Controller for hybrid vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016304084-A1
Application number	US-201415101602-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 9, 2014
Priority date	Dec 12, 2013
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A controller includes control means for controlling an electric motor such that a pulsation compensation torque corresponding to a pulsation component of a torque of an internal combustion engine, which appears in a drive shaft, is supplied to the drive shaft as a damping torque for suppressing vibrations of the hybrid vehicle, and determination means for determining whether a torque of the electric motor, excluding the pulsation compensation torque, is smaller than a predetermined value. When it is determined that the torque excluding the pulsation compensation torque is smaller than the predetermined value, the control means controls the electric motor such that the sum of the pulsation compensation torque and a pressing torque corresponding to the predetermined value is supplied to the drive shaft as the damping torque.

First claim

1 . A controller for a hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, the internal combustion engine being configured to input a torque to a drive shaft or output a torque from the drive shaft, the electric motor being configured to input a torque to the drive shaft or output a torque from the drive shaft, the controller comprising:
an electronic control unit configured to
a) control the electric motor such that a pulsation compensation torque is supplied to the drive shaft as a damping torque for suppressing vibrations of the hybrid vehicle, the pulsation compensation torque being a torque corresponding to a pulsation component of an engine output torque of the internal combustion engine, the pulsation component of the engine output torque appearing in the drive shaft,
b) determine whether or not a torque excluding the pulsation compensation torque of the electric motor is smaller than a predetermined value, and
c) control the electric motor such that, when the torque excluding the pulsation compensation torque is smaller than the predetermined value, a sum of the pulsation compensation torque and a pressing torque corresponding to the predetermined value is supplied to the drive shaft as the damping torque.

2 . A controller for a hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, the internal combustion engine being configured to input a torque to a drive shaft or output a torque from the drive shaft, the electric motor being configured to input a torque to the drive shaft or output a torque from the drive shaft, the controller comprising:
an electronic control unit configured to
a) select one from a group at least including a fuel economy operation line, a vibration noise suppression operation line and an intermediate operation line as an operation line of the internal combustion engine, the operation line being prescribed by an engine output torque and an engine rotation speed, the fuel economy operation line being an operation line at which a fuel consumption rate of the internal combustion engine is the smallest, the vibration noise suppression operation line being an operation line of which an operation point in an equal power line is higher in rotation and lower in torque than an operation point of the fuel economy operation line in the equal power line, and the intermediate operation line being an operation line of which an operation point in the equal power line is higher in rotation and lower in torque than an operation point of the fuel economy operation line in the equal power line and is lower in rotation and higher in torque than an operation point of the vibration noise suppression operation line in the equal power line,
b) control the electric motor such that a pulsation compensation torque is supplied to the drive shaft as a damping torque for suppressing vibrations of the hybrid vehicle, the pulsation compensation torque being a torque corresponding to a pulsation component of an engine output torque of the internal combustion engine, the pulsation component of the engine output torque appearing in the drive shaft,
c) determine whether or not a torque excluding the pulsation compensation torque of the electric motor is smaller than a predetermined value,
d) when the electronic control unit determines that the torque excluding the pulsation compensation torque is smaller than the predetermined value, select one mode having a highest energy efficiency of the hybrid vehicle from among a plurality of modes including a first mode, a second mode and a third mode, the first mode being configured to use the fuel economy operation line and set the damping torque to a sum of the pulsation compensation torque and a pressing torque corresponding to the predetermined value, the second mode being configured to use the intermediate operation line and set the damping torque to only the pressing torque, the third mode being configured to use the vibration noise suppression operation line and set the damping torque to zero, and
e) when the electronic control unit determines that the torque excluding the pulsation compensation torque is smaller than the predetermined value, control the internal combustion engine and the electric motor based on a selected one mode.

3 . The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined value is at least larger than or equal to a value of torque that is required to fill looseness in a torque transmission path between the electric motor and the drive shaft.

4 . The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined value is larger than or equal to a value of a torque that is required to fill looseness in a torque transmission path between the electric motor and the drive shaft, and
the predetermined value is a value at which a change in an acceleration of the hybrid vehicle falls within a predetermined range.

5 . The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to adjust a gain of the pulsation compensation torque such that the pulsation compensation torque decreases as an engine rotation speed of the internal combustion engine increases.

6 . The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to adjust a gain of the pulsation compensation torque such that the pulsation compensation torque decreases as the engine output torque decreases.

7 . The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the pulsation compensation torque is a torque different in phase by 180 degrees from a pulsation torque of the drive shaft.

8 . The controller according to claim 2 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to set the damping torque to a sum of the pulsation compensation torque and the pressing torque when a control mode of the electric motor is a pulse width modulation control mode even when the second mode is selected.

9 . The controller according to claim 2 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to determine whether or not the electric motor is in an abnormal state and unusable, and
the electronic control unit is configured to set the damping torque to zero when the electric motor is in an abnormal state and unusable.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kawai Takashi
• Kumada Takuro

Classifications

• Y10S903/93

  Conjoint control of different elements · CPC title

• B60W30/182

  Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes · CPC title

• B60Y2300/43

  Control of engines · CPC title

• B60Y2300/205

  related or induced by the engine · CPC title

• B60W30/20 Primary

  Reducing vibrations in the driveline · CPC title