On-vehicle power generation controller

• US 8,004,110 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2008
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Kouwa, Tatsuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman; Jared J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amrany; Adi
• Application Number:
  US12/171,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20090218889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/143 with multiple generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

Provided is an on-vehicle power generation controller capable of uniformly maintaining balance of electric power generated by a plurality of generators, and also capable of realizing a less expensive controller structure. The on-vehicle power generation controller includes a controller (3) which adjusts a generated voltage to a predetermined voltage by controlling turning on and off of a field current so as to control an electric power generating operation of a generator. In a case where at least two on-vehicle power generation controllers are mounted with respect to a single engine, when respective generators (1a, 1b) corresponding to the at least two on-vehicle power generation controllers are operated at the same time, each of second and succeeding on-vehicle power generation controllers controls the electric power generating operation of each of the respective generators (1a, 1b) based upon a field current on-off control signal output in a first on-vehicle power generation controller.

Claims

1. An on-vehicle power generation controller comprising:

a controller for adjusting a generated voltage to a predetermined voltage by controlling turning on and off of a field current so as to control an electric power generating operation of a generator,

wherein;

at least two other on-vehicle power generation controllers, each having the same structure as the on-vehicle power generation controller, are mounted with respect to a single engine,

when respective generators corresponding to the at least two other on-vehicle power generation controllers are operated at the same time, each of second and succeeding on-vehicle power generation controllers controls the electric power generating operation of each of the respective generators based upon a field current on-off control signal output in the on-vehicle power generation controller, and

each of the at least two other on-vehicle power generation controllers control their respective field currents to start and stop at substantially same time as the field current of the on-vehicle power generation controller.

2. The on-vehicle power generation controller according to claim 1,

wherein each of the at least two other on-vehicle power generation controllers controls the electric power generating operation of each of the respective generators by employing the field current on-off control signal output in the on-vehicle power generation controller as an initiation signal.

3. An on-vehicle power generation controller comprising:

a controller for adjusting a generated voltage to a predetermined voltage by controlling turning on and off of a field current so as to control an electric power generating operation of a generator,

wherein;

at least two other on-vehicle power generation controllers, each having the same structure, are mounted with respect to a single engine,

when respective generators corresponding to the at least two other on-vehicle power generation controllers are operated at the same time, each of second and succeeding on-vehicle power generation controllers controls the electric power generating operation of each of the respective generators based upon a field current on-off control signal output in a first on-vehicle power generation controller,

wherein a third on-vehicle power generation controller controls the electric power generating operation of a corresponding generator by employing the field current on-off control signal generated at the second on-vehicle power generation controller provided at a preceding stage thereof.

4. A power generation system comprising:

a first on-vehicle power generation controller, a second on-vehicle power generation controller, and a third on-vehicle power generation controller, each of the first, second, and third on-vehicle power generation controllers having a same structure,

the first on-vehicle power generation controller comprising a first controller and a first generator,

the first controller configured for adjusting a generated voltage to a predetermined voltage by controlling turning on and off of a field current based on a field current on-off control signal to control an electric power generating operation of the first generator,

wherein;

the second on-vehicle power generation controller, the third on-vehicle power generation controller, and the first on-vehicle power generation controller are configured to electrically couple to a single engine,

the second on-vehicle power generation controller is configured to control electric power generating operation of a second generator based on the field current on-off control signal output by the first on-vehicle power generation controller,

the third on-vehicle power generation controller is configured to control electric power generating operation of a third generator based on the field current on-off control signal output by the first on-vehicle power generation controller, and

a start and end time of a conduction cycle of a first switching element, which controls the field current of the first generator, is substantially the same as a start and end time of a conduction cycle of a second switching element, which controls the field current of the second generator.

5. A power generation system comprising:

a first on-vehicle power generation controller and a second on-vehicle power generation controller,

the first on-vehicle power generation controller comprising a first controller and a first generator,

the first controller configured for adjusting a generated voltage to a predetermined voltage by controlling turning on and off of a field current based on a field current on-off control signal to control an electric power generating operation of the first generator,

wherein;

the second on-vehicle power generation controller and the first on-vehicle power generation controller are configured to electrically couple to a single engine,

the second on-vehicle power generation controller is configured to control electric power generating operation of a second generator based on the field current on-off control signal output by the first on-vehicle power generation controller,

a third on-vehicle power generation controller controls the electric power generating operation of a corresponding third generator by employing a field current on-off control signal generated at the second on-vehicle power generation controller provided at a preceding stage thereof, and

the field current on-off control signal is generated at the second on-vehicle power generation controller in response to the field current on-off control signal output in the first controller.