Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Electric vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-20
2001-10-09
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Electric vehicle
C477S015000, C180S065230, C060S274000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06301529
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to driving apparatus and method for a hybrid vehicle in which a motor/generator is equipped to regenerate an energy and to assist an engine output.
2. Description of the Related Art
A Japanese Patent Application First Publication No. Heisei 9-98516 published on Apr. 8, 1997 exemplifies a first previously proposed driving apparatus for the hybrid vehicle.
In the first previously proposed driving apparatus, a driving point of an engine in the hybrid vehicle is selected from either one of the driving points at which a fuel consumption is best (viz., approximately minimized) or at which an exhaust gas quantity is approximately minimized and a transmission and the motor/generator are operated to achieve this requirement.
On the other hand, a Japanese Patent Application First Publication No. Heisei 9-238403 published on Sep. 9, 1997 exemplifies a second previously proposed driving apparatus for the hybrid vehicle in which the motor/generator is equipped and is associated with a Diesel engine.
In the second previously proposed driving apparatus, the motor/generator is controlled to generate a power by means of an extra torque of the engine during a normal (or a steady-state) vehicular run so as to regenerate an energy and is controlled to assist an engine output during a vehicular acceleration.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
However, in the case of the first previously proposed driving apparatus, an engine revolution is needed to be raised even under a low engine load while a power generation request occurs since, in general, as an engine load becomes lower, a quantity of exhaust gas becomes less.
On the other hand, since, in the second previously proposed driving apparatus, the power generation by the motor/generator is allowed to be carried out over a whole range of the extra torque developed by the engine, an exhaust performance of the engine becomes worsened as a larger quantity of power generation is requested.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide driving apparatus and method for the hybrid vehicle in which the engine is limited into a predetermined operational range when the power generation request occurs, the exhaust performance is improved by securing the power generation request quantity within the predetermined operational range and the worsening of the fuel consumption is suppressed as low as possible and which can preferably control the power generation and the engine load for a catalysis to always exhibit its function at an optimum with not only a state of charge in a vehicular battery but also a state of a catalysis taken into consideration, thus further improving exhaust gas compositions.
The above-described object can be achieved by providing a driving apparatus for a hybrid vehicle, comprising: an engine; a motor/generator having its rotary axle linked to an output axle of the engine; a battery electrically connected to the motor/generator; and a controller programmed: to calculate a target driving force [tFd], the target driving force [tFd] representing a target value of a vehicular driving force; to calculate a basic target engine speed [tNinb] on the basis of the target driving force, the basic target engine speed [tNinb] representing a basic target value of the engine speed; to calculate a power generation request quantity [tWg], the power generation request quantity [tWg] representing a power to be generated by the motor/generator; to calculate a basic target engine torque [tTeg] on the basis of the target driving force [tFd], the power generation request quantity [tWg], and the basic target engine speed [tNinb], the basic target engine torque [tTeg] representing an engine torque to be developed when an output required for a vehicular drive and for a power drive of the motor/generator is developed at the basic target engine speed [tNinb]; to calculate a limit torque [tTlim] during an occurrence of a power generation request on the basis of the basic target engine speed [tNinb], the limit torque [tTlim] during the occurrence of the power generation request representing a limit torque of the engine when the engine is driven at the basic target engine speed [tNinb], satisfying a demand for an exhaust performance of the engine; to set a target engine speed [tNin] to either the basic target engine speed [tNinb] or a value different from the basic target engine speed [tNinb] according to a result of comparison between the basic target engine torque [tTeg] and the limit torque [tTlim] during the occurrence of the power generation request; and to control the engine on the basis of the target engine speed [tNin].
The above-described object can also be achieved by providing a driving method for a hybrid vehicle, comprising: providing an engine; providing a motor/generator having its rotary axle linked to an output axle of the engine: providing a battery electrically connected to the motor/generator; calculating a target driving force [tFd], the target driving force [tFd] representing a target value of a vehicular driving force; calculating a basic target engine speed [tNinb] on the basis of the target driving force, the basic target engine speed [tNinb] representing a basic target value of the engine speed; calculating a power generation request quantity [tWg], the power generation request quantity [tWg] representing a power to be generated by the motor/generator; to calculate a basic target engine torque [tTeg] on the basis of the target driving force [tFd], the power generation request quantity [tWg], and the basic target engine speed [tNinb], the basic target engine torque [tTeg] representing an engine torque to be developed when an output required for a vehicular drive and for a power drive of the motor/generator is developed at the basic target engine speed [tNinb]; calculating a limit torque [tTlim] during an occurrence of a power generation request on the basis of the basic target engine speed [tNinb], the limit torque [tTlim] during the occurrence of the power generation request representing a limit torque of the engine when the engine is driven at the basic target engine speed [tNinb], satisfying a demand for an exhaust performance of the engine; setting a target engine speed [tNin] to either the basic target engine speed [tNinb] or a value different from the basic target engine speed [tNinb] according to a result of comparison between the basic target engine torque [tTeg] and the limit torque [tTlim] during the occurrence of the power generation request; and controlling the engine on the basis of the target engine speed [tNin].
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Itoyama Hiroyuki
Miura Manabu
Shirakawa Takashi
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Foley & Lardner
Hernandez Olga
Nissan Motor Co. Ltd
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