CONTROLLER FOR HYBRID SYSTEM

• US 20110178665A1
• Filed: 01/19/2011
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: CHIBA, Fumito, TSUKAGOSHI, Takahiro, YOSHIOKA, Mamoru
• Application Number:
  US13/009,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20110178665A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/211 Fuel quality, e.g. water content due to age of fuel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/213 Fuel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/194 related to low temperature conditions, e.g. high viscosity of hydraulic fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2037/02 starting
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2050/24 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A controller for the hybrid system includes: an alcohol concentration detector that detects alcohol concentration of fuel; a demanded coolant temperature setting device that sets a demanded coolant temperature higher as the alcohol concentration increases; an internal combustion engine stopped state determination device that determines whether an internal combustion engine is stopped; an external electric power source connection determination device that determines whether a storage battery is connected to an external electric power source; and a coolant pre-heating device that supplies electric power to a coolant heater until coolant temperature of the coolant reaches the demanded coolant temperature if the internal combustion engine is in the stopped state and the storage battery is connected to the external electric power source.

Claims

1. A controller for a hybrid system that includes:

an internal combustion engine that uses a fuel mixed with alcohol;

a coolant heater that heats coolant for the internal combustion engine when the heater is supplied with electric power; and

a storage battery that supplies electric power to the coolant heater, and that is charged at least when the storage battery is connected to an external electric power source,

the controller for the hybrid system comprising;

an alcohol concentration detector that detects alcohol concentration of the fuel;

a demanded coolant temperature setting device that sets a demanded coolant temperature higher as the alcohol concentration increases;

an internal combustion engine stopped state determination device that determines whether the internal combustion engine is stopped;

an external electric power source connection determination device that determines whether the storage battery is connected to the external electric power source; and

a coolant pre-heating device that supplies electric power to the coolant heater until coolant temperature of the coolant reaches the demanded coolant temperature if the internal combustion engine is in the stopped state and the storage battery is connected to the external electric power source.

2. The controller for the hybrid system according to claim 1, wherein the coolant pre-heating device increases amount of electric power supplied to the coolant heater as the demanded coolant temperature increases.

3. The controller for the hybrid system according to claim 1, wherein the coolant pre-heating device increases amount of electric power supplied to the coolant heater and decreases the amount of electric power stored into the storage battery as the demanded coolant temperature increases, when the amount of electric power supplied from the external electric power source is fixed.

4. The controller for the hybrid system according to claim 1, wherein:

the coolant pre-heating device executes coolant pre-heating when state of charge of the storage battery is greater than a predetermined state of charge; and

the predetermined state of charge is set lower as the alcohol concentration increases.

5. The controller for the hybrid system according to claim 4, further comprising a coolant temperature acquisition device that acquires the coolant temperature,

wherein the predetermined state of charge is set higher as the coolant temperature increases.

6. The controller for the hybrid system according to claim 1, further comprising an outside air temperature acquisition device that acquires an outside air temperature,

wherein the demanded coolant temperature setting device sets the demanded coolant temperature higher as the outside air temperature decreases or the alcohol concentration increases.

7. The controller for the hybrid system according to claim 1, further comprising a lowest outside air temperature acquisition device that predicts a lowest outside air temperature within a predetermined time from a present time,

wherein the demanded coolant temperature setting device sets the demanded coolant temperature higher as the predicted lowest outside air temperature decreases or the alcohol concentration increases.

8. A controller for a hybrid system that includes:

an internal combustion engine that uses a fuel mixed with alcohol;

coolant heating means for heating coolant for the internal combustion engine when the heating means is supplied with electric power; and

a storage battery that supplies electric power to the coolant heating means, and that is charged at least when the storage battery is connected to an external electric power source,

the controller for the hybrid system comprising;

alcohol concentration detection means for detecting alcohol concentration of the fuel;

demanded coolant temperature setting means for setting a demanded coolant temperature higher as the alcohol concentration increases;

internal combustion engine stopped state determination means for determining whether the internal combustion engine is stopped;

external electric power source connection determination means for determining whether the storage battery is connected to the external electric power source; and

coolant pre-heating means for supplying electric power to the coolant heating means until coolant temperature of the coolant reaches the demanded coolant temperature if the internal combustion engine is in the stopped state and the storage battery is connected to the external electric power source.