Vehicle

• US 9,428,177 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2013
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Mori, Yuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US14/761,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20160001766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 320/159
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/60 using power supplied by batteries in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/16 for vehicles comprising converters between the power source and the motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/13 in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/246 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• 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 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

A vehicle includes an electric storage apparatus that outputs an electric power to be converted into a kinetic energy for use in running of the vehicle, an engine that generates a kinetic energy for use in running of the vehicle, a generator that receives an output from the engine to generate an electric power, and a controller that controls charge and discharge of the electric storage apparatus. In performing charge of the electric storage apparatus using an electric power from an external power source and in performing charge of the electric storage apparatus using the electric power output from the generator in response to a signal produced through operation by a user, the controller calculate a full charge capacity of the electric storage apparatus based on an SOC of the electric storage apparatus at each of start and end of the charge and a current sum amount during the charge.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an electric storage apparatus configured to output an electric power to be converted into a kinetic energy for use in running of the vehicle;

an engine configured to generate a kinetic energy for use in running of the vehicle;

a generator configured to receive an output from the engine to generate an electric power; and

a controller configured to control charge and discharge of the electric storage apparatus,

wherein, when performing a first charging process and a second charging process, the first charging process being a process in which the electric storage apparatus is charged using an electric power from an external power source and the second charging process being a process in which the electric storage apparatus is charged using the electric power output from the generator in response to a signal produced through operation by an user, the controller calculates a full charge capacity of the electric storage apparatus based on the following expression;

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

calculate the SOC of the electric storage apparatus after polarization of the electric storage apparatus resulting from the second charging process is eliminated; and

use the calculated SOC as the end SOC in the calculation of the full charge capacity of the electric storage apparatus.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to:

calculate the SOC of the electric storage apparatus after the electric storage apparatus is discharged to eliminate the polarization; and

use the calculated SOC as the end SOC in the calculation of the full charge capacity of the electric storage apparatus.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to:

specify a discharge amount for eliminating the polarization based on a current sum amount during the second charging process;

calculate an SOC of the electric storage apparatus after discharge of the electric storage apparatus by the specified discharge amount; and

calculate the full charge capacity of the electric storage apparatus based on the following expression;

5. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein, when the electric storage apparatus is left standing without charge and discharge after the end of the second charging process,

the controller is configured to:

measure a standing time period for which the electric storage apparatus is left standing, and

multiply the discharge amount by an attenuation rate calculated from the standing time period, the attenuation rate being smaller as the standing time period is longer.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

control charge and discharge of the electric storage apparatus such that an SOC of the electric storage apparatus is changed within a predetermined range in a mode in which the engine and the electric storage apparatus are used in combination to run the vehicle; and

charge the electric storage apparatus to an SOC higher than an upper limit value of the predetermined range in performing the second charging process.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a motor generator configured to receive the electric power output from the electric storage apparatus to generate a kinetic energy for use in running of the vehicle and to convert a kinetic energy generated in braking of the vehicle into an electric power.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a switch configured to output a signal for requesting the second charging process through operation by the user.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to charge the electric storage apparatus at a constant current in the second charging process.