HYBRID VEHICLE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20100107608A1
• Filed: 07/25/2007
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Mitsutani, Noritake
• Granted Patent: US 8,499,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/285
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/445 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/44 by parameter estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/56 Temperature prediction, e.g. for pre-cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/12 of exhaust
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0023 Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train
• 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 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• 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 10/30 : including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• 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 20/15 : Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/001 : Proportional integral [PI] controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 : Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2560/06 : the means being a temperature sensor
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2006 : Periodically heating or cooling catalytic reactors, e.g. at cold starting or overheating by electrically controlling the supply of combustible mixture or its constituents only F02D41/0235
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/06 : peculiar to engines driving electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/024 : to increase temperature of the exhaust gas treating apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 : Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

Upon a system startup, a hybrid vehicle 20 determines whether a catalyst warm up operation of an engine 22 is to be executed or not based on a catalyst bed temperature Tcat of an exhaust gas purifying catalyst 141 and a state of charge SOC of a battery 50 (S110, S140) and determines whether a forced charging of the battery 50 with an idling of the engine 22 is to be executed or not based on the catalyst bed temperature Tcat, the state of charge SOC and an estimated intake air amount GAidl upon the idling of the engine 22 when the catalyst warm up operation is not to be executed, then controls the engine 22, motors MG1 and MG2 in accordance with determination results (S130, S210).

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

an internal combustion engine;

a purifying unit including a catalyst that purifies exhaust gas exhausted from the internal combustion engine;

a catalyst temperature acquisition device that acquires a temperature of the catalyst;

an electric power-mechanical power input output structure connected to a predetermined axle and an engine shaft of the internal combustion engine, the electric power-mechanical power input output structure capable of generating electric power through the use of at least part of power from the internal combustion engine and inputting and outputting power to the axle with input and output of electric power;

a motor capable of inputting and outputting power to the axle or another axle that is different from the axle;

an accumulator capable of supplying and receiving electric power from electric power-mechanical power input output structure and the motor;

a residual capacity acquisition module that acquires a residual capacity of the accumulator;

a catalyst warm up determination module that determines whether a catalyst warm up operation of the internal combustion engine that facilitates an activation of the catalyst is to be executed or not based on the acquired temperature of the catalyst and the acquired residual capacity upon a system startup;

a forced charging determination module that determines whether a forced charging of the accumulator with an idling of the internal combustion engine is to be executed or not based on the acquired temperature of the catalyst, the acquired residual capacity and an estimated intake air amount upon the idling of the internal combustion engine when the catalyst warm up determination module determines that the catalyst warm up operation is not to be executed; and

a control module that controls the internal combustion engine, the electric power-mechanical power input output structure and the motor so that the catalyst warm up operation is executed when the catalyst warm up determination module determines that the catalyst warm up operation is to be executed, the control module controlling the internal combustion engine, the electric power-mechanical power input output structure and the motor so that the forced charging is executed when the forced charging determination module determines that the forced charging is to be executed.

2. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the catalyst warm up determination module determines that the catalyst warm up operation is to be executed when the acquired residual capacity is equal to or more than a predetermined warm up execution residual capacity and the acquired temperature of the catalyst is equal to or less than a predetermined warm up execution temperature.

3. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the forced charging determination module determines that the forced charging is to be executed when the acquired residual capacity is equal to or less than a predetermined charging execution residual capacity that is smaller than the warm up execution residual capacity, when the acquired residual capacity is less than the warm up execution residual capacity and the acquired temperature of the catalyst is equal to or more than a predetermined charging execution temperature, and when the acquired residual capacity is more than the charging execution residual capacity and the acquired temperature of the catalyst is equal to or more than a predetermined charging permission lower limit temperature based on the estimated intake air amount.

4. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising:

a temperature acquisition module that acquires a temperature of the internal combustion engine; and

a shift position selection device that allows a driver to select at least a shift position for a stop of the vehicle and a shift position for a normal driving;

wherein the estimated intake air amount is derived based on the acquired temperature of the internal combustion engine and the shift position, and wherein the charging permission lower limit temperature is changed in accordance with the derived estimated intake air amount.

5. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the charging execution residual capacity is changed in accordance with a state of a load of the accumulator.

6. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine is retained at a predetermined rotational speed by the electric power-mechanical power input output structure upon an execution of the catalyst warm up operation and an ignition timing of the internal combustion engine is retarded in comparison with a normal state upon the execution of the catalyst warm up operation.

7. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the catalyst warm up determination module and the forced charging determination module determine whether or not executing the catalyst warm up operation or the forced charging while the hybrid vehicle is stopped after a system startup.

8. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electric power-mechanical power input output structure includes a power generation motor capable of inputting and outputting power;

and three shaft-type power input output assembly connected to three shafts, the axle, the engine shaft of the internal combustion engine and a rotating shaft of the power generation motor, the three shaft-type power input output assembly configured to input and output power to one remaining shaft, based on input and output of power from and to any two shafts selected among the three shafts.

9. A control method of a hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine, a purifying unit including a catalyst that purifies exhaust gas exhausted from the internal combustion engine, an electric power-mechanical power input output structure connected to a predetermined axle and an engine shaft of the internal combustion engine, the electric power-mechanical power input output structure capable of generating electric power through the use of at least part of power from the internal combustion engine and inputting and outputting power to the axle with input and output of electric power, a motor capable of inputting and outputting power to the axle or another axle that is different from the axle and an accumulator capable of supplying and receiving electric power from electric power-mechanical power input output structure and the motor, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining whether a catalyst warm up operation of the internal combustion engine that facilitates an activation of the catalyst is to be executed or not based on a temperature of the catalyst and a residual capacity of the accumulator;

(b) determining whether a forced charging of the accumulator with an idling of the internal combustion engine is to be executed or not based on the temperature of the catalyst, the residual capacity of the accumulator and an estimated intake air amount upon the idling of the internal combustion engine when the Step (a) determines that the catalyst warm up operation is not to be executed; and

(c) controlling the internal combustion engine, the electric power-mechanical power input output structure and the motor so that the catalyst warm up operation is executed when the Step (a) determines that the catalyst warm up operation is to be executed, and controlling the internal combustion engine, the electric power-mechanical power input output structure and the motor so that the forced charging is executed when the Step (b) determines that the forced charging is to be executed.

10. A control method of a hybrid vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the Step (a) determines that the catalyst warm up operation is to be executed when the residual capacity of the accumulator is equal to or more than a predetermined warm up execution residual capacity and the temperature of the catalyst is equal to or less than a predetermined warm up execution temperature.

11. A control method of a hybrid vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the Step (b) determines that the forced charging is to be executed when the residual capacity of the accumulator is equal to or less than a predetermined charging execution residual capacity that is smaller than the warm up execution residual capacity, when the residual capacity of the accumulator is less than the warm up execution residual capacity and the temperature of the catalyst is equal to or more than a predetermined charging execution temperature, and when the residual capacity of the accumulator is more than the charging execution residual capacity and the temperature of the catalyst is equal to or more than a predetermined charging permission lower limit temperature based on the estimated intake air amount.

12. A control method of a hybrid vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the estimated intake air amount is derived based on the temperature of the internal combustion engine and the shift position of a shift position selection device that allows a driver to select at least a shift position for a stop of the vehicle and a shift position for a normal driving, and wherein the charging permission lower limit temperature is changed in accordance with the derived estimated intake air amount.

13. A control method of a hybrid vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the charging execution residual capacity is changed in accordance with a state of a load of the accumulator.

14. A control method of a hybrid vehicle according to claim 9, wherein a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine is retained at a predetermined rotational speed by the electric power-mechanical power input output structure upon an execution of the catalyst warm up operation at the Step (c) and an ignition timing of the internal combustion engine is retarded in comparison with a normal state upon the execution of the catalyst warm up operation at the Step (c).

15. A control method of a hybrid vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the Step (a) is executed while the hybrid vehicle is stopped after a system startup.

16. A control method of a hybrid vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the electric power-mechanical power input output structure of the hybrid vehicle includes a power generation motor capable of inputting and outputting power;

and three shaft-type power input output assembly connected to three shafts, the axle, the engine shaft of the internal combustion engine and a rotating shaft of the power generation motor, the three shaft-type power input output assembly configured to input and output power to one remaining shaft, based on input and output of power from and to any two shafts selected among the three shafts.