Vehicle control apparatus and control method for hybrid vehicle for railroad

A control method for a hybrid vehicle for railway including an engine, an engine controller that controls an operation of the engine, a generator coupled to the engine, a converter that converts alternating-current power output from the generator into desired direct-current power, a converter controller that controls an operation of the converter, a load device that receives supply of direct-current power from the converter and operates, and a battery electrically connected to the load device and the generator, the method comprising:

• a first step of driving, through the converter controller, the generator with a rotational-speed command value smaller than an idling maintenance rotational speed of the engine;
• and
• a second step of starting, through the engine controller, fuel injection to the engine after an elapse of a predetermined time, wherein
• the first step includes a substep of selecting rotational-speed command values, which are provided in multiple stages, in order starting from a smallest rotational-speed command value at predetermined time intervals and driving the generator.

A vehicle control apparatus applied to a vehicle driving system including an engine, an engine controller that controls an operation of the engine, a generator coupled to the engine, a converter that converts alternating-current power output from the generator into desired direct-current power, a converter controller that controls an operation of the converter, a load device that receives supply of direct-current power from the converter and operates, a rotational speed detector that detects a rotational speed of the generator, and a battery electrically connected to the load device and the generator, the vehicle control apparatus being configured to be capable of controlling start of the engine, wherein

• a system controller that overall controls the engine controller, the converter controller, and the converter is provided, and
• the system controller drives, through the converter controller, the generator with a rotational-speed command value smaller than an idling maintenance rotational speed of the engine, and starts, through the engine controller, fuel injection to the engine after an elapse of a predetermined time,
• the converter controller includes a lower limit torque limiter that limits a lower limit value to zero for a torque command that is based on proportional integration control, an input of which is difference information between a generator-rotational-speed command value to the generator and the generator rotational speed, and
• the lower limit torque limiter suppresses a regenerative operation during start of the engine.