Hybrid Engine Stop Control With Threshold-Based Speed Increase

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for controlling the rotation speed of internal combustion engines in hybrid vehicles can cause a sense of incongruity due to changes in vibration and operation noise when the engine is stopped, particularly when the rotation speed is low, leading to an unpleasant experience for the driver.

Innovation Solution

An electric system that includes a controller to manage the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine by performing rotation-speed increasing control only when the engine's rotation speed is above a specified threshold, thereby preventing unnecessary increases in low-speed scenarios and ensuring a smoother stop operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If rotation-speed increasing control is performed during engine stop operation, then the engine rotation speed increases temporarily, but this causes sense of incongruity due to vibration and noise changes when the rotation speed is low

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveengine stop operation smoothnessVSAvoidsense of incongruity from vibration and noise
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The control device changes the parameter of rotation speed threshold to determine whether to perform rotation-speed increasing control. By comparing the current rotation speed with a predetermined threshold value, the system selectively applies speed increase only when beneficial, avoiding the sense of incongruity that occurs when increasing speed from low rotation states.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If the engine rotation speed is increased during stop operation, then the stop control effectiveness is improved, but unnecessary torque adjustments occur when rotation speed is already low

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestop control effectivenessVSAvoidenergy consumption from unnecessary torque adjustments
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of always performing rotation-speed increasing control during engine stop operation, the system applies partial action by selectively activating this control only when the rotation speed exceeds a predetermined threshold. This avoids excessive energy consumption from unnecessary torque adjustments while maintaining stop control effectiveness when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Device complexity

If stop control is implemented without rotation speed threshold check, then the control process is simple, but the driver experiences sense of incongruity from vibration and noise changes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol process complexityVSAvoidsense of incongruity from vibration and noise
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The control device performs a preliminary check by comparing the current rotation speed with a predetermined threshold before implementing stop control. This preliminary action prevents the sense of incongruity by avoiding rotation-speed increasing control when the engine is already at low speed, while adding minimal complexity to the control process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3725612B1Electric device and method for controlling electric device
Publication Date: 2024.05.22 NISSAN MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP3725612B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3725612B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3725612B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

Provided is a method for controlling an electric device including an internal combustion engine and a motor that drives the internal combustion engine, including: a step (S4) of comparing the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine at the time when it has been determined that the internal combustion engine is to transition to a rotation stop state with a specified threshold; and a step (S5) of performing rotation-speed increasing control for making the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine temporarily higher than the rotation speed at the time of the determination, in a case where the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine at the time of the determination is higher than the threshold, in which in a case where the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine at the time of the determination is not higher than the threshold, the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine is not made higher than the rotation speed at the time of the determination but is let to decrease to stop the internal combustion engine.