Power generation controller for AC generator
First Claim
1. A power generation controller for an alternator that is only capable of supplying power to a vehicle battery,wherein the alternator is driven by rotation of a crank pulley of a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle through a belt entrained around the crank pulley to charge the battery,said power generation controller controls the output of the alternator according to a duty value which is determined by a ratio between the duration the alternator is deactivated and the duration the alternator is activated, the alternator being deactivated to stop power generation when an external input signal is received and being activated to generate power when the external input signal is not received and to a battery voltage, which change in accordance with a running state of the vehicle and/or a driving state of said engine, whereina current detector detects a current to be used by an electric load on the vehicle,a control unit comprises a field current control section, a field current monitor section, and an output control section,said field current control section controlling a field current of said alternator,said field current monitor section monitoring a field current value which is a controlled state of the field current of said alternator, andsaid output control section correcting the power output by said alternator according to the field current duty value monitored by said field current monitor section, and/or a load current value detected by said current detector.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A power generation controller for an AC generator detects the state of a battery and an electric load to control the output of the AC generator. A current detector detects a current to be used by an electric load on the vehicle. The controller includes a field current control section, a field current monitor section, and an output control section. The field current control section controls a field current of the AC generator. The field current monitor section monitors a field current duty value which is a controlled state of the field current of the AC generator. The output control section corrects the output of the AC generator according to the field current duty value, monitored by the field current monitor section, and/or the load current value, detected by the current detector.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A power generation controller for an alternator that is only capable of supplying power to a vehicle battery,
wherein the alternator is driven by rotation of a crank pulley of a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle through a belt entrained around the crank pulley to charge the battery, said power generation controller controls the output of the alternator according to a duty value which is determined by a ratio between the duration the alternator is deactivated and the duration the alternator is activated, the alternator being deactivated to stop power generation when an external input signal is received and being activated to generate power when the external input signal is not received and to a battery voltage, which change in accordance with a running state of the vehicle and/or a driving state of said engine, wherein a current detector detects a current to be used by an electric load on the vehicle, a control unit comprises a field current control section, a field current monitor section, and an output control section, said field current control section controlling a field current of said alternator, said field current monitor section monitoring a field current value which is a controlled state of the field current of said alternator, and said output control section correcting the power output by said alternator according to the field current duty value monitored by said field current monitor section, and/or a load current value detected by said current detector.
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7. A method for controlling an alternator in a vehicle having an internal combustion engine comprising the steps of:
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providing a belt entrained around a crank pulley of a crankshaft of the engine for driving the alternator by rotation of the crank pulley; providing a regulator circuit for said alternator; controlling the power output of the alternator in response to an external input signal to have a duty value which is determined by a ratio between a duration the alternator is deactivated and a duration the alternator is activated, deactivating of the alternator stopping power generation when the external input signal is received, and activating of the alternator generating a power output when the external input signal is not received, and controlling the power output in response to the battery voltage which changes in accordance with at least one of a running state of the vehicle and a driving state of the engine; providing a control unit having a field current control section, a field current monitor section, and an output control section; detecting a current used by an electric load of the vehicle with a current detector; wherein said control unit sets the duty value provided to said alternator at a predetermined value when said current detector detects the electric load in the vehicle by at least one of; monitoring a field current value which is a controlled state of the field current of the alternator with the field current monitor section and controlling a field current of the alternator with the field current control section; and controlling the external input signal provided to the regulator circuit of said alternator. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. In a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, the combination of:
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an alternator connected with a belt that is powered by a shaft driven by the internal combustion engine; a battery connected to receive power from an output of the alternator; a current sensor for sensing current from the battery to an electric load of the vehicle; an acceleration switch; an idle switch; and a power generation controller for the alternator, the power generation controller for receiving an external output and in response thereto, providing power to the battery; and a control unit for receiving inputs from the current sensor, the idle switch, and the acceleration switch to provide the external output to control the alternator, the control unit comprising; a field current control section for limiting power from passing to the alternator when the voltage of the battery is greater than a large reference voltage; a field current monitor section for monitoring a field current duty value of the alternator; and an output control section for providing an external output preventing power generation by the alternator
1) when a gear in a gear transmission is changed from low speed to a second speed or
2) when the electric load current value detected by the current sensor is less than a predetermined value,wherein the output control section provides the external output enabling power generation by the alternator during deceleration and the alternator only supplies power to the battery or provides no output to the battery. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification