DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING POWER ACCORDING TO A LOAD OF A HYBRID EXCAVATOR

• US 20130265686A1
• Filed: 12/27/2010
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Construction Equipment AB (Volvo AB)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Construction Equipment AB (Volvo AB)
• Inventors: Min, Gyeong-Mo
• Granted Patent: US 9,071,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/91.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/30 using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/50 Control strategies for responding to system failures, e.g. for fault diagnosis, failsafe operation or limp mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/412 Excavators
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/20 for electronic equipment for converters H02H7/10; for electric measuring instruments G01R1/36; for dc voltage or current semiconductor regulators G05F1/569; for amplifiers H03F1/52; for electronic switching circuits H03K17/08
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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

A power control apparatus and method according to a load of a hybrid excavator including an H-ECU is disclosed. If a difference between an actual power value actually used in a load (SW PEC and ISAM PEC) or in an ESS and a power value required for an actual use in the load is equal to or larger than a set error value, a power that is supplied from the ESS to the PECs and a power that is supplied between the PECs are controlled to be cut off, and thus high voltage is prevented from being continuously supplied to circuits to thereby prevent secondary problems (e.g., fire, trouble of equipment, and the like) from occurring due to the high voltage.

Claims

1. A power control apparatus according to a load of a hybrid excavator, comprising:

an ESS (Energy Storage System);

a SW PEC (Swing Motor Power Electric Controller) and an ISAM PEC (Integrated Starter &

Alternator Motor Power Electric Controller) connected to the ESS; and

a H-ECU (H-Electronic Control Unit) comparing an actual power value (P3), which is obtained by adding a power value (P1) calculated by a voltage or current value input to or output from the SW PEC to a power value (P2) calculated by a voltage or current value input to or output from the ISAM PEC, with a power value required for a load (P4=A×

an operation amount of a RCV lever+B×

an engine RPM value+α

, herein A and B are coefficients and α

is a power loss value) calculated by applying the operation amount of the RCV lever and the engine RPM value, determining there is abnormality in the case where a difference between the two power values exceeds a set error range, and operating to cut off a power supplied from the ESS to the PECs and a power supplied between the PECs, or comparing a power value (P5) calculated by a voltage or current value input to or output from the ESS with the power value (P4) required for the load, determining there is abnormality in the case where a difference between the two power values exceeds the set error range, and operating to cut off the power supplied from the ESS to the PECs and the power supplied between the PECs.

2. The power control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the H-ECU comprises:

a first actual power value calculation unit calculating the actual power value (P3) by adding the power value (P1) calculated by the voltage or current value input to or output from the SW PEC to the power value (P2) calculated by the voltage or current value input to or output from the ISAM PEC;

a load required power value calculation unit calculating the power value for the load (P4=A×

the operation amount of the RCV lever+B×

the engine RPM value+α

, herein A and B are coefficients and α

is the power loss value) calculated by applying the operation amount of the RCV lever and the engine RPM value received from a V-ECU (Vehicle Electronic Control Unit); and

a first power-off control unit determining there is abnormality in the case where the difference between the calculated actual power value (P3) and the power value (P4) required for the load exceeds the set error range, and operating to cut off the power supplied from the ESS to the PECs and the power supplied between the PECs.

3. The power control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the H-ECU further comprises:

a second actual power value calculation unit calculating the actual power value (P5) by the voltage or current value input to or output from the ESS; and

a second power-off control unit determining there is abnormality in the case where the difference between the actual power value (P5) and the power value (P4) required for the load exceeds the set error range, and operating to cut off the power supplied from the ESS to the PECs and the power supplied between the PECs.

4. A power control method according to a load of a hybrid excavator, comprising:

comparing an actual power value (P3), which is obtained by adding a power value (P1) calculated by a voltage or current value input to or output from a SW PEC to a power value (P2) calculated by a voltage or current value input to or output from an ISAM PEC;

calculating a power value required for a load (P4=A×

an operation amount of a RCV lever+B×

an engine RPM value+α

, herein A and B are coefficients and α

is a power loss value) calculated by applying the operation amount of the RCV lever input from a V-ECU (Vehicle Electronic Control Unit) and the engine RPM value;

determining there is abnormality in the case where a difference between the calculated actual power value (P3) and the power value (P4) required for the load exceeds a set error range, and operating to cut off a power supplied from an ESS to the PECs and a power supplied between the PECs;

calculating an actual power value (P5) by a voltage or current value input to or output from the ESS; and

determining there is abnormality in the case where a difference between the actual power value P5 and the power value (P4) required for the load exceeds the set error range, and operating to cut off the power supplied from the ESS to the PECs and the power supplied between the PECs.