Control system of vehicle

Abstract

To provide a control system of a vehicle that can execute optimum charging during traveling for a hybrid vehicle.SOLUTION: A control system of a vehicle includes: an internal combustion engine mounted in the vehicle; a motor for driving wheels of the vehicle; a driving battery for supplying power to the motor; a travel charging device that can acquire power from a ground power supply device in a non-contact manner during traveling of the vehicle and supply the acquired power to at least one of the motor and the driving battery; and a control device for controlling the vehicle. The control device selects an EV travel mode in which the vehicle travels by stopping the internal combustion engine and driving the wheels by the motor and an engine travel mode in which the vehicle travels by driving the internal combustion engine according to a required output of the vehicle during traveling of the vehicle. The control device enlarges an EV travel region to be a range of the required output in which the vehicle can travel in the EV travel mode while charging by the travel charging device is executed during traveling of the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control system for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a vehicle control system equipped with a charging system for in-motion that supplies power to a moving vehicle in a contactless manner from a ground power supply device installed on the ground has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The vehicle control system of Patent Document 1 determines whether to perform charging while the vehicle is moving based on a charging schedule after the end of the journey. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-3180 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In-motion charging can be more expensive than fuel-powered driving, taking into account the cost of installing a ground power supply device, etc. On the other hand, hybrid vehicles can also be charged by generating electricity using an internal combustion engine in addition to in-motion charging. Therefore, hybrid vehicles can be charged while limiting the use of in-motion charging. However, in this case, problems such as fuel consumption and exhaust gas emissions arise because the internal combustion engine is driven.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle control system that can perform optimal charging while a hybrid vehicle is in motion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A vehicle control system according to the present disclosure includes an internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle, a motor that drives wheels of the vehicle, a drive battery that supplies power to the motor, a travel charging device that can contactlessly obtain power from a ground power supply device while the vehicle is traveling and supply the obtained power to at least one of the motor and the drive battery, and a control device that controls the vehicle, wherein the control device selects, when the vehicle is traveling, between an EV travel mode in which the internal combustion engine is stopped and the wheels are driven by the motor, and an engine travel mode in which the internal combustion engine is driven to travel, according to the required output of the vehicle, and while charging is being performed by the travel charging device while the vehicle is traveling, the control device expands the EV travel range, which is the range of required output that can be traveled in the EV travel mode. Vehicle control system. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] When charging using the on-board charging device, the vehicle control system drives the motor using the power obtained from the on-board charging device without using the internal combustion engine. This allows the vehicle control system to expand the EV driving range. As a result, the vehicle control system reduces the use of the internal combustion engine. In this way, the vehicle control system can perform on-board charging that is optimal for hybrid vehicles. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a system diagram of a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram of a traveling charging device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart showing a control procedure executed by a control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 4 is a timing chart showing the timing of charging while driving; [Figure 5] 10 is a table showing the relationship between driving distance and charging in driving charge control. [Figure 6] 6 is a timing chart showing the timing of charging while driving when the battery is at high temperature. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] 1 and 2, a control system 1 for a vehicle V includes an engine (an example of an internal combustion engine) 2, a motor (FrM) 3, a generator (GEN) 4, a drive battery (BT) 6, a transaxle 8, an inverter 12 that controls the motor 3 and the generator 4, an accelerator pedal 14 operated by a user of the vehicle V, a charger 16 connectable to an external power source, a power supply device (external power supply device) 18 that can supply power to external devices such as home appliances, a vehicle control device (an example of a control device) 20, an engine control device 22 that controls the engine 2, a fuel tank (Fuel TANK) 24, a travel charging device 26, and a navigation system 28. The vehicle V of this embodiment is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) that includes an external charger that can store power from an external power source (e.g., a commercial AC power source) in the drive battery 6 using the charger 16, and an external power supply that can supply power from the drive battery 6 to external devices using the power supply device 18.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, the engine 2 is connected to a generator 4 and drives the generator 4. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the engine 2 is capable of driving wheels C1 via a transaxle 8. The engine 2 in this embodiment is an in-line four-cylinder gasoline engine. The engine 2 receives fuel from a fuel tank 24 and burns and consumes the fuel.

[0011] The motor 3 is connected to the wheels C1 via the transaxle 8 and the axles 10 to drive the wheels C1. The motor 3 in this embodiment is a three-phase AC motor having multiple coils and multiple permanent magnets. The motor 3 is driven by the rotation of the axles 10 (wheels C1) to generate electricity (regenerate). Therefore, the motor 3 is a motor-generator capable of power running and regeneration. The generator 4 is connected to the engine 2 and is capable of driving the engine 2. The generator 4 performs motoring, driving the engine 2, while power running is performed using electric power from the drive battery 6. On the other hand, the generator 4 is driven by the engine 2 to generate electricity while the engine 2 is operating. Therefore, the generator 4 is a motor-generator capable of power running and generating electricity.

[0012] The drive battery 6 outputs electric power to the motor 3 and the generator 4, and also receives electric power generated by the motor 3 and the generator 4. Furthermore, the drive battery 6 receives external electric power via a charger 16. In this embodiment, the drive battery 6 is made up of multiple lithium-ion batteries.

[0013] The transaxle 8 has multiple gears and a clutch 8a. The engine 2 is connected to the generator 4 and the axle 10 via the transaxle 8. When the clutch 8a is in a disengaged state, the transaxle 8 cuts off the power transmission between the engine 2 and the axle 10, and when the clutch 8a is in a engaged state, the power of the engine 2 is transmitted to the axle 10.

[0014] The inverter 12 converts the DC power supplied from the drive battery 6 into AC power and adjusts the power supplied to the motor 3 to control the power running torque of the motor 3. When the motor 3 regenerates electricity, the inverter 12 converts the AC power supplied from the motor 3 into DC power and adjusts the power supplied to the drive battery 6 to control the regenerative torque of the motor 3.

[0015] The vehicle control device 20 is electrically connected to the motor 3 via the inverter 12 and controls the motor 3. The vehicle control device 20 is actually an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) configured by a microcomputer including a calculation device, a memory, an input / output buffer, etc. The vehicle control device 20 controls the vehicle V based on maps and programs stored in the memory.

[0016] The vehicle control device 20 of this embodiment is further electrically connected to an engine control device 22. The engine control device 22 is electrically connected to various devices provided in the engine 2 and controls the engine 2. The control of the engine 2 may be performed by the vehicle control device 20 in addition to the engine control device 22. The vehicle control device 20 may also be electrically connected to various other devices of the vehicle V and perform various controls.

[0017] The vehicle V of this embodiment has driving modes such as EV mode (EV driving mode), series mode (an example of a power generation mode), and parallel mode. In EV mode, the vehicle V drives wheels (an example of drive wheels) C1 using the motor 3 with power from the drive battery 6. In series mode, the vehicle V disengages the clutch 8a, drives the generator 4 using the engine 2, and drives the wheels C1 using the motor 3 with power generated by the generator 4. In parallel mode, the vehicle V engages the clutch 8a, and drives the wheels C1 via the axle 10 using power from the engine 2. The vehicle V has a vehicle control device 20 that switches between each driving mode depending on the depression state of the accelerator pedal 14, etc., and controls the motor 3 and the generator 4 via the inverter 12, while causing the engine control device 22 to control the engine 2. For example, the vehicle control device 20 calculates the required output (required torque) of the vehicle V according to the depression state of the accelerator pedal 14 and the vehicle speed, and switches the driving mode to EV mode if the required output is less than a first threshold, to series mode if the required output is equal to or greater than the first threshold and less than a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold, or to parallel mode if the required output is equal to or greater than the second threshold. In this embodiment, the series mode and parallel mode are also referred to as engine driving modes.

[0018] Furthermore, the vehicle V of this embodiment has an external power supply mode. In the external power supply mode, when the connector 18a is connected to an external device, the vehicle control device 20 supplies power from the drive battery 6 to the external device using the power supply device 18. When the state of charge (SOC) of the drive battery 6 falls below a predetermined state of charge SOCt during the external power supply mode, the vehicle control device 20 executes an engine power generation external power supply mode (an example of a power generation mode) in which the engine 2 is started to drive the generator 4, and the power generated by the generator 4 is stored in the drive battery 6 and supplied to the external device.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2 , the traveling charging device 26 is a device that can wirelessly charge the vehicle V with power from the ground power supply device 40 while the vehicle V is traveling. The ground power supply device 40 has, for example, a transmitting-side resonant circuit (not shown). The traveling charging device 26 has, for example, a receiving-side resonant circuit. The ground power supply device 40 transmits power obtained from an external power source to the receiving-side resonant circuit of the traveling charging device 26 via the resonant circuit. The traveling charging device 26 receives the power and supplies it to the drive battery 6 or the motor 3. The traveling charging device 26 is electrically connected to the vehicle control device 20.

[0020] The navigation system 28 acquires the position and distance to the ground power supply device 40 based on a destination input by the user of the vehicle V. The navigation system 28 is actually a microcomputer including a calculation device, a memory, an input / output buffer, a GPS (Global Positioning System) capable of acquiring position information of the vehicle V, and a communication device. The navigation system 28 may store map information including the position information and distance of the ground power supply device 40 in the memory. Alternatively, the navigation system 28 may access a server (not shown) via the communication device to acquire the position and distance of the ground power supply device 40. The navigation system 28 is electrically connected to the vehicle control device 20. The navigation system 28 has a display unit 30. In this embodiment, the display unit 30 is a touch-panel liquid crystal display capable of receiving user input operations. Alternatively, the display unit 30 may be an organic electroluminescence (EL) display or the like. The display unit 30 may be electrically connected to the navigation system 28.

[0021] Next, a control procedure executed by the vehicle control device 20 will be described using the flowchart of Fig. 3 and the timing chart of Fig. 4. In this embodiment, the control will be described taking as an example a case where the vehicle is in the EV mode at the start of this control.

[0022] In step S1, the vehicle control device 20 determines whether or not there is a ground power feeding device 40 at the current position of the vehicle V. If the vehicle control device 20 determines that there is a ground power feeding device 40 (YES in step S1), the process proceeds to step S2.

[0023] In step S2, the vehicle control device 20 determines whether or not priority is given to charging while traveling, i.e., a charging mode in which the traveling charging device 26 receives power from the ground power supply device 40 while the vehicle V is traveling. In this embodiment, if a ground power supply device 40 is present, the user of the vehicle V can set priority to either the traveling charging or the power generation mode. If the user has set priority to charging while traveling, the vehicle control device 20 determines that the traveling charging has been set as the priority. If the vehicle control device 20 determines that the traveling charging has been set as the priority (step S2 YES), the process proceeds to step S3.

[0024] In step S3, the vehicle control device 20 determines whether the battery upper limit output Bp is less than the motor required output Qp. The battery upper limit output Bp is the upper limit of power that can be output by the drive battery 6 (an example of the power that the drive battery 6 can output). The motor required output Qp is the power required by the motor 3 to run the vehicle V based on the depression state of the accelerator pedal 14, etc. (an example of the vehicle required output in EV driving). If the vehicle control device 20 determines that the battery upper limit output Bp is less than the motor required output Qp (step S3 YES), the vehicle control device 20 proceeds to step S4.

[0025] In step S4, the vehicle control device 20 executes traveling charge control. Traveling charge control is control that executes either or both of charging the drive battery 6 by the traveling charge device 26 and driving the motor 3 while obtaining power from the ground power supply device 40. In this embodiment, when the traveling charge device 26 is charging, the vehicle control device 20 supplies power to the drive battery 6 and also to the motor 3. After executing traveling charge control, the vehicle control device 20 proceeds to step S1.

[0026] If the vehicle control device 20 determines that there is no ground power supply device 40 (step S1 NO), the process proceeds to step S5. If the vehicle control device 20 determines that charging while traveling is not prioritized (step S2 NO), the process proceeds to step S5. If the vehicle control device 20 determines that the battery upper limit output Bp is equal to or greater than the motor required output Qp (step S3 NO), the process proceeds to step S1, and the EV mode continues.

[0027] In step S5, the vehicle control device 20 determines whether the battery upper limit output Bp is less than the motor required output Qp. If the vehicle control device 20 determines that the battery upper limit output Bp is less than the motor required output Qp (step S5: YES), the vehicle control device 20 proceeds to step S6. If the vehicle control device 20 determines that the battery upper limit output Bp is equal to or greater than the motor required output Qp (step S5: NO), the vehicle control device 20 proceeds to step S1 and continues the EV mode.

[0028] In step S6, the vehicle control device 20 executes power generation control to control the vehicle V to a power generation mode. In the power generation control, the electric power generated by the generator 4 in the power generation mode is supplied to either the motor 3 or the drive battery 6, or both.

[0029] If the vehicle control device 20 can obtain the upper limit value X of the power that the traveling charging device 26 can receive from the ground power supply device 40, after determining in step S3 that the battery upper limit output Bp is less than the motor required output Qp, traveling charging control may be performed if the sum of the battery upper limit output Bp and the upper limit value X is equal to or greater than the motor required output Qp, and power generation control may be performed if the sum of the battery upper limit output Bp and the upper limit value X is less than the motor required output Qp.

[0030] As shown from time 0 to time T1 in FIG. 4, when the battery upper limit output Bp is equal to or greater than the motor required output Qp, the vehicle control device 20 executes EV mode (EV driving) in which power from the drive battery 6 is supplied to the motor 3. As shown from time T1 to time T2, when the battery upper limit output Bp is less than the motor required output Qp, if the ground power supply device 40 is present (YES in step S1) and charging for driving is prioritized (YES in step S2), power equivalent to the battery upper limit output Bp is supplied from the drive battery 6 to the motor 3, and the remaining power shortage is supplemented with power from the driving charging device 26. That is, the vehicle control device 20 continues the EV mode. On the other hand, if charging for driving is not prioritized (NO in step S1) or the ground power supply device 40 is not present (NO in step S2), power equivalent to the battery upper limit output Bp is supplied from the drive battery 6 to the motor 3, and the remaining power shortage is supplemented with power generated by the engine 2 and the generator 4. That is, the vehicle control device 20 switches to series mode. In the above embodiment, the vehicle control device 20 supplied power equivalent to the battery upper limit output Bp from the drive battery 6 to the motor 3, but for example, the vehicle control device 20 may set a battery output target lower than the battery upper limit output Bp and supply power equivalent to the battery output target to the motor 3.

[0031] As shown from time T2 to time T3 in FIG. 4, when the battery upper limit output Bp again becomes equal to or greater than the motor required output Qp, the vehicle control device 20 stops the traveling charge control or the power generation control. That is, when executing the traveling charge control, the vehicle control device 20 continues the EV mode. In this way, the vehicle control device 20 expands the EV traveling range. As described above, the vehicle control device 20 switches to EV mode if the required output of the vehicle V is less than the first threshold, and switches to engine traveling mode if the required output is equal to or greater than the first threshold. Therefore, in a map or the like that associates the required output with the traveling mode of the vehicle V, the region where the required output of the vehicle V is less than the first threshold can be defined as the EV traveling range. Also, the region where the required output of the vehicle V is equal to or greater than the first threshold can be defined as the engine traveling range. The process from time T3 onwards is the same as from time T1 to time T2, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0032] In the driving charge control, the vehicle control device 20 acquires the distance T that allows driving charge, and the longer the distance T, i.e., the farther the end point of the ground power supply device 40 (the lane that allows driving charge) is from the current position of the vehicle V, the smaller the power output from the drive battery 6 to the motor 3 and the larger the power received from the driving charge device 26.

[0033] As shown in pattern A in FIG. 5 , when the distance T of the ground power supply device 40 is relatively long, the power output from the drive battery 6 to the motor 3 is reduced, and the power output from the traveling charging device 26 to the motor 3 is increased, compared to when the distance T of the ground power supply device 40 is medium, as shown in pattern B. At this time, the power supplied from the traveling charging device 26 to the drive battery 6 is also reduced. When the distance T of the ground power supply device 40 is relatively long, repeated input and output of power to the drive battery 6 can accelerate the deterioration of the drive battery 6 and make the temperature of the drive battery 6 more likely to rise. Furthermore, when the distance of the ground power supply device 40 is relatively long, using the traveling charging device 26 can increase energy costs. Therefore, when the distance of the ground power supply device 40 is relatively long, it is preferable to maintain the state of charge (SOC) of the drive battery 6 as much as possible, and use the power obtained by traveling charging control more to drive the motor 3 rather than charging the drive battery 6. This increases the distance that the vehicle V can travel in EV mode, and also suppresses deterioration of the drive battery 6.

[0034] On the other hand, as shown in pattern C in FIG. 5 , when the ground power supply device 40 is set to a relatively short distance, the power output from the drive battery 6 to the motor 3 is increased, and the power output from the travel charging device 26 to the motor 3 is decreased, compared to when the ground power supply device 40 is set to a medium distance T, as shown in pattern B. At this time, the power supplied from the travel charging device 26 to the drive battery 6 is also increased. If the power obtained through travel charging control is used to drive the motor 3 when the ground power supply device 40 is set to a relatively short distance, the vehicle V's travel torque may suddenly decrease the moment the vehicle V leaves the ground power supply device 40 (passes the end point), which could result in a deterioration in drivability. For this reason, when the ground power supply device 40 is set to a relatively short distance, it is preferable to increase the power supplied from the drive battery 6 to the motor 3 and use the power obtained through travel charging control to charge the drive battery 6. This makes it possible to expand the EV driving range with good drivability while suppressing an increase in the battery temperature Bt of the drive battery 6.

[0035] The vehicle control device 20 may acquire a destination set by the user in the navigation system 28, and acquire the travelable chargeable distance T based on the destination.

[0036] The vehicle control device 20 may acquire the battery temperature Bt, which is the temperature of the drive battery 6, and may start receiving power from the travel charging device 26 earlier the higher the battery temperature Bt. The higher the battery temperature Bt of the drive battery 6, the lower the power that can be output from the drive battery 6. For this reason, it is preferable to reduce the power supplied from the drive battery 6 to the motor 3 and increase the power supplied from the travel charging device 26 to the motor 3 as the battery temperature Bt increases.

[0037] In such a case, as shown in Figure 6, the vehicle control device 20 may set the target battery output Bx to a value lower than the battery upper limit output Bp as the battery temperature Bt increases. The vehicle control device 20 may execute traveling charge control when the target battery output Bx is less than the required motor output Qp. As shown at times T1x and T3x in Figure 6, by executing such control, the vehicle control device 20 can start receiving power from the traveling charge device 26 earlier than times T1 and T3.

[0038] The vehicle control device 20 may acquire information on the deterioration of the charging efficiency of the on-board charging device 26 due to weather, and may start receiving power from the on-board charging device earlier the worse the charging efficiency. The vehicle control device 20 may acquire weather conditions in the vicinity of the ground power supply device 40 via a communication device of the navigation system 28, for example. When rain or snow falls on the ground power supply device 40, the efficiency of power transmission from the ground power supply device 40 to the on-board charging device 26 deteriorates. This requires the ground power supply device 40 to transmit more power to the on-board charging device 26, and the charging efficiency of the on-board charging device 26 deteriorates. For this reason, similar to FIG. 6 above, the vehicle control device 20 may set the target battery output Bx to a value lower than the battery upper limit output Bp the greater the deterioration in the charging efficiency of the on-board charging device 26, and may start receiving power from the on-board charging device 26 earlier than time T1 and time T3.

[0039] As described above, the present disclosure provides a vehicle control system 1 that can perform optimal charging while a hybrid vehicle is in motion. For example, the EV driving range can be expanded and the start timing of the engine 2 can be delayed, which can be expected to result in improved fuel economy and reduced exhaust gas emissions.

[0040] <Other embodiments> Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. In particular, the multiple modifications described in this specification can be arbitrarily combined as necessary.

[0041] (a) In the above embodiment, the vehicle V is described as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) equipped with an external charging function that allows the charger 16 to store power from an external power source (e.g., a commercial AC power source) in the drive battery 6, and an external power supply that allows the power supply device 18 to supply power from the drive battery 6 to external devices, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The vehicle V may also be a hybrid vehicle that does not have an external charging function or an external power supply.

[0042] (b) In the above embodiment, the vehicle control device 20 has been described using an example in which the vehicle control device 20 switches to the series mode during power generation control, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The vehicle control device 20 may also switch to the parallel mode during power generation control. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1: Control system, 2: Engine, 3: Motor 4: Generator, 6: Drive battery, 14: Accelerator pedal 20: Vehicle control device, 26: Travel charging device, 28: Navigation system 40: Ground power supply equipment Bp: Upper limit battery output, Bt: Battery temperature, Bx: Target battery output Qp: Motor required output SOC: Charging rate SOCt: Predetermined charging rate T: distance V: Vehicle

Claims

1. an internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle; a motor for driving the wheels of the vehicle; a driving battery that supplies power to the motor; a travel charging device that can contactlessly obtain power from a ground power supply device while the vehicle is traveling and supply the obtained power to at least one of the motor and the drive battery; a control device for controlling the vehicle, the control device, when the vehicle is traveling, selects, in accordance with a required output of the vehicle, an EV traveling mode in which the internal combustion engine is stopped and the wheels are driven by the motor, and an engine traveling mode in which the internal combustion engine is driven; The control device expands an EV driving range, which is a range of required output that can be driven in the EV driving mode, while charging is being performed by the driving charging device while the vehicle is driving. Vehicle control system.

2. the control device executes charging by the traveling charging device when the power output that the driving battery can output is less than the required output of the vehicle. The vehicle control system according to claim 1 .

3. The control device acquires a distance that can be charged by the traveling charging device, the longer the distance, the smaller the power output from the drive battery to the motor and the larger the power received from the traveling charging device. The vehicle control system according to claim 1 .

4. the control device acquires the battery temperature of the driving battery; The higher the battery temperature, the earlier the start time of receiving power from the traveling charging device. The vehicle control system according to claim 1 .

5. The control device acquires a state of deterioration in charging efficiency by the traveling charging device due to weather, The lower the charging efficiency, the earlier the start time of receiving power from the traveling charging device. The vehicle control system according to claim 1 .

6. The control device acquires a destination, and acquires a distance that can be charged by the traveling charging device based on the destination. The vehicle control system according to claim 3 .

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