JP2013184680A - Charging apparatus of electric vehicle and method of controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a charging apparatus of an electric vehicle that can prevent or decrease beforehand temporal deterioration of in-vehicle fuel that is actually stored in a fuel tank without giving an occupant a sense of incompatibility, and a control method of the charging apparatus in the electric vehicle.SOLUTION: An electric vehicle 1 includes: a high voltage battery 6; an electric generator 10 which charges the high voltage battery 6, an engine 11 that drives the electric generator 10; and a fuel tank 13 for the engine 11. At a point of time when the prescribed operation necessary time has passed from refueling to the fuel tank 13, and when the fuel is stored in the fuel tank 13, the engine 11 is driven only when the electric vehicle is traveling irrespective of presence or absence of power generation by the electric generator 10. Afterwards in addition, at the point of time when prescribed traveling operation time has passed, and when the fuel remains in the fuel tank 13, the engine 11 is driven at stop time of the electric vehicle 1 in addition to traveling time, until the fuel in the fuel tank 13 decreased less than the designated amount irrespective of presence or absence of power generation by the electric generator 10.

Description

  The present invention relates to a charging device for an electric vehicle that generates power using on-vehicle fuel and a method for controlling the charging device for an electric vehicle.

  There has been a related art related to an electric vehicle that drives wheels by an electric motor supplied with electric power from a battery (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). This is also referred to as a plug-in hybrid vehicle. During short-distance travel, power is supplied to the electric motor from a battery that is connected to an external power supply, and the remaining battery capacity is reduced during long-distance travel. In this case, the generator is driven by the engine to charge the battery and supply electric power to the electric motor. Thereby, regardless of the traveling method, it is possible to prevent the remaining amount of the battery from being depleted and always allow traveling.

By the way, the engine of an electric vehicle as described in Non-Patent Document 1 operates only to drive a generator and does not drive a wheel. Accordingly, since the engine is hardly driven depending on the traveling method of the vehicle, gasoline, which is onboard fuel supplied to the engine, may be left without being consumed for a long time.
In particular, when the vehicle is repeatedly driven at a short distance every day and the battery is charged at home after returning home, the engine is not operated to generate electricity, and the gasoline in the fuel tank is hardly used. The gasoline that is left is gradually oxidized, and for example, when it is left for more than 6 months, the deterioration proceeds considerably. The deteriorated gasoline may corrode the stored tank and clog fuel pipes.
Even when the engine does not operate for more than 2 weeks, the oil film of the lubricating oil in the engine is cut off by its own weight and slight vibration, and the sliding portion starts to stick. As a result, when the engine is restarted, the wear of the sliding portion is accelerated, and there is a possibility that the life of the engine itself is reduced.

  On the other hand, in the electric vehicle described in Non-Patent Document 1, when the engine has not been operated for 6 weeks, a warning is issued to urge the driver to start the engine. If the engine is not started within 24 hours, the control controller operates the engine for a predetermined time to restore lubrication in the engine and consume a certain amount of fuel. Further, if no fuel has been supplied for one year, the controller will run the engine until no fuel is available.

Masao Hori, “synthesist synthesizer”, [online], [searched February 3, 2012], Internet <URL: http://hori.way-nifty.com/synthesist/2011/04/---3a61. html>

As described above, the electric vehicle described in Non-Patent Document 1 consumes fuel when the engine is not started despite the warning to the driver, and the engine is forced regardless of the running state of the vehicle. Is activated automatically. Therefore, the engine may be suddenly started while the vehicle is stopped, giving a sense of discomfort to the occupant depending on the situation, and in some cases, the occupant may misunderstand that the vehicle is broken.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to prevent and reduce deterioration with time of in-vehicle fuel that is actually stored in a fuel tank without giving a sense of incongruity to an occupant. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling an automobile charging device and an electric vehicle charging apparatus.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an electric vehicle charging device according to claim 1 includes a battery for supplying electric power to an electric motor for driving wheels, a charger for connecting the battery to an external power source, and a battery. A generator for charging, an engine for driving the generator, a fuel tank for storing fuel supplied to the engine, a fuel detection device for detecting that fuel is stored in the fuel tank, and fuel Fuel is detected in the fuel tank when a predetermined fuel storage time has elapsed from the most recent fuel supply time when fuel was supplied to the fuel tank. The engine is only driven when the electric vehicle is running until the fuel in the fuel tank is less than the specified amount, regardless of whether the battery is charged by the generator. A controller that is that which includes a.

The electric vehicle according to the present invention does not mean only a narrowly-defined electric vehicle in which the battery is charged by the generator in an emergency in which the remaining battery level is reduced during traveling. A so-called hybrid vehicle is also included, which is assumed to be used in combination with charging by an external power source and charging by an external power source. The same applies to the following claims.
Further, “when the electric vehicle is traveling” in claim 1 described above may be limited to “when the electric vehicle is actually traveling at a predetermined speed” or “when the vehicle is actually traveling”. And “when using an electric vehicle including temporarily stopping while the power of the electric vehicle is turned on”. The same applies to the following claims.
Further, the “predetermined amount” in claim 1 described above is a small amount that does not adversely affect the fuel system of the electric vehicle even if it remains in the fuel tank for a long time. 0 may be sufficient. The same applies to the following claims.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the charging device for an electric vehicle according to the first aspect, when the controller starts driving the engine during the traveling of the electric vehicle, the fuel is stored in the fuel tank when a predetermined traveling operation time elapses. If it remains, regardless of whether or not the battery is charged by the generator, the engine can be driven not only when the electric vehicle is running but also when it is stopped until the fuel in the fuel tank is less than the specified amount. is there.
The above-mentioned “when the vehicle is stopped” in claim 2 may be limited to “when the electric vehicle is turned off and parked” or “when the vehicle is parked with the power turned off” It may be “when the electric vehicle is not running” including when the vehicle is temporarily stopped while the power is on between the running times. The same applies to the following claims.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the charging device for an electric vehicle according to the second aspect, the controller notifies the occupant of the electric vehicle when the engine is driven even when the electric vehicle is stopped in addition to when the electric vehicle is traveling.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the charging device for an electric vehicle according to any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising an engine drive detection device for detecting an operation of the engine, wherein the controller reduces oil that is shorter than a fuel leaving time. When the engine is not operating during the time, the engine is driven only for a predetermined lubrication maintenance time only when the electric vehicle is running, regardless of whether the battery is charged by the generator.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the charging device for an electric vehicle according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the fuel tank is provided with a lid member that is opened when the fuel is supplied, and the fuel supply detecting device Is formed by a lid opening switch that detects that the lid member is in an open state and a fuel sensor that detects the amount of fuel stored in the fuel tank, and the lid member is in an open state and the fuel When an increase in the amount of fuel stored in the tank is detected, it is detected that fuel has been supplied to the fuel tank.

  An invention of a control method for a charging device for an electric vehicle according to claim 6 includes a battery for supplying electric power to an electric motor for driving a wheel, a charger for connecting the battery to an external power source, and a generator for charging the battery. An engine for driving the generator, a fuel tank for storing fuel supplied to the engine, a fuel detection device for detecting that fuel is stored in the fuel tank, and supply of fuel to the fuel tank A method for controlling a charging device for an electric vehicle equipped with a refueling detection device for detecting that there has been a fuel refueling detection device, wherein a predetermined fuel leaving time has elapsed since the most recent refueling time when fuel was supplied to the fuel tank If the fuel is stored in the fuel tank at the time of charging, the battery will be charged until the fuel in the fuel tank is less than the specified amount regardless of whether the battery is charged by the generator. Only during traveling of the moving vehicle it is to drive the engine.

According to the first aspect of the charging device for an electric vehicle according to the first aspect of the present invention, the controller supplies the fuel to the fuel tank at a time when a predetermined fuel leaving time has elapsed from the most recent fuel supply time at which the fuel was supplied to the fuel tank. When stored, the engine is driven only when the electric vehicle is running until the fuel in the fuel tank is less than the specified amount, regardless of whether the battery is charged by the generator. The fuel that is left for a long time after being refueled can be reduced. For this reason, deterioration with time of the fuel can be suppressed, and the life of the engine itself can be extended.
Also, since the engine is driven only when the electric vehicle is running so that the amount of fuel in the fuel tank is less than the specified amount, the occupant feels uncomfortable by starting the engine or misunderstood as a failure of the electric vehicle. Can be prevented.

  According to the invention of the charging device for an electric vehicle according to claim 2, when fuel remains in the fuel tank at the time when a predetermined traveling operation time has elapsed after starting to drive the engine during traveling of the electric vehicle, Regardless of whether the battery is charged by the generator or not, the frequency of running the electric vehicle by driving the engine when the electric vehicle is running, as well as when the electric vehicle is running, until the fuel in the fuel tank becomes less than the specified amount. Even when the amount of fuel is small, the fuel in the fuel tank can be consumed reliably and deterioration of the fuel over time can be prevented.

  According to the invention of the charging device for an electric vehicle according to claim 3, when the engine is driven even when the electric vehicle is stopped in addition to the traveling of the electric vehicle, the engine is used for consuming fuel by notifying the passenger of the electric vehicle. It is possible to make the occupant recognize that the vehicle is being driven, and to further reduce the sense of discomfort of the occupant.

  According to the invention of the charging device for an electric vehicle according to claim 4, when the engine is not operated during the oil reduction time shorter than the fuel leaving time, the electric device is charged regardless of whether the battery is charged by the generator. By driving the engine for a predetermined lubrication maintenance time only when the automobile is running, it is possible to prevent the lubricating oil from running out at the sliding portion in the engine and to reduce wear of the sliding portion.

  According to the invention of the charging device for an electric vehicle according to claim 5, when the cover member of the fuel tank is in an open state and an increase in the fuel stored in the fuel tank is detected, the fuel is supplied to the fuel tank. By detecting that there has been fuel supply, it is possible to accurately detect that fuel has been supplied to the fuel tank without erroneously detecting fuel supply when the lid member is accidentally opened. Can do.

According to the invention of the control method for a charging device for an electric vehicle according to claim 6, the fuel is supplied to the fuel tank at the time when the predetermined fuel leaving time has elapsed from the most recent fuel supply time at which the fuel was supplied to the fuel tank. When stored, the fuel tank can be driven by driving the engine only when the electric vehicle is running until the fuel in the fuel tank is less than the specified amount, regardless of whether the battery is charged by the generator. The fuel that is left for a long time after being refueled can be reduced. For this reason, deterioration with time of the fuel can be suppressed, and the life of the engine itself can be extended.
Also, since the engine is driven only when the electric vehicle is running so that the amount of fuel in the fuel tank is less than the specified amount, the occupant feels uncomfortable by starting the engine or misunderstood as a failure of the electric vehicle. Can be prevented.

1 is a block diagram schematically showing a traveling system for an electric vehicle equipped with a charging device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a graph showing a relationship between the elapsed time from refueling the fuel tank and the remaining amount of fuel when the engine travels in the charging device shown in FIG. A graph showing the relationship between the elapsed time since refueling and the amount of fuel remaining when performing continuous operation in addition to engine running operation The figure which represented the first half of the flowchart regarding the control method of a charging device The figure which represented the flowchart following the flowchart shown in FIG.

  Based on FIG. 1 thru | or FIG. 5, the charging device of the electric vehicle by one Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. FIG. 1 shows an outline of a power train of an electric vehicle 1 equipped with a charging device 2 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 1, unless otherwise specified, a solid line connecting the components represents a power supply line, and a broken line represents a signal line. Furthermore, the bold line between each structure represents the mechanical connection. Moreover, the electric vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a front wheel drive vehicle, and the left side of the figure corresponds to the front of the vehicle. However, the application vehicle of the present invention should not be limited only to the front wheel drive vehicle, but can be applied to a rear wheel drive vehicle or a four wheel drive vehicle.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the electric vehicle 1 includes a right drive wheel 3FR and a left drive wheel 3FL (both correspond to wheels of the present invention). Hereinafter, the right driving wheel 3FR and the left driving wheel 3FL are collectively referred to as driving wheels 3FR, 3FL. A motor generator 4 (corresponding to an electric motor) of the electric vehicle 1 is a synchronous machine and is mechanically connected to the drive wheels 3FR and 3FL in order to drive the drive wheels 3FR and 3FL.

  An inverter 5 is electrically connected to the motor generator 4, and a high voltage battery 6 (corresponding to a battery) formed of a lithium ion battery or the like is connected to the inverter 5. The current from the high voltage battery 6 is converted into a three-phase alternating current by the inverter 5 and supplied to the motor generator 4. A drive controller 7 is connected to the motor generator 4, the inverter 5, and the high voltage battery 6 described above. The drive controller 7 supplies electric power from the high voltage battery 6 to the motor generator 4 according to the running state of the electric vehicle 1, and controls the rotation of the motor generator 4. Further, regeneration may be performed in the motor generator 4 to charge the high voltage battery 6.

A charger 8 is connected to the high voltage battery 6. The charger 8 is an AC-DC converter and is provided with a vehicle connector 8a. The vehicle connector 8a is connected to an external power source 50 that is a single-phase AC power source. The charger 8 connected to the external power supply 50 converts the current from the external power supply 50 into a direct current and charges the high voltage battery 6. The external power supply 50 may be a three-phase AC power supply.
An AC-DC converter 9 is connected to the high-voltage battery 6, and a generator 10 is connected to the AC-DC converter 9. The generator 10 is formed by a synchronous machine or the like, and the current generated thereby is converted into direct current and charged to the high voltage battery 6.

  An engine 11 is mechanically coupled to the generator 10. The engine 11 is provided to drive the generator 10, and a normal internal combustion engine that generates an output from a hydrocarbon fuel is used. The engine 11 is provided with a rotation speed sensor 11a (corresponding to an engine drive detection device) that detects a rotation speed of a crankshaft (not shown). As shown in FIG. 1, a range extender 12 is formed by the AC-DC converter 9, the generator 10 and the engine 11 described above. The range extender 12 operates mainly when the electric vehicle 1 travels a long distance, and charges the high-voltage battery 6.

The fuel tank 13 stores fuel (for example, gasoline, light oil, etc.) supplied to the engine 11. The fuel tank 13 is connected to the engine 11 by a fuel tube 13 a and is configured to be able to supply fuel to the engine 11. The fuel tank 13 is not limited to this, but has a capacity of about 3 L. Normally, if the engine 11 is operated while the electric vehicle 1 is running, the fuel is used up in about one month. be able to.
The fuel tank 13 is provided with a fuel cap 13b (corresponding to a lid member), and a fuel lid (not shown) is attached to the body of the electric vehicle 1 so as to cover the fuel cap 13b. Fuel supply to the fuel tank 13 is performed by removing the fuel cap 13b after opening the fuel lid.

The fuel tank 13 is provided with a cap opening switch 14 (corresponding to a fuel supply detection device and a lid opening switch) for detecting that the fuel cap 13b has been opened from the closed state. For the cap opening switch 14, for example, a touch sensor or the like can be used. Instead of the cap opening switch 14, a member for detecting the open state of the fuel lid may be provided.
A fuel tank sensor 15 (corresponding to a fuel detection device, a fuel supply detection device, and a fuel sensor) is provided in the fuel tank 13. The fuel tank sensor 15 detects the amount of fuel stored in the fuel tank 13 by detecting the liquid level of the fuel in the fuel tank 13 using a float (not shown).

  A charge controller 16 (corresponding to a controller) is connected to the high-voltage battery 6, the engine 11, the rotation speed sensor 11 a, the cap opening switch 14, and the fuel tank sensor 15 described above. The charge controller 16 determines that the engine 11 has been operated when the rotation speed sensor 11a continuously detects a rotation speed of 500 rpm or more for 5 seconds or more, for example.

In addition, a fuel consumption notification lamp 17 and a fuel consumption buzzer 18 are connected to the charge controller 16. The fuel consumption notification lamp 17 is attached to an instrument panel (not shown) in the vehicle compartment and lights up when the fuel in the fuel tank 13 is reduced or exhausted to warn the occupant. In addition, the fuel consumption notification lamp 17 may be turned on when the engine 11 to be described later is continuously operated to notify the occupant.
On the other hand, the fuel consumption buzzer 18 generates a buzzer sound to notify the occupant when the engine 11 is continuously operated. The fuel consumption buzzer 18 may also be activated when the fuel in the fuel tank 13 is exhausted and warn the occupant.

Further, a wheel speed sensor 19 is connected to the charge controller 16. The wheel speed sensor 19 is provided to detect the rotational speed of the drive wheels 3FR and 3FL (which may be driven wheels not shown). The charge controller 16 detects whether or not the electric vehicle 1 is running based on the detection value of the wheel speed sensor 19.
The high-voltage battery 6, charger 8, range extender 12, fuel tank 13, cap open switch 14, fuel tank sensor 15, charge controller 16, fuel consumption notification lamp 17, fuel consumption buzzer 18, and wheel speed sensor described so far 19, the charging device 2 of the present embodiment is formed.

  Next, an operation method of the charging device 2 according to the present embodiment will be described. The charge controller 16 detects the voltage and input / output current of the high voltage battery 6 and detects the remaining battery charge SOC of the high voltage battery 6. The charge controller 16 displays the detected remaining battery charge SOC of the high voltage battery 6 on an instrument panel or the like. If the occupant of the electric vehicle 1 determines that it is necessary by looking at the display of the battery remaining amount SOC, the vehicle connector 8a of the charger 8 is connected to the external power source 50 and the high voltage battery 6 is charged.

  When the remaining battery SOC of the high voltage battery 6 falls below a predetermined charging threshold, the charge controller 16 operates the engine 11 to drive the generator 10 and charge the high voltage battery 6. The driving of the engine 11 for driving the generator 10 described here is performed independently with respect to a running operation, a continuous operation, and an operation for lubricating the engine 11 which will be described later. Furthermore, the occupant can know that the fuel in the fuel tank 13 has decreased or depleted due to the lighting of the fuel consumption notification lamp 17 or the generation of the buzzer sound of the fuel consumption buzzer 18, and can supply fuel to the fuel tank 13.

  The charge controller 16 supplies fuel to the fuel tank 13 when the fuel cap 13b is in an open state and the fuel tank sensor 15 detects an increase in the amount of fuel stored in the fuel tank 13. Detect that. When it is detected that fuel has been supplied to the fuel tank 13, the fuel storage time determined from the most recent refueling time (indicated by P1 in FIG. 2) (in this embodiment, 5 months) The fuel remaining amount fs1, which is the amount of fuel stored in the fuel tank 13, is detected at the time when the time elapses (indicated by P2 in FIG. 2).

  The charge controller 16 determines that the fuel is stored in the fuel tank 13 when the detected remaining fuel amount fs1 is equal to or greater than (or exceeds) the determined remaining fuel threshold value ε. Thus, the engine 11 is driven only when the electric vehicle 1 is traveling until the fuel in the fuel tank 13 becomes less than a predetermined amount regardless of whether or not the high-voltage battery 6 is charged by the generator 10 ( Hereinafter, it is referred to as a running operation of the engine 11, and the relationship between the elapsed time and the remaining fuel amount at the time of the operation is indicated by a one-dot chain line L1 in FIG. Therefore, even if it is determined that fuel is stored in the fuel tank 13, the engine 11 is not driven when the electric vehicle 1 is stopped due to fuel consumption. Here, the “predetermined amount” is such a small amount that the deteriorated fuel does not adversely affect the fuel system of the electric vehicle 1 due to dilution by refueling even if it remains in the fuel tank for a long time. For example, the fuel remaining amount threshold value ε described above may be used, or a small amount of other threshold values may be used, or may be substantially zero.

On the other hand, when the remaining fuel amount fs1 detected in P2 is less than (or less than) the remaining fuel threshold value ε, it is determined that no fuel is stored in the fuel tank 13, and the engine is consumed to consume the fuel. 11 is not driven. As shown in FIG. 2, when the engine 11 is driven when the electric vehicle 1 is traveling, the fuel in the fuel tank 13 is depleted in less than one month depending on the traveling state of the electric vehicle 1 (at P3 in FIG. 2). Show).
In addition, when the remaining battery SOC of the high voltage battery 6 is high and charging is impossible during the running operation of the engine 11, no current flows from the AC-DC converter 9 to the high voltage battery 6, and charging to the high voltage battery 6 is stopped. Has been.

  On the other hand, in the case shown in FIG. 3, as in the case described above, five months have passed since the most recent refueling time point (indicated by P1 in FIG. 3) at which fuel supply to the fuel tank 13 was detected. At this point (indicated by P2 in FIG. 3), the remaining fuel amount fs1 is detected, and the remaining fuel amount fs1 is equal to or greater than (or exceeds) the remaining fuel threshold value ε. The engine 11 is driven only when the electric vehicle 1 is running until the fuel in the fuel tank 13 becomes less than the above-mentioned predetermined amount regardless of whether or not the battery is charged (the elapsed time and the remaining fuel during the operation). The relationship with the amount is indicated by a one-dot chain line L1 in FIG. 3).

  After that, the charging controller 16 starts to start the running operation of the engine 11 and when a predetermined running operation time (1 month in this embodiment) has elapsed (indicated by P4 in FIG. 3) The fuel remaining amount fs2 is detected again at the time when six months have passed since the refueling. As shown in FIG. 3, when the traveling frequency of the electric vehicle 1 is low, the remaining fuel amount fs2 in the fuel tank 13 at the time (P4) when the traveling operation time has elapsed is equal to or greater than (or exceeds) the remaining fuel threshold value ε. It is).

  In this case, the charge controller 16 determines that the fuel remains in the fuel tank 13, and the fuel in the fuel tank 13 is determined as described above regardless of whether the high-voltage battery 6 is charged by the generator 10. The engine 11 is driven when the electric vehicle 1 is stopped as well as when the electric vehicle 1 travels (hereinafter referred to as the continuous operation of the engine 11, and the relationship between the elapsed time and the remaining fuel amount during the operation is shown in FIG. 3 as indicated by a broken line L2.) The charge controller 16 turns on the fuel consumption notification lamp 17 or generates a buzzer sound with the fuel consumption buzzer 18 when the engine 11 is driven not only when the electric vehicle 1 is running but also when it is stopped. Notify that continuous operation is in progress.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the fuel in the fuel tank 13 is depleted in a short time by driving the engine 11 not only when the electric vehicle 1 is running but also when it is stopped (indicated by P5 in FIG. 3). When the remaining battery SOC of the high voltage battery 6 is high and charging is impossible during continuous operation of the engine 11, no current flows from the AC-DC converter 9 to the high voltage battery 6, and charging to the high voltage battery 6 is stopped. Has been.

  Further, the charge controller 16 determines that the engine 11 is not in operation during the oil reduction time shorter than the above-described fuel leaving time (in this embodiment, two weeks) based on the detection value of the rotation speed sensor 11a. When the determination is made, the engine 11 is kept for a predetermined lubrication maintenance time (20 seconds in the present embodiment) only when the electric vehicle 1 is traveling, regardless of whether or not the high voltage battery 6 is charged by the generator 10. To drive. Therefore, even if it is determined that the engine 11 is not operating during the oil reduction time, the engine 11 is not driven when the electric vehicle 1 is stopped for lubrication of the engine 11. The driving of the engine 11 based on the lubrication maintenance time described here is performed independently of the above-described traveling operation or continuous operation of the engine 11.

  Next, based on FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the flowchart regarding the control method of the charging device 2 by the charge controller 16 is demonstrated. In the middle of the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the power switch (not shown) of the electric vehicle 1 is turned off and then the power switch is activated again, the control of the charging device 2 starts from the continuation of each flowchart. Shall be started.

As shown in FIG. 4, it is first determined whether or not the fuel cap 13b is opened by the cap opening switch 14 (step S101). Fuel cap 13
If b remains closed, it returns to the initial state. When the open state of the fuel cap 13b is detected, it is determined by the fuel tank sensor 15 whether or not the amount of fuel has increased in the fuel tank 13 (step S102). When there is no increase in fuel in the fuel tank 13, the initial state is restored.

  When there is an increase in fuel in the fuel tank 13, it is assumed that fuel has been supplied to the fuel tank 13, and in step S103, the process is started after the timer 1 in the charge controller 16 is reset. The timer 2 in the charge controller 16 is also started after being reset (step S104). Here, the timer 1 is a timer for detecting the above-described fuel leaving time and travel operation time, and the timer 2 is a timer for detecting the above-described oil reduction time and lubrication maintenance time.

  Thereafter, in step S105, it is determined whether or not the engine 11 has been operated. When it is determined that the engine 11 has been operated for driving the generator 10 or the like, the timer 2 is reset and then started (step S106). If it is not determined that the engine 11 has been operated, it is determined in step S107 whether or not the timer 2 has detected the passage of two weeks as the oil reduction time. When the timer 2 detects the passage of two weeks, in step S108, the engine 11 is driven for 20 seconds as the lubrication maintenance time only while the electric vehicle 1 is traveling, and then the timer 2 is reset in step S106.

  If the timer 2 does not detect the elapse of two weeks in step S107 and if the timer 2 is reset in step S106, the process proceeds to step S109, and it is determined again whether or not the fuel cap 13b is opened. Further, in step S110, it is determined whether or not there is an increase in fuel in the fuel tank 13. After the detection of the open state of the fuel cap 13b, if there is an increase in the amount of fuel in the fuel tank 13, it is assumed that fuel has been supplied to the fuel tank 13, and the process returns to step S103. If the open state of the fuel cap 13b is not detected, or if there is no increase in fuel in the fuel tank 13, it is assumed that no fuel has been supplied to the fuel tank 13, and the process proceeds to step S111 (shown in FIG. 5). .

  In step S111, it is determined whether or not the timer 1 has detected the passage of 5 months since refueling as the fuel leaving time. When the timer 1 detects the elapse of 5 months, after detecting the fuel remaining amount fs1 in step S112, the detected fuel remaining amount fs1 is compared with the fuel remaining amount threshold ε in step S113. On the other hand, if the timer 1 does not detect the lapse of 5 months, the process returns to step S105.

  In step S113, when the detected remaining fuel amount fs1 is equal to or greater than (or exceeds) the remaining fuel threshold value ε, it is determined that fuel is stored in the fuel tank 13, and the process proceeds to step S114 to proceed to the electric vehicle 1. The engine 11 is driven only during the traveling of the engine (traveling operation of the engine 11). In step S113, when the detected remaining fuel amount fs1 is less than (or below) the remaining fuel threshold ε, it is determined that no fuel is stored in the fuel tank 13, and the fuel consumption notification lamp 17 or the fuel consumption buzzer 18 is determined. Thus, after the fuel exhaustion is notified to the occupant and fueling is promoted, the present control is terminated. Notification to the occupant by the fuel consumption notification lamp 17 or the fuel consumption buzzer 18 may be performed after the engine 11 is stopped due to fuel depletion.

When the running operation of the engine 11 is started in step S114, it is determined whether or not the fuel in the fuel tank 13 is less than a predetermined amount (step S115). Whether or not the fuel in the fuel tank 13 has become less than a predetermined amount may be determined by whether or not the detected value of the fuel tank sensor 15 is less than (or below) the remaining fuel threshold value ε, The detection value of the fuel tank sensor 15 may be compared with other small threshold values, or may be determined by the weight of the fuel tank 13.

  When it is determined in step S115 that the fuel in the fuel tank 13 has become less than the predetermined amount, the fuel consumption notification lamp 17 or the fuel consumption buzzer 18 notifies the occupant of fuel depletion and encourages refueling. Then, this control is terminated. Notification to the occupant by the fuel consumption notification lamp 17 or the fuel consumption buzzer 18 may be performed after the engine 11 is stopped due to fuel depletion. In step S115, when it is determined that the fuel is not less than the predetermined amount and remains in the fuel tank 13, in step S116, six months have elapsed since refueling (as travel operation time, It is determined whether or not the passage of one month since the start of the running operation of the engine 11 has been detected.

  When the timer 1 detects the elapse of 6 months, in step S117, the engine 11 is driven not only when the electric vehicle 1 is running but also when it is stopped (continuous operation of the engine 11). In this case, the fuel consumption notification lamp 17 or the fuel consumption buzzer 18 notifies the passenger that the continuous operation of the engine 11 is being executed. On the other hand, if the timer 1 does not detect the lapse of 6 months, the process proceeds to step S119.

  When the continuous operation of the engine 11 is started, it is determined whether or not the fuel in the fuel tank 13 has become smaller than the above-defined amount (step S118). As in step S115, whether or not the fuel in the fuel tank 13 has become smaller than a predetermined amount is determined by whether or not the detected value of the fuel tank sensor 15 is less than (or below) the remaining fuel threshold value ε. Alternatively, the detection value of the fuel tank sensor 15 may be compared with another small threshold value, or may be determined based on the weight of the fuel tank 13.

  In step S118, when it is determined that the amount of fuel in the fuel tank 13 is less than a predetermined amount, the fuel consumption notification lamp 17 or the fuel consumption buzzer 18 notifies the occupant of fuel depletion and prompts refueling. Then, this control is terminated. Notification to the occupant by the fuel consumption notification lamp 17 or the fuel consumption buzzer 18 may be performed after the engine 11 is stopped due to fuel depletion. If it is determined in step S118 that the fuel in the fuel tank 13 is not less than the predetermined amount and remains, the process returns to step S117 and the continuous operation of the engine 11 is continued.

  On the other hand, when the routine proceeds from step S116 to step S119, it is determined again whether or not the fuel cap 13b has been opened. Further, in step S120, it is determined whether or not there has been an increase in fuel in the fuel tank 13. Is done. After the detection of the open state of the fuel cap 13b, if there is an increase in the amount of fuel in the fuel tank 13, it is assumed that fuel has been supplied to the fuel tank 13, and the process returns to step S103. If the open state of the fuel cap 13b is not detected, or if there is no increase in fuel in the fuel tank 13, it is assumed that no fuel has been supplied to the fuel tank 13, and the process returns to step S114.

According to the present embodiment, when the fuel is stored in the fuel tank 13 when the predetermined fuel leaving time has elapsed from the most recent refueling time at which the fuel was supplied to the fuel tank 13, the generator 10 Regardless of whether or not the high-voltage battery 6 is charged, the engine 11 is driven only when the electric vehicle 1 is running until the fuel in the fuel tank 13 becomes less than a predetermined amount. The amount of fuel left for a long time after being refueled can be reduced. For this reason, deterioration with time of the fuel can be suppressed, and the life of the engine 11 itself can be extended.
Further, since the traveling operation of the engine 11 is performed only when the electric vehicle 1 is traveling, it is possible to prevent the occupant from feeling uncomfortable by starting up the engine 11 or misunderstanding that the electric vehicle 1 is malfunctioning.

  Further, if the fuel remains in the fuel tank 13 at the time when the predetermined travel operation time has elapsed since the start of driving the engine 11 when the electric vehicle 1 is traveling, the generator 10 charges the high-voltage battery 6. Regardless of the presence or absence, the engine 11 is driven not only when the electric vehicle 1 is stopped but also when the electric vehicle 1 is stopped until the fuel in the fuel tank 13 becomes less than a predetermined amount. The fuel in the fuel tank 13 can be consumed reliably and deterioration of the fuel over time can be prevented.

In particular, when fuel is stored in the fuel tank 13 at the time when five months have passed since the most recent refueling time, the running operation of the engine 11 is executed, and further, when one month has passed, the fuel tank When the fuel remains in the fuel tank 13, it is a time when the engine 11 is continuously operated until the fuel in the fuel tank 13 becomes less than a predetermined amount, and deterioration is a concern after the fuel is supplied 6. It is possible to reduce the amount of fuel that is left for more than a month, save the time for discarding the fuel that has become unusable, and reduce the time and effort for maintaining the fuel components.
Further, when the engine 11 is driven when the electric vehicle 1 is stopped in addition to when the electric vehicle 1 is running, the occupant is informed that the engine 11 is being driven to consume fuel by notifying the occupant of the electric vehicle 1. So that the occupant's uncomfortable feeling can be further reduced.

Further, when the engine 11 is not operating during the oil decrease time shorter than the fuel leaving time, the engine 11 is operated only when the electric vehicle 1 is traveling, regardless of whether the high voltage battery 6 is charged by the generator 10. By driving for a predetermined lubrication maintenance time, it is possible to prevent running out of lubricating oil at the sliding portion in the engine 11 and reduce wear of the sliding portion.
Further, by driving the engine 11 for a predetermined lubrication maintenance time only when the electric vehicle 1 is running, it is possible to prevent the passenger from feeling uncomfortable due to the start of the engine 11 or misunderstanding that the electric vehicle 1 has failed. be able to.
In particular, in the sliding portion of the engine 11, when the engine 11 is not operating for two weeks shorter than the occurrence of the oil film breakage of the lubricating oil, 20 seconds, which is the time during which the lubrication of the sliding portion can be recovered. By driving the engine 11 only, it is possible to appropriately prevent the lubricating oil from running out in the sliding portion in the engine 11 and to extend the maintenance period of the engine 11.

  Further, when the fuel cap 13b of the fuel tank 13 is opened and an increase in the amount of fuel stored in the fuel tank 13 is detected, it is detected that fuel has been supplied to the fuel tank 13. Therefore, when the fuel cap 13b is accidentally opened, or when the fuel cap 13b is not opened after the fuel cap 13b is opened, the fuel tank 13 is not erroneously detected. Can be accurately detected.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified or expanded as follows.
In the above-described embodiment, the remaining fuel threshold value ε used for comparison with the remaining fuel amounts fs1 and fs2 is assumed to be in the fuel system of the electric vehicle 1 even if it remains in the fuel tank 13 for a long time. It is possible to set a small amount that does not adversely affect the fuel tank 13 so that it can be determined whether or not the fuel is stored in the fuel tank 13, and may be substantially zero. .
Further, in order to determine whether or not fuel is stored in the fuel tank 13, a method of detecting the weight of the entire fuel tank 13, the pressure in the fuel tank 13, and the like may be used.

Further, it is determined that fuel has been supplied to the fuel tank 13 only when the open state of the fuel cap 13b is detected or only when an increase in the fuel stored in the fuel tank 13 is detected. Also good.
Further, an oil film of a sliding portion of the engine 11 (for example, a bearing of a crankshaft) may be detected, and the engine 11 may be driven for a predetermined lubrication maintenance time before the oil film runs out.
Further, an accelerator pedal switch, a brake pedal switch, a parking brake switch, or the like may be used to detect that the electric vehicle 1 is in a traveling state. Furthermore, if “when the electric vehicle 1 is traveling” is set to “when the electric vehicle 1 is used including when it is temporarily stopped”, a signal from the power switch of the electric vehicle 1 may be used.

Further, the fuel leaving time is not limited to 5 months from the latest refueling time. That is, the starting point of the travel operation of the engine 11 is an arbitrary value that is experimentally and empirically determined that the fuel in the fuel tank 13 can be consumed before the fuel deteriorates according to the determined travel operation time. It is possible to set the time.
Further, the travel operation time is not limited to one month from the start of the travel operation of the engine 11, and it is experimental and experience that the fuel in the fuel tank 13 can be consumed before the fuel deteriorates due to the travel operation. It is possible to set an arbitrary time that can be judged automatically.
The oil reduction time is not limited to two weeks, and can be set to an arbitrary time shorter than the oil film breakage of the sliding portion of the engine 11 occurs.
The lubrication maintenance time is not limited to 20 seconds, and can be set to an arbitrary time during which the lubrication of the sliding portion can be recovered by the operation of the engine 11.
In addition, the occupant may directly operate the engine 11 that drives the generator 10 by operating a generator start switch (not shown).

  In the drawings, 1 is an electric vehicle, 2 is a charging device, 3FR is a right drive wheel (wheel), 3FL is a left drive wheel (wheel), 4 is a motor generator (electric motor), 6 is a high voltage battery (battery), 8 is Charger, 10 is a generator, 11 is an engine, 11a is a rotation speed sensor (engine drive detection device), 13 is a fuel tank, 13b is a fuel cap (lid member), 14 is a cap open switch (fuel supply detection device, lid open) (Switch), 15 is a fuel tank sensor (fuel detection device, fuel supply detection device, fuel sensor), 16 is a charge controller (controller), and 50 is an external power supply.

Claims (6)

A battery for supplying electric power to the electric motor for driving the wheel;
A charger for connecting the battery to an external power source;
A generator for charging the battery;
An engine for driving the generator;
A fuel tank for storing fuel supplied to the engine;
A fuel detection device for detecting that fuel is stored in the fuel tank;
A fuel supply detection device for detecting that fuel has been supplied to the fuel tank;
Whether or not the battery is charged by the generator when fuel is stored in the fuel tank when a predetermined fuel leaving time has elapsed from the most recent refueling time at which fuel was supplied to the fuel tank Regardless of the controller that drives the engine only when the electric vehicle is running until the fuel in the fuel tank is less than a predetermined amount,
Electric vehicle charging device equipped with The controller is
When fuel remains in the fuel tank at the time when a predetermined travel operation time has elapsed since the engine was started during the travel of the electric vehicle, the battery is charged or not by the generator. The charging device for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the engine is driven not only when the electric vehicle is running but also when it is stopped until the fuel in the fuel tank becomes less than the predetermined amount. The controller is
The charging device for an electric vehicle according to claim 2, wherein when the engine is driven not only when the electric vehicle is running but also when the electric vehicle is stopped, a passenger of the electric vehicle is notified. An engine drive detection device for detecting the operation of the engine;
The controller is
When the engine is not operating during the oil reduction time shorter than the fuel leaving time, the engine is determined only when the electric vehicle is traveling, regardless of whether the battery is charged by the generator. The charging device for an electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the charging device is driven only for a lubrication maintenance time. The fuel tank is provided with a lid member that is opened when fuel is supplied,
The oil supply detection device
A lid opening switch for detecting that the lid member is in an open state;
A fuel sensor for detecting the amount of fuel stored in the fuel tank;
Formed by
5. The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein when the lid member is in an open state and an increase in fuel stored in the fuel tank is detected, it is detected that fuel has been supplied to the fuel tank. The electric vehicle charging device according to any one of the above. A battery for supplying electric power to the electric motor for driving the wheel;
A charger for connecting the battery to an external power source;
A generator for charging the battery;
An engine for driving the generator;
A fuel tank for storing fuel supplied to the engine;
A fuel detection device for detecting that fuel is stored in the fuel tank;
A fuel supply detection device for detecting that fuel has been supplied to the fuel tank;
A method for controlling a charging device of an electric vehicle equipped with
Whether or not the battery is charged by the generator when fuel is stored in the fuel tank when a predetermined fuel leaving time has elapsed from the most recent refueling time at which fuel was supplied to the fuel tank Regardless of the method, the method of controlling the charging device for an electric vehicle that drives the engine only when the electric vehicle is running until the fuel in the fuel tank becomes less than a predetermined amount.

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