ELECTRIC VEHICLE AND CONTROL METHOD FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE

• US 20130096756A1
• Filed: 10/11/2012
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Hironobu
• Granted Patent: US 9,714,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/02 Stopping, starting, unloading or idling control

Abstract

An electric vehicle includes: a wheel drive motor; an inverter that supplies electric power to the motor; a pump that delivers refrigerant to the motor and the inverter; and a controller that controls the pump. When a main switch of the vehicle is at an ON position, the controller limits the pump output at or below a predetermined pump output upper limit value, and, when the main switch is switched to an OFF position while travelling, the controller drives the pump at an output higher than the pump output upper limit value irrespective of the pump output upper limit value.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle comprising:

a motor configured to be able to regenerate electric power from kinetic energy of the vehicle;

an inverter configured to supply electric power to the motor;

a pump configured to deliver refrigerant to at least one of the motor and the inverter; and

a controller configured to control the pump, the controller activating the pump when a main switch of the vehicle is at an OFF position and the vehicle is travelling, and the controller stopping the pump when a main switch of the vehicle is at an OFF position and the vehicle is stopped.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the controller increases a pump output in the case where the main switch of the vehicle is at the OFF position while travelling with respect to a pump output in the case where the main switch of the vehicle is at an ON position while travelling.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

when the main switch of the vehicle is at an ON position while travelling, the controller limits the pump output at or below a predetermined pump output upper limit value, and

when the main switch is at the OFF position while travelling, the controller drives the pump at an output higher than the pump output upper limit value irrespective of the pump output upper limit value.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the controller monitors at least one of a temperature of the inverter, a temperature of the motor and a temperature of the refrigerant, and

when the monitored temperature becomes lower than a predetermined threshold, the controller limits the pump output at or below the pump output upper limit value.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the main switch is provided at a driver seat.

6. An electric vehicle comprising:

a motor configured to be able to regenerate electric power from kinetic energy of the vehicle;

an inverter configured to supply electric power to the motor;

a pump configured to deliver refrigerant to at least one of the motor and the inverter; and

a controller configure to control the pump, the controller increasing a pump output when a main switch of the vehicle is switched from an OFF position to an ON position while travelling.

7. The electric vehicle according to claim 6, wherein

the main switch is provided at a driver seat.

8. A control method for an electric vehicle that includes:

a motor configure to be able to regenerate electric power from kinetic energy of the vehicle;

an inverter configured to supply electric power to the motor; and

a pump configure to deliver refrigerant to at least one of the motor and the inverter, comprising;

activating the pump when a main switch of the vehicle is at an OFF position and the vehicle is travelling, and

stopping the pump when a main switch of the vehicle is at an OFF position and the vehicle is stopped.

9. The control method according to claim 8, wherein

a pump output in the case where the main switch of the vehicle is at the OFF position while travelling is increased with respect to a pump output in the case where the main switch of the vehicle is at the ON position while travelling.

10. The control method according to claim 8, further comprising:

limiting the pump output at or below a predetermined pump output upper limit value when the main switch of the vehicle is at the ON position while travelling; and

driving the pump at an output higher than the pump output upper limit value irrespective of the pump output upper limit value when the main switch is at the OFF position while travelling.

11. The control method according to claim 10, further comprising:

monitoring at least one of a temperature of the inverter, a temperature of the motor and a temperature of the refrigerant; and

limiting the pump output at or below the pump output upper limit value when the monitored temperature becomes lower than a predetermined threshold.

12. A control method for an electric vehicle that includes:

a motor configured to be able to regenerate electric power from kinetic energy of the vehicle;

an inverter configured to supply electric power to the motor; and

a pump configured to deliver refrigerant to at least one of the motor and the inverter, comprising;

increasing a pump output when a main switch of the vehicle is switched from an OFF position to an ON position while travelling.