JP4798196B2 - Vehicle power generation control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle power generation control device that controls a power generation state of a vehicle generator mounted on a passenger car, a truck, or the like.

  Conventionally, when the duty ratio of the received PWM signal is within a predetermined range, the generated power suppression control is performed, and when it is not within this range, this control is not performed to ensure good engine startability. Such a vehicle power generation control device is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This power generation suppression control is performed by limiting the excitation current value, limiting the excitation duty, stopping excitation, and the like. Further, the validity / invalidity of the power generation suppression control may be switched according to the rotation speed detected based on the P terminal voltage.

Also, the battery voltage is applied to the charge lamp drive terminal (L terminal) of the regulator through the ignition switch and the charge lamp connected in series, and the ignition switch is turned on (power-on) by adding L terminal voltage detection means. A control device for a vehicle charging generator that detects a signal) is known (for example, see Patent Document 2).
JP 2002-315222 A (page 4-8, FIG. 1-13) JP-A-60-109731 (page 2-3, FIG. 1-3)

  By the way, the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above is mainly effective in improving engine startability, and can switch between valid / invalid of power generation suppression control depending on the situation. However, since only valid / invalid is switched, there is a problem that power generation suppression control suitable for the situation cannot be performed.

  In recent years, loads connected to the L terminal have been diversified. Conventionally used bulb lamps having filaments and light emitting diode lamps frequently used in recent years have greatly different electrical characteristics. Further, there is a case where an external control device for driving the load is connected to the L terminal and a signal is transmitted from the L terminal to the external control device without being directly driven by the vehicle generator control device. . In a control device (regulator) for a vehicular generator with a power-on (key-on) detection function at the L terminal, the function is affected by the L terminal connection load, so depending on the combination of the regulator and the L terminal connection load There is a problem that the input (key-on) detection function (the function of the L terminal voltage detection means) may not operate normally, and a power generation state alarm may be issued without being affected by the load connected to the L terminal. A possible technique is desired.

  The present invention was created in view of the above points, and its purpose is to improve the engine startability and without being affected by the load connected to the L terminal (alarm terminal). An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular power generation control device capable of generating a power generation state alarm.

In order to solve the above-described problem, a vehicle power generation control device according to the present invention detects power generation start of a vehicle power generator driven by an engine, and until power generation detection is detected by the power generation detection unit. Alarm means for performing an alarm action and stopping the alarm action after detecting the start of power generation, a communication signal detection circuit for detecting a signal transmitted from an external control device via a communication line, and a start detection means for detecting the start of engine start And a reference voltage corresponding to the duty of the signal detected by the communication signal detection circuit, and a generation voltage control for controlling the generated voltage of the vehicle generator, and a duty of the signal detected by the communication signal detection circuit in the driving duty, and power generation control means for selectively performing the initial excitation control for driving the switching element for supplying an excitation current to the field winding of the vehicle generator Provided inside the vehicle generator, the power generation control means, said performs the initial excitation control until the beginning of startup of the engine is detected by the start detecting means, after the beginning of startup detection is performed the generator voltage control. Since the initial excitation duty can be set according to the duty of the signal sent from the external control device, the external control device can variably set the initial excitation duty according to the engine coolant temperature, engine start history, etc. This makes it possible to improve engine startability.

In addition, initial excitation control is performed when the engine is started, and switching to power generation voltage control can be performed after the engine has started and the rotation has stabilized.

  In addition, a signal indicating power-on of the vehicle is input from an external control device via a communication terminal, and the alarm terminal connected to the alarm means has only a function of outputting a signal for driving the alarm means in response to an alarm operation. It is desirable to have. Since the alarm terminal is not used to detect whether or not the power is turned on, the alarm operation can be performed without being affected by the load connected to the alarm terminal (L terminal).

  Further, the apparatus further includes power-on detection means for detecting power-on when the signal sent from the external control device to the communication terminal becomes a constant voltage for a certain time or more, and the power-on detection means is used to turn on the power. It is desirable that the initial excitation control by the power generation control means is started when the is detected. Thereby, it is possible to detect the power-on by monitoring the communication terminal instead of the alarm terminal and start the initial excitation control.

  Hereinafter, a vehicle power generation control apparatus according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle generator according to an embodiment, and also shows a connection state between a vehicle generator in which the vehicle power generation control device is built and a battery, an electric load, and the like. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle generator 1 according to the present embodiment includes a vehicle power generation control device 5, an armature winding 6, a field winding 7, and a rectifier 8. The vehicle generator 1 is driven by an engine via a belt and a pulley. The field winding 7 is energized to generate a magnetic field. The field winding 7 is wound around a field pole (not shown) to constitute a rotor. The armature winding 6 is a multiphase winding (for example, a three-phase winding) and is wound around an armature core to constitute an armature. The armature winding 6 generates an electromotive force due to a change in the magnetic field generated by the field winding 7. An AC output induced in the armature winding 6 is supplied to the rectifier 8. The rectifier 8 performs full-wave rectification on the AC output of the armature winding 6. The output of the rectifier 8 is taken out through the B terminal as the output of the vehicle generator 1 and supplied to the electric load 3 through the battery 2 and the electric load switch 4. The output of the vehicular generator 1 changes according to the number of rotations of the rotor and the energization amount of the excitation current flowing in the field winding 7, and the excitation current is controlled by the vehicular power generation control device 5. The vehicle power generation control device 5 is connected to one end of the charge lamp 10 via an L terminal (alarm terminal). The other end of the charge lamp 10 is connected to the high voltage end of the battery 2.

  Next, details of the vehicle power generation control device 5 will be described. The vehicle power generation control device 5 includes a switching element 51, a reflux diode 52, resistors 53 and 54, a switching element (charge lamp control means) 56, an excitation current control circuit 57, a power generation detection circuit 58, a voltage comparison circuit 59, and a communication signal detection. A circuit 60, a power-on detection circuit 61, and a charge lamp control circuit 62 are included.

  The communication signal detection circuit 60 includes a pulse width modulation signal detection circuit that detects a pulse width modulation signal transmitted from the ECU 90 via a C terminal (communication terminal). When the power-on is determined by determining the above, the power-on signal is output, and the initial excitation duty and the reference voltage are set based on the duty of this signal.

  When a power-on signal is output from the communication signal detection circuit 60, the power-on detection circuit 61 operates on the excitation current control circuit 57, the power generation detection circuit 58, the voltage comparison circuit 59, the charge lamp control circuit 62, and the start detection circuit 67. A voltage is sent to activate these circuits. Thereafter, power generation control by the vehicle power generation control device 5 is started.

  The resistors 53 and 54 constitute a voltage dividing circuit, and a voltage obtained by dividing the generated voltage (output voltage) of the vehicle generator 1 is input to the voltage comparison circuit 59. The voltage comparison circuit 59 compares the generated voltage divided by the resistors 53 and 54 with the reference voltage output from the communication signal detection circuit 60. For example, as a comparison result, when the reference voltage is higher than the generated voltage, a high level signal is output. Conversely, when the generated voltage is higher than the reference voltage, a low level signal is output. .

  The excitation current control circuit 57 performs different control in the initial excitation control state immediately after the engine start and the generated voltage control state after the engine start. Specifically, in the initial excitation control state, the excitation current control circuit 57 sets the switching element 51 at an initial excitation duty (drive duty) set according to the duty of the pulse width modulation signal sent from the ECU 90. ON / OFF control. On the other hand, in the generated voltage control state, the excitation current control circuit 57 is driven based on the output of the voltage comparison circuit 59 (voltage comparison result) and the control history immediately before the switching element 51 (immediate drive duty). The switching element 51 is on / off controlled by the duty.

  The switching element 51 is connected to the high voltage end of the field winding 7 via the F terminal, and the other end of the field winding 7 is grounded. Therefore, when the switching element 51 is turned off, the exciting current of the field winding 7 is interrupted, and when the switching element 51 is turned on, the exciting current is supplied to the field winding 7. In addition, a freewheeling diode 52 is connected in parallel with the field winding 7 so that the exciting current flows transiently even when the switching element 51 is turned off.

  The power generation detection circuit 58 detects the start of power generation of the vehicle generator 1 based on the voltage Vp of the P terminal to which one phase of the armature winding 6 is connected. For example, when Vp> V1 and Tp <T1, it is determined that power generation has started. Here, Tp is a cycle of the voltage Vp, and V1 and T1 are a reference voltage and a reference cycle which are references for power generation start detection. When these voltage condition and period condition are satisfied, the determination of power generation start is made.

  The start detection circuit 67 detects the start of the engine based on the voltage Vp of the P terminal to which one phase of the armature winding 6 is connected. For example, when Vp> V2 or Tp <T2, it is determined that the engine has started. Here, V2 and T2 are a reference voltage and a reference period which are references for starting detection. The detection conditions of the start detection circuit 67 are not Vp> V2 and Tp <T2, but Vp> V2 or Tp <T2, because the initial excitation duty determined according to the duty of the pulse width modulation signal is In the case of low, there is a concern that Vp> V2 cannot be satisfied even after the engine is started and the initial excitation control state is not switched to the generation voltage control state, and conversely, the initial excitation duty determined according to the duty of the pulse width modulation signal This is to eliminate the concern that the generated voltage will rise to an inappropriate voltage for charging before the engine speed increases and Tp <T2 is satisfied and the control state is switched.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of the reference voltage and the reference period used for detecting the start of power generation and the start of the engine. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the respective reference voltages are set to V1 = 10V and V2 = 14V, and the respective reference periods are set to T1 = 10 ms and T2 = 5 ms.

  The charge lamp control circuit 62 drives and lights the charge lamp 10 connected to the L terminal until the power generation detection circuit 58 detects the start of power generation, and stops driving the charge lamp 10 after detecting the start of power generation. Turns off. The lighting of the charge lamp corresponds to an alarm operation. In FIG. 1, the charge lamp 10 is a symbol meaning a bulb lamp, but instead of the bulb lamp, a circuit including a light emitting diode, an ECU 90 having voltage detection means for the L terminal, and other external control devices It may be.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 1, ECU90 as an external control apparatus is connected to C terminal of the generator 1 for vehicles mentioned above via the communication line. The ECU 90 can use an engine control device and other control devices. The ECU 90 includes switching elements 91 and 93 and a resistor 92. The switching element 93, the resistor 92, and the switching element 91 are connected in this order between the power supply line and the ground, and a signal line from the connection point of the switching element 91 and the resistor 92 toward the C terminal is drawn out.

  The power generation detection circuit 58 described above serves as a power generation detection means, the charge lamp control circuit 62 serves as an alarm means, the resistors 53 and 54, the excitation current control circuit 57, the voltage comparison circuit 59, and the communication signal detection circuit 60 serve as a power generation control means. The detection circuit 67 corresponds to the start detection means, and the communication signal detection circuit 60 and the power-on detection circuit 61 correspond to the power-on detection means.

  The vehicle generator 1 and the ECU 90 of the present embodiment have such a configuration, and next, an operation at the time of engine start will be described.

  When the key switch is turned on, the ECU 90 turns on the switching element 93 and turns off the switching element 91. As a result, the potential of the C terminal of the vehicular generator 1 whose signal line is connected to the power supply line via the resistor 92 increases. This state continues for a certain period of time. Thereafter, the ECU 90 generates a pulse width modulation signal by turning on and off the switching element 91 while maintaining the state in which the switching element 93 is turned on, and transmits the pulse width modulation signal to the vehicle generator 1.

  The communication signal detection circuit 60 activates the internal pulse width modulation signal detection circuit when the C terminal voltage becomes equal to or greater than a certain voltage value for a certain time. Thereafter, when the pulse width modulation signal detected from the ECU 90 is detected by the pulse width modulation signal detection circuit, the communication signal detection circuit 60 inputs a power activation signal to the power activation detection circuit 61. Thereafter, each part of the vehicular power generation control device 5 shifts to an operable state, and the charge lamp control circuit 62 lights the charge lamp 10 connected to the L terminal.

  In this state, since the engine has not been started, the power generation detection circuit 58 has not detected the start of power generation, and the start detection circuit 67 has not detected the engine start.

  By the way, in the present embodiment, switching between the initial excitation control and the generated voltage control is performed based on the detection result of the start detection circuit 67. Specifically, initial excitation control is performed until engine start is detected, and power generation voltage control is performed after engine start is detected.

(Operation before starting the engine)
The engine start detection result is sent from the start detection circuit 67 to the communication signal detection circuit 60 and the excitation current control circuit 57. Before starting the engine, the communication signal detection circuit 60 sets an initial excitation duty based on the duty of the pulse width modulation signal sent from the ECU 90 and inputs the set initial excitation duty to the excitation current control circuit 57.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a specific setting example of the initial excitation duty. The “communication signal duty” on the horizontal axis indicates the duty of the pulse width modulation signal sent from the ECU 90. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the initial excitation duty can be changed stepwise in the range of 0 to 30% by changing the duty of the pulse width modulation signal in the range of 1 to 13%. The ECU 90 can variably set the initial excitation duty by determining the duty of the pulse width modulation signal in consideration of the connection state of the electric load.

  The excitation current control circuit 57 performs on / off control of the switching element 51 with the initial excitation duty set by the communication signal detection circuit 60. This control is continued until engine start is detected by the start detection circuit 67, but before the engine start is detected, the start of power generation by the power generation detection circuit 58 is detected and the charge lamp 10 is turned off.

(Operation after engine start)
When the engine speed is further increased from the start of power generation and engine start is detected by the start detection circuit 67, the communication signal detection circuit 60 generates the generated voltage based on the duty of the pulse width modulation signal sent from the ECU 90. Sets the reference voltage used for control.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a specific setting example of the reference voltage. The “communication signal duty” on the horizontal axis indicates the duty of the pulse width modulation signal sent from the ECU 90. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the reference voltage is 12 V when the duty of the pulse width modulation signal is 1 to 3%, the reference voltage is 15 V when the duty is 97 to 99%, and the value is 3 V when the duty is 3 to 97%. Accordingly, the reference voltage is set in the range of 12 to 15V. Since the generated voltage divided by the resistors 53 and 54 is input to the voltage comparison circuit 59, the reference voltage that is actually set by the communication signal detection circuit 60 is set to the value shown in FIG. A value obtained by multiplying the partial pressure ratios of 53 and 54 is set.

  The voltage comparison circuit 59 compares the reference voltage set by the communication signal detection circuit 60 with the generated voltage divided by the resistors 53 and 54, and directs the signal corresponding to the voltage comparison result to the excitation current control circuit 57. Output. The exciting current control circuit 57 performs on / off control of the switching element 51 with a driving duty determined based on the voltage comparison result and the control history immediately before the switching element 51. For example, when the generated voltage is lower than the reference voltage and a high level signal is output from the voltage comparison circuit 59, the excitation current control circuit 57 adds a predetermined increment to the immediately preceding drive duty to increase the drive duty. By determining the above, gradual excitation control (load response control) for gradually increasing the drive duty is performed.

  Thus, in the vehicle power generation control device 5 of the present embodiment, the initial excitation duty can be set according to the duty of the pulse width modulation signal sent from the ECU 90, so the ECU 90 can determine the engine coolant temperature and the engine It becomes possible to variably set the initial excitation duty according to the start history and the like, and the engine startability can be improved. Further, by switching between the initial excitation control and the power generation voltage control according to whether or not the engine start detection is detected by the start detection circuit 67, the initial excitation control is performed at the time of engine start, and after the engine is started and the rotation is stabilized. It is possible to switch to generated voltage control.

  Further, since the presence or absence of power-on is detected by monitoring the voltage at the C terminal, it is not necessary to use the L terminal for this detection, and it is not affected by the load (charge lamp 10) connected to the L terminal. It is possible to perform an alarm action.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the generator for vehicles of one Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the specific example of the reference voltage used in order to detect an electric power generation start, and an engine start, and a reference period. It is a figure which shows the specific example of an initial excitation duty setting. It is a figure which shows the specific example of a setting of a reference voltage.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle generator 2 Battery 3 Electric load 4 Electric load switch 5 Vehicle power generation control device 6 Armature winding 7 Field winding 8 Rectifier 10 Charge lamp 51, 56, 91, 93 Switching element 52 Free-wheeling diode 53, 54 , 92 Resistance 57 Excitation current control circuit 58 Power generation detection circuit 59 Voltage comparison circuit 60 Communication signal detection circuit 61 Power-on detection circuit 62 Charge lamp control circuit 67 Start detection circuit 90 ECU

Claims (3)

Power generation detection means for detecting the start of power generation of the vehicular generator driven by the engine ;
An alarm action is performed until the start of power generation is detected by the power generation detection means, and an alarm means for stopping the alarm action after the start of power generation is detected;
A communication signal detection circuit for detecting a signal transmitted from an external control device via a communication line;
Start detection means for detecting start of the engine;
Using the reference voltage corresponding to the duty of the detected signal by the communication signal detection circuit, a generated voltage control for controlling the power generation voltage of the generator for the vehicle, the duty of the signal detected by the communication signal detection circuit Power generation control means for selectively performing initial excitation control for driving a switching element for supplying an excitation current to a field winding of the vehicle generator with a corresponding drive duty ;
In the vehicle generator , and the power generation control means performs the initial excitation control until the start detection of the engine is detected by the start detection means, and performs the power generation voltage control after the start of the start is detected. A power generation control device for a vehicle. In claim 1,
A signal indicating power-on of the vehicle is input from the external control device via the communication terminal,
An alarm terminal connected to the alarm means has only a function of outputting a signal for driving the alarm means in response to the alarm operation. In claim 2,
Further comprising power-on detection means for detecting the power-on when a signal sent from the external control device to the communication terminal becomes a constant voltage over a predetermined time,
The vehicular power generation control device, wherein the initial excitation control by the power generation control unit is started when power on is detected by the power on detection unit.

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