Electric vehicle drive control apparatus, electric vehicle drive control method, and program thereof

• US 6,902,018 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2002
• Issued: 06/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Aw
• Inventors: Yanagawa, Shitomi, Hisada, Hideki, Aoki, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHRIVER II, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US10/207,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20030034187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/65.2, 180/65.3, 180/65.4, 180/65.6, 180/65.7, 320/103, 320/104, 320/132, 701/22
• US Class Current: 180/65.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• 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 10/24 including control of energy storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• 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 20/10 Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/242 for electrical energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

An electric vehicle drive control apparatus has an electric machine; a battery; an inverter that is driven in accordance with a drive signal, and that receives DC current from the battery and produces phase currents, and that supplies the phase currents to the electric machine; a battery voltage detection device that detects the battery voltage; and an electric machine torque restriction processing device that determines whether the battery voltage is higher than a threshold value, and restricts the electric machine torque if the battery voltage is higher than the threshold value. If the battery voltage becomes higher than the threshold value, the electric machine torque is restricted. Therefore, increases in the load on the inverter can be prevented.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle drive control apparatus, comprising:

a drive source;

a battery;

an inverter that is driven in accordance with a drive signal, and that receives a direct current from the battery, and produces a phase current, and supplies the phase current to the drive source;

a battery voltage detection device that detects a battery voltage; and

a drive source torque restriction processing device that determines whether the battery voltage is higher than a threshold value, and restricts a drive source torque if the battery voltage is higher than the threshold value to prevent applying an increase in a voltage to the inverter.

2. The electric vehicle drive control apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein the drive source is an electric machine.

3. The electric vehicle drive control apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein the drive source is an engine mechanically connected to an electric generator, the inverter supplies the phase current to the electric generator, and

the engine torque restriction processing device restricts an engine torque upon determining that the battery voltage is higher than a threshold value.

4. An electric vehicle drive control apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a planetary gear unit having at least first to third gear elements, wherein the first gear element is connected to the electric generator, and the third gear element is connected to the engine.

5. An electric vehicle drive control apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a drive motor mechanically connected to the engine and the electric generator.

6. An electric vehicle drive control apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a drive motor mechanically connected to the engine and the electric generator.

7. The electric vehicle drive control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the voltage applied to the inverter does not increase when a transistor of the inverter is switched.

8. An electric vehicle drive control method of an electric vehicle drive control apparatus having a drive source;

a battery; and

an inverter that is driven in accordance with a drive signal, and that receives a direct current from the battery, and produces a phase current, and supplies the phase current to the drive source, the electric vehicle drive control method comprising;

detecting a battery voltage;

determining whether the battery voltage is higher than a threshold value; and

restricting a drive source torque if the battery voltage is higher than the threshold value to prevent applying an increase in a voltage to the inverter.

9. The electric vehicle drive control method according to claim 8, wherein the drive source is an electric machine.

10. The electric vehicle drive control method according to claim 8, wherein the drive source is an engine mechanically connected to an electric generator, and, in the restricting step an engine torque is restricted.

11. The electric vehicle drive control method according to claim 8, wherein the voltage applied to the inverter does not increase when a transistor of the inverter is switched.

12. A program of an electric vehicle drive control method, wherein a computer functions as:

a battery voltage detection device that detects a battery voltage; and

a drive source torque restriction processing device that determines whether the battery voltage is higher than a threshold value, and for restricting a drive source torque if the battery voltage is higher than the threshold value to prevent applying an increase in a voltage to the inverter.

13. The program of an electric vehicle drive control method according to claim 12, wherein the drive source is an electric machine.

14. The program of an electric vehicle drive control method according to claim 12, wherein the drive source is an engine mechanically connected to a generator and the

engine torque restriction processing device, when it determines the battery voltage is higher than the threshold value, restricts an engine torque.

15. The program of an electric vehicle drive control method according to claim 12, wherein the voltage applied to the inverter does not increase when a transistor of the inverter is switched.