Vehicle power supply device

• US 9,211,855 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2014
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hara, Yasuhiro, Yamamoto, Hideto, Arakawa, Tomohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US14/314,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20150012175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/22, 307/9.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0623 Fuel flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18072 Coasting
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/181 Preparing for stopping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18127 Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/114 Super-capacities
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0866 comprising several power sources, e.g. battery and capacitor or two batteries
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2011/0888 DC/DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1446 in response to parameters of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

When the fuel supply to an internal combustion engine has stopped due to a vehicle starting to decelerate or the like, and the speed of the vehicle is greater than a predetermined speed, then a controller causes a power generator to operate in a first power generating mode. The controller charges a capacitor by using regenerative power that is output from the power generator to supply power from the power generator to the capacitor via a DC-DC converter. When the stopping of the fuel supply to the internal combustion engine is cancelled as a result of the engine revolution speed reaching a predetermined revolution speed (for example, an idling revolution speed) in conjunction with the speed of the vehicle dropping to the predetermined speed, the power generator can be kept in the first power generating mode.

Claims

1. A vehicle power supply device that is mounted in a vehicle that is provided with an internal combustion engine, the device comprising:

a first power supply;

a second power supply that is connected in parallel to the first power supply;

a DC-DC converter that is connected between the first power supply and the second power supply;

a determination device that determines whether or not a fuel supply to the internal combustion engine has stopped;

a deceleration detecting device that detects a deceleration of the vehicle;

a power generator that is connected to the internal combustion engine; and

a control device that controls the DC-DC converter, wherein,

when it is determined by the determination device that the fuel supply to the internal combustion engine has stopped, the control device charges the second power supply using regenerative power that is generated by the power generator via the DC-DC converter, and,

when a deceleration of the vehicle is detected by the deceleration detecting device, and it is also determined by the determination device that the fuel supply to the internal combustion engine has not been stopped, the control device is able to charge the second power supply using regenerative power that is generated by the power generator via the DC-DC converter.

2. The vehicle power supply according to claim 1, wherein

the power generator is able to operate in at least a first power generating mode and a second power generating mode that generates voltage that is smaller than the voltage generated in the first power generating mode, and operates in the first power generating mode when it is determined by the determination device that the fuel supply to the internal combustion engine has been stopped, and

wherein, when a deceleration of the vehicle is detected by the deceleration detecting device and it is also determined by the determination device that the fuel supply to the internal combustion engine has not been stopped, the control device causes the power generator to operate in the first power generating mode.

3. The vehicle power supply according to claim 1, wherein

the control device sets the output voltage from the second power supply to a first voltage when it is determined by the determination device that the fuel supply to the internal combustion engine has stopped, and sets the output voltage from the second power supply to a second voltage which is smaller than the first voltage when it is determined by the determination device that the fuel supply to the internal combustion engine has not stopped, and,

when the control device changes the output voltage from the second power supply from the first voltage to the second voltage, the control device charges the first power supply by supplying power obtained from the difference between the first voltage and the second voltage to the first power supply.

4. The vehicle power supply according to claim 2, wherein

the control device sets the output voltage from the second power supply to a first voltage when it is determined by the determination device that the fuel supply to the internal combustion engine has stopped, and sets the output voltage from the second power supply to a second voltage which is smaller than the first voltage when it is determined by the determination device that the fuel supply to the internal combustion engine has not stopped, and,

when the control device changes the output voltage from the second power supply from the first voltage to the second voltage, the control device charges the first power supply by supplying power obtained from the difference between the first voltage and the second voltage to the first power supply.