Engine start control apparatus and engine start control method

An engine start control apparatus for a vehicle having an internal combustion engine and an electric rotating machine connected to a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine, said engine control apparatus operable to control the electric rotating machine to selectively crank the crankshaft, said engine start control apparatus comprising:

• a vehicle operating state sensor to detect the operating state of the vehicle;
• an intake valve sensor to detect the actual closing timing, during cranking, of an intake valve of the internal combustion engine;
• a variable valve timing mechanism capable of varying the opening and closing timings of the intake valve and to set the intake valve at a predetermined closing timing;
• an electronic control unit that sets a predetermined target rotational speed of the internal combustion engine during cranking when the intake valve is at the predetermined closing timing;
• an advance instruction unit that, when the cranking is started, determines an advance amount by which a closing timing of the intake valve in a compression stroke is advanced from a predetermined closing timing toward a bottom dead center to produce a determined advance amount and wherein the advance instruction unit instructs the variable valve timing mechanism to advance the closing timing of the intake valve from the predetermined closing timing by the determined advance amount;
• an abnormality determination unit determines an abnormality in the variable valve timing mechanism if the determined advance amount is larger than 0, and the actual closing timing of the intake valve is not equal to the predetermined closing timing advanced by the determined advance amount;
• and
• an electric rotating machine control unit that controls an output torque of the electric rotating machine when the abnormality determination unit determines that there is an abnormality in the variable valve timing mechanism so that a rotational speed of the electric rotating machine is higher than the predetermined target rotational speed.

An engine start control method for a vehicle having an internal combustion engine and an electric rotating machine connected to a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine, said engine start control method comprising:

• initializing an intake valve of the internal combustion engine by directing a variable valve timing mechanism to set the closing timing of the intake valve to a predetermined closing timing;
• determining an advance amount by which a closing timing of the intake valve of the internal combustion engine in a compression stroke is advanced from the predetermined closing timing toward a bottom dead center, when the cranking is started;
• instructing a variable valve timing mechanism, which varies opening and closing timings of the intake valve, on the determined advance amount;
• determining that there is an abnormality in the variable valve timing mechanism if the determined advance amount is larger than 0, and an actual closing timing of the intake valve, detected during the cranking, is not advanced from the predetermined closing timing;
• and
• when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the variable valve timing mechanism, controlling an output torque of the electric rotating machine so that the output torque of the electric rotating machine is larger than a predetermined initial output torque at the time when the determined advance amount is 0.

An engine start control method that starts an internal combustion engine in such a manner that an electric rotating machine is driven for cranking a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine, comprising:

• initializing an intake valve of the internal combustion engine by directing a variable valve timing mechanism to set the closing timing of the intake valve to a predetermined closing timing;
• determining an advance amount by which a closing timing of the intake valve of the internal combustion engine in a compression stroke is advanced from the predetermined closing timing toward a bottom dead center, when the cranking is started;
• instructing a variable valve timing mechanism, which varies opening and closing timings of the intake valve, on the determined advance amount;
• determining that there is an abnormality in the variable valve timing mechanism if the determined advance amount is larger than 0, and an actual closing timing of the intake valve, detected during the cranking, is not advanced from the predetermined closing timing;
• and
• when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the variable valve timing mechanism, controlling an output torque of the electric rotating machine so that a rotational speed of the electric rotating machine is higher than a predetermined target rotational speed at the time when it is determined that there is no abnormality in the variable valve timing mechanism.