Control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle

• US 6,234,932 B1
• Filed: 08/31/1999
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nakano, Kenji, Matsubara, Atsushi, Takahashi, Hideyuki, Wakashiro, Teruo, Uchida, Keisuke, Izumiura, Atsushi, Nakamoto, Yasuo, Ukai, Asao, Kuroda, Shigetaka, Kiyomiya, Takashi, Konno, Fumihiko, Iwata, Youichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Estremsky, Sherry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Tisha D.
• Application Number:
  US09/386,144
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 477/3, 477/7, 477/15, 180/65-- 6
• US Class Current: 477/3
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/54 Transmission for changing ratio
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/642 Slope of road
• 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 2510/0604 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0619 Air-fuel ratio
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/905 Combustion engine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/906 Motor or generator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/909 Gearing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/917 with transmission for changing gear ratio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/919 : Stepped shift

Abstract

A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having a dynamotor which operates as a motor for assisting the output of an internal combustion engine and which operates as a generator for regenerating the running energy of the vehicle. The control apparatus, in accordance with operating conditions of the vehicle, controls an assist operation for supplying electric power from a storage device to the dynamotor and a regenerative operation for charging the storage device by the generated power of the dynamotor, and determines an acceleration mode for performing an assist operation or a cruising mode for selectively performing the assist operation and a regenerative operation, in accordance with an engine rotational speed and a throttle valve opening degree, or a vehicle speed of the vehicle and the throttle valve opening degree.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a dynamotor as drive sources of said vehicle, said dynamotor operating as a motor for assisting the output of said internal combustion engine and operating as a generator for regenerating running energy of said vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

control means responsive to operating conditions of said vehicle for controlling an assist operation for supplying electric power from a storage device to said dynamotor and a regenerative operation for charging said storage device by the generated power of said dynamotor; and

determination means for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in one of a plurality of operation modes including at least an acceleration mode for performing the assist operation and a cruising mode for selectively performing the assist operation and the regenerative operation,

wherein said determination means determines that the operating condition of said vehicle is in the acceleration mode when a throttle valve opening degree of said internal combustion engine has exceeded an acceleration mode start threshold value corresponding to one of an engine rotational speed and a vehicle speed and determines that the operating condition of said vehicle is in the cruising mode when the throttle valve opening degree has fallen below an acceleration mode end threshold value which is less than said acceleration mode start threshold value and which corresponds to one of the engine rotational speed and the vehicle speed.

2. A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a dynamotor as drive sources of said vehicle, said dynamotor operating as a motor for assisting the output of said internal combustion engine and operating as a generator for regenerating running energy of said vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

control means responsive to operating conditions of said vehicle for controlling an assist operation for supplying electric power from a storage device to said dynamotor and a regenerative operation for charging said storage device by the generated power of said dynamotor; and

determination means for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in an acceleration mode for performing the assist operation when a throttle valve opening degree of said internal combustion engine has exceeded an acceleration mode start threshold value corresponding to one of an engine rotational speed and a vehicle speed and for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in the cruising mode for selectively performing the assist operation and the regenerative operation when the throttle valve opening degree has fallen below an acceleration mode end threshold value which is less than said acceleration mode start threshold value and which corresponds to one of the engine rotational speed and the vehicle speed,

wherein said control means includes a number of data maps for setting the assist amount showing an electric power level to be supplied from said storage device to said dynamotor having parameters of the engine rotational speed and the throttle valve opening degree, the number of data maps being determined by a number of gear ratios of a transmission and an air/fuel ratio of the supply mixture of said internal combustion engine;

said control means detecting the gear ratio of said transmission and the air/fuel ratio of the supply mixture of said internal combustion engine;

selecting a data map corresponding to respective detection results of the gear ratio of said transmission and the air/fuel ratio of the supply mixture of said internal combustion engine from said data maps;

setting an assist amount corresponding to the engine rotational speed and the throttle valve opening degree by using the selected data map;

corrects the assist amount set in accordance with the output voltage of said storage device; and

performing the assist operation in accordance with the corrected assist amount.

3. A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a dynamotor as drive sources of said vehicle, said dynamotor operating as a motor for assisting the output of said internal combustion engine and operating as a generator for regenerating running energy of said vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

control means responsive to operating conditions of said vehicle for controlling an assist operation for supplying electric power from a storage device to said dynamotor and a regenerative operation for charging said storage device by the generated power of said dynamotor; and

determination means for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in an acceleration mode for performing the assist operation when a throttle valve opening degree of said internal combustion engine has exceeded an acceleration mode start threshold value corresponding to one of an engine rotational speed and a vehicle speed and for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in the cruising mode for selectively performing the assist operation and the regenerative operation when the throttle valve opening degree has fallen below an acceleration mode end threshold value which is less than said acceleration mode start threshold value and which corresponds to one of the engine rotational speed and the vehicle speed,

wherein said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are gradually increased while said vehicle is climbing an inclined road or running at high speed, and said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are gradually decreased when said vehicle is not climbing an inclined road or running at high speed.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are gradually increased when a variation of said throttle valve opening degree per unit time is less than an opening level variation corresponding to the electric power of said storage device.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are initialized when a variation of said throttle valve opening degree per unit time is equal to or greater than the opening level variation corresponding to the amount of the electric power stored in said storage device.

6. A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a dynamotor as drive sources of said vehicle, said dynamotor operating as a motor for assisting the output of said internal combustion engine and operating as a generator for regenerating running energy of said vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

control means responsive to operating conditions of said vehicle for controlling an assist operation for supplying electric power from a storage device to said dynamotor and a regenerative operation for charging said storage device by the generated power of said dynamotor; and

determination means for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in an acceleration mode for performing the assist operation when a throttle valve opening degree of said internal combustion engine has exceeded an acceleration mode start threshold value corresponding to one of an engine rotational speed and a vehicle speed and for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in the cruising mode for selectively performing the assist operation and the regenerative operation when the throttle valve opening degree has fallen below an acceleration mode end threshold value which is less than said acceleration mode start threshold value and which corresponds to one of the engine rotational speed and the vehicle speed,

wherein a target voltage of said storage device is set in accordance with the vehicle speed, and said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are increased by a correction value corresponding to a difference in voltage between the output voltage of said storage device and said target voltage.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said correction value is varied in accordance with the size of a load of said internal combustion engine.

8. A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a dynamotor as drive sources of said vehicle, said dynamotor operating as a motor for assisting the output of said internal combustion engine and operating as a generator for regenerating running energy of said vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

control means responsive to operating conditions of said vehicle for controlling an assist operation for supplying electric power from a storage device to said dynamotor and a regenerative operation for charging said storage device by the generated power of said dynamotor; and

determination means for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in an acceleration mode for performing the assist operation when a throttle valve opening degree of said internal combustion engine has exceeded an acceleration mode start threshold value corresponding to one of an engine rotational speed and a vehicle speed and for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in the cruising mode for selectively performing the assist operation and the regenerative operation when the throttle valve opening degree has fallen below an acceleration mode end threshold value which is less than said acceleration mode start threshold value and which corresponds to one of the engine rotational speed and the vehicle speed,

wherein said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are gradually increased while said vehicle is climbing an inclined road or running at high speed, and said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are gradually decreased when said vehicle is not climbing an inclined road or running at high speed.

9. The control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are gradually increased when a variation of said throttle valve opening degree per unit time is less than an opening level variation corresponding to the electric power of said storage device.

10. The control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are initialized when a variation of said throttle valve opening degree per unit time is equal to or greater than the opening level variation corresponding to the amount of the electric power stored in said storage device.

11. A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a dynamotor as drive sources of said vehicle, said dynamotor operating as a motor for assisting the output of said internal combustion engine and operating as a generator for regenerating running energy of said vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

control means responsive to operating conditions of said vehicle for controlling an assist operation for supplying electric power from a storage device to said dynamotor and a regenerative operation for charging said storage device by the generated power of said dynamotor; and

determination means for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in an acceleration mode for performing the assist operation when a throttle valve opening degree of said internal combustion engine has exceeded an acceleration mode start threshold value corresponding to one of an engine rotational speed and a vehicle speed and for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in the cruising mode for selectively performing the assist operation and the regenerative operation when the throttle valve opening degree has fallen below an acceleration mode end threshold value which is less than said acceleration mode start threshold value and which corresponds to one of the engine rotational speed and the vehicle speed,

wherein a target voltage of said storage device is set in accordance with the vehicle speed, and said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are increased by a correction value corresponding to a difference in voltage between the output voltage of said storage device and said target voltage.

12. The control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said correction value is varied in accordance with the size of a load of said internal combustion engine.