Electric vehicle

• US 8,965,609 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2011
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Motors Ltd (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Takagi, Izumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Calvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHUDY, ANGELINA M
• Application Number:
  US13/340,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20130173100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/65, 701/71, 701/72, 701/74, 701/75, 701/81, 701/82, 701/89, 701/90, 903/930, 903/916, 180/65.265, 180/65.1, 180/65.285, 180/65.6, 180/197, 180/233, 180/242
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/22 Microcars, e.g. golf cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/12 Induction machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/42 with use of more than one motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/14 Acceleration
• 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 2240/427 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/429 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/445 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/461 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/463 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/465 : Slip
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 : Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 : Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 : Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 : Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/20 : by driver identification
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/24 : by lever actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/26 : by pedal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/28 : Accelerator pedal thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/26 : Transition between different drive modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/28 : Four wheel or all wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0023 : Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/003 : relating to inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0061 : relating to electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0084 : relating to control modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/30 : using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 : characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 : by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 : Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 : Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 : for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/26 : Controlling the braking effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 : Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/403 : between front and rear axle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 17/02 : characterised by the use of electric means
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An electric vehicle is presented. The electric vehicle may include a front motor for driving a front wheel; a rear motor for driving a rear wheel; a target torque determiner for determining a target torque of the front motor and a target torque of the rear motor, based on at least a displacement amount of an accelerator operation member operated by a driver; and a motor controller for controlling the front motor and the rear motor to cause the front motor to output the target torque and the rear motor to output the target torque.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle comprising:

a front motor for driving right and left front wheels;

a rear motor for driving right and left rear wheels;

a target torque determiner for determining a target torque of the front motor and a target torque of the rear motor, based on at least a displacement amount of an accelerator operation member operated by a driver; and

a motor controller for controlling the front motor and the rear motor to cause the front motor to output the target torque and the rear motor to output the target torque, wherein when one of the front wheels or the rear wheels slip when all the wheels are driven by the front motor and the rear motor, the target torque determiner decreases the target torque of one of the front motor or the rear motor for driving the one of the front wheels or the rear wheels which are slipping and increases the target torque of the other of the front motor or the rear motor for driving the other of the front wheels or the rear wheels which are not slipping.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the front motor is configured to drive the front wheel via a differential gear mechanism which couples the right and left front wheels to each other, and the rear motor is configured to drive the rear wheel via a differential gear mechanism which couples the right and left rear wheels to each other.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein if both of the front wheels and the rear wheels are slipping, the target torque determiner determines the target torque of each of the front motor and the rear motor such that a driving torque of the wheels which are slipping with a greater slip ratio is set smaller than a driving torque of the wheels which are slipping with a smaller slip ratio.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the front wheels are steering wheels;

and

when the target torque is a braking torque, the target torque determiner determines the target torque of each of the front motor and the rear motor such that a ratio of allocation of the braking torque to the front motor is set greater when the vehicle is turning than a brake torque when the vehicle is not turning.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein if a vehicle speed is higher than a predetermined value, the target torque determiner determines the target torque of each of the front motor and the rear motor such that the target torque of the rear motor is set greater when the vehicle is turning than a torque when the vehicle is not turning.

6. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cargo bed provided at a rear portion of the vehicle,

wherein the target torque determiner determines the target torque of each of the front motor and the rear motor such that a ratio of allocation of a driving torque applied to the rear wheels is increased as a weight of a luggage on the cargo bed increases.

7. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the target torque determiner determines the target torque of each of the front motor and the rear motor such that a driving torque of the rear wheel is greater as an acceleration of the electric vehicle is greater.

8. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the target torque is a braking torque, the target torque determiner determines the target torque of each of the front motor and the rear motor such that the braking torque of the front motor is set greater than the braking torque of the rear motor.

9. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the target torque is a braking torque, the target torque determiner determines the target torque of each of the front motor and the rear motor such that a ratio of allocation of the braking torque to the front motor is set greater as a deceleration of the electric vehicle is greater.

10. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the target torque is a braking torque, the target torque determiner divides the braking torque evenly between the target torque of each of the front motor and the rear motor when a vehicle speed is not lower than a predetermined value, and the target torque determiner sets the target torque of the front motor to equal the braking torque such that only the front motor generates the braking torque when the vehicle speed is lower than the predetermined value.

11. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the target torque is a braking torque, the target torque determiner divides the braking torque evenly between the target torque of each of the front motor and the rear motor when a vehicle speed is not lower than a predetermined value, and the target torque determiner divides the braking torque such that the target torque of the front motor is set to a greater value than a value of the target torque of the rear motor when the vehicle speed is lower than the predetermined value.

12. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

an engine electric generator for supplying an electric power to the front motor and the rear motor,

wherein when the engine electric generator is activated, one of the front motor or the rear motor which one is farther from the engine electric generator relative to the other of the front motor or the rear motor drives the wheels with a priority over the other of the front motor or the rear motor.

13. An electric vehicle comprising:

a front motor for driving right and left front wheels;

a rear motor for driving right and left rear wheels;

a target torque determiner for determining a target torque of the front motor and a target torque of the rear motor, based on at least a displacement amount of an accelerator operation member operated by a driver; and

a motor controller for controlling the front motor and the rear motor to cause the front motor to output the target torque and the rear motor to output the target torque, wherein when one of the front wheels or the rear wheels slip when all the wheels are driven by the front motor and the rear motor, the target torque determiner increases the target torque of one of the front wheels or the rear wheels for driving the other of the front wheels or the rear wheels which are not slipping.

14. An electric vehicle comprising:

a front motor for driving right and left front wheels;

a rear motor for driving right and left rear wheels;

a target torque determiner for determining a target torque of the front motor and a target torque of the rear motor, based on at least a displacement amount of an accelerator operation member operated by a driver; and

a motor controller for controlling the front motor and the rear motor to cause the front motor to output the target torque and the rear motor to output the target torque, wherein when one of the front wheels or the rear wheels slip when all the wheels are driven by the front motor and the rear motor, the target torque determiner changes a ratio of torque allocation of the target torque of the front motor and the target torque of the rear motor by decreasing the target torque of one of the front motor or the rear motor for driving the one of the front wheels or the rear wheels which are slipping and increasing the target torque of the other of the front motor or the rear motor for driving the other of the front wheels or the rear wheels which are not slipping.