Vehicle and method of controlling vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle is equipped with an electric storage device, a drive motor, an auxiliary that can be driven by a regenerative electric power, and a control unit. The control unit performs a non-chargeable control for causing the auxiliary to consume the regenerative electric power when the electric storage device is in a non-chargeable state, and performs a specific maneuver control for causing the auxiliary to consume the regenerative electric power even when the electric storage device is in a chargeable state in the case where an operational maneuver for making a change to an operation mode in which a larger amount of the regenerative electric power is generated is performed with the regenerative electric power generated.

Description

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE[0001]The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-201649 filed on Oct. 18, 2017 including the specification, drawings and abstract is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND1. Technical Field[0002]The disclosure relates to a vehicle and a method of controlling the vehicle.2. Description of Related Art[0003]In a fuel cell vehicle which is mounted with a fuel cell, a regenerative electric power is generated in a drive motor of the vehicle at the time of deceleration or the like of the vehicle. This regenerative electric power is generally used to charge a secondary battery or the like with which the fuel cell is mounted, so the energy efficiency in the fuel cell vehicle is enhanced. In some cases, however, the secondary battery cannot be charged, for example, when the remaining capacity (SOC) of the secondary battery is equal to or larger than a reference value. In this case, conventionally, an air compressor or the like with wh...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]According to the vehicle in this aspect of the disclosure, when the operational maneuver for making a change to the operation mode in which a larger amount of the regenerative electric power is generated is performed with the regenerative electric power generated, the auxiliary is caused to consume the regenerative electric power in accordance with the operational maneuver. Therefore, the increase in driving noise of the auxiliary for consuming the regenerative electric power is concomitant with the aforementioned operational maneuver performed by the user of the vehicle. As a result, the feeling of strangeness imparted to the user by the increase in driving noise of the auxiliary resulting from the consumption of the regenerative electric power can be reduced.

[0011]According to the vehicle in this aspect of the disclosure, the accuracy in estimating whether or not the electric storage device is in the non-chargeable state can be further enhanced.

[0013]According to the vehicle in this aspect of the disclosure, even when the first auxiliary generates a relatively loud driving noise in performing the specific maneuver control, the generation of this driving noise is concomitant with the operational maneuver for making a change to the operation mode in which a larger amount of the regenerative electric power is generated. Therefore, the user can be restrained from developing a feeling of strangeness. Besides, in the case where the second auxiliary as well as the first auxiliary is used to consume the regenerative electric power, even when the generation of driving noise of the second auxiliary is not concomitant with the aforementioned operational maneuver, the user can be restrained from developing a feeling of strangeness, because the driving noise of the second auxiliary is relatively quiet.

[0015]According to the vehicle in this aspect of the disclosure, when the second auxiliary alone cannot consume the regenerative electric power in performing the non-chargeable control, the first auxiliary as well as the second auxiliary is used to consume the regenerative electric power. Therefore, the driving noise of the auxiliaries resulting from the consumption of the regenerative electric power by the auxiliaries can be abated, and the user can be restrained from developing a feeling of strangeness.

Problems solved by technology

In some cases, however, the secondary battery cannot be charged, for example, when the remaining capacity (SOC) of the secondary battery is equal to or larger than a reference value.

In this case, conventionally, an air compressor or the like with which the fuel cell vehicle is mounted is caused to consume the regenerative electric power with which the secondary battery cannot be charged (e.g., see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-218789 (JP 2013-218789 A)).

However, when the above-mentioned control is performed, an auxiliary, for example, the air compressor or the like may start consuming the regenerative electric power all of a sudden, independently of the intention of a user of the fuel cell vehicle.

As a result, the user of the fuel cell vehicle may develop a feeling of strangeness due to driving noise of the air compressor or the like.

Besides, a user of any vehicle that is configured to cause an auxiliary to consume a regenerative electric power with which a secondary battery cannot be charged as well as the fuel cell vehicle may develop a feeling of strangeness due to driving noise of the auxiliary generated at the time of the start of consumption of the regenerative electric power.

Therefore, the increase in driving noise of the auxiliary for consuming the regenerative electric power is concomitant with the aforementioned operational maneuver performed by the user of the vehicle.

According to the vehicle in this aspect of the disclosure, even when the first auxiliary generates a relatively loud driving noise in performing the specific maneuver control, the generation of this driving noise is concomitant with the operational maneuver for making a change to the operation mode in which a larger amount of the regenerative electric power is generated.

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