Control unit and method which vary the output voltage of an AC generator based on a detected duty ratio
AssigneeMitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorHirofumi Watanabe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
To improve charging efficiency of a storage battery and extend the service life of each of vehicle laps, the output voltage of a generator is adjusted to a first voltage value (13.5 V, for example) without grounding a voltage dividing point B when the duty ratio for turning on or off a field current detected by a detector is lower than a predetermined value and to a second voltage value (14.5 V, for example) by grounding the point B when the detected duty ratio is higher than the predetermined value.
Claims8
A control unit for an AC generator which provides power to a battery, the AC generator having a field current running through a field coil and an output voltage adjusted by duty-controlling the field current according to a rectified output voltage of the AC generator, the control unit comprising:
- means for switching, in response to a duty ratio of the field current of the AC generator being not higher than a predetermined duty ratio, the output voltage of the AC generator to a first regulated voltage value when a lamp load is applied to the battery;
- means for switching, in response to a duty ratio of the field current of the AC generator being higher than the predetermined duty ratio, the output voltage of the AC generator to a second regulated voltage value higher than the first regulated voltage value when the lamp load is applied to the battery;
- and
- means for switching the output voltage of the AC generator to the second regulated voltage value without regard to the duty ratio of the field current of the AC generator when the lamp load is not applied to the battery.
A control unit for an AC generator which provides power to a battery, the AC generator having a field current running through a field coil and an output voltage adjusted by duty-controlling the field current according to a rectified output voltage of the AC generator, the control unit comprising:
- means for switching the output voltage of the AC generator to a first regulated voltage value in response to a duty ratio of the field current being lower than a predetermined duty ratio;
- and
- means for switching the output voltage of the AC generator to a second regulated voltage value higher than the first regulated voltage value in response to the duty ratio being higher than the predetermined duty ratio.
A method for controlling an AC generator which provides power to a battery, the AC generator having a field current running through a field coil and an output voltage adjusted by duty-controlling the field current according to a rectified output voltage of the AC generator, the method comprising the steps of:
- switching, in response to a duty ratio of the field current of the AC generator being not higher than a predetermined duty ratio, the output voltage of the AC generator to a first regulated voltage value when a lamp load is applied to the battery;
- switching, in response to a duty ratio of the field current of the AC generator being higher than the predetermined duty ratio, the output voltage of the AC generator to a second regulated voltage value higher than the first regulated voltage value when the lamp load is applied to the battery;
- and
- switching the output voltage of the AC generator to the second regulated voltage value without regard to the duty ratio of the field current of the AC generator when the lamp load is not applied to the battery.
A method for controlling an AC generator which provides power to a battery, the AC generator having a field current running through a field coil and an output voltage adjusted by duty-controlling the field current according to a rectified output voltage of the AC generator, the method comprising the steps of:
- switching the output voltage of the AC generator to a first regulated voltage value in response to a duty ratio of the field current being lower than a predetermined duty ratio;
- and
- switching the output voltage of the AC generator to a second regulated voltage value higher than the first regulated voltage value in response to the duty ratio being higher than the predetermined duty ratio.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.