Power supply equipment for motor vehicle with inverter for controlling motor generator

• US 6,995,480 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2004
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Taizo, Morooka, Yasuo, Amano, Masahiko, Hanyu, Tomoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Riley, Shawn
• Application Number:
  US11/007,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20050093370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.2, 180/65.3, 180/65.4, 307/10.6, 307/10.1, 123/179.28, 320/166, 290/31, 290/32, 607/06
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• 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 30/18127 Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/04 the motors being associated with current generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0866 comprising several power sources, e.g. battery and capacitor or two batteries
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2011/0885 Capacitors, e.g. for additional power supply
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2011/0888 DC/DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2011/0896 Inverters for electric machines, e.g. starter-generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/063 Battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

Power supply equipment for a motor vehicle, includes a motor generator, an inverter for driving the motor generator, a battery and a capacitor of an electrical double layer, wherein the capacitor is directly connected to a DC side of the inverter and the battery is connected in parallel with the capacitor via a first switching unit. When an engine is started up, the power stored in the capacitor is used, and the switching units are turned off to separate the battery from the start-up of the engine.

Claims

1. Power supply equipment for a motor vehicle electrically connected with an inverter for controlling a motor generator which supplies and receives energy to an engine, comprising:

a capacitor electrically connected to a DC side of said inverter;

a battery capable of electrically connecting in parallel with said capacitor; and

a controller for controlling an electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor;

wherein said controller controls the electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor to electrically disconnect said battery from said capacitor to supply said inverter only with electric power from said capacitor, when the motor vehicle is in a mode for starting driving said motor generator to start the engine; and

wherein in a mode in which said engine drives said motor generator to generate electric power after the engine is started, when said capacitor is charged so that a difference between a voltage of said capacitor and a voltage of said battery becomes a predetermined value, said controller controls the electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor to electrically connect said battery with said capacitor to supply the electric power from said inverter to said capacitor and said battery.

2. Power supply equipment for a motor vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein in a mode in which said motor generator is operated to start the engine, when a voltage of said capacitor is smaller than a threshold value, said controller controls the electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor to electrically connect said capacitor with said battery to charge said capacitor by said battery before the engine is started.

3. Power supply equipment for a motor vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising current suppressing means,

wherein when the voltage of said capacitor and the difference between the voltage of said capacitor and the voltage of said battery is not larger than a predetermined value, said controller controls the electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor to directly charge said capacitor by said battery, and

wherein when the difference between the voltage of said capacitor and the voltage of said battery exceeds the predetermined value, said controller controls the electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor to charge said capacitor by said battery through said current suppressing means.

4. Power supply equipment for a motor vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein said battery includes two terminals from which two different voltages are output,

wherein in a mode in which said motor generator generates electric power, said controller controls the electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor to connect said capacitor with one of said two terminals on the lower voltage side of said terminals.

5. Power supply equipment for a motor vehicle electrically connected with an inverter for controlling a motor generator which supplies and receives energy to an engine, comprising:

a capacitor electrically connected to a DC side of said inverter;

a battery capable of electrically connected in parallel with said capacitor; and

a controller for controlling an electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor;

wherein said controller controls the electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor to electrically disconnect said battery and said capacitor to supply said inverter only with electric power from said capacitor, when the motor vehicle is in a mode for starting driving said motor generator to start the engine; and

wherein in a mode in which said engine drives said motor generator to generate electric power or in a mode of regenerative braking, said controller controls the electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor to electrically connect said battery with said capacitor to supply the electric power from said inverter to said capacitor and said battery.

6. Power supply equipment for a motor vehicle according to claim 5,

wherein in a mode in which said engine drives said motor generator to generate electric power after the engine is started, when said capacitor is charged so that a difference between a voltage of said capacitor and a voltage of said battery becomes a predetermined value, said controller controls the electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor to electrically connect said battery with said capacitor to supply the electric power from said inverter to said capacitor and said battery.

7. Power supply equipment for a motor vehicle according to claim 5,

wherein in a mode in which said motor generator is operated to start the engine, when a voltage of said capacitor is smaller than a threshold value, said controller controls the electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor to electrically connect said capacitor with said battery to charge said capacitor by said battery before the engine is started.

8. Power supply equipment for a motor vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising current suppressing means,

wherein when the voltage of said capacitor is smaller than the threshold value and when the difference between the voltage of said capacitor and the voltage of said battery is not larger than a predetermined value, said controller controls the electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor to directly charge said capacitor by said battery, and

wherein when the difference between the voltage of said capacitor and the voltage of said battery exceeds the predetermined value, said controller controls the electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor to charge said capacitor by said battery through said current suppressing means.

9. Power supply equipment for a motor vehicle according to claim 5,

wherein said battery includes two terminals from which two different voltages are output,

wherein in a mode in which said motor generator generates electric power, said controller controls the electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor to connect said capacitor with one of said two terminals on the lower voltage side of said terminals.

10. Power supply equipment for a motor vehicle according to claim 9,

wherein in a mode of regenerative braking, said controller controls the electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor to electrically connect said capacitor with one of said two terminals on the higher voltage side of said two terminals to supply the electric power from said inverter to said capacitor and said battery.

11. Power supply equipment for a motor vehicle electrically connected with an inverter for controlling a motor generator which supplies and receives energy to an engine, comprising:

a capacitor electrically connected to a DC side of said inverter;

a battery capable of electrically connecting in parallel with said capacitor; and

a controller for controlling an electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor;

wherein in a mode in which the motor generator is driven to start the engine or in a mode in which the motor generator is driven to assist acceleration of the engine, said controller controls the electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor to electrically connect said battery with said capacitor to supply said inverter with electric power from said battery and said capacitor;

wherein in a mode in which said motor generator is driven by said engine to generate electric power, said controller controls the electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor to electrically connect said battery with said capacitor to supply said battery and said capacitor with the electrical power from said inverter;

wherein in a mode of regenerative braking, said controller controls the electrical connection between said capacitor and said battery to electrically disconnect said battery and said capacitor to supply only said capacitor with the electric power from said inverter.

12. Power supply equipment for a motor vehicle according to claim 11,

wherein in a mode of regenerative braking, when a voltage rise of said capacitor due to charging thereto is large, said controller controls the electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor to electrically connect said battery with said capacitor through a current suppressing means.

13. Power supply equipment for a motor vehicle electrically connected with an inverter for controlling a motor generator which supplies and receives energy to an engine, comprising:

a capacitor electrically connected to a DC side of said inverter;

a battery capable of electrically connecting in parallel with said capacitor; and

a controller for controlling an electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor;

wherein in a mode in which the motor generator is driven to start the engine, said controller controls the electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor to electrically disconnect said battery and said capacitor to supply said inverter with only electric power from said capacitor;

wherein in a mode in which said motor generator is driven by said engine to generate electric power, said controller controls the electrical connection between said battery and said capacitor to electrically connect said battery with said capacitor to supply said battery and said capacitor with the electrical power from said inverter; and

wherein in a mode of regenerative braking, said controller controls the electrical connection between said capacitor and said battery to electrically disconnect said battery and said capacitor to supply only said capacitor with the electric power from said inverter.