OUTPUT CONTROL APPARATUS FOR HYBRID ENGINE GENERATOR

• US 20110260546A1
• Filed: 04/11/2011
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: HASHIZUME, Takashi, Ogawa, Makoto, Ueno, Masanori
• Application Number:
  US13/083,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20110260546A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/75
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• 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 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 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0644 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/081 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0085 Partially controlled bridges
• 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

Abstract

Suppresses noise due to high engine speed and improves emission and fuel consumption of a hybrid generator. A difference computing unit 29 computes a first difference between an alternator output and a load output. A difference computing unit 31 computes a second difference between a battery output and the load output. When the battery output is greater than a battery output stopping threshold, the alternator output is fixed and the first difference is compensated for by the battery output. When the battery output is less than the battery output stopping threshold, the engine speed is increased to compensate for the second difference by the output of the alternator 3. To compensate for the second difference, a target engine speed is determined using a relationship of the second difference and the target engine speed. The engine speed is converged at the target engine speed.

Claims

1. An output control apparatus for a hybrid power generator, which includes a battery and an alternator driven by an engine, the output control apparatus for a hybrid power generator comprising:

a load output detecting unit detecting a load output of the generator;

a battery output detecting unit detecting an output from the battery;

an alternator output detecting unit detecting an output of the alternator;

a first output difference computing unit computing a difference (first difference) of the output of the alternator with respect to the load output;

a threshold setting unit setting a battery output stopping threshold; and

a controller, which, when the battery output is greater than the battery output stopping threshold, fixes the output of the alternator at a predetermined value and compensates for the first difference by the battery output.

2. An output control apparatus for a hybrid power generator, which includes a battery and an alternator driven by an engine, the output control apparatus for a hybrid power generator comprising:

a load output detecting unit detecting a load output of the generator;

a battery output detecting unit detecting an output from the battery;

an alternator output detecting unit detecting an output of the alternator;

a first output difference computing unit computing a difference (first difference) of the output of the alternator with respect to the load output;

a second output difference computing unit computing a difference (second difference) of the output from the battery with respect to the load output;

a threshold setting unit setting a battery output stopping threshold; and

a controller, which, when the battery output is greater than the battery output stopping threshold, fixes the output of the alternator at a predetermined value and compensates for the first difference by the battery output and, when the battery output is less than the battery output stopping threshold, increases the engine rotation speed to compensate for the second difference by the output of the alternator; and

wherein the controller includes an engine rotation speed controller that, in order to compensate for the second difference, makes the engine rotation speed converge at a target engine rotation speed value determined using a first map in which a relationship of the second difference and the target engine rotation speed value is set.

3. The output control apparatus for a hybrid power generator according to claim 2, wherein the threshold setting unit is set as a battery output enabling time corresponding to the battery output stopping threshold, the battery output enabling time is set in relation to the battery output in a second map so as to be longer value the greater the battery output, and

the controller is arranged to increase the engine rotation speed to compensate for the second difference when the battery output enabling time has elapsed from a start of output of the battery.

4. The output control apparatus for a hybrid power generator according to claim 2, comprising:

a charging unit charging the battery by the output of the alternator; and

a unit detecting a remaining capacity of the battery; and

wherein the controller is arranged to stop the output of the battery and increase the engine rotation speed to charge the battery when the remaining capacity of the battery is no more than a predetermined value, and to start the output of the battery and decrease the engine rotation speed in accordance with the increase in the battery output at a point in time at which the remaining capacity of the battery is restored to no less than the predetermined value.

5. The output control apparatus for a hybrid power generator according to claim 3, comprising:

a charging unit charging the battery by the output of the alternator; and

a unit detecting a remaining capacity of the battery; and

wherein the controller is arranged to stop the output of the battery and increase the engine rotation speed to charge the battery when the remaining capacity of the battery is no more than a predetermined value, and to start the output of the battery and decrease the engine rotation speed in accordance with the increase in the battery output at a point in time at which the remaining capacity of the battery is restored to no less than the predetermined value.