Apparatus and method of controlling generation of electric power in vehicle

• US 7,906,864 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2007
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: Ko, Sung Suk
• Primary Examiner(s): Zarroli; Michael C
• Application Number:
  US11/965,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20090115378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 290/40.A, 290/40.B, 290/40.C, 322/25, 320/134, 701/22
• US Class Current: 290/40.00C
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1446 in response to parameters of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling generation of electric power in a vehicle that is capable of calculating a target state of charge (SOC) of a battery on the basis of a SOC of the battery and an amount of accumulated current according to individual driving modes and performing a feedback control on generation of an alternator to follow the target SOC, thereby maintaining an optimal SOC and improving fuel efficiency.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling generation of electric power in a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

an ignition detector that provides information on starting on/off of an engine to a controller;

a battery detector that is mounted on an electrode of a battery and provides information for determining a state of charge (SOC) of the battery to the controller;

an engine RPM detector that provides information on an engine RPM to the controller;

a vehicle speed detector that provides information on a traveling vehicle speed to the controller;

a throttle opening detector that provides information on an opening of a throttle valve to the controller;

an accelerator pedal detector that provides information on displacement of an accelerator pedal to the controller;

the controller that synthesizes information of the battery and traveling conditions of the vehicle according to starting-on of the engine and sequentially performs charging control, discharging control, and target charging control; and

an alternator that generates a voltage according to a control signal from the controller and follows a target SOC;

wherein the battery detector includes a voltage sensor, a current sensor, and a temperature sensor, and detects information for the voltage, current, and temperature of the battery and provides the detected information to the controller.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller determines a target amount of accumulated current according to the SOC of the battery when starting-on of the engine is detected, and performs the charging control that maintains the target SOC at a high level until an amount of accumulated current reaches the target amount of accumulated current, and increases the generation of the alternator.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller prohibits the controlling generation of the electric power when requested by other current consumers during a charging control period after the starting-on of the engine.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller provides energy stored in the battery during a charging control period according to the starting-on of the engine, to current consumers in an acceleration mode, a constant-speed mode, and an idle mode, sets a target voltage to a low voltage to control the generation of the alternator to be low, and maintains generation control during a discharging control period until an amount of accumulated current reaches a target amount of accumulated current according to the SOC of the battery.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller performs the charging control that performs a feedback control on a target voltage, such that the target SOC is maintained after charging and discharging control periods according to the starting-on of the engine end, while a surplus current supplied to the battery is made zero.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the controller maintains a target SOC voltage at a high voltage during the discharging control period in the case of a deceleration mode and maximally uses energy that is generated in the deceleration mode.

7. A method of controlling generation of electric power in a vehicle, the method comprising:

a step of determining whether starting-on of an engine is detected or not;

a charging control step of detecting information for a battery when the starting-on of the engine is detected, determining a target state-of-charge (SOC) voltage, and controlling the generation of an alternator to be maintained at a high level;

a discharging control step of controlling the generation of the alternator to be maintained at a low level until energy stored by the charging control reaches a target amount of accumulated current according to the SOC of the battery in an acceleration mode, an idle mode, or a constant-speed mode, when the charging control is completed; and

a target SOC control step of determining a substantial target SOC of the battery when the charging control and the discharging control are completed, and performing a feedback control on the generation of the alternator to follow the target SOC; and

wherein, in the discharging control step and the target SOC control step, when deceleration is detected, the target SOC is determined at a high level, and regenerative energy, which is generated due to the deceleration, is maximally used.