Electrical powered vehicle incorporating motor and inverter, and control method therefor

• US 7,953,525 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2009
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kato, Hiroaki, Sato, Haruki, Katoh, Satoru, Saida, Hideaki, Tomita, Yoshinori, Oyobe, Hichirosai, Yamamoto, Masaya, Nakamura, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Diacou; Ari M
• Application Number:
  US12/573,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20100094497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 180/65.1
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• 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

In an electrical powered vehicle including a control device for generating an input/output power command value for a power storage device and a control device for controlling a power conversion device and a rotating electric machine, provided separately, when there is a sudden change in the rotational speed of a rotating electric machine, the input/output power command value of a power storage device intrinsically set by an HV-ECU is corrected corresponding to the change in the rotational speed of the rotating electric machine by a control device MG-ECU detecting the rotational speed of the rotating electric machine, without having to wait for modification of the input/output power command value from the HV-ECU. Accordingly, there can be prevented excessive charging and excessive discharging of a power storage device induced by delay in modifying the input/output power command value caused by transmission delay between control devices when the rotational speed of the rotating electric machine suddenly changes.

Claims

1. An electrical powered vehicle comprising:

a rotating electric machine configured to allow input and output of motive power with a drive shaft of the vehicle,

a plurality of power storage devices provided in parallel,

a power conversion device carrying out bidirectional power conversion between said rotating electric machine and said plurality of power storage devices,

a first control device generating an operation command value of said rotating electric machine and said plurality of power storage devices, and

a second control device configured to allow transmission and reception of information mutually with said first control device, for controlling said power conversion device such that said rotating electric machine and said plurality of power storage devices are operated according to said operation command value,

said second control device including

a speed detection unit detecting a rotational speed of said rotating electric machine based on an output from a sensor provided at said rotating electric machine, and

a speed sudden-change detection unit detecting a sudden change in said rotational speed based on a detected result of said speed detection unit,

said first control device including a power command generation unit generating a plurality of input/output power command values for said plurality of power storage devices, respectively, according to an input and output power of said rotating electric machine based on said rotational speed detected by said speed detection unit, and a state of charge of each of said plurality of power storage devices,

said second control device further including a charging/discharging power control unit controlling charging and discharging of said plurality of power storage devices through said power conversion device, according to said plurality of input/output power command values from said first control device set by said power command generation unit when said speed sudden-change detection unit does not detect said sudden change, and controlling charging and discharging of said plurality of power storage devices through said power conversion device by correcting at least a portion of said plurality of input/output power command values from said first control device so as to reflect a change in said rotational speed when said speed sudden-change detection unit detects said sudden change.

2. The electrical powered vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said power conversion device includes

a plurality of converters connected between a power line and respective said plurality of power storage devices, each converter configured to carry out bidirectional power conversion between a corresponding power storage device and said power line, and

an inverter configured to carry out bidirectional power conversion between said power line and said rotating electric machine,

said plurality of converters is classified into one voltage control converter and a balance of at least one current control converter,

said charging/discharging power control unit includes

a voltage controller controlling said voltage control converter such that a voltage of said power line attains a target voltage, and

a current controller controlling a current of each said current control converter such that a charging/discharging current of each said current control converter attains a target current,

said target current of each said current converter is set based on said target voltage and a corrected corresponding input/output power command value, at a converter whose corresponding input/output power command value is corrected by said charging/discharging power control unit, and is set based on said target voltage and said corresponding input/output power command value by said first control device, at a converter whose corresponding input/output power command value is not corrected by said charging/discharging power control unit.

3. The electrical powered vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said charging/discharging power control unit calculates, when said sudden change is detected, a total of an input/output power of said rotating electric machine using a current rotational speed and correcting at least a portion of said plurality of input/output power command values such that the calculated total power is distributed among said plurality of power storage devices according to a ratio of a plurality of input/output power command values set by said first control device.

4. The electrical powered vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

said power command generation unit sets a charging/discharging power upper limit for each of said plurality of power storage devices based on a charging and discharging state thereof, and

said charging/discharging power control unit corrects said plurality of input/output power command values, when said input/output power command value after correction exceeds said charging/discharging power upper limit for any of said plurality of power storage devices, such that a charging power or discharging power exceeding said charging/discharging power upper limit is distributed to a remaining power storage device not exceeding said charging/discharging power upper limit.

5. The electrical powered vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

said power command generation unit sets a charging/discharging power upper limit for each of said plurality of power storage devices based on a charging and discharging state thereof, and

said charging/discharging power control unit corrects said plurality of input/output power command values, for each of said plurality of power storage devices, when a corresponding input/output power command value after correction is greater than or equal to said charging/discharging power upper limit, such that a charging power or discharging power exceeding said charging/discharging power upper limit is distributed equally to each said power storage device.

6. The electrical powered vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said speed sudden-change detection unit detects a sudden change in said rotational speed when a change in said rotational speed within a predetermined time detected by said speed detection unit exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

7. A control method for an electrical powered vehicle by a first control device and a second control device configured to allow transmission and reception with each other, said electrical powered vehicle including

a rotating electric machine configured to allow input and output of motive power with a drive shaft of said electrical powered vehicle,

a plurality of power storage devices provided in parallel, and

a power conversion device carrying out bidirectional power conversion between said rotating electric machine and said plurality of power storage devices,

said control method comprising the steps of:

detecting, by said second control device, a rotational speed of said rotating electric machine based on an output from a sensor provided at said rotating electric machine,

detecting, by said second control device, a sudden change in said rotational speed based on a detected result from said step of detecting a rotational speed,

generating, by said first control device, a plurality of input/output power command values of said plurality of power storage devices, respectively, according to an input/output power of said rotating electric machine based on said rotational speed detected at said step of detecting a rotational speed and a state of charge of each of said plurality of power storage devices, and

controlling, by said second control device, charging and discharging of said plurality of power storage devices through said power conversion device, according to said plurality of input/output power command values from said first control device set at said generating step, when said sudden change is not detected, and charging and discharging of said plurality of power storage devices through said power conversion device by correcting at least a portion of said plurality of input/output power command values from said first control device so as to reflect a change in said rotational speed, when said sudden change is detected.

8. The control method for an electrical powered vehicle according to claim 7, wherein

said power conversion device includes

a plurality of converters connected between a power line and respective said plurality of power storage devices, each converter configured to carry out bidirectional power conversion between a corresponding power storage device and said power line, and

an inverter configured to carry out bidirectional power conversion between said power line and said rotating electric machine,

said plurality of converters is classified into one voltage control converter, and a balance of at least one current control converter,

said control method further comprising the step of controlling said voltage control converter such that a voltage of said power line attains a target voltage, and controlling a current of each said current control converter such that a charging/discharging current of each said current control converter attains a target current,

said target current of each said current control converter is set based on said target voltage and a corrected corresponding input/output power command value, at a converter whose corresponding input/output power command value is corrected by said step of controlling charging and discharging, and is set based on said target voltage and said corresponding input/output power command value by said first control device, at a converter whose corresponding input/output power command value is not corrected by said step of controlling charging and discharging.

9. The control method for an electrical powered vehicle according to claim 7, wherein said step of controlling charging and discharging includes the step of calculating, when said sudden change is detected, a total of an input/output power of said rotating electric machine using a current rotational speed, and correcting at least a portion of said plurality of input/output power command values such that the calculated total power is distributed among said plurality of power storage devices according to a ratio of a plurality of input/output power command values set by said first control device.

10. The control method for an electrical powered vehicle according to claim 9, wherein

said generating step sets a charging/discharging power upper limit for each of said plurality of power storage devices based on a charging and discharging state thereof,

said step of controlling charging and discharging further includes the step of, when said input/output power command value after correction exceeds said charging/discharging power upper limit for any of said plurality of power storage devices, recorrecting said plurality of input/output power command values such that a charging power or discharging power exceeding said charging/discharging power upper limit is distributed to a remaining power storage device not exceeding said charging/discharging power upper limit.

11. The control method for an electrical powered vehicle according to claim 9, wherein

said generating step sets a charging/discharging power upper limit for each of said plurality of power storage devices based on a charging and discharging state thereof,

said step of controlling charging and discharging further includes the step of, when a corresponding input/output power command value after correction or after recorrection is greater than or equal to said charging/discharging power upper limit, further correcting said plurality of input/output power command values such that a charging power or discharging power exceeding said charging/discharging power upper limit is distributed equally to each said power storage device.

12. The control method for an electrical powered vehicle according to claim 7, wherein, in said step of detecting a sudden change, a sudden change in said rotational speed is detected when a change in said rotational speed within a predetermined time, detected at said step of detecting a rotational speed, exceeds a predetermined threshold value.