Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Denso Corporation

Nippon Soken, Inc.

Yuki Jojima

Yoshiaki Kawakami

Eizo Takahashi

Kousuke Sato

Kazuhide Uchida

Yuichi Ohno

Shuichi Iwata

Hitoshi Imura

Hiromi Yamasaki

Tomoo Yamabuki

Takanori Kawashima

Yasuhiro Kawase

A diagnostic device for a current sensor disclosed herein may include an AC power calculation unit, a DC power calculation unit, and a determination unit. The AC power calculation unit may be configured to calculate AC power outputted from the inverter based on a measurement value measured by the current sensor. The DC power calculation unit may be configured to calculate DC power outputted from a DC power source that supplies power to the inverter. The determination unit may be configured to output a signal for notifying occurrence of an abnormality of the current sensor in a case where a difference between the calculated AC power and the calculated DC power is larger than a predetermined threshold.

Diagnostic device for current sensor

An electric vehicle includes: a motor for traveling; a transmission connected to the motor; a battery; an inverter configured to convert direct-current power output by the battery, into alternating-current power for driving the motor; a capacitor connected between a positive electrode of direct-current input terminals of the inverter and a negative electrode of the direct-current input terminals of the inverter; and a controller configured to change a gear stage of the transmission when both of a condition i) and a condition ii) are satisfied. The condition i) is a condition that the rotation speed of the motor is in a predetermined range. The condition ii) is a condition that the output of the motor exceeds a predetermined output threshold.

Electric vehicle and control method for electric vehicle

A power converter may include four power modules and a bus bar connecting the four power modules, wherein the bus bar may include: a first bus bar piece connecting a negative terminal of a first power module and a positive terminal of a second power module adjacent to the first power module; a second bus bar piece connecting a negative terminal of a third power module and a positive terminal of a fourth power module adjacent to the third power module; and a plurality of connecting bus bar pieces connecting the first bus bar piece and the second bus bar piece. At least one of the connecting bus bar pieces may connect a center of the first bus bar piece and a center of the second bus bar piece.

Power converter

A power converter may include a first and second housings, each of which houses switching elements connected in parallel. Each of the first and the second housings may be provided with a first surface and a second surface. The first and the second housings may be arranged face to face. In each of the first and the second housings, the switching elements may be aligned in an alignment direction which is parallel to both of the first and the second surfaces. An emitter terminal or a source terminal of parallel connection of the switching elements may extend from the second surface at a position equidistant from the switching elements positioned at both ends in the alignment direction among the plurality of switching elements. A collector terminal or a drain terminal of the parallel connection may be positioned adjacent to the emitter or the source terminal in the alignment direction.

A power converter disclosed herein may include power conversion circuits connected in parallel and a cutoff switch provided in each of the power conversion circuits. The cutoff switch may be configured to cut off connection of corresponding one of the power conversion circuits from other power conversion circuit. In the power converter disclosed herein, the cutoff switches of the power conversion circuits may be housed in a first module.

A mounting structure for a power converter in a vehicle is provided. The power converter includes a plurality of voltage converter circuits connected in parallel, and each of the plurality of voltage converter circuits includes a reactor, in which the power converter includes: a main body containing at least one of the reactors and a switching device of the voltage converter circuits; and a sub-body containing remaining reactors, the sub-body being electrically connected to the main body by a cable. The main body is fixed to a vehicle body via a bracket in a front compartment such that a gap is provided below the main body, and the sub-body is connected to a lateral side of the main body in a vehicle width direction such that a front end of the sub-body aligns with a front end of the main body.

Mounting structure for power converter in vehicle

A power supply device includes first and second electric power lines, first and second boost converters, and an electronic control unit. The first and second electric power lines are connected to a load and a battery, respectively. The first and second boost converters each transfer electric power between the second and first electric power lines while changing a voltage of the electric power. The electronic control unit is configured to execute both-side driving when a temperature of the battery is equal to or more than a specified temperature and to execute one-side driving when the temperature is less than the specified temperature. The electronic control unit is configured to drive switching elements of the first and second boost converters with driving signals different in phase to execute the both-side driving, and to drive one of the first and second boost converters to execute the one-side driving.

Power supply device

A cooling system () that cools an HV apparatus () includes a compressor () that circulates a refrigerant, a heat exchanger () that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and outside air, an expansion valve () that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant, a heat exchanger () that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and air-conditioning air, a cooling portion () that cools the HV apparatus () using the refrigerant that flows between the heat exchanger () and the expansion valve (), and a gas accumulator () that retains a gas-phase refrigerant gasified by heat exchange with the HV apparatus () in the cooling portion ().

Cooling system utilizing a portion of the liquid refrigerant from the condenser

A heat exchanging system exchanging heat between refrigerant and a battery includes: a compressor circulating refrigerant; a heat exchanger exchanging heat between the refrigerant and outside air; an expansion valve decompressing the refrigerant; a heat exchanger exchanging heat between the refrigerant and air-conditioning air; a heat exchanging portion connected in parallel with the heat exchanger and exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the battery; a bypass passage providing fluid communication between a path of the refrigerant between the compressor and the heat exchanger and a path of the refrigerant between the expansion valve and the heat exchanger; an expansion valve provided in the bypass passage and decompressing the refrigerant flowing through the bypass passage; and a selector valve allowing or interrupting flow of the refrigerant via the bypass passage.

Heat exchanging system that exchanges heat between refrigerant and a temperature regulated portion

A power supply device includes: a first electric power line; a second electric power line; a first boost converter; a second boost converter; a first current sensor; a second current sensor; a third current sensor; and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to determine that a third switching element of the second boost converter has an on-failure when a battery current is a value at a time of being discharged from a battery, a first reactor current is a value at a time of passing from a side of a second positive electrode line to a side of a first center point, and a second reactor current is a value at a time of passing from a side of a second center point to a side of a second positive electrode line.

A cooling system for cooling a hybrid vehicle apparatus includes a compressor that circulates a refrigerant, a first heat exchanger that carries out heat exchange between the refrigerant and outside air, an expansion valve that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant, a second heat exchanger that carries out heat exchange between the refrigerant and air-conditioning air, a cooling portion that cools the hybrid vehicle apparatus using the refrigerant that flows between the heat exchanger and the expansion valve, a gas-liquid separator that separates the refrigerant that flows between the heat exchanger and the cooling portion into a liquid-phase refrigerant and a gas-phase refrigerant, and a liquid accumulator that is provided between the gas-liquid separator and the cooling portion, and that retains the liquid-phase refrigerant separated by the gas-liquid separator.

Cooling system

A cooling system that cools HV equipment includes a compressor that circulates refrigerant, a condenser that condenses the refrigerant, a gas-liquid separator that stores the refrigerant in liquid form that is condensed by the condenser, an expansion valve that reduces a pressure of the refrigerant, an evaporator that vaporizes the refrigerant that is reduced in pressure by the expansion valve, a first passage and a second passage through which the refrigerant flows from the gas-liquid separator toward the expansion valve, and that are provided in parallel, and a cooling portion that is provided along the second passage and cools the heat source using the refrigerant. The refrigerant in liquid form flows from the gas-liquid separator through the second passage.

Cooling system with controlled apportioning of the cooled high pressure refrigerant between the condenser and the expansion valve

Exemplary embodiments of a cooling apparatus cool a charger for charging a storage battery upon reception of a supply of power from a power supply. Exemplary embodiments include a compressor that circulates a refrigerant, a cooling unit provided on a path along which the refrigerant flows between the heat exchanger and the expansion valve to cool the charger using the refrigerant, a refrigerant passage through which the refrigerant flows between the compressor and the heat exchanger, a refrigerant passage through which the refrigerant flows between the cooling unit and the expansion valve, and a connecting passage connecting the refrigerant passage and the refrigerant passage. When heating occurs, frost formation can be suppressed without increasing configuration complexity and power consumption.

Hybrid vehicle battery charging cooling apparatus

A selector valve includes: a first valve element having a through-hole; a first housing having a radial hole through which fluid flowing though the through-hole passes, the first housing accommodating the first valve element; a second valve element having a through-hole; a second housing having radial holes through which fluid flowing through the through-hole passes, the second housing accommodating the second valve element; and a motor configured to integrally actuate the first valve element and the second valve element. A hollow space configured to suppress transfer of heat between the first valve element and the second valve element is formed between the first valve element and the second valve element. A hollow space configured to suppress transfer of heat between the first housing and the second housing is formed between the first housing and the second housing.

Selector valve and cooling system

A cooling system includes: a compressor that circulates refrigerant; a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and outside air; a cooling portion that uses the refrigerant to cool the heat generating source; a first line through which the refrigerant, which has been discharged from the compressor, flows to the cooling portion; a second line through which the refrigerant circulates between the heat exchanger and the cooling portion; and a selector valve that switches between fluid communication of the first line and fluid communication of the second line. A control device includes a detecting unit configured to detect an abnormality of the compressor; and a switching unit configured to switch the selector valve to interrupt the fluid communication of the first line and to allow the fluid communication of the second line when the abnormality has been detected by the detecting unit.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Yuki Jojima