Control device for hybrid vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9415768-B2
Application number	US-201214434000-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2012
Priority date	Dec 14, 2012
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

A high-order control unit provided in a control device for a hybrid vehicle includes an elevation MAP that is used in common for up and down lines and in which at least two predetermined elevation values on a running track are described, and an energy estimation unit that estimates a target charge/discharge amount SOC_ref with respect to a power storage device on the basis of a traveling direction signal Rev expressing a traveling direction of a vehicle, distance information Dis from a distance translation unit, and information on the elevation MAP, to control a power generation device on the basis of the target charge/discharge amount SOC_ref.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A controller for a hybrid railroad vehicle that is applied to a hybrid railroad vehicle drive system including a power storage, a power generator that is electrically connected to the power storage, and a load that drives a vehicle by using power from the power storage and the power generator, wherein the controller comprises
a high-order controller that controls charge and discharge with respect to the power storage through the power generator, wherein
the high-order controller includes a traveling-direction generator that generates a traveling direction signal expressing a traveling direction (forward/reverse) of a vehicle,
the traveling-direction generator generates the traveling direction signal by using a vehicle-direction switching signal generated when a traveling direction of a vehicle is switched, and
the high-order controller controls the power generator by calculating an amount of charge/discharge with respect to the power storage, on a basis of the traveling direction signal output every time a target point is reached.

2. The controller for a hybrid railroad vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the traveling-direction generator is provided to a cab and is based on a signal for specifying forward/reverse of a vehicle operated by a driver.

3. The controller for a hybrid railroad vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the traveling-direction generator generates the traveling direction signal by using information which is obtained from signal information from an operation controller installed in a vehicle.

4. The controller for a hybrid railroad vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the traveling-direction generator generates the traveling direction signal by using information which is obtained from radio signal information from an operation controller installed outside a vehicle.

5. The controller for a hybrid railroad vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the high-order controller is provided in a vehicle that constitutes the hybrid railroad vehicle.

6. The controller for a hybrid railroad vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the power generator includes
a power generator driven by an engine,
a converter that converts AC power output from the power generator to DC power,
an engine controller that controls an operation of the engine, and
a power-generation controller that controls an operation of the converter.

7. The controller for a hybrid railroad vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the high-order controller is provided outside the hybrid railroad vehicle.

8. The controller for a hybrid railroad vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the high-order controller includes a height database that is used in common for up and down lines and in which height information on two points including at least any of the highest altitude point and a lower altitude point on a running track is described, and controls the power generator by calculating an amount of charge/discharge with respect to the power storage, on a basis of running distance information, and information on the height database.

9. The controller for a hybrid railroad vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the height database sets a point in time where the traveling direction signal is input as a reference point.

10. The controller for a hybrid railroad vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the height database sets a final point of a running track as a target point.

11. The controller for a hybrid railroad vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein
the high-order controller includes
an energy estimator that sets a target charge/discharge amount at a target point on a basis of the traveling direction signal, the running distance information, and the information on the height database, and
a power-generation command-value generator that determines a charge/discharge amount of the power storage device on a basis of the target charge/discharge amount and a state of charge of the power storage.

12. The controller for a hybrid railroad vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein the energy estimator calculates the target charge/discharge amount when the traveling direction signal is input.

13. The controller for a hybrid railroad vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein the energy estimator calculates position energy from height data obtained from the height database and calculates the target charge/discharge amount on a basis of the position energy.

14. The controller for a hybrid railroad vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein the power-generation command-value generator calculates charge-discharge amount difference information by using the target charge/discharge amount and a state of charge of the power storage when the traveling direction signal is input and determines an output command to an engine and a power generation command to a converter on a basis of the charge-discharge amount difference information.

15. The controller for a hybrid railroad vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein
the energy estimator includes
an abnormality detector that detects an abnormal state of the running distance information, and
a protection switch that switches a target charge/discharge amount to a battery-protection charge/discharge amount command value set within a range in which a battery is not over-charged or over-discharged, on a basis of a determination result from the abnormality detector.

Assignees

• Okada Yuruki
• Wada Yasuhiko
• Yamasaki Hisanori
• Hatanaka Keita
• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Okada Yuruki
• Wada Yasuhiko
• Yamasaki Hisanori
• Hatanaka Keita

Classifications

• B60W2555/40

  Altitude · CPC title

• B61C17/06

  Power storing devices · CPC title

• B60L58/12

  responding to state of charge [SoC] · CPC title

• B60L58/15

  Preventing overcharging · CPC title

• B60L50/61

  by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles · CPC title