JPH11125583A - Performance testing device and torque detecting device for engine and drive train - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently test the performance of an engine and a drive train. SOLUTION: A first torque detector 14 for detecting transfer torque is provided between an engine 10 and an HV unit 12 that is one part of a drive train. The output of the HV unit 12 is connected to a traveling load motor 26 for supplying a load corresponding to the load when a vehicle travels. A second torque detector 30 for detecting the torque being applied to the output shaft of the HV unit 12 (propeller shaft 24) is arranged at the output shaft. The performance of the engine 10 and the drive train is evaluated based on the torque being detected by two torque detectors 14 and 30. Thereby, measuring the performance of either the engine or the drive train can be measured in advance, eliminating the need for testing the other is eliminated, and the performance test can be efficiently carried out.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a test apparatus for performing a performance test on at least one of an engine and a drive train, and a torque detector applied to the test apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The most common performance test of an engine mounted on a vehicle is a test in which a dynamo and an equivalent inertia of a vehicle are directly connected to an output shaft of a single engine to measure output performance and the like. However, in this test of the engine alone, sudden accelerator work,
Transient engine behavior such as sudden braking cannot be observed. This is because rattling or deflection of a drive train including a transmission, a propeller shaft, a differential gear, and the like is not considered.

[0003] In the performance test of the drive train, it is general that the drive performance is tested by an electric motor instead of the engine. However, with an electric motor, it is difficult to reproduce torque fluctuations and rotation speed fluctuations during one rotation, which are peculiar to a reciprocating engine, so that tests such as gear rattle of a transmission cannot be performed. Further, as described above, it was not possible to test the behavior at the time of rapid acceleration, rapid deceleration, and the like.

In order to test the transient characteristics as described above, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 57-179138 discloses an apparatus for transmitting the output of an engine to an electric dynamometer via a transmission and a propeller shaft to perform a test. Is disclosed.

[0005]

However, in the test apparatus disclosed in the above publication, since the output of the engine is detected through the drive train, the test is carried out by mounting a drive train having a known performance. Need to do. In addition, the drive train absorbs engine torque fluctuations due to bending of the shafts and gears included in the drive trains, so that it is not possible to sufficiently test the characteristics related to engine torque fluctuations. On the other hand, regarding the performance of the drive train, it is necessary to perform a test using an engine having known performance in order to know the input torque.

However, in order to test in advance the performance of the engine and the transmission alone, man-hours and equipment are required. In addition, in order to compensate for the same performance as the performance at the time of the unit test and improve the test accuracy, the environmental conditions such as the condition of the intake and exhaust system of the engine, the intake air temperature, the cooling water temperature, the oil temperature, the transmission oil temperature, etc. And a large amount of capital investment is required.

Further, microscopic analysis, such as analysis of behavior caused by fluctuations in engine torque, can hardly be performed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and has as its object to provide an apparatus capable of performing a performance test of each of the engine and the drive train while the engine and the drive train are connected to each other.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an engine and a drive train performance testing apparatus according to the present invention provide a load means for simulating a vehicle running state by using the output of the engine via the drive train. A performance test device capable of testing the performance of at least one of the engine and the drive train,
The vehicle includes first torque detecting means for detecting a transmission torque between the engine and the drive train, and second torque detecting means for detecting an output torque of the drive train.

The output torque of the engine can be detected by the first torque detecting means, and it is possible to test the performance relating to the output of the engine. Further, the torque detected by the first torque detecting means is the input torque of the drive train, and the output torque of the drive train can also be detected by the second torque detecting means.
Performance tests such as transfer characteristics of the drive train can be performed. Since the performance test of the engine and the drive train can be performed at the same time, the number of man-hours and equipment for performing the unit test can be reduced. Further, it is not necessary to prepare environmental conditions equivalent to those at the time of the unit test.

Further, the first torque detecting means has a torsion shaft for transmitting the output torque of the engine to the drive train, and a torsion angle detecting means for detecting a torsion angle of the torsion shaft. The transmission torque may be detected based on the transmission torque.

Further, the torsion shaft is supported by a first bearing fixed to a supporting member fixed to at least one of a case covering at least a part of a drive train and the main body of the engine, and the torsion angle detecting means is provided. Is
The first bearing may be supported by a torsion shaft via a second bearing different from the first bearing. According to this, the load applied to the torsion angle detecting means can be reduced, and this damage can be prevented.

Further, the engine includes a damper mounted on an output shaft of the engine to reduce rotational vibration of the engine, and the torsional shaft has a spring constant about 10 times that of the damper. . According to this, it is possible to reduce the influence of the bending of the torsion shaft while securing the torque detection accuracy.

A torque detector according to another aspect of the present invention is a torque detector that is disposed between an engine and a transmission and detects a transmission torque between the engine and the transmission. The output unit and the input unit of the transmission include a torsion shaft having both ends coupled to each other, and torque detecting means for detecting the transmission torque based on the torsion of the torsion shaft.

Further, the torque detecting device has a connecting case interposed between the main body of the engine and the case of the transmission and connecting the two, and the torsion shaft is rotatably supported by the connecting case. The torque detection means may include a torsion angle detection means for detecting a torsion angle of the torsion shaft, and the torsion angle detection means may be supported only by the torsion shaft.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an engine and a drive train performance test apparatus of the present embodiment. Engine 10
A first torque detector 14, which is not mounted on a vehicle, is disposed between the vehicle and a hybrid vehicle unit (hereinafter referred to as an HV unit) 12, which is a part of the drive train. When mounted on the vehicle, the engine 10 and the HV unit 12
Are directly connected. The engine 10 includes an intake system 16, an exhaust system 18, and a fuel supply system
It has. The HV unit 12 includes a transmission that changes the rotation speed of the engine 10 and a motor generator that generates electric power by the output of the engine 10 and drives the vehicle by supplying electric power. The electric power generated by the HV unit 12 is sent to the battery simulator 22. Conversely, when the HV unit 12 requires electric power, the electric power is supplied from the battery simulator 22. The output of the HV unit 12 is sent via a propeller shaft 24 to a traveling load motor 26 that generates a load during traveling.
A weight 28 that provides equivalent inertia of the vehicle is connected to the traveling load motor 26. Also, the propeller shaft 2
4 is provided with a second torque detector 30 for detecting a torque applied to the shaft. The second torque detector 30, like the first torque detector 14, has a torsion axis and detects torque based on the torsion angle.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of the first torque detector 14. A flywheel 34 having a damper for reducing torsional vibration is attached to a tip of an output shaft 32 of the engine 10. At the center of the flywheel 34, there is provided a connecting portion 40 in which a spline is cut to be fitted with a spline 38 at the tip of the input shaft 36 of the HV unit 12 when mounted on a vehicle. One end of an engine-side stepped sleeve 42 in which the same spline as the spline 38 is cut on the outer periphery of one end is inserted into the coupling portion 40. On the inner periphery of the other end of the engine-side stepped sleeve 42, one end of a torsion shaft 46 is disposed via a hydraulic coupling 44. As shown in FIG. 3, the hydraulic coupling 44 is capable of enclosing a liquid 48 therein. Then, when the hydraulic pressure is increased, the inner surface of the stepped sleeve 42 on the engine side and the outer peripheral surface of the torsion shaft 46 are brought into close contact with each other, and these are joined by a frictional force. Therefore, when a connection is made by using a spline or a key, there is no play, but the vibration system is closer to a vibration system in a vehicle.

The main body of the engine 10, that is, the cylinder block 50, the oil pan 52, etc., and the HV unit case 54 that covers the HV unit 12 are connected via a connection case 56. The aforementioned torsion shaft 46 is supported by the connection case 56 via two first bearings 58. Two rotation angle detection gears 60 are arranged on the torsion shaft 46 at predetermined intervals in the axial direction. Further, a sensor case 64 is supported on the torsion shaft 46 via two second bearings 62. The sensor case 64 covers the two rotation angle detection gears 60 described above. The sensor case 64 includes
Two magnetic pickups 66 for detecting irregularities on the outer periphery of the rotation angle detection gear 60 are arranged corresponding to the two rotation angle detection gears 60. Further, the sensor case 64
Of the connection case 56 is regulated by a rotation stopper (not shown). Also, the second bearing 62
Since there is no force applied to the torsion shaft 46, the possibility of breakage is small, and breakage of the magnetic pickup 66 and the rotation angle detection gear 60 can be prevented.

The hydraulic coupling 44 is also disposed at the end of the torsion shaft 46 on the HV unit 12 side, and the torsion shaft 46 and one end of the HV unit side stepped sleeve 68 are connected. A spline is cut in the inner periphery of the other end of the stepped sleeve 68 on the HV unit side, and fitted to a spline 38 provided at the end of the HV unit input shaft 36.

With the above configuration, the torque transmission between the engine 10 and the HV unit 12 is performed by the torsion shaft 46, and the torsion shaft 46 is twisted according to the transmitted torque. The angle of this twist (hereinafter referred to as the twist angle) can be detected based on the phase difference between the irregularities of the two rotation angle detection gears 60. Rotation angle detection gear 60
Are detected by the magnetic pickup 66, and the torsion angle of the torsion shaft 46 can be detected from the phase difference between the signal waveforms output from the magnetic pickup 66. The torque applied to the torsion shaft 46 can be calculated based on the torsion angle. This calculation can be performed based on the relationship between the torsion angle and the torque in advance by applying a known value of torque to the torsion shaft 46 and measuring the torsion angle at this time. Further, if the torsion angle is a simple shape such as a cylinder and the dimensions, physical properties, and the like are determined, the torque can be calculated from the torsion angle by a relatively simple calculation.

As described above, the torsion shaft 46 needs to be twisted by itself in order to detect the torque. That is, if the torsional rigidity is too high, the measurement accuracy of the torque cannot be sufficiently obtained. On the other hand, if the torsional rigidity is low, the vibration system relating to the torsion from the output section of the engine to the output section of the drive train differs from that in the case of mounting on a vehicle, so that the test accuracy is lowered. The torsional stiffness of the torsional vibration system of the present embodiment is the lowest in the damper provided on the flywheel 34. If the torsional rigidity of the torsional shaft 46 is sufficiently higher than the torsional rigidity of this portion, the torsional shaft 46 Can have a negligible effect on the vibration system. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the rigidity of the torsion shaft 46 is set to about 1/10 of the rigidity of the torsion damper.

With the above test apparatus, the output torque of the engine 10 can be detected by the first torque detector 14. The input and output torque of the HV unit 12 can be detected by the first and second torque detectors 14 and 30, respectively. When the engine 10 is driven by the HV unit 12, for example, when the engine 10 is started, the torque transmitted from the HV unit to the engine 10 can be detected by the first torque detector 14. According to this, even if the performance test of the engine 10 and the HV unit 12 is not performed independently, both the unit tests can be performed by the test apparatus of the present embodiment.

Since the HV unit 12 itself absorbs or generates torque by the motor generator, as described in the present embodiment, by detecting the input / output torque of the HV unit 12, more various situations can be obtained. The behavior below can be tested.

In the present embodiment, the drive train including the HV unit 12 is a test object. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The transmission includes an ordinary multi-stage transmission, and the transmission includes a continuously variable ratio transmission (CVT). A performance test can be similarly performed for a drive train including the above.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an engine and a drive train performance test apparatus of the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing details of a first torque detector 14;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a hydraulic coupling.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 10 engine, 12 HV unit, 14 first torque detector, 26 traveling load motor, 30 second torque detector, 34 flywheel, 36 HV unit input shaft, 44 hydraulic coupling, 46 torsion shaft, 54
HV unit case, 56 connection case, 58 first bearing, 60 rotation angle detecting gear (torsion angle detecting means), 62 second bearing, 64 sensor case, 6
6 Magnetic pickup (twist angle detecting means).

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A performance test apparatus capable of absorbing an output of an engine through a drive train by a load means simulating a vehicle running state and testing a performance of at least one of the engine and the drive train. An engine and drive train performance testing device, comprising: first torque detecting means for detecting a transmission torque between the engine and the drive train; and second torque detecting means for detecting an output torque of the drive train. 2. The performance test apparatus for an engine and a drive train according to claim 1, wherein said first torque detecting means transmits a torque output from said engine to said drive train, and said torsion shaft. Having a torsion angle detecting means for detecting a torsion angle of
An engine and drive train performance testing device for detecting the transmission torque based on the torsion angle. 3. The engine and drive train performance test apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the torsion shaft is fixed to at least one of a case that covers at least a part of the drive train and a main body of the engine. An engine and a drive train performance test apparatus supported by a first bearing fixed to a support member, wherein the torsion angle detecting means is supported by a torsion shaft via a second bearing different from the first bearing. 4. The performance test apparatus for an engine and a drive train according to claim 2, wherein the engine includes a damper mounted on an output shaft of the engine and reducing a rotational vibration of the engine. An engine and drive train performance testing device, wherein the spring constant is about 10 times the spring constant of the damper. 5. A torque detecting device disposed between an engine and a transmission for detecting a transmission torque between the engine and the transmission, wherein an output portion of the engine and an input portion of the transmission have both ends thereof. And a torque detecting unit that detects the transmission torque based on the torsion of the torsion shaft. 6. The torque detection device according to claim 5, further comprising a connection case interposed between the main body of the engine and a case of the transmission and connecting the two, and the torsion shaft is connected to the connection. The case is rotatably supported by a case, and the torque detecting unit has a torsion angle detecting unit that detects a torsion angle of the torsion shaft, and the torsion angle detecting unit is supported only by the torsion shaft. Detection device.