JP2008014186A - High voltage supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

A high voltage is efficiently and effectively supplied to a plurality of processing systems.
In a hybrid vehicle, a high voltage supply system is provided corresponding to a shared voltage supply line connected to a battery that functions as a power source of each motor generator, a catalytic converter, and a plasma reactor. Operating voltage supply lines 920a and 920b. When the high voltage supply system 900 is in operation, the DC voltage Vbat of the battery 500 is transmitted in common by the shared voltage supply line 910 and then transmitted to each branching operation voltage supply line. Further, a boosting power supply unit 930 is provided in an operating voltage supply line corresponding to the plasma reactor 800 that requires a high voltage of several tens of kilovolts, and the DC voltage Vbat is boosted without causing a decrease in boosting efficiency. In addition, it is converted into an AC voltage and supplied to the plasma reactor 800.
[Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a technical field of a high voltage supply device for supplying an operating voltage to various processing systems such as an EHC (Electric Heated Catalyst) and a plasma discharge purification device.

  As a technique related to this type of apparatus, a technique for sharing a DC power source between a high voltage power supply unit for generating plasma and a low voltage power supply unit for applying a low voltage to a heating element is disclosed (for example, a patent). Reference 1). According to the exhaust gas purification device disclosed in Patent Document 1 (hereinafter referred to as conventional technology), the DC voltage supplied from the auxiliary battery is boosted in the high-voltage power supply unit, and the DC voltage before this boosting is increased. By supplying the low-voltage power supply unit, the auxiliary battery can be used as the DC power supply.

  A technique has also been proposed in which the potential of the heater is set to a voltage between the potential of the discharge electrode and the potential of the collection electrode and close to the collection electrode (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

  In addition, a technique is disclosed in which electric power supply to the heating unit is shared with the vehicle control battery and charging control is performed for electric power of the heating unit (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

JP 2005-48753 A JP 2005-232970 A JP 2001-355434 A

  When trying to boost the low-voltage DC voltage supplied by the auxiliary battery to a high voltage that can be used for plasma discharge related to the plasma generator, the boosting degree is too large and the boosting efficiency decreases. It might be. That is, the conventional technique has a technical problem that it is substantially difficult to share the power source among a plurality of processing systems.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a high voltage supply device that can efficiently and effectively supply an operation voltage to a plurality of processing systems.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a high voltage supply device according to the present invention includes an internal combustion engine, a high voltage power source serving as a secondary voltage supply source higher than a primary voltage corresponding to a predetermined type of auxiliary machine, and the secondary voltage. In a system having a plurality of processing systems capable of operating at the above operating voltage and performing a predetermined type of processing related to the internal combustion engine, the operating voltage is applied to at least a plurality of processing systems among the plurality of processing systems. A high voltage supply device for supplying, the shared voltage supply means for supplying the secondary voltage connected to the high voltage power source and shared by the at least a plurality of processing systems, and the at least the plurality of processing systems And a plurality of operating voltage supply means for supplying the operating voltage based on a secondary voltage supplied to each of the two via the shared voltage supply means.

  For example, a system according to the present invention that can take the form of a vehicle or the like includes an internal combustion engine, a high-voltage power supply, and a plurality of processing systems. Here, the “internal combustion engine” according to the present invention includes, for example, a plurality of cylinders, and the power as explosive force generated when the fuel burns in the combustion chambers of each of the plurality of cylinders, for example, pistons and connecting parts. It is a concept that encompasses an engine that can output power as a power via an input / output shaft such as a crankshaft through a mechanical transmission path such as a rod. For example, gasoline, alcohol, alcohol-mixed fuel or light oil is used as fuel. For example, it refers to a 2-cycle or 4-cycle reciprocating engine.

  The “high voltage power source” according to the present invention is higher than a primary voltage (for example, DC 12V) corresponding to an auxiliary machine such as an air conditioner, cigar lighter, car navigation device, power steering device, or power window device. For example, a system that can function as a secondary voltage supply source of, for example, about 100 V or higher, or about 200 to 500 V, for example, the system according to the present invention is an electric motor such as a motor as a power source in addition to an internal combustion engine. For example, a hybrid battery that functions as a voltage supply source for the electric motor may be used, or a battery of about 200 V that is mounted in the system for some reason in advance may be used. It is a good purpose.

  Furthermore, the “processing system” according to the present invention refers to a high-voltage power supply according to the present invention that is operable at an operating voltage higher than the secondary voltage and is related to an internal combustion engine. It is a concept encompassing means that can be used as a part and capable of performing electrical treatment, and can purify, for example, HC (hydrocarbon), CO (carbon monoxide), NOx (nitrogen oxide), and the like. Constructed by an electrically heated catalyst device such as EHC, for example, SiC (silicon nitride), which is configured to promote catalytic activity by a heating device such as a heater, and generates heat in response to an applied voltage. It is possible to purify HC, CO or PM (Particulate Matter) etc. with oxidative combustion by a filter device such as DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) configured as possible, or plasma discharge, For example, a plasma discharge purification device such as a plasma reactor may be used.

  According to the high voltage supply device of the present invention, during the operation, the high voltage supply device is connected to the high voltage power source by the shared voltage supply means that can appropriately include a part or all of terminals such as a cable, a wire harness, and a connector. A secondary voltage using a power supply as a supply source is commonly supplied (that is, shared) to at least a plurality of processing systems among the plurality of processing systems. The “shared voltage supply means” according to the present invention includes mechanical, physical or mechanical means including such various cables and the like and capable of supplying a secondary voltage using a high-voltage power supply as a supply source. It is a comprehensive concept.

  On the other hand, each of at least a plurality of processing systems (hereinafter referred to as “target processing systems” as appropriate) among a plurality of processing systems provided in the system according to the present invention includes, for example, one terminal such as a cable, a wire harness, and a connector. Operating voltage supply means that can include a part or all of them are provided in association with each other, and the operating voltage is supplied to each of them based on the secondary voltage supplied through the shared voltage supply means.

  Here, the “operating voltage” may of course be the secondary voltage itself (assuming that the loss in the transmission process related to the shared voltage supplying means and the operating voltage supplying means can be ignored), for example, supplied 2 The secondary voltage may be higher than the secondary voltage boosted by an appropriate booster.

  The operating voltage supplied by the operating voltage supply means may be either a DC voltage or an AC voltage. When the high-voltage power supply is a DC power supply and the operating voltage is an AC voltage, the shared voltage supplying means and the operation voltage are supplied. At least one of the voltage supply means may be provided with a DC / AC conversion means such as an inverter.

  In particular, when systems for supplying operating voltages to each of the systems are provided independently of each other, the system configuration is inevitably complicated, and the operating voltages are difficult to supply efficiently and effectively. On the other hand, even if an attempt is made to share a low-voltage power source such as the auxiliary battery described above, depending on the type of processing system, it may be difficult to efficiently supply the operating voltage as already described.

  In that respect, according to the high voltage supply apparatus according to the present invention, a high voltage power source that is pre-installed in the system and that can supply a secondary voltage is used as a power source, and a common voltage supply means is used between target processing systems. Thus, at least a part of the supply path of the secondary voltage can be shared. Therefore, even when the target processing system includes, for example, a device that needs to be operated at a high voltage reaching several tens of kilovolts, the operation is performed while suppressing the decrease in the boosting efficiency to the extent that it does not become apparent in practice. An operating voltage can be supplied through the voltage supply means. Further, even when there is no need for boosting (that is, a secondary voltage or a voltage that can be regarded as equivalent to the secondary voltage can be used as the operating voltage), or each of them is an operating voltage lower than the secondary voltage. Even if it can be operated at least, it does not prevent at least efficient and effective supply of the operating voltage. That is, according to the high voltage supply device of the present invention, it is possible to efficiently and effectively supply the operating voltage to a plurality of processing systems.

  In one aspect of the high voltage supply apparatus according to the present invention, the at least a plurality of processing systems include at least one of a heated exhaust purification unit and a plasma discharge purification unit, each capable of purifying the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine.

  According to this aspect, the target processing system includes at least one of a heated exhaust purification unit that can include an electrically heated exhaust purification unit such as EHC and a plasma discharge purification unit such as a plasma reactor. These means are highly effective in purifying exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine, require a correspondingly high operating voltage, or can operate at a high operating voltage. Therefore, the effect according to the present invention can be remarkably exhibited.

  It should be noted that the “heated exhaust purification means” according to the present invention is capable of purifying the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine to some extent as compared with the case where no such means is taken, and the operating voltage during such exhaust purification. It is a concept encompassing means for applying an operating voltage via a supply means and obtaining some effect related to exhaust purification.

  Therefore, as such means, for example, an electrically heated exhaust purification means such as EHC provided with a heating means such as a heater that generates heat through energization by an applied voltage (operating voltage), or electric ignition by an applied voltage, for example. Combustion gas supply means such as a burner as a trigger, various means for promoting oxidation or combustion of exhaust by heat that can be generated directly or indirectly by application of voltage, or without purifying the exhaust itself, for example, by applied voltage Various forms including various means such as a fuel reforming catalyst capable of indirectly purifying exhaust gas or suppressing catalyst deterioration by reforming the fuel by the generated microwave can be adopted. It is.

  In addition, the “plasma discharge purification means” according to the present invention refers to a plasma discharge applied by an operating voltage such as a DC voltage, an AC voltage, or a pulse voltage applied via an operating voltage supply means, for example, HC or CO. Alternatively, it is a concept encompassing means capable of oxidizing and burning PM and the like. In both cases, as long as such a concept is secured, the physical, mechanical, electrical, or mechanical configuration may be free without any limitation.

  In another aspect of the high voltage supply apparatus according to the present invention, the operation voltage supply is provided in at least one of the shared voltage supply unit and the operation voltage supply unit, and is supplied to at least a part of the at least a plurality of processing systems. It further comprises switching means that can switch presence / absence.

  According to this aspect, whether or not the operation voltage is supplied in the target processing system is switched by the switching unit including, for example, a switching element, provided in at least one of the shared voltage supply unit and the operation voltage supply unit. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the load of the high-voltage power supply, which is preferable.

  Note that the presence / absence of supply of the operating voltage may be selectively switched only for one processing system among the target processing systems, or may be switched individually for each target processing system. Further, the presence / absence of the supply of the operating voltage may be the presence / absence of the supply of the secondary voltage as long as it can be determined whether or not the operation voltage is finally supplied.

  In this aspect, it may further include a switching control means for controlling the switching means so that the presence or absence of the supply is switched according to the operating condition of the internal combustion engine.

  In this case, for example, a warm-up state represented by, for example, a cooling water temperature or the like by switching control means configured as various processing units such as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), various controllers or various computer systems such as a microcomputer device, etc. The presence or absence of the supply of the operating voltage is switched according to various operating conditions. Accordingly, it is possible to appropriately supply the operating voltage according to the necessity of operation of each processing system, which is useful in practice.

  At this time, the switching mode of the switching means according to the operating conditions of the internal combustion engine is such that each of the target processing systems is operated efficiently and effectively, for example, experimentally, empirically or based on simulation. It may be determined to obtain. For example, when the target processing system includes an EHC and a plasma arytor, an operating voltage is supplied to the EHC at the time of start-up when the internal combustion engine is relatively cold, and the catalyst temperature is raised to the catalyst activation temperature at an early stage. The switching control may be performed so as to further purify the exhaust gas by supplying an operating voltage to the plasma reactor after the catalytic activity is ensured. Alternatively, switching control may be performed so that the operating voltage is supplied to the plasma reactor after the exhaust temperature has sufficiently increased so that the plasma reactor does not operate in a state where the exhaust pipe is flooded.

  In another aspect of the high voltage supply apparatus according to the present invention, the system is a hybrid system including an electric motor that functions as a power source of the system, and the power source is a voltage supply source of the electric motor.

  In this case, since the system is configured as a hybrid system including various electric motors such as a motor or a motor generator, a high-voltage power supply device such as a hybrid battery is provided for supplying voltage to the electric motor. Become. When a voltage supply source such as a battery that originally functions as a voltage supply source for an electric motor is used as a high-voltage power supply according to the present invention, it is not necessary to prepare a dedicated power supply device for each of at least a plurality of processing systems. Therefore, according to this aspect, it is possible to supply the operating voltage to the processing system extremely efficiently and effectively.

  In addition, as long as at least one electric motor that can function as a power source of the system is provided, at least one electric, mechanical, physical, or mechanical configuration of the “hybrid system” in this aspect is not limited. For example, the internal combustion engine may be mainly used as a power source and the electric motor may be used supplementarily, or the electric motor may be mainly used as the power source and the internal combustion engine may be used auxiliary. Alternatively, it may have a mode in which one of the internal combustion engine and the electric motor is always used as a power source, and the operations of the internal combustion engine and the electric motor cooperate with each other so that, for example, the operation efficiency of the entire system is improved. It may have a mode controlled as described above. In addition, the electric motor according to the present invention may further have a function as a generator as long as it has a function as an electric motor.

  For example, when the hybrid system according to the present invention takes the form of a vehicle, a motor generator that mainly outputs as a motor and a motor generator that mainly operates as a generator can output power to a drive shaft connected to the axle. The output of the internal combustion engine may be distributed at a predetermined ratio and distributed to each of the motor generators via power distribution means configured as, for example, a planetary gear unit or the like.

  In another aspect of the high voltage supply apparatus according to the present invention, the at least a plurality of processing systems include a high voltage processing system in which the operating voltage is higher than the secondary voltage, and the high voltage supply apparatus includes the high voltage supply system. The operating voltage supply means corresponding to the processing system further includes boosting means for boosting the secondary voltage to the operating voltage of the high voltage processing system.

  According to this aspect, the target processing system includes one whose operating voltage is higher than the secondary voltage. In this case, it is necessary to further boost the secondary voltage supplied via the shared voltage supply means. In this aspect, the secondary voltage is boosted by the operating voltage supply means corresponding to the processing system. There is provided a boosting means that can appropriately include a DC converter, a transformer, or the like, or can further include a DC / AC converting means such as an inverter, and finally, an appropriate operating voltage is supplied to each processing system.

  At this time, since the boosting means is interposed between the high-voltage power source as the supply source of the secondary voltage and the processing system whose operating voltage is higher than the secondary voltage, for example, lower than the secondary voltage, for example, as described above As compared with the case of boosting from the primary voltage, the boosting is obviously performed more efficiently. That is, according to this aspect, there is an extremely useful effect in practice such that an appropriate operating voltage is efficiently and effectively supplied to each processing system while sharing the secondary voltage.

  Such an operation and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the embodiments described below.

<Embodiment of the Invention>
Hereinafter, various preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate.

<1: First Embodiment>
<1-1: Configuration of Embodiment>
<1-1-1: Configuration of hybrid vehicle>
First, the configuration of the hybrid vehicle 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the hybrid vehicle 10.

  In FIG. 1, a hybrid vehicle 10 includes an axle 11, a wheel 12, an ECU 100, an engine 200, a motor generator MG1 (hereinafter referred to as “MG1” as appropriate), a motor generator MG2 (hereinafter referred to as “MG2” as appropriate), and a power split. The vehicle is an example of a “system” according to the present invention, which includes a mechanism 300, a PCU (Power Control Unit) 400, a battery 500, and an SOC (State Of Charge) sensor 600.

  The axle 11 is a rotating shaft including, for example, a propeller shaft or a drive shaft corresponding to each wheel for transmitting the power output from the engine 200 and the motor generator MG2 to the wheels. The “axle” according to the present invention has a configuration including, for example, a reduction gear (deceleration gear) and a differential, and a drive shaft connected to the differential and corresponding to each wheel. Alternatively, various forms may be employed depending on the driving mode of the hybrid vehicle.

  The wheels 12 are means for transmitting the power transmitted through the axle 11 to the road surface. In FIG. 1, the left and right wheels are shown one by one. There are four.

  The ECU 100 is an electronic control unit that includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like and is configured to be able to control the entire operation of the hybrid vehicle 10. It is an example of the “switching control means” according to the invention.

  The engine 200 is an in-line four-cylinder gasoline engine that is an example of the “internal combustion engine” according to the present invention, and functions as a main power source of the hybrid vehicle 10. The detailed configuration of the engine 200 will be described later.

  Motor generator MG1 is an example of the “motor” according to the present invention, and serves as a generator for charging battery 500 or supplying electric power to motor generator MG2, and further assists the driving force of engine 200. Is configured to function as

  The motor generator MG2 is another example of the “electric motor” according to the present invention, and is configured to function as an electric motor that assists the power of the engine 200 or as a generator that charges the battery 500.

  The motor generator MG1 and the motor generator MG2 are configured as, for example, a synchronous motor generator, and include a rotor having a plurality of permanent magnets on the outer peripheral surface, and a stator wound with a three-phase coil that forms a rotating magnetic field. Prepare. However, other types of motor generators may be used.

  The power split mechanism 300 is a planetary gear mechanism configured to be able to distribute the output of the engine 200 to the MG 1 and the axle 11, and is an example of the “power distribution means” according to the present invention. Although not shown, the power split mechanism 300 is disposed between a sun gear provided at the center, a ring gear provided concentrically on the outer periphery of the sun gear, and the sun gear and the ring gear to A plurality of pinion gears that revolve while rotating and a planetary carrier that is coupled to an end portion of a crankshaft 205 to be described later and supports the rotation shaft of each pinion gear.

  The sun gear is coupled to a rotor (not shown) of MG1 via a sun gear shaft, and the ring gear is coupled to a rotor (not shown) of MG2 via a ring gear shaft. The ring gear shaft is connected to the axle 11, and the power generated by the MG 2 is transmitted to the axle 11 through the ring gear shaft, and the rotational force from the wheel 12 similarly transmitted through the axle 11 is It is input to MG2 via the ring gear shaft. Under such a configuration, the power split mechanism 300 can transmit the torque generated by the engine 200 to the sun gear and the ring gear by the planetary carrier and the pinion gear, and split the torque of the engine 200 into two systems.

  The PCU 400 is a power control unit including a DC-DC converter, an inverter, and the like (both not shown), boosts a DC voltage taken out from the battery 500 according to, for example, an output required for the motor generator MG2, and the like. The boosted DC voltage is converted to AC voltage, and finally supplied to the motor generator MG1 and the motor generator MG2 as AC power, and the AC power generated by the motor generator MG1 and the motor generator MG2 is converted to DC power. The battery 500 can be charged. Note that the PCU 400 is electrically connected to the ECU 100 and its operation is controlled by the ECU 100.

  The battery 500 is a storage battery that can supply a DC voltage Vbat of about 200 V with respect to the ground potential, which is related to power for powering the motor generator MG1 and the motor generator MG2, and is an example of the “high-voltage power supply” according to the present invention. . The DC voltage Vbat is an example of the “secondary voltage” according to the present invention. Further, the DC voltage Vbat supplied from the battery 500 is supplied to the ground potential supplied to the operation of various auxiliary devices such as an air conditioner, EPS (Electronic Power Steering), cigarette lighter, etc. via an inverter device (not shown). On the other hand, it is configured to function as a supply source of a low voltage of approximately 10 to 20 V (that is, an example of the “primary voltage” according to the present invention).

  The SOC sensor 600 is a sensor configured to be able to detect the remaining capacity of the battery 500. The SOC sensor 600 is electrically connected to the ECU 100, and the SOC of the battery 500 detected by the SOC sensor 600 is always grasped by the ECU 100.

<1-1-2: Detailed configuration of engine>
Next, referring to FIG. 2, the configuration of engine 200 will be described together with its basic operation. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the engine 200 and its peripheral devices.

  The engine 200 combusts the air-fuel mixture through an ignition operation by an ignition device 202 in which a part of an ignition plug (not shown) is exposed in a combustion chamber in the cylinder 201, and is generated in accordance with an explosion force caused by the combustion. The reciprocating motion of the piston 203 can be converted into the rotational motion of the crankshaft 205 via the connecting rod 204. A crank position sensor 206 for detecting a crank angle representing the rotation state of the crankshaft 205 is installed in the vicinity of the crankshaft 205. The crank position sensor 206 is electrically connected to the ECU 100, and the ECU 100 grasps the position of the piston 203 based on the crank angle detected by the crank position sensor 206 and controls the ignition timing and the like by the ignition device 202. It is configured to be possible. Further, the ECU 100 is configured to be able to calculate the engine speed Ne of the engine 200 by time-processing the crank angle detected by the crank position sensor 206.

  Hereinafter, a further detailed configuration of the engine 200 will be described together with its operation. In the present embodiment, the engine 200 is an in-line four-cylinder engine, and in FIG. 2, a plurality of cylinders are originally arranged in series in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface, but the paper surface and explanation are not complicated. For the purpose, only one cylinder will be described here.

  In FIG. 2, the air sucked from the outside (that is, the sucked air) is filtered by the air cleaner 208 in the process of passing through the intake pipe 207. A hot wire type air flow meter 209 is installed at the subsequent stage of the air cleaner 208, and is configured to be able to directly detect the mass flow rate of the intake air. The air flow meter 209 is electrically connected to the ECU 100, and the detected intake air amount is always grasped by the ECU 100.

  On the downstream side of the air flow meter 209 in the intake pipe 207, a throttle valve 210 that adjusts the amount of intake air flowing into the cylinder 201 is disposed. The throttle opening that is the opening of the throttle valve 210 is detected by the throttle position sensor 212 and is constantly grasped by the ECU 100 that is electrically connected to the throttle position sensor 212. The throttle opening is variably controlled by a throttle valve motor 211 that is electrically connected to the ECU 100.

  On the other hand, the amount of depression of an accelerator pedal (not shown) by the driver is detected by an accelerator position sensor (not shown) and is constantly grasped by the ECU 100 electrically connected to the accelerator position sensor. The ECU 100 normally controls the throttle valve 210 via the drive control of the throttle valve motor 211 so as to obtain a throttle opening corresponding to the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal detected by the accelerator position sensor. However, the throttle valve 210 is an electronically controlled throttle valve that is driven by a throttle valve motor 211. The throttle opening is finally controlled by the ECU 100 according to the intention of the driver (ie, the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal). ) And can be variably controlled.

  The air that has passed through the throttle valve 210 reaches the intake port 213 that is a part of the intake pipe 207. The communication state between the inside of the cylinder 201 and the intake port 213 is controlled by opening and closing the intake valve 214. That is, the air that has reached the intake port 213 is guided into the cylinder 201 during the opening period of the intake valve 214. Here, the air sucked into the cylinder 201 (hereinafter, referred to as “intake air” as appropriate) is mixed with the gasoline injected from the direct injection injector 215 to become the above-described air-fuel mixture. Exhaust gas including air-fuel mixture and unburned fuel combusted inside the cylinder 201 passes through an exhaust valve 222 that opens and closes in conjunction with opening and closing of the intake valve 214 and is discharged to an exhaust port 223.

  Here, gasoline as fuel is stored in the fuel tank 216, pumped up to the delivery pipe 218 by the action of the low-pressure pump 217, and further pumped to the rail section 220 by the action of the high-pressure pump 219 installed on the delivery pipe 218. Is done. Rail section 220 is configured to be capable of stably storing high-pressure gasoline. The rail portion 220 extends in the arrangement direction of the cylinders 201 (that is, a direction perpendicular to the paper surface), and a plurality of sub-delivery 221 corresponding to each cylinder 201 is connected thereto. The direct injection injector 215 is connected to the sub-delivery 221 so that the high-pressure gasoline supplied from the sub-delivery 221 can be directly injected into the high-temperature and high-pressure combustion chamber at the injection timing controlled by the ECU 100. It is configured.

  Exhaust gas discharged to the exhaust port 223 is discharged via an exhaust pipe 224 connected to the exhaust port 223. An air-fuel ratio sensor 225 is installed in the exhaust pipe 224, and the air-fuel ratio of the engine 200 is constantly detected. In addition, the air-fuel ratio sensor 225 is electrically connected to the ECU 100, and the detected air-fuel ratio is grasped by the ECU 100 and used for air-fuel ratio feedback control.

  On the other hand, the exhaust passes through the catalytic converter 700 provided on the exhaust pipe 224 in the exhaust process. Catalytic converter 700 is an example of a “treatment system” according to the present invention configured to be able to purify exhaust gas. Details of the catalytic converter 700 will be described later.

  On the other hand, the engine 200 is a gasoline direct injection engine as described above, and is configured to operate while appropriately switching the combustion mode between stratified combustion and homogeneous combustion. Here, in particular, depending on the combustion mode, the amount of PM discharged from the engine 200 becomes so large that it cannot be ignored. Therefore, a plasma reactor 800 is further provided downstream of the catalytic converter 700. Similar to the catalytic converter 700, the plasma reactor 800 is another example of the “processing system” according to the present invention configured to purify the exhaust gas by oxidizing and burning PM in the exhaust gas, for example. Details of the plasma reactor 800 will be described later.

  A water temperature sensor 226 for detecting the cooling water temperature of the engine 200 is disposed in the water jacket in the cylinder block that accommodates the cylinder 201. The water temperature sensor 226 is electrically connected to the ECU 100, and the detected cooling water temperature of the engine 200 is constantly grasped by the ECU 100.

  As described above, the engine 200 is a direct-injection gasoline engine. However, the configuration concerned is merely an example of the internal combustion engine according to the present invention, and the hybrid vehicle 10 uses gasoline instead of the engine 200 at the intake port 213. An engine having a configuration to be injected may be mounted, or a diesel engine using light oil as fuel instead of a gasoline engine may be provided.

<1-1-3: Details of catalyst device>
Next, detailed configurations of the catalytic converter 700 and the plasma reactor 800 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an exhaust purification system for purifying exhaust. In the figure, the same reference numerals are given to the same portions as those in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the description thereof is omitted as appropriate.

  In FIG. 3, the catalytic converter 700 includes an EHC 710 and a three-way catalyst 720. The configuration of the catalytic converter 700 is merely an example, and for example, an oxidation catalyst, a NOx storage reduction catalyst, a NOx selective reduction catalyst using HC or urea, or the like may be provided instead of the three-way catalyst 720. .

  The EHC 710 includes an electrically grounded casing 710a, a metal carrier 710b accommodated in the casing 710a, a catalyst material (not shown) carried on the metal carrier 710b, and an operating voltage of the EHC 710 between the casing 710a and the metal carrier 710b. An electrode (not shown) for applying Vehc (hereinafter referred to as “EHC operating voltage Vehc” as appropriate) is provided.

  On the other hand, the end of a shared voltage supply line 910 (that is, an example of the “shared voltage supply means” according to the present invention) is connected to the battery 500, and the DC voltage Vbat described above is supplied. Between the shared voltage supply line 910 and the electrode of the EHC 710, an operation voltage supply line 920a (that is, an example of the “operation voltage supply unit” according to the present invention) is interposed, and the EHC operation voltage Vehc is The configuration is such that it is given via the operating voltage supply line 920a. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the EHC operating voltage Vehc is equal to the DC voltage Vbat supplied from the battery 500.

  The three-way catalyst 720 is a catalyst installed downstream (rightward in the figure) of the EHC 710, and each of CO (carbon monoxide), HC (hydrocarbon), and NOx (nitrogen oxide) exhausted from the engine 200. It can be purified.

  The plasma reactor 800 includes a cylindrical outer peripheral electrode 810 that is electrically grounded, and a central electrode 820 that is disposed inside the cylinder formed by the outer peripheral electrode 810 with a gap therebetween.

  The above-described shared voltage supply line 910 is connected to an operating voltage supply line 920b (that is, another example of the “operating voltage supply means” according to the present invention) having the same configuration as the above-described operating voltage supply line 920a. The plasma reactor operating voltage Vpls for plasma discharge related to the plasma reactor 800 is supplied to the center electrode 820 via the operating voltage supply line 920b.

  Here, in particular, the plasma reactor operating voltage Vpls according to the present embodiment is an AC voltage of about several tens of kilovolts that can cause plasma discharge between the outer peripheral electrode 810 and the center electrode 820. . Therefore, the boosting power supply unit 930 is provided on the path of the operating voltage supply line 920b. The step-up power supply unit 930 includes a DC-DC converter, an inverter, a transformer, and the like (not shown). The DC-DC converter converts the DC voltage Vbat obtained via the shared voltage supply line 910 into the plasma reactor operating voltage Vpls. The voltage is boosted to a corresponding potential, and the boosted DC voltage is converted into an AC voltage by an inverter and a transformer so that the plasma reactor operating voltage Vpls can be finally supplied. The step-up power supply unit 930 is electrically connected to the ECU 100, and the supply operation of the plasma reactor operating voltage Vpls is controlled by the ECU 100 to the upper level.

  As the plasma reactor operating voltage Vpls, a DC voltage, an AC voltage, a pulse voltage, or the like can be adopted, and a frequency related to the AC voltage, a pulse period related to the pulse voltage, or the like is appropriately determined according to the configuration of the plasma reactor. May be determined.

  The shared voltage supply line 910, the operating voltage supply line 920a, the operating voltage supply line 920b, and the boost power supply unit 930 described above constitute a high voltage supply system 900 that is an example of the “high voltage supply device” according to the present invention. ing.

<1-2: Operation of Embodiment>
Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the operation of the high voltage supply system 900 and the accompanying operations of the catalytic converter 700 and the plasma reactor 800 will be described as operations of the present embodiment.

  When the high voltage supply system 900 is operated, when the EHC operating voltage Vehc (that is, the DC voltage Vbat) is applied to the electrode of the EHC 710 through the shared voltage supply line 910 and the operating voltage supply line 920, current is supplied to the metal carrier 710b. Flowing. The metal carrier 710b generates heat when current flows. If the metal carrier 710b generates heat, the catalyst material carried on the metal carrier 710b inevitably reaches the catalyst activation temperature at an early stage, and the exhaust purification of the engine 200 by the EHC 710 is started.

  On the other hand, since the exhaust gas temperature rises in the process of passing through the EHC 710 that has reached the catalyst activation temperature, and is also provided close to the EHC 710, the temperature of the three-way catalyst 720 also rises as the EHC 710 generates heat, The catalyst activation temperature is reached. When the three-way catalyst 720 reaches the catalyst activation temperature, the exhaust gas purification efficiency of the catalytic converter 700 as a whole increases, and the exhaust gas is efficiently and effectively purified.

  On the other hand, as an operation of the plasma reactor 800, first, the DC voltage Vbat is supplied to the boost power supply unit 930 through the shared voltage supply line 910 and the operation voltage supply line 920. ECU 100 controls boosting power supply unit 930 to generate AC high-voltage plasma reactor operating voltage Vpls to be applied to center electrode 820 of plasma reactor 800 and supply it to center electrode 820.

  When the plasma reactor operating voltage Vpls is supplied to the center electrode 820, a plasma discharge is generated between the outer peripheral electrode 810 and the center electrode 820. By this plasma discharge, PM in the exhaust is charged, oxygen is ozonized, and oxidation and combustion of PM are promoted by the ozone. As described above, the operating voltage is supplied to the catalytic converter 700 and the plasma reactor 800 via the high voltage supply system 900, whereby the exhaust of the engine 200 is suitably purified.

  At this time, the supply path of the DC voltage Vbat provided by the battery 500 is shared between the catalytic converter 800 and the plasma reactor 900 in a path corresponding to the shared voltage supply line 910, so that the system configuration is simplified and the cost is reduced. Advantages such as an increase in arrangement efficiency can be obtained. In particular, the effect is remarkable as compared with the case where the voltage is supplied to the catalytic converter 700 and the plasma reactor 800 through mutually independent voltage supply paths.

  Here, in particular, the high voltage supply system 900 uses a battery 500 having a relatively high voltage of about 200 V, which should be originally used for the operation of each motor generator, as a voltage supply source, and operates with a plasma reactor of about several tens of kilovolts. The voltage (potential difference) to be boosted in order to obtain the voltage Vpls is significantly smaller than the case of boosting from a DC voltage of 12 V that is common for auxiliary equipment, for example, and the reduction in boosting efficiency is at least practical. However, the problem does not occur to the extent that the problem becomes apparent. Therefore, in addition to the effects related to the sharing of the DC voltage Vbat described above, the operation voltage supply to the catalytic converter 700 and the plasma reactor 800 is extremely efficiently and effectively performed by the high voltage supply system 900 according to the present embodiment. Is realized.

<2: Second Embodiment>
In the high voltage supply system 900 according to the first embodiment, the operating voltage is supplied to the catalytic converter 700 and the plasma reactor 800 at the same time, but the operation timings of both may not necessarily be synchronized. In some cases, the operating voltage may be supplied to either one. Here, such a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an exhaust purification system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same reference numerals are given to the same portions as those in FIG. 3, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

  In FIG. 4, the exhaust purification system according to the second embodiment includes a high voltage supply system 1000. The high voltage supply system 1000 is different from the high voltage supply system 900 in that a changeover switch 1100 is provided on the shared voltage supply line 910.

  The changeover switch 1100 is electrically connected to the ECU 100 and is configured to be able to take two types of changeover states according to the control of the ECU 100. That is, there are a first switching state in which the DC voltage Vbat supplied from the battery 500 is supplied only to the catalytic converter 700, and a second switching state in which the DC voltage Vbat is supplied only to the boosting power supply unit 930.

  The ECU 100 controls the changeover state of the changeover switch 1100 to the first or second changeover state according to the driving condition of the hybrid vehicle 10, thereby substantially reducing the EHC 710 (more specifically, to the metal carrier 710 b). One of the power supply) and the plasma reactor 800 is selectively operated. At this time, which one is to be operated is determined in advance and experimentally, empirically, or based on a simulation so that the operation of at least the catalytic converter 700 and the plasma reactor 800 is not hindered. It has been determined that 200 exhausts can be purified.

  For example, in a situation where it is determined that the catalytic converter 700 is not sufficiently warm, such as when the engine 200 is started, the ECU 100 controls the changeover switch 1100 to the first switching state to stop the operation of the plasma reactor 800, Only energization of the metal carrier 710b in the EHC 710 is executed. As described above, since the catalytic activity of each of the EHC 710 and the three-way catalyst 720 is promoted with the energization of the metal carrier 710b, the exhaust purification performance related to the catalytic converter 700 is ensured at an early stage.

  At this time, a criterion for determining whether or not the engine 200 is sufficiently warmed up is not particularly limited. For example, the engine 200 that is constantly detected by the water temperature sensor 226 regardless of whether or not the engine 200 is in a starting state. The cooling water temperature may be referred to, and if it is limited at the time of starting, for example, the elapsed time after starting may be referred to. Or the index value regarding various environmental conditions, such as external temperature, humidity, or atmospheric pressure, may be referred.

  On the other hand, if the catalytic converter 700 is sufficiently warmed up, the energization control to the EHC 710 is basically unnecessary. For example, after the engine 200 is warmed up, the changeover switch 1100 is basically controlled to the second switching state. Energization of the plasma reactor 800 is performed. However, moisture such as condensed water is likely to be generated in the exhaust pipe 224, particularly when the engine 200 is not warmed up. When the plasma discharge is performed in a state where the exhaust pipe 224 is submerged, the plasma reactor 800 may break down. Therefore, for example, the exhaust temperature becomes 100 ° C. or more even at the timing when the energization to the EHC 710 can be terminated. For example, the energization control of the plasma reactor 800 may be performed when the exhaust pipe 224 is not wetted.

  As described above, according to the high voltage supply system 1000 according to the second embodiment, the changeover switch 1100 is efficient without causing a potential drop of the battery 500 as a power source or excessive heat generation of the shared voltage supply line 910. The exhaust gas purification effect by the catalytic converter 700 and the plasma reactor 800 can be ensured effectively and effectively.

<3: Third embodiment>
In the first and second embodiments, the catalytic converter 700 is cited as a processing system that uses the battery 500 as a supply source of the operating voltage, but it is needless to say that such a processing system is not limited thereto. Various aspects can be considered. Here, a third embodiment of the present invention based on such a purpose will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an exhaust purification system according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same reference numerals are given to the same portions as those in FIG. 3, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

  In FIG. 5, the exhaust pipe 224 is provided with a DPF 1200 instead of the catalytic converter 700 according to the first and second embodiments. That is, although not shown, the engine according to the third embodiment is a compression self-ignition internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine, unlike the engine 200.

  The DPF 1200 is a conductive filter made of a base material such as SiC. As the filter structure, the cross section cut by a plane perpendicular to the paper surface has a honeycomb structure called a so-called monolith, and each hole is alternately packed and provided innumerably on the wall surface extending in the horizontal direction in the figure. It has a wall flow filter structure in which the formed pores are used for filtration. However, other structures may be used.

  As shown in the figure, an operating voltage supply line 920a is connected to the DPF 1200 via an electrode and a switch (not shown), and the conductive base material is connected to the switch in a state where the switch is controlled to a position where electricity can be applied. Is configured to be energized. Such a switch is electrically connected to the ECU 100, and for example, as in the second embodiment, the state thereof is controlled according to the operating conditions of the engine.

  The PM in the exhaust from the engine is collected on the surface layer of the DPF 1200 or physically trapped in countless pores formed in the base material in the process of passing through the filter. Inevitably there are limits. Therefore, for example, when the trap amount exceeds a certain level, the ECU 100 applies the DC voltage Vbat to the base material via the shared voltage supply line 910 and the operating voltage supply line 920a. Along with this, a current flows through the entire conductive substrate, so to speak, the entire DPF 1200 generates heat, and the trapped PM is regenerated. Of course, the DPF 1200 also functions as a catalyst by, for example, applying a catalyst substance using this substrate as a carrier. In this case, the catalytic activity is promoted by energizing the DPF 1200 as in the various embodiments described above.

  In addition to the DPF 1200 shown in FIG. 5, various types of processing systems using the battery 500 as an operating voltage supply source can be considered as follows (not shown). That is, for example, as such a processing system, a predetermined gas is combusted by using, as a trigger, an electrical ignition generated by an operating voltage supplied via the operating voltage supply line 920a or an operating voltage supply unit according to the operating voltage supply line 920a. A combustion gas supply device that purifies the exhaust gas by supplying the accompanying combustion gas to the exhaust pipe 224 may be provided.

  Also, for example, in a diesel engine, a gasoline engine, an engine of a vehicle equipped with a fuel cell, etc., a microwave generator for generating a microwave by a high voltage supplied from a battery via various supply means and a generated microwave are applied. When a fuel reforming catalyst including a microwave application device or the like is provided as an example of a processing system, for example, by reducing the sulfur component in the fuel by the applied microwave, and reforming the fuel, the catalyst It is also possible to suppress deterioration and purify exhaust.

  As described above, the target processing system that shares the DC voltage Vbat of the battery 500 can take various forms without any particular limitation. In any of these aspects, the operation voltage can be efficiently and as described above. Effective supply is guaranteed.

<4: Fourth Embodiment>
The structure of the plasma reactor is not limited to those of the above-described embodiments. Here, with reference to FIG. 6, a fourth embodiment of the present invention based on such a purpose will be described. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a plasma reactor 800A according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In addition, in the same figure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the location which overlaps with FIG. 5, and the description is abbreviate | omitted suitably.

  In FIG. 6, plasma reactor 800 </ b> A is different from plasma reactor 800 in that it has a center electrode 830 instead of center electrode 820. Here, the shape of the center electrode 830 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the center electrode 830 viewed in the direction of arrow A in FIG.

  In FIG. 7, the cross-sectional shape of the center electrode 830 has a star shape having a plurality of electrode pieces radially extending toward the outer periphery of the plasma reactor 800A.

  Returning to FIG. 6, in the plasma reactor 800 </ b> A, the center electrode 830 can purify the exhaust gas by performing space discharge with the outer peripheral electrode 810. Although illustration is omitted, for example, by installing a net-like aggregate coupled to the outer peripheral electrode 810, PM can be aggregated together with exhaust gas purification.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit or idea of the invention that can be read from the claims and the entire specification, and a high-voltage supply device with such a change Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

1 is a schematic diagram of a hybrid vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram of the engine in the hybrid vehicle of FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an exhaust purification system that purifies exhaust of the engine of FIG. 2. It is a schematic diagram of the exhaust gas purification system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram of the exhaust purification system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram of the plasma reactor which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic diagram of the center electrode seen in the arrow A direction in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Hybrid vehicle, 100 ... ECU, 200 ... Engine, 500 ... Battery, 700 ... Catalytic converter, 710 ... EHC, 800 ... Plasma reactor, 800A ... Plasma reactor, 900 ... High voltage supply system, 910 ... Shared voltage supply line, 920a, 920b ... operating voltage supply line, 930 ... step-up power supply unit, 1000 ... high-voltage power supply system, 1100 ... changeover switch, 1200 ... DPF.

Claims (6)

An internal combustion engine, a high-voltage power source serving as a supply source of a secondary voltage higher than a primary voltage corresponding to a predetermined type of auxiliary machine, a predetermined type that is operable at an operating voltage equal to or higher than the secondary voltage and related to the internal combustion engine A high voltage supply device for supplying the operating voltage to at least a plurality of processing systems among the plurality of processing systems in a system including a plurality of processing systems for performing
A shared voltage supply means connected to the high-voltage power source and shared by the at least a plurality of processing systems to supply the secondary voltage;
A plurality of operating voltage supply means that are provided in each of the at least a plurality of processing systems and supply the operating voltage to each of the plurality of processing systems based on a secondary voltage supplied via the shared voltage supply means. A high voltage supply device characterized by the above. 2. The high voltage supply device according to claim 1, wherein the at least a plurality of processing systems include at least one of a heated exhaust purification unit and a plasma discharge purification unit, each capable of purifying exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine. . And further comprising switching means provided in at least one of the shared voltage supply means and the operating voltage supply means and capable of switching presence / absence of supply of the operating voltage in at least a part of the at least a plurality of processing systems. The high voltage supply apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The high-voltage supply device according to claim 3, further comprising switching control means for controlling the switching means so that the presence or absence of the supply is switched according to an operating condition of the internal combustion engine. The system is a hybrid system including an electric motor that functions as a power source of the system,
The high-voltage supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the power source is a voltage supply source of the electric motor. The at least a plurality of processing systems includes a high voltage processing system in which the operating voltage is higher than the secondary voltage;
The high voltage supply device includes:
6. The operation voltage supply means corresponding to the high voltage processing system further comprises boosting means for boosting the secondary voltage to the operation voltage of the high voltage processing system. The high voltage supply device according to item.

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