Controller for Electric Storage Device and Vehicle with Controller for Electric Storage Device

• US 20090229898A1
• Filed: 01/28/2009
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Seto, Sadashi, FUJINO, Shinichi
• Application Number:
  US12/361,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20090229898A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.290
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/268 Electric drive motor starts the engine, i.e. used as starter motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/142 acoustic
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/24 with additional mechanical or electromagnetic braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/192 Mitigating problems related to power-up or power-down of the driveline, e.g. start-up of a cold engine
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/006 using a plurality of electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1492 by means of controlling devices between the generator output and the battery
• 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

Abstract

A controller for an electric storage device, one side of which is linked with a generator or a motor generator that is rotated by power of an engine to generate AC electrical power and includes a rectifier that converts the AC electrical power into DC electrical power, and the other side of which is linked with an on-vehicle battery and an auxiliary device, includes a switching element, an electric storage battery that is connected in parallel with the switching element, and a control unit that switches the switching element. The control unit turns the switching element ON when a state of charge of the electric storage battery is greater than a state of charge necessary for starting the engine and a voltage of the on-vehicle battery is less than a voltage necessary for starting the engine.

Claims

1. A controller for an electric storage device, one side of which is linked with a generator or a motor generator that is rotated by power of an engine to generate AC electrical power and includes a rectifier that converts the AC electrical power into DC electrical power, and the other side of which is linked with an on-vehicle battery and an auxiliary device, comprising:

an arm that includes first and second switching elements connected in series;

an electric storage battery that is connected in parallel with the first and second switching elements;

a primary rectification capacitor that is connected in parallel with the first and second switching elements;

a reactor, one end of which is connected to a connection portion at which the first and second switching elements are connected, and the other end of which is connected to an output terminal to the on-vehicle battery and the auxiliary device;

a secondary rectification capacitor that is connected to the output terminal side of the reactor; and

a control unit that switches the first switching element;

wherein;

the control unit turns the first switching element ON when a state of charge of the electric storage battery is greater than a state of charge necessary for starting the engine and a voltage of the on-vehicle battery is less than a voltage necessary for starting the engine.

6. A controller for an electric storage device according to claim 1, wherein:

two of the arm and two of the reactor are provided; and

the phase difference between the timings at which the two first switching elements that are provided to the two arms are turned ON and OFF is made to be approximately 180°

.

13. A vehicle equipped with a controller for an electric storage device according to claim 1, wherein:

when the state of charge of the electric storage battery drops below a maximum state of charge during deceleration of the vehicle, regenerated energy is recuperated into the electric storage battery by performing regeneration control of the generator or the motor generator by controlling its field current based upon a state variable according to at least any one of the state of charge of the electric storage battery, rotational speed of the generator or the motor generator, and vehicle speed.

15. A vehicle according to claim 13, wherein:

when the state of charge of the electric storage battery rises above the maximum state of charge during deceleration of the vehicle, the field current is turned OFF to stop generation of electrical power using the regenerated energy.

16. A vehicle according to claim 13, wherein:

when the voltage of the on-vehicle battery rises above a maximum voltage during deceleration of the vehicle, the first switching element is turned OFF; and

when the voltage of the on-vehicle battery drops below the maximum voltage during deceleration of the vehicle, the first switching element is turned intermittently ON.

2. A controller for an electric storage device, one side of which is linked with a generator or a motor generator that is rotated by power of an engine to generate AC electrical power and includes a rectifier that converts the AC electrical power into DC electrical power, and the other side of which is linked with an on-vehicle battery and an auxiliary device, comprising:

an arm that includes first and second switching elements connected in series;

an electric storage battery that is connected in parallel with the first and second switching elements;

a primary rectification capacitor that is connected in parallel with the first and second switching elements;

a reactor, one end of which is connected to a connection portion at which the first and second switching elements are connected, and the other end of which is connected to an output terminal to the on-vehicle battery and the auxiliary device;

a secondary rectification capacitor that is connected to the output terminal side of the reactor; and

a control unit that switches the first switching element;

wherein;

the control unit turns the first switching element continuously ON when a voltage difference between the voltage of the electric storage battery and the voltage of the on-vehicle battery is less than a predetermined value; and

the control unit turns the first switching element intermittently ON when the voltage difference is greater than the predetermined value.

3. A controller for an electric storage device according to claim 2, further comprising a terminal that is installed in a vehicle body and to which the arm, the electric storage battery, the primary rectification capacitor and the secondary rectification capacitor are electrically connected.

4. A controller for an electric storage device according to claim 2, wherein:

when the voltage of the on-vehicle battery is greater than a predetermined maximum voltage, the control unit turns the first switching element OFF to stop supply of electrical power to the on-vehicle battery and to the auxiliary device;

when the voltage of the on-vehicle battery is less than the maximum voltage and the voltage difference is greater than the predetermined value, the control unit turns the first switching element intermittently ON and stops generation of the AC electrical power by the generator or the motor generator; and

when the voltage of the on-vehicle battery is less than the maximum voltage and the voltage difference is less than the predetermined value, the control unit turns the first switching element continuously ON and performs control for adjusting amount of generation of the AC electrical power by the generator or the motor generator.

5. A controller for an electric storage device according to claim 2, wherein:

when a state of charge of the electric storage battery is greater than a state of charge necessary for starting the engine and the voltage of the on-vehicle battery is less than a voltage necessary for starting the engine, the control unit turns the first switching element ON so that electrical power from the electric storage battery is supplied to a starter that is connected to the on-vehicle battery.

14. A vehicle equipped with a controller for an electric storage device according to claim 3, wherein the terminal is connected to the vehicle body of the vehicle.

7. An electricity generation and storage unit, comprising:

a field winding type generator or motor generator that includes a field winding, is linked to an engine, is rotated by the engine to generate AC electrical power and includes a rectifier that converts the AC electrical power into DC electrical power; and

an electric storage device, one side of which is linked with the generator or the motor generator, and the other side of which is linked with an on-vehicle battery and an auxiliary device;

wherein;

the electric storage device comprises;

an arm that includes first and second switching elements connected in series;

an electric storage battery that is connected in parallel with the first and second switching elements;

a primary rectification capacitor that is connected in parallel with the first and second switching elements;

a reactor, one end of which is connected to a connection portion at which the first and second switching elements are connected, and the other end of which is connected to an output terminal to the on-vehicle battery and the auxiliary device;

a secondary rectification capacitor that is connected to the output terminal side of the reactor; and

a control unit that switches the first switching element; and

the control unit turns the first switching element ON when a state of charge of the electric storage battery is greater than a state of charge necessary for starting the engine and a voltage of the on-vehicle battery is less than a voltage necessary for starting the engine.

12. An electricity generation and storage unit according to claim 7, wherein:

two of the arm and two of the reactor are provided; and

the phase difference between the timings at which the two first switching elements that are provided to the two arms are turned ON and OFF is made to be approximately 180°

.

8. An electricity generation and storage unit, comprising:

a field winding type generator or motor generator that includes a field winding, is linked to an engine, is rotated by the engine to generate AC electrical power and includes a rectifier that converts the AC electrical power into DC electrical power; and

an electric storage device, one side of which is linked with the generator or the motor generator, and the other side of which is linked with an on-vehicle battery and an auxiliary device;

wherein;

the electric storage device comprises;

an arm that includes first and second switching elements connected in series;

an electric storage battery that is connected in parallel with the first and second switching elements;

a primary rectification capacitor that is connected in parallel with the first and second switching elements;

a reactor, one end of which is connected to a connection portion at which the first and second switching elements are connected, and the other end of which is connected to an output terminal to the on-vehicle battery and the auxiliary device;

a secondary rectification capacitor that is connected to the output terminal side of the reactor; and

a control unit that switches the first switching element; and

the control unit turns the first switching element continuously ON when a voltage difference between the voltage of the electric storage battery and the voltage of the on-vehicle battery is less than a predetermined value; and

the control unit turns the first switching element intermittently ON when the voltage difference is greater than the predetermined value.

9. An electricity generation and storage unit according to claim 8, further comprising a terminal that is installed in a vehicle body and to which the arm, the electric storage battery, the primary rectification capacitor and the secondary rectification capacitor are electrically connected.

10. An electricity generation and storage unit according to claim 8, wherein:

when a state of charge of the electric storage battery is greater than a state of charge necessary for starting the engine and the voltage of the on-vehicle battery is less than a voltage necessary for starting the engine, the control unit turns the first switching element ON so that electrical power from the electric storage battery is supplied to a starter that is connected to the on-vehicle battery.

11. An electricity generation and storage unit according to claim 8, wherein:

when the voltage of the on-vehicle battery is greater than a predetermined maximum voltage, the control unit turns the first switching element OFF to stop supply of electrical power to the on-vehicle battery and to the auxiliary device;

when the voltage of the on-vehicle battery is less than the maximum voltage and the voltage difference is greater than the predetermined value, the control unit turns the first switching element intermittently ON and stops generation of the AC electrical power by the generator or the motor generator; and

when the voltage of the on-vehicle battery is less than the maximum voltage and the voltage difference is less than the predetermined value, the control unit turns the first switching element continuously ON and performs control for adjusting amount of generation of the AC electrical power by the generator or the motor generator.