Cooling Device, Control Method of Cooling Device, and Abnormality Specification Method

• US 20080109129A1
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yanagida, Eiji, Tsuchie, Tetsuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,046,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/02 with liquid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/003 with means for cooling the electrical propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/425 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/087 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2003/006 the liquid being oil
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2031/00 Fail safe
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2050/24 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/00 Cooling circuits using auxiliaries
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 3/20 Cooling circuits not specific to a single part of engine or machine F01P3/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility

Abstract

The start control of the invention repeatedly performs a start-up process for a start of an oil pump, which pressure feeds the flow of oil in a motor cooling system, at the timings of rise in either of motor temperatures by every 10° C. from a preset initial starting temperature. This arrangement heightens the potential for a successful start-up of the oil pump even when the oil flow has a high viscosity due to a relatively low outside air temperature Tout. In the event of a failed start-up of the oil pump by repetition of the start-up process, the start control specifies the occurrence of an abnormality in the oil pump or in the power supply to the oil pump at the outside air temperature of not lower than a preset reference temperature, while not specifying the occurrence of an abnormality in the oil pump or in the power supply to the oil pump at the outside air temperature of lower than the preset reference temperature. This arrangement effectively eliminates wrong detection of the abnormality in the oil pump or in the power supply to the oil pump.

Claims

1. A cooling device that supplies a flow of cooling oil to cool down a motor mounted on a vehicle and driven to output driving power,

said cooling device comprising:

a heat exchange unit that cools down the flow of cooling oil through heat exchange with outside air;

a pressure feed unit that is provided in a cooling oil circulation path formed between the motor and the heat exchange unit to pressure feed the flow of cooling oil and circulate the flow of cooling oil through the cooling oil circulation path;

a motor temperature measurement unit that measures temperature of the motor; and

a start control module that performs a start-up control for a start of the pressure feed unit at a rise in measured temperature of the motor to a preset starting temperature and, in the event of a failed start-up of the pressure feed unit, repeats the start-up control up to a predetermined number of times at every rise in measured temperature of the motor to one of multiple different temperatures, which are higher than the preset starting temperature, until a successful start-up of the pressure feed unit.

2. A cooling device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the multiple different temperatures higher than the preset starting temperature have temperature differences of a preset temperature interval.

3. A cooling device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said start control module gives notification of an abnormality in the event of the failed start-up of the pressure feed unit by the predetermined number of repetitions of the start-up control.

4. A cooling device in accordance with claim 3, said cooling device further comprising:

an outside air temperature measurement unit that measures outside air temperature,

wherein said start control module does not give notification of an abnormality even in the event of the failed start-up of the pressure feed unit by the predetermined number of repetitions of the start-up control, when the measured outside air temperature is lower than a preset low reference temperature.

5. A cooling device that supplies a flow of cooling oil to cool down a motor mounted on a vehicle and driven to output driving power,

said cooling device comprising:

a heat exchange unit that cools down the flow of cooling oil through heat exchange with outside air;

a pressure feed unit that is provided in a cooling oil circulation path formed between the motor and the heat exchange unit to pressure feed the flow of cooling oil and circulate the flow of cooling oil through the cooling oil circulation path;

a motor temperature measurement unit that measures temperature of the motor;

an outside air temperature measurement unit that measures outside air temperature;

a start control module that performs a start-up control for a start of the pressure feed unit at a rise in measured temperature of the motor to a preset starting temperature; and

an abnormality specification module that, in the event of a failed start-up of the pressure feed unit by the start-up control of said start control module, specifies occurrence of an abnormality at the measured outside air temperature of not lower than a preset low reference temperature, while not specifying the occurrence of an abnormality at the measured outside air temperature of lower than the preset low reference temperature.

6. A cooling device control method of controlling a cooling device, said cooling device including:

a heat exchange unit that cools down a flow of cooling oil through heat exchange with outside air; and

a pressure feed unit that is provided in a cooling oil circulation path formed between a motor, which is driven to output driving power of a vehicle, and the heat exchange unit to pressure feed the flow of cooling oil and circulate the flow of cooling oil through the cooling oil circulation path,

said cooling device control method performing a start-up control for a start of the pressure feed unit at a rise in measured temperature of the motor to a preset starting temperature and, in the event of a failed start-up of the pressure feed unit, repeating the start-up control up to a predetermined number of times at every rise in measured temperature of the motor to one of multiple different temperatures, which are higher than the preset starting temperature, until a successful start-up of the pressure feed unit.

7. A cooling device control method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the multiple different temperatures higher than the preset starting temperature have temperature differences of a preset temperature interval.

8. A cooling device control method in accordance with claim 6, said cooling device control method specifying occurrence of an abnormality in the event of the failed start-up of the pressure feed unit by the predetermined number of repetitions of the start-up control.

9. A cooling device control method in accordance with claim 8, said cooling device control method not specifying the occurrence of an abnormality even in the event of the failed start-up of the pressure feed unit by the predetermined number of repetitions of the start-up control, when a measured outside air temperature is lower than a preset low reference temperature.

10. An abnormality specification method of specifying an abnormality at a start of a cooling device, said cooling device including:

a heat exchange unit that cools down a flow of cooling oil through heat exchange with outside air; and

a pressure feed unit that is provided in a cooling oil circulation path formed between a motor, which is driven to output driving power of a vehicle, and the heat exchange unit to pressure feed the flow of cooling oil and circulate the flow of cooling oil through the cooling oil circulation path,

said abnormality specification method comprising the steps of;

performing a start-up control for a start of the pressure feed unit at a rise in measured temperature of the motor to a preset starting temperature; and

in the event of a failed start-up of the pressure feed unit by the start-up control, specifying occurrence of an abnormality at a measured outside air temperature of not lower than a preset low reference temperature, while not specifying the occurrence of an abnormality at the measured outside air temperature of lower than the preset low reference temperature.