Parallel hybrid vehicle

• US 6,840,341 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2002
• Issued: 01/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jatco Limited (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Jatco Limited (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fujikawa, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, HAU VAN
• Application Number:
  US10/213,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20030029653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/65.2, 180/65.3, 180/65.4, 180/65.5, 180/65.6, 180/65.7, 180/65.8, 701/22, 701/113, 477/12, 477/73, 477/90, 477/151, 477/181, 477/110, 477/175, 477/62, 475/5, 290/31, 290/32, 290/40.A, 290/40.C
• US Class Current: 180/65.25
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/383 One-way clutches or freewheel devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/387 Actuated clutches, i.e. clutches engaged or disengaged by electric, hydraulic or mechanical actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/54 Transmission for changing ratio
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• 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 2050/0042 Transfer function lag; delays
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0695 Inertia
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/1095 Inertia
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0644 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18027 Drive off, accelerating from standstill
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/724 : using external powered electric machines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/91 : Orbital, e.g. planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/913 : One way
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/917 : with transmission for changing gear ratio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/919 : Stepped shift
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/946 : Characterized by control of driveline clutch

Abstract

In a parallel hybrid vehicle, a controlling section controls an engine and a motor/generator, a torque from the engine and the motor/generator being transmitted to driven wheels via a transmission and a drive shaft. The controlling section comprises: an engine torque calculating section that calculates an engine torque and a torsional vibration suppression torque calculating section that calculates a torsional vibration suppression torque to suppress a torsional vibration developed on the drive shaft according to the engine torque calculated by the engine torque calculating section, the torsional vibration suppression torque calculated by the torsional vibration suppression torque calculating section being outputted from the motor/generator.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle, comprising:

an engine;

a transmission;

a motor/generator having both functions of an electric motor and a generator;

a torque synthesis mechanism that synthesizes output torques of the engine and of the motor/generator;

a lock-up clutch to directly couple the engine and the motor/generator; and

a torque controlling section that controls a torque of the motor/generator in such a manner that an engine speed is maintained at a predetermined speed, with the lock-up clutch in a non-clutched state during a start of the vehicle, the torque controlling section comprising;

an engine torque calculating section that calculates an engine torque; and

a first torque calculating section that calculates a first torque to suppress a torsional vibration developed on a drive shaft according to the calculated engine torque.

2. A hybrid vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first torque calculating section calculates the first torque according to the calculated engine speed which is a torque to develop a vibration whose amplitude is the same as the torsional vibration developed on the drive shaft and whose phase is 180°

out of phase to the torsional vibration.

3. A hybrid vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the torque synthesis mechanism comprises a differential gear unit having a first rotary member that links with the engine, a second rotary member that links with the transmission, and a third rotary member that links with the motor/generator and the first torque calculating section calculates the first torque by delaying the engine torque calculated by the engine torque calculating section by a predetermined dead time and by multiplying the delayed engine torque calculated by the engine torque calculating section with a predetermined coefficient calculated on the basis of at least a gear ratio of the differential gear unit, an inertia of the first rotary member thereof, and an inertia of the third rotary member thereof.

4. A hybrid vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the predetermined dead time corresponds to a half of a vibration period of the torsional vibration specific to a drive system of the vehicle.

5. A hybrid vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first torque calculating section corrects a parameter of the predetermined dead time according to a transmission gear ratio of the transmission.

6. A hybrid vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the hybrid vehicle further comprises a weight detecting section that detects a weight of the hybrid vehicle and the first torque calculating section corrects a parameter of the predetermined dead time according to the weight of the hybrid vehicle detected by the weight detecting section.

7. A hybrid vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the hybrid vehicle further comprises a torsional vibration detecting section that detects the torsional vibration of the drive shaft and the first torque calculating section adjusts a parameter of the predetermined dead time to make a vibration state detected by the torsional vibration detecting section substantially equal to a predetermined vibration state.

8. A hybrid vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the torque controlling section comprises a third torque calculating section that calculates a third torque to suppress the torsional vibration on the drive shaft developed according to a second torque, the second torque being the output torque of the motor/generator when the torque controlling section controls the second torque of the motor/generator in such a manner that the engine speed is maintained at the predetermined speed during the start of the vehicle.

9. A hybrid vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein the third torque calculating section calculates the third torque which is a torque to develop a vibration whose amplitude is the same as the torsional vibration of the drive shaft developed by the second torque and whose phase is 180°

out of phase to the torsional vibration of the drive shaft.

10. A hybrid vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein the third torque calculating section calculates the third torque by delaying the second torque by a predetermined dead time and by multiplying the delayed second torque with a predetermined coefficient.

11. A hybrid vehicle as claimed in claim 10, wherein the predetermined dead time corresponds to a half of a vibration period of the torsional vibration specific to a drive system of the vehicle.

12. A hybrid vehicle as claimed in claim 10, wherein the third torque calculating section corrects a parameter of the predetermined dead time in accordance with a transmission gear ratio of the transmission.

13. A hybrid vehicle as claimed in claim 10, wherein the hybrid vehicle comprises a weight detecting section that detects a weight of the hybrid vehicle and the third torque calculating section corrects a parameter of the predetermined dead time in accordance with the weight of the hybrid vehicle detected by the weight detecting section.

14. A hybrid vehicle as claimed in claim 10, wherein the hybrid vehicle comprises a vibration detecting section that detects the torsional vibration on the drive shaft and the third torque calculating section adjusts a parameter of the predetermined dead time in such a manner that the vibration state detected by the vibration detecting section falls in a predetermined vibration state.

15. A hybrid vehicle as claimed in claim 12, wherein the parameter of the predetermined dead time includes at least one of a specific angular vibration frequency ω

n of the drive system of the vehicle and a damping factor ξ

thereof.

16. A hybrid vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engine torque calculating section comprises:

an engine speed detecting section that detects the engine speed N_E;

a throttle opening angle detecting section that detects an opening angle TH of an engine throttle valve;

an engine map torque calculating section that calculates an engine map torque T_E/G0 from the engine speed detected by the engine speed detecting section and the opening angle TH of the engine throttle valve detected by the throttle opening angle detecting section;

a time constant calculating section that calculates a time constant τ

from the engine speed detected by the engine speed detecting section; and

a variable first-order delay processing section that executes a variable first-order delay using the time constant τ

calculated by the time constant calculating section for the engine map torque T_E/G0 calculated by the engine map torque calculating section to calculate the engine torque T_E/G presently inputted to a drive system of the vehicle.

17. A hybrid vehicle as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first torque calculating section further comprises:

a proportional element processing section that executes a proportional element process for the engine torque T_E/G calculated by the variable first-order delay processing section; and

a vehicular weight detecting section that detects a weight of the hybrid vehicle; and

a dead time element processing section that executes a dead time element process using a transmission gear ratio and the weight of the vehicle detected by the vehicular weight detecting section for a value calculated by the proportional element processing section to calculate a fist motor/generator torque T*_M/G1 which corresponds to the first torque.

18. A hybrid vehicle as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first motor/generator torque T*_M/G1=exp(−

ξ

π

/√

(1−

ξ

²)·

β

/α

·

T_E/G(t−

π

/√

(1−

ξ

²)·

ω

n)), wherein ω

n=√

Ka/Ia, ξ

=1/2·

Ca/√

(Ia·

Ka), Ia=R{(1+α

)/α

·

β

·

I_E/G+(β

+α

²)/α

(1+α

)·

I_CRR}, Ca=C{R·

(1+α

)/α

·

β

·

I_E/G/I_W+(β

+α

²)/α

(1+α

)·

(R·

I_CRR/I_W+1/R)}, Ka=K{R·

(1+α

)/α

·

β

·

I_E/G/I_W+(β

+α

²)/α

(1+α

)·

(R·

I_CRR/I_W+1/R)}, β

=I_M/G/I_E/G, α

denotes a gear ratio of the torque synthesis mechanism, I_M/G denotes an inertia of the motor/generator, I_E/G denotes an inertia of the engine, I_CRR denotes an inertia of the drive system after the transmission, K denotes a spring constant of the drive shaft, C denotes a damping constant of the drive shaft, and Iw denotes an equivalent inertia of a vehicle body on the drive shaft.

19. A hybrid vehicle as claimed in claim 17, wherein the torque controlling section further comprises a reference motor/generator torque calculating section that calculates a reference motor/generator torque T*_M/G2 corresponding to a second motor/generator torque on the basis of the engine speed N_E and the opening angle TH of the engine throttle valve;

another proportional element processing section that executes another proportional element process for the reference motor/generator torque T*_M/G2 calculated by the reference motor/generator torque calculating section; and

another dead time element processing section that executes another dead time element process using the transmission gear ratio and the vehicular weight of the vehicle detected by the vehicular weight detecting section for a value calculated by the other proportional element processing section to calculate a third motor/generator torque T*_M/G3, the third motor/generator torque being a torque to suppress the torsional vibration developed on the drive shaft according to the second motor/generator torque T*_M/G2.

20. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

an engine;

a transmission;

a motor/generator having both functions of an electric motor and a generator; and

a controlling section that controls the engine and the motor/generator, a torque from the engine and the motor/generator being transmitted to driven wheels via a transmission and a drive shaft, the controlling section comprising;

an engine torque calculating section that calculates an engine torque and a torsional vibration suppression torque calculating section that calculates a torsional vibration suppression torque to suppress a torsional vibration developed on the drive shaft according to the engine torque calculated by the engine torque calculating section, the torsional vibration suppression torque calculated by the torsional vibration suppression torque calculating section being outputted from the motor/generator.