Engine start system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9982647-B2
Application number	US-201715408539-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2017
Priority date	Jan 18, 2016
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

An engine start system has a rotating electrical machine, a starter motor, an engine ECU and an ISG controller. The rotating electrical machine is connected to an output shaft of an engine. The starter motor drives the engine to be restarted. The engine ECU controls the engine operation. The ISG controller instructs an inverter when the rotating electrical machine performs power running and regenerative power generation. The ISG controller communicates with the engine ECU, and adjusts the operation of the starter motor and the rotating electrical machine. When receiving an engine restart request, the ISG controller drives at least one of the starter motor and the rotating electrical machine so as to restart the engine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An engine start system comprising:
a rotating electrical machine connected to an output shaft of an engine and driven by an electric power regulation circuit capable of performing power running and regenerative power generation;
a starter motor configured to start and restart the engine;
a first control device capable of adjusting operation of the engine; and
a second control device capable of transmitting an instruction to the electric power regulation circuit to execute an electric power regulation when the rotating electrical machine performs power running and regenerative power generation, the second control device communicating with the first control device, and adjusting the operation of the starter motor and the rotating electrical machine, and when receiving an engine restart request, the second control device instructing at least one of the starter motor and the rotating electrical machine to operate so as to execute a quick restart of the engine.

2. The engine start system according to claim 1 , wherein the starter motor comprises a pinion gear, a drive section, and a switch section, wherein the pinion gear is capable of engaging with a ring gear which is fixed to the output shaft of the engine so that the pinion gear and the ring gear are engaged and rotate simultaneously, the drive section drives the pinion gear, and the switch section instructs the drive section to turn on to allow power supply and to turn off to halt the power supply, and
the second control device executes turn-on and off of the switch section on the basis of the engine restart request so as to drive the starter motor, and instructs the electric power regulation circuit to drive the rotating electrical machine.

3. The engine start system according to claim 2 , wherein at restart of the engine, the second control device selects and executes one of:
a first start process in which the second control device instructs the starter motor to drive the engine to be restarted;
a second start process in which the second control device instructs the electric power regulation circuit so that the rotating electrical machine drives the engine to be restarted; and
a third start process in which the second control device instructs the starter motor and the electric power regulation circuit so that the starter motor and the rotating electrical machine drive the engine to restart.

4. The engine start system according to claim 3 , wherein during a period from a start timing of the engine start to a finish timing of the engine start in the third start process, the second control device firstly instructs the starter motor to drive the engine to operate, and stops the operation of the starter motor, and secondly instructs the electric power regulation circuit so that the rotating electrical machine drives the engine to operate.

5. The engine start system according to claim 3 , wherein when the second control device has a function to drive the engine to automatically stop its operating when a predetermined automatic engine stop condition has been satisfied, and a function to drive the engine to be restarted when a predetermined automatic engine restart condition has been satisfied, and
the second control device selects one of the first start process, the second start process, and the third start process on the basis of a rotation speed of the engine at a timing when the predetermined automatic engine restart condition has been satisfied.

6. The engine start system according to claim 3 , wherein in the third start process, the first control device receives a rotation torque of the output shaft of the engine, and the second control device detects an occurrence of abnormality of the starter motor on the basis of the rotation torque of the output shaft of the engine.

7. The engine start system according to claim 1 , wherein at restart of the engine, the second control device selects and executes one of:
a first start process in which the second control device instructs the starter motor to drive the engine to be restarted;
a second start process in which the second control device instructs the electric power regulation circuit so that the rotating electrical machine drives the engine to be restarted; and
a third start process in which the second control device instructs the starter motor and the electric power regulation circuit so that the starter motor and the rotating electrical machine drive the engine to restart.

8. The engine start system according to claim 7 , wherein during a period from a start timing of the engine start to a finish timing of the engine start in the third start process, the second control device firstly instructs the starter motor to drive the engine to operate, and stops the operation of the starter motor, and secondly instructs the electric power regulation circuit so that the rotating electrical machine drives the engine to operate.

9. The engine start system according to claim 7 , wherein when the second control device has a function to drive the engine to automatically stop its operating when a predetermined automatic engine stop condition has been satisfied, and a function to drive the engine to be restarted when a predetermined automatic engine restart condition has been satisfied, and
the second control device selects one of the first start process, the second start process, and the third start process on the basis of a rotation speed of the engine at a timing when the predetermined automatic engine restart condition has been satisfied.

10. The engine start system according to claim 7 , wherein in the third start process, the first control device receives a rotation torque of the output shaft of the engine, and the second control device detects an occurrence of abnormality of the starter motor on the basis of the rotation torque of the output shaft of the engine.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Imura Akihiro
• Nakaoka Takuro
• Hiruma Atsuyuki

Classifications

• F02N2200/042

  Starter torque · CPC title

• F02N2300/104

  Control of the starter motor torque · CPC title

• F02N11/0844 Primary

  with means for restarting the engine directly after an engine stop request, e.g. caused by change of driver mind · CPC title

• F02N11/006

  using a plurality of electric motors · CPC title

• F02N11/04

  the motors being associated with current generators · CPC title