US 7,407,025 B2Granted

Power unit for automobile

AssigneeMitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsTakahiro Urakabe, Tatsuya Okuda, Yoshikazu Tsunoda

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Abstract

This invention provides a power unit for an automobile including a motor 6 for starting an engine by transmitting a power thereto and generating a power by receiving a power from the engine during rotation thereof, a power converting circuit 5 for transmitting a power to the motor 6, a battery 1, an energy storing source 20 for storing energy, and a DC/DC converter including at least two switching elements 10, 11, charging the energy storing source 20, and recovering energy in the energy storing source 20 to the battery 1. Since the switch provided in the DC/DC converter is normally turned on when the motor 6 generates power by receiving a power from the engine and charges the battery 1 through the power converting circuit 5 and the DC/DC converter, generation of heat from the DC/DC converter circuit part can be suppressed greatly.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An automobile power unit comprising:

an engine;
a motor that transmits a dynamic force to the engine and starts the engine, and
that receives a dynamic force of the engine during rotation of the engine and generates a power;
a power conversion circuit that has at least two DC voltage input/output terminals and transmits a power to the motor;
a battery that is connected to the power conversion circuit;
an energy storage source that is connected in series to the battery and stores energy;
and
a DC/DC converter that is composed of at least two switching elements, that
charges the energy storage source by boosting a voltage of the energy storage source,
and that recovers energy in the energy storage source to the battery by lowering a voltage of the energy storage source,
wherein the switching elements of the DC/DC converter connect a high-voltage-side of the DC voltage input/output terminal of the power conversion circuit to a high-voltage-side terminal of the battery;
wherein when the motor receives a dynamic force of the engine, generates a power, and charges the battery through the power conversion circuit and the DC/DC converter, the switching elements provided in the DC/DC converter are constantly turned on;
and
wherein after the engine has been started by the motor and before the power generation is carried out, the DC/DC converter operates the energy storage source in a voltage-lowerihg manner and recovers energy stored in the energy storage source to the battery.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/538,653Filed 18 Sep 2003
Priority: JP 2002-36366416 Dec 2002
Published: US 2006/0048983 A19 Mar 2006
Granted: 5 Aug 2008
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

F02N 11/04
Starting of engines by means of electric motors: the motors being associated with current generators
F02N 11/0866
Characterised by the electrical power supply means, e.g. battery: comprising several power sources, e.g. battery and capacitor or two batteries
H02J 7/345
Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other DC sources, e.g. providing buffering: using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
F02N 11/10
Starting of engines by means of electric motors: safety devices

Family

US 2006/0048983 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Mar 2006
US 7,407,025 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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