AUTOMOBILE EQUIPPED WITH DRIVE MOTOR

• US 20170257052A1
• Filed: 02/24/2017
• Published: 09/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Masaya
• Granted Patent: US 9,876,460 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/24 characterised by the combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/24 for controlling the temperature of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/15 Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0025 Sequential battery discharge in systems with a plurality of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/06 using dc to ac converters or inverters H02P27/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/025 the fault being a power interruption
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

In an automobile equipped with a drive motor, a positive value is set to a distribution factor during EV driving in a first CD mode. During EV driving in a second CD mode (a mode in which driving performance is limited as compared to the first CD mode), a value 0 is set to the distribution factor. First and second boosting converters are controlled such that an electric current (discharge power from the second battery) of a reactor of a second boosting converter when the distribution factor is small becomes smaller as compared to that when the distribution factor is large.

Claims

1. An automobile equipped with a drive motor, comprising:

a first battery;

a second battery configured to have a rated capacity smaller than a rated capacity of the first battery;

a first boosting converter configured to supply a power from the first battery to the motor with boosting of a voltage inputted to the first boosting converter;

a second boosting converter configured to supply a power from the second battery to the motor with boosting of a voltage inputted to the second boosting converter;

an electronic control unit configured to

(i) set an execution mode from a plurality of modes including a first mode and a second mode and control the motor on the basis of the execution mode, the first mode being a mode in which the motor is driven in a range having a first output as an upper limit and the second mode being a mode in which the motor is driven in a range having a second output smaller than the first output as an upper limit,

(ii) control the first boosting converter and the second boosting converter according to the execution mode, and

(iii) control the first boosting converter and the second boosting converter such that a distribution factor when the execution mode is the second mode becomes smaller than a distribution factor when the execution mode is the first mode, the distribution factor being a ratio of a discharge power of the second battery to a total discharge power of the first battery and the second battery.

2. The automobile according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to perform control such that the distribution factor becomes a value 0 when the execution mode is the second mode.

3. The automobile according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to perform control such that the distribution factor becomes a predetermined value when the execution mode is the first mode and such that the distribution factor becomes larger than a value 0 and becomes a value smaller than the predetermined value when the execution mode is the second mode.

4. The automobile according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to stop driving of the second boosting converter when the execution mode is the second mode.

5. The automobile according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to:

(i) set the first output to a sum of an allowable discharge power of the first battery and an allowable discharge power of the second battery, and

(ii) set the second output to the allowable discharge power of the first battery.

6. The automobile according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to:

(i) set an allowable discharge power of the second battery when a temperature of the second battery is higher than an allowable temperature range so as to be lower than the allowable discharge power when the temperature a the second battery is within the allowable temperature range, and

(ii) set the allowable discharge power of the second battery when a state of charge of the second battery is smaller than an allowable ratio range so as to be smaller than the allowable discharge power when the state of charge of the second battery is within the allowable ratio range.