Method of testing regenerative braking force in electric vehicle

• US 6,021,365 A
• Filed: 01/23/1998
• Issued: 02/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Aoki, Yasushi, Ishii, Yukihisa, Matsuo, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US09/012,192
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/69, 701/81, 303/3, 303/152, 303/155, 303/190, 188/156, 188/158, 477/182, 477/188, 180/65.1, 180/197
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/18 Controlling the braking effect B60L7/12, B60L7/14, B60L7/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/26 Controlling the braking effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/586 the retarders being of the electric type
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/608 Electronic brake distribution (EBV/EBD) features related thereto
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/00 Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force by changing number of effective brake cylinders in power brake systems B60T17/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/0072 the wheels of the vehicle co-operating with rotatable rolls G01M17/022, G01M17/045, G01M17/065 take precedence
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

In an electric vehicle having front wheels braked by regenerative braking and hydraulic braking and rear wheels hydraulically braked, it is possible to check the magnitude of the regenerative braking force easily and accurately, by using a two-axle chassis dynamometer. Assuming that the front wheel braking force F₂ '"'"' detected by the chassis dynamometer is the total braking force C₂ '"'"' of the front and rear wheels, the total braking force C2'"'"' is broken down into component forces according to braking force distribution ratio data previously stored in a memory, to calculate a reference regenerative braking force A₂ '"'"'D₂ '"'"'. Based on the actually detected pedal depressing force A₂ and the distribution ratio data, an imaginary pedal depressing force A₂ '"'"' is calculated that is required to produce a total braking force of the driven wheels and follower wheels equal to the braking force F₂ '"'"', generated by the driven wheels in the actual pedal depressing force A₂. Based on the imaginary pedal depressing force A₂ '"'"' and the distribution ratio data, the imaginary regenerative braking force A₂ '"'"'D₂ '"'"' that is produced by the driven wheels in the imaginary pedal depressing force A₂ '"'"', is calculated and then compared with the reference regenerative braking force A₂ '"'"'D₂ '"'"'.

Claims

1. In an electric vehicle in which the braking force to driven wheels is regenerative braking and hydraulic braking and to follower wheels is hydraulic braking, wherein the braking force distribution to the driven and follower wheels is predetermined as a function of the force of depressing a braking pedal and, braking is performed based on distribution data;

a method of testing the regenerative braking force produced by the driven wheels based on the depressing force of the brake pedal and the braking force of the driven wheels detected by a two-axle chassis dynamometer, comprising the steps of;

detecting the braking force of the driven wheels using the two-axle chassis dynamometer;

calculating a reference regenerative braking force produced by the driven wheels according to the distribution data, assuming that the detected braking force is a total braking force of the driven wheels and the follower wheels;

detecting an actual depressing force applied to the brake pedal;

calculating, on the basis of the actually detected pedal depressing force and the distribution data, an imaginary pedal depressing force required to produce a total braking force of the driven wheels and follower wheels equal to the braking force produced by the driven wheels in the actually detected pedal depressing force;

calculating, on the basis of the imaginary pedal depressing force and the distribution data, an imaginary regenerative braking force produced by the driven wheels; and

comparing the reference regenerative braking force and the imaginary regenerative braking force.

2. A regenerative braking force test method in an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electric vehicle includes an ABS system, for inhibiting the regenerative braking of the driven wheels when the follower wheels are locked, and allowing the regenerative braking of the driven wheels even when the follower wheels are locked, during the test using the two-axle chassis dynamometer.