Internal combustion engine equipped with a torque controller

• US 5,033,425 A
• Filed: 12/06/1989
• Issued: 07/23/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tanaka, Naoki, Nakamura, Mitsuru, Kadomukai, Yuzo, Nakamura, Yozo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamen, Noah P.
• Application Number:
  US07/445,164
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 123/1 R, 123/2, 123/192 R, 123/192 B, 123/436, 290/51
• US Class Current: 123/192.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/20 Reducing vibrations in the driveline
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 75/06 Engines with means for equalising torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/1002 Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/24 by using an external load, e.g. a generator
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/06 peculiar to engines driving electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1498 measuring engine roughness

Abstract

To substantially prevent vibrations from arising due to a torque fluctuation of an internal combustion engine, a torque fluctuation of the internal combustion engine is detected, and a torque to be absorbed or generated by a motor generator is controlled so as to decrease the fluctuation torque according to a fluctuation torque information of at least one previous engine cycle.

Claims

1. An internal combustion engine comprising:

a main transmission means;

at least one accessory means in the form of a motor generator means adapted to function as one of a motor and a generator;

an accessory drive transmission means for driving said at least one accessory means;

a load torque controller means, including detection means for detecting a rotational speed variation at each crank angle of the internal combustion engine, for outputting a generator motor function change signal for causing said motor generator means to function as one of said motor and said generator, said rotational speed variation being a differential between an average torque generated by the internal combustion engine over an engine cycle of said internal combustion engine and an instantaneous torque generated by said internal combustion engine at said each crank angle; and

control means, responsive to said generator motor function change signal and said rotational speed variation detected by said detection means, for controlling a torque to be one of generated and absorbed by said motor generator means to decrease the rotational speed variation of the internal combustion engine at each crank angle.

2. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the motor generator means is operated as a generator to absorb a torque when the engine speed is greater than an average engine speed, and operated as a motor to generate a torque when the engine speed is smaller than an average engine speed.

3. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the motor generator means is operated as a generator and an output current is simultaneously increased to increase an absorption torque when an engine speed is greater than an average engine speed and is increasing and said output current is simultaneously decreased to decrease the absorption torque when the engine speed is less than an average engine speed and is decreasing, and wherein when the motor generator means is operated as a motor a field current is simultaneously increased to increase a generated torque when the engine speed is smaller than an average engine speed and decreasing, and the field current is decreased to decrease the generated torque when the engine speed is increasing.

4. The internal combustion engine according to one of claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising a condenser means for storing an output current of a generator when the motor generator means operates as a generator and for feeding a field current of a motor when said generator means operates as a motor.

5. An internal combustion engine equipped with a load torque controller, comprising:

a motor generator means driven by the internal combustion engine and operable as a motor and a generator; and

a control means for controlling a torque generated or absorbed by the motor generator means, said control means comprising a detecting means for detecting each rotation angle of a crank shaft of said internal combustion engine, a detecting means for detecting a rotational speed variation whereby a torque fluctuation generated by the internal combustion engine is obtainable as a difference between an actual engine speed at each crank angle of the internal combustion engine and an average rotational speed in one engine cycle, a function change means for changing said motor generator means to a motor and a generator according to detected rotational speed variation information in at least one preceding engine cycle, and wherein said function change means operates said motor generator means as a generator when said engine speed is greater than the average engine speed but operates the motor generator means as a motor when the engine speed is smaller than the average engine speed.