Control apparatus for engine/electric hybrid vehicle
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling a hybrid vehicle having an output shaft and wheels coupled thereto, comprising:
- an internal combustion engine having an engine shaft and a throttle;
throttle control means for controlling opening of said throttle as a function of a first variable,a first electric motor,a second electric motor having a motor shaft coupled to said output shaft of said vehicle,a battery for supplying electric power to said first and second motors,first motor control means for controlling power flow from said battery to said first motor as a function of a second variable,second motor control means for controlling power flow from said battery to said second motor as a function of a third variable,coupling means for selectively disconnecting and connecting (a) said engine and said second motor and (b) said first and second motors,speed adjustment operating means for adjusting the speed of said hybrid vehicle,first data providing means for providing data relating said first variable to the speed and torque of said engine,second data providing means for providing data relating said second variable to the speed and torque of said first motor,third data providing means for providing data relating said third variable to the speed and torque of said second motor,first speed sensing means cooperating with said motor shaft for providing motor shaft speed data concerning the speed thereof,required torque data providing means for providing data concerning required torque based on the status of said speed adjustment operating means and said motor shaft speed data,first determining means for determining whether said required torque is positive,second determining means for determining whether said motor shaft speed data is within a predetermined optimum speed range of said engine when said first determining means determines that said required torque is positive,third determining means for determining whether said required torque exceeds a predetermined first upper limit value of a predetermined torque range of said engine when said second determining means determines that said motor shaft speed data obtained from said first speed sensing means is within said optimum speed range,first coupling means control means for causing said coupling means to connect said engine and said second motor in response to a determination by said third determining means that said required torque exceeds said first upper limit value, andfirst control means for providing said first variable to said throttle control means by referring to said first data providing means and maximizing opening of said throttle and for providing said third variable to said second motor control means by referring to said third data providing means and operating said second motor with a torque associated with a difference between said required torque and said first upper limit value, in response to a determination by said third determining means that said required torque exceeds said first upper limit value.
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Abstract
A hybrid vehicle comprises an internal combustion engine, a relatively large motor/generator and a relatively small motor/generator, which are controlled by a microcomputer based on the required torque of the vehicle as a function of time. When the engine is permitted to run, it is always operated in that region which minimizes fuel consumption. If the torque of the engine is too low to drive the vehicle, the relatively large motor is energized to make up for the deficiency. When the engine produces excess torque, the relatively large motor/generator absorbs the excess and is operated as a generator to generate electricity. Braking torque is usually obtained by operating the relatively large motor/generator as a generator. When braking torque is insufficient, the relatively small motor/generator is also operated as a generator to make up for the deficiency.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling a hybrid vehicle having an output shaft and wheels coupled thereto, comprising:
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an internal combustion engine having an engine shaft and a throttle; throttle control means for controlling opening of said throttle as a function of a first variable, a first electric motor, a second electric motor having a motor shaft coupled to said output shaft of said vehicle, a battery for supplying electric power to said first and second motors, first motor control means for controlling power flow from said battery to said first motor as a function of a second variable, second motor control means for controlling power flow from said battery to said second motor as a function of a third variable, coupling means for selectively disconnecting and connecting (a) said engine and said second motor and (b) said first and second motors, speed adjustment operating means for adjusting the speed of said hybrid vehicle, first data providing means for providing data relating said first variable to the speed and torque of said engine, second data providing means for providing data relating said second variable to the speed and torque of said first motor, third data providing means for providing data relating said third variable to the speed and torque of said second motor, first speed sensing means cooperating with said motor shaft for providing motor shaft speed data concerning the speed thereof, required torque data providing means for providing data concerning required torque based on the status of said speed adjustment operating means and said motor shaft speed data, first determining means for determining whether said required torque is positive, second determining means for determining whether said motor shaft speed data is within a predetermined optimum speed range of said engine when said first determining means determines that said required torque is positive, third determining means for determining whether said required torque exceeds a predetermined first upper limit value of a predetermined torque range of said engine when said second determining means determines that said motor shaft speed data obtained from said first speed sensing means is within said optimum speed range, first coupling means control means for causing said coupling means to connect said engine and said second motor in response to a determination by said third determining means that said required torque exceeds said first upper limit value, and first control means for providing said first variable to said throttle control means by referring to said first data providing means and maximizing opening of said throttle and for providing said third variable to said second motor control means by referring to said third data providing means and operating said second motor with a torque associated with a difference between said required torque and said first upper limit value, in response to a determination by said third determining means that said required torque exceeds said first upper limit value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus for controlling a hybrid vehicle having an output shaft and wheels coupled thereto, comprising:
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an internal combustion engine having an engine shaft and a throttle, throttle control means for controlling opening of said throttle as function of a first variable, a first generator, a second generator having a generator shaft coupled to said output shaft of said vehicle, a battery regenerated by electric power generated by at least one of said first and second generators, first generator control means for controlling power flow from said first generator to said battery as a function of a second variable, second generator control means for controlling power flow from said second generator to said battery as a function of a third variable, coupling means for selectively disconnecting and connecting (a) said engine and said second generator and (b) said first and second generators, speed adjustment operating means for adjusting the speed of said hybrid vehicle, brake operating means for braking said hybrid vehicle, first data providing means for providing data relating said first variable to the speed and torque of said engine, second data providing means for providing data relating said second variable to the speed and torque of said first generator, third data providing means for providing data relating said third variable to the speed and torque of said second generator, speed sensing means cooperating with said generator shaft for providing generator shaft data concerning the speed thereof, required torque data providing means cooperating with at least said speed adjustment operating means and said brake operating means for providing data concerning required torque based on the status of at least said speed adjustment operating means and said brake operating means and the generator shaft data obtained from said speed sensing means, first determining means responsive to said required torque data obtained from said required torque data providing means for determining whether said required torque is negative, second determining means for determining whether said required torque exceeds a first predetermined upper limit value of a predetermined generating torque range of said second generator when said first determining means determines that said required torque is negative, coupling means control means for causing said coupling means to connect said first and second generators in response to a determination by said second determining means that said negative required torque exceeds said predetermined first upper limit value, and first control means for providing said third variable to said second generator control means by referring to said third data providing means and operating said second generator at said second generator at said first upper limit value and for providing said second variable to said first generator control means by referring to said second data providing means and operating said first generator at a generating torque associated with a difference between said negative required torque and said first upper limit value in response to a determination by said second determining means that said negative required torque exceeds said first upper limit value. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An apparatus for controlling a hybrid vehicle having an output shaft and wheels coupled thereto, comprising:
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an internal combustion engine having an engine shaft and a throttle, throttle control means for controlling opening of said throttle as a function of a given first variable, a first electric motor, a second electric motor having a motor shaft coupled to said output shaft of said vehicle, a battery for supplying electric power to said first and second motors, first motor control means for controlling power flow from said battery to said first motor, second motor control means for controlling power flow from said battery to said second motor, speed adjustment operating means for adjusting the speed of said hybrid vehicle, mode selecting means for selecting an operation mode of said hybrid vehicle from a group of operation modes which includes a motoring mode and an internal combustion engine mode, first enabling means for interconnecting said speed adjustment operating means with at least said second motor control means to operate said second motor, in response to a selection of a motoring mode by said mode selecting means, and second enabling means for connecting said speed adjustment operating means to said throttle control means to operate said throttle, in response to a selection of said internal combustion engine mode by said mode selecting means. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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Specification