Control apparatus of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018111602-A1
Application number	US-201715729415-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 10, 2017
Priority date	Oct 20, 2016
Publication date	Apr 26, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A control apparatus of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that is provided with a fuel tank, an engine, a battery, and an electric motor. The battery is chargeable by an external power source. The control apparatus includes a fuel deterioration determiner and a regeneration amount limiter. The fuel deterioration determiner determines whether a fuel stored in the fuel tank is deteriorated. The regeneration amount limiter reduces, when the fuel is determined by the fuel deterioration determiner as being deteriorated, a regeneration amount to be less than the regeneration amount of a case where the fuel is determined by the fuel deterioration determiner as not being deteriorated. The regeneration amount is an amount of regeneration of electric power generated by the electric motor upon deceleration of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

First claim

1 . A control apparatus of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle being provided with a fuel tank configured to store a fuel, an engine configured to receive the fuel supplied from the fuel tank, a battery chargeable by an external power source, and an electric motor configured to receive electric power from the battery, the control apparatus comprising:
a fuel deterioration determiner configured to determine whether the fuel stored in the fuel tank is deteriorated; and a regeneration amount limiter configured to, when the fuel is determined by the fuel deterioration determiner as being deteriorated, reduce a regeneration amount to be less than the regeneration amount of a case where the fuel is determined by the fuel deterioration determiner as not being deteriorated, the regeneration amount being an amount of regeneration of electric power generated by the electric motor upon deceleration of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

2 . The control apparatus of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the regeneration amount limiter causes the regeneration amount to be substantially zero when the fuel is determined by the fuel deterioration determiner as being deteriorated.

3 . The control apparatus of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel deterioration determiner acquires, as a fuel consumption efficiency, an efficiency of consumption by the engine of the fuel, and determines whether the fuel consumption efficiency is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

4 . The control apparatus of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the fuel deterioration determiner acquires, as a fuel consumption efficiency, an efficiency of consumption by the engine of the fuel, and determines whether the fuel consumption efficiency is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

5 . The control apparatus of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel deterioration determiner acquires information on a fuel level of the fuel stored in the fuel tank, and determines whether the fuel level is not increased for a predetermined period of time or over.

6 . The control apparatus of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the fuel deterioration determiner acquires information on a fuel level of the fuel stored in the fuel tank, and determines whether the fuel level is not increased for a predetermined period of time or over.

7 . The control apparatus of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the fuel deterioration determiner acquires information on a fuel level of the fuel stored in the fuel tank, and determines whether the fuel level is not increased for a predetermined period of time or over.

8 . The control apparatus of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the fuel deterioration determiner acquires information on a fuel level of the fuel stored in the fuel tank, and determines whether the fuel level is not increased for a predetermined period of time or over.

9 . The control apparatus of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel deterioration determiner acquires information on operation of a fuel lid opener that locks a lid of the fuel tank, and determines whether the fuel lid opener is not operated for a predetermined period of time or over.

10 . The control apparatus of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the fuel deterioration determiner acquires information on operation of a fuel lid opener that locks a lid of the fuel tank, and determines whether the fuel lid opener is not operated for a predetermined period of time or over.

11 . The control apparatus of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the fuel deterioration determiner acquires information on operation of a fuel lid opener that locks a lid of the fuel tank, and determines whether the fuel lid opener is not operated for a predetermined period of time or over.

12 . The control apparatus of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the fuel deterioration determiner acquires information on operation of a fuel lid opener that locks a lid of the fuel tank, and determines whether the fuel lid opener is not operated for a predetermined period of time or over.

13 . The control apparatus of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a limitation information provider configured to provide information that the regeneration amount is reduced.

14 . The control apparatus of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 2 , further comprising a limitation information provider configured to provide information that the regeneration amount is reduced.

15 . The control apparatus of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 3 , further comprising a limitation information provider configured to provide information that the regeneration amount is reduced.

16 . The control apparatus of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 4 , further comprising a limitation information provider configured to provide information that the regeneration amount is reduced.

17 . The control apparatus of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a fuel deterioration information provider configured to provide information that the fuel is deteriorated when the fuel is determined by the fuel deterioration determiner as being deteriorated.

18 . The control apparatus of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 2 , further comprising a fuel deterioration information provider configured to provide information that the fuel is deteriorated when the fuel is determined by the fuel deterioration determiner as being deteriorated.

19 . The control apparatus of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 3 , further comprising a fuel deterioration information provider configured to provide information that the fuel is deteriorated when the fuel is determined by the fuel deterioration determiner as being deteriorated.

20 . The control apparatus of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 4 , further comprising a fuel deterioration information provider configured to provide information that the fuel is deteriorated when the fuel is determined by the fuel deterioration determiner as being deteriorated.

Assignees

• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Takagi Hidehiro
• Kubo Noriyuki

Classifications

• B60W2530/211

  Fuel quality, e.g. water content due to age of fuel · CPC title

• B60W2530/209

  Fuel quantity remaining in tank · CPC title

• B60W2510/244

  Charge state · CPC title

• B60W20/18 Primary

  for avoiding ageing of fuel · CPC title

• B60W10/26

  for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors · CPC title