JP7576441B2 - Vehicle control method and vehicle control device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle control method and a vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle.

Patent document 1 discloses a series hybrid vehicle that has a generator driven by an internal combustion engine, a battery that charges the output of the generator, and an electric motor that is driven by the battery's power to drive the vehicle.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-79914

In the hybrid vehicle described in Patent Document 1, when the power generated during regenerative operation of the electric motor cannot be charged to the battery, the generator is energized by the generator inverter to operate as an electric motor, and the internal combustion engine is forcibly driven (runs idle), consuming electricity.

However, when the engine is revved up, no combustion takes place in the cylinder and outside air passes directly through the cylinder, which can cause the temperature inside the cylinder to drop. If the temperature inside the cylinder drops in this way, there is a risk of increased emissions when the engine is restarted.

The present invention was made in consideration of these technical problems, and aims to provide a vehicle control method that can suppress a drop in temperature inside the cylinder even when the engine is driven by a generator motor while the engine is stopped.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle includes an engine having an intake valve and an exhaust valve, a first motor generating electricity using power from the engine, a battery charged with the electricity generated by the first motor, a second motor driving drive wheels using power supplied from the battery and generating electricity using power from the drive wheels, and an electric thermal catalyst provided in an exhaust passage for purifying exhaust gas discharged into the atmosphere and having a heating device heated by the power of the battery . Also, a method for controlling this vehicle includes, when the charging rate of the battery rises to a first predetermined value while the engine is stopped, driving the engine using the first motor and adjusting the valve timing of the intake valve and the exhaust valve to take in exhaust gas in the exhaust passage into a cylinder of the engine , and during the power consumption control, keeping the heating device in an energized state, and terminating the power consumption control when the heating device rises to a first predetermined temperature or when the temperature in the cylinder rises to a second predetermined temperature .

According to the present invention, exhaust gas in the exhaust passage can be introduced into the cylinder of the engine, preventing outside air, which is cooler than the exhaust gas, from passing through the cylinder. This makes it possible to prevent overcharging of the battery and suppress a drop in temperature inside the cylinder, even when the engine is driven by the first motor.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing power consumption control according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an example of a time chart of power consumption control according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an example of a time chart of power consumption control according to the modified example. FIG. 5 is an example of a valve timing diagram during power consumption control according to this embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is an example of a valve timing diagram during normal control according to this embodiment of the present invention.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

With reference to FIG. 1, a control method for a vehicle 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The vehicle 100 includes an engine 1, a generator motor 2 as a first motor, a battery 3, a traction motor 4 as a second motor, an intake passage 11 through which outside air drawn into the engine 1 passes, an exhaust passage 12 through which exhaust gas from the engine 1 passes, and a controller 20 as a control device that controls the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 of this embodiment is a series-type hybrid vehicle in which the engine 1 is used only for generating electricity and the traction motor 4 is used for driving the wheels 5 and for regenerating electricity.

Engine 1 is a gasoline-fueled internal combustion engine and has multiple cylinders 10 (three in FIG. 1).

A throttle valve 14 is disposed in the intake passage 11. The throttle valve 14 is driven and controlled by a controller 20. The throttle valve 14 adjusts the flow rate of intake air supplied to the engine 1.

Each cylinder 10 of the engine 1 is provided with a fuel injection device (not shown), an intake valve 15, an exhaust valve 16, a valve mechanism (not shown) that adjusts the valve timing of the intake valve 15 and the exhaust valve 16, and an ignition plug (not shown). By controlling the fuel injection device at a predetermined timing, fuel is injected into the cylinder 10 of the engine 1, and a mixture of fuel and air is formed in the cylinder 10 as the piston (not shown) moves. This mixture is combusted based on a spark generated by the spark plug.

The engine 1 is mechanically connected to the generator motor 2 via the reduction gear 13. The power of the engine 1 is transmitted to the generator motor 2 via the reduction gear 13, and the generator motor 2 rotates by the power of the engine 1 to generate electricity. The generator motor 2 is electrically connected to the battery 3, and the generated power of the generator motor 2 is charged to the battery 3.

The exhaust passage 12 is provided with a catalyst 30 as an electrothermal catalyst that purifies exhaust gas from the engine 1. In this embodiment, for example, a three-way catalyst is used as the catalyst 30. The catalyst 30 oxidizes and reduces NOx, CO, HC, etc. in the exhaust gas to convert them into harmless nitrogen, water, carbon dioxide, etc. The catalyst 30 is also warmed up by the heat of the exhaust gas, and when the temperature reaches or exceeds a predetermined activation temperature, it becomes able to purify exhaust gas with high efficiency.

The catalyst 30 has a heating device 31 near the inlet. The heating device 31 generates heat when power is supplied from the battery 3, and heats the exhaust gas flowing near the inlet of the catalyst 30. In this way, by heating the exhaust gas flowing near the inlet of the catalyst 30, the temperature of the three-way catalyst can be raised more quickly, and the catalyst performance can be exerted more quickly.

The battery 3 is, for example, a lithium-ion battery. The battery 3 is charged with the power regenerated by the driving motor 4 and the power generated by the power generation motor 2, and supplies the charged power to the driving motor 4.

The SOC (charging rate) of the battery 3 is detected by the SOC sensor 3a and transmitted to the controller 20. The controller 20 controls the charging of the battery 3 based on the SOC (charging rate).

The traction motor 4 is driven by power supplied from the battery 3 via an inverter 6. The rotational power of the traction motor 4 is transmitted to the wheels 5 via a gear mechanism 7, causing the vehicle 100 to move.

When the vehicle 100 requires a large driving force, for example, during high load, and the required driving force cannot be met by the power from the battery 3 alone, in addition to the power from the battery 3, the power from the generator motor 2 connected to the engine 1 (power generated by the engine 1) is also supplied to the travel motor 4. In contrast, when a large driving force is not required, such as during medium or low load, power is supplied to the travel motor 4 only from the battery 3, and all of the power generated by the engine 1 is charged to the battery 3.

The controller 20 is composed of general-purpose electronic circuits and peripheral devices, including a microcomputer, a microprocessor, and a CPU. The controller 20 executes various controls of the vehicle 100 by executing a pre-stored program based on the running state of the vehicle 100 (vehicle speed, SOC, etc.).

Next, we will explain the charging control of battery 3.

The charging of the battery 3 is controlled by the controller 20. When the SOC of the battery 3 falls to a threshold RL, which is the lower limit of the charging control, the controller 20 drives the engine 1. This drives the generator motor 2, and the power generated by the generator motor 2 is supplied to the battery 3, thereby charging the battery 3.

When the SOC of the battery 3 rises to the threshold RH, which is the upper limit of the charging control, the controller 20 stops the engine 1. This stops the generator motor 2, and power generation by the generator motor 2 stops.

In addition, when the vehicle 100 is decelerating or coasting, the driving force of the wheels 5 rotates the traction motor 4 to regenerate power. The power regenerated by the traction motor 4 is charged into the battery 3.

When the SOC of the battery 3 exceeds the threshold RH, for example, when the vehicle 100 is coasting down a long slope, the regeneration by the traveling motor 4 described above continues. As a result, the SOC rises to the threshold R1, which is the upper limit of the chargeable value of the battery 3, and the power regenerated by the traveling motor 4 cannot be charged. Therefore, when the SOC rises to the threshold R1, the power generating motor 2 is driven by the power of the battery 3. In other words, the power generating motor 2 consumes the power of the battery 3. In addition, since the engine 1 is driven in conjunction with the driving of the power generating motor 2, the engine 1 acts as a load on the power generating motor 2. This makes it possible to increase the amount of power consumed by the battery 3. Furthermore, by controlling the rotation speed of the power generating motor 2, the amount of power consumed by the battery 3 can be controlled. The controller 20 controls the rotation speed of the power generating motor 2, etc., based on the amount of power generated by the regeneration by the traveling motor 4 and the amount of power consumed by driving the power generating motor 2 so that the SOC of the battery 3 does not exceed the threshold R1.

At this time, the fuel injection valve and spark plug are kept in the OFF state so that the engine 1 is in an idling state, i.e., so that no combustion control is performed.

However, when engine 1 is run in this way, no combustion takes place in cylinder 10, and outside air passes directly through cylinder 10. Immediately after engine 1 is stopped, the temperature inside cylinder 10 (in-cylinder temperature Tc) is higher than the outside air, so heat exchange occurs between the inside cylinder 10 and the outside air passing through it, which may cause the in-cylinder temperature Tc to drop. If the in-cylinder temperature Tc drops in this way, there is a risk of increased emissions when engine 1 is restarted.

In the vehicle 100 of this embodiment, when the engine 1 is stopped and the SOC of the battery 3 rises to an upper limit, control is executed to consume the power of the battery 3 while suppressing a decrease in temperature inside the cylinder 10 (hereinafter, simply referred to as "power consumption control"). The power consumption control of this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 2 and 3.

Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of control related to power consumption control in this embodiment. The control shown in the flowchart in Figure 2 is executed based on a program pre-stored in the controller 20.

In step S1, it is determined whether the engine 1 is stopped. If the engine 1 is stopped, the process proceeds to step S2. If the engine 1 is running, charging is being performed by the generator motor 2, so the process proceeds to END.

In step S2, it is determined whether the SOC of the battery 3 is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value (threshold R1). Specifically, the controller 20 determines whether the SOC detected by the SOC sensor 3a is equal to or greater than the first predetermined value (threshold R1). If the SOC is equal to or greater than the first predetermined value (threshold R1), the process proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, if the SOC is less than the first predetermined value (threshold R1), the battery 3 can be charged, and the process proceeds directly to END.

In step S3, power consumption control is started. Specifically, the controller 20 drives the generator motor 2 with the power of the battery 3 to drive the engine 1 (running idle). At this time, the controller 20 controls the intake valve 15 and the exhaust valve 16, for example, with the valve timing shown in FIG. 5, so that the exhaust gas in the exhaust passage 12 is sucked into the cylinder 10 as the engine 1 is driven. Specifically, compared with the valve timing during normal operation of the engine 1 (see FIG. 6), the opening timing of the intake valve 15 is greatly retarded, and the intake valve 15 is opened before the intake bottom dead center (IVO) and closed near the compression top dead center (IVC). The exhaust valve 16 opens before the expansion bottom dead center (EVO) and closes near the exhaust top dead center (EVC), as in normal control. By controlling the valve timing of the intake valve 15 and the exhaust valve 16 in this way using the valve mechanism, it is possible to suppress the passage of outside air into the cylinder 10 and to draw exhaust gas into the cylinder 10. At this time, it is preferable to control the lift amount of the intake valve 15 to be as small as possible. When the intake valve 15 is opened, the inside of the cylinder 10 is under negative pressure, so that outside air flows into the cylinder 10. Therefore, by reducing the lift amount of the intake valve 15, it is possible to reduce the amount of outside air drawn into the cylinder 10 when the intake valve 15 is opened. More preferably, it is preferable to maintain the intake valve 15 in a closed state during the execution of the power consumption control. This can reliably prevent outside air from being drawn into the cylinder 10. Note that these can be realized by using a variable valve timing mechanism or a valve mechanism used for cylinder deactivation, etc. as the valve mechanism. In addition, the valve mechanism is not limited to a mechanical type, and may be any type such as a hydraulic type, an electric type, or an electromagnetic valve type.

In addition, during power consumption control, the controller 20 controls the rotation speed of the generator motor 2, etc., so that the amount of power consumed by driving the generator motor 2 exceeds the amount of power generated by regeneration using the traction motor 4.

In this way, when the engine 1 is driven, the exhaust gas in the exhaust passage 12 is drawn into the cylinder 10, and the drawn-in exhaust gas is discharged from the cylinder 10 into the exhaust passage 12, and this intake and discharge of the exhaust gas is repeated. Since the exhaust gas immediately after the engine 1 is stopped is hotter than the outside air, the drop in the temperature inside the cylinder 10 (in-cylinder temperature Tc) can be suppressed compared to when the engine 1 is running idle, which involves the passage of outside air.

In addition, in the power consumption control of this embodiment, the controller 20 energizes the heating device 31 of the catalyst 30 at the same time that the power consumption control is started. This heats the exhaust gas in the exhaust passage 12 near the catalyst 30. The repeated intake and exhaust of exhaust gas into the cylinder 10 as described above causes the exhaust gas in the exhaust passage 12 to flow. As a result, the exhaust gas heated by the heating device 31 near the catalyst 30 also flows, so the catalyst 30 can be warmed.

In step S4, it is determined whether the SOC of the battery 3 is equal to or less than a second predetermined value (threshold R2). Specifically, the controller 20 determines whether the SOC detected by the SOC sensor 3a is equal to or less than the second predetermined value (threshold R2). If the SOC is equal to or less than the second predetermined value (threshold R2), the power of the battery 3 has been sufficiently consumed, so the process proceeds to step S7 and the power consumption control is terminated. On the other hand, if the SOC is greater than the second predetermined value (threshold R2), the process proceeds to step S5.

In step S5, it is determined whether the temperature Th of the heating device 31 is equal to or higher than the first predetermined temperature T1. Specifically, the controller 20 determines whether the temperature Th of the heating device 31 detected by the temperature sensor 31a is equal to or higher than the first predetermined temperature T1. If the temperature Th of the heating device 31 is equal to or higher than the first predetermined temperature T1, it is determined that the heating device 31 is in an overheated state, and the process proceeds to step S7, where the power consumption control is terminated. On the other hand, if the temperature Th of the heating device 31 is lower than the first predetermined temperature T1, the process proceeds to step S6.

In step S6, it is determined whether the temperature inside the cylinder 10 (in-cylinder temperature Tc) is equal to or higher than the second predetermined temperature T2. Specifically, the controller 20 determines whether the in-cylinder temperature Tc detected by the in-cylinder temperature sensor 10a is equal to or higher than the second predetermined temperature T2. If the in-cylinder temperature Tc is equal to or higher than the second predetermined temperature T2, the process proceeds to step S7, and the power consumption control is terminated. On the other hand, if the in-cylinder temperature Tc is less than the second predetermined temperature T2, the process returns to step S4.

In step S7, the power consumption control is terminated. Specifically, the controller 20 stops driving the generator motor 2 and de-energizes the heating device 31. The controller 20 also switches the valve timing of the intake valve 15 and the exhaust valve 16 to a valve timing program used for normal operation (combustion control).

In this way, the power consumption control of this embodiment is performed until the SOC of battery 3 falls below threshold R2.

In the power consumption control of this embodiment, when the engine 1 is driven by the generator motor 2, exhaust gas in the exhaust passage 12 is taken into the cylinder 10 of the engine 1, so that outside air that is cooler than the exhaust gas can be prevented from passing through the cylinder 10. As a result, even when the engine 1 is driven by the generator motor 2, a drop in temperature in the cylinder 10 can be suppressed, so that the amount of fuel injected at the time of restart can be reduced and an increase in emissions can be suppressed.

Next, a specific example of power consumption control in this embodiment will be described with reference to the time chart in FIG.

Figure 3 shows the case where the engine 1 is driven and the generator motor 2 is generating electricity while driving downhill. Note that the dotted lines for the catalyst temperature Ts and the in-cylinder temperature Tc in Figure 3 show an example where the valve timing of the intake valve 15 and the exhaust valve 16 is not adjusted, i.e., outside air passes through the cylinder 10 when the engine 1 is running idle.

At time t1, when the SOC of the battery 3 rises to the threshold value RH, the controller 20 stops the engine 1. This stops combustion in the cylinder 10, so the in-cylinder temperature Tc gradually drops. In addition, because the engine 1 is stopped, exhaust gas is no longer discharged from the cylinder 10, so the catalyst temperature Ts also gradually drops.

At this time, the vehicle 100 is traveling downhill, so regeneration is performed by the traction motor 4. The power generated by the traction motor 4 is charged into the battery 3. As a result, the SOC of the battery 3 continues to rise.

When the SOC of the battery 3 rises to the threshold value R1 at time t2, the controller 20 starts power consumption control. Specifically, as described above, the controller 20 drives the generator motor 2 using the power of the battery 3 to drive the engine 1 (running idle). At this time, the controller 20 also adjusts the valve timing of the intake valve 15 and the exhaust valve 16 so that the exhaust gas in the exhaust passage is taken into the cylinder of the engine.

Furthermore, at time t2, the controller 20 energizes the heating device 31 of the catalyst 30.

In this way, the power of the battery 3 is used to drive the generator motor 2 and the heating device 31 is energized, consuming the power of the battery 3. At this time, regeneration by the traveling motor 4 continues.

As described above, when the engine 1 is driven (idling), the exhaust gas in the exhaust passage 12 is repeatedly drawn into the cylinder 10 and discharged from the cylinder 10. As a result, the exhaust gas heated by the heating device 31 is guided into the cylinder 10, and the in-cylinder temperature Tc rises. In addition, when the engine 1 is driven, the exhaust gas flows in the exhaust passage 12, and the catalyst temperature Ts also rises.

When the SOC of the battery 3 falls to the threshold value R2 at time t3, the controller 20 ends the power consumption control. Specifically, the controller 20 stops the drive of the generator motor 2 and puts the heating device 31 in a non-energized state. When the drive of the generator motor 2 is stopped and the heating device 31 is put in a non-energized state, the power consumption of the battery 3 ends. Therefore, even after time t3, the SOC of the battery 3 increases due to the power generated by the traction motor 4.

At time t4, when the vehicle 100 starts traveling on flat ground, regeneration by the traction motor 4 ends, and the controller 20 drives the traction motor 4 with the power of the battery 3. At this time, the SOC of the battery 3 is equal to or higher than the threshold value RL, so the engine 1 is not driven, and the vehicle 100 enters a motor driving mode in which the traction motor 4 is driven only by the power of the battery 3. At this time, because the engine 1 is not driven, the in-cylinder temperature Tc and catalyst temperature Ts further decrease. In addition, because the power of the battery 3 is consumed, the SOC of the battery 3 also decreases.

At time t5, when the SOC of the battery 3 falls to the threshold value RL, the controller 20 drives the engine 1 and starts power generation by the generator motor 2. This causes the SOC of the battery 3 to rise again. In addition, as the engine 1 is driven, the in-cylinder temperature Tc and the catalyst temperature Ts rise.

In this manner, in this embodiment, when the SOC of the battery 3 rises to the threshold value R1, power consumption control is started to consume the power of the battery 3 by driving the generator motor 2. At this time, exhaust gas in the exhaust passage 12 is taken into the cylinder 10 of the engine 1, thereby preventing outside air, which is cooler than the exhaust gas, from being drawn into the cylinder 10. This makes it possible to prevent overcharging of the battery 3 while suppressing a drop in temperature within the cylinder 10. Furthermore, by suppressing a drop in temperature within the cylinder 10, the amount of fuel injected at the time of restart can be reduced and an increase in emissions can be suppressed.

In the example shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the heating device 31 is energized when the power consumption control is being executed, but the heating device 31 does not have to be energized when the power consumption control is being executed. In this case, the in-cylinder temperature Tc and the catalyst temperature Ts cannot be increased while the power consumption control is being executed, but since the outside air does not pass through the cylinder 10, the decrease in the in-cylinder temperature Tc and the catalyst temperature Ts can be suppressed compared to when the outside air passes through the cylinder 10 (see the dashed line in FIG. 4).

It is preferable to adjust the volume of the cylinder 10 or the piping length or diameter of the exhaust passage 12 so that the amount of exhaust gas drawn into the cylinder 10 is greater than the volume of the exhaust passage 12 from the outlet port of the engine 1 to the inlet of the catalyst 30. In this case, the exhaust gas warmed by the heating device 31 can be drawn into the cylinder 10, so that the cylinder 10 can be warmed more effectively.

Even if the amount of exhaust gas drawn into the cylinder 10 is less than the capacity of the exhaust passage 12 from the outlet port of the engine 1 to the inlet of the catalyst 30, the exhaust gas can be made to flow near the catalyst 30, so overheating of the heating device 31 can be suppressed and the catalyst 30 can be warmed.

The configuration, operation, and effects of the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above are now explained.

The vehicle 100 includes an engine 1 having an intake valve 15 and an exhaust valve 16, a first motor (generator motor 2) that generates electricity using power from the engine 1, a battery 3 that is charged with the electricity generated by the first motor (generator motor 2), and a second motor (travel motor 4) that drives wheels 5 using power supplied from the battery 3 and generates electricity using power from the wheels 5.

When the charging rate (SOC) of the battery 3 rises to a first predetermined value (threshold value R1) while the engine 1 is stopped, the controller 20 (control device) that controls the vehicle 100 drives the engine 1 using the first motor (generator motor 2) and adjusts the valve timing of the intake valve 15 and exhaust valve 16 to perform power consumption control that draws exhaust gas in the exhaust passage 12 into the cylinder 10 of the engine 1.

In this configuration, exhaust gas in the exhaust passage 12 is taken into the cylinder 10 of the engine 1, so that outside air that is cooler than the exhaust gas can be prevented from passing through the cylinder 10. As a result, even when the engine 1 is driven by the first motor (generator motor 2), overcharging of the battery 3 can be prevented while suppressing a drop in temperature inside the cylinder 10, so that the amount of fuel injected at restart can be reduced and an increase in emissions can be suppressed.

In addition, the controller 20 terminates power consumption control when the state of charge (SOC) of the battery 3 drops to a second predetermined value (threshold value R2).

This configuration prevents the SOC of the battery 3 from being discharged excessively. This reduces the amount of power generated by the engine 1, preventing a deterioration in fuel economy.

The vehicle 100 further includes an electric catalyst (catalyst 30) that is provided in the exhaust passage 12 and purifies exhaust gas discharged into the atmosphere, and has a heating device 31 that is heated by the power of the battery 3. The controller 20 also keeps the heating device 31 in an energized state while the power consumption control is being executed.

When power consumption control is being executed, the exhaust gas near the heating device 31 can be heated by energizing the heating device 31. At this time, the engine 1 is running idle, so the exhaust gas in the exhaust passage 12 flows. This allows the exhaust gas near the electrically heated catalyst (catalyst 30) to flow, preventing overheating of the heating device 31 and warming the catalyst 30. Furthermore, since the heated exhaust gas can be flowed in the exhaust passage 12, the generation of condensed water can be suppressed.

The controller 20 terminates power consumption control when the heating device 31 reaches the first predetermined temperature T1.

This configuration prevents the heating device 31 from overheating and thus prevents damage to the heating device 31.

In the vehicle 100, the amount of exhaust gas drawn into the cylinder 10 is greater than the volume of the exhaust passage 12 from the outlet port of the engine 1 to the inlet of the electrothermal catalyst (catalyst 30).

In this configuration, the exhaust gas warmed by the heating device 31 can be drawn into the cylinder 10, so the cylinder 10 can be warmed more effectively.

In the vehicle 100, the amount of exhaust gas drawn into the cylinder 10 is equal to or less than the capacity of the exhaust passage 12 from the outlet port of the engine 1 to the inlet of the electrothermal catalyst (catalyst 30).

In this configuration, the exhaust gas can be made to flow near the electrically heated catalyst (catalyst 30), which prevents the heating device 31 from overheating and allows the catalyst 30 to be warmed.

The controller 20 terminates the power consumption control when the temperature inside the cylinder 10 (inner cylinder temperature Tc) rises to the second predetermined temperature T2.

In this configuration, even if the temperature sensor 31a that detects the temperature Th of the heating device 31 is broken, overheating of the heating device 31 can be detected by detecting the temperature inside the cylinder 10 (inner cylinder temperature Tc). This improves the reliability of the device.

The controller 20 keeps the intake valve 15 closed while power consumption control is being performed.

In this configuration, the intake valve 15 is closed while power consumption control is being performed, so exhaust gas does not flow into the intake passage 11. In addition, by maintaining the intake valve 15 in a closed state, it is possible to prevent oxygen (outside air) from being introduced to the catalyst 30 through the cylinder 10 and the exhaust passage 12. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in catalyst performance when the engine 1 is restarted.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above embodiments merely show some of the application examples of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific configurations of the above embodiments.

In the above embodiment, the condition for executing the power consumption control is that the SOC is equal to or greater than the first predetermined value (threshold R1), but this is not limited to this. For example, the power consumption control may be executed when the SOC is expected to rise to the first predetermined value (threshold R1) based on the rate of increase of the SOC, or based on the amount of power generation estimated from the vehicle speed and the inclination angle of the vehicle 100, etc.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the condition for terminating the power consumption control is that the SOC is equal to or greater than the second predetermined value (threshold value R2), but this is not limited to this. For example, the power consumption control may be terminated when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the power consumption control.

The catalyst 30 and the heating device 31 may be configured separately or as an integrated unit.

In addition, the cylinder temperature Tc and the temperature Th of the heating device 31 may be estimated values calculated rather than being values detected by a sensor.

100 Vehicle 1 Engine 2 Generator motor (first motor)
3 Battery 3a SOC sensor 4 Travel motor (second motor)
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Cylinder 10a Cylinder temperature sensor 11 Intake passage 12 Exhaust passage 15 Intake valve 16 Exhaust valve 20 Controller (control device)
30 catalyst 31 heating device 31a temperature sensor

Claims (6)

an engine having an intake valve and an exhaust valve;
A first motor that generates electricity using power from the engine;
a battery that is charged with electric power generated by the first motor;
a second motor that drives a drive wheel by electric power supplied from the battery and generates electric power by power from the drive wheel;
A method for controlling a vehicle including an electric catalyst provided in an exhaust passage for purifying exhaust gas discharged into the atmosphere and having a heating device heated by electric power from the battery, comprising :
when the charging rate of the battery increases to a first predetermined value while the engine is stopped, the engine is driven by the first motor, and valve timings of the intake valve and the exhaust valve are adjusted to perform power consumption control to introduce exhaust gas in the exhaust passage into a cylinder of the engine ;
During the power consumption control, the heating device is energized;
A vehicle control method comprising : terminating the power consumption control when the heating device has risen to a first predetermined temperature, or when the temperature inside the cylinder has risen to a second predetermined temperature . A method for controlling a vehicle according to claim 1, comprising:
A vehicle control method comprising: terminating the power consumption control when the charging rate of the battery drops to a second predetermined value. A method for controlling a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2 , comprising:
11. A method for controlling a vehicle, wherein an amount of exhaust gas drawn into the cylinder is greater than a volume of the exhaust passage from an outlet port of the engine to an inlet of the electrically heated catalyst. A method for controlling a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2 , comprising:
2. A vehicle control method, comprising: a control unit for controlling a vehicle in which an amount of exhaust gas drawn into the cylinder is equal to or less than a capacity of the exhaust passage from an outlet port of the engine to an inlet of the electrically heated catalyst. A method for controlling a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , comprising:
a control method for a vehicle, the control method comprising: maintaining the intake valve in a closed state while the power consumption control is being performed. an engine having an intake valve and an exhaust valve;
A first motor that generates electricity using power from the engine;
a battery that is charged with electric power generated by the first motor;
a second motor that drives a drive wheel by electric power supplied from the battery and generates electric power by power from the drive wheel;
A control device for a vehicle that controls a vehicle equipped with an electric catalyst that is provided in an exhaust passage, purifies exhaust gas to be released into the atmosphere, and has a heating device that is heated by electric power from the battery,
when the charging rate of the battery increases to a first predetermined value while the engine is stopped, the engine is driven by the first motor, and valve timings of the intake valve and the exhaust valve are adjusted to perform power consumption control to introduce exhaust gas in the exhaust passage into a cylinder of the engine ;
During the power consumption control, the heating device is energized;
A vehicle control device comprising: a control unit that terminates the power consumption control when the heating device has risen to a first predetermined temperature, or when the temperature inside the cylinder has risen to a second predetermined temperature .

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