Power output apparatus, vehicle with power output apparatus, and control method of power output apparatus

• US 7,836,987 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Aoki, Takanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II; J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALTERS, JOHN DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US12/558,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20100071975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.21, 180/65.265, 180/65.275, 180/65.28, 180/65.285, 180/65.29, 180/65.31, 180/65.6, 903/930, 701/22
• US Class Current: 180/65.265
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/268 Electric drive motor starts the engine, i.e. used as starter motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• 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 2510/081 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0644 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 : Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

An engine, motors MG1 and MG2 are controlled to ensure a torque demand Tr* to a ring gear shaft without an operation of the engine while restricting a discharge of a battery within a range of an output limit Wout when a driving power demand Pr* is less than an engine start determination power Pref obtained by subtracting an engine start electric power Wcrk and the like from a base output limit Woutb while the operation of the engine is stopped. When the driving power demand Pr* becomes equal to or more than the engine start determination power Pref while the operation of the engine is stopped, the engine, motors MG1 and MG2 are controlled to ensure the torque demand Tr* to the ring gear shaft with a start of the engine while restricting the discharge of the battery within the range of the output limit Wout.

Claims

1. A power output apparatus that outputs power to a driveshaft, the power output apparatus comprising:

an internal combustion engine that outputs power to the driveshaft;

a motor that outputs power to the driveshaft;

an electric cranking device that performs a cranking to start the internal combustion engine;

an accumulator that supplies and receives electric power from the motor and the electric cranking device;

a deterioration factor calculation module configured to calculate a deterioration factor based on a value of electric current flowing through the accumulator, the deterioration factor indicating that a deterioration of the accumulator due to a discharge of the accumulator begins when the deterioration factor exceeds a predetermined reference value;

an output limit setting module configured to set an output limit of the accumulator to a base allowable discharging electric power that is an allowable discharging electric power based on a state of the accumulator when the calculated deterioration factor is less than a predetermined limitation start threshold value that is smaller than the reference value, the output limit setting module set the output limit to electric power smaller than the base allowable discharging electric power so as to make the deterioration factor become equal to or less than the reference value when the calculated deterioration factor is equal to or more than the limitation start threshold value;

an output limit correction module configured to correct the set output limit so as to temporarily increase the output limit when a predetermined condition is satisfied;

a power demand setting module configured to set a power demand required for the driveshaft based on a torque demand that is to be output to the driveshaft; and

a control module configured to control the internal combustion engine, the motor and the electric cranking device so as to ensure an output of torque equivalent to the torque demand to the driveshaft without an operation of the internal combustion engine while restricting a discharge electric power of the accumulator within a range of the set or corrected output limit when the set power demand is less than an engine start determination threshold value obtained by subtracting a predetermined electric power from the base allowable discharging electric power while the operation of the internal combustion engine is stopped, the control module controlling the internal combustion engine, the motor and the electric cranking device so as to ensure the output of torque equivalent to the torque demand to the driveshaft with a start of the internal combustion engine by the cranking of the electric cranking device while restricting the discharge electric power of the accumulator within the range of the set or corrected output limit when the set power demand is equal to or more than the engine start determination threshold value while the operation of the internal combustion engine is stopped.

2. The power output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output limit correction module is capable of temporarily setting the output limit to electric power equal to or more than the base allowable discharge electric power regardless of a value of the deterioration factor when the power demand is equal to or more than the engine start determination threshold value while the operation of the internal combustion engine is stopped and the internal combustion engine is started by the cranking of the electric cranking device.

3. The power output apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the output limit correction module is capable of temporarily setting the output limit to electric power obtained by adding a predetermined temporary increase amount to the base allowable discharging electric power regardless of a value of the deterioration factor when the power demand is equal to or more than the engine start determination threshold value while the operation of the internal combustion engine is stopped and the internal combustion engine is started by the cranking of the electric cranking device.

4. The power output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output limit correction module temporarily increases the output limit only after the power demand becomes equal to or more than the engine start determination threshold value when the calculated deterioration factor is equal to or more than the limitation start threshold value.

5. The power output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the deterioration factor is a value based on an integrated value of the electric current flowing through the accumulator.

6. The power output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the engine start determination threshold value is obtained by subtracting an engine start electric power from the base allowable discharging electric power, the engine start electric power being electric power input or output by the electric cranking device performing the cranking to start the internal combustion engine.

7. The power output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electric cranking device is a power generation motor that is capable of inputting and outputting power, and wherein the power output apparatus further comprises a three shaft-type power input output structure connected to three shafts, the driveshaft, an engine shaft of the internal combustion engine, and a rotating shaft of the power generation motor, and configured to input and output power to a residual shaft based on powers input from and output to any two shafts among the three shafts.

8. The power output apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the accumulator is a lithium ion secondary battery.

9. A vehicle including driving wheels connected to a driveshaft, the vehicle comprising:

an internal combustion engine that outputs power to the driveshaft;

a motor that outputs power to the driveshaft;

an electric cranking device that performs a cranking to start the internal combustion engine;

an accumulator that supplies and receives electric power from the motor and the electric cranking device;

a deterioration factor calculation module configured to calculate a deterioration factor based on a value of electric current flowing through the accumulator, the deterioration factor indicating that a deterioration of the accumulator due to a discharge of the accumulator begins when the deterioration factor exceeds a predetermined reference value;

an output limit setting module configured to set an output limit of the accumulator to a base allowable discharging electric power that is an allowable discharging electric power based on a state of the accumulator when the calculated deterioration factor is less than a predetermined limitation start threshold value that is smaller than the reference value, the output limit setting module set the output limit to electric power smaller than the base allowable discharging electric power so as to make the deterioration factor become equal to or less than the reference value when the calculated deterioration factor is equal to or more than the limitation start threshold value;

an output limit correction module configured to correct the set output limit so as to temporarily increase the output limit when a predetermined condition is satisfied;

a power demand setting module configured to set a power demand required for the driveshaft based on a torque demand that is to be output to the driveshaft; and

a control module configured to control the internal combustion engine, the motor and the electric cranking device so as to ensure an output of torque equivalent to the torque demand to the driveshaft without an operation of the internal combustion engine while restricting a discharge electric power of the accumulator within a range of the set or corrected output limit when the set power demand is less than an engine start determination threshold value obtained by subtracting a predetermined electric power from the base allowable discharging electric power while the operation of the internal combustion engine is stopped, the control module controlling the internal combustion engine, the motor and the electric cranking device so as to ensure the output of torque equivalent to the torque demand to the driveshaft with a start of the internal combustion engine by the cranking of the electric cranking device while restricting the discharge electric power of the accumulator within the range of the set or corrected output limit when the set power demand is equal to or more than the engine start determination threshold value while the operation of the internal combustion engine is stopped.

10. A control method of a power output apparatus including a driveshaft, an internal combustion engine that outputs power to the driveshaft, a motor that outputs power to the driveshaft, an electric cranking device that performs a cranking to start the internal combustion engine, and an accumulator that supplies and receives electric power from the motor and the electric cranking device, the control method comprising the steps of:

(a) calculating a deterioration factor based on a value of electric current flowing through the accumulator, the deterioration factor indicating that a deterioration of the accumulator due to a discharge of the accumulator begins when the deterioration factor exceeds a predetermined reference value;

(b) setting an output limit of the accumulator to a base allowable discharging electric power that is an allowable discharging electric power based on a state of the accumulator when the deterioration factor calculated at Step (a) is less than a predetermined limitation start threshold value that is smaller than the reference value, and setting the output limit to electric power smaller than the base allowable discharging electric power so as to make the deterioration factor become equal to or less than the reference value when the deterioration factor calculated at Step (a) is equal to or more than the limitation start threshold value;

(c) correcting the output limit set at Step (b) so as to temporarily increase the output limit when a predetermined condition is satisfied; and

(d) controlling the internal combustion engine, the motor and the electric cranking device so as to ensure an output of torque equivalent to the torque demand to the driveshaft without an operation of the internal combustion engine while restricting a discharge electric power of the accumulator within a range of the set or corrected output limit when a power demand required for the driveshaft is less than an engine start determination threshold value obtained by subtracting a predetermined electric power from the base allowable discharging electric power while the operation of the internal combustion engine is stopped, the power demand being set based on a torque demand that is to be output to the driveshaft, and controlling the internal combustion engine, the motor and the electric cranking device so as to ensure the output of torque equivalent to the torque demand to the driveshaft with a start of the internal combustion engine by the cranking of the electric cranking device while restricting the discharge electric power of the accumulator within the range of the set or corrected output limit when the set power demand is equal to or more than the engine start determination threshold value while the operation of the internal combustion engine is stopped.