Drive apparatus for vehicle

Abstract

Disclosed is a drive apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: a rotary electric machine in which a coil wire is wound; a transmission mechanism which transmits a drive force from the rotary electric machine to wheels; and an oil supply device that supplies oil to the rotary electric machine and the transmission mechanism. The oil supply device includes: a hydraulic pressure generation device including an electric oil pump; and an oil passage structure through which the oil discharged from the hydraulic pressure generation device flows. The oil passage structure includes: a first oil passage through which the oil is supplied to a coil end formed by the coil wire; a second oil passage through which the oil is supplied to the transmission mechanism; and a switching mechanism capable of selectively forming a first state in which the oil is circulated through the first oil passage while fluidly separating the first oil passage and the second oil passage, and a second state in which the oil is circulated through the first oil passage and the second oil passage while fluidly connecting the first oil passage and the second oil passage.

Description

Vehicle drive unit

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle drive device.

[0002] An oil supply system is known that supplies oil to components to be lubricated and cooled, such as rotating electrical machines, via two routes: one from an electric oil pump and one from a mechanical oil pump. In this oil supply system, when the oil temperature is low, the electric oil pump is not operated, and instead the differential gear stirs the oil in the tank, promoting an increase in oil temperature.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-58016

[0004] However, in the above-described conventional technology, it is only possible to expect an increase in oil temperature due to the agitation of the oil, and it is difficult to efficiently increase the oil temperature in a low-temperature environment.

[0005] Therefore, in one aspect, an object of the present disclosure is to make it possible to efficiently increase the temperature of oil in a low-temperature environment.

[0006] In one aspect, there is provided a vehicle drive device comprising: a rotating electric machine around which a coil wire is wound; a transmission mechanism that transmits driving force from the rotating electric machine to wheels; and an oil supply device that supplies oil to the rotating electric machine and the transmission mechanism, wherein the oil supply device has a hydraulic pressure generating device including an electric oil pump and an oil passage structure through which oil discharged from the hydraulic pressure generating device flows, and the oil passage structure has: a first oil passage that supplies the oil to a coil end formed by the coil wire; and a second oil passage that supplies the oil to the transmission mechanism; and a switching mechanism that can selectively form a first state in which the first oil passage and the second oil passage are fluidly separated and the oil is circulated through the first oil passage, and a second state in which the first oil passage and the second oil passage are fluidly connected and the oil is circulated through the first oil passage and the second oil passage.

[0007] In one aspect, the present disclosure makes it possible to efficiently increase the temperature of oil in a low-temperature environment.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a vehicle drive device of the present embodiment; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a cover member; FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating an oil flow in a first state; FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of an air warming system using coolant in the first state; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a control device; and FIG. 6 is a schematic flowchart showing an example of control executed by the control device of the present embodiment.

[0009] Each embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios in the drawings are merely examples and are not limiting. Furthermore, shapes and the like in the drawings may be partially exaggerated for the sake of explanation. Furthermore, in the drawings, for ease of viewing, reference symbols may be assigned only to some of the parts that exist with the same attribute.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram that schematically illustrates a vehicle drive device 7 according to this embodiment. In FIG. 1, a coil end oil passage 61 and a gear / rotor oil passage 62, which will be described later, are partially indicated by arrows. The arrows indicate the presence of corresponding oil passages and the direction of oil flow. FIG. 2 is a perspective view that illustrates an example of a cover member 612. In addition, FIG. 1 also illustrates a cooling water passage 70 by arrows. The arrows indicate the presence of corresponding cooling water passages and the direction of cooling water flow.

[0011] The vehicle drive device 7 includes a rotating electric machine 1 , a transmission mechanism 3 , and an oil supply device 5 .

[0012] The rotating electrical machine 1 is used as a concept that includes a motor (electric motor), a generator (electric power generator), and a motor-generator that functions as both a motor and a generator as needed.

[0013] In this embodiment, the rotating electric machine 1 includes a rotor 10 and a stator 11. The stator 11 is fixed to a case 2, and the rotor 10 is supported by the case 2 so as to be rotatable relative to the stator 11. The rotating electric machine 1 may be an inner rotor type rotating electric machine, in which case the rotor 10 may be disposed radially inside the stator 11 so as to overlap with the stator 11 as viewed in the radial direction. The radial direction here is a radial direction based on the rotational axis of the rotating electric machine 1. The same applies to the axial direction.

[0014] The rotor 10 includes, for example, a hollow rotor shaft 10A and a rotor core 10B. A magnet (not shown) may be inserted or embedded in the rotor core 10B.

[0015] The stator 11 includes a stator core 12 and coil ends 13 that protrude in the axial direction from the stator core 12. A coil wire 13A is wound around the stator core 12, and the portions of the coil wire 13A that protrude in the axial direction from the stator core 12 form the coil ends 13. The coil ends 13 are formed on both sides of the stator core 12 in the axial direction.

[0016] The transmission mechanism 3 transmits the driving force from the rotating electric machine 1 to the wheels. The transmission mechanism 3 is optional and may include, for example, a reduction mechanism and a differential gear mechanism.

[0017] The rotating electric machine 1 and the transmission mechanism 3 may be housed in a case 2. The case 2 may also form another housing chamber for housing other components (for example, a control device 100 (described later) that controls the rotating electric machine 1, etc.).

[0018] The case 2 may be made of aluminum, for example. The case 2 may be formed by combining a plurality of members such as a case member and a cover member. The case 2 forms an accommodation chamber S1 that accommodates the rotating electric machine 1 and the transmission mechanism 3. Although FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram and is omitted, the case 2 may have a partition wall that separates the accommodation chamber that accommodates the rotating electric machine 1 from the accommodation chamber that accommodates the transmission mechanism 3.

[0019] The case 2 also contains oil. The oil is used to cool and / or lubricate the rotating electric machine 1 and the transmission mechanism 3. The oil may also be used to lubricate bearings that form part of the rotating electric machine 1 and the transmission mechanism 3.

[0020] The case 2 has an oil pan 2A in its lower part. The oil pan 2A forms an oil reservoir 90 (see the hatched area in FIG. 1 ) in which oil accumulates inside the case 2. Note that the oil pan 2A is a separate member from the case 2, but in a modified example, the function of the oil pan 2A may be realized by the lower part of the case 2.

[0021] The oil supply device 5 includes a hydraulic pressure generating device 50 and an oil passage structure 60 .

[0022] The oil pressure generating device 50 includes two electric oil pumps 51 and 52. Hereinafter, for the sake of distinction, these will be referred to as a first electric oil pump 51 and a second electric oil pump 52, respectively.

[0023] The first electric oil pump 51 and the second electric oil pump 52 have substantially the same configuration, but may have different volumes, etc. For example, the first electric oil pump 51 may be smaller than the second electric oil pump 52.

[0024] As will be described later, the first electric oil pump 51 is provided in correspondence with the coil end oil passage 61 and generates hydraulic pressure that causes oil to flow through the coil end oil passage 61 .

[0025] As will be described later, the second electric oil pump 52 is provided in correspondence with the gear / rotor oil passage 62 and a portion of the coil end oil passage 61 (a supply-side oil passage portion 615, which will be described later), and generates hydraulic pressure that causes oil to flow through the gear / rotor oil passage 62 and the portion of the coil end oil passage 61. In this embodiment, the second electric oil pump 52 sucks oil that has accumulated in the oil pan 2A. Note that the second electric oil pump 52 may also suck oil from the oil pan 2A via a strainer or the like.

[0026] The oil passage structure 60 includes a coil end oil passage 61, a gear / rotor oil passage 62, and a switching mechanism 66. In the following description, the "upstream side" refers to the side closer to the discharge side of the first electric oil pump 51 or the second electric oil pump 52, and the "downstream side" refers to the side closer to the suction side of the first electric oil pump 51 or the second electric oil pump 52.

[0027] The coil end oil passage 61 supplies oil discharged from the first electric oil pump 51 to the coil ends 13. The coil end oil passage 61 may supply oil to heat-generating elements other than the coil ends 13, but preferably supplies oil only to the coil ends 13, which generate a relatively large amount of heat among the objects to be cooled by oil in the vehicle drive device 7.

[0028] The coil end oil passage 61 is preferably a closed oil passage that does not open to the accommodation chamber S1 inside the case 2. In this case, the coil end oil passage 61 contains substantially no air. The coil end oil passage 61 forms a closed flow path that circulates the oil discharged from the first electric oil pump 51. The coil end oil passage 61 may be formed in the case 2, may be formed by a tubular member, or may be formed by a combination of these.

[0029] Furthermore, the coil end oil passage 61 may be formed by a cover member 612 (see FIG. 2 ) that liquid-tightly covers the coil end 13 in the section of the coil end 13. Hereinafter, the oil passage portion of the coil end oil passage 61 that is formed by the cover member 612 will also be referred to as a cover member oil passage 619.

[0030] Two three-way valves 661, 662 (described later) are provided in the coil end oil passage 61 for branching off from the gear / rotor oil passage 62. For ease of explanation, the oil passage portion of the coil end oil passage 61 between the three-way valves 661 and 662 will be referred to as the "supply side oil passage portion 615," and the other oil passage portions will be referred to as the "discharge side oil passage portion 616." The supply side oil passage portion 615 includes the cover member oil passage 619 described above.

[0031] The gear / rotor oil passage 62 supplies oil to the rotor shaft 10A of the rotating electric machine 1 and the transmission mechanism 3. For example, the gear / rotor oil passage 62 supplies oil to the hollow interior (axial oil passage) of the rotor shaft 10A of the rotating electric machine 1, gears (not shown) of the transmission mechanism 3, and various bearings (not shown) of the transmission mechanism 3. In a modified example, the gear / rotor oil passage 62 may supply oil only to the transmission mechanism 3, or may supply oil only to a portion of the rotating electric machine 1 (a portion other than the coil end 13). In this embodiment, the gear / rotor oil passage 62 includes an axial oil passage 621 of the rotor shaft 10A of the rotating electric machine 1, and the oil passing through the axial oil passage 621 cools the permanent magnets of the rotor core 10B via the rotor shaft 10A. In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the gear / rotor oil passage 62 supplies oil to the transmission mechanism 3 via the axial oil passage 621. However, in a modified example, the gear / rotor oil passage 62 may supply oil to the axial oil passage 621 via the transmission mechanism 3. The oil supplied to the transmission mechanism 3 can fall into the oil pan 2A by gravity and accumulate there (see arrow R80).

[0032] The gear / rotor oil passage 62 opens to the accommodation chamber S1 inside the case 2. That is, the gear / rotor oil passage 62 communicates with the accommodation chamber S1 inside the case 2. Therefore, the gear / rotor oil passage 62 includes the oil pan 2A at the bottom of the case 2.

[0033] The gear / rotor oil passage 62 can be in one of two states, via a switching mechanism 66 described below: a state in which it is fluidly separated from the coil end oil passage 61, and a state in which it is fluidly connected (communicates) with a supply-side oil passage portion 615 of the coil end oil passage 61. Hereinafter, the state in which the gear / rotor oil passage 62 and the coil end oil passage 61 are fluidly separated will also be referred to as a "first state," and the state in which the gear / rotor oil passage 62 and the supply-side oil passage portion 615 of the coil end oil passage 61 are fluidly connected will also be referred to as a "second state."

[0034] Specifically, the gear / rotor oil passage 62 has a branch portion 620 on the upstream side from the coil end oil passage 61 and a branch portion 622 on the downstream side, and the portion between the branch portion 620 and the branch portion 622 forms the supply side oil passage portion 615 of the coil end oil passage 61.

[0035] Branching portion 620 is provided upstream of axial oil passage 621, and branching portion 622 is provided downstream of each coil end 13 (cover member oil passage 619) in coil end oil passage 61. The portion of gear / rotor oil passage 62 downstream of branching portion 622 is essentially accommodation chamber S1, and is an oil passage through which oil falls by gravity into oil reservoir 90 of oil pan 2A. The oil passage portion from branching portion 620 to axial oil passage 621 in gear / rotor oil passage 62 may be formed in case 2, may be formed by a tubular member, or may be formed by a combination of these.

[0036] The switching mechanism 66 can selectively establish the first state (see FIG. 3 ) and the second state (see FIG. 4 ) described above. In the first state, when the first electric oil pump 51 is driven, the oil discharged from the first electric oil pump 51 can circulate through the coil end oil passage 61 without passing through the gear / rotor oil passage 62. In the second state, when the second electric oil pump 52 is driven, the oil discharged from the second electric oil pump 52 can circulate through the supply-side oil passage portion 615 of the coil end oil passage 61 and the gear / rotor oil passage 62.

[0037] The configuration and function of the switching mechanism 66 will now be further described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of oil in the first state, and Figure 4 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of oil in the second state. In Figures 3 and 4, unused portions of the coil end oil passage 61 and the gear / rotor oil passage 62 (i.e., portions where oil does not circulate) are indicated by dotted lines.

[0038] The switching mechanism 66 includes two three-way valves 661 and 662 and an on-off valve 663 .

[0039] The three-way valve 661 has two input ports 6611, 6612 and one output port 6613. The three-way valve 661 is switchable such that when either one of the two input ports 6611, 6612 is open, the other is closed. The switching may be achieved electromagnetically under the control of the control device 100, which will be described later.

[0040] The three-way valve 661 has an input port 6611 connected to the discharge side of the first electric oil pump 51, and an input port 6612 connected to the discharge side of the second electric oil pump 52. The three-way valve 661 has an output port 6613 connected to the upstream side of the upstream branch section 620 and the upstream side of the supply side oil passage section 615.

[0041] When the input port 6611 of the three-way valve 661 is in an open state and the input port 6612 is in a closed state, the input port 6611 and the output port 6613 of the three-way valve 661 are in communication. In this case, as shown by the solid arrows in Fig. 3, oil discharged from the first electric oil pump 51 can flow through the output port 6613. On the other hand, when the input port 6611 of the three-way valve 661 is in a closed state and the input port 6612 is in an open state, the input port 6612 and the output port 6613 of the three-way valve 661 are in communication. In this case, as shown by the solid arrows in Fig. 4, oil discharged from the second electric oil pump 52 can flow through the output port 6613.

[0042] The three-way valve 662 has two output ports 6621, 6622 and one input port 6623. The three-way valve 662 is switchable such that when either one of the two output ports 6621, 6622 is in an open state, the other is in a closed state. The switching may be achieved electromagnetically under the control of the control device 100, which will be described later.

[0043] The three-way valve 662 branches the supply side oil passage section 615 of the coil end oil passage 61 connected to the input port 6623 into the discharge side oil passage section 616 of the coil end oil passage 61 and the branch section 622 via two output ports 6621 and 6622, respectively.

[0044] When the output port 6621 of the three-way valve 662 is in an open state and the output port 6622 is in a closed state, the input port 6623 and the output port 6621 of the three-way valve 662 are in communication with each other, as shown by the solid arrow in Fig. 3. In this case, oil discharged from the first electric oil pump 51 can flow through the output port 6621. On the other hand, when the output port 6621 of the three-way valve 662 is in a closed state and the output port 6622 of the three-way valve 662 is in an open state, the input port 6623 and the output port 6622 of the three-way valve 662 are in communication with each other. In this case, oil discharged from the second electric oil pump 52 can flow through the output port 6622, as shown by the solid arrow in Fig. 4.

[0045] The on-off valve 663 is provided downstream of the upstream branch portion 620 in the gear / rotor oil passage 62. In this embodiment, the on-off valve 663 is provided between the branch portion 622 and the axial center oil passage 621. When the on-off valve 663 is in a closed state, the gear / rotor oil passage 62 is fluidly separated from the coil end oil passage 61. That is, a state is created in which oil cannot be supplied to the axial center oil passage 621 via the branch portion 620. When the on-off valve 663 is in an open state, the gear / rotor oil passage 62 is fluidly connected to the coil end oil passage 61. That is, a state is created in which oil can be supplied to the axial center oil passage 621 via the branch portion 620.

[0046] In this embodiment, with the above-described configuration, in the first state, as schematically shown by the solid arrows in FIG. 3 , oil discharged from the first electric oil pump 51 circulates through the entire coil end oil passage 61. Note that, in the first state, the oil flow indicated by the dotted arrows in FIG. 3 does not substantially occur. That is, in the first state, oil does not circulate through the gear / rotor oil passage 62. For this reason, the second electric oil pump 52 may be stopped in the first state. On the other hand, in the second state, as schematically shown by the solid arrows in FIG. 4 , oil discharged from the second electric oil pump 52 circulates through the supply-side oil passage portion 615 of the coil end oil passage 61 and the gear / rotor oil passage 62. Note that, in the second state, the oil flow indicated by the dotted arrows in FIG. 4 does not substantially occur. For this reason, in the second state, the first electric oil pump 51 may be stopped.

[0047] In this embodiment, an oil cooler 69 is disposed between the three-way valve 661 and the branching portion 620. In this case, in both the first state and the second state, the circulating oil can be cooled via the oil cooler 69. Cooling water is supplied to the oil cooler 69 by a water pump 71 via a cooling water passage 70, and the oil is cooled (the cooling water is heated) by heat exchange between the cooling water and the oil.

[0048] However, in a vehicle without an engine, it is not possible to configure a system that utilizes the exhaust heat of the engine, and therefore, there is a high possibility that rapid warm-up cannot be achieved, for example, in a low-temperature environment. In particular, when starting a vehicle in a low-temperature environment, the vehicle is stopped, and therefore, unlike when the vehicle is running, the rotating electric machine 1 is not generating driving force, making it difficult to extract sufficient heat from the rotating electric machine 1.

[0049] Therefore, in this embodiment, when starting a vehicle in a low-temperature environment, current is passed through the coil wire 13A of the rotating electrical machine 1 to heat the coil ends 13, and the first state is established to efficiently extract heat from the coil ends 13. In the second state, the amount of circulating oil is greater than in the first state, so the rate at which the oil temperature rises is slower (thermal energy is distributed across a relatively large amount of oil). As a result, the amount of heat energy that can be exchanged via the oil cooler 69 is reduced. In other words, the amount of heat energy that can be imparted to the cooling water in the cooling water passage 70 via the oil cooler 69 is also reduced. Therefore, according to this embodiment, by establishing the first state in which a relatively small amount of oil circulates while cooling the coil ends 13, the amount of heat energy that can be imparted to the cooling water in the cooling water passage 70 via the oil cooler 69 can be efficiently increased.

[0050] FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the warming system 8 using cooling water in the first state.

[0051] As described above, in the first state, the warming system 8 efficiently extracts heat from the coil ends 13 and provides it to the system 77 to be warmed up via the cooling water in the cooling water passage 70. In a modified example, the warming system 8 may provide the heat efficiently extracted from the coil ends 13 in the first state as described above to the system 77 to be warmed up from the oil in the coil end oil passage 61 (without using the cooling water).

[0052] The system 77 to be warmed up is any vehicle-mounted system that requires or is useful for warming up, such as an air conditioning system or a battery system. The battery system may include a high-voltage battery that functions as a power source for the rotating electrical machine 1.

[0053] According to this embodiment, as described above, the heat efficiently extracted from the coil end 13 in the first state can be provided to the system 77 to be warmed up via the cooling water in the cooling water passage 70, thereby shortening the time required to warm up the system 77 to be warmed up.

[0054] Next, a control system of the vehicle drive device 7 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0055] The vehicle drive device 7 includes a control device 100 that controls the drive of the rotary electric machine 1 and also controls the switching of the switching mechanism 66 .

[0056] The control device 100 controls the switching mechanism 66 and the like based on the state of the system 77 to be warmed up, which utilizes the heat of the coil ends 13. The control method of the control device 100 will be described in detail later with reference to FIG.

[0057] 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control device 100. In FIG. 6, other in-vehicle electronic devices 130 are schematically shown in association with the hardware configuration of the control device 100.

[0058] The other on-vehicle electronic devices 130 include the rotating electric machine 1, a host ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 74, a first electric oil pump 51, a second electric oil pump 52, a water pump 71, three-way valves 661, 662, an on-off valve 663, and the like.

[0059] The control device 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 111, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 112, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 113, an auxiliary storage device 114, a drive device 115, and a communication interface 117, all connected by a bus 119, as well as a wired transceiver unit 125 and a wireless transceiver unit 126 connected to the communication interface 117.

[0060] The auxiliary storage device 114 is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), and is a storage device that stores data related to application software and the like.

[0061] The wired transceiver 125 includes a transceiver capable of communicating using a wired network 128 based on a protocol such as CAN (Controller Area Network) or LIN (Local Interconnect Network). Other in-vehicle electronic devices 130 are connected to the wired transceiver 125. However, some or all of the other in-vehicle electronic devices 130 may be connected to the bus 119 or may be connected to the wireless transceiver 126.

[0062] The wireless transceiver 126 is a transceiver capable of communicating using a wireless network. The wireless network may include a wireless communication network for mobile phones, the Internet, a virtual private network (VPN), a wide area network (WAN), etc. The wireless transceiver 126 may also include a near field communication (NFC) unit, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication unit, a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) transceiver unit, an infrared transceiver unit, etc.

[0063] The control device 100 may be connectable to a recording medium 116. The recording medium 116 stores a predetermined program. The program stored in this recording medium 116 is installed in the auxiliary storage device 114 of the control device 100 via the drive device 115. The installed predetermined program can be executed by the CPU 111 of the control device 100. For example, the recording medium 116 may be a recording medium that records information optically, electrically, or magnetically, such as a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, a flexible disk, or a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory that records information electrically, such as a ROM or a flash memory.

[0064] FIG. 7 is a schematic flowchart showing an example of control executed by the control device 100 of this embodiment.

[0065] In step S700, the control device 100 determines whether the vehicle is in a stopped state based on vehicle speed information from the host ECU 74. The host ECU 74 may be, for example, an ECU that comprehensively controls the vehicle's driving functions (e.g., brakes, etc.). The host ECU 74 may also be a collection of multiple ECUs. The host ECU 74 may generate vehicle speed information based on a wheel speed sensor, etc. If the determination result is "YES," the process proceeds to step S702; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S708.

[0066] In step S702, the control device 100 acquires values ​​of various temperature parameters. The various temperature parameters may be an outside air temperature, an inside air temperature, an oil temperature, a water temperature (the water temperature in the cooling water passage 70), etc. Some or all of the values ​​of the various temperature parameters may be acquired via the host ECU 74.

[0067] In step S704, the control device 100 determines whether the system 77 to be warmed up is in a low-temperature state in which warming is necessary or useful, based on the values ​​of the various temperature parameters obtained in step S702. That is, the control device 100 determines whether the values ​​of the various temperature parameters obtained in step S702 indicate a low-temperature state of the system 77 to be warmed up. For example, the control device 100 may determine that the values ​​of the various temperature parameters indicate a low-temperature state of the system 77 to be warmed up when some or all of the values ​​of the various temperature parameters are less than the corresponding threshold values. If the determination result is "YES," the process proceeds to step S706; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S708.

[0068] In step S706, the control device 100 performs warm-up control. Specifically, the control device 100 applies a heat generation current to the coil wire 13A of the rotating electric machine 1. At this time, the control device 100 applies a heat generation current (e.g., a direct current) that does not rotate the rotor 10 of the rotating electric machine 1 (that does not generate driving force). In addition, the control device 100 creates the first state using the switching mechanism 66 while driving the water pump 71 and the first electric oil pump 51. The first state can be created by controlling the three-way valves 661, 662 and the on-off valve 663 of the switching mechanism 66 as described above.

[0069] In step S708, the control device 100 performs normal control. Specifically, the control device 100 applies a three-phase current for driving the vehicle to the coil wire 13A of the rotating electric machine 1. At this time, the control device 100 controls the rotating electric machine 1 so that target values ​​(e.g., target acceleration, target torque, etc.) from the host ECU 74 are realized. The control device 100 also establishes the second state by the switching mechanism 66 while driving the water pump 71 and the second electric oil pump 52. The second state can be established by controlling the three-way valves 661, 662 and the on-off valve 663 of the switching mechanism 66 as described above.

[0070] According to the process shown in FIG. 7, when warming up the system 77 to be warmed up becomes necessary or useful in a low-temperature environment, warming up of the system 77 can be efficiently achieved by performing the warming control according to this embodiment.

[0071] 7, when the vehicle is in a running state, the determination result in step S700 becomes "NO" and step S708 is executed. As a result, while the vehicle is in a running state, cooling of the coil ends 13 of the rotating electric machine 1, as well as cooling of parts other than the coil ends 13 (for example, permanent magnets), and lubrication of the transmission mechanism 3 can be achieved.

[0072] The control shown in FIG. 7 is merely an example, and various modifications are possible. For example, a further determination condition as to whether or not the vehicle is being started may be determined so that the warm-up control of step S706 is executed when the vehicle is started. From a similar perspective, the determination condition of step S700 may be configured to be satisfied when the vehicle is started. In this case, vehicle start may be detected based on an ON signal from a power button operated when the vehicle is started (or an associated increase in power supply voltage).

[0073] Furthermore, instead of or in addition to the various temperature parameters, a parameter value may be used that indicates whether or not there is a warm-up request from the warm-up target system 77. In this case, if the parameter value indicates that there is a warm-up request from the warm-up target system 77 (i.e., if the parameter value indicates that the warm-up target system 77 is in a low-temperature state), the warm-up control of step S706 may be executed.

[0074] 7, when the vehicle is in a running state, the determination result of step S700 becomes "NO" and step S708 is executed, but this is not limiting. If the warm-up of the system 77 to be warmed up has not been completed, step S706 may be continuously executed.

[0075] Although each embodiment has been described in detail above, it is not limited to the specific embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the claims. It is also possible to combine all or a plurality of components of the above-described embodiments.

[0076] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the second electric oil pump 52 is used, but a mechanical oil pump may be used instead of or in addition to the second electric oil pump 52. Also, oil may be scooped up by gears.

[0077] In the above-described embodiment, the oil cooler 69 is disposed in a position that allows it to function in both the first state and the second state, but this is not limiting. For example, separate oil coolers may be disposed in the discharge-side oil passage portion 616 of the coil-end oil passage 61 and the rotor oil passage 62. In this case, the cooling water in the cooling water passage passing through the system 77 shown in FIG. 5 may exchange heat with the oil cooler provided in the discharge-side oil passage portion 616 of the coil-end oil passage 61.

[0078] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Rotating electric machine, 13A... Coil wire, 13... Coil end, 3... Transmission mechanism, 50... Oil pressure generating device, 51, 52... Electric oil pump, 60... Oil passage structure, 615... Supply side oil passage section (first oil passage), 62... Gear / rotor oil passage (second oil passage), 66... ​​Switching mechanism, 7... Vehicle drive device, 77... System, 100... Control device

Claims

1. A vehicle drive device comprising: a rotating electric machine around which a coil wire is wound; a transmission mechanism that transmits driving force from the rotating electric machine to wheels; and an oil supply device that supplies oil to the rotating electric machine and the transmission mechanism, wherein the oil supply device has a hydraulic pressure generating device including an electric oil pump and an oil passage structure through which oil discharged from the hydraulic pressure generating device flows, the oil passage structure having: a first oil passage that supplies the oil to a coil end formed by the coil wire; a second oil passage that supplies the oil to the transmission mechanism; and a switching mechanism that can selectively form a first state in which the first oil passage and the second oil passage are fluidly separated and the oil is circulated through the first oil passage, and a second state in which the first oil passage and the second oil passage are fluidly connected and the oil is circulated through the first oil passage and the second oil passage.

2. The vehicle drive system according to claim 1, further comprising a control device that controls the switching mechanism based on a state of a system that utilizes the heat of the coil ends.

3. The vehicle drive device described in claim 2, wherein the control device forms the first state while applying current to the coil wire in a manner that does not cause the rotating electric machine to rotate when the vehicle is stopped and a value of a predetermined parameter indicates a low temperature state of the system.

4. The vehicle drive device according to claim 3, wherein the control device establishes the second state when the vehicle is in a running state.

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