Denso Corporation

Nippondenso Co., Ltd.

Yasuhiro Takase

Fuyuki Maehara

Wakako Kanazawa

Tadatoshi Asada

Makoto Taniguchi

Hiroshi Shibata

Toshinori Maruyama

Koji Tanaka

Hiroaki Ishikawa

Takatoshi Inokuchi

Atsushi Ichikawa

The power generation controller, which is for regulating an output voltage of a vehicle generator or a battery voltage of a vehicle battery charged by the vehicle generator by controlling an excitation current flowing into an excitation winding of the vehicle generator, includes a switching element connected in series between an output terminal of the vehicle generator and the excitation winding, a voltage control circuit on/off controlling the switching element such that one of the output voltage of the vehicle generator and the battery voltage is kept at a target voltage, and a contact abnormality detector circuit detecting a voltage of the output terminal as the output voltage of the vehicle generator, and detecting abnormality in a contact state between the power generation controller and the output terminal on the basis of the detected output voltage of the vehicle generator.

Power generation controller

A power generating system for a vehicle is configured to include a power generator, a voltage control device which controls an output voltage of the power generator, a battery which is charged by output power of the power generator, and an ECU which transmits a power generation suppression signal for suppressing power generation by the power generator when a predetermined condition is satisfied toward the voltage control device. The ECU detects a state of the battery, and inhibits transmission of the power generation suppression signal when quantity of this state is below a predetermined value.

Electric power generating system for a vehicle

A permanent magnet made of ferrite magnet material used for a generator may be irreversibly demagnetized by a factor such as current supplied to a field coil, temperature of the permanent magnet and/or output current of an armature coil. When the field current exceeds a preset value, and also the output current exceeds a preset value, the field current is limited to prevent the irreversible demagnetization. Thus, the irreversible demagnetization of the permanent magnet can be prevented, while ensuring a sufficient amount of the output power. It is also effective that the field current or armature current is limited when the temperature of the permanent magnet is in a range of possible irreversible demagnetization.

Generating system including generator having permanent magnet

To provide a vehicle power generating apparatus capable of transmitting plural kinds of control signals from an external control device to a generated voltage control unit provided in a generator for power generation control while curbing increases in the size of apparatus or wiring required and without degrading the noise reduction characteristics, a generated voltage control device is normally disposed integrally with a generator for maintaining the generated voltage at a predetermined target level. For transmission of a vehicle condition signal from an external control device to the generated voltage control device, the vehicle condition signal is converted into a binary pulse train signal before being transmitted. The generated voltage control device holds the binary pulse train signal received or a vehicle condition signal decoded from the binary pulse signal until the next reception. Thereby, complicated power generation control can be achieved with a small amount of communications.

Vehicle power generating apparatus

Duty ratio of a power switching transistor connected to the field coil is controlled according to whether or not a high-power load is connected. When the high power load is not connected, the duty ratio is made 60%, for example, so that excessive power not generated. On the other hand, when the high power load is connected, the duty ratio is increased to 100% so that full power is generated by the generator. The power switching transistor is also controlled according to the battery voltage in a well known manner.

Duty ratio control for a vehicular generator responsive to low and high

The rotor of a generator is provided with permanent magnets to ensure start-up of electricity generation without externally supplied field current after a vehicle engine starts. When the generation is detected, the external field current is supplied from a battery so that the battery is charged by the generator, thereby to prevent battery discharge in a low speed range.

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Kariya, Japan

Yasuhiro Takase