Hybrid vehicle and control method thereof

• US 9,598,072 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2014
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Aoki, Takanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US14/254,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20140316624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00764 the input being a vehicle driving condition, e.g. speed B60H1/00828, B60H1/00864 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00885 Controlling the flow of heating or cooling liquid, e.g. valves or pumps B60H1/00899 takes precedence; constructions of valves B60H1/00485
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00899 Controlling the flow of liquid in a heat pump system controlling the properties of the refrigerant liquid, e.g. pressure or temperature, B60H1/3204
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/18 for avoiding ageing of fuel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/211 Fuel quality, e.g. water content due to age of fuel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

An ECU determines whether or not fuel in a fuel tank deteriorates. A heating system is configured to be able to perform heating (engine heating) using heat of an engine which heating uses the engine under operation as a heat source, and heating (heat-pump heating) using a heat pump cycle without using the engine as a heat source. When it is determined that the fuel in the fuel tank deteriorates, the ECU controls the heating system and the engine so as to give priority to the engine heating over the heat-pump heating.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

an electric motor configured to generate a running driving force;

an internal combustion engine;

a heating system configured to heat a passenger compartment, the heating system including a first heating apparatus that is configured to use the internal combustion engine under operation as a heat source, and a second heating apparatus that is configured not to use the internal combustion engine as a heat source; and

an electronic control unit configured to;

(a) detect deterioration of fuel to be supplied to the internal combustion engine, and

(b) control the electric motor, the internal combustion engine, and the heating system, such that, when the electronic control unit detects the deterioration of the fuel, the electronic control unit controls the heating system and the internal combustion engine so as to give priority to heating by the first heating apparatus over heating by the second heating apparatus.

2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

when the electronic control unit detects the deterioration of the fuel during stopping of the internal combustion engine, the electronic control unit controls the heating system and the internal combustion engine so as to start the internal combustion engine and give priority to the heating by the first heating apparatus over the heating by the second heating apparatus.

3. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic control unit detects a fuel deterioration degree;

and

when the fuel deterioration degree is large, the electronic control unit controls the heating system and the internal combustion engine so as to give more priority to the heating by the first heating apparatus over the heating by the second heating apparatus, in comparison with a case where the fuel deterioration degree is small.

4. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the electronic control unit detects the fuel deterioration degree based on an elapsed time after refueling is performed.

5. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

as more fuel remains, the electronic control unit lengthens time before the electronic control unit detects the deterioration of the fuel.

6. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

when the deterioration of the fuel is not detected by the electronic control unit, the electronic control unit controls the heating system and the internal combustion engine so as to use efficient one of the heating by the first heating apparatus and the heating by the second heating apparatus.

7. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 6, wherein

when the internal combustion engine operates, the electronic control unit determines that the heating by the first heating apparatus is more efficient than the heating by the second heating apparatus.

8. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 6, wherein

when the internal combustion engine stops, the electronic control unit determines that the heating by the second heating apparatus is more efficient than the heating by the first heating apparatus.

9. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

when a request output to the vehicle exceeds a predetermined threshold, the internal combustion engine operates;

the electronic control unit is configured such that, when the internal combustion engine operates, the electronic control unit controls the heating system and the internal combustion engine so as to give priority to the heating by the first heating apparatus over the heating by the second heating apparatus, and when the internal combustion engine stops, the electronic control unit controls the heating system so as to give priority to the heating by the second heating apparatus over the heating by the first heating apparatus; and

the electronic control unit detects a fuel deterioration degree, so that when the fuel deterioration degree is large, the electronic control unit sets the threshold to be smaller than the threshold at the time when the fuel deterioration degree is small.

10. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the second heating apparatus performs heating by use of a heat pump.

11. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power storage device configured to store electric power to be supplied to the electric motor; and

a charging device configured to receive electric power from a power supply outside the vehicle and charges the power storage device.