Utility vehicle

• US 9,849,790 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2016
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Inventors: Miyashita, Shunsuke, Yamanaka, Yukifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): SWENSON, BRIAN L
• Application Number:
  US15/358,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20170267107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/10 using propulsion power supplied by engine-driven generators, e.g. generators driven by combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/25 by controlling the electric load
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A utility vehicle includes an electric motor for driving a propelling device, a battery for supplying electric power to the electric motor, a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the battery, a discharge current setting unit for setting an upper limit discharge current value based on the detected temperature detected by the temperature sensor, and a control unit for regulating discharge current of the battery within the upper limit discharge current value determined by the discharge current setting unit and for controlling driving of the electric motor.

Claims

1. A utility vehicle comprising:

an electric motor configured to drive a propelling device;

a battery configured to supply electric power to the electric motor;

a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the battery;

a discharge current setting unit configured to determine an upper limit discharge current value based on the detected temperature detected by the temperature sensor; and

a control unit configured to regulate discharge current of the battery within the upper limit discharge current value determined by the discharge current setting unit and to control driving of the electric motor;

wherein, while the detected temperature is falling from a first predetermined temperature to a second predetermined temperature that is lower than the first predetermined temperature, the discharge current setting unit determines a constant upper limit discharge current value as the upper limit discharge value,

while the detected temperature is falling from the second predetermined temperature to a third predetermined temperature that is lower than the second predetermined temperature, the discharge current setting unit gradually increases the upper limit discharge current value as the detected temperature falls, in which the lower the detected temperature is, the higher the upper limit discharge current value is,

after the detected temperature falls to the third predetermined temperature, the discharge current setting unit determines a maximum discharge current value of the battery as the upper limit discharge current value regardless of a further fall of the detected temperature,

while the detected temperature is rising to a fourth predetermined temperature that is higher than the third predetermined temperature and lower than the first predetermined temperature, the discharge current setting unit determines the maximum discharge current value as the upper limit discharge current value, and

while the detected temperature is rising from the fourth predetermined temperature to the first predetermined temperature, the discharge current setting unit gradually decreases the upper limit discharge current value as the detected temperature rises, in which the higher the detected temperature is, the lower the upper limit discharge current value is.

2. The utility vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a generator configured to supply electric power to the battery; and

a charge current setting unit configured to determine an upper limit charge current value based on the detected temperature detected by the temperature sensor;

wherein the control unit is configured to regulate charge current of the battery within the upper limit charge current value determined by the charge current setting unit,

while the detected temperature is falling from the first predetermined temperature to the second predetermined temperature, the charge current setting unit determines a constant upper limit charge current value as the upper limit charge current value,

while the detected temperature is falling from the second predetermined temperature to the third predetermined temperature, the charge current setting unit gradually increases the upper limit charge current value as the detected temperature falls, in which the lower the detected temperature is, the higher the upper limit charge current value is,

after the detected temperature falls to the third predetermined temperature, the charge current setting unit determines a maximum charge current value of the battery as the upper limit charge current value regardless of a further fall of the detected temperature,

while the detected temperature is rising to the fourth predetermined temperature, the charge current setting unit determines the maximum charge current value as the upper limit charge current value, and

while the detected temperature is rising from the fourth predetermined temperature to the first predetermined temperature, the charge current setting unit gradually decreases the upper limit charge current value as the detected temperature rises, in which the higher the detected temperature is, the lower the upper limit charge current value is.

3. The utility vehicle according to claim 2, wherein while the detected temperature is rising from the first predetermined temperature to a fifth predetermined temperature that is higher than the first predetermined temperature, the charge current setting unit determines the constant upper limit charge current value as the upper limit charge current value regardless of a change of the detected temperature.

4. The utility vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the fourth predetermined temperature is equal to the second predetermined temperature.

5. The utility vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the fourth predetermined temperature is equal to the second predetermined temperature.