JP2020132084A - Vehicle control device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device which improves comfort of an occupant by suppressing noise during traveling in a vehicle which is capable of performing an engine operating traveling mode.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device for a vehicle 1 which is capable of performing a series mode in which an engine 2 is operated to generate power and front wheels 3 and rear wheels 5 are driven to travel by electric motors comprises: a roof state detection switch 51 for detecting an opened/closed state of a cabin of the vehicle 1; and a hybrid control unit 20 which makes a rotation speed of the engine 2 slower when the cabin is in an opened state than when the cabin is in a closed state during the series mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device, and more particularly to operation control of an engine mounted on the vehicle.

Vehicles that can be driven by an electric motor and are equipped with an engine for power generation or driving, such as hybrid vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles, are known. In this way, in a vehicle equipped with an engine and an electric motor, while operating the engine, such as a series mode in which the engine is operated and the electric motor is used to drive the vehicle while generating electricity, and a parallel mode in which the engine and the electric motor are used to drive the vehicle. Vehicles have been developed that are capable of running engine-operated running modes.

On the other hand, as in Patent Document 1, in an open car that can be switched between a closed state in which the passenger compartment is covered with a roof and an open state in which the passenger compartment is opened without being covered by the roof, the air conditioner operates in the closed state and the open state. A control device that automatically switches the mode is disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-266841

In an open car as in Patent Document 1, the occupant can easily hear outside noise in the open state. Further, even in a vehicle other than an open car, when the window of the passenger compartment is opened, external noise is easily heard, which may impair the comfort of the occupant.
In the engine operating driving mode as described above, since the engine operates while traveling, the operating noise of the engine is easily heard by the occupant in the open state, and a technique for suppressing the noise entering the vehicle interior is required. ..

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and provides a vehicle control device that suppresses noise during traveling and improves occupant comfort in a vehicle capable of operating an engine driving mode. There is.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises an engine, a storage battery, a generator driven by the engine to generate electricity, and a traveling drive wheel of the vehicle supplied with power from the storage battery or the generator. It is a vehicle control device that is equipped with an electric motor for driving to drive and is capable of an engine-operated driving mode in which the engine is operated to drive the traveling drive wheels, and the opening / closing state of the passenger compartment of the vehicle. An open / closed state detection unit that detects the above, and a control unit that reduces the rotation speed of the engine when the vehicle interior is open in the engine operating driving mode as compared with the case where the vehicle interior is closed. It is characterized by having.

As a result, in the engine operating driving mode, when the engine is in the open state where noise easily enters the vehicle interior from the outside, the engine rotation speed is lower than when the engine is closed, so that the noise entering the vehicle interior can be prevented. It can be suppressed.
Preferably, the engine-operated traveling mode is a power generation mode in which the traveling drive wheels are driven by the traveling drive electric motor to generate electricity while the generator is driven by the engine.

As a result, in the power generation mode, when the vehicle interior is in the open state, the rotation speed of the engine is lower than in the closed state, so that noise entering the vehicle interior can be suppressed. Further, since the power generation mode is used, it is possible to avoid the influence on the running of the vehicle even if the rotation speed of the engine is changed.
Preferably, the control unit reduces the rotational speed of the engine as the traveling speed of the vehicle decreases when the vehicle interior is open in the engine operating driving mode.

As a result, the rotational speed of the engine changes based on the traveling speed of the vehicle, so that the rotational speed of the engine can be increased or decreased according to the increase or decrease in the traveling noise due to the change in the traveling speed, and the noise can be effectively reduced. For example, by reducing the rotation speed of the engine as the running speed decreases, it is possible to reduce the operating noise of the engine during low running noise and effectively improve the comfort of the occupants, while the running speed increases. By increasing the rotation speed of the engine, the amount of power generated by the generator can be increased and the power consumption of the storage battery can be suppressed.

Preferably, the charge rate detection unit for detecting the charge rate of the storage battery is provided, and the control unit is used when the charge rate of the storage battery is equal to or less than a predetermined value and the charge rate of the storage battery is equal to or more than the predetermined value. It is preferable to increase the driving torque of the engine to increase the amount of power generated by the generator.
As a result, the amount of power generated by the generator increases when the storage battery is in a low charge state, so that charging of the storage battery can be promoted. Further, since the driving torque of the engine is increased to increase the amount of power generation of the generator, it is possible to suppress an increase in engine noise rather than increasing the rotation speed of the engine to increase the amount of power generation of the generator.

Preferably, a detection unit that detects an exhaust component in the exhaust passage of the engine, and a motoring control unit that operates an electric motor for driving the engine by electric power from the storage battery to perform motoring for forcibly driving the engine. While the motoring is being executed, the control unit includes a failure determination unit that switches between supplying and stopping fuel supply to the engine to determine a failure of the detection unit, and the control unit has the passenger compartment open. In some cases, the motoring for performing the failure determination may be regulated.

As a result, when the passenger compartment is open, the motoring for determining the failure is regulated, so that the rechargeable battery can be charged even if the amount of power generated by the generator decreases as the engine speed decreases. It is possible to suppress a decrease in the rate.

According to the vehicle control device of the present invention, in the engine-operated driving mode, when the vehicle interior is in the open state, the engine rotation speed is lower than in the closed state, and noise entering the vehicle interior is generated. Since it can be suppressed, the comfort of the occupants in the vehicle interior can be improved.

It is a schematic block diagram of the plug-in hybrid vehicle which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. This is an example of a map for switching the driving mode. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure of the engine rotation speed change control. This is an example of a map for setting the engine speed in the series mode. This is an example of a map for setting engine torque based on the charge rate SOC of the drive battery.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a plug-in hybrid vehicle (hereinafter referred to as vehicle 1) equipped with a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The vehicle 1 of the present embodiment can travel by driving the front wheels 3 by the output of the engine 2, and also has an electric front motor 4 (electric motor) and a rear wheel 5 (traveling) that drive the front wheels 3 (driving drive wheels). It is a four-wheel drive vehicle equipped with an electric rear motor 6 (electric motor) that drives the drive wheels.

The engine 2 can drive the drive shaft 8 of the front wheels 3 via the speed reducer 7, and can also drive the motor generator 9 (generator, electric motor for driving the engine) via the speed reducer 7 to generate electricity. It is possible.
The front motor 4 is driven by being supplied with high-voltage power from the drive battery 11 (storage battery) and the motor generator 9 mounted on the vehicle 1 via the front inverter 10, and is driven by the front wheels 3 via the speed reducer 7. Drives the drive shaft 8. The speed reducer 7 has a built-in clutch 7a capable of connecting / disconnecting and switching the transmission of power between the output shaft of the engine 2 and the drive shaft 8 of the front wheels 3.

The rear motor 6 is driven by being supplied with high-voltage power from the drive battery 11 and the motor generator 9 via the rear inverter 12, and drives the drive shaft 14 of the rear wheels 5 via the speed reducer 13.
The electric power generated by the motor generator 9 can charge the drive battery 11 via the front inverter 10 and can supply electric power to the front motor 4 and the rear motor 6.

The drive battery 11 is composed of a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery, has a battery module (not shown) composed of a plurality of battery cells, and further, a charge rate (State Of Charge) of the battery module. Hereinafter, a battery monitoring unit 11a for monitoring SOC) and the like is provided. The battery monitoring unit 11a corresponds to the charge rate detection unit of the present invention that detects the charge state of the drive battery 11.

The front inverter 10 has a front motor control unit 10a and a generator control unit 10b. The front motor control unit 10a controls the output of the front motor 4 based on a control signal from the hybrid control unit 20 (control unit). The generator control unit 10b has a function of controlling the amount of power generated by the motor generator 9 based on a control signal from the hybrid control unit 20.

The rear inverter 12 has a rear motor control unit 12a. The rear motor control unit 12a has a function of controlling the output of the rear motor 6 based on a control signal from the hybrid control unit 20.
Further, the motor generator 9 can drive the engine 2 by supplying electric power from the drive battery 11 based on the control signal from the hybrid control unit 20, and functions as a starter motor of the engine 2. Has.

Further, the vehicle 1 is provided with a charger 21 that charges the drive battery 11 with an external power source.
The hybrid control unit 20 is a control device for performing comprehensive control of the vehicle 1, and includes an input / output device, a storage device (ROM, RAM, non-volatile RAM, etc.), a central processing unit (CPU), and the like. It is composed.

On the input side of the hybrid control unit 20, the battery monitoring unit 11a of the drive battery 11, the front motor control unit 10a and the generator control unit 10b of the front inverter 10, the rear motor control unit 12a of the rear inverter 12, the engine control unit 22, An accelerator opening sensor 40 or the like that detects the amount of accelerator operation is connected, and detection and operation information from these devices is input.

On the other hand, on the output side of the hybrid control unit 20, the front motor control unit 10a and the generator control unit 10b of the front inverter 10, the rear motor control unit 12a of the rear inverter 12, the speed reducer 7 (clutch 7a), and the engine control unit 22 are located. It is connected.
Then, the hybrid control unit 20 calculates the vehicle required output required for driving the vehicle 1 based on the various detection amounts and various operation information of the accelerator opening sensor 40 and the like, and calculates the vehicle required output required for the traveling drive of the vehicle 1, and the engine control unit 22 and the front motor. A control signal is transmitted to the control unit 10a, the generator control unit 10b, the rear motor control unit 12a, and the speed reducer 7, and the driving mode ((EV mode: electric vehicle mode), (series mode: power generation mode), parallel mode) Switching, the output of the engine 2, the front motor 4, the rear motor 6, and the output of the motor generator 9 (generated power) are controlled.

In the EV mode, the engine 2 is stopped, and the front motor 4 and the rear motor 6 are driven by the electric power supplied from the drive battery 11 to drive the vehicle 1.
In the series mode, the clutch 7a of the speed reducer 7 is disengaged, and the motor generator 9 is operated by the engine 2. Then, the front motor 4 and the rear motor 6 are driven and driven by the electric power generated by the motor generator 9 and the electric power supplied from the drive battery 11. Further, in the series mode, the operating points (rotational speed and engine torque) of the engine 2 are set based on a map that stores highly efficient operating points for output and fuel consumption, and surplus electric power is supplied to the drive battery 11 for driving. Battery 11 is charged.

In the parallel mode, the clutch 7a of the speed reducer 7 is connected, and power is mechanically transmitted from the engine 2 via the speed reducer 7 to drive the front wheels 3. Further, the front motor 4 and the rear motor 6 are driven and driven by the electric power generated by operating the motor generator 9 by the engine 2 and the electric power supplied from the driving battery 11.
The hybrid control unit 20 sets the traveling mode to the parallel mode in a region where the efficiency of the engine 2 is high, such as a high-speed region. Further, in the region other than the parallel mode, that is, in the medium-low speed region, the EV mode and the series mode are switched based on the drive torque of the vehicle 1 and the charge rate SOC of the drive battery 11.

FIG. 2 is an example of a map for switching the traveling mode.
For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the hybrid control unit 20 is in parallel mode when the vehicle speed (traveling speed of the vehicle 1) is equal to or higher than the first predetermined value Va, and the vehicle speed is lower than the first threshold value Va and the vehicle 1 When the drive torque is equal to or higher than the second threshold Tb, the mode is automatically switched to the series mode, and when the vehicle speed is lower than the first threshold Va and the drive torque of the vehicle 1 is less than the second threshold Tb, the mode is automatically switched to the EV mode.

Further, when the charge rate SOC of the drive battery 11 falls below the third threshold value Sc set near the lower limit of the allowable range, the hybrid control unit 20 forcibly drives the engine 2 to generate electricity. It has a function of charging the battery 11.
Further, the hybrid control unit 20 includes a motoring control unit 20a that controls the engine 2 so as not to supply fuel via the engine control unit 22 and performs motoring that forcibly drives the engine 2 by the motor generator 9. ing. Further, when the hybrid control unit 20 executes motoring by the motoring control unit 20a to forcibly drive the engine 2, the hybrid control unit 20 switches between supplying and stopping the fuel supply to the engine 2 to reduce the exhaust component of the engine 2. A failure determination unit 20b that determines a failure of the exhaust sensor 50 based on a change in a detection value of the exhaust sensor 50 such as a NOx sensor to be detected is provided.

Further, the vehicle 1 can be switched between a closed state (closed state) covering the vehicle interior and an open state (open state) in which the vehicle interior is opened by a roof forming portion such as a hood (soft top) or a hard top. Switching between the closed state and the open state is performed, for example, by operating a roof actuator (not shown) or manually. The vehicle 1 is provided with a roof state detection switch 51 (open / close state detection unit) that detects an open / closed state of the vehicle interior, that is, whether the vehicle interior is in a closed state or an open state. In a vehicle in which the passenger compartment is switched between the closed state and the open state by the operation of the roof actuator, which state is the closed state or the open state is determined from the operation signal of the operation switch for operating the roof actuator. It may be detected.

The hybrid control unit 20 in the present embodiment inputs an operation / detection signal of the roof state detection switch 51 to execute engine rotation speed change control for changing the engine rotation speed in the above series mode.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of engine rotation speed change control executed in the hybrid control unit 20.

The engine rotation speed change control is repeatedly executed when the vehicle power is turned on.
As shown in FIG. 3, first, in step S10, it is determined whether or not the traveling mode of the vehicle 1 is the series mode. If the traveling mode of the vehicle 1 is the series mode, the process proceeds to step S20. If the traveling mode of the vehicle 1 is not the series mode, this routine is terminated.

In step S20, the detection signal of the roof state detection switch 51 is input to determine whether or not the roof of the vehicle 1 is in the open state. If the roof is open even a little, it is opened and the process proceeds to step S30. If the roof is completely closed, the roof is closed and the process proceeds to step S50.
In step S30, the open map that stores the operating points of the engine 2 in the series mode is stored in the open operating points that have a lower engine rotation speed than the normal operating points that store the normal operating points that are highly efficient in terms of output and fuel consumption. Set to the map for. Then, the process proceeds to step S40.

In step S40, motoring (OBD motoring) for determining the failure of the exhaust sensor 50 by the failure determination unit 20b is prohibited. Then, this routine is terminated.
In step S50, a map that stores the operating points of the engine 2 in the series mode is set as a normal map that stores the normal operating points that are highly efficient in terms of output and fuel consumption. Then, the process proceeds to step S60.

In step S60, the prohibition of OBD motoring executed in step S40 is released. That is, the motoring control unit 20a can perform motoring, and the failure determination unit 20b can determine the failure of the exhaust sensor 50. Then, this routine is terminated.
As described above, the vehicle 1 can be in an EV mode in which the vehicle travels without operating the engine 2, a series mode in which the vehicle travels with the engine 2 operated, and a parallel mode. These traveling modes are vehicles such as vehicle speed and driving torque. It is automatically switched based on the running state of 1.

Further, the vehicle 1 is an open car in which the roof can be switched between an open state and a closed state. Then, based on the state of these roofs, the operating point of the engine 2 in the series mode is changed. Specifically, when the roof of the vehicle 1 is in the open state, the rotation speed of the engine 2 is lowered as compared with the case where the roof of the vehicle 1 is in the closed state.
In the series mode, since the motor generator 9 is driven by the engine 2 without mechanically driving the front wheels 3 of the vehicle, the rotation speed of the engine 2 can be arbitrarily set. Then, in the present embodiment, in the series mode and the vehicle interior is in the open state, the rotation speed of the engine 2 is reduced, so that the operating noise of the engine 2 can be reduced. As a result, in the series mode, it is possible to suppress the intrusion of the operating noise of the engine 2 into the vehicle interior and improve the comfort of the occupant.

Further, in the present embodiment, since OBD motoring is prohibited when the vehicle interior is open in the series mode, even if the amount of power generation decreases as the engine speed decreases, the power generated by the OBD motoring It is possible to avoid consumption and suppress a decrease in the charge rate of the drive battery 11.
FIG. 4 is an example of a map for setting the engine speed in the series mode. FIG. 4 shows a setting example of the engine rotation speed Rc at the time of closing, the engine rotation speed Ro1 at the time of opening, and the engine rotation speed Ro2 at the time of opening which is set based on the vehicle speed.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the series mode, the engine rotation speed Ro1 in the open state is set lower than the engine rotation speed Rc in the closed state.
The hybrid control unit 20 may change the engine rotation speed Ro1 in the open state based on the vehicle speed. Specifically, as shown in the engine rotation speed Ro2 of FIG. 4, in the series mode, the engine rotation speed Ro2 in the open state is set so as to decrease as the vehicle speed decreases.

In this way, by setting the engine rotation speed Ro2 to decrease as the vehicle speed decreases, the operating noise of the engine 2 decreases at low vehicle speeds when the running noise of the vehicle 1 decreases, and the comfort of the occupants. At high vehicle speeds, the engine speed can be increased to increase the amount of power generation and suppress a decrease in the charging rate of the drive battery 11. The engine rotation speed Ro2 that accompanies an increase or decrease in vehicle speed may be increased or decreased stepwise, or may be continuously increased or decreased.

FIG. 5 is an example of an engine torque setting map based on the charge rate of the drive battery 11.
In the series mode, the hybrid control unit 20 may further input the charge rate SOC of the drive battery 11 to change the engine torque (drive torque of the engine 2) based on the charge rate SOC.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the series mode, when the charge rate SOC of the drive battery 11 is a predetermined value S1 or more, the hybrid control unit 20 sets the engine torque to the normal value T1 at which the engine torque is normally set, and sets the drive battery 11 to the normal value T1. When the charge rate SOC is less than the predetermined value S1, the engine torque is set to the high set value T2, which is a value higher than the normal value T1. Then, the hybrid control unit 20 controls the motor generator 9 via the generator control unit 10b so that the amount of power generation increases as the engine torque is set to the high set value T2.

As a result, in a low charge state where the charge rate SOC of the drive battery 11 is less than the predetermined value S1, the engine torque is increased to increase the amount of power generation, so that the drive battery 11 is charged and the charge rate is restored. Can be planned. Further, since the engine torque is increased to increase the amount of power generation, the increase in engine noise can be suppressed rather than increasing the rotation speed of the engine 2 to increase the amount of power generation of the motor generator 9 generator, resulting in noise. The reduction can be further achieved.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.
For example, in the above embodiment, in the series mode, the engine speed is controlled to be reduced in the open state, but the present invention can also be applied in the parallel mode.
To apply to the parallel mode, it is possible to provide a transmission capable of switching the gear ratio between the engine 2 and the traveling drive wheels (front wheels 3). When the engine rotation speed is reduced in the open state of the roof, the hybrid control unit 20 changes the gear ratio in the transmission in accordance with the decrease in the engine rotation speed, and changes the gear ratio between the engine 2 and the traveling drive wheels as a whole. The gear ratio of is not changed.

As a result, it is possible to reduce the noise by reducing the engine rotation speed in the open state, and to avoid the influence on the running of the vehicle 1 due to the decrease in the engine rotation speed.
Further, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to an open car in which the roof is switched between the closed state and the open state, but the present invention can be applied to other than the open car. For example, it may be determined whether or not at least a part of the vehicle window is open, and if the part is open, the engine speed may be reduced. Alternatively, even in an open car in which the roof is switched between the closed state and the open state, the engine rotation speed may be further controlled based on the opening and closing of the window.

Further, the vehicle of the above embodiment is a four-wheel drive vehicle in which the front wheels 3 and the rear wheels 5 are driven by the front motor 4 and the rear motor 6, but is a two-wheel drive vehicle in which either the front wheels or the rear wheels are driven by an electric motor. Even if there is, the present invention can be applied.
The present invention can be widely applied to a vehicle capable of an engine-operated traveling mode in which an engine is operated and driven.

1 Vehicle 2 Engine 4 Front motor (electric motor)
6 Rear motor (electric motor)
9 Motor generator (generator, electric motor for driving the engine)
11 Drive battery (storage battery)
11a Battery monitoring unit (charge rate detector)
20 Hybrid control unit (control unit)
20a Motoring control unit 20b Failure judgment unit 50 Exhaust sensor (exhaust detection unit)
51 Roof state detection switch (open / close state detection unit)

Claims (5)

An engine, a storage battery, a generator driven by the engine to generate electric power, and an electric motor supplied with electric power from the storage battery or the generator to drive a traveling drive wheel are mounted to operate the engine. A vehicle control device capable of an engine-operated driving mode in which the generator is driven to generate electric power, or the engine is operated to drive the traveling drive wheels.
An open / closed state detection unit that detects the open / closed state of the passenger compartment of the vehicle,
In the engine operating driving mode, a control unit that lowers the rotation speed of the engine when the vehicle interior is open as compared with the case where the vehicle interior is closed.
A vehicle control device characterized by being equipped with. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the engine-operated driving mode is a power generation mode in which the electric motor drives the traveling drive wheels to generate electricity while driving the generator by the engine. Control device. The control unit
The invention according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the engine-operated traveling mode, the rotation speed of the engine is reduced as the traveling speed of the vehicle is reduced when the passenger compartment is open. Vehicle control device. A charge rate detector for detecting the charge rate of the storage battery is provided.
When the charge rate of the storage battery is less than a predetermined value, the control unit increases the drive torque of the engine as compared with the case where the charge rate of the storage battery is equal to or more than the predetermined value to increase the amount of power generated by the generator. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the vehicle is raised. A detector that detects the exhaust components of the engine and
A motoring control unit that operates an electric motor for driving an engine by electric power from the storage battery and executes motoring for forcibly driving the engine.
A failure determination unit for switching between fuel supply and supply stop to the engine and determining a failure of the detection unit during execution of the motoring is provided.
The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit regulates the motoring for executing the failure determination when the vehicle interior is in the open state. Control device.

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