Vehicle controller, vehicle control method, and storage medium

A control method for a vehicle, the method being executed by a controller including a control circuit, the method comprising:

• calculating a hydrogen concentration in a specific portion of a target region based on an operating state of an internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine using hydrogen as a fuel, a downstream passage being a portion of an intake passage of the internal combustion engine that is downstream of a throttle valve, a connecting passage connecting a crank chamber of the internal combustion engine to the downstream passage, and the target region being a region including the crank chamber and the connecting passage, and
• when a condition is met, in which the hydrogen concentration is greater than or equal to a predetermined determination value, causing a pressure in the downstream passage to be lower than that at a point in time when the condition is met, wherein
• the vehicle includes a motor capable of applying torque to an axle for transmitting driving force to a wheel, and
• the method further comprises:
• determining whether the latest required driving force is less than a motoring threshold, when the latest required driving force is less than the motoring threshold, the drive mode of the vehicle is switched to the motoring mode,
• in the motoring mode, stopping fuel supply to the cylinders and the ignition in the internal combustion engine, rotating the crankshaft with the motor, and reducing the throttle opening degree,
• when the required driving force is greater than or equal to the motoring threshold, reducing the rotation speed of the compressor wheel, reducing the throttle opening degree, and increasing the torque of the motor.

A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores a program that causes a processor to execute a control process, wherein the control process includes:

• calculating a hydrogen concentration in a specific portion of a target region based on an operating state of an internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine using hydrogen as a fuel, a downstream passage being a portion of an intake passage of the internal combustion engine that is downstream of a throttle valve, a connecting passage connecting a crank chamber of the internal combustion engine to the downstream passage, and the target region being a region including the crank chamber and the connecting passage, and
• when a condition is met, in which the hydrogen concentration is greater than or equal to a predetermined determination value, causing a pressure in the downstream passage to be lower than that at a point in time when the condition is met, wherein
• the vehicle includes a motor capable of applying torque to an axle for transmitting driving force to a wheel, and
• the control process further comprises:
• determining whether the latest required driving force is less than a motoring threshold, when the latest required driving force is less than the motoring threshold, the drive mode of the vehicle is switched to the motoring mode,
• in the motoring mode, stopping fuel supply to the cylinders and the ignition in the internal combustion engine, rotating the crankshaft with the motor, and reducing the throttle opening degree,
• when the required driving force is greater than or equal to the motoring threshold, reducing the rotation speed of the compressor wheel, reducing the throttle opening degree, and increasing the torque of the motor.