

a controller for activating the first rotary electric machine with power fed from the battery and restraining the change in torque output of the second rotary electric machine at the activation of the first rotary electric machine.

2. The hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein

the first rotary electric machine is a generator connected to the output shaft of an engine and capable of being driven by the engine,

the second rotary electric machine is an electric motor connected to a drive wheel to output a driving force to the drive wheel, and

the controller is configured to activate the first rotary electric machine, thereby starting the engine, and to restrain the change in torque output of the second rotary electric machine at the start of the engine.

3. The hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured, in activating the first rotary electric machine, to change the control specification according to the operating condition of the second rotary electric machine.

4. The hybrid vehicle of claim 3, wherein

the first and second rotary electric machines are three-phase electric machines, and

in activating the first rotary electric machine during stop of the second rotary electric machine, the controller controls the inverter and the matrix converter to allow the inverter to output single-phase power and allow the matrix converter to output three-phase power to the first rotary electric machine.

5. The hybrid vehicle of claim 3, wherein

the first and second rotary electric machines are synchronous electric machines, and

in activating the first rotary electric machine during stop of the second rotary electric machine, the controller controls the inverter and the matrix converter to allow the inverter to output AC power with a different frequency from the driving frequency of the second rotary electric machine and allow the matrix converter to output AC power with substantially the same frequency as the driving frequency of the first rotary electric machine to the first rotary electric machine.

6. The hybrid vehicle of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to allow the inverter to output AC power with a higher frequency than the driving frequency of the second rotary electric machine.

7. The hybrid vehicle of claim 3, wherein, in activating the first rotary electric machine during operation of the second rotary electric machine, the controller controls the inverter and the matrix converter to keep the driving voltage applied to the second rotary electric machine at a constant value and allow the matrix converter to output driving power necessary to drive the first rotary electric machine to the first rotary electric machine.

8. A method for starting an engine of a hybrid vehicle, comprising the steps of:

converting DC power fed from a battery to AC power using an inverter;

feeding the AC power converted by the inverter through a matrix converter to a first rotary electric machine;

feeding the AC power converted by the inverter to a second rotary electric machine connected to a drive wheel;

activating the first rotary electric machine with the AC power fed from the matrix converter to thereby start an engine; and

restraining the change in torque output of the second rotary electric machine at the start of the engine.