Power output apparatus and hybrid vehicle equipped with the same
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorYoshiaki Kikuchi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
During an operation of an engine, an input limit Swin and an output limit Swout of a battery are set to a power demand-based input limit Wp*, which depends on a power demand P*, and to an accelerator opening-based output limit Wacc, which depends on an accelerator opening Acc (steps S400 to S420). This control technique effectively prevents the battery from being frequently charged or discharged to a relatively high level of electric power within an allowable electric power range defined by the reference input limit Bwin and the reference output limit Bwout, thus restraining premature deterioration of the battery.
Claims17
A power output apparatus that outputs power to a drive shaft, said power output apparatus comprising:
- an internal combustion engine;
- a power conversion mechanism that converts at least part of output power of the internal combustion engine into electric power;
- a motor that outputs power to the drive shaft;
- an accumulator unit that transmits electric power to and from the power conversion mechanism and the motor;
- an input output limit setting module that sets at least either of an input limit and an output limit of the accumulator unit, as a lower limit and an upper limit of an allowable electric power range input from and output to the accumulator unit, based on an operation or a stop of the internal combustion engine, the limit setting occurring after a determination is made as to whether the engine is operating or stopped;
- a power demand specification module that specifies a power demand to be output to the drive shaft;
- and
- a control module that controls the internal combustion engine, the power conversion mechanism, and the motor to output a required power corresponding to the specified power demand to the drive shaft while keeping the input from and the output to the accumulator unit within the input limit and the output limit of the accumulator unit,
- wherein said input output limit setting module sets at least either of the input limit and the output limit to narrow the allowable electric power range during an operation of the internal combustion engine, compared with the allowable electric power range during a stop of the internal combustion engine.
A control method of a power output apparatus, which includes an internal combustion engine, a power conversion mechanism that converts at least part of output power of the internal combustion engine into electric power, a motor that outputs power to a drive shaft, and an accumulator unit that transmits electric power to and from the power conversion mechanism and the motor,
- said control method comprising the steps of:
- (a) setting at least either of an input limit and an output limit of the accumulator unit, as a lower limit and an upper limit of an allowable electric power range input from and output to the accumulator unit, based on an operation or a stop of the internal combustion engine;
- (b) specifying a power demand to be output to the drive shaft;
- and
- (c) controlling the internal combustion engine, the power conversion mechanism, and the motor to output a required power corresponding to the specified power demand to the drive shaft while keeping the input from and the output to the accumulator unit within the input limit and the output limit of the accumulator unit,
- wherein the setting step occurs after a determination is made as to whether the engine is operating or stopped.
A hybrid vehicle having an axle linked to a drive shaft, said hybrid vehicle comprising:
- an internal combustion engine;
- a power conversion mechanism that converts at least part of output power of the internal combustion engine into electric power;
- a motor that outputs power to the drive shaft;
- an accumulator unit that transmits electric power to and from the power conversion mechanism and the motor;
- an input output limit setting module that sets at least either of an input limit and an output limit of the accumulator unit, as a lower limit and an upper limit of an allowable electric power range input from and output to the accumulator unit, based on an operation or a stop of the internal combustion engine, the limit setting occurring after a determination is made as to whether the engine is operating or stopped;
- a power demand specification module that specifies a power demand to be output to the drive shaft;
- and
- a control module that controls the internal combustion engine, the power conversion mechanism, and the motor to output a required power corresponding to the specified power demand to the drive shaft while keeping the input from and the output to the accumulator unit within the input limit and the output limit of the accumulator unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.