Control apparatus for internal combustion engine

• US 7,527,030 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2007
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Tamagawa, Yutaka, Fukushima, Yukihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuff; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hung Q
• Application Number:
  US11/802,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20070272186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 123/179.3, 123/179.1, 123/179.28, 701/113, 701/22, 701/69, 290/30.R, 290/31, 290/36.R, 290/38.C, 180/65.2, 318/139, 318/375, 318/376, 903/905, 903/917, 903/919, 903/927, 903940- 3, 903/945, 903/947
• US Class Current: 123/179.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/268 Electric drive motor starts the engine, i.e. used as starter motor
• 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 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/10 Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/246 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/1409 using at least a proportional, integral or derivative controller
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/04 the motors being associated with current generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/08 Circuits or control means specially adapted for starting of engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/023 Engine temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/045 Starter temperature or parameters related to it
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/102 Control of the starter motor speed; Control of the engine speed during cranking
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/104 Control of the starter motor torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/2002 using different starting modes, methods, or actuators depending on circumstances, e.g. engine temperature or component wear
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine that is startable by a motor driven by electric power supplied by an electric storage device, includes: a starting mode selection device for selecting either a first mode or a second mode as starting mode of the internal combustion engine; a control device for setting an output mode during outputting the electric power to the motor from the electric storage device, according to a result selected by the starting mode selection device, wherein the control device is adapted to set a flat mode, corresponding to the first mode, in which a predetermined electric power is continuously output and a pulse mode, corresponding to the second mode, in which electric power that varies with amplitude greater than a predetermined amplitude is output.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine that is startable by a motor driven by electric power supplied by an electric storage device, comprising:

a starting mode selection device for selecting either a first mode or a second mode as starting mode of the internal combustion engine;

a control device for setting an output mode during outputting the electric power to the motor from the electric storage device, according to a result selected by the starting mode selection device, wherein

the control device is adapted to set a flat mode, corresponding to the first mode, in which a predetermined electric power is continuously output and a pulse mode, corresponding to the second mode, in which electric power that varies with amplitude greater than a predetermined amplitude is output.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a peak-to-peak value of the electric power output in the pulse mode by the control device is set to a value greater than a continuous rated output of the electric storage device in a specific state.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature detection device to detect temperature of a power plant including an internal combustion engine and the motor, wherein

the starting mode selection device selects the first mode as the starting mode when the temperature is higher than a predetermined value, and selects the second mode as the starting mode when the temperature is lower than the predetermined value, based on the detection signal output by the temperature detection device.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an output limiting device for setting an output limit value for the electric storage device based on a state of the electric storage device, wherein

the starting mode selection device selects the first mode as the starting mode when the output limit value is greater than a predetermined value, and selects the second mode as the starting mode when the output limit value is less than the predetermined value, based on the output limit value set by the output limiting device.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a state detection device to detect a quantity of state indicating a state of the electric storage device, wherein

the starting mode selection device selects the first mode as the starting mode when the quantity of state exceeds a predetermined quantity of state, and selects the second mode as the starting mode when the quantity of state does not exceed the predetermined quantity of state, based on a detection signal output by the state detection device.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the state detection device detects temperature of the electric storage device.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the state detection device detects a state of charge of the electric storage device.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the state detection device detects an output voltage of the electric storage device.

9. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the pulse mode, the control device calculates a command value for an output of the electric storage device by a feedback process, and places a feedback system in a stable limit state during the feedback process.

10. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device sets a specific duty ratio, which is a ratio of an ON/OFF state, as a command value for an output of the electric storage device in the pulse mode.

11. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device sets a value corresponding to a crank angle of an internal combustion engine as a command value for an output of the electric storage device in the pulse mode.