Apparatus and method for controlling start sequence of engine for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10550818-B2
Application number	US-201715839425-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2017
Priority date	Apr 12, 2017
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling a start sequence of an engine for a vehicle may include an engine, a motor configured to start the engine, a main switch configured to connect power to the motor or interrupt the power to be supplied to the motor, a main battery configured to supply the power to the motor through the main switch, a converter configured to step up a voltage of the motor by boosting reverse power through a reverse control operation, an auxiliary battery configured to supply the reverse power, and a converter controller configured to perform a pre-charging operation for a predetermined time through the reverse control operation when an ignition-ON signal is inputted, and close the main switch when the pre-charging operation is completed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for controlling a start sequence of an engine for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
the engine;
a motor configured to start the engine;
a main switch configured to connect power to the motor or interrupt the power to the supplied to the motor;
a main battery configured to supply the power to the motor by the main switch;
a converter configured to step up a voltage of the motor by boosting reverse power through a reverse control operation;
an auxiliary battery configured to supply the reverse power; and
a converter controller configured to perform a pre-charging operation for a predetermined time period through the reverse control operation in response to an ignition-ON signal being inputted, close the main switch to connect the main battery to the motor electrically when the pre-charging operation is completed and the stepping up the voltage is completed, and operate the motor so that the engine starts in response to a key start signal being inputted after the pre-charging operation has been completed.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the converter controller includes:
an execution module configured to perform the pre-charging operation;
a determination module configured to determine whether the power provided from the main battery reaches a predetermined reference value after the pre-charging operation has been completed; and
a control module configured to close the main switch when the power has reached the predetermined reference value as a result of the determination.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the motor is coupled to a crankshaft of the engine by a connection device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the connection device includes a belt or chain.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the main battery includes a supercapacitor or a lithium-ion battery, and the auxiliary battery includes a lead acid battery.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the motor includes an inverter-integrated mild hybrid starter and generator (MHSG).

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the converter includes a bidirectional low voltage direct current-direct current converter (LDC).

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the main switch includes a power relay, a semiconductor switching element, a thyristor, a gate turn-OFT (GTO) thyristor, a triode for alternating current (TRIAC), a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR), or an integrated circuit (IC).

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reverse control operation includes an operation of stepping up a voltage from 12 V to 48 V.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including
a vehicle controller configured to verify that the main switch is in a closed state, when the key start signal is inputted after the pre-charging operation has been completed, and operate the motor so that the engine starts.

11. A method for controlling a start sequence of an engine for a vehicle, the method comprising:
performing, by a converter controller, a pre-charging operation for a predetermined time through a reverse control operation in response to an ignition-ON signal being inputted, wherein the reverse control operation includes providing reverse power from an auxiliary battery;
stepping up, by a converter, a voltage to be applied to a motor by boosting the reverse power provided from the auxiliary battery according to the reverse control operation;
closing, by the converter controller, a main switch to connect a main battery to the motor electrically in response to the pre-charging operation being completed and the stepping up the voltage being completed; and
supplying power from the main battery to the motor through the main switch to start the engine by operating the motor in response to a key start signal being inputted after the pre-charging operation has been completed.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the closing of the main switch includes:
determining, by a determination module, whether the power provided from the main battery reaches a predetermined reference value after the pre-charging operation is completed; and
closing, by a control module, the main switch then the power has reached the predetermined reference value as a result of the determining.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the motor is coupled to a crankshaft of the engine by a connection device.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the connection device includes a belt or a chain.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the main battery includes a supercapacitor or a lithium-ion battery, and the auxiliary battery includes a lead acid battery.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the motor includes an inverter-integrated mild hybrid starter and generator (MHSG).

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the converter includes a bidirectional low voltage direct current-direct current converter (LDC).

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the main switch includes a power relay, a semiconductor switching element, a thyristor, a gate turn-OFF(GTO) thyristor, a triode for alternating current (TRIAC), a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR), or an integrated circuit (IC).

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the reverse control operation includes stepping up a voltage from 12 V to 48 V.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the supplying of the power includes:
checking, by a vehicle controller, that the main switch is in a closed state, when the key start signal is inputted after the pre-charging operation has been completed, and operating the motor so that the engine starts.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Choi Kwang-Seok
• Hwang Do-Sung
• Choi Jeong-Hye
• Kang Ki-Hong

Classifications

• F02N11/087

  Details of the switching means in starting circuits, e.g. relays or electronic switches · CPC title

• F02N11/0866 Primary

  comprising several power sources, e.g. battery and capacitor or two batteries · CPC title

• F02N2011/0874

  characterised by said switch being an electronic switch · CPC title

• Y02T10/92

  Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles · CPC title

• F02N11/06

  and with ignition apparatus · CPC title