JP2008043098A - Vehicle control device - Google Patents

Abstract

The temperature of a high voltage battery is controlled within an appropriate range, and safety is ensured when a failure occurs in the high voltage battery.
An air supply duct 51 that opens into a vehicle interior and an exhaust duct 52 that opens outside the vehicle interior are attached to a high voltage battery 40. The air supply duct 51 is assembled with a blower fan 53 that uses the low voltage battery 43 as a power source, and the temperature of the high voltage battery 40 can be controlled within an appropriate range by blowing air in the air-conditioned vehicle interior. . In addition, the air supply duct 51 is provided with an opening / closing mechanism 54 that switches between a communication state that allows air flow from the blower fan 53 side and a cut-off state that blocks air flow from the high-voltage battery 40 side. . Accordingly, even when gas or the like is generated from the high-voltage battery 40, the inflow of gas or the like into the vehicle interior can be blocked by the opening / closing mechanism 54, and safety can be improved.
[Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle control device including a drive motor that outputs power to drive wheels and a power supply device that supplies power to the drive motor.

  In recent years, an electric vehicle in which only an electric motor is mounted as a power source and a hybrid vehicle in which an engine and an electric motor are mounted as power sources have been developed. These vehicles are equipped with a power supply device such as a battery or a capacitor, and electric power is supplied from the power supply device to the electric motor when the vehicle travels. In addition, the output decreases as the temperature of the power supply device (hereinafter referred to as the device temperature) decreases, while the lifetime decreases as the device temperature increases, so the device temperature must be set to ensure the specified power supply performance. It is important to control within a predetermined range.

Therefore, a cooling system has been proposed in which a blower is assembled to the air supply duct that opens in the vehicle interior, and the air in the vehicle interior that is air-conditioned is blown toward the power supply device, thereby reducing the device temperature ( For example, see Patent Document 1). There has also been proposed a heating system in which an electric heater is assembled to an air supply duct so that the power supply device can be quickly warmed and activated (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
JP-A-10-306722 JP 2003-341448 A

  Generally, a plurality of temperature sensors are attached to a power supply device, and the operating state of a cooling system or the like is controlled while constantly monitoring the device temperature. However, if the device temperature greatly deviates from the appropriate range due to the occurrence of an unpredictable situation, gas or the like may be generated depending on the type of power supply device. For this reason, in a cooling system or the like, it is important not only to control the device temperature within an appropriate range but also to adopt a structure that takes into account the generation of gas and the like.

  An object of the present invention is to control the temperature of a power supply device within an appropriate range and to ensure safety when a failure occurs in the power supply device.

  The vehicle control device of the present invention includes a drive motor that outputs power to drive wheels, a first power supply device that supplies power to the drive motor, and a second power supply device that has a lower voltage than the first power supply device. A temperature control means for detecting the temperature of the first power supply device, and an air introduction pipe connecting the vehicle compartment and the first power supply device. And a blower that blows air from the passenger compartment toward the first power supply device, and controls the driving state of the blower by supplying electric power from the second power supply device based on the temperature of the first power supply device. An air supply control means, an open state that is provided in the air introduction pipe between the blower and the first power supply device, and that allows an air flow from the blower side, and from the first power supply device side And a closing mechanism is switched to the cut-off state in which the air flow, the opening and closing mechanism, characterized in that it is switched to the open state by a wind pressure from the blower side.

  In the vehicle control device of the present invention, the opening / closing mechanism can freely rotate between an open position that allows air flow from the blower side and a blocking position that blocks air flow from the first power supply device side. An opening / closing plate is provided, and the opening / closing plate rotates toward the open position by wind pressure from the blower side, and rotates toward the blocking position by gravity.

  The vehicle control apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that the air introduction pipe is provided with heater means for warming air.

  In the vehicle control apparatus of the present invention, the heater means is a heating wire provided on an opening / closing plate of the opening / closing mechanism.

  The vehicular control apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that when the temperature of the first power supply device exceeds a predetermined temperature, the air blowing control means drives the blower to cool the first power supply device.

  In the vehicle control apparatus of the present invention, when the temperature of the first power supply device falls below a predetermined temperature, the air blowing control means activates the heater means and drives the air blower to warm the first power supply device. It is characterized by.

  According to the present invention, the driving state of the blower is controlled according to the temperature of the first power supply device, and the air in the passenger compartment is supplied to the first power supply device, so that the temperature of the first power supply device is kept appropriate. Therefore, the power supply capability of the first power supply device can be kept good. Moreover, since an opening / closing mechanism is provided for the air introduction pipe, even if gas or the like is generated from the first power supply device due to the occurrence of an unpredictable situation, the inflow of gas or the like into the vehicle interior is prevented. Thus, the safety of the vehicle can be improved. In addition, since power is supplied to the blower from the second power supply device, the drive state of the blower can be maintained even when a failure occurs in the first power supply device, thereby further improving safety. It is possible to improve.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a hybrid vehicle 10, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a power unit 11 mounted on the hybrid vehicle 10. Note that a hybrid vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 1 is assembled with a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a hybrid power unit 11 having a plurality of power sources is vertically mounted on a hybrid vehicle 10, and power is supplied from a front differential mechanism 12 incorporated in the power unit 11 to front wheels (drive wheels) 13. Is transmitted from the rear differential mechanism 14 connected to the rear end of the power unit 11 to the rear wheels (drive wheels) 15. The power unit 11 includes an engine 16 and a motor generator (drive motor) 17 as power sources, and the engine 16 is driven as a main power source for traveling, while the motor generator 17 assists at start-up and acceleration. Driven. Further, when the motor generator 17 is driven to generate power during deceleration or steady running, it is possible to convert deceleration energy and surplus energy into electric energy and collect it.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the motor generator 17 provided on the rear side of the engine 16 includes a stator 21 fixed to the motor case 20 and a rotor 23 connected to the crankshaft 22 of the engine 16. The torque converter 24 connected to the rotor 23 includes a pump impeller 26 fixed to the converter case 25, and a turbine runner 27 facing the pump impeller 26, and is pumped via hydraulic oil in the torque converter 24. Power is transmitted from the impeller 26 to the turbine runner 27.

  A transmission mechanism 30 including a planetary gear train, a clutch, a brake, and the like is connected to the torque converter 24 via a transmission input shaft 31. By selectively engaging the clutch and the brake in the transmission mechanism 30, it is possible to change the power transmission path in the transmission mechanism 30 to change the speed. Further, a compound planetary gear type center differential mechanism 34 that distributes drive torque to the front and rear wheels 13, 15 is mounted between the transmission output shaft 32 and the rear wheel output shaft 33. The power is distributed to the front wheel output shaft 35 and the rear wheel output shaft 33 through this.

  In such a hybrid vehicle 10, a high voltage battery (for example, a lithium ion battery) 40 is mounted as a first power supply device that supplies electric power to the motor generator 17. A battery control unit 41 is connected to the high voltage battery 40, and charging / discharging of the high voltage battery 40 is controlled by the battery control unit 41, and a remaining capacity SOC is calculated based on voltage, current, cell temperature, and the like. Is done. Further, the hybrid vehicle 10 is provided with an engine control unit 42, and the engine control unit 42 controls a throttle valve, an injector, and the like. Further, in order to supply power to the control units 41, 42, 45 and various electrical components, the hybrid vehicle 10 is supplied with a low voltage battery (for example, 12V) as a second power source device having a lower voltage than the high voltage battery 40. Lead acid battery) 43 is mounted. A converter 44 that generates a low voltage current from a high voltage current is provided between the low voltage battery 43 and the high voltage battery 40, and the high voltage battery 40 is switched to the low voltage battery 43 via the converter 44. Electric power is supplied.

  The hybrid vehicle 10 is provided with a hybrid control unit 45. The hybrid control unit 45 includes an inhibitor switch for detecting the operation range of the select lever, an accelerator pedal sensor for detecting the depression state of the accelerator pedal, and a brake pedal. A brake pedal sensor or the like for detecting the depression state is connected. Further, an inverter 46 is connected to the hybrid control unit 45, and the motor torque and motor rotation speed of the motor generator 17 that is an AC synchronous motor are controlled by controlling the current value and frequency of the AC current via the inverter 46. Can be controlled. The hybrid control unit 45 determines a vehicle state based on various information input from the control units 41 and 42 and various sensors, and outputs a control signal to the inverter 46, the engine control unit 42, and the battery control unit 41. Then, the motor generator 17, the engine 16, the high voltage battery 40 and the like are controlled while being coordinated with each other. Each control unit 41, 42, 45 includes a CPU that calculates control signals and the like, and also includes a ROM that stores control programs, arithmetic expressions, map data, and the like, and a RAM that temporarily stores data. .

  Next, the temperature adjustment unit 50 that is controlled by the battery control unit 41 that functions as the air blowing control means and adjusts the temperature of the high voltage battery 40 within a predetermined range will be described. Here, FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the temperature adjustment unit 50. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, an air supply duct 51 is attached to the high voltage battery 40 mounted at the rear of the vehicle body as an air introduction pipe that opens into the vehicle interior, and an exhaust duct 52 that opens outside the vehicle interior is attached. It has been. The air supply duct 51 is assembled with a blower fan 53 as a blower using the low-voltage battery 43 as a power source. By driving the blower fan 53, air in the vehicle compartment conditioned is blown to the high-voltage battery 40. It becomes possible. The air blown to the high voltage battery 40 is discharged from the exhaust duct 52 after the high voltage battery 40 is cooled or heated. The blower fan 53 is provided with an axial fan, a centrifugal fan, or the like.

  Further, the air supply duct 51 between the blower fan 53 and the high voltage battery 40 has a communication state that allows the air flow from the blower fan 53 side and a cut-off state that blocks the air flow from the high voltage battery 40 side. An opening / closing mechanism 54 that can be switched between and is provided. 4 is a perspective view showing the opening / closing mechanism 54, and FIGS. 5A and 5B are explanatory views showing the operating state of the opening / closing mechanism 54. FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the opening / closing mechanism 54 includes a frame body 55 having a quadrangular cross-sectional shape, and a plurality of opening / closing plates 56 provided to be rotatable with respect to the frame body 55. As shown in FIG. 5, the opening / closing plate 56 that rotates about the support shaft 57 is rotatable between an open position shown in FIG. 5A and a blocking position shown in FIG. 5B. Yes. As shown in FIG. 5A, the opening / closing plate 56 includes a first pressure receiving plate portion 56a having a width dimension a and a second pressure receiving plate portion 56b having a width dimension b smaller than the width dimension a. The first pressure receiving plate portion 56a has a larger pressure receiving area than the second pressure receiving plate portion 56b. That is, by operating the blower fan 53 and increasing the wind pressure on the blower fan 53 side, the opening / closing plate 56 is rotated toward the open position by the wind pressure as shown in FIG. On the other hand, a weight 56c is formed at the end of the second pressure receiving plate portion 56b, and the center of gravity of the second pressure receiving plate 56b is formed so as to be farther from the support shaft 57 than the position of the center of gravity of the first pressure receiving plate 56a. Has been. That is, by stopping the blower fan 53 and weakening the wind pressure on the blower fan 53 side, as shown in FIG. 5B, the open / close plate 56 is rotated toward the open position by gravity.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a heating wire 58 is provided on the surface of the opening / closing plate 56 provided in the opening / closing mechanism 54 as a heater means that generates heat when current is supplied. A low voltage battery 43 is connected to the heating wire 58 as a power source, and a current supply state to the heating wire 58 is controlled by the battery control unit 41. That is, when the temperature of the high voltage battery 40 (hereinafter referred to as the battery temperature) is low, such as immediately after starting at a low temperature, by driving the blower fan 53 and supplying current to the heating wire 58, the high voltage battery 40 is Since the air to be blown can be warmed, the high-voltage battery 40 can be heated to recover the battery output at an early stage. On the other hand, when the battery temperature is high due to charging or discharging, the blower fan 53 is driven in a state where the current supply to the heating wire 58 is cut off, so that air in the air-conditioned vehicle compartment is blown directly to the high voltage battery 40. Therefore, the high voltage battery 40 can be cooled to keep the battery output good.

  As described above, in order to control supply of current to the blower fan 53 and the heating wire 58 according to the state of the high voltage battery 40, the battery control unit 41 detects the temperature of the air flowing upstream of the opening / closing mechanism 54. An upstream temperature sensor 60, a downstream temperature sensor 61 that detects the temperature of air flowing downstream of the opening / closing mechanism 54, and a battery temperature sensor 62 as temperature detection means that detects the temperature of the high-voltage battery 40 are connected. Further, not only the current supply state to the blower fan 53 and the heating wire 58 is controlled by the control signal from the battery control unit 41, but also the switching shutter 64 for switching between the introduction of the outside air and the circulation of the inside air in the air conditioner unit 63 is switched. Has been. Note that a plurality of battery temperature sensors 62 may be provided for the high voltage battery 40 so that the battery control unit 41 can grasp the battery temperature in detail.

  Hereinafter, a cooling procedure and a heating procedure of the high voltage battery 40 executed by the battery control unit 41 will be described. Here, FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a cooling procedure of the high voltage battery 40, and FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a heating procedure of the high voltage battery 40.

  First, the cooling procedure of the high voltage battery 40 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, in step S1, it is determined whether or not the battery temperature falls below a predetermined temperature H (for example, 35 ° C.). If it is determined in step S1 that the battery temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature H, the process proceeds to step S2, where the current supplied to the blower fan 53 is controlled to be supplied at a constant duty ratio, and the blower fan 53 rotates at a substantially constant speed. Driven by number. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S1 that the battery temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature H, it is necessary to increase the cooling capacity. The blower fan 53 is driven at a rotational speed proportional to the battery temperature. Subsequently, in step S4, it is determined whether or not the switching shutter 64 of the air conditioner unit 63 is in the outside air introduction position. If the switching shutter 64 is in the outside air introduction position, a sufficient air volume is supplied to the high voltage battery 40. So that the routine can be exited. On the other hand, when the switching shutter 64 is in the inside air circulation position, it is difficult to supply a sufficient air volume to the high voltage battery 40. Therefore, in the subsequent step S5, the switching shutter 64 is switched to the outside air introduction position. Become. Thus, when the high-voltage battery 40 generates heat due to charging or discharging, air in the air-conditioned vehicle compartment can be blown to the high-voltage battery 40, so that an excessive increase in the battery temperature is avoided and the high voltage is avoided. The output and life of the battery 40 can be kept good.

  Next, a procedure for heating the high voltage battery 40 will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, in step S10, it is determined whether or not the battery temperature is below a predetermined temperature L (eg, 0 ° C.). If it is determined in step S10 that the battery temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature L, the high voltage battery 40 is warmed and activated, and thus the process proceeds to step S11 and the current to the blower fan 53 and the heating wire 58 is determined. Supply is stopped. In Step S10, when it is determined that the battery temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature L, the high voltage battery 40 is not cooled and activated, and thus the process proceeds to Step S12 and the blower fan 53 and the heating wire 58 are performed. Is supplied with current. As a result, the high voltage battery 40 can be quickly warmed immediately after the vehicle is started at a low temperature, so that the output of the high voltage battery 40 can be recovered early.

  As described above, in the vehicle control device of the present invention, the high-voltage battery 40 can be controlled within a predetermined temperature range by driving the blower fan 53 according to the battery temperature. The battery output of the high voltage battery 40 can be kept good. In addition, since the opening / closing mechanism 54 is provided for the air supply duct 51 that feeds the air in the vehicle interior to the high voltage battery 40, gas or the like is generated from the high voltage battery 40 due to the occurrence of an unpredictable situation. Even if it exists, gas etc. can be interrupted | blocked by the opening-and-closing mechanism 54, and it becomes possible to prevent inflow of gas etc. with respect to a vehicle interior. In particular, even if gas or the like flows from the high-voltage battery 40 side, as shown in FIG. 5 (B), the opening / closing mechanism 54 has a structure in which the shut-off state is maintained. It becomes possible to shut off reliably. In addition, since power is supplied from the low voltage battery 43 to the blower fan 53, the driving state of the blower fan 53 can be maintained even when a failure occurs in the high voltage battery 40, and the gas Etc. can be discharged out of the vehicle. By adopting these structures, it becomes possible to prevent the inflow of gas or the like into the vehicle interior, and it is possible to improve the safety of the vehicle.

  Further, since the upstream temperature sensor 60 and the downstream temperature sensor 61 are provided before and after the opening / closing mechanism 54 provided with the heating wire 58, the air temperature before and after the passage of the heating wire 58 is detected. Can do. Thereby, since the failure state of the heating wire 58 can be detected, the reliability of the temperature adjustment unit 50 can be improved. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the air flow path provided in the high voltage battery 40 is structured to guide the air from below to above, so that the air warmed by the high voltage battery 40 is efficiently discharged out of the vehicle. It is possible to do. As a result, the cooling efficiency of the high voltage battery 40 can be improved.

  Needless to say, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the illustrated hybrid vehicle 10 is a parallel type hybrid vehicle, but is not limited to this, and the vehicle control device of the present invention can be applied to a series type or series / parallel type hybrid vehicle. good. Further, the present invention is not limited to the hybrid vehicle 10, and the vehicle control device of the present invention may be applied to an electric vehicle that includes only a drive motor as a drive source.

  In the above description, the blower fan 53 is used as the blower. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a blower having a higher pressure ratio than the blower fan 53 may be used. Furthermore, the opening / closing mechanism 54 includes a frame body 55 having a square cross-sectional shape, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a frame body having another shape such as a circular cross-sectional shape may be used. Needless to say, the first power supply device is not limited to a lithium ion battery, and may be a nickel metal hydride battery or a capacitor.

  Furthermore, in the above-described flowchart, the current supply state to the blower fan 53 and the heating wire 58 is controlled based on the battery temperature, but the blower fan 53 and the heating wire are based on the temperature difference between the battery temperature and the vehicle interior temperature. The current supply state to 58 may be controlled. That is, the amount of air blown to the high voltage battery 40 may be controlled based on the temperature difference between the battery temperature and the air temperature that cools or heats the high voltage battery 40.

It is the schematic which shows a hybrid vehicle. It is the schematic which shows the power unit mounted in a hybrid vehicle. It is the schematic which shows a temperature control unit. It is a perspective view which shows an opening / closing mechanism. (A) And (B) is explanatory drawing which shows the operating state of an opening-closing mechanism. It is a flowchart which shows the cooling procedure of a high voltage battery. It is a flowchart which shows the heating procedure of a high voltage battery.

Explanation of symbols

13 Front wheel (drive wheel)
15 Rear wheel (drive wheel)
17 Motor generator (drive motor)
40 High-voltage battery (first power device)
41 Battery control unit (air blow control means)
43 Low-voltage battery (second power supply device)
51 Air supply duct (air introduction pipe)
53 Blowing fan 54 Opening / closing mechanism 56 Opening / closing plate 57 Support shaft 58 Heating wire (heater means)
62 Battery temperature sensor (temperature detection means)

Claims (6)

A vehicle control apparatus comprising: a drive motor that outputs power to drive wheels; a first power supply device that supplies power to the drive motor; and a second power supply device that has a lower voltage than the first power supply device. And
Temperature detection means provided in the first power supply device for detecting the temperature of the first power supply device;
A blower that is provided in an air introduction pipe that connects a passenger compartment and the first power supply device, and blows air from the passenger compartment toward the first power supply device;
Based on the temperature of the first power supply device, air supply control means for controlling the driving state of the blower by supplying power from the second power supply device;
An open state that is provided in the air introduction pipe between the blower and the first power supply device and allows the air flow from the blower side; and a cut-off state that blocks the air flow from the first power supply device side; And an opening / closing mechanism that can be switched to
The vehicle control device, wherein the opening / closing mechanism is switched to an open state by a wind pressure from the blower side. The vehicle control device according to claim 1,
The opening / closing mechanism includes an opening / closing plate that is rotatable to an open position that allows air flow from the blower side and a blocking position that blocks air flow from the first power supply device side,
The vehicular control device according to claim 1, wherein the opening / closing plate is rotated toward the open position by wind pressure from the blower side, and is rotated toward the blocking position by gravity. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2,
A vehicular control device, wherein the air introduction pipe is provided with heater means for heating air. The vehicle control device according to claim 3,
The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the heater means is a heating wire provided on an opening / closing plate of the opening / closing mechanism. In the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
When the temperature of the first power supply device exceeds a predetermined temperature, the air blow control means drives the blower to cool the first power supply device. The vehicle control device according to claim 3 or 4,
When the temperature of the first power supply device falls below a predetermined temperature, the air blow control means activates the heater means and drives the blower to warm the first power supply device.

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