Hybrid vehicle, controller for hybrid vehicle, and control method for hybrid vehicle for reducing the compression ratio at start-up of the engine according a battery level

A controller for a hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine, a rotary electric machine, and an electrical storage device,

• the internal combustion engine including a variable valve actuating device configured to change an operation characteristic of an intake valve,
• the rotary electric machine being configured to start up the internal combustion engine, and
• the electrical storage device being configured to store electric power for driving the rotary electric machine,
• the controller comprising:
• first control means for starting up the internal combustion engine;
• and
• second control means for controlling the variable valve actuating device such that at least one of a valve lift of the intake valve and a valve operating angle of the intake valve at start-up of the internal combustion engine when performance of the electrical storage device is in a second state is smaller than the corresponding at least one of the valve lift of the intake valve and the valve operating angle of the intake valve at start-up of the internal combustion engine when the performance of the electrical storage device is in a first state, the performance of the electrical storage device in the second state being more limited than the performance of the electrical storage device in the first state, wherein
• when a process of stopping the internal combustion engine is executed, the second control means is configured to control the variable valve actuating device such that at least one of the valve lift of the intake valve and the valve operating angle of the intake valve when the performance of the electrical storage device is in the second state is smaller than the corresponding at least one of the valve lift of the intake valve and the valve operating angle of the intake valve when the performance of the electrical storage device is in the first state.

A control method for a hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine, a rotary electric machine, an electrical storage device, and a controller,

• the internal combustion engine including a variable valve actuating device configured to change an operation characteristic of an intake valve,
• the rotary electric machine being configured to start up the internal combustion engine,
• the electrical storage device being configured to store electric power for driving the rotary electric machine,
• the control method comprising:
• (A) starting up the internal combustion engine by the controller;
• (B) controlling the variable valve actuating device by the controller such that at least one of a valve lift of the intake valve and a valve operating angle of the intake valve at start-up of the internal combustion engine when performance of the electrical storage device is in a second state is smaller than the corresponding at least one of the valve lift of the intake valve and the valve operating angle of the intake valve at start-up of the internal combustion engine when the performance of the electrical storage device in is a first state, the performance of the electrical storage device in the second state being more limited than the performance of the electrical storage device in the first state;
• and
• (C) when a process of stopping the internal combustion engine is executed, controlling the variable valve actuating device by the controller such that at least one of the valve lift of the intake valve and the valve operating angle of the intake valve when the performance of the electrical storage device is in the second state is smaller than the corresponding at least one of the valve lift of the intake valve and the valve operating angle of the intake valve when the performance of the electrical storage device is in the first state.

A hybrid vehicle comprising:

• an internal combustion engine including a variable valve actuating device configured to change an operation characteristic of an intake valve;
• a rotary electric machine configured to start up the internal combustion engine;
• an electrical storage device configured to store electric power for driving the rotary electric machine;
• and
• a controller configured to control the variable valve actuating device such that at least one of a valve lift of the intake valve and a valve operating angle of the intake valve at start-up of the internal combustion engine when performance of the electrical storage device in a second state is smaller than the corresponding at least one of the valve lift of the intake valve and the valve operating angle of the intake valve at start-up of the internal combustion engine when the performance of the electrical storage device is in a first state, the performance of the electrical storage device in the second state being more limited than the performance of the electrical storage device in the first state, wherein
• the variable valve actuating device is configured to change the operation characteristic of the intake valve to any one of a first characteristic, a second characteristic and a third characteristic,
• when the performance of the electrical storage device is in the second state, the controller is configured to control the variable valve actuating device such that the operation characteristic of the intake valve at start-up of the internal combustion engine is set to one of the first characteristic and the second characteristic, and
• when the performance of the electrical storage device is in the first state, the controller is configured to control the variable valve actuating device such that the operation characteristic of the intake valve at start-up of the internal combustion engine is set to the third characteristic, at least one of the valve lift of the intake valve and the valve operating angle of the intake valve in the second characteristic is larger than the corresponding at least one of the valve lift of the intake valve and the valve operating angle of the intake valve in the first characteristic, and at least one of the valve lift of the intake valve and the valve operating angle of the intake valve in the third characteristic is larger than the corresponding at least one of the valve lift of the intake valve and the valve operating angle of the intake valve in the second characteristic.

A hybrid vehicle comprising:

• an internal combustion engine including a variable valve actuating device configured to change an operation characteristic of an intake valve;
• a rotary electric machine configured to start up the internal combustion engine;
• an electrical storage device configured to store electric power for driving the rotary electric machine;
• and
• a controller configured to control the variable valve actuating device such that at least one of a valve lift of the intake valve and a valve operating angle of the intake valve at start-up of the internal combustion engine when performance of the electrical storage device is in a second state is smaller than the corresponding at least one of the valve lift of the intake valve and the valve operating angle of the intake valve at start-up of the internal combustion engine when the performance of the electrical storage device is in a first state, the performance of the electrical storage device in the second state being more limited than the performance of the electrical storage device in the first state, wherein
• when the internal combustion engine is in a warm state, the controller is configured to control the variable valve actuating device such that at least one of the valve lift of the intake valve and the valve operating angle of the intake valve at start-up of the internal combustion engine when the performance of the electrical storage device is in the second state is equal to the corresponding at least one of the valve lift of the intake valve and the valve operating angle of the intake valve at start-up of the internal combustion engine when the performance of the electrical storage device is in the first state.