Control apparatus for vehicle-use electric power generator

• US 7,054,726 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2003
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kowatari, Takehiko, Matsuzaki, Norikazu, Yamamoto, Tatsuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US10/387,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20030176956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/70, 701/74, 701101-102, 180 651- 656, 290/40.A, 290/40.C, 290/7, 290/9, 290/14, 290/17, 290/27, 290/32, 290 47- 48, 903/916, 903/942
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/44 Series-parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/10 Indicating wheel slip ; Correction of wheel slip
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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

It is desirable prevent the speed of an engine, that is driving an electric-power generator, from abruptly increasing when electric power generation by the electric power generator, which supplies electric power to a wheel-driving motor, is stopped. Thus, a control apparatus is provided for a vehicle electric power generator to control the amount of electric power generated by the electric power generator, which is connected to, and driven by, an engine for driving a vehicle. Wheel speed detection means is provided to detect slipping of the wheels, and the control apparatus operates to ensure that, when the amount of electric power generated is to be reduced, if the wheels are not slipping, the amount of electric power generation by the electric power generator is slowly reduced, in comparison with the case where the wheels are slipping.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for a vehicle electric power generator, to control an amount of electric power generated by the electric power generator, which is connected to, and driven by, an engine for driving the vehicle, wherein said control apparatus is equipped with:

an engine speed detection means for detecting revolving speed of the engine of said engine, a throttle valve opening angle detection means for detecting an opening angle of the throttle valve of the vehicle, an electric power amount detection means for detecting a current amount of electric power generation and an electric power generating torque detection means for detecting a current electric power generating torque; and

a controller that changes a reduction rate of the electric power generation amount according to the values detected by said engine speed detection means, said throttle valve opening angle detection means, and said electric power amount detection means,

wherein, when the amount of electric power generated is to be reduced, in the case where, irrespective of the electric power generating torque detected by said electric power generating torque detection means, the throttle valve opening angle and engine speed that have been detected by said throttle valve opening angle detection means and said engine speed detection means, respectively, are maintained at the same values, the amount of electric power generated will be reduced more slowly as the electric power generating torque detected by the electric power generating torque detection means increases.

2. A control apparatus for a vehicle electric power generator, in a vehicle comprising a first set of driving wheels driven by an engine, an electric power generator driven by said engine to generate an electric power, and a second set of driving wheels driven by a motor which receives the electric power generated in said electric power generator,

wherein control apparatus is provided on the vehicle to control an amount of an electric power generation of said electric power generator and to control reduction of said amount of said electric power generation of said electric power generator in accordance with a stop of the motor during a running time of the vehicle,

wherein said control apparatus detects a condition of a wheel speed of said second driving wheel and a condition of a wheel speed of said first driving wheel;

and

wherein, in order to perform a control of said reduction of said amount of said electric power generation of said electric power generator, in comparison with a first case where said wheel speed of said second driving wheel is detected to have a larger wheel speed than said wheel speed of said first driving wheel, in a second case where said above first case is not detected, said control apparatus varies a reduction rate to make the reduction rate of said amount of said electric power generation of said electric power generator smaller than the reduction rate in said first case.

3. A control apparatus for a vehicle electric power generator, in a vehicle comprising a first set of driving wheels driven by an engine, an electric power generator driven by said engine to generate an electric power, and a second set of driving wheels driven by a motor which receives the electric power generated in said electric power generator,

wherein said control apparatus is provided on the vehicle to control an amount of an electric power generation of said electric power generator and to control reduction of said amount of said electric power generation of said electric power generator in accordance with a stop of the motor during a running time of the vehicle;

wherein said control apparatus determines an engine torque from an engine rotational number and a throttle opening degree and determines an electric power generation torque of said electric power generator from an amount of an electric power generation of said electric power generator and an engine rotational number, and

wherein, in order to perform a control of said reduction of said amount of said electric power generation of said electric power generation, said control apparatus varies a reduction rate of said amount of said electric power generation of said electric power generator in accordance with said engine torque and said electric power generation torque.

4. In the control apparatus for a vehicle use electric power generator according to claim 3, wherein, in order to perform said control of said reduction of said amount of said electric power generation of said electric power generation, a reduction rate is varied to make small a reduction rate of said amount of said electric power generation of said electric power generator, in a case where a rate of said engine torque as compared with said electric power generation torque is small, in comparison with a case where said rate of said engine torque as compared with said electric power generation torque is large.

5. In the control apparatus for a vehicle use electric power generator according to claim 3, wherein, in order to perform said control of said reduction of said amount of said electric power generation of said electric power generator, in a case where said throttle opening degree and said engine rotational number are substantially equal, respectively, said reduction rate of said amount of said electric power generation of said electric power generator is made small, when said power generation torque is large.

6. A control apparatus for a vehicle electric power generator, in vehicle comprising a first set of driving wheels driven by an engine, an electric power generator driven by said engine to generate an electric power, and a second set of driving wheels driven by a motor which receives the electric power generated in said electric power generator,

wherein said control apparatus is provided on the vehicle to control an amount of an electric power generation of said electric power generator and to reduce said amount of electric power generation of said electric power generator in accordance with a stop of said motor during a running time of the vehicle, and

wherein, when said control apparatus receives an abrupt acceleration requirement, said control apparatus reduces said amount of said electric power generation by varying a reduction rate to make said reduction rate large in comparison with an ordinary acceleration time.

7. In a control apparatus for a vehicle electric power generator according to claim 6, wherein said abrupt acceleration requirement is discriminated according to operation of the vehicle by a driver.