CONTROL APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD FOR HYBRID VEHICLE

• US 20100087976A1
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Takahiko, Aridome, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 8,909,397 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/003 with means for cooling the electrical propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/005 the electric storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/10 responsive to conditions relating to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/34 characterised by the absence of energy storing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/405 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0092 with use of redundant elements for safety purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/18 of two or more battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/24 for controlling the temperature of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/25 by controlling the electric load
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 : by cooling
• 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 10/26 : for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• 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 20/10 : Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/50 : Control strategies for responding to system failures, e.g. for fault diagnosis, failsafe operation or limp mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 : Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/246 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• 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

When an abnormality except for a temperature abnormality of a travel-purpose battery is detected, a battery ECU 260 of the present invention renders a system main relay to make a change to a battery-less travel mode while using a battery cooling fan to cool the travel-purpose battery. When a temperature abnormality of the travel-purpose battery is still detected, a system-off command signal is output to cause the hybrid vehicle to become unable to travel. In this way, limp home mode and system shutoff of the hybrid vehicle can be surely implemented even in the case where an abnormality occurs to the travel-purpose battery.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine and an electrical motor each as a travel source for the vehicle and including a power storage mechanism supplying electric power to said electrical motor, said control apparatus comprising:

a detection unit for detecting an abnormality of said power storage mechanism;

a vehicle control unit for controlling said vehicle such that said power storage mechanism is electrically disconnected from an electrical load including said electrical motor and said vehicle travels using said internal combustion engine as said travel source instead of said electrical motor, when said detection unit detects an abnormality; and

an inhibition unit for inhibiting said vehicle from traveling using said internal combustion engine, when another abnormality of said power storage mechanism is detected while said vehicle is traveling using said internal combustion engine instead of said electrical motor.

2. The control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said inhibition unit inhibits said vehicle from traveling using said internal combustion engine, when an abnormality is detected that is different from the abnormality of said power storage mechanism detected by said detection unit.

3. The control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said inhibition unit inhibits said vehicle from traveling using said internal combustion engine, when a temperature abnormality of said power storage mechanism is detected that is different from the abnormality of said power storage mechanism detected by said detection unit.

4. The control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said detection unit detects an abnormality except for a temperature abnormality of said power storage mechanism, and

said inhibition unit inhibits said vehicle from traveling using said internal combustion engine, when a temperature abnormality of said power storage mechanism is detected.

5. The control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said detection unit detects a temperature abnormality of said power storage mechanism, and

said inhibition unit inhibits said vehicle from traveling using said internal combustion engine, when another temperature abnormality of said power storage mechanism is detected.

6. The control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said power storage mechanism is cooled by a cooling apparatus mounted on said vehicle, and

said control apparatus further comprises a cooling control unit for controlling said cooling apparatus such that said cooling apparatus uses a maximum capacity to cool said power storage mechanism while said vehicle is traveling using said internal combustion engine as the travel source instead of said electrical motor.

7. A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine and an electrical motor each as a travel source for the vehicle and including a power storage mechanism supplying electric power to said electrical motor, said control apparatus comprising:

detection means for detecting an abnormality of said power storage mechanism;

control means for controlling said vehicle such that said power storage mechanism is electrically disconnected from an electrical load including said electrical motor and said vehicle travels using said internal combustion engine as said travel source instead of said electrical motor, when said detection means detects an abnormality; and

inhibition means for inhibiting said vehicle from traveling using said internal combustion engine, when another abnormality of said power storage mechanism is detected while said vehicle is traveling using said internal combustion engine instead of said electrical motor.

8. The control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 7, wherein

said inhibition means includes means for inhibiting said vehicle from traveling using said internal combustion engine, when an abnormality is detected that is different from the abnormality of said power storage mechanism detected by said detection means.

9. The control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 7, wherein

said inhibition means includes means for inhibiting said vehicle from traveling using said internal combustion engine, when a temperature abnormality of said power storage mechanism is detected that is different from the abnormality of said power storage mechanism detected by said detection means.

10. The control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 7, wherein

said detection means includes means for detecting an abnormality except for a temperature abnormality of said power storage mechanism, and

said inhibition means includes means for inhibiting said vehicle from traveling using said internal combustion engine, when a temperature abnormality of said power storage mechanism is detected.

11. The control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 7, wherein

said detection means includes means for detecting a temperature abnormality of said power storage mechanism, and

said inhibition means includes means for inhibiting said vehicle from traveling using said internal combustion engine, when another temperature abnormality of said power storage mechanism is detected.

12. The control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 7, wherein

said power storage mechanism is cooled by a cooling apparatus mounted on said vehicle, and

said control apparatus further comprises means for controlling said cooling apparatus such that said cooling apparatus uses a maximum capacity to cool said power storage mechanism while said vehicle is traveling using said internal combustion engine as the travel source instead of said electrical motor.

13. A control method for a hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine and an electrical motor each as a travel source for the vehicle and including a power storage mechanism supplying electric power to said electrical motor, said control method comprising the steps of:

detecting an abnormality of said power storage mechanism;

controlling said vehicle such that said power storage mechanism is electrically disconnected from an electrical load including said electrical motor and said vehicle travels using said internal combustion engine as said travel source instead of said electrical motor, when said step of detecting detects an abnormality; and

inhibiting said vehicle from traveling using said internal combustion engine, when another abnormality of said power storage mechanism is detected while said vehicle is traveling using said internal combustion engine instead of said electrical motor.

14. The control method for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 13, wherein

said step of inhibiting includes the step of inhibiting said vehicle from traveling using said internal combustion engine, when an abnormality is detected that is different from the abnormality of said power storage mechanism detected by said step of detecting.

15. The control method for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 13, wherein

said step of inhibiting includes the step of inhibiting said vehicle from traveling using said internal combustion engine, when a temperature abnormality of said power storage mechanism is detected that is different from the abnormality of said power storage mechanism detected by said step of detecting.

16. The control method for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 13, wherein

said step of detecting includes the step of detecting an abnormality except for a temperature abnormality of said power storage mechanism, and

said step of inhibiting includes the step of inhibiting said vehicle from traveling using said internal combustion engine, when a temperature abnormality of said power storage mechanism is detected.

17. The control method for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 13, wherein

said step of detecting includes the step of detecting a temperature abnormality of said power storage mechanism, and

said step of inhibiting includes the step of inhibiting said vehicle from traveling using said internal combustion engine, when another temperature abnormality of said power storage mechanism is detected.

18. The control method for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 13, wherein

said power storage mechanism is cooled by a cooling apparatus mounted on said vehicle, and

said control method further comprises the step of controlling said cooling apparatus such that said cooling apparatus uses a maximum capacity to cool said power storage mechanism while said vehicle is traveling using said internal combustion engine as the travel source instead of said electrical motor.