SYSTEM FOR COOLING VEHICLE-MOUNTED POWER CONTROL DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DIAGNOSING ABNORMALITY

• US 20150232087A1
• Filed: 10/08/2013
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HINO Motors Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HINO Motors Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Masuda, Manabu, Suruga, Takayuki, Mizoroki, Shin
• Granted Patent: US 9,381,913 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/02 with liquid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/06 with air cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/003 with means for cooling the electrical propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/36 Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/003 relating to inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0038 relating to sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0084 relating to control modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/00 Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function for propulsion of purely electrically-propelled vehicles with power supplied within the vehicle B60L50/00 - B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• 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 20/50 : Control strategies for responding to system failures, e.g. for fault diagnosis, failsafe operation or limp mode
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2025/13 : Ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2050/24 : Hybrid vehicles
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

A system for cooling a power control device of a hybrid vehicle includes a cooling device for cooling a power control device, an electronic control device for controlling the cooling device, and an intake temperature sensor. The electronic control device determine whether the vehicle is in a reference traveling state with an intake amount ensured to be greater than or equal to a reference intake amount. When determining that the vehicle is in the reference traveling state, the control device determines presence or absence of abnormality in the cooling device using an intake temperature detected by the intake temperature sensor. When determining that the vehicle is not in the reference traveling state, the control device refrains from determining presence or absence of abnormality in the cooling device.

Claims

1. A system for cooling a power control device of a hybrid vehicle including an engine and a rotating electrical machine, the system comprising:

a cooling device for cooling the power control device;

an electronic control device for controlling the cooling device; and

an intake temperature sensor that is arranged in an intake passage of the engine and detects an intake temperature, wherein

the electronic control device is configured to determine whether the vehicle is in a reference traveling state in which an intake amount to the engine is ensured to be greater than or equal to a reference intake amount,

when determining that the vehicle is in the reference traveling state, the electronic control device is configured to determine presence or absence of abnormality in the cooling device by using an intake temperature detected by the intake temperature sensor, and

when determining that the vehicle is not in the reference traveling state, the electronic control device is configured to refrain from determining presence or absence of abnormality in the cooling device.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is adapted to travel in a traveling mode selected from a plurality of traveling modes, wherein

according to the traveling mode, the electronic control device is configured to set a reference speed and a reference traveling duration time that allow the reference intake amount to be ensured, and

the electronic control device is configured to determine that the vehicle is in the reference traveling state when a state in which a speed of the vehicle is greater than or equal to the reference speed has continued for time longer than or equal to the reference traveling duration time.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein

the power control device includes an inverter connected to the rotating electrical machine and a battery connected to the inverter,

the cooling device includes a cooling medium circulation flow path through which a cooling medium for cooling at least the inverter circulates, a radiator for cooling the cooling medium, and a cooling medium temperature detection section that is arranged in the cooling medium circulation flow path and has resistance increasing as a temperature decreases,

the electronic control device is configured to determine whether the vehicle is in the reference traveling state,

when determining that the vehicle is in the reference traveling state, the electronic control device is configured to determine whether an ambient temperature is in a low temperature range by using the intake temperature detected by the intake temperature sensor,

the electronic control device is configured to determine whether an output value of the cooling medium temperature detection section is in an output range for a broken wire, which is a range of values output from the cooling medium temperature detection section when the cooling medium temperature detection section has a broken wire,

when the ambient temperature is not in the low temperature range and the output value of the cooling medium temperature section is in the output range for a broken wire, the electronic control device is configured to determine that the cooling medium temperature detection section has a broken wire, and

at least when the ambient temperature is in the low temperature range, the electronic control device is configured to refrain from determining presence or absence of a broken wire.

4. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein

the electronic control device includes an inverter connected to the rotating electrical machine and a battery connected to the inverter,

the cooling device includes an electric fan that sends air into the battery to cool the battery and a battery temperature detection section for detecting an inner temperature of the battery,

the electronic control device is configured to determine whether the vehicle is in the reference traveling state,

when determining that the vehicle is in the reference traveling state, the electronic control device is configured to receive input of the intake temperature detected by the intake temperature sensor, and

the electronic control device is configured to determine that the battery is abnormally cooled if a detected battery temperature value input by the battery temperature detection section is less as compared to the received intake temperature and a difference between the intake temperature and the detected battery temperature value is greater than or equal to a threshold.

5. A method for diagnosing abnormality of a cooling device for cooling a power control device of a hybrid vehicle including an engine and a rotating electrical machine, wherein the vehicle includes an intake temperature sensor that is arranged in an intake passage of the engine and detects an intake temperature, the method comprising:

determining whether the vehicle is in a reference traveling state in which an intake amount to the engine is ensured to be greater than or equal to a reference intake amount;

refraining from determining presence or absence of abnormality in the cooling device when it is determined that the vehicle is not in the reference traveling state; and

determining presence or absence of abnormality in the cooling device using an intake temperature detected by the intake temperature sensor as an ambient temperature when it is determined that the vehicle is in the reference traveling state.