POWER UNIT

• US 20110285206A1
• Filed: 05/20/2011
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: WATANABE, Hisazumi, SATO, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,099,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/65
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1438 in combination with power supplies for loads other than batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1446 in response to parameters of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles

Abstract

A power unit is equipped with a power generator connected to an electric load, a first storage device connected to the electric load and the power generator, a second storage device connected to the electric load, the power generator, and the first storage device, and a charge control device that controls charge/discharge of the second storage device. The charge control device controls the discharge of the second storage device such that a power is supplied to the electric load and the first storage device when a predetermined condition corresponding to a high possibility of an increase in a power generation amount of the power generator is fulfilled, and controls the discharge of the second storage device such that a power is supplied to the electric load when the predetermined condition is not fulfilled.

Claims

1. A power unit comprising:

a power generator connected to an electric load;

a first storage device connected to the electric load and the power generator;

a second storage device connected to the electric load, the power generator, and the first storage device; and

a charge control device that controls charge/discharge of the second storage device, wherein

the charge control device controls the discharge of the second storage device such that power is supplied to the electric load and the first storage device when a predetermined condition corresponding to a high possibility of an increase in a power generation amount of the power generator is fulfilled, and controls the discharge of the second storage device such that power is supplied to the electric load when the predetermined condition is not fulfilled.

2. The power unit according to claim 1, wherein

the charge control device supplies the power to the electric load and the first storage device by causing the second storage device to discharge at a charge permitting voltage permitting the first storage device to be charged, and supplies the power to the electric load by causing the second storage device to discharge at a voltage higher than a discharge voltage of the first storage device and lower than the charge permitting voltage.

3. The power unit according to claim 1, wherein

the second storage device has a smaller storage capacity than the first storage device.

4. The power unit according to claim 1 that is mounted on a vehicle, wherein

the charge control device controls the discharge of the second storage device when the vehicle is not decelerating.

5. The power unit according to claim 4, wherein

the predetermined condition is that a speed of the vehicle be equal to or higher than a vehicle speed at which the discharge of the second storage device is promoted, that a transmission of the vehicle or a shift lever of the vehicle be in a deceleration range and the speed of the vehicle be equal to or higher than a predetermined regeneration permitting vehicle speed, or that a storage amount of the first storage device be equal to or smaller than a predetermined amount.

6. The power unit according to claim 4, wherein

the charge control device controls the charge of the second storage device such that the second storage device is charged with power generated by the power generator when the vehicle is decelerating.