JP2011098596A - Engine temperature control device of hybrid electric vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an engine temperature control device of a hybrid electric vehicle which easily and appropriately controls the engine temperature. <P>SOLUTION: The engine temperature control device is intended for the hybrid electric vehicle (1) mounting an engine (2) and a motor (10), in which the engine is used as the driving source of the motor (4), and only the motor (10) is used as the power source for travelling. The engine temperature control device includes a first shutter (56) and a second shutter (58) disposed on a flow path through which the flow of air occurs between the inside of an engine room (52) for mounting the engine (2), and the outside of the vehicle. The first and second shutters switch between a restriction position where the flow of air is restricted, and a restriction release position where the restriction is released. An HEV-ECU 18 controls the first shutter (56) and the second shutter (58) so as to have the restriction position when a cooling water temperature (Tw) of an engine body (28) detected by a cooling water temperature sensor (50), as the temperature of the engine body (28) constituting the engine (2), is lower than a reference temperature (To). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an engine temperature control device for a hybrid electric vehicle that includes an engine and an electric motor, uses the engine as a driving source for a generator, and uses only the electric motor as a driving power source.

Conventionally, the engine is used exclusively for driving the generator to store the power generated by the generator in the battery, and the battery power is supplied to the driving motor for driving the driving wheels of the vehicle by the driving force of the motor. A so-called series-type hybrid electric vehicle has been developed and put into practical use.
In such a series hybrid electric vehicle, the engine is operated when the charging rate of the battery is reduced, and the battery is charged with the power generated by the generator driven by the engine. Then, the engine is stopped when the charging rate of the battery returns to the predetermined charging rate by the power generated by the generator.

  Since the engine mounted on the series hybrid electric vehicle is dedicated to driving the generator as described above, it tends to be miniaturized as much as possible from the viewpoint of improving fuel consumption. Further, since the operation and the stop are repeated according to the state of charge of the battery, the temperature of the engine cooling water tends to decrease. For this reason, a warm-up operation is required every time the engine is started, and the warm-up operation time may be longer.

  The device for promoting engine warm-up is not applied to the hybrid electric vehicle as described above, but an electric roll screen that is disposed in front of the radiator and can be opened and closed by a switch operation. Patent Document 1 proposes. The roll screen of Patent Document 1 is closed by operating a switch when the engine is warmed up, thereby preventing the ventilation to the radiator and thereby promoting the engine warm-up.

JP 2007-015551 A

In the case of a series type hybrid electric vehicle, as described above, the engine temperature is likely to decrease due to the repeated miniaturization and start / stop of the engine, and the fuel consumption deteriorates due to the warm-up operation continuing for a relatively long time each time the engine is started. There is a problem that the amount of harmful substances released into the atmosphere increases due to the increase in operation at low temperatures.
Further, the engine cooling water is generally used for heating the passenger compartment, but if the engine temperature is likely to be lowered in this way, there is a problem that the effectiveness of the heating is deteriorated. Further, since the amount of generated heat decreases with the downsizing of the engine, there is a problem that it takes time for the engine temperature once lowered to rise to a temperature suitable for heating again.

Since the engine warm-up is promoted by using the roll screen of Patent Document 1, the above-described problems may be solved. However, the roll screen of Patent Document 1 is opened and closed by manual operation of the switch. Therefore, it is necessary for the operator to accurately grasp in advance whether or not the engine needs to be warmed up. For this reason, there is a problem that not only the operator is burdened but also the engine temperature cannot be controlled appropriately.
The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide an engine temperature control device for a hybrid electric vehicle capable of easily and appropriately controlling the engine temperature. .

  In order to achieve the above object, an engine temperature control device for a hybrid electric vehicle according to the present invention includes an engine and an electric motor, the engine is used as a drive source for a generator, and only the electric motor is used as a power source for traveling. An engine temperature control device for a hybrid electric vehicle used as a restriction position provided in a flow path in which air flows between an engine room on which the engine is mounted and the outside of the vehicle, and restricts the air flow Open / close means that can be switched to a restriction release position for releasing the restriction, engine temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the engine, and the engine temperature detected by the engine temperature detection means is a predetermined reference temperature. And control means for controlling the opening / closing means to the restricted position when lower (Claim 1).

  According to the engine temperature control device for a hybrid electric vehicle configured as described above, when the engine temperature detected by the engine temperature detection means does not reach the reference temperature, the control means controls the opening / closing means to the restricted position. Thus, the flow of air between the inside of the engine room where the engine is placed and the outside of the vehicle is restricted by the opening / closing means. As a result, the amount of heat released from the engine room to the outside air is reduced. Therefore, warming up of the engine is promoted when the engine is operating, and a decrease in engine temperature is suppressed when the engine is stopped.

  The control means controls the opening / closing means to the restriction position when the engine is stopped when the engine temperature detected by the engine temperature detection means is lower than the reference temperature, and The engine may be started (claim 2).

  When the engine temperature control device for a hybrid electric vehicle is configured in this way, when the engine is stopped and the engine temperature detected by the engine temperature detection means does not reach the reference temperature, the control means And the opening / closing means are controlled to the restricted position. As a result, the amount of heat released from the inside of the engine room to the outside air is reduced by the opening / closing means as described above, and the engine temperature is quickly raised by the operation of the engine.

  Further, when the engine includes a particulate filter that collects particulates in the exhaust gas in the exhaust passage, in the engine temperature control device, the control means further performs the forced regeneration of the particulate filter. The opening / closing means may be controlled to the restriction position (claim 3).

  When the engine temperature control device for a hybrid electric vehicle is configured in this way, when the particulate filter is forcibly regenerated, the control means controls the opening / closing means to the restricted position, so that the outside air is discharged from the engine room as described above. The amount of heat released to is reduced. As a result, as the engine temperature rises, the engine exhaust temperature also quickly rises to a temperature required for forced regeneration of the particulate filter.

According to the engine temperature control device for a hybrid electric vehicle of the present invention, when the temperature of the engine does not reach the reference temperature, the opening / closing means is controlled to the restriction position. Air flow is regulated between the outside of the vehicle and the amount of heat released from the engine room to the outside of the vehicle is reduced.
Therefore, since warming up of the engine is promoted while the engine is operating, the time required for warming up is shortened, and the fuel efficiency of the engine can be improved. Also, when the engine is operated at a low temperature, harmful substances in the exhaust gas tend to increase compared to the warm-up state, but due to the shortening of the time required for such warm-up operation and the rapid increase in engine temperature, The amount of harmful substances emitted from the engine can be reduced. Further, when engine cooling water is used for heating the vehicle interior, the engine temperature can be quickly increased to a temperature required for heating, and a good heating effect by the cooling water can be obtained early.

On the other hand, even when the engine is stopped, the decrease in the engine temperature is suppressed, so that the engine temperature does not decrease much when the engine is started next time, and the time required for warm-up can be shortened. . Accordingly, the fuel consumption of the engine can be improved in this respect as well, and the amount of harmful substances discharged from the engine can be reduced. Further, when the engine coolant is used for heating the vehicle interior, the period during which a good heating effect can be obtained can be extended.
Such a series of control of the opening / closing means is executed by the control means based on the engine temperature detected by the engine temperature detecting means, so that the engine temperature can be accurately controlled without taking time and effort. .

According to the engine temperature control apparatus for a hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 2, when the engine is stopped and the engine temperature has not reached the reference temperature, the engine is started and the opening / closing means is Controlled to a restricted position. As a result, in addition to the reduction in the amount of heat released from the engine room to the outside air as described above, the engine temperature can be quickly raised by starting the engine.
Therefore, for example, when engine cooling water is used for heating the passenger compartment, even if the temperature of the engine drops to a temperature unsuitable for heating as the engine stops, heating is performed again. The engine temperature can be quickly raised to the required temperature, and a good heating effect can be ensured.

  According to the engine temperature control apparatus for a hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 3, when the engine has a particulate filter in the exhaust passage, the opening / closing means is controlled to the restricted position when the particulate filter is forcibly regenerated. As a result, the amount of heat released from the engine room to the outside air is reduced as described above. As a result, as the engine temperature rises, the exhaust temperature of the engine also rises quickly to the temperature required for forced regeneration of the particulate filter, reducing the time required for forced regeneration of the particulate filter and improving fuel efficiency. be able to. In addition, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the forced regeneration is terminated without sufficiently regenerating the filter without the exhaust temperature of the engine sufficiently increasing.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a hybrid electric vehicle to which an engine temperature control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. It is a schematic block diagram of the engine mounted in the hybrid electric vehicle of FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing an arrangement of main members at a rear portion of the hybrid electric vehicle of FIG. 1. It is a schematic side view which shows the rear part of the hybrid electric vehicle of FIG. In the hybrid electric vehicle of FIG. 1, it is a schematic block diagram of the 1st shutter when it sees from an engine room side. It is a figure which abbreviate | omits a part member and shows the open state of the 1st shutter of FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a closed state of the first shutter in FIG. 5 with some members omitted. In the hybrid electric vehicle of FIG. 1, it is a schematic block diagram of the 2nd shutter at the time of seeing from the downward direction. It is a figure which abbreviate | omits a part member and shows the open state of the 2nd shutter of FIG. It is a figure which abbreviate | omits one part member and shows the state in the middle of the transition from the open state of the 2nd shutter of FIG. 8 to a closed state. It is a figure which abbreviate | omits a part member and shows the closed state of the 2nd shutter of FIG. It is a flowchart of the engine temperature control which HEV-ECU performs. It is a flowchart of the modification of engine temperature control.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a hybrid electric vehicle 1 to which an engine temperature control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. In the present embodiment, the hybrid electric vehicle 1 is configured as a large passenger bus.
The engine 2 is mainly a diesel engine having a smaller capacity than an engine mounted on a vehicle of the same scale using only the engine as a power source for traveling, and various engine peripherals such as a cooling mechanism and an exhaust purification mechanism described later. It is an engine system including equipment. A rotation output shaft of an engine main body, which will be described later, included in the engine 2 is connected to a rotation shaft of the generator 4, and the engine 2 is not used as a driving power source but is used as a driving source of the generator 4.

The power generated by the generator 4 driven by the engine 2 is stored in the battery 8 via the inverter 6. The inverter 6 adjusts the generated power of the generator 4 by controlling the current flowing between the generator 4 and the battery 8 so that the battery 8 is appropriately charged by the power supplied from the generator 4. . The generator 4 operates as a motor when electric power is supplied from the battery 8 via the inverter 6 when the engine 2 is stopped, and has a function of cranking the engine body of the engine 2. .
On the other hand, the hybrid electric vehicle 1 is equipped with an electric motor 10 as a driving power source. The output shaft of the electric motor 10 is connected to the left and right drive wheels 16 via a differential device 12 and a pair of drive shafts 14. Has been. Therefore, the hybrid electric vehicle 1 is configured as a so-called series type hybrid electric vehicle.

The electric motor 10 operates as a motor when the electric power of the battery 8 is supplied via the inverter 6, and the drive transmitted from the electric motor 10 to the drive wheels 16 by adjusting the electric power supplied to the electric motor 10 by the inverter 6. The power can be adjusted.
Further, when the vehicle is decelerated such as during vehicle braking, the electric motor 10 operates as a generator, and the kinetic energy of the hybrid electric vehicle 1 is converted into AC power by the electric motor 10. At this time, the electric motor 10 generates regenerative braking torque. The AC power is converted into DC power by the inverter 6 and then charged to the battery 8, and the kinetic energy of the hybrid electric vehicle 1 is recovered as electric energy.

  The hybrid electric vehicle 1 is equipped with a HEV-ECU (control means) 18 for performing comprehensive control so that the engine 2, the generator 4, the inverter 6, and the electric motor 10 operate properly. In order to perform this comprehensive control, the HEV-ECU 18 collects information on the operating state of the engine 2, the generator 4, the inverter 6, the battery 8 and the electric motor 10, the operating state of the hybrid electric vehicle 1, and the like. The hybrid electric vehicle 1 is further provided with an engine ECU 20 for controlling the engine 2 and a battery ECU 22 for monitoring the state of the battery 8. The HEV-ECU 18 is based on the collected information, and the engine ECU 20 and the battery ECU 22. Various controls are executed while sending commands to

  Specific contents of the control executed by the HEV-ECU 18 are as follows. The HEV-ECU 18 is connected to an accelerator opening sensor 26 that detects an operation amount of the accelerator pedal 24. The HEV-ECU 18 operates the motor 10 as a motor by controlling the inverter 6 according to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal 24 detected by the accelerator opening sensor 26, and is driven from the motor 10 according to a driver's request. The driving force transmitted to the wheel 16 is adjusted.

Further, the HEV-ECU 18 controls the inverter 6 during vehicle deceleration such as during vehicle braking, and adjusts the electric power supplied to the battery 8 from the electric motor 10 operating as a generator to control the regenerative braking force generated by the electric motor 10. I do.
Further, the HEV-ECU 18 starts the engine 2 when the battery 8 needs to be charged, and controls the engine 2 to an operation state for obtaining a power generation state of the generator 4 necessary for charging the battery 8. A command is sent to the engine ECU 20. At this time, the HEV-ECU 18 controls the inverter 6 so that the generator 4 generates the generated power necessary for properly charging the battery 8.

The engine ECU 20 is provided to perform overall operation control of the engine 2, and adjusts the fuel injection amount, the injection timing, etc. based on the command from the HEV-ECU 18, and corresponds to the command from the HEV-ECU 18. The engine 2 is controlled to the operating state. Further, the engine ECU 20 sends various information obtained from the engine 2 to the HEV-ECU 18.
The battery ECU 22 detects the temperature and voltage of the battery 8, the current flowing between the inverter 6 and the battery 8, and obtains the charge rate SOC of the battery 18 from these detection results. send.

  When the driver depresses the accelerator pedal 24 in the hybrid electric vehicle 1 configured as described above, the HEV-ECU 18 detects the operation amount of the accelerator pedal 24 detected by the accelerator opening sensor 26 and the hybrid detected by a travel speed sensor (not shown). Based on the traveling speed of the electric vehicle 1, the drive torque to be transmitted to the drive wheels 16 is obtained, and the inverter 6 is controlled so that the electric motor 10 generates the obtained drive torque. As a result, the electric power of the battery 8 is supplied to the electric motor 10 via the inverter 6, and the driving torque generated by the electric motor 10 operating as a motor is transmitted to the left and right driving wheels 16 via the differential device 12 and the driving shaft 14. The vehicle runs.

Since the charging rate of the battery 8 gradually decreases due to the supply of electric power to the electric motor 10, the HEV-ECU 18 has a predetermined charging rate SOC of the battery 8 sent from the battery ECU 22 to prevent the battery 8 from being overdischarged. When the charging is required due to lower than the lower limit reference charging rate, a command is sent to the engine ECU 20 to operate the engine 2, and the inverter 6 is controlled to operate the generator 4 as a motor. Crank the engine body.
At this time, the engine ECU 20 starts supplying the fuel to the engine 2 and starts the engine 2 in accordance with a command from the HEV-ECU 18. After the engine 2 is started, the engine ECU 20 controls the operation of the engine 2. The generator 4 is driven.

  As the engine 2 is started, the HEV-ECU 18 controls the inverter 6 so that a predetermined target power is generated by the generator 4 at a predetermined target rotational speed. The engine 2 is controlled so that the rotational speed becomes the target rotational speed. The target rotational speed and target power at this time are determined such that the battery 8 can be charged efficiently and the rotational speed and load of the engine 2 are within a preset operation region. Examples of the predetermined operation region include an operation region where the concentration of NOx in the exhaust gas is as low as possible and an operation region where the operation efficiency of the engine 2 is relatively high. It is determined in advance according to the specifications and the specifications of the engine 2.

  When the battery 8 is charged by the electric power generated by the generator 4 and the charging rate SOC of the battery 8 reaches a predetermined upper limit reference charging rate, the HEV-ECU 18 stops the engine 2 and ends the driving of the generator 4. A command is sent to the engine ECU 20. The engine ECU 20 stops the fuel supply to the engine 2 according to a command from the HEV-ECU 18 and stops the engine 2. Accordingly, the HEV-ECU 18 stops the operation of the inverter 6 and interrupts the exchange of electric power between the generator 4 and the battery 8.

Next, the configuration of the engine 2 will be described in detail below based on FIG. 2 which is a schematic configuration diagram thereof.
As described above, the engine 2 is an engine system centered on a diesel engine and has an engine body 28 of a diesel engine as shown in FIG. Air for burning fuel is supplied to each cylinder (not shown) of the engine main body 28 through an intake pipe 30. Each cylinder of the engine body 28 is connected to an exhaust pipe (exhaust passage) 32 for discharging exhaust generated by the combustion of fuel.

  The exhaust pipe 32 is provided with an exhaust aftertreatment device 34 for purifying exhaust discharged from the engine body 28 and discharging it into the atmosphere. The exhaust after-treatment device 34 includes a casing 36 that is interposed in the middle of the exhaust pipe 32 and in which exhaust flows. The front-stage oxidation catalyst 38 is accommodated in the casing 36 and the front-stage oxidation catalyst. A particulate filter (hereinafter referred to as a filter) 40 is accommodated on the downstream side of 38.

The filter 40 purifies the exhaust discharged from the engine body 28 by collecting particulates in the exhaust. Further, since the front-stage oxidation catalyst 38 oxidizes NO (nitrogen monoxide) in the exhaust gas to generate NO ₂ (nitrogen dioxide), the front-stage oxidation catalyst 38 and the filter 40 are arranged in this manner, so that the filter 40 Particulates collected and accumulated in the catalyst react with NO ₂ supplied from the pre-stage oxidation catalyst 38 to be oxidized, and the filter 40 is continuously regenerated.

  In order to perform continuous regeneration of the filter 40 in this way, the pre-oxidation catalyst 38 needs to be activated. However, as described above, the engine 2 is started and stopped according to the charging rate of the battery 8, so that the exhaust temperature of the engine 2 is likely to decrease, and the pre-stage oxidation catalyst 38 tends to be in an inactive state. For this reason, the particulates accumulated on the filter 40 cannot be sufficiently removed only by continuous regeneration. Therefore, when it is determined that the accumulated amount of the particulates in the filter 40 has reached a predetermined amount, the engine ECU 20 Perform forced regeneration.

  In the forced regeneration, the engine ECU 20 operates the engine 2 regardless of the charging rate of the battery 8 in order to raise the exhaust temperature of the engine 2 and burn away particulates accumulated on the filter 40. The exhaust aftertreatment device 34 is provided with an exhaust temperature sensor 42 for detecting the temperature of the exhaust gas flowing into the filter 40 on the upstream side of the filter 40, and the engine ECU 20 detects the exhaust gas detected by the exhaust temperature sensor 42. The engine 2 is controlled so that the temperature becomes a temperature necessary for the forced regeneration of the filter 40. When the forced regeneration of the filter 40 is completed, the engine ECU 20 stops the engine 2.

  Note that, during such forced regeneration of the filter 40, the HEV-ECU 18 controls the inverter 6 based on the charge rate SOC of the battery 8 obtained from the battery ECU 22. That is, when the charging rate of the battery 8 does not reach the upper limit reference charging rate, the inverter 6 is controlled so that the generator 4 generates electric power, and the battery 8 is charged with the electric power generated by the generator 4. On the other hand, when the charging rate of the battery 8 has reached the upper limit reference charging rate, the inverter 6 is controlled so that the generator 4 does not generate power, thereby preventing the battery 8 from being overcharged.

  The engine body 28 is provided with a cooling mechanism for cooling the engine body 28 using cooling water. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, a cooling water outflow pipe 44 through which cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage in the engine body 28 and cooling the various parts of the engine body 28 flows out is connected to the cooling water outlet of the engine body 28. Yes. The cooling water outflow pipe 44 is connected to a radiator 48 that cools the cooling water flowing out from the engine body 28 by heat exchange with the outside air. Further, a cooling water inflow pipe 46 is connected between the radiator 48 and the cooling water inlet of the engine body 28, and the cooling water cooled by the radiator 48 flows into the engine body 28 again through the cooling water inflow pipe 46. It is like that. Note that a water pump (not shown) is provided inside the engine body 28 in order to allow the coolant to flow appropriately in such a cooling mechanism. Since the cooling mechanism itself is well known, detailed description is omitted here.

The cooling water outflow pipe 44 is provided with a cooling water temperature sensor 50 that detects the temperature of the cooling water flowing inside. The cooling water temperature sensor 50 detects the temperature of the cooling water flowing out from the engine body 28 as the temperature of the engine body 28, and corresponds to the engine temperature detection means of the present invention.
The cooling water whose temperature has risen by flowing in the engine body 28 through the cooling mechanism in this manner is supplied to a heating heater mechanism (not shown) so as to be used for heating the passenger compartment of the hybrid electric vehicle 1. It has become. In addition, since such a heater mechanism for heating is already widely known, the description of the configuration and operation is omitted here.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of main members such as the electric motor 10 and the engine main body 28 in the rear part of the hybrid electric vehicle 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing the rear part of the hybrid electric vehicle 1.
As shown in FIG. 3, the engine body 28 is disposed horizontally in an engine room 52 provided at the rearmost part of the hybrid electric vehicle 1, and the rotation output shaft of the engine body 28 is the rotation shaft of the generator 4. It is connected. Further, the electric motor 10 disposed on the front side of the vehicle with respect to the engine main body 28 has a rotating shaft connected to the differential device 12, and as described above, the driving force of the electric motor 10 is applied to the differential device 12 and the left and right drive shafts. 14 is transmitted to the left and right drive wheels 16.

  A radiator 48 is disposed along the side panel of the hybrid electric vehicle 1 at a position opposite to the generator 4 with respect to the engine body 28. As shown in FIG. 4, a mesh-shaped opening 54 that communicates the inside of the engine room 52 and the outside of the vehicle is formed on the side panel at the rear of the hybrid electric vehicle 1, and between the inside of the engine room 52 and the outside of the vehicle. A flow path through which air flows is formed. The radiator 48 is disposed so as to face the opening 54, and heat exchange between the cooling water in the radiator 48 and air outside the vehicle introduced through the opening 54 is efficiently performed. Yes.

The engine body 28 is supported by two main frames extending in the front-rear direction of the hybrid electric vehicle 1 and two subframes spanned between the main frames in the vehicle width direction. The interior of the engine room 52 communicates with the outside of the vehicle via a space below the engine body 28 in addition to the above-described opening 54, and between the inside of the engine room 52 and the outside of the vehicle also below the engine body 28. A flow path through which air flows is formed.
Since the engine body 28 is cooled by the air flow through the opening 54 and the space below the engine body 28, the temperature of the engine body 28 rises when the engine 2 is started from a cold state. May be difficult to do. Further, when the engine 2 is stopped, the temperature of the engine main body 28 may rapidly decrease.

As described above, since the cooling water heated by the engine body 28 is used for heating the passenger compartment, the temperature of the engine body 28 is difficult to rise after the engine 2 is started, or the engine body 28 is stopped after the engine 2 is stopped. If the temperature drops rapidly, there is a possibility that a sufficient heating effect cannot be obtained, or in some cases, the heating is not effective at all.
In addition, when the filter 40 is forcibly regenerated, it is necessary to raise the exhaust gas temperature to a temperature at which the particulates deposited on the filter 40 can be combusted. It takes time to raise the exhaust temperature to a temperature at which regeneration can be performed, which may cause problems such as deterioration of fuel consumption or forced regeneration being terminated because the filter 40 cannot be sufficiently regenerated. .
Further, in order to efficiently operate the engine 2 and maintain good exhaust gas characteristics, it is necessary to warm up the engine 2. However, if the temperature of the engine body 28 is difficult to rise, the warm up operation is performed. There is a possibility that time is required, fuel consumption is deteriorated, and emission of harmful substances into the atmosphere is increased by operating the engine 2 for a long time in a state where exhaust gas characteristics are deteriorated.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to prevent such a problem from occurring, a temperature control mechanism for favorably controlling the temperature of the engine body 28 is provided. Hereinafter, such a temperature control mechanism will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
The factor that hinders the temperature rise of the engine main body 28 or causes the rapid temperature decrease of the engine main body 28 is the flow of air between the engine room 52 and the outside of the vehicle as described above. In the embodiment, a regulating member for regulating such a flow of air is provided. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a first shutter (opening / closing means) 56 is provided as such a restricting member so as to cover the opening 54 from the engine room 52 side, and below the engine body 28. A second shutter (opening / closing means) 58 is provided along the lower surface of the vehicle body of the hybrid electric vehicle 1.

  First, the structure and operation of the first shutter 56 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of the first shutter 56 viewed from the engine room 52 side. 6 and 7 are views showing the first shutter 56 when viewed from the left in FIG. 5 with some members omitted for convenience.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the first shutter 56 includes two vertical frames 60, 62 extending in parallel with each other in the vertical direction, and both vertical frames 60, 62 at the upper and lower ends of the vertical frames 60, 62. A rectangular frame formed by two horizontal frames 64 and 66 spanned between 62 is used as a base. The two vertical frames 60 and 62 are fixed to a body frame (not shown) extending in the vertical direction along the side panel of the hybrid electric vehicle 1, whereby the first shutter 56 is hybrid electric. It is attached to the automobile 1.

Between the two vertical frames 60, 62, a plurality of flaps 68 are arranged at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction of the vertical frames 60, 62. Both ends in the longitudinal direction of each flap 68 are supported by vertical frames 60 and 62 via pins 70 and 72 on one end side in the width direction of each flap 68 (hereinafter referred to as the first end side), The flap 68 can swing around the pins 70 and 72.
On the other hand, the width direction other end part side (henceforth the 2nd end part side) of each flap 68 is connected at equal intervals by the interlocking link 76 via the pin 74, as shown in FIG. The connecting portion between the interlocking link 76 and the flaps 68 via the pins 74 enables the relative swinging of the flaps 68 with respect to the interlocking links 76. When the flap 68 swings, the flaps 68 swing similarly at the same angle by the interlocking link 76.

In order to swing each flap 68, the first shutter 56 is provided with an electromagnetic solenoid 78 as an actuator. The electromagnetic solenoid 78 is fixed to the vertical frame 60 at a position that does not hinder the swing of each flap 68, and the movable portion 78a is selectively switched between the protruding position and the retracted position in response to an electrical signal. ing.
Further, the pin 74 of the flap 68 at the top and the movable part 78a of the electromagnetic solenoid 78 are connected by a drive link 80 as shown in FIG. The drive link 80 is connected by a pin 74 so as to be able to swing relative to the uppermost flap 68, and is also connected by a pin 78b so as to be able to swing relative to the movable portion 78a.

  FIG. 6 is a view of the first shutter 56 viewed from the left side of FIG. 5, that is, the vertical frame 60 side, with the vertical frame 60 omitted for convenience. The right direction of FIG. 6 is the engine room 52 side. Become. In FIG. 6, the movable part 78a of the electromagnetic solenoid 78 is in a protruding state. At this time, the uppermost flap 68 connected to the movable portion 78a and the drive link 80 is in a horizontal state as shown in FIG. 6, and accordingly, the other flaps 68 are also in a horizontal state. . Therefore, air can flow between the outside of the hybrid electric vehicle 1 and the engine room 52 via the opening 54 and the first shutter 56.

  When the movable portion 78a of the electromagnetic solenoid 78 is switched to the retracted position when the first shutter 56 is in the state shown in FIG. 6, the drive link moves as the movable portion 78a moves in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 80 moves the second end side of the uppermost flap 68 downward, and the flap 68 swings downward about the pins 70 and 72. Following the movement of the uppermost flap 68, the other flaps 68 connected by the interlocking link 76 similarly swing downward about the pins 70 and 72.

  FIG. 7 is a view when the first shutter 56 is viewed from the left side of FIG. 5, that is, the vertical frame 60 side, with the vertical frame 60 and the drive link 80 omitted for convenience. 7 is the engine room 52 side. As shown in FIG. 7, the interval between the flaps 68 is set slightly shorter than the width of the flaps 68. When the movable portion 78a of the electromagnetic solenoid 78 is in the retracted position, the flaps 68 are adjacent to each other. The gap between the flap 68 is closed. Therefore, in such a state, the flow of air through the opening 54 and the first shutter 56 is restricted between the outside of the hybrid electric vehicle 1 and the inside of the engine room 52.

When the first shutter 56 is in the state shown in FIG. 7 and the movable portion 78a of the electromagnetic solenoid 78 is switched to the protruding position, the movable portion 78a swings the uppermost flap 68 upward via the drive link 80. Therefore, the other flaps 68 are similarly swung upward, and each flap 68 is again in the state shown in FIG.
Thus, when the movable portion 78a of the electromagnetic solenoid 78 is in the protruding position, the first flap 56 is in an open state as shown in FIG. 6, and when the movable portion 78a of the electromagnetic solenoid 78 is in the retracted position, the first flap is opened. 56 is in a closed state as shown in FIG. Accordingly, in the present embodiment, for the first shutter 56, the closed state of the first shutter 56 shown in FIG. 7 corresponds to the restriction position of the present invention, and the open position of the first shutter 56 shown in FIG. This corresponds to the restriction release position.

  Next, the structure and operation of the second shutter 58 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram of the second shutter 58 as viewed from below the hybrid electric vehicle 1, and the upper side of FIG. 8 is the front side of the hybrid electric vehicle 1. 9 to 11 are views showing the second shutter 58 when viewed from the right side of FIG. 8 with some members omitted for convenience.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the second shutter 58 includes two guide frames 82 and 84 extending in parallel with each other in the vehicle front-rear direction, and both guide frames at the front end portion and the rear end portion of the guide frames 82 and 84. A rectangular frame formed by two horizontal frames 86 and 88 spanned between 82 and 84 is used as a base. The two guide frames 82 and 84 are fixed to two main frames (only one is shown) 90 extending in parallel with each other in the front-rear direction of the hybrid electric vehicle 1, whereby the second shutter 58. Is attached to the hybrid electric vehicle 1.

  A seat 92 is disposed between the two guide frames 82 and 84, and the front end portion of the seat 92 is connected to the horizontal frame 86. As shown in FIG. 10, the sheet 92 has creases at equal intervals along the direction parallel to the horizontal frame 86 so that valley folds and mountain folds alternately occur when viewed from below the sheet 92. It is provided and can be folded into an accordion. The connecting portion between the front end portion of the seat 92 and the horizontal frame 86 allows the seat 92 to swing relative to the horizontal frame 86. The fold of the seat 92 closest to the connecting portion is the fold of the seat 92. It is a valley fold when viewed from below.

  As shown in FIG. 10, pins 94 protrude from both ends of the sheet 92 in the crease direction at the position of the fold when viewed from below the sheet 92. These pins 94 are slidably engaged with guide grooves 96 formed in the longitudinal direction on the inner side surfaces of the guide frames 82 and 84 facing each other. Although the guide groove on the guide frame 84 side is not shown, the configuration is the same as the guide groove 96 on the guide frame 82 side so that the opening faces the opening of the guide groove 96 on the guide frame 82 side. Is provided.

As shown in FIG. 10, the fold of the sheet 92 closest to the horizontal frame 88 is a valley fold when viewed from below the sheet 92, and the rear end of the sheet 92 extending further to the side of the horizontal frame 88 from this fold. The part is connected to the bar 98. The connecting portion between the rear end portion of the sheet 92 and the bar 98 allows the swing of the sheet 92 with respect to the bar 98.
By configuring the sheet 92 in this way, the sheet 92 can be folded into an accordion shape or developed into a flat state while the pins 94 slide in the guide grooves 96 of the guide frames 82 and 84, respectively. It has become.
In order to fold and unfold such a sheet 92, the second shutter 58 is provided with an electric motor 100 as an actuator. The electric motor 100 is fixed to the horizontal frame 86 via a bracket 102 as shown in FIGS.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, the rotating shaft 104 of the electric motor 100 extends in the extending direction of the guide frames 82, 84, that is, in the expansion / contraction direction of the seat 92, and an end portion thereof is a horizontal frame 88. Is rotatably supported by a bearing 106 fixed to the shaft. The rotating shaft 104 functions as a worm shaft by forming a screw thread. The rotary shaft 104 is provided with a drive member 108 that passes through the rotary shaft 104 and is screwed into a thread of the rotary shaft 104. The drive member 108 is connected to the bar 98. Therefore, when the electric motor 100 is operated and the rotating shaft 104 rotates in one direction, the driving member 108 screwed to the rotating shaft 104 moves from the horizontal frame 86 side to the horizontal frame 88 side, and the rotating shaft 104 is reversed. When rotating in the direction, the drive member 108 moves from the side frame 88 side to the side frame 86 side.

  9 to 11 are views when the second shutter 58 is viewed from the guide frame 84 side with the guide frame 84 omitted for convenience. Of these, FIG. 9 shows the second shutter 58 when the sheet 92 is in the most folded state. As shown in FIG. 9, the driving member 108 is in a state of moving toward the horizontal frame 86 to a position where the seat 92 is most folded. In such a state, air can flow through the second shutter 58 between the outside of the vehicle and the engine room 52 through the space below the hybrid electric vehicle 1. Accordingly, at this time, the second shutter 58 is opened.

When the electric motor 100 is operated when the second shutter 58 is in the open state shown in FIG. 9 and the rotation shaft 104 is rotated in the direction in which the drive member 108 is moved toward the horizontal frame 88, the rotation shaft 104 is rotated. Accordingly, the driving member 108 moves toward the horizontal frame 88.
FIG. 10 shows the second shutter 58 when the driving member 108 is moving as described above. As shown in FIG. 10, as the drive member 108 moves in the direction of arrow B, the rear end portion of the sheet 92 connected to the bar 98 also moves in the direction of arrow B. At this time, each pin 94 of the sheet 92 slides along the guide groove 96 of the guide frames 82 and 84, so that the folded sheet 92 is gradually developed.

  FIG. 11 shows the second frame 58 when the drive member 108 is moved until the bar 98 abuts against the horizontal frame 88. As shown in FIG. 11, when the bar 98 is in contact with the horizontal frame 88, the size of the sheet 92 is set so as to expand to a flat state. When the sheet 92 is unfolded to a flat state in this way, the sheet 92 is in a state where the rectangular frame formed by the two guide frames 82 and 84 and the two horizontal frames 86 and 88 is closed.

  Note that when the drive member 108 is moved toward the horizontal frame 88 by the operation of the electric motor 100, the operation of the electric motor 100 is stopped when the bar 98 comes into contact with the horizontal frame 88. The operation of the electric motor 100 is stopped by a position sensor (not shown) that detects the position of the bar 98 or the driving member 108, or a pressure sensor that detects the pressure of the bar 98 acting on the horizontal frame 88 (not shown). (Not shown) or the like.

In the state shown in FIG. 11, the unfolded seat 92 closes the rectangular frame formed by the two guide frames 82 and 84 and the two horizontal frames 86 and 88, so that the lower part of the hybrid electric vehicle 1 is located below. The flow of air is regulated between the outside of the vehicle through the space and the inside of the engine room 52. Accordingly, at this time, the second shutter 58 is closed.
That is, in the case of the present embodiment, for the second shutter 58, the closed state of the second shutter 58 shown in FIG. 11 corresponds to the restriction position of the present invention, and the open state of the second shutter 58 shown in FIG. This corresponds to the restriction release position.

  When the electric motor 100 is rotated in the reverse direction so that the drive member 108 moves away from the horizontal frame 88 when the second shutter 58 is in the closed state shown in FIG. The member 108 moves toward the horizontal frame 86. As the driving member 108 moves, the bar 98 moves toward the horizontal frame 86 and the seat 92 is folded again. Then, as shown in FIG. 9, when the seat 92 is fully folded, the electric motor 100 stops operating, and the movement of the driving member 108 also stops. The operation of the electric motor 100 can be stopped using a position sensor (not shown) that detects the position of the bar 98 or the drive member 108.

The configuration and operation of the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are as described above. However, the HEV-ECU 18 controls the first shutter 56 and the second shutter as engine temperature control in order to properly adjust the temperature of the engine body 28. 58 control is executed.
Below, the engine temperature control which HEV-ECU18 performs is demonstrated in detail based on FIG. FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the engine temperature control. The HEV-ECU 18 controls the engine temperature according to the flowchart of FIG. 12 when a key switch (not shown) provided in the passenger compartment of the hybrid electric vehicle 1 is operated to the on position. Execute. The engine temperature control is repeatedly executed at a predetermined control cycle, and ends when the key switch is operated to the off position.

  When engine temperature control is started, the HEV-ECU 18 first determines in step S1 whether or not the coolant temperature Tw of the engine body 28 detected by the coolant temperature sensor 50 is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference temperature To. The cooling water temperature sensor 50 detects the temperature of the cooling water in the engine body 28 as the temperature of the engine body 28 as described above. Therefore, in step S1, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the engine body 28 is equal to or higher than the reference temperature To. In the present embodiment, the cooling water of the engine body 28 is used for heating the passenger compartment of the hybrid electric vehicle 1, and the reference temperature To used here is based on the lower limit value of the temperature at which the cooling water can be used for heating. For example, 80 ° C. is set somewhat higher than the lower limit.

If the coolant temperature Tw has not reached the reference temperature To, the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process to step S2.
In step S2, the HEV-ECU 18 closes both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58. That is, the HEV-ECU 18 controls the electromagnetic solenoid 78 of the first shutter 56 to bring the movable portion 78a into the retracted position, the first shutter 56 is closed as shown in FIG. And the sheet 92 is developed, and the second shutter 58 is closed as shown in FIG.

  By closing the first shutter 56, the flow of air through the opening 54 and the first shutter 56 between the outside of the hybrid electric vehicle 1 and the engine room 52 is restricted (restricted position). . Further, by closing the second shutter 58, the flow of air between the outside of the vehicle and the inside of the engine room 52 through the space below the hybrid electric vehicle 1 is regulated by the seat 92 (regulated position). .

As described above, the engine 2 is operated when the charging rate SOC of the battery 8 is lower than the lower limit reference charging rate and the battery 8 needs to be charged, and the charging rate SOC of the battery 8 becomes the upper limit reference charging rate by charging. When it reaches, it is stopped.
Accordingly, when the engine 2 is in operation, the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are both closed in step S2, thereby promoting the temperature rise of the engine body 28 and rapidly increasing the cooling water temperature. I will do it.
On the other hand, when the engine 2 is stopped, the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are both closed in step S2, so that the temperature drop of the engine body 28 is suppressed and the cooling water temperature is hardly lowered. Become.

  When the process of step S2 is thus performed, the HEV-ECU 18 ends the control cycle, and starts the process from step S1 again in the next control cycle. If the coolant temperature Tw is still lower than the reference temperature To, the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process to step S2. Therefore, when the cooling water temperature Tw is lower than the reference temperature To, both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are held in the closed state by the process of step S2.

  By holding the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 in the closed state in this way, when the engine 2 is operating, the temperature rise of the engine body 28 is promoted, and the cooling water temperature rises quickly, When the engine 2 is stopped, the temperature drop of the engine body 28 is suppressed and the cooling water temperature is less likely to drop. Accordingly, the time required for warming up the engine 2 when the engine 2 is started can be shortened, the fuel consumption can be improved, and the emission amount of harmful substances in the exhaust gas that increases during the cold operation can also be reduced. . Further, when the engine 2 is in operation, the cooling water temperature quickly rises, so that a good heating effect can be obtained early, and when the engine 2 is stopped, the cooling water temperature is not easily lowered. The time for obtaining a good heating effect can be extended.

In this way, when the engine 2 is operated while the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are held in the closed state, the temperature of the engine body 28 rises. When the coolant temperature Tw reaches the reference temperature To as the temperature of the engine body 28 increases, the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process from step S1 to step S3 based on the determination in step S1.
In step S <b> 3, the HEV-ECU 18 determines whether or not forced regeneration of the filter 40 is being executed based on information from the engine ECU 20. If the forced regeneration of the filter 40 is not executed, the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process to step S4 based on the determination in step S3.

In step S4, the HEV-ECU 18 opens both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58, and ends the control cycle. That is, the HEV-ECU 18 controls the electromagnetic solenoid 78 of the first shutter 56 so that the movable portion 78a is in the protruding position, and the first shutter 56 is opened as shown in FIG. Is controlled to fold the sheet 92 to the open state shown in FIG.
By thus opening the first shutter 56, the restriction on the flow of air through the opening 54 between the outside of the hybrid electric vehicle 1 and the inside of the engine room 52 is released (regulation release position). Further, by opening the second shutter 58, the restriction on the air flow between the outside of the vehicle and the inside of the engine room 52 through the space below the hybrid electric vehicle 1 is released (restriction release position). .

  In the next control cycle, the HEV-ECU 18 starts the process again from step S1. At this time, if the coolant temperature Tw of the engine body 28 is still equal to or higher than the reference temperature To, the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process to step S3 according to the determination in step S1. At this time, if the filter 40 is not forcibly regenerated, the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process to step S4 based on the determination in step S3.

Therefore, when the cooling water temperature Tw is equal to or higher than the reference temperature To and the filter 40 is not forcibly regenerated, both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are held open by the process of step S4. .
Thus, when the cooling water temperature Tw becomes equal to or higher than the reference temperature To, the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are both opened so that the temperature of the engine body 28 does not rise more than necessary. ing.

  When the engine 2 is in the stopped state, the temperature of the engine main body 28 gradually decreases, and when the cooling water temperature Tw falls below the reference temperature To, the HEV-ECU 18 performs the process again according to the determination in step S1. To step S2. The control contents when the process proceeds from step S1 to step S2 are as described above.

On the other hand, if the cooling water temperature Tw is equal to or higher than the reference temperature To and the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process from step S1 to step S3 and the filter 40 is forcibly regenerated, the HEV-ECU 18 According to the determination, the process proceeds to step S2.
Therefore, even when the cooling water temperature Tw is equal to or higher than the reference temperature To, when the filter 40 is forcibly regenerated, both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are closed. . When the filter 40 is forcibly regenerated, the engine 2 is operated as described above, and at this time, the temperature of the exhaust discharged from the engine main body 28 needs to be raised. Thus, by closing both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 in this way, the exhaust temperature of the engine body 28 is quickly raised to a temperature at which the filter 40 can be forcibly regenerated. .

  Also in this case, when the HEV-ECU 18 performs the process of step S2, the control cycle ends and the process starts again from step S1 in the next control cycle. However, the cooling water temperature Tw is already equal to or higher than the reference temperature To. ing. Accordingly, the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process to step S3 based on the determination in step S1, and again determines whether or not the forced regeneration of the filter 40 is being executed. Accordingly, even when the coolant temperature Tw is equal to or higher than the reference temperature To, the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are both kept closed while the filter 40 is being forcedly regenerated. As a result, the temperature of the engine main body 28 is maintained at a high temperature, and the forced regeneration of the filter 40 is quickly performed by the exhaust gas that has become high in association therewith.

  When the forced regeneration of the filter 40 is completed, the HEV-ECU 18 receives information on the forced regeneration end from the engine ECU 20, and advances the process to step S4 according to the determination in step S3. The contents of the process in step S4 are as described above, and the HEV-ECU 18 opens both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58, and ends the control cycle.

  When the process is started again from step S1 in the next control cycle, if the coolant temperature Tw of the engine body 28 is still equal to or higher than the reference temperature To, the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process to step S3 according to the determination in step S1. Since the forced regeneration of the filter 40 has just ended at this time, the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process to step S4 based on the determination in step S3. Therefore, when the cooling water temperature Tw is equal to or higher than the reference temperature To and the filter 40 is not forcibly regenerated, both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are held open by the process of step S6. .

  When the engine 2 is in the stopped state, the temperature of the engine body 28 gradually decreases, and when the cooling water temperature Tw falls below the reference temperature To, the HEV-ECU 18 performs the process again from step S1 according to the determination in step S1. Proceed to S2. The control contents when the process proceeds from step S1 to step S2 are as described above.

After the key switch is once operated to the off position, the cooling water temperature Tw when the key switch is again operated to the on position and engine temperature control is started without much time is already equal to or higher than the reference temperature To. Even in this case, the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process to step S3 based on the determination in step S1.
If the forced regeneration of the filter 40 is not performed at this time, the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process to step S4 based on the determination in step S3. Accordingly, in this case as well, both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are held in the open state by the process of step S4.

On the other hand, if the filter 40 is forcibly regenerated at this time, the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process to step S2 based on the determination in step S3. Therefore, in this case, both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are closed by the process of step S2. Since the engine 2 is in an operating state due to the forced regeneration of the filter 40, the temperature of the engine main body 28 is increased by keeping both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 closed. The forced regeneration of the filter 40 is quickly performed by the exhaust gas that has been maintained and thus has become hot.
When the forced regeneration of the filter 40 is completed, as described above, the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process to step S4 according to the determination in step S3. Then, both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are held open by the process of step S4.

  By performing the engine temperature control as described above, when the coolant temperature Tw detected as the temperature of the engine main body 28 has not reached the reference temperature To, both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are closed. Therefore, the amount of heat released from the engine room 52 to the outside of the vehicle is reduced. As a result, when the engine 2 is in operation, the temperature rise of the engine body 28 is promoted and the cooling water temperature rapidly rises. When the engine 2 is stopped, the temperature drop of the engine body 28 is suppressed and cooling is performed. Water temperature is unlikely to decrease.

Therefore, when the engine 2 is started, the time required for warming up the engine 2 can be shortened, the fuel consumption can be improved, and the emission amount of harmful substances in the exhaust gas that increases during the cold operation can be reduced. it can. Further, when the engine 2 is in operation, the cooling water temperature quickly rises so that a good heating effect can be obtained early. When the engine 2 is stopped, the cooling water temperature is not easily lowered. The time during which a good heating effect is obtained can be extended.
Such engine temperature control is automatically executed by the HEV-ECU 18 based on the coolant temperature Tw detected by the coolant temperature sensor 50 as the engine temperature, so that the driver is effective in the warm-up state and heating of the engine 2. Therefore, it is possible to easily and accurately control the engine temperature.

  Further, when the filter 40 is forcibly regenerated, both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are closed, and the amount of heat released from the engine room 52 to the outside air is reduced, so that the temperature of the engine main body 28 is reduced. Rises quickly. Along with this, the temperature of the exhaust discharged from the engine main body 28 can also be quickly raised to a temperature required for forced regeneration of the filter 40. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time required for increasing the temperature of the filter 40 and the time required for forced regeneration, and improve fuel efficiency. In addition, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the temperature of the engine main body 28 decreases during the forced regeneration of the filter 40 and the forced regeneration of the filter 40 ends incompletely.

In the engine temperature control described above, when the cooling water temperature Tw has not reached the reference temperature To, the heating for heating the vehicle interior of the hybrid electric vehicle 1 without proceeding from step S1 to step S2 immediately. Only when a switch (not shown) for operating the heater mechanism is turned on, the HEV-ECU 18 may advance the process from step S1 to step S2. In this case, if the switch for operating the heater mechanism is not turned on, the HEV-ECU 18 opens both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 except when the filter 40 is forcibly regenerated. Hold on.
Even in this case, if the switch for operating the heater mechanism is turned on, the same effect as that obtained by the engine temperature control described above can be obtained.

In the engine temperature control described above, when the filter 40 is being forcedly regenerated, the process proceeds from step S3 to step S2, and both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are closed. The closed state of the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 is maintained until the end.
However, instead of this, when the cooling water temperature Tw detected by the cooling water temperature sensor 50 during the forced regeneration of the filter 40 reaches a predetermined upper limit temperature, both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are opened. As a result, an excessive temperature rise of the engine body 28 can be prevented. At this time, one of the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 may be opened.

  In the present embodiment, the engine temperature control performed by the HEV-ECU 18 is not actively involved in the control for operation and stop of the engine 2 as described above. However, it is also possible to actively control the operation and stop of the engine 2 in the engine temperature control. Such engine temperature control will be described below as a modification of this embodiment with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a modified example of the engine temperature control performed by the HEV-ECU 18, and a key switch (not shown) provided in the vehicle interior of the hybrid electric vehicle 1 is operated to the ON position as in the above-described embodiment. Then, the engine temperature control is started and repeatedly executed at a predetermined control cycle. When the key switch is operated to the off position, the HEV-ECU 18 ends the engine temperature control.

  The flowchart of FIG. 13 is based on the flowchart of FIG. 12 and further includes steps S5 to S7. The processing contents of steps S1 to S4 are exactly the same as those of the above-described embodiment. Specifically, this modification example is different from the above-described embodiment in that step S5 and step S6 are inserted between step S1 and step S2, and step S7 is added after step S4. It is different. Therefore, in the following, description will be made centering on such differences, and description of parts that are the same as those in the above embodiment will be omitted.

  In the above-described embodiment, the operation and stop of the engine 2 depend on the operation control for charging the battery 8, and the engine 2 is not actively operated to increase the temperature of the engine body 28. The reference temperature To used in step S1 is set to 80 ° C., for example, which is slightly higher than the lower limit value based on the lower limit value of the temperature of the cooling water that can be used for heating. On the other hand, since the engine 2 is operated and stopped also in the engine temperature control in this modification, the reference temperature To used in step S1 is set to the lower limit of the temperature of the cooling water that can be used for heating, as compared with the above-described embodiment. It may be closer to the value.

  In this modification, when the engine temperature control is started, if the coolant temperature Tw of the engine body 28 detected by the coolant temperature sensor 50 has not reached the reference temperature To, the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 56 are immediately selected in step S2. Rather than closing both the shutters 58, the HEV-ECU 18 determines in step S5 whether or not the engine 2 is stopped based on information from the engine ECU 20.

When the engine 2 is in a stopped state, the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process from step S5 to step S6, instructs the engine ECU 20 to start the engine 2, and controls the inverter 6 to operate the generator 4 as a motor. Then, the engine body 28 is cranked. When the engine ECU 20 receives a command from the HEV-ECU 18, the engine ECU 20 starts supplying fuel to the engine main body 28 to start the engine 2 and put the engine 2 into an operating state. Then, the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process from step S6 to step S2.
On the other hand, if the engine 2 is already in an operating state, the HEV-ECU 18 proceeds directly from step S5 to step S2.

  The processing in step S2 is as described above, and the HEV-ECU 18 closes both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58, and ends the control cycle. Since the engine 2 is in an operating state, the temperature increase of the engine main body 28 is promoted by closing both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 as in the case where the engine 2 is operating in the above-described embodiment. The cooling water temperature rises quickly.

  If the temperature of the engine main body 28 has not yet sufficiently increased even in the next control cycle and the cooling water temperature Tw has not reached the reference temperature To, the HEV-ECU 18 again determines whether the engine 2 is stopped in step S5. Determine whether or not. Since the engine 2 is already in an operating state, the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process to step S2 based on the determination in step S5. Therefore, when the cooling water temperature Tw has not reached the reference temperature To, the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are both held in the closed state by the process of step S2.

  As described above, when the cooling water temperature Tw does not reach the reference temperature To, the engine 2 is maintained in the operating state and the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are maintained in the closed state. The temperature rise of 28 is promoted and the cooling water temperature rises quickly. Therefore, the time required for warming up the engine 2 can be shortened, the fuel consumption can be improved, and the emission amount of harmful substances in the exhaust gas that increases during the cold operation can also be reduced. Moreover, a good heating effect can be obtained at an early stage by rapidly increasing the cooling water temperature.

When the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are held in the closed state and the temperature of the engine body 28 rises and the cooling water temperature Tw becomes equal to or higher than the reference temperature To, the above-described embodiment is similarly applied to the HEV-ECU 18. Advances the process from step S1 to step S3.
At this time, if the filter 40 is forcibly regenerated, the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process to step S2 and performs the same process as in the above-described embodiment. The same effect as the embodiment can be obtained.

On the other hand, if the filter 40 is not forcibly regenerated when the processing proceeds to step S3, the HEV-ECU 18 proceeds to step S4, and the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 as in the above-described embodiment. Are both open.
In this modification, as described above, when the coolant temperature Tw does not reach the reference temperature To, the engine 2 is always in an operating state, and the filter 40 is not forcibly regenerated. After S4, the process further proceeds to step S7, the engine 2 being operated is stopped, and the control cycle is ended.

  In the next control cycle, the HEV-ECU 18 starts the process again from step S1. At this time, if the coolant temperature Tw of the engine body 28 is still equal to or higher than the reference temperature To, the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process to step S3 according to the determination in step S1. At this time, if the filter 40 is not forcibly regenerated, the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process to step S4 based on the determination in step S3. Therefore, when the cooling water temperature Tw is equal to or higher than the reference temperature To and the filter 40 is not forcibly regenerated, both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are held open by the process of step S4. At the same time, the engine 2 is maintained in the stopped state by the process of the next step S7.

  When the cooling water temperature Tw falls below the reference temperature To as the temperature of the engine body 28 gradually decreases due to the engine 2 being in a stopped state, the HEV-ECU 18 performs the process again in step S5 according to the determination in step S1. To proceed. The control content when the process proceeds from step S1 to step S5 is as described above.

  Even when the forced regeneration of the filter 40 is performed and the forced regeneration is finished, the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process to step S4 according to the determination in step S3 as in the above-described embodiment. Accordingly, also in this case, the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are both kept open by the process of step S4, and the engine 2 is maintained in the stopped state by the process of the next step S7.

It should be noted that after the key switch is once operated to the off position, the cooling water temperature Tw when the key switch is again operated to the on position and engine temperature control is started without much time is already equal to or higher than the reference temperature To. In some cases, as in the above-described embodiment, the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process to step S3 based on the determination in step S1.
If the forced regeneration of the filter 40 is not performed at this time, the HEV-ECU 18 advances the process to step S4 based on the determination in step S3. Accordingly, in this case as well, as described above, both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are held open by the process of step S4, and the engine 2 is maintained in the stopped state by the process of step S7.
On the other hand, when forced regeneration of the filter 40 is performed at this time, processing similar to that of the above-described embodiment is performed, and the same effect can be obtained.

  By performing the engine temperature control as described above, when the coolant temperature Tw detected as the temperature of the engine main body 28 has not reached the reference temperature To, both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are closed. Therefore, the amount of heat released from the engine room 52 to the outside of the vehicle decreases as in the above-described embodiment. At this time, since the engine 2 is always in an operating state, the temperature rise of the engine body 28 is promoted, and the coolant temperature rises quickly.

Therefore, the time required for warming up the engine 2 can be shortened, the fuel consumption can be improved, and the emission amount of harmful substances in the exhaust gas that increases during the cold operation can also be reduced. Moreover, a good heating effect can be obtained at an early stage by rapidly increasing the cooling water temperature. Further, when the filter 40 is forcibly regenerated, the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.
And also about such engine temperature control, since HEV-ECU18 automatically performs based on the cooling water temperature Tw which the cooling water temperature sensor 50 detected as engine temperature, a driver | operator is effective in the warming-up state and heating of the engine 2. It is not necessary to work based on the condition, and it is possible to control the engine temperature easily and accurately.

  In the engine temperature control of the present modification as well, when the coolant temperature Tw has not reached the reference temperature To, the vehicle interior of the hybrid electric vehicle 1 is heated without immediately proceeding from step S1 to step S5. The HEV-ECU 18 may advance the process from step S1 to step S5 only when the switch for operating the heater mechanism is turned on. In this case, if the switch for operating the heater mechanism is not turned on, the EV-ECU 18 does not start the engine 2 with the engine temperature control, and both the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are opened. Hold.

  Even in this case, if the switch for operating the heater mechanism is turned on, the same effect as that obtained by the engine temperature control described above can be obtained. Further, since the engine 2 is not started in step S6 unless the switch for operating the heater mechanism is turned on, the frequency of starting the engine 2 by the engine temperature control can be reduced.

  Even in the engine temperature control of this modification, as in the above-described embodiment, when the cooling water temperature Tw detected by the cooling water temperature sensor 50 during execution of forced regeneration of the filter 40 reaches a predetermined upper limit temperature, The first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 may not be kept closed, and both may be opened to prevent an excessive temperature rise of the engine body 28.

Although the description of the engine temperature control device for a hybrid electric vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention has been completed above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and modification.
For example, in the above embodiment, when the first shutter 56 is opened corresponding to the restriction release position, the first shutter 56 is fully opened as shown in FIG. 6, while the first shutter 56 corresponds to the restriction position. In the closed state, the first shutter 56 was fully closed as shown in FIG. However, the open state and the closed state of the first shutter 56 are not limited to this, and can be changed as necessary.

  That is, for example, the state of the intermediate opening degree in which each flap 68 is closed rather than the fully opened state of FIG. 6 is set to the open state corresponding to the restriction release position, and the fully closed state shown in FIG. The fully open state shown in FIG. 6 may be set to the open state corresponding to the restriction release position, and the intermediate opening state in which each flap 68 is opened more than the fully closed state shown in FIG. It is good also as a closed state corresponding to a position. Further, in both the open state and the closed state, the flaps 68 may be in an intermediate opening degree, and the opening degree of each flap 68 may be larger in the open state than in the closed state.

  Similarly, for the second shutter 58, for example, an intermediate state between a state where the sheet 92 is completely folded as shown in FIG. 9 and a state where the sheet 92 is fully developed as shown in FIG. The state shown in FIG. 11 may be the closed state corresponding to the restriction position, and the state shown in FIG. 9 may be the open state corresponding to the restriction release position, and the state shown in FIG. A state intermediate to the state of 11 may be a closed state corresponding to the restriction position. Furthermore, both the open state and the closed state may be intermediate between the state of FIG. 9 and the state of FIG. 11, and the open state may be a state in which the seat 92 is folded more than the closed state. .

  Further, the configurations of the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 used in the above-described embodiment are merely examples, and the respective configurations are not limited. For example, the first and second shutters may have the same configuration as one of the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 of this embodiment, or may be replaced with a foldable sheet 92 such as the second shutter 58. A roll-up type sheet may be used.

  Further, the two shutters of the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 do not have to be arranged, and the arrangement positions thereof are not limited to the above embodiment. That is, a restriction position that restricts the flow of air and a restriction release position that releases the restriction are provided in a flow path in which air flow occurs between the inside of the engine room 52 where the engine body 28 is placed and the outside of the vehicle. As long as it can be switched to, the number, position, etc. may be in any form.

  Further, the engine temperature detection means of the present invention is not limited to the cooling water temperature sensor 50 that detects the cooling water temperature of the engine body 28 as the engine temperature, as in the above-described embodiment and modification. For example, as the engine temperature detection means of the present invention, a temperature sensor may be attached to the engine body 28 to detect the temperature of the engine body 28 itself as the engine temperature, or the exhaust gas provided in the exhaust aftertreatment device 34 The temperature sensor 42 may be the engine temperature detection means of the present invention, and the exhaust temperature detected by the exhaust temperature sensor 42 may be used as the engine temperature. Needless to say, corresponding to each case, the reference temperature To used in the engine temperature control is appropriately changed.

  Further, in the above modification, when the HEV-ECU 18 performs engine temperature control and the engine 2 in a stopped state is started, the HEV-ECU 18 is connected to the battery as in the case of the forced regeneration of the filter 40 described above. The inverter 6 may be controlled based on the charging rate SOC of the battery 8 obtained from the ECU 22. That is, when the charging rate of the battery 8 does not reach the upper limit reference charging rate, the inverter 6 is controlled so that the generator 4 generates power, and the battery 8 is charged with the power generated by the generator 4. It may be. On the other hand, when the charging rate of the battery 8 has reached the upper limit reference charging rate, the inverter 6 may be controlled so that the generator 4 does not generate electric power to prevent overcharging of the battery 8.

In the above modification, if the filter 40 is not forcibly regenerated and the process proceeds from step S3 to step S4, the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 are both opened in step S4. At the same time, the engine 2 was stopped in step S7.
However, at this time, the operation of the engine 2 is continued, and the HEV-ECU 18 controls the inverter 6 based on the charge rate SOC of the battery 8 obtained from the battery ECU 22 as in the case of the forced regeneration of the filter 40 described above. May be. Then, when the charge rate SOC of the battery 8 reaches the upper limit reference charge rate, the engine 2 may be stopped.
When the operation of the engine 2 is continued in this way, the engine 2 is already in the warm-up state, so that the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 may be opened immediately when the processing proceeds to step S4. Until the engine 2 stops, the closed state of the first shutter 56 and the second shutter 58 may be maintained.

  In the present embodiment, the engine body 28 is a diesel engine. However, the configuration of the engine 2 centering on the engine body 28 is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made as necessary. Further, the arrangement of the engine room 52, the generator 4, the engine body 28, the electric motor 10, and the like in the hybrid electric vehicle 1 is not limited to the example of FIG.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Hybrid electric vehicle 2 Engine 4 Generator 10 Electric motor 18 HEV-ECU (control means)
28 Engine Body 40 Particulate Filter 50 Cooling Water Temperature Sensor (Engine Temperature Detection Means)
52 Engine room 56 First shutter (opening / closing means)
58 Second shutter (opening / closing means)

Claims (3)

An engine temperature control device for a hybrid electric vehicle equipped with an engine and an electric motor, using the engine as a driving source for a generator and using only the electric motor as a driving power source,
It is provided in a flow path where air flows between the engine room where the engine is placed and the outside of the vehicle, and can be switched between a restriction position that restricts the air flow and a restriction release position that releases the restriction. Open and close means,
Engine temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the engine;
Engine temperature control for a hybrid electric vehicle, comprising: control means for controlling the opening / closing means to the restriction position when the engine temperature detected by the engine temperature detection means is lower than a predetermined reference temperature. apparatus.   The control means controls the opening / closing means to the restriction position when the engine is stopped when the engine temperature detected by the engine temperature detection means is lower than the reference temperature, and The engine temperature control device for a hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the engine is started. The engine includes a particulate filter for collecting particulates in the exhaust in the exhaust passage,
2. The engine temperature control device for a hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control means further controls the opening / closing means to the restriction position when the particulate filter is forcibly regenerated.

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