JP2015013517A - Vehicle controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle controller capable of lessening passenger's discomfort and improving merchantability.SOLUTION: A vehicle controller including: an internal combustion engine 109; a generator 111 generating electricity by power of the internal combustion engine 109; a capacitor 101 chargeable by the electricity generated by the generator 111; and a dynamo-electric motor 107 connected to a drive wheel 129, and driven by supplying the electricity to the dynamo-electric motor 107 from at least either the capacitor 101 or the generator 111, comprises a braking control unit setting start timing of a braking operation performed by the internal combustion engine on the basis of a gradient of a travel road.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle control device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Recently, a hybrid vehicle that operates by generating electric power with a generator using motive power output from an internal combustion engine, charging a battery with the obtained electric power, and supplying electric power to an electric motor that rotationally drives a drive shaft coupled to wheels. It has been known. In such a hybrid vehicle, regenerative power generation can be performed using an electric motor when the vehicle is decelerated, and the generated electric power is normally supplied to a capacitor to charge the capacitor. However, since it is difficult to control the energy generated by regeneration, when it is determined that there is a risk of overcharging, the energy is supplied by a generator that loads the internal combustion engine with the fuel supply cut off. Consumption has been conventionally proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 2800451

  By the way, the hybrid vehicle travels by switching various travel modes. For example, on a continuous downhill, the hybrid vehicle is controlled to travel (EV mode) only by the driving force of the electric motor while the internal combustion engine is stopped. It is common.

  Here, when it is determined that there is a risk of overcharging the battery while traveling in the EV mode, it is necessary to start the internal combustion engine in order to consume energy generated by regeneration. However, the interior of the vehicle running in the EV mode is very quiet, and if the internal combustion engine is suddenly started, the engine sound accompanying the rotation of the internal combustion engine may lead to a sense of discomfort for the occupant and may reduce the merchantability. is there.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device that can reduce the uncomfortable feeling of an occupant and improve the merchantability.

  In order to achieve the above object, an invention according to claim 1 includes an internal combustion engine (for example, an internal combustion engine 109 in an embodiment described later) and a generator (for example, in an embodiment described later) that generates electric power using the power of the internal combustion engine. A generator 111), a capacitor that can be charged by the power generated by the generator (for example, a capacitor 101 in an embodiment to be described later), and a driving wheel (for example, a driving wheel 129 in an embodiment to be described later), A control device for a hybrid vehicle comprising an electric motor (for example, an electric motor 107 in an embodiment to be described later) driven by power supply from at least one of a capacitor and the generator, wherein the internal combustion engine is based on a gradient of a travel path A braking control unit (for example, management EC in an embodiment described later) that sets the start time of the braking operation by Characterized in that it comprises 125).

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle control apparatus according to the first aspect, the braking control unit sets the start timing of the braking operation by the internal combustion engine earlier as the descending slope of the travel path increases. It is characterized by.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle control apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the vehicle is a charger that can charge the battery to a predetermined full charge amount by an external power source (for example, an embodiment described later). Further comprising a charger 126)
A charge control unit (for example, a management ECU 125 in an embodiment to be described later) that sets the full charge amount based on the altitude of the current position of the vehicle is provided.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle control device according to the third aspect, the charge control unit sets the full charge amount to be smaller as the altitude is higher.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle control device according to the third or fourth aspect, the charge control unit determines the altitude using a navigation system (for example, a navigation system 131 in an embodiment described later). It is characterized by that.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle control device according to the third or fourth aspect, the charge control unit determines the altitude using a sensor.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle control device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the braking control unit sets a start timing of a braking operation by the internal combustion engine based on a vehicle speed. Features.

  According to the first and second aspects of the invention, the start timing of the braking operation by the internal combustion engine is set in accordance with the downward slope of the travel path, thereby reducing the occupant's uncomfortable feeling due to the start of the internal combustion engine and improving the merchantability. be able to.

  According to the inventions of claims 3 to 6, by setting the full charge amount of the capacitor by the external power source based on the altitude of the current position of the vehicle, the capacitor can be charged by regenerative power generation after the start of traveling. Can be improved.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, by making the start timing of the braking operation by the internal combustion engine variable according to the vehicle speed, it is possible to reduce occupant discomfort due to the braking operation and improve the merchantability.

It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of series / parallel HEV. It is the figure which showed roughly the principal part of the drive system in the vehicle shown in FIG. It is the figure which showed the drive state in each driving mode of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1, (a) is EV mode, (b) is a series mode, (c) is a figure which shows the drive state at the time of engine direct connection mode. . It is a flowchart which shows the control by the control apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process of engine brake implementation request | requirement determination by the state of an electrical storage device. It is a flowchart which shows the process of engine brake implementation determination. It is a flowchart which shows a process of engine brake operation control. It is a time chart at the time of performing control by the control apparatus of 1st Embodiment of this invention at the time of downhill driving | running | working.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
A HEV (Hybrid Electrical Vehicle) includes an electric motor and an internal combustion engine, and travels by the driving force of the electric motor and / or the internal combustion engine according to the traveling state of the vehicle. There are two types of HEVs: a series method and a parallel method. The series-type HEV travels by the power of the electric motor. The internal combustion engine is used only for power generation, and the electric power generated by the power generator by the power of the internal combustion engine is charged in the capacitor or supplied to the electric motor.

  There are two series-type HEV driving modes: “EV mode” and “series mode”. In the EV mode, the HEV travels by the driving force of an electric motor that is driven by power supply from a capacitor. At this time, the internal combustion engine is not driven. Further, in the series mode, the HEV travels by the driving force of an electric motor that is driven by the supply of electric power from both the power storage device and the generator or the supply of electric power from only the generator. At this time, the internal combustion engine is driven for power generation in the generator.

  The parallel HEV travels by the driving force of one or both of the electric motor and the internal combustion engine. In particular, a mode in which a parallel HEV travels with the driving force of only the internal combustion engine is referred to as an “engine direct connection mode”.

  A series / parallel HEV in which both the above systems are combined is also known. In this method, the driving force transmission system is switched between the series method and the parallel method by opening or closing (engaging / disconnecting) the clutch according to the running state of the vehicle. In particular, the clutch is disengaged during low-to-medium speed acceleration traveling and is configured as a series system, and the clutch is engaged during medium-to-high speed steady traveling (cruise traveling) to form a parallel structure.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of a series / parallel HEV. As shown in FIG. 1, a series / parallel HEV (hereinafter simply referred to as “vehicle”) 1 includes a battery (BATT) 101, a converter (CONV) 103, a first inverter (first INV) 105, and an electric motor. (MOT) 107, an internal combustion engine (ENG) 109, a generator (GEN) 111, a second inverter (second INV) 113, an engine direct clutch (hereinafter simply referred to as “clutch”) 115, and a gear box. (Hereinafter simply referred to as “gear”) 119 and a management ECU (MG ECU) 125. In FIG. 1, dotted arrows indicate value data, and solid lines indicate control signals including instruction contents.

  The storage battery 101 has a plurality of storage cells connected in series, and supplies a high voltage of, for example, 100 to 200V. The storage cell is, for example, a lithium ion battery or a nickel metal hydride battery. Converter 103 boosts or steps down the DC output voltage of battery 101 while maintaining DC. The first inverter 105 converts a DC voltage into an AC voltage and supplies a three-phase current to the electric motor 107. Further, the first inverter 105 converts the AC voltage input during the regenerative operation of the electric motor 107 into a DC voltage and charges the battery 101. The second inverter 113 converts an AC voltage generated by the generator 111 into a DC voltage. The second inverter 113 converts the DC voltage of the battery 101 into an AC voltage and supplies three-phase power to the generator 111. Furthermore, the battery 101 can be charged with electric power from an external power source (not shown) via the charger 126. In the present specification, it is assumed that the power at the time of discharging of the battery 101 is represented as positive power and the power at charging is represented as negative power.

  The electric motor 107 generates power for running the vehicle 1 by supplying electric power from the battery 101 or electric power generated by the generator 111. Torque generated by the electric motor 107 is transmitted to the drive shaft 127 via the gear 119. Note that the rotor of the electric motor 107 is directly connected to the gear 119. In addition, the electric motor 107 operates as a generator during regeneration, and the electric power generated by the electric motor 107 is charged in the capacitor 101.

  The internal combustion engine 109 is used only to drive the generator 111 when the clutch 115 is released and the vehicle 1 travels in series. Hereinafter, in this specification, the torque of the internal combustion engine 109 that allows the generator 111 to generate power is referred to as the positive torque of the internal combustion engine 109. When the clutch 115 is engaged, the output of the internal combustion engine 109 is transmitted to the drive shaft 127 via the clutch 115 and the gear 119 as mechanical energy for the vehicle 1 to travel. A purification device (not shown) made of a three-way catalyst or the like is connected to the exhaust system of the internal combustion engine 109.

  The generator 111 is connected to the rotating shaft of the internal combustion engine 109 and is driven by the power of the internal combustion engine 109 to generate electric power. The electric power generated by the generator 111 is charged to the battery 101 via the second inverter 113 or is supplied to the electric motor 107 via the second inverter 113 and the first inverter 105. Further, the generator 111 can operate as an electric motor by supplying electric power from the battery 101.

  The clutch 115 connects and disconnects the transmission path of the driving force from the internal combustion engine 109 to the driving wheel 129 based on an instruction from the management ECU 125.

  The gear 119 is a one-stage fixed gear set to, for example, a high ratio. Therefore, the gear 119 converts the driving force from the electric motor 107 into a rotation speed and torque at a specific gear ratio, and transmits them to the drive shaft 127.

  The management ECU 125 receives various signals indicating the vehicle speed VP, the accelerator pedal opening (AP opening), the remaining capacity (SOC) of the battery 101, the rotational speed and torque of the generator 111, and the like. Based on these pieces of information, the management ECU 125 performs connection / disconnection of the clutch 115, switching of the running mode, charge / discharge control of the battery 101, and control of the electric motor 107, the internal combustion engine 109, and the generator 111. Details of the management ECU 125 will be described later.

  The navigation system 131 has a communication function, and acquires information on the current location of the vehicle 1 from the server 133 such as the gradient of the travel path and the altitude.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the main part of the drive system in vehicle 1 shown in FIG. FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a driving state when the vehicle 1 is in the EV mode. FIG. 3B is a diagram illustrating a driving state when the vehicle 1 is in the series mode. FIG. 3C is a diagram showing a driving state when the vehicle 1 is in the engine direct connection mode.

  In the vehicle 1 in the EV mode, as shown in FIG. 3A, the clutch 115 is released and the internal combustion engine 109 is stopped. The vehicle 1 travels by the driving force of the electric motor 107 that is driven by the power supply from the battery 101. In the vehicle 1 in the series mode, as shown in FIG. 3B, the clutch 115 is disengaged, and the internal combustion engine 109 is supplied so as to supply electric power that the electric motor 107 can output a required output based on the accelerator pedal opening, the vehicle speed, and the like. Is driving. The vehicle 1 travels by the driving force of an electric motor 107 that is driven by power supply from a generator 111 that generates electric power according to the power of the internal combustion engine 109. When the required output is large, the electric motor 107 can be driven by supplying electric power from the battery 101 in addition to the electric power supplied from the generator 111. In the vehicle 1 in the engine direct connection mode, the clutch 115 is engaged and travels by the driving force of the internal combustion engine 109 as shown in FIG.

  As described above, the management ECU 125 sets the travel mode to the EV mode or the series mode by releasing the clutch 115, and sets the travel mode to the engine direct connection mode by engaging the clutch 115. The management ECU 125 shown in FIG. 1 sets the travel mode after determining the travel phase based on the accelerator pedal opening, the vehicle speed, and the like. For example, when the travel phase changes from “start / acceleration travel” to “medium speed steady travel”, the management ECU 125 switches the travel mode from “EV mode” to “series mode”. When the travel phase changes from “medium speed steady travel” to “passing acceleration travel”, the management ECU 125 engages the clutch 115 and switches the travel mode from “series mode” to “engine direct connection mode”.

  Normally, at the time of deceleration or downhill while traveling in the EV mode or the series mode, the electric motor 107 performs regenerative power generation, and the battery 101 is charged by the generated electric power. However, if charging is performed when the battery 101 is fully charged, the battery 101 may be deteriorated. Therefore, when the battery 101 is fully charged, it is conceivable to perform so-called engine braking, in which the internal combustion engine 109 is idled by the generator 111 to consume electric energy.

  When the internal combustion engine 109 is started and the engine brake is performed from the time when the battery 101 is fully charged, it is necessary to consume all the electric power generated by the regenerative power generation of the electric motor 107 by the engine brake. In such a case, since the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine 109 is suddenly increased immediately after the internal combustion engine 109 is started, engine noise and vibration become relatively large. In particular, immediately after the start of traveling of the vehicle 1, such engine noise and vibration may lead to a sense of discomfort for the occupant and may reduce the merchantability.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, when it is predicted that the battery 101 is fully charged by regenerative power generation of the electric motor 107, the internal combustion engine 109 is started before the battery 101 is fully charged, and the engine brake is started. To control. According to such control, since a part of the electric power generated by the regenerative power generation can be used for charging the battery 101, it is necessary to rapidly increase the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine 109 immediately after the internal combustion engine 109 is started. Absent. As described above, when the engine brake is performed, the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine 109 is gradually increased, thereby reducing the passenger's uncomfortable feeling due to engine noise and vibration.

  By the way, as described above, when the vehicle 1 is descending, the electric motor 107 performs regenerative power generation. As the descending slope of the travel path of the vehicle 1 increases, the amount of regenerative power generated by the electric motor 107 increases, so it is expected that the SOC of the battery 101 will rise and become fully charged. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the electric motor 107 starts regenerative power generation during traveling in the EV mode, the gradient of the traveling path is detected by the navigation system 131, and the internal combustion engine 109 is started based on the detected gradient. The time shall be determined. Since the amount of regenerative power generation increases as the descending slope of the traveling road detected by the navigation system 131 increases, that is, as the slope down the vehicle 1 becomes steep, the regenerative power generation amount increases. The internal combustion engine 109 is controlled to start.

  In general, the amount of regenerative power generated by the electric motor 107 increases as the traveling speed of the vehicle 1 increases. Therefore, it is expected that the SOC of the battery 101 will rise and become fully charged. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the control is performed so that the internal combustion engine 109 is started from the time when the SOC of the battery 101 is smaller as the traveling speed of the vehicle 1 is higher.

  Hereinafter, operation | movement of the control apparatus of the vehicle 1 which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, the management ECU 125 makes an engine brake execution request determination according to the state of the battery 101 (step S1).

  Details of the engine brake execution request determination according to the state of the battery 101 in step S1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the management ECU 125 initializes an SOC threshold SOCth for use in engine brake execution request determination, and sets SOCth = SOCeb0 (step S11).

  Next, the management ECU 125 determines whether there is an engine brake execution history (step S12). When it is determined that engine braking has been performed, the management ECU 125 determines whether SOC ≧ SOCth, that is, whether SOC ≧ SOCeb0 (step S13). When SOC ≧ SOCth is not satisfied, that is, when SOC <SOCth, the battery 101 can still be charged with electric power regenerated by the electric motor 107. Accordingly, F_SOCREDDCND = 0 is set assuming that engine braking is not requested (step S14). If SOC ≧ SOCth, F_SOCREDDCND = 1 is set as a request for engine braking (step S15).

  If it is determined in step S12 that there is no execution history of engine braking, it can be said that there is a particularly high possibility that engine noise and vibration will lead to a sense of discomfort for the occupant. Therefore, the management ECU 125 changes the SOC threshold SOCth for use in determining the engine brake execution request so that the engine brake can be started when the SOC of the battery 101 is a smaller value. The management ECU 125 derives the SOC threshold correction value SOCeb 'based on the downward slope of the travel path detected by the navigation system 131 and the travel speed detected by a vehicle speed sensor (not shown) (step S16). The management ECU 125 uses the corrected value SOCeb 'as the SOC threshold SOCth for use in determining the engine brake execution request (step S17). The correction value SOCeb 'is determined in advance as a value corresponding to the downward slope of the travel path and the travel speed of the vehicle 1, and is stored in a memory (not shown) or the like.

  Thereafter, the management ECU 125 determines whether SOC> SOCth, that is, whether SOC> SOCeb ′ (step S13). When SOC ≧ SOCth is not satisfied, that is, when SOC <SOCeb ′, it is determined that engine braking is not requested, and F_SOCREDDCND = 0 is set (step S14). If SOC ≧ SOCth, that is, if SOC ≧ SOCeb ′, F_SOCREDDCND = 1 is set as a request for engine braking (step S15).

  Returning to FIG. 4, next, the management ECU 125 makes an engine brake execution determination (step S <b> 2).

  Details of the engine brake execution determination in step S2 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the management ECU 125 determines whether or not engine braking is requested, that is, whether or not F_SOCREDDCND = 1 (step S21).

  If it is determined that engine braking is required, then the management ECU 125 determines whether the electric motor 107 is currently performing regenerative power generation, that is, whether the battery 101 is currently charged (step). S22). If it is determined that the battery 101 is in a charged state, it is necessary to consume the electric power regenerated by the electric motor 107 by the engine brake. Therefore, F_ECVTFC = 1 is set to execute the engine brake (step S23). ). As a result, the management ECU 125 starts the internal combustion engine 109 with the generator 111 and performs engine braking.

  Next, the management ECU 125 derives the engine brake target BATT power PWBeb based on the downhill slope of the travel path detected by the navigation system 131 and the vehicle speed detected by a vehicle speed sensor (not shown) (step S24). The engine brake target BATT power PWBeb is a value of electric power used for charging the battery 101, and thus takes a negative value. When engine braking is performed, the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine 109 and the torque of the generator 111 are controlled so that the charge amount of the battery 101 becomes the engine brake target BATT power PWBeb. The engine brake target BATT power PWBeb is determined in advance according to the downward slope of the travel path and the travel speed of the vehicle 1 and is stored in a memory (not shown) or the like.

  If it is determined in step S21 that engine braking is not requested, or if it is determined in step S22 that the battery 101 is not in a charged state, it is not necessary to perform engine braking, so F_ECVTFC = 0. (Step S25).

  Returning to FIG. 4, next, the management ECU 125 performs engine brake operation control (step S3).

  Details of the engine brake operation control in step S3 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The management ECU 125 determines whether engine braking is currently being performed, that is, whether F_ECVTFC = 1 (step S31). If it is determined that engine braking is not being performed, the target engine speed of the internal combustion engine 109 is initialized to, for example, an idle engine speed (step S32), and the process is terminated.

  When it is determined in step S31 that the engine brake is being executed, the management ECU 125 determines whether the power of the battery 101 <the engine brake target BATT power PWBeb (step S33). When it is determined that the electric power of the battery 101 <the engine brake target BATT power PWBeb, the charge amount of the battery 101 is larger than the target, so the management ECU 125 increases the target rotational speed of the internal combustion engine 109 (step S34). . Since the energy that can be consumed by the engine brake is increased by increasing the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine 109, the charge amount of the battery 101 can be reduced.

  If it is determined in step S33 that the power of the battery 101 is not greater than or equal to the engine brake target BATT power PWBeb, the charge amount of the battery 101 is smaller than the target, and therefore the management ECU 125 decreases the target rotational speed of the internal combustion engine 109 (step S36) .

  After the target rotational speed of the internal combustion engine 109 is determined in steps S34 and S35, the management ECU 125 appropriately controls the torque of the generator 111 so that the target rotational speed can be achieved (step S36). Thus, according to the control of the present embodiment, the internal combustion engine is set when engine braking is performed by setting the SOC threshold and the engine brake target BATT power PWBeb according to the gradient of the traveling path and the traveling speed of the vehicle 1. The number of revolutions of 109 can be increased gently, reducing the occupant's uncomfortable feeling and improving the merchantability.

  FIG. 8 is a time chart when the control of this embodiment is performed during downhill traveling. As shown in FIG. 8, at time t0 during downhill traveling, the electric motor 107 is generating regenerative power, and the battery 101 is charged by a single electric power, so the SOC of the battery 101 gradually increases. . At this time, the SOC threshold SOCth is set to SOCeb 'based on the down slope of the traveling road and the vehicle speed.

  At time t1, since the SOC of the battery 101 has reached SOCeb ′, the internal combustion engine 109 is started by the generator 111 to start engine braking, and the internal combustion engine 109 is started according to the downhill slope of the traveling path and the vehicle speed. Increase the rotational speed gradually. As a result, as the power consumed by the generator 111 (GEN power consumption) increases little by little, the charge amount of the battery 101 decreases little by little. Since the battery 101 is in a fully charged state at time t2, all the electric power regenerated by the electric motor 107 after this time is consumed by the generator 111. As described above, the engine brake can be implemented without causing the occupant to feel uncomfortable because the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine 109 after the start of the internal combustion engine 109 gradually increases from time t1 to time t2.

  As described above, according to the vehicle control apparatus of the present embodiment, the start time of the braking operation by the internal combustion engine 109 is set according to the downward slope of the travel path and the travel speed of the vehicle, thereby It is possible to reduce the uncomfortable feeling of the passenger due to the start and improve the merchantability.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the charging target value for charging with external power is set based on the altitude. Therefore, the description of the same or equivalent parts as in the first embodiment is simplified or omitted.

  As described above, the battery 101 is charged by the external power supply via the charger 126. This charging is performed with a predetermined target charging amount SOCtgt as a target so that the SOC of the battery 101 becomes a value close to 100%. Thus, external power can be used efficiently by charging with an external power source.

  By the way, when charging is performed at a high altitude such as an upper layer of a multi-story parking lot, there is a high possibility that the vehicle 1 travels downhill immediately after the start of traveling. However, when driving is started after charging with an external power supply, the SOC of the battery 101 is high, and therefore there is a possibility that the battery 101 cannot be charged with the electric power regenerated by the electric motor 107. In such a case, it is necessary to perform engine braking immediately after the start of travel. However, the start of the internal combustion engine 109 immediately after the start of travel may not be in line with the surrounding environment and the occupants' intentions. There is a risk of letting you.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, when charging with an external power source, the altitude of the current location of the vehicle 1 is detected by the navigation system 131, and the management ECU 125 sets the target charging amount (full charge amount) of the battery 101 according to the altitude. . For example, when the altitude of the current location of the vehicle 1 is higher than a predetermined value, the management ECU 125 switches the charging target amount of the battery 101 to a value SOCtgt 'smaller than the above-described SOCtgt. As a result, the electric storage device 101 can be charged with the electric power regenerated by the electric motor 107 after the start of traveling, so that the merchantability can be improved.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above, A deformation | transformation, improvement, etc. are possible suitably. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the control device according to the present invention has been described as being applied to a series-parallel HEV, but can also be applied to a series-type HEV or a parallel-type HEV.

  In the above-described embodiment, the SOC threshold value is changed only when there is no history of engine braking. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The SOC threshold value may be set accordingly. Further, the SOC threshold value may be set based on only the downward gradient or only the vehicle speed. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the navigation system 131 detects the gradient of the travel path and the altitude of the current location, but the gradient and altitude may be detected by a sensor mounted on the vehicle 1.

1 Hybrid vehicle (vehicle)
107 Electric motor 109 Internal combustion engine 111 Generator 125 Management ECU
126 Charger 131 Navigation System

Claims (7)

An internal combustion engine;
A generator for generating electric power by the power of the internal combustion engine;
A battery capable of being charged by the power generated by the generator;
An electric motor connected to a drive wheel and driven by power supply from at least one of the electric storage device and the generator, and a vehicle control device comprising:
A vehicle control device including a braking control unit that sets a start timing of a braking operation by the internal combustion engine based on a gradient of a traveling path.   2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the braking control unit sets a start timing of a braking operation by the internal combustion engine earlier as a descending slope of the travel path increases. The vehicle further includes a charger capable of charging the capacitor to a predetermined full charge amount by an external power source,
The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a charge control unit that sets the full charge amount based on an altitude of the current position of the vehicle.   The said charge control part is a control apparatus of Claim 3 which sets the said full charge amount small as the said elevation becomes high.   The control device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the charge control unit determines the altitude using a navigation system.   The control device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the charge control unit determines the altitude using a sensor.   The control device according to claim 1, wherein the braking control unit sets a start timing of a braking operation by the internal combustion engine based on a vehicle speed.

Images