An electric power-steering device has a speed-reducing mechanism (17) for reducing the speed of an output shaft (16) of an electric motor (15). The speed-reducing mechanism (17) has an internal gear (39) engaged and rotated with the output shaft (16) and an external gear (40) with which the internal gear (39) internally meshes. A drive pulley (41) rotatable together with the external gear (40) and a driven pulley (42) provided so as to surround a steering shaft are connected by an endless belt (43). Speed reduction is obtained by the internal gear (39) and the external gear (40), and the speed-reducing mechanism (17) as a whole achieves a high reduction ratio without greatly reducing the diameter of the drive pulley (41).

Electric power-steering device

An air-fuel ratio control system for an internal combustion engine includes a LAF sensor and an O2 sensor arranged in an exhaust pipe at respective locations upstream and downstream of a catalytic converter. A desired air-fuel ratio coefficient used in calculating an amount of fuel supplied to the engine is calculated based on operating conditions of the engine, and corrected based on output from the O2 sensor. The air-fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to the engine is feedback-controlled to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio based on the corrected desired air-fuel ratio coefficient. When the output from the O2 sensor falls within a predetermined range, the desired air-fuel ratio coefficient is not corrected, but held at an immediately preceding value thereof.

Air-fuel ratio control system for internal combustion engines

A powertrain for a vehicle is of the combined serial and parallel hybrid type. It comprises a thermal engine (403), an electric generator/motor (409) mechanically coupled to the output shaft of the engine, a clutch (407) which can connect the two portions of the output shaft rigidly to each other, and an electric motor (401) mechanically connected to the distant portion of the output shaft. Both the generator/motor (409) and the electric motor (401) can be driven by the engine to charge an electric accumulator (404) and can receive electric power therefrom to provide extra torque to the output shaft. The output shaft of the engine drives the wheels of the vehicle through a differential. A mechanical gearbox (406) connects the output shaft to the differential and wheels (408). The use of a gearbox and two electric motors significantly improves the total performance of the powertrain. In the powertrain standard components already used for driving vehicles can be used.

A hybrid powertrain

An ECU (800) includes an abnormality determination unit (810), a condition determination unit (820) and a running control unit (830). The abnormality determination unit (810) determines whether or not there is an abnormality (shift pattern abnormality) in a combination of shift signals provided from a shift position sensor. After occurrence of the shift pattern abnormality is determined, the condition determination unit (820) determines whether or not a first condition that a shift pattern changes into a normal pattern of a drive range is satisfied, and whether or not a second condition that a vehicle is running (a driver has an intention to cause the vehicle to run) is satisfied. When occurrence of the shift pattern abnormality is determined, the running control unit (830) stops generation of driving force of the vehicle and prohibits switching to the drive range. When the condition determination unit (820) determines that the above-mentioned first condition and second condition are satisfied after occurrence of the shift pattern abnormality is determined, the running control unit (830) switches the shift range to the drive range indicated by the shift pattern and recovers the driving force.

Vehicle control device

In a spark ignition type internal combustion engine that includes a variable compression ratio mechanism A capable of changing the mechanical compression ratio, and a variable valve mechanism B capable of changing valve characteristics of an intake valve or an exhaust valve, the variable valve mechanism is mechanically coupled to the variable compression ratio mechanism, and the variable valve mechanism is controlled in accordance with the compression ratio-changing operation amount of the variable compression ratio mechanism. The variable valve mechanism is coupled to the variable compression ratio mechanism without intervention of an electronic control unit. Therefore, the possibility of the interference between a piston and an intake valve resulting from an abnormality in a control system that includes an electronic control unit as an intervening unit can be eliminated.

Spark ignition type internal combustion engine

In a hybrid vehicle of the present invention, an engine EG is subjected to feedback control to attain a target revolving speed NE*. In the case of malfunction of an inverter P 1 for a generator GN, operation of the inverter P 1 is stopped. When the generator GN is driven to rotate at a predetermined rotational speed, a counter electromotive force arises in a multiphase phase coil of the generator GN. When a motor MG is connected to the generator GN as a loading, electric current runs via a protection diode of the inverter P 1 to implement power generation by the generator GN. The electric power generated by the generator GN is directly consumed by the motor MG. This arrangement enables the quantity of power generation to balance the quantity of consumption. Here the revolving speed of the engine EG is varied according to the loading applied to the vehicle. The arrangement of the present invention thus enables the amount of electric power generated by one of the generator GN and the motor MG to balance the amount of electric power consumed by the other of the generator GN and the motor MG, thus attaining a drive of the hybrid vehicle without using a secondary battery.

Hybrid vehicle and method of controlling hybrid vehicle

A hybrid drive system for a motor vehicle, including an engine operated by combustion of a fuel, a first motor/generator, a distributing mechanism for mechanically distributing an output of the engine to the first motor/generator and an output member, a second motor/generator whose rotary force is transferred to a power transmitting path between the output member and a drive wheel of the motor vehicle, and wherein an engine starting device is provided for operating the first motor/generator to crank the engine through the distributing mechanism, for thereby starting the engine.

Hybrid vehicle drive system having two motor generator units and engine starting means

In one embodiment, a total pilot injection amount is calculated from the difference between a compressed gas temperature in a cylinder and a fuel self-ignition temperature. As pilot injection, a plurality of instances of divided pilot injection are performed, and by setting the injection amount per one instance of divided pilot injection to an injector minimum limit injection amount, each divided pilot injection amount is suppressed, and the penetration of fuel is suppressed to a low level so that attachment of fuel to a wall face is avoided, and also, fuel is caused to accumulate in the center portion of the cylinder.

Fuel injection control apparatus of internal combustion engine

Development of the Fuel Cell System in the Mirai FCV

The technique of the present invention prevents endless circulation of reset operations of CPUs in a control system including a plurality of CPUs that mutually monitor the opposite CPUs. The plurality of CPUs, which are connected with one another and include a first CPU ( 272 ) and a second CPU ( 262 ), are utilize to control operations of prime movers. The first CPU ( 272 ) has a first reset execution unit that carries out a first reset event, which resets a circuit configuration of a predetermined range including the second CPU ( 262 ) in response to input of a reset signal. The second CPU ( 262 ) has a second reset execution unit that does not output the reset signal to the first CPU ( 272 ) in response to the reset of the second CPU ( 262 ) by the first reset event but outputs the reset signal to the first CPU ( 272 ) in response to detection of abnormality arising in the first CPU ( 272 ).

Mitsuhiro Nada

Papers

Hybrid vehicle and method of controlling hybrid vehicle

Hybrid vehicle drive system having two motor generator units and engine starting means

Fuel injection control apparatus of internal combustion engine

Development of the Fuel Cell System in the Mirai FCV

Technique of monitoring abnormality in plurality of CPUs or controllers