WO2004041574A1

WO2004041574A1 - Hybrid electric car

Info

Publication number: WO2004041574A1
Application number: PCT/JP2003/014096
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ryosuke Hata
Original assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
Priority date: 2002-11-06
Filing date: 2003-11-05
Publication date: 2004-05-21

Abstract

A hybrid electric car comprising, as a drive source, an engine (1) using a liquefied petroleum gas as a fuel, an electric motor (5), a generator (2) and a battery (6) storing an electric power generated by the generator, the electric motor (5) being rotated by an electric power generated by the generator (2) or discharged from the battery (6). Wheels (tires (7)) are driven by at least one of an engine drive power and an electric motor (5) drive power to run the car. The car provides a high running performance even if a large horsepower, or a large torque is needed.

Description

Specification

Hybrid electric vehicle

Technical Field>

The present invention relates to a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) that drives a wheel by driving a wheel by constructing a hybrid system using an M engine (hereinafter referred to as an “engine”) and an electric motor. Background technology>

Engines used in automobiles are becoming more limited in terms of engine displacement due to environmental and resource issues. However, as the engine displacement decreases, small displacement vehicles are inferior to large displacement engines in terms of generated horsepower and torque. Therefore, when large horsepower and large torque are required, especially when starting or climbing a slope, the acceleration performance will be poor. In such a case, the energy efficiency is greatly reduced.

On the other hand, electric vehicles that use electric motors as driving sources for vehicles have been realized.

In electric vehicles currently in use, DC electricity stored in the battery is converted into AC electricity at a required voltage through an inverter, and the AC motor rotates the electric motor to drive wheels. This allows electric vehicles to run.

When this electric vehicle is used, a large torque can be easily obtained at the time of starting or the like.

However, in the electric vehicle, since the total amount of DC power stored in the battery is limited, the battery must be charged frequently. Therefore, an electric vehicle that can automatically charge this battery is desired. Invention disclosure>

An object of the present invention is to rotate a generator by an engine, and convert the generated DC electricity into DC electricity required by a DC / DC converter and store the electricity in a storage means. It is an object of the present invention to provide a hybrid electric vehicle adopting the configuration described above.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hybrid electric vehicle capable of obtaining high running performance even when large horsepower and large torque are required.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a hybrid electric vehicle that can start quickly and that can efficiently drive a vehicle by an engine during high-speed running.

The hybrid electric vehicle according to the present invention includes: an engine; a generator; a power storage unit for storing the power generated by the generator; an electric motor rotated by the power generated by the generator or discharged from the power storage unit; Wheels driven by at least one or both of the driving force of the own engine and the driving force of the electric motor.

With this configuration, the generator can be driven and the electricity generated by the generator can be stored in the power storage means, so that it is not necessary to frequently charge the battery.

In general, the efficiency of the engine is greatly reduced when the engine speed is increased (starting, climbing a hill, at the time of caro speed, etc.), and shows an efficiency of 30 to 50% during high-speed stable running. On the other hand, electric motors generally exhibit high efficiencies between 70% and 95% regardless of these running mode differences. Therefore, in particular, when the vehicle runs using the electric motor all the time in the driving mode in which the engine efficiency is reduced, it is possible to perform the operation with high energy efficiency. As described above, according to the hybrid electric vehicle of the present invention, both high running performance and high fuel efficiency can be obtained. In particular, even at the start, at the speed [], and when climbing a hill, it is possible to obtain the same running performance as a gasoline engine vehicle.

The present invention has a great advantage in the application of the present invention when the engine is fueled by liquid hydrocarbon gas.

Vehicles that use liquefied petroleum gas (PG) as a fuel, and especially vehicles that use liquefied propane gas as a fuel, are widely used in garlands.

The liquefied petroleum gas (P G) and liquefied natural gas (LNG: Liquefied Natural Gas) are collectively referred to as “liquefied hydrocarbon gas (L H G)”.

Engines that use liquefied hydrocarbon gas as fuel (called LHG engines) Fuel costs are significantly lower than those of gasoline-powered vehicles, and the emission of carbon dioxide is more advantageous than gasoline-powered vehicles.

However, the LHG engine produces less horsepower and torque than a gasoline engine. In general, the efficiency of the LHG engine is greatly reduced when raising the driver (starting, climbing a hill, accelerating, etc.), and may fall below 10%. Therefore, when large horsepower and large torque are required, especially when starting or climbing a hill, the power [] speed performance will be further inferior. In addition, energy efficiency is greatly reduced by such ^.

Therefore, a generator and an electric motor are added to a car driven by driving a ^ 16 engine, and the electric motor is rotated using the electricity obtained by the generator as an energy source, and this driving force is used. If a car is driven by a vehicle, it can achieve higher driving performance than when using an LHG engine alone as the driving source, and achieve the same driving performance as a gasoline engine car. Can be.

As the liquefied hydrocarbon gas used in the LHG engine, a gas containing at least one of methane, ethane, propane and butane as a main component is preferable. Engine using these liquefied gas _{fuel, HC, CO, C 0 2} J NO x, graphite, emissions, such as suspended particulate matter (SPM) is less than that of the gasoline engines, environmentally favorable preferable. In addition, these gases can be easily liquefied at room temperature under pressure to increase the load capacity.

The driving force of the engine and the driving force of the electric motor can be used independently or in combination to drive the vehicle. There are three methods of combining the driving force of the LHG engine and the driving force of the motor: a series hybrid method, a parallel hybrid method, and a split hybrid method.

The series hybrid system is a system in which the engine only generates electricity, the generated electricity is stored in a storage means, and the electric motor is driven by the electric power to travel. In the series method, only the electric motor turns the wheels, and the engine does not turn the wheels.

The parallel hybrid system is a system in which two power sources, an engine and an electric motor, each drive wheels directly to run. In this method, electric motors are generally used. —They are also generators. An example of the use of this method is that the vehicle travels mainly with the driving force of the engine, and in some cases, the driving force of the engine is used as the charging power of the power storage means. The electric motor is activated all the time when starting or accelerating when low engine efficiency is required and high output is required, and assists the driving force for driving. Also, when braking or downhill, an electric motor can be used as a generator and the generated power can be stored in the storage means. The parallel hybrid system includes a system in which one power source drives the front wheels and the other power source drives the rear wheels, and a system in which both power sources drive the same wheel.

The split hybrid system has both a series hybrid system and a parallel hybrid system, and uses both systems. In general, it has an independent generator in addition to an electric motor that also functions as a generator. In this method, the vehicle normally runs on an electric motor at low speeds when the driving load of the engine is large. When the speed exceeds a certain level, the engine starts to rotate. For example, when starting, accelerating, or climbing, the vehicle is driven by an electric motor in a driving mode with low engine energy efficiency to reduce fuel consumption of the engine. The same applies when retreating. During normal driving, the driving force of the engine is divided into two systems via a power split mechanism, one of which drives the wheels, and the other which drives the generator. The electric power is used to drive the wheels by rotating the electric motor, controlling the distribution of the driving force between the engine and the electric motor, and running most efficiently. In other words, when the vehicle is driven only by the electric motor, the vehicle runs in a series system. When the engine and the electric motor are used together, the vehicle runs in a parallel system.The rotation of the wheels is driven by the electric motor as a generator. By doing so, regenerative power is generated, and the electric energy is stored in power storage means. By automatically stopping the engine when the vehicle stops, energy efficiency can be improved.

The hybrid electric vehicle according to the present invention includes an engine, a generator, a power storage means for storing the power generated by the generator, an electric motor rotated by the power generated by the generator or the power discharged from the power storage means, A wheel driven by at least one or both of a driving force of the self-engine and a driving force of the electric motor, and further comprising a fuel cell, wherein the self-charging means fills the electric power generated by the generator. , as well as The electric motor stores electricity generated by the fuel cell, and the electric motor is rotated by electricity generated by the generator, electricity discharged from the power storage means, or electricity generated by the fuel cell.

Examples of the type of the engine include a reciprocating engine and a rotary engine. Engine fuels include gasoline, light oil, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), and hydrogen gas.

In particular, for engines, LNG, It is preferable to use a liquefied hydrocarbon gas such as 6 as fuel. More preferably, the liquefied hydrocarbon gas LHG contains at least one of methane, ethane, propane and butane.

These; engine to the 'Yorui匕gas as _{fuel, HC, CO, C 0 2} , NO x, graphite, emissions, such as suspended particulate matter (SPM) is no less than gasoline engines, hydrogen It is environmentally preferable together with the fuel cell used. In addition, these gases can be easily liquefied at room temperature under pressure and the load capacity can be increased.

By using liquefied hydrocarbon gas as the fuel for the fuel cell, if the reformer described later is mounted on the vehicle, the fuel for the engine can be used for the fuel cell and the fuel tank can be shared. As a result, the engine can be driven more cleanly while reducing the number of fuel tanks, and the vehicle can be started immediately, which is more preferable in terms of clean exhaust.

When hydrogen gas is used as the fuel for the engine, it is preferably applied to vehicles that mainly run in areas where hydrogen fuel can be sufficiently supplied, such as in urban areas.

If hydrogen gas is used for the engine fuel and hydrogen gas is used for the fuel cell fuel, it is possible to provide not only a common fuel tank, but also a more environmentally friendly and lightweight hybrid vehicle.

Examples of the type of the fuel cell include a polymer electrolyte type (PEFC), a solid electrolyte type (SOFC), and a phosphoric acid type (KPFC). The operating temperature of the solid polymer type is from room temperature to 100 ° C. The operating temperature of the solid electrolyte type is about 100 ° C. The operating temperature of the phosphoric acid type is about 200 ° C. As described above, since the operating temperature of the fuel cell is high, it takes time to start up. When the fuel cell uses hydrogen gas as fuel, the hydrogen gas can be supplied by directly supplying hydrogen gas or gasoline, methanol, natural gas, or liquefied petroleum gas using a reformer. There is a method of obtaining hydrogen from such as.

Fuel cells supply hydrogen gas directly, rather than hydrogen gas from the reformer.However, the only effluent is water, which has a low environmental impact and does not require a heavy reformer. There is an advantage.

As the power storage means of the hybrid electric vehicle of the present invention, a battery, a capacitor, a SMES (superconducting magnetic energy storage device), or a combination thereof can be used.

By mounting the power storage means, the power stored in the power storage means can be used for a heater / reformer used for a fuel cell or for other electric devices of an automobile.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION The hybrid electric vehicle of this invention can drive an engine, drive a wheel directly by the driving force of this engine, drive a vehicle, or generate a generator.

In particular, only the generator is operated by the driving force of the engine, and the electric storage means is charged using the electricity generated thereby, and the vehicle is driven by driving the electric motor. You can also. Such a driving method is the series hybrid method described above.

In the case of such a series hybrid electric vehicle, the wheels are not directly driven by the engine. However, this hybrid electric vehicle is a hybrid electric vehicle in which an electric motor is driven by an engine or a generator is activated, and a point that the vehicle can be driven by driving wheels through the electric motor. Is similar.

In addition, the fuel cell can generate electricity, and the electricity can be used to drive an electric motor to drive wheels to drive a car.

According to the present invention, even when it takes time to start the fuel cell, while the fuel cell is being started, the vehicle is driven by the driving force of the engine or the electric motor rotated by the electricity generated by the generator. be able to. For example, when a car is stopped for a long time, the fuel cell is stopped and it is getting cold. When the vehicle is started when the fuel cell is cold, the vehicle must first be driven by an electric motor that is rotated by the driving force of the engine and the electricity generated by the generator. After the battery startup is completed, the car can be driven by rotating the electric motor every day with the electricity generated by the fuel cell

As a result, the vehicle can be started immediately compared to an electric vehicle driven only by a fuel cell. After the fuel cell is started, the engine can be stopped and the car can be run with the power generated by the clean and highly efficient fuel cell. According to the present invention, when the vehicle is driven by the driving force of the engine, the generator can be driven by the driving force of the engine to obtain electric power. Such a driving method is the above-described parallel hybrid method.

The start-up condition of the fuel cell can be adjusted using the electric power obtained in this manner. For example, electricity generated by a generator is passed through a heater of a fuel cell to raise the temperature. In a fuel cell requiring a reformer, electricity generated by a generator is used to operate the reformer.

In this way, by mounting the engine, not only is it possible to start quickly, but also the engine can obtain the power required to start the fuel cell, and it is possible to start the fuel cell with sufficient margin it can.

In addition, in the case of vehicles equipped with a fuel cell that directly supplies hydrogen gas, the supply infrastructure (hydrogen station) for hydrogen as fuel is not complete, and when traveling in the area, Hydrogen fuel may run out.

In such a case, start the engine at the same time as running out of hydrogen fuel. The fuel of the engine can be replenished as needed from the existing supply infrastructure as needed, so that even hybrid vehicles equipped with fuel cells can run, they will not be able to run, and there will be no place, You can drive with your heart in mind.

Further, the driving force of the engine and the driving force of the electric motor can be used alone or in combination to drive the vehicle. Engine driving force and electric motor As mentioned earlier, the driving force combination method includes the series hybrid method and the parallel hybrid method.

In the case of the series hybrid system, the electricity generated by the fuel cell is used to drive the electric motor as it is after the electricity is generated or after the electric storage means is charged, and the vehicle is driven. Also, the engine only generates power, and the generated power is used as it is after power generation or after being stored in power storage means, and then used to drive the electric motor to drive the vehicle. In the series hybrid system, only the electric motor turns the wheels, and the wheels are not turned directly by the driving force of the engine. In the series hybrid system, when starting, a generator is generated by the horsepower of the engine, and the generated motor drives the electric motor to drive the car. A part of the generated electricity is also used for fuel cell startup. Then, when the fuel cell starts up, the engine is stopped, and the electric motor is driven by the electricity generated by the fuel cell to drive the vehicle. Also, at the time of braking, the electric motor can be operated as a generator, and the regenerative electric power can be stored in the storage means.

The wheels are driven directly by two power sources, an engine and an electric motor. Examples of the use by this method include running with the driving force of an engine or running with a motor driven by electricity generated by a generator or a fuel cell. At this time, the electric power generated by driving the generator by the engine or the electric power generated by the fuel cell is charged to the electric storage means as the case may be.

In the parallel hybrid system, when starting or accelerating, the wheels are driven directly by the engine's driving force, while the generator is driven by the engine's driving force and the electric motor is operated to assist the driving force for traveling. Can be. Then start up the fuel cell when starting. In addition, during braking, the electric motor can be operated as a generator, and the regenerative electric power can be stored in the storage means.

When starting or accelerating, the wheels can be directly driven by the engine's driving force, and the generator can be driven by the engine's driving force to generate power and store it in the storage means. The electricity charged in the storage means is used for starting up the fuel cell. Can be

In addition, it is also possible to generate electricity from a generator using the driving force of an engine while driving a car using electricity generated by a fuel cell, and store the generated power in a storage means. In the parallel hybrid system, there is a system in which one power source drives the front wheels and the other power source drives the rear wheels, and a system in which both power sources drive the same wheel.

As described above, according to the hybrid electric vehicle of the present invention, by using a fuel cell and an engine together, it is possible to immediately start the vehicle and to obtain both environment-friendly, high driving performance and high fuel efficiency. Can be. In particular, when starting, accelerating, and climbing a hill, it is possible to obtain much better driving performance than a fuel cell electric vehicle. Also, it is possible to obtain from the engine the electrical energy required when starting up from stoppage, which was a major drawback of fuel cells, and it is particularly effective for starting in cold regions. <Brief description of drawings>

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a drive mechanism of a series hybrid electric vehicle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a drive mechanism of the parallel hybrid type electric vehicle of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between the driving mode and the energy efficiency.

Figure 4 is a graph showing energy efficiency when climbing a hill.

Figure 5 is a graph showing energy efficiency during acceleration.

FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a drive mechanism of a split-hybrid electric vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a driving mechanism of an electric vehicle equipped with a series hybrid fuel cell according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a driving mechanism of an electric vehicle equipped with a fuel cell of a parallel hybrid system according to the present invention. <Best mode for carrying out the invention>

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. One liquefied hydrocarbon gas hybrid electric vehicle

Hereinafter, a liquefied hydrocarbon gas hybrid electric vehicle will be described as an example. <Series hybrid method>

The electric vehicle according to the present invention includes an engine 1, a generator 2, a converter 3, an inverter 4, an electric motor 5, a terry 6, and tires 7. 8 is a switch for supplying the generated electricity to the battery 6 side.

The LPG engine 1 is an engine driven by LPG fuel such as propane gas. Types of engines include reciprocating engines and rotary engines.

The operation of the engine 1 causes the generator 2 to rotate. The generator 2 is rotated by the driving force of the LPG engine 1 to generate power. Generally, an alternator is often used as a generator for an electric vehicle, and the alternator is also used in this example. The electricity generated by the generator 2 is converted to DC by the converter 13, further converted to AC of an appropriate frequency via the inverter 4, and supplied to the electric motor 5. Various electric motors can be used for the electric motor 15, but an AC synchronous electric motor is used here.

The generated power is also used to charge the battery 6 as needed. For Battery 6, a lead battery, a nickel-aluminum-doped battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, a nickel-iron battery, a nickel-zinc battery, a sodium-sulfur battery, a lithium battery, and the like can be used.

Whether the generated electricity is also supplied to the battery 6 may be determined by turning on and off a switch 8 provided between the converter 3 and the battery 6. Alternatively, electrical switching may be performed by inverter control.

The drive power of this electric motor 5 is transmitted to the axle of tire 7 to drive the car. Let

In this series hybrid system, the LPG engine 1 is used exclusively for driving the generator 2, and the driving force of the LPG engine 1 is not directly used for rotating the tire 7. In other words, since the LPG engine 1 is separated from the driving of the tire 7, the LPG engine 1 can always concentrate on the power generation while operating under the condition of the highest efficiency, so that the energy efficiency can be improved.

The vehicle is driven by a motor 5 that is driven by electricity generated by the generator 2 or by electricity discharged from the battery 6, so when the LPG engine 1 is not good at starting, accelerating, climbing uphill Even at times, excellent running performance can be demonstrated.

The electric vehicle includes a PG engine 1, an electric motor (also serving as a generator) 5, a converter 3, an inverter 4, a battery 6, and tires 7. The description of the components common to the series system shown in FIG. 1 is omitted, and the differences will be mainly described below.

In the parallel hybrid system, the driving force of the LPG engine 1 and the driving force of the electric motor 5 are used for driving the tire 7. LPG engine 1 can transmit its driving force to electric motor 5 and tire 7 via a transmission (not shown), and electric motor 5 transmits the driving force to tire 7 It is configured to be able to By this method, (1) the tire 7 is rotated only by the driving force of the engine 1, (2) the tire 7 is rotated only by the driving force of the electric motor 5, (3) both the engine 1 and the electric motor 5 A driving method such as rotating the tire 7 with driving force can be selected.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between driving modes A to D and energy efficiency. At the start B, the electric motor 15 travels mainly because the efficiency of the LPG engine 1 is low. In the range C where the car reaches a certain speed or higher and the engine 1 has higher efficiency, the electric motor 5 stops driving and the vehicle runs with the driving force of the LPG engine 1. 3 014096

12 At that time, it is preferable that a part of the driving force of the engine 1 rotates the electric motor 5 as a generator and stores the generated power in the battery 6. During braking D or downhill, the rotation of the tire 7 operates the electric motor 5 as a generator, and the regenerative power can be stored in the battery 6.

Fig. 4 is a graph showing the energy efficiency when climbing a hill from high-speed running on flat ground.

As shown in the figure, when the vehicle moves from the state E, which is running at high speed on level ground, using the LPG engine 1 to the state F, which is climbing a hill, the driving power of the electric motor 15 is also used to increase the horsepower and torque. And a high efficiency state can be maintained.

Further, FIG. 5 is a graph showing energy efficiency when accelerating in a flat ground high-speed driving state.

As shown in the figure, when accelerating from a state in which the LPG engine 1 is running at high speed on level ground, by using the driving force of the electric motor 15 together, an excellent acceleration force can be obtained. The efficiency state can be maintained.

At the time of stop A, it is preferable to stop the LPG engine and to omit the idling of the engine to enhance energy efficiency.

In order to run at high speed by the series hybrid system described above, there is a force that requires high-speed rotation of the electric motor 5, and it becomes difficult to extract large torque from the electric motor 5 using a gear. In this parallel hybrid system, both the driving force of the LPG engine and the driving force of the electric motor 5 can be directly used for the rotation of the tire 7, so that high-speed running performance can be obtained.

FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a drive mechanism of an electric vehicle of the lux split hybrid type according to the present invention.

The electric vehicle has an LPG engine 1, a power split device 9, a generator 2, a converter 3, an inverter 4, an electric motor (combined with a generator) 5, a notebook 6, and tires 7. Is provided. Descriptions of the same components as those of the parallel hybrid system shown in FIG. 2 are omitted, and the differences will be mainly described below. This torque split hybrid system has a power split mechanism 9 that distributes the driving force of the LPG engine 1 to the tires and the generator, and has a generator 2 independent of the electric motor 5 This is different from the parallel hybrid method.

The driving force of the LPG engine 1 is divided using, for example, a first clutch that transmits the driving force of the engine 1 to the generator 2 and a second clutch that transmits the driving force of the LPG engine 1 to the tire 7 .

In the torque split hybrid system, a series hybrid system and a parallel hybrid system are selectively used. When the series hybrid system is used, it is called “series mode”, and when the parallel hybrid system is used, it is called “parallel mode”.

In the series mode, the first clutch is set to ON and the second clutch is set to OFF, and the LPG engine 1 is dedicated to driving the generator. The generated power is used to charge the battery 6 through the converter 13 and drive the electric motor 15.

In the parallel mode, both the first clutch and the second clutch are set to 0 N. Since the second clutch is at ΔN, the driving force of LPG engine 1 is transmitted to tire 7. Further, the electric motor 15 is driven by electricity from the generator 2 or electricity from the battery 6, and the tire 7 is rotated by the driving force.

In addition, during high-speed stable running, both the first clutch and the second clutch are set to ΔN, but the rotation of the electric motor 15 stops. The vehicle is driven only by the driving force of the LPG engine 1.

^ Fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle

The following is a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) that runs by driving an electric motor using a fuel cell as a power source. An example will be described.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the drive mechanism of a series hybrid electric vehicle.

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This electric vehicle has an engine 1 as an engine, a power generator 2 and a converter. 3, an inverter 4, an electric motor 5, a battery 6, a tire 7, a fuel cell (FC) 11, and a DCZ DC converter 10.

Examples of the type of engine include a reciprocating engine and an all-in-one engine. Any fuel such as gasoline, light oil, LPG, etc. can be used as the fuel for the engine.

The fuel for the engine may use the same hydrogen gas as the fuel cell 11. In this case, the same fuel tank can be used by using the same hydrogen gas for both the engine and the fuel cell 11.

The generator 2 is rotated by the driving force of the engine 1 to generate power. Generally, an alternator is often used as a generator for an electric vehicle, and the alternator is also used in this example. The electricity generated by the generator 2 is converted to DC by the converter 11, further converted to AC of an appropriate frequency via the inverter 4, and supplied to the electric motor 5.

Various electric motors can be used as the electric motor 15, but an AC synchronous electric motor is used here. The generated power is also used to charge the battery 6 through the switch 8 if necessary.

For the battery 6, a lead battery, a nickel-iron cadmium battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, a nickel-iron battery, a nickel-zinc battery, a sodium-sulfur battery, a lithium battery, and the like can be used.

The fuel cell 11 uses hydrogen as fuel, and the DC power generated by the fuel cell 11 can be used as it is or, if necessary, converted to the required voltage DC by the DC / DC converter 110 and used. Can be The electric power generated by the fuel cell or the electric power converted into the DC / DC converter 10 is converted into an AC having an appropriate frequency via the inverter 4, similarly to the electric power generated by the generator 2. It is converted and supplied to the electric motor 5.

In addition, the electricity converted into direct current of a required voltage directly from the fuel cell 11 or by the DC / DC converter 10 can be stored in the terry 6. The DC electricity stored in the battery 6 is also converted into an AC having an appropriate frequency via the inverter 4 and supplied to the electric motor 5. Whether or not the generated electricity is also supplied to the battery 6 side is determined by turning on and off a switch 8 provided between the converter 3 or the DC / DC converter 10 and the battery 6 (otherwise, Switching may be performed electrically by inverter control.

Then, the driving force of the electric motor 5 is transmitted to the axle of the tire 7 to drive the vehicle.

In this series hybrid system, the engine 1 is used exclusively for driving the generator 2, and the driving force of the engine 1 is not directly used for rotating the tire 7. In other words, the engine 1 is separated from the driving of the tire 7, and can concentrate on power generation while operating at the highest efficiency, thereby improving energy efficiency. The running of the vehicle is performed by the driving force of the electric motor 5 rotated by the electricity generated by the generator 2, the electricity generated by the fuel cell 11, or the discharge electricity from the battery 6.

In the series hybrid system, when the vehicle starts moving, the electric motor 5 is driven by the electricity generated by the generator 2 to drive the vehicle. When the fuel cell 11 is started up, the engine 1 is stopped, and the electric motor 15 is driven by the electricity generated by the fuel cell 11, so that the vehicle can run.

FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a drive mechanism of an electric vehicle of the parallel hybrid system according to the present invention.

The vehicle according to the present invention includes an engine 1, an electric motor (cum-generator) 5, a compressor 3, an inverter 4, an inverter 6, a tire 7, a fuel cell (FC) 11 and a DC / DC converter. DC converter 10 is provided. The description of the components common to the series system shown in FIG. 7 is omitted, and the following mainly describes the differences.

In the parallel hybrid system, each of the driving force of the engine 1 and the driving force of the electric motor 5 is used for driving the tire 7. The engine 1 transmits its driving force directly to the tires 7 via a transmission (not shown), and also drives an electric motor 5 through a generator 2 so that the electric motor 5 Also transmits the driving force of It is configured to be able to.

According to this parallel hybrid system, the engine 1 drives (1) the tire 7 rotates only with the driving force of the engine 1, and (2) the tire 7 rotates only with the driving force of the electric motor 5. And (3) the tire 7 is rotated by both the driving force of the engine 1 and the electric motor 5.

Further, also in the present embodiment, similarly to the series hybrid system, the electric motor 5 can be driven by the electricity generated by the fuel cell 11. At the time of starting, since the efficiency of rotating the tire 7 directly by the engine 1 is low, the generator 2 is driven by the horsepower of the engine 1 and the electric motor 5 is driven by the electric power at this time to travel. .

When the vehicle reaches a certain level or more and it is in a range where it is more efficient to rotate the tire 7 with the driving force of the engine 1, the electric motor 15 stops driving and the vehicle runs with the driving force of the engine 1. At this time, it is preferable to drive the generator with a part of the driving force of the engine 1 and store the generated power in the battery 6.

When the fuel cell 11 starts up, the engine 1 is stopped and the electric motor 5 is driven by the electricity generated by the fuel cell 11 to drive the car.

In addition, when climbing a hill from a state where high-speed running on level ground is performed by electricity generated by the fuel cell 11, higher horsepower and torque can be obtained by running with the driving force of the engine 1 together.

In addition, the vehicle accelerates from a state in which the vehicle is traveling on flat ground at high speed using the electricity generated by the fuel cell 11. By traveling with the driving force of the engine 1, an excellent acceleration force can be obtained.

In order to operate at high speed by the series hybrid system, high-speed rotation of the electric motor 5 is necessary, but it may be difficult to extract a large torque from the electric motor 5 using gears. In the parallel hybrid system, both the driving force of the engine 1 and the driving force of the electric motor 15 can be directly used for the rotation of the tire 7, so that high-speed running performance can be obtained.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above. The present invention is not limited to this, and various changes can be made within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

The scope of the claims

1. Engine and

A generator,

Power storage means for storing electricity generated by the generator,

An electric motor rotated by electricity generated by the generator or electricity discharged from the storage means;

And a wheel driven by at least one or both of the driving force of the engine and the driving force of the electric motor.

2. The hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the own engine uses liquefied hydrocarbon gas as a fuel.

3. The hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the self-liquefied hydrocarbon gas contains at least one of methane, ethane, propane, and butane as a main component.

4. The hybrid electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the self-power storage means is a battery, a capacitor, a SMES (superconducting magnetic energy storage device), or a combination thereof.

5. The series hybrid system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which employs a series hybrid system in which the engine only generates power, the generated power is stored in a power storage means, and the electric motor is driven by the power to travel. A hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 1.

6. The hybrid electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the engine and the electric motor use a parallel hybrid system in which each of the two power sources directly drives wheels to travel.

7.It has both series hybrid system and parallel hybrid system, The hybrid electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a split hybrid system that uses both types is adopted.

8. It further has a fuel cell,

The power storage means stores electricity generated by a generator and electricity generated by a fuel cell,

The hybrid electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the electric motor is rotated by electricity generated by a generator, electricity discharged from power storage means, or electricity generated by a fuel cell. .

9. The hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the till engine uses liquefied hydrocarbon gas as fuel.

10. The hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the self-liquefied hydrocarbon gas contains at least one of methane, ethane, propane, and butane as a main component.

11. The hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the engine uses hydrogen gas as fuel.

12. The hybrid electric vehicle according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the fuel cell uses liquefied hydrocarbon gas as fuel.

13. The hybrid electric vehicle according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the fuel cell uses hydrogen gas as fuel.

14. The hybrid electric vehicle according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the self-energy storage means is a battery, a capacitor, a SMES (superconducting magnetic energy storage device), or a combination thereof. .