Electric generating system for automobiles and its control method

• US 7,044,255 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2000
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Maeda, Yuuji, Tajima, Susumu, Shimizu, Hisaya, Mashino, Keiichi, Fukasaku, Yoshinori, Innami, Toshiyuki, Yamamoto, Tatsuyuki, Mishidate, Keisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Avery, Bridget
• Application Number:
  US09/736,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20010042649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,978 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.2, 180/65.3, 180/65.4
• US Class Current: 180/242
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/356 having fluid or electric motor, for driving one or more wheels disposition of motor in, or adjacent to, traction wheel B60K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/40 characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/44 Series-parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• 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 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 2710/086 Power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/105 Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 23/06 having shunt connection of excitation windings
• 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 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors

Abstract

An electric generating system for automobiles has a primary generator which is driven by an internal combustion engine of an automobile and supplies power to an electric load of the automobile and an electric motor for driving wheels of the automobile which are not driven by the internal combustion engine. A secondary generator is driven by the internal combustion engine and drives the motor. A control unit controls the secondary generator and the electric motor. The control circuit controls the output of the generator according to a driving force requested by the automobile, and the driving force of the electric motor is controlled by the output of the secondary generator.

Claims

1. An electric generating system for automobiles comprising a primary generator which is driven by an internal combustion engine of an automobile and supplies power to an electric load of said automobile and an electric motor which drives wheels of said automobile which are not driven by said internal combustion engine;

further comprising a secondary generator which is driven by said internal combustion engine and a control unit which controls said secondary generator and said electric motor;

wherein

said control unit controls the output of said secondary generator according to a driving force requested by said automobile and

said electric motor has its driving force controlled by the output of said secondary generator, wherein a field winding of said generator has two power supply sources and can switch a voltage sent from said secondary generator to said electric motor in a plurality of steps or in a present voltage range.

2. An electric generating system for automobiles, comprising a primary generator which is driven by an internal combustion engine of an automobile and charges a battery on said automobile and an electric motor which drives wheels of said automobile which are not driven by said internal combustion engine;

a secondary generator which is driven by said internal combustion engine;

a control unit which controls said secondary generator and said electric motor; and

a battery charging circuit operatively associated with said battery,

wherein

said secondary generator is separated from said battery charging circuit and supplies output power thereof directly to said electric motor, and

said control circuit controls the output of said generator according to a driving force requested by said automobile and controls the driving force of said electric motor by a voltage or current supplied from said secondary generator, wherein a field winding of said secondary generator inputs power from both said battery and said secondary generator and said two power sources are connected in an OR manner with diodes.

3. An electric generating system for automobiles in accordance with claim 2, wherein said control unit of said secondary generator inputs a signal from said external control unit, checks the ON:

OFF duty ratio of said signal and provides a blind sector in a time period containing a continuous ON or OFF time period longer than a present time period.

4. An electric generating system for automobiles comprising a primary generator which is driven by an internal combustion engine of an automobile and supplies power to an electric load of said automobile and an electric motor which drives wheels of said automobile which are not driven by said internal combustion engine;

further comprising a secondary generator which is driven by said internal combustion engine and a control unit which controls said secondary generator and said electric motor, wherein said control unit contains an external control unit except for a control unit of said secondary generator and wherein said control unit of said secondary generator inputs a command control value of said secondary generator from said secondary external controller and stops power generation when detecting that the signal from said external control unit is abnormal.

5. An electric generating system for automobiles comprising a primary generator which is driven by an internal combustion engine of an automobile and supplies power to an electric load of said automobile and an electric motor which drives wheels of said automobile which are not driven by said internal combustion engine;

further comprising a secondary generator which is driven by said internal combustion engine and a control unit which controls said secondary generator and said electric motor, wherein the output end of said secondary generator is connected to said electric motor through a change-over switch and said control unit works to minimize only power generation by said secondary generator when no output is supplied to said electric motor.

6. An electric generating system for automobiles in accordance with claim 5, wherein a said control unit switches the output to a normal automobile electric load when no output is supplied to said electric motor, controls the control voltage of said secondary generator lower or higher than the voltage of said primary generator according to the quantity of said automobile electric load, and determines to supply power from either of said primary and secondary generators.

7. An electric generating system for automobiles in accordance with claim 5, wherein said control unit switches its output to the high-voltage automobile electric load when said secondary generator is not supplying power to said electric motor.

8. An electric generating system for automobiles comprising a primary generator which is driven by an internal combustion engine of an automobile and supplies power to an electric load of said automobile and an electric motor which drives wheels of said automobile which are not driven by said internal combustion engine, further comprising

a secondary generator which is driven by said internal combustion engine and

a control unit which controls said secondary generator and said electric motor;

wherein

said secondary generator is constituted to supply power to said electric motor and

said control unit contains an external control unit except for a control unit of said secondary generator, and causes said external control unit to output a field current on/off signal as a command to control said secondary generator, and thus sets an arbitrary output voltage or current of said secondary generator.

9. An electric generating system for automobiles in accordance with claim 8;

wherein said external control unit switches between a voltage feedback control and a current feedback control as an output request value of said secondary generator which is determined according to a request and the status of said automobile and said electric motor.

10. An electric generating system for automobiles in accordance with claim 8, wherein said external control unit controls to first feed a current to the field winding of said electric motor and then feed the armature current which is the output of the generator after a present time period and at the start of power generation when feeding a power from said secondary generator to said electric motor.

11. An electric generating system for automobiles in accordance with claim 8, wherein said external control unit controls to first stop said secondary generator and then shut off the armature current which is the output of the secondary generator when shutting off a power from said secondary generator to said electric motor.

12. An electric generating system for an automobile mounted on said automobile, in which either of front wheels and rear wheels of said automobile is driven by an internal combustion engine, which drives a primary generator for supplying an electric power to an electric load of said automobile, and other wheels, which differs from said wheels driven by said internal combustion engine, are driven by a driving force, comprising;

an electric motor for generating said driving force;

a secondary generator driven by said internal combustion engine; and

a control unit for controlling said electric motor and said secondary generator;

wherein

said control unit controls an output of said secondary generator according to a driving force requested by said automobile;

said electric motor generates said driving force by receiving said output of said secondary generator;

said generated driving force is adjusted by said controlled output of said secondary generator; and

an output voltage supplied to said electric motor from said secondary generator is switched in plural steps.

13. An electric generating system for automobiles in accordance with claim 12, wherein said secondary generator and said electric motor have an operative connection which excludes a battery.

14. An electric generating system for an automobile according to claim 12, wherein said control unit is operative to control

said output voltage of said secondary generator in a range of 1 V to 50V.

15. An electric generating system for an automobile according to claim 12, wherein

a current supply source to a field winding of said secondary generator is constituted by two systems.

16. An electric generating system for an automobile according to claim 12, wherein

said control unit includes an external control unit, except for a control unit of said secondary generator;

and

said control unit of said secondary generator operative to input a control command value of said secondary generator from said external control unit judges an abnormality.

17. An electric generating system for an automobile according to claim 12, wherein

an output end of said secondary generator is connected to said electric motor through a change-over switch;

and

in the absence of an output of said secondary generator to said electric motor, said control unit works to minimize only an electric power generation quantity of said secondary generator to have a self-excitation part.

18. An electric generating system for an automobile according to claim 16, wherein

said control unit of said secondary generator is configured to judge an input signal from said external control unit with an ON:

OFF duty ratio;

when an ON or OFF having more than preset period time becomes continuous, said control unit of said secondary generator judges an abnormality; and

a blind sector is provided in said abnormal judging time period.

19. An electric generating system for an automobile according to claim 17, wherein

in the absence of an output of said secondary generator to said electric motor, said control unit switches an output supply part to a normal automobile electric load;

said control unit controls a control voltage at a side of said secondary generator to make the control voltage lower or higher than a voltage at a side of said primary generator according to a quantity of said automobile electric load; and

said control unit decides to supply said electric power from said primary generator or said secondary generator.

20. An electric generating system for an automobile according to claim 17, wherein

in the absence of an output of said secondary generator to said electric motor, said control unit switches to supply said output to a high-voltage system automobile electric load.

21. An electric generating system for an automobile mounted on said automobile, in which either of front wheels and rear wheels of said automobile is driven by an internal combustion engine, which drives a primary generator for supplying an electric power to a low-voltage electric load of said automobile, and other wheels, which differs from said wheels driven by said internal combustion engine, are driven by a driving force, comprising;

an electric motor for generating said driving force;

a secondary generator driven by said internal combustion engine; and

a control unit for controlling said electric motor and said secondary generator;

wherein

said secondary generator is configured to supply an output having a voltage in a range from a lower voltage to a higher voltage compared with a low-voltage system voltage to said electric motor;

said control unit controls an output of said secondary generator according to a driving force requested by said automobile;

said electric motor generates said driving force by receiving said output of said secondary generator;

said generated driving force is adjusted by said output of said secondary generator; and

an output voltage supplied to said electric motor from said secondary generator is switched in plural steps.

22. An electric generating system for automobiles in accordance with claim 21, wherein said secondary generator and said electric motor have an operative connection which excludes a battery.

23. An electric generating system for an automobile mounted on said automobile, in which either of front wheels and rear wheels of said automobile is driven by an internal combustion engine, which drives a primary generator for supplying an electric power to an electric load of said automobile, and other wheels, which differs from said wheels driven by said internal combustion engine, are driven by a driving force, comprising;

an electric motor for generating said driving force;

a secondary generator driven by said internal combustion engine; and

a control unit for controlling said electric motor and said secondary generator;

wherein

said secondary generator is separated from said automobile-mounted batter and an electric generation output is configured to supply directly to said electric motor;

said control unit controls an output of said secondary generator according to a driving force requested by said automobile;

said electric motor generates said driving force by receiving said output of said secondary generator;

said generated driving force is adjusted by said output of said secondary generator; and

an output voltage supplied to said electric motor from said secondary generator is switched in plural steps.

24. An electric generating system for automobiles in accordance with claim 23, wherein said secondary generator and said electric motor have an operative connection which excludes battery.

25. An electric generating system for an automobile according to claim 23, wherein

a current supply source to a field winding of said secondary generator is constituted by a battery charged by said primary generator of said secondary generator itself;

and

said current supply source is OR-connected using a diode.

26. An electric generating system for an automobile mounted on said automobile, in which either of front wheels and rear wheels of said automobile is driven by an internal combustion engine, which drives a primary generator for supplying an electric power to an electric load of said automobile, and other wheels, which differs from said wheels driven by said internal combustion engine, are driven by a driving force, comprising;

an electric motor for generating said driving force;

a secondary generator driven by said internal combustion engine; and

a control unit for controlling said electric motor and said secondary generator;

wherein

said secondary generator is configured to supply an output having a voltage in a range from a lower voltage to a higher voltage;

said control unit controls an output of said secondary generator according to a driving force requested by said automobile;

said electric motor generates said driving force by receiving said output of said secondary generator;

said generated driving force is adjusted by said output of said secondary generator; and

an output voltage supplied to said electric motor from said secondary generator is switched in a plural steps.

27. An electric generating system for automobiles in accordance with claim 26, wherein said secondary generator and said electric motor have an operative connection which excludes a battery.

28. An electric generating system for an automobile mounted on said automobile, in which either of front wheels and rear wheels of said automobile is driven by an internal combustion engine, which drives a primary generator for supplying an electric power to an electric load of said automobile, and other wheels, which differs from said wheels driven by said internal combustion engine, are driven by a driving force, comprising;

an electric motor for generating said driving force;

a secondary generator driven by said internal combustion engine; and

a control unit for controlling said electric motor and said secondary generator;

wherein

said secondary generator is configured to supply an electric power generation output to said electric motor;

said control unit includes an external control unit, except for a control unit of said secondary generator;

said control unit output is an ON/OFF signal of a field current of said secondary generator as a control signal of said secondary generator from said external control unit to said control unit haven said secondary generator; and

said control unit is configured to set freely an output voltage or an output current of said secondary generator.

29. An electric generating system for an automobile according to claim 28, wherein

said external control unit is configured to output by switching freely between a voltage feedback control and a current feedback control as an output request value of said secondary generator, which is determined according to a status and a request of said automobile and said electric motor.

30. An electric generating system for an automobile according to claim 28, wherein

said external control unit is configured to control an electric power supply to said electric motor from said secondary generator to flow an armature current which is said output of said secondary generator to said electric motor, a the same time of starting electric power generation of said second generation from a preset time lapse after feeding of field current to said electric motor.

31. An electric generating system for an automobile according to claim 28, wherein

said external control unit is configured to control an electric power supply to said electric motor from said secondary generator by stopping said secondary generator and, after a present time lapse, to shut off a supply of an armature current being said output of said secondary generator to said electric motor.

32. An electric generating system for an automobile mounted on said automobile, in which either of front wheels and rear wheels of said automobile is driven by an internal combustion engine, which drives a primary generator for supplying an electric power to an electric load of said automobile, and other wheels, which differs from said wheels driven by said internal combustion engine, are driven by a driving force, comprising;

an electric motor for generating said driving force;

a secondary generator driven by said internal combustion engine; and

a control unit for controlling said electric motor and said secondary generator;

wherein

said control unit controls an output of said secondary generator according to a driving force requested by said automobile;

said electric motor generates said driving force by receiving said output of said secondary generator; and

an output voltage supplied to said electric motor from said secondary generator is continuously variable in a preset voltage range.

33. An electric generating system for an automobile mounted on said automobile, in which either of front wheels and rear wheels of said automobile is driven by an internal combustion engine, which drives a primary generator for supplying an electric power to an electric load of said automobile, and other wheels, which differs from said wheels driven by said internal combustion engine, are driven by a driving force, comprising;

an electric motor for generating said driving force;

a secondary generator driven by said internal combustion engine; and

a control unit for controlling said electric motor and said secondary generator;

wherein

said secondary generator is configured to enable supply an output having a voltage range from a lower voltage to a higher voltage compared with a low-voltage system voltage to said electric motor;

said control unit adjusts said driving force generated by said electric motor according to said output of said secondary generator; and

an output voltage supplied to said electric motor from said secondary generator is continuously variable in a preset voltage range;

said control unit controls an output of said secondary generator according to a driving force requested by said automobile;

said electric motor generates said driving force by receiving said output of said secondary generator;

said control unit adjusts said driving force generated by said electric motor according to said output of said secondary generator; and

an output voltage supplied to said electric motor from said secondary generator is continuously variable in a preset voltage range.

34. An electric generating system for an automobile mounted on said automobile, in which either of front wheels and rear wheels of said automobile is driven by an internal combustion engine, which drives a primary generator for supplying an electric power to a low-voltage electric load of said automobile, and other wheels, which differs from said wheels driven by said internal combustion engine, are driven by a driving force, comprising;

an electric motor for generating said driving force;

a secondary generator driven by said internal combustion engine; and

a control unit for controlling said electric motor and said secondary generator;

wherein

said secondary generator is separated from said automobile-mounted battery and an electric power generation output is configured to supply directly to said electric motor;

said electric motor generates said driving force by receiving said output of said secondary generator;

said driving force generated from said electric motor is adjusted according to said output supplied from said secondary generator; and

said control unit controls an output of said secondary generator according to a driving force requested by said automobile;

said driving force generated from said electric motor is adjusted according to said output supplied from said secondary generator; and

an output voltage supplied to said electric motor from said secondary generator is continuously variable in a preset voltage area.

35. An electric generating system for an automobile mounted on said automobile, in which either of front wheels and rear wheels of said automobile is driven by an internal combustion engine, which drives a primary generator for supplying an electric power to an electric load of said automobile, and other wheels, which differs from said wheels driven by said internal combustion engine, are driven by a driving force, comprising;

an electric motor for generating said driving force;

a secondary generator driven by said internal combustion engine; and

a control unit for controlling said electric motor and said secondary generator;

wherein

said secondary generator is configured to supply an output having a voltage range from a lower voltage to a higher voltage compared with a low-voltage system voltage to said electric motor;

said electric motor generates said driving force by receiving said output of said secondary generator;

said control unit controls an output of said secondary generator according to a driving force requested by said automobile;

said generated driving force generated from said electric motor is adjusted according to said output of said secondary generator; and

an output voltage supplied to said electric motor from said secondary generator is continuously variable in a preset voltage area.

36. A method of controlling an electric generating system for an automobile, having a secondary generator which is driven according to a primary generator for supplying an electric power to an electric load of said automobile, and an internal combustion engine for driving either of front wheels and rear wheels of said automobile, said electric power being used to generate a driving a force by driving an electric motor, for driving wheels, other than the wheels driven by said internal combustion engine, comprising

inputting a control signal of said secondary generator according to an operation condition of said automobile as an ON/OFF signal of a field current of said secondary generator, and controlling an operation of said secondary generator;

outputting said electric power obtained by said operation of said secondary generator, and controlling said driving force outputted from said electric motor according to said electric power outputted from said secondary generator; and

continuously varying an output voltage of said secondary generator in a preset voltage range, when said electric power output to said electric motor from said secondary generator.

37. A method of controlling an electric generating system for an automobile, having a secondary generator which is driven according to a primary generator for supplying an electric power to an electric load of said automobile, and an internal combustion engine for driving either of front wheels and rear wheels of said automobile, according to said obtained electric power by generating a driving force by driving an electric motor and according to said driving force by driving other wheels, which differs from said wheels driven by said internal combustion engine, comprising

inputting a control signal of said secondary generator according to an operation condition of said automobile as an ON/OFF signal of a field current of said secondary generator and controlling an operation of said secondary generator;

outputting said electric power obtained by operation of said secondary generator and controlling said driving force outputted from said electric motor according to said outputted electric power of said secondary generator; and

switching an output voltage of said secondary generator in plural stages, when said electric power output to said electric motor from said secondary generator.

38. A method of controlling electric generating systems for automobiles in accordance with claim 37, wherein said secondary generator and said electric motor have an operative connection which excludes a battery.

39. A method of controlling electric generating systems for automobiles in accordance with claim 37, wherein said secondary generator and said electric motor have an operative connection which excludes a battery.

40. A method of controlling an electric generating system for an automobile, having a secondary generator which is driven according to a primary generator for charging an automobile-mounted battery, and an internal combustion engine for driving either of front wheels and rear wheels of said automobile, according to said obtained electric power by generating a driving force by driving an electric motor, and according to said driving force by driving other wheels, which differs from said wheels driven by said internal combustion engine, comprising

making a supply source of a field current of an automobile-mounted battery at a starting time of said automobile, and inputting said field current to said secondary generator from said automobile-mounted battery according to an operation status of said automobile, and controlling an operation of said secondary generator;

making a supply source of a field current of said secondary generator itself at a running time of said automobile, inputting said field current to said secondary generator from said secondary generator itself according to an operation status of said automobile, and controlling an operation of said secondary generator;

outputting said electric power obtained according to said operation of said secondary generator, and controlling said driving force outputted from said electric motor according to said outputted electric power of said secondary generator; and

switching an output voltage of said secondary generator in plural stages, when said electric power output to said electric motor from said secondary generator.

41. A method of controlling an electric generating system for an automobile, having a secondary generator which is driven according to a primary generator for supplying an electric power to an electric load of said automobile, and an internal combustion engine for driving either of front wheels and rear wheels of said automobile, said electric power being used to generate a driving a force by driving an electric motor, for driving wheels, other than the wheels driven by said internal combustion engine, comprising

making a supply source of a field current of an automobile-mounted battery at a starting time of said automobile, inputting said field current to said secondary generator from said automobile-mounted battery according to an operation status of said automobile, and controlling an operation of said secondary generator;

making a supply source of a field current of said secondary generator itself at a running time of said automobile, inputting said field current to said secondary generator from said secondary generator itself according to an operation status of said automobile, and controlling an operation of said secondary generator;

outputting said electric power obtained according to said operation of said secondary generator, and controlling said driving force outputted from said electric motor according to said outputted electric power of said secondary generator; and

switching an output voltage of said secondary generator in plural stages, when said electric power output to said electric motor from said secondary generator.