Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Ngk Insulators, Inc.

Keita Hashimoto

Shinji Ichikawa

Shigeki Kinomura

Yusuke Kinoshita

Hiroaki Takeuchi

Akio Uotani

Kazuyuki Kagawa

Ryuta Ishida

Hiroaki Arakawa

Takahiro Suzuki

Yoshiyuki Kasai

Shingo Korenaga

Masaru Kakinohana

Tsuyoshi Watanabe

Tadato Ito

Yasuharu Terada

Takeo Kobayashi

Katsumi Tsuchida

Yuki Hamasaki

The number of opportunities where external charging of a vehicle parked in a residential parking space or a charging station in a predetermined period is available is counted as the number of opportunities, and the number of times of the external charging performed in the opportunities in the same predetermined period is counted as the number of times of charging. The number of times of charging is then divided by the number of opportunities to calculate and store a charging frequency. Since the charging frequency is a ratio of the number of times that the external charging was performed to the number of opportunities where the external charging is available in the predetermined period, the ratio is used as an index that can offer more accurate determination regarding an external charging utilization status. As a result, various processing to promote external charging are executed more properly.

Hybrid vehicle

A control device executes abnormality detection processing for detecting an abnormality of a current sensor. The abnormality detection processing includes first processing which is executed in a case where, during reception of electric power from a power supply, a state of charge of a power storage device is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount and electric power is supplied to an electrically heated catalyst device. The first processing includes processing for detecting an abnormality of the current sensor by estimating a current supplied to the electrically heated catalyst device using a detection value of a charging current sensor and comparing the estimated value with a detection value of the current sensor.

Abnormality detection of current sensor for electrically heated catalyst device in hybrid vehicle

A utilization index IDX is calculated based on one or more parameters (the number of times of charging/the number of trips, total battery charger connection time/total vehicle stop time, total EV traveling distance/total HV traveling distance, total EV traveling time/total HV traveling time, total EV traveling distance/total traveling distance, total EV traveling time/total traveling time, total charge amount/total fuel supply quantity) obtained based on a ratio of an EV traveling utilization level to an HV traveling utilization level or a total traveling utilization level, and the utilization index IDX is stored. Since the utilization index IDX is calculated such that as each parameter is larger, utilization of charging of a battery by a battery charger is performed more sufficiently. Accordingly, the utilization index IDX can be used as an index that offers more accurate determination regarding a utilization status of the battery charging.

In an electrically heated catalyst which is arranged in an exhaust passage, electric leakage is suppressed as much as possible. The electrically heated catalyst comprising: a heat generation element; an electrode; a case; an electrode chamber; and an electrically insulating holding member that is inserted between the outer peripheral surface of the heat generation element and the case, and has an abutment joint portion formed by a pair of end faces which connect from an upstream side end portion to a downstream side end portion of the holding member, and which are arranged in opposition to each other, and an opening portion which is constructed so as to form a predetermined space connected with the electrode chamber in the surrounding of the electrode. The abutment joint portion is arranged in a position which excludes the opening portion, and in which it is not exposed to the electrode chamber.

Electrically heated catalyst

A hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a fuel tank, a motor, a battery, a charger, and a notification mechanism. The battery is configured to supply electric power to the motor. The charger is configured to carry out external charging that charges the battery by use of electric power from an external power source. The notification mechanism is configured to notify, to an outside of the vehicle, information on a use index indicative of a degree of use of external charging in a predetermined time period.

Hybrid vehicle having notification mechanism

When a use index indicative of a degree of use of external charging is less than a threshold, an electronic control unit determines that the degree of use of external charging is low, and executes a charging guide control to promote the use of external charging at the time of parking at a battery charging point, such as at home or in a battery charging station, where the external charging is performable. Hereby, it is possible to promote a driver to use external charging at the time of parking at the battery charging point. As a result, the use of external charging can be promoted.

Hybrid vehicle, cooperation system, and control method for hybrid vehicle

A use index IDX indicative of a degree of use of external charging is calculated and transmitted to a vehicle external system. The vehicle external system provides a service or imposes a penalty based on the use index IDX. In a case where the degree of use of external charging is determined to be low based on the use index IDX, if the vehicle external system provides a non-preferential service or imposes a heavy penalty as compared with a case where the degree of use of external charging is determined to be high, a driver or an owner of a vehicle takes an action by which the use index is determined to indicate a high degree of use of external charging. As a result, the use of external charging can be promoted.

An electrically heated catalyst device has a catalyst that purifies exhaust gas from an engine, and is configured to heat the catalyst with electric power that is supplied from an electric storage device. A current sensor detects a current that is supplied to the electrically heated catalyst device. A current sensor detects an input/output current of the electric storage device. A controller executes failure determination control to determine whether the current sensor has a failure. In the failure determination control, the controller estimates a current that is supplied to the electrically heated catalyst device using a detection value of the current sensor and compares the estimated current with a detection value of the current sensor to determine whether the current sensor has a failure.

An EHC is configured to electrically heat a catalyst that purifies exhaust gas from an exhaust path of an internal combustion engine mounted on an electrically-powered vehicle, when a current passes through the EHC. A charger converts AC electric power supplied from an external power supply to a charging port into charging power of a power storage device by a power conversion path including an insulating transformer. The EHC is electrically connected to power lines which are provided on the primary side of the insulating transformer on the power conversion path, and to which a DC voltage is output. In a case where the EHC is operated when the vehicle travels, the charger converts the electric power from the power storage device into the DC voltage output to the power lines connected to the EHC, by a part of inverse conversion of power conversion at the time of external charging.

Electrically-powered vehicle

An ECU executes a program including the steps of: determining whether an insulation resistance Ri is smaller than a threshold value Ri(); if the insulation resistance Ri is smaller than the threshold value Ri(), determining whether there is electric leakage between a vehicular body and an EHC and whether there is a possibility that there is electric leakage at a location other than a location between the vehicular body and the EHC; and if there is electric leakage between the vehicular body and the EHC, performing heating control.

Vehicle and vehicular control method

A vehicle includes an engine, an electrically heated catalyst configured to purify exhaust gas of the engine, and a controller configured to control energizing power to the electrically heated catalyst. The controller is configured to determine the energizing power based on a vehicle speed of the vehicle and an acceleration of the vehicle, when energizing the electrically heated catalyst before the engine is started.

Vehicle and control method of vehicle

To provide a catalytic converter that reduces non-uniformity of temperature of a catalyst support and that can approach a uniform temperature distribution, and a structural body for supporting a catalyst that structures this catalytic converter. At a catalyst support, gradually decreasing width portions, at which a width thereof gradually decreases toward electrode centers, are formed at regions where electrodes, are contactingly disposed, as seen in a cross-section orthogonal to a direction in which exhaust flows. The width is shorter than a length of a center line at a given position. Heat generation and heat dissipation of the catalyst support are balanced overall.

Structural body for supporting a catalyst, and catalytic converter

In a plug-in hybrid vehicle that includes an EHC, an ECU eliminates a sulfur poisoned state by supplying external electric power to the EHC when it is necessary to eliminate a state in which adhesion to a catalyst in the EHC degrades a function of the catalyst and external charging is being performed. On the other hand, when it is necessary to eliminate the sulfur poisoned state, the external charging is not being performed, and operation of an engine is permitted, the sulfur poisoned state is eliminated by operating the engine.

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Toyota, Japan

Keita Hashimoto