Hybrid Vehicle Fuel Heating Control with Battery Voltage Monitoring

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Solution Overview

Problem

In hybrid vehicles, pre-startup fuel heating consumes electric power from the battery, leading to insufficient power for engine startup if the battery voltage is low, which deteriorates start-up performance.

Innovation Solution

A control device with a computer program that manages fuel heating and battery charging, ensuring sufficient power by charging an auxiliary battery before initiating fuel heating, and only starting the engine when the auxiliary battery reaches a predetermined voltage, or charging the auxiliary battery during fuel heating if voltage is low.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If fuel heating is implemented before internal combustion engine startup, then start-up performance of the internal combustion engine is improved, but electric power of the battery is consumed leading to insufficient power for engine startup

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestart-up performance of internal combustion engineVSAvoidelectric power consumption of battery

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary charging of the auxiliary battery before fuel heating is executed. The control device detects battery voltage and, when it falls below a predetermined threshold, activates the main battery to charge the auxiliary battery before initiating fuel heating. This ensures sufficient electric power is available for both fuel heating and subsequent engine startup, resolving the contradiction between improving start-up performance and maintaining battery power levels.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If fuel heating is executed with low battery voltage, then fuel heating processing can be performed, but electric power necessary for cranking the internal combustion engine becomes insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefuel heating processingVSAvoidelectric power for cranking internal combustion engine

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The control device continuously monitors battery voltage and uses this feedback to control the fuel heating process. When battery voltage drops below a predetermined threshold during fuel heating, the system automatically terminates the fuel heating processing. This feedback mechanism ensures that fuel heating is only performed when sufficient electric power is available, preventing power deficiency during engine cranking while still enabling fuel heating when conditions are appropriate.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach ensures reliable engine startup by providing necessary electric power and prevents excessive battery voltage drop during fuel heating, reducing the risk of engine failure due to insufficient power.

Implementation Method 1

For heating the fuel, an electric fire or the like is used

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Implementation Method 2

an auxiliary battery being enable to be charged by the main battery

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrical conduction: Conduction (electrical)

Data Source

PatentUS10569757B2Control device for hybrid vehicle

Publication Date: 2020.02.25 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

A control device is configured to, in a case that an internal combustion engine is made to start up before travel start of a vehicle in a parked state, when an auxiliary battery has at least a predetermined value of battery voltage, make the internal combustion engine start up after executing fuel heating processing for heating fuel by glow plugs to which electric power is transmitted, or when the battery voltage of the auxiliary battery is less than the predetermined value, execute the fuel heating processing after executing charge processing for charging the auxiliary battery using a main battery and then start up the internal combustion engine.