Abstract: A state of charge (SOC) measuring apparatus for a battery device is provided capable of detecting accurate state of charge based on integrating charge and discharge current. The state of charge measuring apparatus carries out data substitution for displaying and controlling state of charge depending on the upper limit SOC or lower limit SOC. The integrated SOC obtained by integrating charge and discharge currents is corrected into the corrected SOC by the incremented corrected value incremented at every data substitution time. The state of charge measuring apparatus corrects the integrated SOC at every data substitution such that the difference between the integrated SOC and the corrected SOC becomes larger, and when the integrated SOC is smaller than the upper limit SOC and larger than the lower limit SOC, the corrected SOC is displayed on the display portion as the displaying and controlling SOC.

Abstract: A control device for a hybrid vehicle that can avoid component damage due to such operation, and can continue driving smoothly even in the case that operation that does not occur during normal driving occurs. In the case that the main contactor 11, which has been turned ON, is turned OFF due to the ignition being turned OFF while the motor 2 has a high rotation speed, and then the ignition is turned ON again, the engine control device 4 controls engine 1 so that the rotation speed of the engine 1 becomes the rotation speed at which the voltage generated by regeneration of motor 2 is equal to or below the withstanding voltage of the power drive unit 7. Subsequently, when the main contactor 11 is turned ON by the engine speed falling, the engine control device 4 controls the engine so that the engine speed becomes equal to or less than 7000 rpm.

Abstract: A state of charge (SOC) measuring apparatus for a battery device is provided capable of detecting accurate state of charge based on integrating charge and discharge current. The state of charge measuring apparatus carries out data substitution for displaying and controlling state of charge depending on the upper limit SOC or lower limit SOC. The integrated SOC obtained by integrating charge and discharge currents is corrected into the corrected SOC by the incremented corrected value incremented at every data substitution time. The state of charge measuring apparatus corrects the integrated SOC at every data substitution such that the difference between the integrated SOC and the corrected SOC becomes larger, and when the integrated SOC is smaller than the upper limit SOC and larger than the lower limit SOC, the corrected SOC is displayed on the display portion as the displaying and controlling SOC.

Abstract: A control device of a hybrid vehicle is provided, capable of detecting the over-discharge state of the battery and controlling the charging and discharging rates of the battery for protecting the battery. The control device of the hybrid vehicle comprises an engine which outputs propulsive force to the vehicle, a motor which is directly connected to said engine and which assists the output of the engine, a battery which supplies the electric power to said motor and which is charged by electric energy generated by activating said motor as a generator when the assisting driving force is not necessary, an electric load whose electric energy is supplied by electric power generated by the motor and the battery, and a battery protecting device which increases the rotation speed of said engine when the over-discharge of said battery is detected and which stops supplying the electric power to said electric load when the over-discharge further advances.

Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes a power drive unit which is quickly stopped without increasing the load on a motor control apparatus should a short develop inside the power drive unit. The power drive unit contains a self-protection circuit, which shuts off the control signals to the switching elements for a given interval, when the temperature of the switching elements reaches a certain temperature value or when the current flowing in the power drive unit reaches a certain current value. The self-protection circuit outputs a shorting signal to indicate the state of the self-protection caused by the shut off. The motor control apparatus detects shorting signals from the self-protection circuit, and responds by stopping the output of control signals, when the self-protection state is reported, is greater than a predetermined number of times or the cumulative time in the self-protection state reaches a predetermined time.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cooling fan failure detection apparatus for a hybrid vehicle. This apparatus comprises a cooling capacity calculation device which calculates a cooling capacity of a cooling fan provided in the hybrid vehicle; a battery heating value calculation device which calculates a heating value of a battery provided in the hybrid vehicle; an assumed temperature change calculating device which calculates an assumed temperature change of the battery based on the heating value and the cooling capacity; an actual temperature change calculating device which calculates an actual temperature change of the battery; and a failure determination device which determines whether the cooling fan is failing by comparing the assumed temperature change calculated by the assumed temperature change calculating device and the actual temperature change calculated by the actual temperature change calculating device.

Abstract: The hybrid vehicle having an engine, an electric motor, a starter motor that starts the engine, and a power drive unit that drives the electric motor. The control apparatus includes an engine start controller which starts the engine when an engine start is requested. The engine start controller starts the engine using the electric motor if the temperature of the electric motor or the power drive unit is less than a predetermined value. In contrast, if at least one of the temperature of the electric motor or the power drive unit is no less than the predetermined value, the engine start controller starts the engine using the starter motor.

Abstract: The motor control apparatus of the present invention is provided for a hybrid vehicle with a combustion engine for outputting a driving force, an electric motor for generating a force for assisting the output from the engine, a power storage unit for supplying electric power to the motor and for storing electric energy regenerated by the motor, and electrical equipment which is operated by electric power.

Abstract: A control apparatus of a hybrid vehicle is provided capable of protecting the peripheral components of the motor from a voltage generated by regeneration during travelling the vehicle. When the motor control device 5 detects failures of the motor system such as current sensors 13, 15, and 17, voltage sensors 14, and 16, and a failure of the motor 2 (breakage of the winding), the motor control device 5 stops the motor control by turning off the on-state main contactor and by electrically disconnecting the connection between the power drive unit 7 and the battery 3. At the same time, the motor control device 5 outputs a signal about the failure of the motor system to the engine control device 4. When the failure is detected by the motor control device 5 and when the main contactor 11 is in the off state, the engine control device 4 controls the engine such that the engine rotation speed is maintained below 5000 rpm.

Abstract: When a battery as an energy source for propelling an electric vehicle is repeatedly charged and discharged, the calculated remaining capacity of the battery tends to suffer a large error due to an error of a current sensor which detects a battery current. In order to detect the remaining capacity with high accuracy, a remaining capacity 1 detected on the basis of an integrated value of a discharging current and a remaining capacity 2 detected on the basis of the output power of the battery at a present time are compared with each other, and the remaining capacity is determined depending on the result of comparison. The output power of the battery at the present time depends on the remaining capacity at the present time. Thereafter, after the battery is charged and discharged in repeated cycles, the remaining capacity 1 is presumed as suffering a large error, and the remaining capacity 2 is determined as the remaining capacity, so that the remaining capacity can be detected with accuracy.

Abstract: A system is provided to clearly determine a problem in the discharge of a capacitor provided for an inverter of an electric vehicle and its cause. If a capacitor voltage drops below a predetermined value at the end of a first predetermined time period after a main contactor is turned off, it is determined that the main contactor and a discharge circuit are normal. If the capacitor voltage drops below the predetermined value for the first time after a second predetermined time period, it is determined that the discharge circuit has failed and discharge is performed by a discharge resistor. If the capacitor voltage is still above the predetermined value after the second predetermined time period, it is determined that the main contactor has failed and is fixed in a turned-on state.

Abstract: A system is provided to effectively use the electric charge of a capacitor provided for an inverter in an electric vehicle when the capacitor discharges and to decrease the time required for discharge. An inverter for converting the DC electric power of a main battery into AC electric power to drive a traveling motor is provided with a smoothing capacitor to be charged through a precharge contactor. A DC/DC converter is used to charge a sub-battery using the electric power from the main battery when an electric vehicle runs. When the capacitor discharges, the electric charge of the capacitor is used to charge the sub-battery through the DC/DC converter. Because no discharge circuit is used when the capacitor discharges, it is possible to complete discharge in a short time and without the generation of heat by the discharge circuit.

Abstract: A wasteful consumption of electric energy supplied to charge a battery is reduced when the battery is charged with a low charging efficiency due to a high battery temperature. The battery, typically comprising nickel-hydrogen secondary cells, is prevented from being deteriorated due to a high battery temperature after the battery is charged. While the battery is being charged, the battery is cooled by a battery cooling unit to prevent the charging efficiency from being lowered. If the battery temperature rises above a predetermined temperature, a contactor is opened to temporarily stop the charging of the battery, and the battery is cooled by the battery cooling unit. After the battery is charged, the battery is cooled if the battery temperature is high.

Abstract: When a charging control computer energized by an auxiliary battery detects a failure of an external AC power supply based on a change in the level of a failure on/off signal while a battery, mounted as an energy source on an electric vehicle, is being charged by the external AC power supply, the charging control computer stores a charged time up to the failure of the external AC power supply. Then, the charging control computer immediately changes from a normal power consumption mode to a low power consumption mode. When the charging control computer subsequently detects when the external AC power supply recovers from the failure, the charging control computer calculates a new target charging time from an initial target charging time and the charged time. Wasteful power consumption by the auxiliary battery during the failure of the external AC power supply is minimized.

Abstract: An apparatus for displaying the charging of the battery of an electric vehicle has a charging connector mounted on an outer panel of a vehicle body of the electric vehicle, a lid openably mounted on the panel in covering relation to the charging connector and a cavity defined in the outer panel, and a display panel disposed in the cavity for displaying a period of time required until the battery is fully charged and/or a charged capacity of the battery. The driver of the electric vehicle can easily recognize the remaining time required until the battery is fully charged and a percentage of the fully charged capacity of the battery to which the battery is presently charged, from outside of the electric vehicle. The driver is not required to confirm the state of charge of the battery with an indicator on a battery charger or within the passenger's compartment of the electric vehicle, but can easily confirm the state of charge of the battery from outside of the electric vehicle.