Hybrid construction machine and auxiliary control device used therein

• US 8,700,275 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2012
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Edamura, Manabu, Ishikawa, Kouji, Sugiura, Manabu, Hiroki, Takenori, Satake, Hidetoshi, Watanabe, Toshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US13/981,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20130311052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/20 Energy regeneration from auxiliary equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/425 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/24 by lever actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0061 relating to electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 : using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 : by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 : Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/123 : Drives or control devices specially adapted therefor E02F9/125 and E02F9/128 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2025 : Particular purposes of control systems not otherwise provided for E02F3/16, E02F3/26, sub-groups of E02F3/43, E02F3/651, sub-groups of E02F3/84, E02F3/907, E02F5/145 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2091 : Control of energy storage means for electrical energy, e.g. battery or capacitors energy recovery arrangements in hydraulic or pneumatic drives E02F9/2217
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2095 : Control of electric, electro-mechanical or mechanical equipment not otherwise provided for, e.g. ventilators, electro-driven fans control of hydraulic driven equipment E02F9/22
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2228 : including an electronic controller
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2235 : including an electronic controller
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2282 : Systems using center bypass type changeover valves
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2285 : Pilot-operated systems
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2296 : Systems with a variable displacement pump
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/267 : Diagnosing or detecting failure of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

Disclosed is a hybrid construction machine that includes a control device and an auxiliary control device. The control device switches between a hydraulic/electric complex swing mode in which both the electric motor and the hydraulic motor are driven to drive the swing structure by using the sum of the torque of the electric motor and the torque of the hydraulic motor; and a hydraulic-only swing mode in which only the hydraulic motor is driven to drive the swing structure by using only the torque of the hydraulic motor. The auxiliary control device includes a monitoring controller that is connected to the control device and to the electric motor to monitor the temperature or electrical leakage in the electric motor as a substitute controller for the power control unit or the electrical storage device when the power control unit or the electrical storage device is removed due to a fault.

Claims

1. A hybrid construction machine having a prime mover, a hydraulic pump driven by the prime mover, a swing structure, an electric motor for driving the swing structure, a power control unit for driving the electric motor, a hydraulic motor driven by the hydraulic pump to drive the swing structure, an electrical storage device connected to the electric motor, and a swing control lever device for issuing a command for driving the swing structure, the hybrid construction machine comprising:

a control device that switches between a hydraulic/electric complex swing mode and a hydraulic-only swing mode, the hydraulic/electric complex swing mode being selected so that when the swing control lever device is manipulated, both the electric motor and the hydraulic motor are driven to drive the swing structure by using the sum of the torque of the electric motor and the torque of the hydraulic motor, the hydraulic-only swing mode being selected so that when the swing control lever device is manipulated, only the hydraulic motor is driven to drive the swing structure by using only the torque of the hydraulic motor; and

an auxiliary control device having a monitoring controller that is connected to the control device and to the electric motor to monitor the temperature or electrical leakage in the electric motor as a substitute controller for the power control unit or the electrical storage device when the power control unit the electrical storage device is removed due to a fault.

2. The hybrid construction machine according to claim 1,

wherein the auxiliary control device includes a monitoring controller having a temperature sensor for detecting the internal temperature of the electric motor, a memory section for memorizing a preselected limit value, and a computation section for reporting an abnormality to the control device when the preselected limit value is exceeded by a value detected by the temperature sensor.

3. The hybrid construction machine according to claim 1,

wherein the auxiliary control device includes a monitoring controller having a current sensor for detecting the output current of the electric motor, a memory section for memorizing a preselected limit value, and a computation section for reporting an abnormality to the control device when the preselected limit value is exceeded by a value detected by the current sensor.

4. An auxiliary control device for a hybrid construction machine having a prime mover, a hydraulic pump driven by the prime mover, a swing structure, an electric motor for driving the swing structure, a power control unit for driving the electric motor, a hydraulic motor driven by the hydraulic pump to drive the swing structure, an electrical storage device connected to the electric motor, a swing control lever device for issuing a command for driving the swing structure, and a control device for switching between a hydraulic/electric complex swing mode and a hydraulic-only swing mode,

the hydraulic/electric complex swing mode being selected so that when the swing control lever device is manipulated, both the electric motor and the hydraulic motor are driven to drive the swing structure by using the sum of the torque of the electric motor and the torque of the hydraulic motor, the hydraulic-only swing mode being selected so that when the swing control lever device is manipulated, only the hydraulic motor is driven to drive the swing structure by using only the torque of the hydraulic motor, the auxiliary control device comprising:

a monitoring controller that is connected to the control device to monitor the temperature or electrical leakage in the electric motor as a substitute for the power control unit or the electrical storage device when the power control unit or the electrical storage device is removed due to a fault.

5. The auxiliary control device according to claim 4,

wherein the monitoring controller includes a temperature sensor for detecting the internal temperature of the electric motor, a memory section for memorizing a preselected limit value, and a computation section for reporting an abnormality to the control device when the preselected limit value is exceeded by a value detected by the temperature sensor.

6. The auxiliary control device according to claim 4,

wherein the monitoring controller includes a current sensor for detecting the output current of the electric motor, a memory section for memorizing a preselected limit value, and a computation section for reporting an abnormality to the control device when the preselected limit value is exceeded by a value detected by the current sensor.