Vehicle power generation control device

Abstract

This invention proposes a vehicle power generation control device with auxiliary power, applied to a vehicle. The vehicle power generation control device includes an engine, a starter generator (ISG) connected to the engine, a battery, a throttle sensor, a speed sensor, and a control device. The control device receives a throttle opening signal detected by the throttle sensor and an engine speed signal detected by the speed sensor. After the engine is started by the starter generator, the control device executes a voltage regulation mechanism based on the throttle opening signal and the engine speed signal to determine a target voltage for the battery. The target voltage changes from a first target voltage through a first transition voltage to a second target voltage, avoiding a direct change in the battery's target voltage from the first target voltage to the second target voltage. This prevents the vehicle from experiencing a jerking sensation when the engine power increases, thus improving the riding experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a vehicle power generation control device, and more particularly to a vehicle power generation control device that can smoothly change the output power. Prior Technology

[0002] Invention patent TW I762796 discloses a "smart power generation control system" that provides multiple riding modes, including acceleration mode, cruise mode, idle mode and deceleration mode, and sets a corresponding target voltage for each different riding mode, and each target voltage is a fixed value.

[0003] Taking the acceleration mode in the prior art as an example, its target voltage is fixed at 12V (volts) and cannot be moderately adjusted; the target voltage of the cruise mode is 13V, the target voltage of the idle mode is 14V, and the target voltage of the deceleration mode is 14.5V.

[0004] When a motorcycle switches between different riding modes, such as from idle mode to acceleration mode, the target voltage changes directly from 14V to 12V. This drastic change in target voltage will directly cause a significant drop in the power of the vehicle's engine. Users will feel a significant jerk or sudden lurch when riding the motorcycle, which not only results in a poor riding experience but may also lead to driving accidents. Summary of the Invention

[0005] [The technical problem that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] To address the problem of vehicle jerking caused by discontinuous power supply due to significant differences between different target voltages, this invention proposes a "vehicle power generation control device".

[0007] [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0008] The vehicle power generation control device of the present invention includes: One engine; An independent starter generator (ISG) is connected to the engine; A battery is electrically connected to the starter / generator motor; A throttle sensor detects the throttle opening of the vehicle and generates a throttle opening signal; A speed sensor detects the engine's speed and generates an engine speed signal; A control device is connected to the throttle sensor and the speed sensor, receiving the throttle opening signal detected by the throttle sensor and the engine speed signal detected by the speed sensor; When the engine is started by the starter generator, the control device executes a voltage regulation mechanism based on the throttle opening signal and the engine speed signal to determine a target voltage for the battery. The target voltage includes a first target voltage, a first transition voltage, and a change to a second target voltage. The voltage level of the first transition voltage gradually changes from a first voltage level of the first target voltage to a second voltage level of the second target voltage.

[0009] [Benefits of the Invention]

[0010] When the control device executes the voltage regulation mechanism, if it determines that the target voltage of the battery needs to be changed based on the throttle opening signal and the engine speed signal, it can first change from the original first target voltage through the first transition voltage, and then to the second target voltage. Because the target voltage of the battery does not directly change from the first voltage level to the second voltage level, but instead passes through the first transition voltage as a buffer, the problem of vehicle jerking when engine power increases can be avoided. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0011] Figure 1: Block diagram of the first embodiment of the vehicle power generation control device of the present invention. Figure 2: Block diagram of the second embodiment of the vehicle power generation control device of the present invention. Figure 3: Block diagram of the third embodiment of the vehicle power generation control device of the present invention. Figure 4: Block diagram of the fourth embodiment of the vehicle power generation control device of the present invention. Figure 5: Relationship between the first to third target voltages and engine power curves of this invention. Implementation

[0012] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle power generation control device of the present invention is used in a vehicle, particularly a locomotive, which has an engine 10. According to a first embodiment of the vehicle power generation control device, it includes an integrated starter generator (ISG) 20, a control device 30, a battery 40, a throttle sensor 51, and a speed sensor (e.g., an ISG speed sensor 52 and / or an engine speed sensor 53). As shown in Figure 2, for example, in some vehicles, a driving mode selection switch 60 may also be included.

[0013] The engine 10 provides power to the vehicle, and the starter-generator 20 is connected to the engine 10 and can be used to start the engine 10 and generate a charging current to charge the battery 40. In one embodiment, the starter-generator 20 is mounted on one side of the engine 10, while a continuously variable transmission (CVT) is mounted on the opposite side of the engine 10.

[0014] The battery 40 serves as the vehicle's power source. The voltage output by the control device 30 to the battery 40 is considered as a target voltage Vt. For example, if the full-load voltage of the battery 40 is 12V, setting the target voltage Vt to be greater than 12V indicates that the battery 40 is being charged.

[0015] The throttle sensor 51 detects the current throttle opening (deg) of the vehicle and generates a throttle opening signal S1.

[0016] The ISG speed sensor 52 and the engine speed sensor 53 can be composed of a Hall sensor, used to sense the speed of the engine 10. The ISG speed sensor 52 detects the speed of the starter / generator 20 during operation and generates an engine speed signal S2. Since the starter / generator 20 is connected to the engine 10, the signal measured by the ISG speed sensor 52 can be regarded as the speed of the engine 10. In other embodiments, the engine speed sensor 53 can directly sense the speed of the engine 10 and generate an engine speed signal S2, and provide the engine speed signal S2 to the control device 30. In this invention, the source of the engine speed signal S2 can be either the ISG speed sensor 52 or the engine speed sensor 53.

[0017] The control device 30 receives the throttle opening signal S1 and the engine speed signal S2. In the embodiment of FIG1A, the control device 30 includes an electronic control unit (ECU) 31 and an ISG controller 32. The ECU 31 and the ISG controller 32 are two independent devices and are respectively mounted on different circuit boards P. The ECU 31 and the ISG controller 32 communicate with each other, for example, by transmitting data through K-LINE or CAN, SPI, I2C, UART and other buses. In this embodiment, the ECU 31 is connected to the engine speed sensor 53 and the ISG controller 32 is connected to the ISG speed sensor 52.

[0018] The driving mode selection switch 60 is operated by the user to determine the vehicle's driving power. For example, the user can manually switch between "normal driving mode" and "power driving mode". Compared with the normal driving mode, the power driving mode can give the user a more obvious acceleration when operating the vehicle.

[0019] As shown in Figure 3, this is the third embodiment of the vehicle power generation control device of the present invention. The difference between this embodiment and the first and second embodiments is that although the electronic control unit 31 and the ISG controller 32 in this control device 30 are two independent devices, they are set on the same circuit board P.

[0020] As shown in Figure 4, this is the fourth embodiment of the vehicle power generation control device of the present invention. The difference from the first and second embodiments is that the electronic control unit 31 and the ISG controller 32 in the control device 30 are integrated into a single controller and are mounted on the same circuit board P.

[0021] The control device 30 of the present invention executes a voltage regulation mechanism based on the throttle opening signal S1 and the engine speed signal S2 to determine the target voltage Vt of the battery 40. In one embodiment, the target voltage Vt at different voltage levels can correspond to different operating modes of the vehicle, such as a recharge mode, an acceleration mode, a cruise mode, etc. In different operating modes, the engine 10 will have different power performance. In another embodiment, under the same operating mode, the target voltage Vt at different voltage levels can also be set in a more refined manner, so that the vehicle has better performance in that operating mode.

[0022] For different target voltages Vt, one method involves pre-establishing a relationship lookup table based on engine speed (rpm) and throttle opening (deg) (as shown in the table below). During vehicle operation, the control device 30 consults this lookup table based on the currently detected throttle opening signal S1 and engine speed signal S2 to determine the corresponding target voltage Vt. For example, the engine speed can be between 1200 and 12000 rpm, and the throttle opening can be between 0 and 80 degrees. If the battery's full-load voltage is 12V, the target voltage Vt can be set to a value between 12.5 and 14.5V based on the corresponding engine speed (rpm) and throttle opening (deg). However, how to determine the corresponding target voltage Vt for different operating modes is not a key technical feature of this invention and will not be elaborated upon further. Engine speed (rpm) 1200 1600 2000 5000 7000 9000 11000 12000 Oil Valve Opening Degree (deg) 10 Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt 15 Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt 30 Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt 45 Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt 60 Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt 80 Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt Vt

[0023] Please refer to the example shown in Figure 5 to illustrate how to change different target voltages Vt. When the control device 30 executes the voltage regulation mechanism, the set target voltage Vt is first a first target voltage Vt1, then undergoes a first transition voltage Vtr1, and then changes from the first transition voltage Vtr1 to a second target voltage Vt2. In one embodiment, the ISG controller 32 in the control device 30 controls the target voltage Vt and the first transition voltage Vtr1 of the battery 40. The first target voltage Vt1 has a first voltage level V1, and the second target voltage Vt2 has a second voltage level V2. In this example, the first voltage level V1 is greater than the second voltage level V2, and the difference is approximately 1 volt. The first transition voltage Vtr1 exists between the first target voltage Vt1 and the second target voltage Vt2, and the voltage level of the first transition voltage Vtr1 gradually changes from the first voltage level V1 to the second voltage level V2.

[0024] In the example of Figure 5, the first transition voltage Vtr1 linearly and gradually changes from the first voltage level V1 to the second voltage level V2 according to a first slope. This first slope is negative, but is not limited to linear change; for example, the first transition voltage Vtr1 can change non-linearly. Because the first transition voltage Vtr1 prevents the target voltage Vt of the battery 40 from dropping directly from the first voltage level V1 to the second voltage level V2, it avoids a jerking sensation in the vehicle when the engine 10's power increases. In a preferred embodiment, the absolute value of the change in the first slope ΔV1 / ΔT1 per unit time is no greater than 2 volts per second (2V / second).

[0025] The control device 30 can further be configured such that the target voltage Vt is formed by the second target voltage Vt2 first undergoing a second transition voltage Vtr2, and then changing from the second transition voltage Vtr2 to a third target voltage Vt3. The third target voltage Vt3 has a third voltage level V3, which in this example is greater than the second voltage level V2. There is a second transition voltage Vtr2 between the second target voltage Vt2 and the third target voltage Vt3. The voltage level of the second transition voltage Vtr2 gradually changes from the second voltage level V2 to the third voltage level V3. The third voltage level V3 can be the same as or different from the first voltage level V1.

[0026] The second transition voltage Vtr2 linearly and gradually changes from the second voltage level V2 to the third voltage level V3 according to a second slope. This second slope is positive, but not limited to linear change; for example, the second transition voltage Vtr2 can change non-linearly. This is because the second transition voltage Vtr2 prevents the target voltage Vt of the battery 40 from directly increasing from the second voltage level V2 to the third voltage level V3, thus avoiding a jerking sensation in the vehicle when the engine 10's power decreases. In a preferred embodiment, the absolute value of the change in the second slope ΔV2 / ΔT2 per unit time is no greater than 2 volts per second (2V / second).

[0027] Although the above description only uses the first target voltage Vt1 to the third target voltage Vt3, more target voltages Vt at different voltage levels can be formulated according to vehicle requirements. When changing different target voltages Vt, a transition voltage Vtr is used to avoid direct changes in the target voltages Vt at different voltage levels. The slope of the transition voltage Vtr does not have to be equal.

[0028] In summary, the control device of the present invention executes a voltage regulation mechanism based on a throttle opening signal and an engine speed signal to determine a target voltage for the battery. The target voltage may include a first target voltage, a transition voltage, and a second target voltage. The voltage level of the transition voltage gradually changes from the first voltage level of the first target voltage to the second voltage level of the second target voltage. This avoids direct changes in target voltages at different voltage levels, prevents sudden increases or decreases in target voltage, and avoids jerking sensations in the vehicle when engine power increases or decreases.

[0029] 10: Engine 20: Start the generator 30: Control device 31: Electronic Control Unit 32: ISG controller 40: Battery 51: Throttle Sensor 52: ISG speed sensor 53: Engine RPM Sensor 60: Driving mode selection switch P: Circuit board Vt: Target voltage Vt1: First target voltage Vt2: Second target voltage Vt3: Third target voltage V1: First voltage level V2: Second voltage level V3: Third voltage level Vtr1: First transition voltage Vtr2: Second transition voltage S1: Throttle opening signal S2: Engine speed signal

Claims

1. A vehicle power generation control device, comprising: an engine; a starter generator (ISG) connected to the engine; a battery electrically connected to the ISG; a throttle sensor for detecting a throttle opening of a vehicle and generating a throttle opening signal; a speed sensor for detecting a speed of the engine and generating an engine speed signal; and a control device connected to the throttle sensor and the speed sensor, receiving the throttle opening signal detected by the throttle sensor and receiving the engine speed signal detected by the speed sensor; wherein, After the engine is started by the starter-generator, the control device executes a voltage regulation mechanism based on the throttle opening signal and the engine speed signal to determine a target voltage for the battery. The target voltage includes a first target voltage, a first transition voltage, and a change to a second target voltage, and a change to a third target voltage, both of which involve the second target voltage passing through a second transition voltage. The voltage level of the first transition voltage gradually changes from a first voltage level of the first target voltage to a second voltage level of the second target voltage, and the voltage level of the second transition voltage gradually changes from the second voltage level of the second target voltage to a third voltage level of the third target voltage. The first transition voltage is a voltage that changes linearly according to a first slope, and the second transition voltage is a voltage that changes linearly according to a second slope.

2. The vehicle power generation control device as described in claim 1, wherein, The absolute value of the change in the first slope per unit time is no greater than 2 volts per second.

3. The vehicle power generation control device as described in claim 1, wherein, The absolute value of the change in the second slope per unit time is no greater than 2 volts per second.

4. The vehicle power generation control device as described in claim 1, wherein, The second slope is different from the first slope.

5. The vehicle power generation control device as described in claim 1, wherein, The control device includes an electronic control unit and an ISG controller. The ISG controller is communicatively connected to the electronic control unit and is respectively mounted on different circuit boards. The ISG controller is responsible for executing the voltage regulation mechanism.

6. The vehicle power generation control device as described in claim 1, wherein, The control device includes an electronic control unit and an ISG controller. The ISG controller is communicatively connected to the electronic control unit and is mounted on the same circuit board. The ISG controller is responsible for executing the voltage regulation mechanism.

7. The vehicle power generation control device as described in claim 1, wherein, The control device includes an electronic control unit and an ISG controller. The ISG controller is integrated with the electronic control unit into a single controller and is mounted on a circuit board. The ISG controller is responsible for executing the voltage regulation mechanism.

8. The vehicle power generation control device as described in claim 1, wherein, The speed sensor is an ISG speed sensor used to sense the speed of the starter generator motor during operation and generate the engine speed signal.

9. The vehicle power generation control device as described in claim 1, wherein, The speed sensor is an engine speed sensor used to sense the engine speed and generate an engine speed signal.

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