Electric vehicle and control method for electric vehicle

• US 9,714,653 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2012
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Hironobu
• Primary Examiner(s): McCullough, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Butler, Michael E
• Application Number:
  US13/649,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20130096756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,748 Days
• Field of Search: 701 22
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/02 Stopping, starting, unloading or idling control

Abstract

An electric vehicle includes: a wheel drive motor; an inverter that supplies electric power to the motor; a pump that delivers refrigerant to the motor and the inverter; and a controller that controls the pump. When a main switch of the vehicle is at an ON position, the controller limits the pump output at or below a predetermined pump output upper limit value, and, when the main switch is switched to an OFF position while travelling, the controller drives the pump at an output higher than the pump output upper limit value irrespective of the pump output upper limit value.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle comprising:

a motor configured to be able to regenerate electric power from kinetic energy of the vehicle;

an inverter configured to supply electric power to the motor;

a main battery;

a main relay positioned between the inverter and the main battery, the main relay is switchable between a closed position and an open position, in the closed position the main relay connects the inverter to the main battery, in the open position the main relay disconnects the inverter from the main battery;

an ignition switch positionable in an OFF position and an ON position, in the OFF position the main relay is open, in the ON position the main relay is closed;

a pump configured to deliver refrigerant to at least one of the motor and the inverter; and

a controller configured to control the pump, the controller configured to activate the pump when the ignition switch of the vehicle is in the OFF position and the vehicle is travelling, the controller configured to stop the pump when the ignition switch of the vehicle is in the OFF position and the vehicle is stopped, and the controller configured to increase a pump output when the ignition switch of the vehicle is in the OFF position compared to a pump output when the ignition switch of the vehicle is in the ON position while traveling.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

when the ignition switch of the vehicle is in the ON position while travelling, the controller limits the pump output at or below a predetermined pump output upper limit value, and

when the ignition switch is in the OFF position while travelling, the controller drives the pump at an output higher than the pump output upper limit value irrespective of the pump output upper limit value.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

the controller monitors at least one of a temperature of the inverter, a temperature of the motor and a temperature of the refrigerant, and

when the monitored temperature becomes lower than a predetermined threshold, the controller limits the pump output at or below the pump output upper limit value.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the ignition switch is provided at a driver seat.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the ignition switch is operated by a driver.

6. An electric vehicle comprising:

a motor configured to be able to regenerate electric power from kinetic energy of the vehicle;

an inverter configured to supply electric power to the motor;

a main battery;

a main relay positioned between the inverter and the main battery, the main relay is switchable between a closed position and an open position, in the closed position the main relay connects the inverter to the main battery, in the open position the main relay disconnects the inverter from the main battery;

an ignition switch positionable in an OFF position and an ON position, in the OFF position the main relay is open, in the ON position the main relay is closed;

a pump configured to deliver refrigerant to at least one of the motor and the inverter; and

a controller configure to control the pump, the controller configured to increase a pump output when the ignition switch of the vehicle is switched from the OFF position to the ON position while travelling.

7. The electric vehicle according to claim 6, wherein

the ignition switch is provided at a driver seat.

8. The electric vehicle according to claim 6, wherein

the ignition switch is operated by a driver.

9. A control method for an electric vehicle that includes:

a motor configure to be able to regenerate electric power from kinetic energy of the vehicle;

an inverter configured to supply electric power to the motor;

a main battery;

a main relay positioned between the inverter and the main battery, the main relay is switchable between a closed position and an open position, in the closed position the main relay connects the inverter to the main battery, in the open position the main relay disconnects the inverter from the main battery;

an ignition switch positionable in an OFF position and an ON position, in the OFF position the main relay is open, in the ON position the main relay is closed; and

a pump configure to deliver refrigerant to at least one of the motor and the inverter, comprising;

activating the pump when the ignition switch of the vehicle is in the OFF position and the vehicle is travelling, and

stopping the pump when the ignition switch of the vehicle is in the OFF position and the vehicle is stopped,

wherein a pump output when the ignition switch of the vehicle is in the OFF position while traveling is increased compared to a pump output when the ignition switch of the vehicle is in the ON position while traveling.

10. The control method according to claim 9, further comprising:

limiting the pump output at or below a predetermined pump output upper limit value when the ignition switch of the vehicle is in the ON position while travelling; and

driving the pump at an output higher than the pump output upper limit value irrespective of the pump output upper limit value when the ignition switch is in the OFF position while travelling.

11. The control method according to claim 10, further comprising:

monitoring at least one of a temperature of the inverter, a temperature of the motor and a temperature of the refrigerant; and

limiting the pump output at or below the pump output upper limit value when the monitored temperature becomes lower than a predetermined threshold.

12. The control method according to claim 9, wherein the ignition switch is operated by a driver.

13. A control method for an electric vehicle that includes:

a motor configured to be able to regenerate electric power from kinetic energy of the vehicle;

an inverter configured to supply electric power to the motor;

a main battery;

a main relay positioned between the inverter and the main battery, the main relay is switchable between a closed position and an open position, in the closed position the main relay connects the inverter to the main battery, in the open position the main relay disconnects the inverter from the main battery;

an ignition switch positionable in an OFF position and an ON position, in the OFF position the main relay is open, in the ON position the main relay is closed; and

a pump configured to deliver refrigerant to at least one of the motor and the inverter, comprising;

increasing a pump output when the ignition switch of the vehicle is switched from the OFF position to the ON position while travelling.

14. The control method according to claim 13, wherein

the ignition switch is operated by a driver.