HYBRID CONSTRUCTION MACHINE

• US 20120240582A1
• Filed: 03/23/2012
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: ISHIKAWA, Kouji, OOKI, Takatoshi, SATAKE, Hidetoshi, NISHIKAWA, Shinji
• Granted Patent: US 8,991,184 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/711
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/12 by means of a chargeable fluidic accumulator
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/17 Construction vehicles, e.g. graders, excavators
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/123 Drives or control devices specially adapted therefor E02F9/125 and E02F9/128 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2075 of the hybrid type for vehicles in general B60W20/00
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2095 Control of electric, electro-mechanical or mechanical equipment not otherwise provided for, e.g. ventilators, electro-driven fans control of hydraulic driven equipment E02F9/22
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2217 with energy recovery arrangements, e.g. using accumulators, flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2235 including an electronic controller
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2296 Systems with a variable displacement pump
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

Provided is a hybrid construction machine (driving the upper swing structure using a hydraulic motor and an electric motor together) capable of regenerating the energy of the upper swing structure in deceleration or stopping into electric power and using the regenerated electric power for assisting the driving of the upper swing structure, while also being capable of securing satisfactory operational feeling and operation capability even when the electric motor does not operate. When the electric motor is not driven, a controller controls a hydraulic circuit system (specifically, a swing direction/flow rate control valve, a center bypass cut valve and a regulator) so as to increase output torque of the hydraulic motor by an amount corresponding to torque to be compensated for the non-driving of the electric motor compared to cases where the electric motor is driven.

Claims

1. A hybrid construction machine comprising:

a lower travel structure;

an upper swing structure which is mounted on the lower travel structure to be capable of swinging;

a hydraulic circuit system which includes a swing hydraulic motor driving and swinging the upper swing structure, a hydraulic pump supplying hydraulic fluid to the swing hydraulic motor, a tank receiving the hydraulic fluid returning from the swing hydraulic motor and serving as the source of supply of the hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic pump, and a direction/flow rate control valve arranged in a line connecting the hydraulic pump and the swing hydraulic motor and controlling the direction and the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid discharged from the hydraulic pump and supplied to the swing hydraulic motor;

a prime mover which drives the hydraulic pump;

a swing electric motor which drives and swings the upper swing structure in an auxiliary manner, the swing electric motor functioning as an electric generator when the swinging of the upper swing structure is decelerating;

an electricity storage device which receives and supplies electric energy from/to the swing electric motor; and

a control device which controls the operation of the swing electric motor, wherein;

when the swing electric motor is not driven, the control device controls the hydraulic circuit system so as to increase output torque of the swing hydraulic motor by an amount corresponding to torque to be compensated for the non-driving of the swing electric motor compared to cases where the swing electric motor is driven.

2. The hybrid construction machine according to claim 1, wherein when the swing electric motor is not driven, the control device controls the hydraulic circuit system to increase meter-in pressure or meter-out pressure of the swing hydraulic motor in order to increase the output torque of the swing hydraulic motor.

3. The hybrid construction machine according to claim 2, wherein:

the direction/flow rate control valve is a valve of an open center type which includes a meter-in restrictor connecting the hydraulic pump and the swing hydraulic motor, a meter-out restrictor connecting the swing hydraulic motor and the tank, and a bleed-off restrictor connecting the hydraulic pump and the tank, and

when the swing electric motor is not driven, the control device executes control to increase braking torque of the swing hydraulic motor by increasing the meter-out pressure of the swing hydraulic motor by controlling the meter-out restrictor of the direction/flow rate control valve in its closing direction.

4. The hybrid construction machine according to claim 2, wherein:

the direction/flow rate control valve is a valve of an open center type which includes a meter-in restrictor connecting the hydraulic pump and the swing hydraulic motor, a meter-out restrictor connecting the swing hydraulic motor and the tank, and a bleed-off restrictor connecting the hydraulic pump and the tank, and

the hydraulic circuit system further includes an auxiliary valve arranged in a meter-out hydraulic line through which the hydraulic fluid passing through the meter-out restrictor of the direction/flow rate control valve flows, and

when the swing electric motor is not driven, the control device executes control to increase braking torque of the swing hydraulic motor by increasing the meter-out pressure of the swing hydraulic motor by controlling the auxiliary valve to narrow the meter-out hydraulic line by use of a composite restrictor made up of the meter-out restrictor of the direction/flow rate control valve and an restrictor of the auxiliary valve.

5. The hybrid construction machine according to claim 2, wherein:

the direction/flow rate control valve is a valve of an open center type which includes a meter-in restrictor connecting the hydraulic pump and the swing hydraulic motor, a meter-out restrictor connecting the swing hydraulic motor and the tank, and a bleed-off restrictor connecting the hydraulic pump and the tank, and

the hydraulic circuit system further includes an auxiliary valve arranged in an open center hydraulic line through which the hydraulic fluid passing through the bleed-off restrictor of the direction/flow rate control valve flows, and

when the swing electric motor is not driven, the control device executes control to increase drive torque of the swing hydraulic motor by increasing the meter-in pressure of the swing hydraulic motor by controlling the auxiliary valve to narrow the open center hydraulic line by use of a composite restrictor made up of the bleed-off restrictor of the direction/flow rate control valve and an restrictor of the auxiliary valve.

6. The hybrid construction machine according to claim 2, wherein:

the direction/flow rate control valve is a valve of an open center type which includes a meter-in restrictor connecting the hydraulic pump and the swing hydraulic motor, a meter-out restrictor connecting the swing hydraulic motor and the tank, and a bleed-off restrictor connecting the hydraulic pump and the tank, and

when the swing electric motor is not driven, the control device executes control to increase drive torque of the swing hydraulic motor by increasing the meter-in pressure of the swing hydraulic motor by controlling the bleed-off restrictor of the direction/flow rate control valve in its closing direction.

7. The hybrid construction machine according to claim 3, wherein:

the hydraulic circuit system further includes an operating device which outputs an operating signal for driving the direction/flow rate control valve, and

when the swing electric motor is not driven, the control device controls the meter-out restrictor or the bleed-off restrictor of the direction/flow rate control valve in its closing direction by controlling the operating signal from the operating device.

8. The hybrid construction machine according to 7, wherein:

the operating device includes a pressure-reducing valve which generates operation command pressure as the operating signal, and

the control device includes a solenoid-operated proportional pressure-reducing valve which controls the operation command pressure.

9. The hybrid construction machine according to claim 4, wherein the control device includes a solenoid-operated proportional pressure-reducing valve which outputs control pressure for driving control of the auxiliary valve.

10. The hybrid construction machine according to claim 1, wherein when the swing electric motor is not driven, the control device executes control to increase output torque of the hydraulic pump in order to increase the output of the swing hydraulic motor.