Vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicle which can determine whether a vehicle is immersed in water.SOLUTION: A vehicle comprises: an engine which is mounted in an engine room; an engine fan which is arranged in the engine room; and a fan control unit which controls driving power supplied to the engine fan. The fan control unit controls the driving power supplied to the engine fan so that the engine fan rotates at a target rotation speed and includes a water immersion determination unit which determines, when the driving power supplied to the engine fan so as to rotate the engine fan at the target rotation speed is increased over an amount of change defined in advance, that the vehicle is immersed in water.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to vehicles. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a vehicle equipped with a first detection sensor that detects the presence of water at a water level that reaches below the engine, at the height of the oil pan, and a second detection sensor that detects the presence of water at the height of the top of the engine's cylinder block, lower than the inlet for supplying wind from driving to the engine.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a vehicle that uses an on-board camera to acquire a three-dimensional image of the area in front of the vehicle, including the submerged areas, and estimates the water depth of the submerged areas by comparing the image with three-dimensional map data.

[0004] Patent document 3 discloses a vehicle equipped with a driving data acquisition unit that acquires actual acceleration acting in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle as detected by an acceleration sensor, and a judgment unit that calculates theoretical acceleration, which is the theoretical acceleration acting in the fore-and-aft direction of a vehicle traveling on a non-flooded road surface, and determines whether the vehicle's driving position is a flooded point or not based on the difference between the actual acceleration and the theoretical acceleration. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-64792 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2018-203042 A [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2021-20574 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to use a dedicated sensor to determine whether the vehicle is submerged in water. In the vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 2, it is necessary to compare a three-dimensional image of the area in front of the vehicle acquired by a camera with three-dimensional map data, and this image processing and comparison imposes a large load. In the vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 3, it is necessary to acquire actual acceleration, and it is not possible to determine whether the vehicle is submerged in water unless the vehicle is actually traveling.

[0007] In view of the above, an object of at least one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a vehicle that is capable of determining whether the vehicle is submerged in water. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) A vehicle according to at least one embodiment of the present invention includes an engine installed in an engine room, an engine fan installed in the engine room, and a fan control unit that controls the driving force supplied to the engine fan, wherein the fan control unit controls the driving force supplied to the engine fan so that the engine fan rotates at a target rotation speed, and includes a water inundation determination unit that determines that the vehicle is submerged in water when the driving force supplied to the engine fan so that the engine fan rotates at the target rotation speed increases beyond a predetermined amount of change.

[0009] According to the above configuration (1), it is possible to determine whether the vehicle is submerged in water.

[0010] (2) In some embodiments, in the configuration of (1) above, the flooding determination unit has a water surface estimation unit that estimates the height of the water surface around the vehicle based on an increase in driving force supplied to the engine fan so that the engine fan rotates at a target rotation speed.

[0011] According to the above configuration (2), in addition to determining whether the vehicle is submerged in water, the height of the water surface can also be estimated.

[0012] (3) In some embodiments, in the configuration of (1) or (2) above, a temperature sensor is provided that measures the temperature of the engine, and the water submersion determination unit determines that the vehicle is submerged in water when the driving force supplied to the engine fan so as to rotate the engine fan at a target rotation speed increases beyond a predetermined change amount, and then the temperature of the engine drops within a predetermined confirmation period.

[0013] The driving force required to rotate the engine fan at the target rotation speed increases not only when the engine fan is submerged in water but also when a foreign object gets caught in the engine fan. However, the configuration described in (3) above eliminates the increase in driving force caused by a foreign object getting caught in the engine fan, making it possible to more reliably determine whether the vehicle is submerged in water.

[0014] (4) In some embodiments, in the configuration of (2) above, the engine room is located at the front of the vehicle, and an opening is provided at the front of the vehicle to introduce wind generated by running into the engine room, and a shutter is provided at the opening to open and close the opening, and a shutter control unit is provided to close the shutter when the water level estimation unit estimates that the height of the water level is equal to or higher than a predetermined first threshold value.

[0015] According to the above configuration (4), when it is estimated that water will enter the exhaust pipe from the exhaust pipe outlet, the engine exhaust flow rate is increased, thereby making it possible to suppress the intrusion of water from the exhaust pipe.

[0016] (5) In some embodiments, the configuration of (2) above further includes an engine control unit that controls the engine and an exhaust pipe that discharges exhaust gas from the engine to the outside, and the engine control unit increases the exhaust flow rate of the engine when the water level estimation unit estimates that the height of the water level is equal to or greater than a predetermined second threshold value.

[0017] According to the above configuration (5), when it is estimated that the water level is high, the shutter control section closes the shutter, thereby making it possible to prevent water from entering the engine compartment through the opening.

[0018] (6) In some embodiments, in the configuration of (2) above, an engine control unit controls the engine, a drive motor supplies driving force to wheels of the vehicle, and a drive battery supplies power to the drive motor, and when the water level estimation unit estimates that the height of the water level is equal to or higher than a predetermined third threshold, the engine control unit stops the engine and drives the vehicle using the drive motor.

[0019] According to the above configuration (6), the engine is stopped when it is estimated that the water level is high, so that it is possible to suppress the engine from sucking in water.

[0020] (7) In some embodiments, in the configuration of (4) above, the outlet of the exhaust pipe that discharges exhaust gas from the engine to the outside opens at the rear of the vehicle and is equipped with an angle sensor that detects the fore-and-aft angle of the vehicle with respect to a horizontal plane, and the water inundation determination unit corrects the relative position of the water surface to be higher with respect to the first threshold value when the vehicle is at or above a first angle at which the front of the vehicle is tilted downward by a predetermined amount.

[0021] When the vehicle is tilted so that the front is raised, even if the water level is lower than the exhaust pipe outlet, the height of the exhaust pipe outlet decreases when the vehicle is tilted so that the front is raised, so there is a risk of water entering the exhaust pipe. According to the configuration of (7) above, when the vehicle is tilted so that the front is raised at a first angle or more, the water level is corrected to be higher, so it becomes easier to determine that water will enter the exhaust pipe from the exhaust pipe outlet, and the engine exhaust flow rate is easier to increase, making it possible to more reliably suppress water entering the exhaust pipe.

[0022] (8) In some embodiments, the configuration of (6) above is provided with an angle sensor that detects the fore-and-aft angle of the vehicle relative to a horizontal plane, and the water inundation determination unit corrects the relative position of the water surface to be higher with respect to the second threshold value when the vehicle is at or above a second angle at which the front of the vehicle rises to a predetermined value.

[0023] When the vehicle is tilted downward at the front, there is a risk of water entering the engine room even if the water level is lower than the opening. According to the configuration of (8) above, when the vehicle is tilted downward at the second angle or more, the water level is corrected to be higher, making it easier to determine that water will enter the engine room and easier to close the shutter, thereby making it possible to prevent water from entering the engine room through the opening. Effect of the Invention

[0024] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to determine that a vehicle has been submerged in water. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic mechanical configuration of a vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of the vehicle illustrated in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotation speed and the duty ratio of an engine fan. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of a vehicle according to a second embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a schematic mechanical configuration of a vehicle according to a third embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of the vehicle illustrated in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the relative position of the water surface with respect to a submerged vehicle and the position of the vehicle's engine, which is tilted downward toward the front. [Figure 8] 1 is a diagram showing the relative position of the water surface with respect to a submerged vehicle and the position of the vehicle's exhaust pipe which is raised at the front. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of components described as the embodiments or shown in the drawings are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0027] [Embodiment 1] [Vehicle mechanical configuration] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic mechanical configuration of a vehicle 1A according to embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle 1A according to embodiment 1 includes an engine 2, an engine fan 3 installed in front of the engine 2, and an engine control unit 4A (hereinafter referred to as "engine ECU 4A") that controls the engine 2. The engine fan 3 is installed so as to promote heat dissipation from a radiator 5 installed in front of the engine fan 3.

[0028] The engine 2, the engine fan 3, and the radiator 5 are disposed in an engine room 8 provided at the front of the vehicle 1A. An opening 21 for introducing wind generated by running into the engine room 8 is provided at the front of the vehicle 1A. The radiator 5 is provided behind the opening 21 so that the wind introduced from the opening 21 hits the radiator 5. The engine fan 3 is disposed behind the radiator 5 so as to promote the flow of air hitting the radiator 5. A drive source for supplying a drive force to the engine fan 3 is connected to the engine fan 3. In the first embodiment, the engine fan 3 is an electric fan, and the drive source is an electric motor. Note that the engine fan 3 is not limited to an electric fan, and may be a mechanical fan connected to the drive shaft of the engine 2. In this case, the drive source is the engine 2 or an assist motor (BSG: BELT STARTER GENERETOR) that assists the drive of the engine 2.

[0029] An intake pipe (not shown) that supplies air to the engine 2, and an exhaust pipe 7 that discharges exhaust gas from the engine 2 to the outside are connected to the engine 2. The exhaust pipe 7 extends from the engine 2 under a floor panel (not shown) to the rear of the vehicle 1A, and has an exhaust outlet (opening) formed at its rear end.

[0030] In the first embodiment, the vehicle 1A is a hybrid vehicle and has a drive motor 31 and a battery 32 that supplies power to the drive motor 31. The vehicle 1A is capable of engine running, in which the vehicle runs while the engine 2 is running, and EV running, in which the vehicle runs using the drive motor 31 with the engine 2 stopped.

[0031] [Vehicle control configuration] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the engine ECU 4A is provided with a fan control unit 11 that controls the driving force of the driving source of the engine fan 3. The fan control unit 11 controls the driving force of the driving source so that the engine fan 3 rotates at a target rotation speed. In the first embodiment, the target rotation speed is calculated based on the rotation speed of the engine 2, and the driving force of the electric motor serving as the driving source is controlled by controlling the duty ratio of the PWM wave supplied to the electric motor based on the target rotation speed and the rotation speed (actual value) of the engine fan 3. Note that the control of the driving force of the electric motor is not limited to the control of the duty ratio, and may be the control of the voltage supplied to the electric motor, or the like.

[0032] Also, when the driving source is the engine 2 or the assist motor, the driving force of the engine 2 or the driving force of the assist motor may be controlled. The driving force of the engine 2 includes a driving force for driving the vehicle 1A and an accessory driving force (corresponding to the driving force of the driving source) for driving an accessory such as the engine fan 3, and the sum of the driving force for driving and the accessory driving force is controlled to be a required driving force set based on the accelerator operation of the user. Since the driving force for driving varies depending on the vehicle speed and road surface conditions (gradient, etc.), when the required driving force is constant and the driving state is stable (constant vehicle speed and no road gradient), the change in the driving force of the engine 2 can be considered to be a change in the accessory driving force, that is, a change in the driving force of the driving source. When the engine 2 is operated near the best fuel consumption point and the driving force is less than the target driving force, the assist motor is controlled to output a driving force to compensate for the shortage. In other words, when the required driving force is constant, the running state is stable, and the engine 2 is operated near the best fuel consumption point (the driving force of the engine 2 is constant), the change in the driving force of the assist motor can be considered as a change in the accessory driving force, that is, a change in the driving force of the drive source. The target rotation speed is calculated, for example, by the target rotation speed calculation unit 12 provided in the engine ECU 4A, but is not limited to this.

[0033] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotation speed and the duty ratio of the engine fan 3. LV0 is when the engine fan 3 is not submerged in water, and LV1 to LV3 are when the engine fan 3 is submerged in water, and the water level increases from LV1 to LV3 (the range of the engine fan 3 submerged in water increases). According to this diagram, it can be understood that the duty ratio of the PWM wave increases in proportion to the rotation speed, and when the engine fan 3 is submerged in water, the duty ratio of the PWM wave to the rotation speed increases rapidly. Therefore, when the duty ratio of the PWM wave and the driving force of the driving source increase beyond a predetermined change amount while the target rotation speed of the engine fan 3 does not change, it can be determined that the engine fan 3 is submerged in water. The height of the water level refers to the relative position of the water surface around the vehicle 1A with respect to the vehicle 1A.

[0034] Taking this into consideration, the engine ECU 4A of embodiment 1 is provided with a water inundation determination unit 13 that determines that the vehicle 1A is submerged in water if the duty ratio of the PWM wave increases beyond a predetermined amount of change when the target rotation speed of the engine fan 3 does not change.

[0035] [Vehicle control operation] In the vehicle 1A according to the first embodiment, a target rotation speed of the engine fan 3 corresponding to the rotation speed of the engine 2 is calculated based on the rotation speed of the engine 2, and the fan control unit 11 controls the duty ratio of the PWM wave so that the engine fan 3 rotates at the target rotation speed. Specifically, the rotation speed (actual value) of the engine fan 3 is controlled so as to match the target rotation speed.

[0036] Also, when the engine fan 3 is submerged in water, that is, when the vehicle 1A is submerged in water, the fan control unit 11 controls the duty ratio of the PWM wave so that the rotation speed (actual value) of the engine fan 3 matches the target rotation speed. At this time, the duty ratio of the PWM wave increases rapidly compared to immediately before the engine fan 3 is submerged in water. At this time, the target rotation speed of the engine fan 3 does not change immediately before the engine fan 3 is submerged in water and immediately after the engine fan 3 is submerged in water. Therefore, the submersion determination unit 13 determines that the vehicle 1A is submerged in water when the duty ratio of the PWM wave increases beyond a predetermined change amount when the target rotation speed of the engine fan 3 does not change.

[0037] 3, when the target rotation speed of the engine fan 3 does not change, the duty ratio of the PWM wave increases as the water level rises from LV1 to LV3 (the range of the engine fan 3 immersed in water increases). This makes it possible to estimate the water level heights HT1 to HT3 relative to the vehicle 1A based on the increased duty ratio of the PWM wave.

[0038] As shown in the block diagram of Fig. 2, the flooding determination unit 13 is provided with a water surface estimation unit 14 that estimates water surface heights HT1 to HT3 based on the duty ratio of the increased PWM wave. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, the water surface estimation unit 14 estimates that the water surface height is at HT1 when the duty ratio for the target rotation speed of the engine fan 3 is on a straight line of LV1. Similarly, the water surface estimation unit 14 estimates that the water surface height is at HT2 when the duty ratio for the target rotation speed of the engine fan 3 is on a straight line of LV2, and estimates that the water surface height is at HT3 when the duty ratio for the target rotation speed of the engine fan 3 is on a straight line of LV2.

[0039] [Vehicle Effects] The vehicle 1A according to the first embodiment can determine that the vehicle 1A is submerged in water by utilizing a configuration that controls the rotation speed of the engine fan 3. Furthermore, the submersion determiner 13 can not only determine that the vehicle 1A is submerged in water, but also estimate the height of the water surface.

[0040] [Embodiment 2] [Vehicle mechanical configuration] Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle 1B according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, the vehicle 1B according to the second embodiment is provided with a temperature sensor 6 that measures the temperature of the engine 2. The temperature sensor 6 may directly measure the temperature of the engine 2, or may measure the temperature of the cooling water that cools the engine 2 or the temperature of the lubricating oil of the engine 2, so long as it measures the temperature of the engine 2. The other mechanical configurations are the same as those of the vehicle 1A according to the first embodiment.

[0041] [Vehicle control configuration] Even if a foreign object is caught in the engine fan 3, the fan control unit 11 controls the duty ratio of the PWM wave so that the rotation speed (actual value) of the engine fan 3 coincides with the target value. As a result, even if a foreign object is caught in the engine fan 3, the duty ratio of the PWM wave increases rapidly. Therefore, even if the duty ratio of the PWM wave increases beyond a predetermined change amount, it is possible that the vehicle 1B is not submerged in water but that a foreign object is caught in the engine fan 3. On the other hand, when the engine 2 is submerged in water, the temperature of the engine 2 drops. Therefore, if the temperature of the engine 2 does not drop within a predetermined confirmation period, it can be determined that a foreign object is caught in the engine fan 3. The confirmation period may be the time during which the temperature of the engine 2 drops when the lower end of the engine 2 is submerged in water of a normal temperature (about 20 to 30°C), and may be determined by experiment or analysis.

[0042] Taking this into consideration, the flooding determination unit 13 in embodiment 2 determines that the vehicle 1B is flooded with water when the duty ratio of the PWM wave increases beyond a predetermined change amount and when the temperature of the engine 2 drops by more than a predetermined temperature within a predetermined confirmation period.

[0043] [Vehicle Effects] In the vehicle 1B according to the second embodiment, the water submersion determiner 13 can eliminate any foreign matter caught in the engine fan 3 and more reliably determine whether the engine fan 3 is submerged in water.

[0044] [Embodiment 3] [Vehicle mechanical configuration] In the vehicle 1C according to the third embodiment, the opening 21 is provided with a shutter 22 capable of opening and closing the opening 21. The other mechanical configurations are the same as those of the vehicle 1A according to the first embodiment.

[0045] [Vehicle mechanical configuration] 5 is a diagram showing a schematic mechanical configuration of the front part of the vehicle 1C according to the third embodiment. The shutter 22 is a blind-like shutter in which a plurality of plate-like members are arranged in the vertical direction of the vehicle 1C, and each plate-like member is attached so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the vehicle width direction. The angle of each plate-like member with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction can be controlled by an actuator such as a motor, and the opening degree of the opening 21 can be changed by adjusting the angle of the plate-like member. The opening degree of the opening 21 can be changed between a fully closed state in which the angle of each plate-like member with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction is approximately 90 degrees, and a fully open state in which the angle of each plate-like member with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction is approximately 0 degrees.

[0046] [Vehicle control configuration] Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing a schematic control configuration of a vehicle 1C according to the third embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, the engine ECU 4D of the vehicle 1C according to the third embodiment includes a shutter control unit 16 for controlling the shutter 22, an engine control unit 17 for controlling the exhaust flow rate, drive and stop of the engine 2, and a correction unit 18 for correcting the water surface height estimated by the water surface estimation unit 14 and a first threshold value and a second threshold value, which will be described later. The vehicle 1C is also provided with an angle sensor 41 for acquiring the angle of the vehicle 1C in the longitudinal direction. The other control configurations are the same as those of the vehicle 1A according to the first embodiment.

[0047] [Vehicle control operation] The shutter control unit 16 controls the shutter 22 so that the opening degree of the opening 21 is changed based on the vehicle speed and the temperature of the engine 2. In addition, when the height of the water surface estimated by the water surface estimation unit 14 becomes equal to or higher than the first threshold, the shutter control unit 16 controls the shutter 22 so that the opening 21 is in a fully closed state. The first threshold is, for example, the height of the lower edge of the opening 21 of the vehicle 1C. That is, when it is determined that there is a high possibility that a large amount of water will infiltrate into the engine room 8 from the opening 21, the shutter 22 fully closes the opening 21, thereby suppressing the infiltration of a large amount of water into the engine room 8 from the opening 21. Note that the first threshold does not have to be the height of the lower edge of the opening 21 of the vehicle 1C, and may be set to a height at which the amount of water infiltrating into the engine room 8 from the opening 21 per unit time exceeds a predetermined amount. The predetermined amount may be set in advance by experiment or analysis, taking into account the size of the engine room 8, etc.

[0048] The engine control unit 17 increases the exhaust flow rate of the engine 2 when it is estimated that the height of the water surface estimated by the water surface estimation unit 14 is equal to or higher than the second threshold value. The increase in the exhaust flow rate of the engine 2 may be performed, for example, by shifting down the transmission. The second threshold value is, for example, the height of the outlet of the exhaust pipe 7 of the vehicle 1C. That is, when it is determined that there is a high possibility that a large amount of water will infiltrate into the exhaust pipe 7 from the outlet of the exhaust pipe 7, the exhaust flow rate of the engine 2 is increased to suppress the infiltration of a large amount of water into the exhaust pipe 7 from the outlet of the exhaust pipe 7. Note that the second threshold value does not have to be the height of the outlet of the exhaust pipe 7 of the vehicle 1C, and may be set to a height at which the amount of water infiltrating into the exhaust pipe 7 from the outlet of the exhaust pipe 7 per unit time exceeds a predetermined amount. The predetermined amount may be set in advance by experiment or analysis, taking into account the size of the exhaust pipe 7, etc.

[0049] Moreover, the engine control unit 17 stops the engine 2 when the height of the water surface estimated by the water surface estimation unit 14 becomes equal to or higher than the third threshold. Then, the vehicle transitions to an EV driving mode in which the vehicle travels by the drive motor 31. The third threshold is set to a height equal to or higher than the first threshold or the second threshold, for example, set to the height of the lower edge of the inlet (intake port) of the intake pipe of the engine 2. That is, when it is determined that there is a high possibility that a large amount of water will enter the engine 2, the engine 2 is stopped to suppress the engine 2 from sucking in water. At this time, the vehicle 1C can continue traveling by the drive motor 31. Note that the third threshold does not have to be the height of the intake port of the engine 2 of the vehicle 1C, and may be set to a height at which the amount of water entering the engine 2 from the intake port per unit time exceeds a predetermined amount. The predetermined amount may be set in advance by experiment or analysis, taking into consideration the size of the engine 2, etc.

[0050] The angle sensor 41 is a sensor that acquires an angle (inclination) in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 1C with respect to a horizontal plane. The angle sensor 41 is, for example, an acceleration sensor.

[0051] The correction unit 18 corrects the relative position of the water surface with respect to the first threshold value and the second threshold value based on the angle of the vehicle 1C in the front-rear direction acquired by the angle sensor 41. Specifically, when the vehicle 1C is in a forward-downward position (forward-leaning posture) at an angle equal to or greater than a predetermined first angle, the correction unit 18 corrects the relative position of the water surface with respect to the first threshold value so as to become higher. This correction may be performed so as to lower the first threshold value or to increase the height of the water surface. The correction amount may be a predetermined fixed value or may be set so as to increase the correction amount as the forward-downward angle of the vehicle 1C increases. Furthermore, the correction unit 18 corrects the relative position of the water surface with respect to the second threshold value so as to increase the height of the water surface when the vehicle 1C is in a forward-upward position (backward-leaning posture) at an angle equal to or greater than a predetermined second angle. This correction may be performed so as to lower the second threshold value or to increase the height of the water surface. The correction amount may be a predetermined fixed value or may be set so as to increase the correction amount as the forward-upward angle of the vehicle 1C increases.

[0052] The shutter control unit 16 controls the shutter 22 based on the relative position of the water surface with respect to the first threshold value corrected by the correction unit 18. The engine control unit 17 controls the exhaust flow rate of the engine 2 based on the relative position of the water surface with respect to the second threshold value corrected by the correction unit 18. The correction unit 18 may correct the relative position of the water surface with respect to the third threshold value, and the engine control unit 17 may switch whether or not to stop the engine 2 based on the corrected relative position of the water surface with respect to the third threshold value.

[0053] The flow of the entire control operation of the vehicle 1C according to the embodiment 34 will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, when the vehicle 1C enters a flooded road or the like, the vehicle 1C is often in a forward tilted position. At this time, the height of the lower edge of the opening 21 is lower than when the vehicle 1C is approximately parallel to the horizontal plane. Therefore, when the angle of the vehicle 1C is forward tilted by the first angle θ1 or more, the correction unit 18 increases the relative position of the water surface with respect to the first threshold, making it easier to determine that there is a high possibility that a large amount of water will enter the engine room 8 from the opening 21, and makes it easier for the shutter 22 to fully close the opening 21. After that, when the angle of the vehicle 1C becomes less than the first angle θ1, the correction is returned to the original state, and when the height of the water surface estimated by the water surface estimation unit 14 is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the opening 21 is fully closed, and when it is less than the first threshold, the opening 21 is opened. When the vehicle 1C enters a flooded road or the like, if the relative position of the water surface with respect to the first threshold corrected by the correction unit 18 is less than the first threshold, the shutter 22 is kept open. Furthermore, when the vehicle 1C enters a flooded road or the like, if the angle of the vehicle 1C is less than the first angle θ1, the height of the lower edge of the opening 21 does not change significantly from when the vehicle 1C is approximately parallel to the horizontal plane, so no correction is made by the correction unit 18 (the correction amount is set to zero). Note that the correction unit 18 may not set the first angle θ1, which is a threshold for whether or not to make a correction, and may always make a correction based on the inclination of the vehicle 1C with respect to the horizontal plane. That is, when the angle of the vehicle 1C is large, the correction unit 18 makes the correction amount smaller than when the angle is small.

[0054] When the vehicle 1C travels through a flooded road and the water level rises to a second threshold or higher, the engine control unit 17 shifts down the transmission to increase the exhaust flow rate of the engine 2. When the water level further rises to a third threshold or higher, the engine 2 is stopped and the vehicle travels using the drive motor 31. After the water level reaches the third threshold or higher and the engine 2 is stopped, it is preferable not to restart the engine 2 even if the water level falls below the third threshold. In other words, once the water level reaches the third threshold or higher, there is a possibility that water remains in the intake pipe, so the engine 2 is kept stopped to prevent the engine 2 from drawing in water.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 8, when the vehicle 1C leaves a flooded road or the like, the vehicle 1C is often in a backward tilted position. At this time, the height of the outlet of the exhaust pipe 7 is lower than when the vehicle 1C is approximately parallel to the horizontal plane. Therefore, when the angle of the vehicle 1C is backward tilted by the second angle θ2 or more, the correction unit 18 increases the relative position of the water surface with respect to the second threshold value, so that it is more likely to be determined that a large amount of water will enter the exhaust pipe 7 from the outlet of the exhaust pipe 7, and the exhaust flow rate of the engine 2 is more likely to be increased. For example, just before the vehicle 1C leaves a flooded road or the like, that is, when the vehicle 1C is approximately parallel to the horizontal plane and the water surface is less than the second threshold value, when the angle of the vehicle 1C is backward tilted by the second angle θ2 or more, the relative position of the water surface with respect to the second threshold value just before the vehicle 1C is backward tilted is corrected to be higher, and when the water surface becomes equal to or greater than the second threshold value as a result of the correction, the exhaust flow rate of the engine 2 is increased. The increase in the exhaust flow rate of the engine 2 is returned to the original state after a predetermined time has elapsed or when the vehicle 1C has traveled a predetermined distance.

[0056] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes modifications to the above-described embodiment and appropriate combinations of these modifications. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] Cars 1A~1C 2 Engine 3. Engine fan 4A~4C Engine control unit (engine ECU) 5. Radiator 6 Temperature Sensor 7. Exhaust pipe 8. Engine Room 11 Fan control unit 12 Target rotation speed calculation unit 13 Flood detection section 14 Water surface estimation part 15 Flood control unit 16 Shutter control section 17 Engine control unit 18 Correction section 21 Opening 22 Shutter 31 Drive motor 32 Drive battery 41 Angle Sensor

Claims

1. An engine installed in the engine room; An engine fan installed in the engine room; a fan control unit for controlling a driving force supplied to the engine fan; A vehicle equipped with The fan control unit is controlling a driving force supplied to the engine fan so that the engine fan rotates at a target rotation speed; a water submersion determination unit that determines that the vehicle is submerged in water when a driving force supplied to the engine fan so that the engine fan rotates at a target rotation speed increases beyond a predetermined change amount; Including, vehicles.

2. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the flooding determination unit includes a water level estimation unit that estimates the height of the water surface around the vehicle based on an increase in driving force supplied to the engine fan so that the engine fan rotates at a target rotation speed.

3. A temperature sensor is provided to measure a temperature of the engine.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the water submersion determination unit determines that the vehicle is submerged in water when the temperature of the engine drops within a predetermined confirmation period after the driving force supplied to the engine fan so as to rotate the engine fan at a target rotation speed increases beyond a predetermined change amount.

4. The engine room is disposed at a front portion of the vehicle, and an opening is provided at the front portion of the vehicle to introduce a running wind into the engine room, The opening is provided with a shutter for opening and closing the opening, The vehicle according to claim 2 , further comprising a shutter control unit that closes the shutter when the water surface estimating unit estimates that the height of the water surface is equal to or higher than a predetermined first threshold value.

5. an engine control unit that controls the engine; an exhaust pipe for discharging exhaust gas from the engine to the outside; The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the engine control unit increases an exhaust flow rate of the engine when the water level estimating unit estimates that the water level is equal to or higher than a predetermined second threshold value.

6. an engine control unit that controls the engine; a drive motor for supplying drive force to wheels of the vehicle; a drive battery for supplying power to the drive motor; 3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the engine control unit stops the engine and runs the vehicle using the drive motor when the water level estimating unit estimates that the water level is equal to or higher than a third threshold value that is determined in advance.

7. an outlet of an exhaust pipe for discharging exhaust gas from the engine to the outside opens at a rear part of the vehicle; an angle sensor for detecting an angle of the front-rear direction of the vehicle relative to a horizontal plane; The vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the flooding determination unit corrects the relative position of the water surface with respect to the first threshold value so as to be higher when the vehicle is at or above a first angle at which a predetermined forward slope is caused.

8. an angle sensor for detecting an angle of the front-rear direction of the vehicle relative to a horizontal plane; The vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the flooding determination unit corrects the relative position of the water surface with respect to the second threshold value so as to be higher when the vehicle is at or above a predetermined second angle at which the front of the vehicle rises.

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