WO2021117217A1

WO2021117217A1 - Straddled vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2021117217A1
Application number: PCT/JP2019/048901
Authority: WO
Inventors: 日野　陽至
Original assignee: ヤマハ発動機株式会社
Priority date: 2019-12-13
Filing date: 2019-12-13
Publication date: 2021-06-17
Also published as: JP7340035B2; WO2021117739A1; JPWO2021117739A1; TW202128472A; TWI764427B

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a straddled vehicle which can increase the utilization frequency of a capacitor as a power supply for starting an engine. This straddled vehicle comprises: wheels; an engine and a permanent magnet-type generator; an inverter; a capacitor; a battery; and a charging path switching circuit. The charging path switching circuit is electrically connected to the inverter, the permanent magnet-type generator, and a power storage device, and disconnects the electrical connection between the inverter and the capacitor in at least a part of a period in which the battery is charged with power that is output from the inverter by power generation of the permanent magnet-type generator.

Description

Straddle vehicle

The present invention relates to a saddle-mounted vehicle.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a motorcycle. The motorcycle of Patent Document 1 includes an ACG starter (alternating current generator starter), a battery, and a capacitor.
In the motorcycle of Patent Document 1, the battery and the capacitor connected to the battery are charged by the generated power of the ACG starter without boost chopper control during the operation of the engine. When the engine starts, the battery and capacitors power the ACG starter. The engine is started by the operation of the ACG starter.

International Publication No. 2018/173981

In saddle-mounted vehicles, it is required to increase the frequency of utilization of capacitors as a power source for starting the engine.

An object of the present invention is to provide a saddle-type vehicle capable of increasing the frequency of utilization of a capacitor as a power source for starting an engine.

According to the saddle-mounted vehicle of Patent Document 1, the battery and the capacitor receive a voltage generated by the generated power of the ACG starter while the engine is running.
However, batteries and capacitors differ from each other in charging speed and changes in voltage associated with charging. The voltage of the capacitor is proportional to the amount of charge charged. On the other hand, the voltage of the battery has a correlation with the amount of electric charge to be charged, but the amount of increase in the voltage during charging is smaller than that of the capacitor. Batteries usually have a larger charge capacity than capacitors.
When the engine starts, the charge of the battery and capacitor is consumed and the voltage drops. The battery and capacitor are charged after the engine is started. For example, when the battery and the capacitor are charged independently, the capacitor is fully charged in a relatively short time, and the voltage of the capacitor reaches the supply power generation. On the other hand, the battery takes a long time to be fully charged. In addition, the voltage rise of the battery with charging is gradual.
The voltage of the capacitor shown in Patent Document 1 is affected by the voltage of the battery. More specifically, the voltage of the capacitor is constrained by the gradually rising battery voltage. As a result, unlike the case where the capacitor is charged alone, it takes a long time until the capacitor is fully charged. That is, the capacitor is unlikely to be fully charged.
As a result, the next time the engine is started, a situation is likely to occur in which power is supplied to the ACG starter from a capacitor that is not fully charged. Therefore, the frequency of using the capacitor tends to be low.

The present inventor deliberately considered disconnecting the electrical connection of the capacitor in order to increase the frequency of utilization of the capacitor as a power source for starting the engine. More specifically, I tried disconnecting the electrical connection between the inverter and the capacitor for at least part of the battery charging period. As a result, the influence of the battery voltage on the capacitor voltage can be reduced. The state of charge of the capacitor can be maintained even while the battery is charged by the electric power output from the inverter and the voltage of the battery is rising. As a result, the frequency of utilization of the capacitor as a power source for starting the engine can be increased.

The vehicle according to each viewpoint of the present invention completed based on the above findings has the following configurations.

(1) It is a saddle-mounted vehicle.
The saddle-mounted vehicle is
With wheels
An engine that has a crankshaft and outputs torque for driving the wheels generated by the combustion operation of gas from the crankshaft.
A permanent magnet generator provided at one end of the crankshaft, having a permanent magnet, starting the engine by rotating the crankshaft, and generating electricity by being driven by the engine.
An inverter equipped with a plurality of switching units for controlling the current output from the permanent magnet generator, and
A capacitor having a capacitance capable of charging an amount of electric power for starting the engine at least once and storing electric power output from the permanent magnet generator via the inverter.
A battery that stores electric power output from the permanent magnet generator via the inverter,
At least a part of the period in which the battery is charged by the electric power output from the inverter by being electrically connected to the inverter, the permanent magnet generator, and the power storage device and generating electricity by the permanent magnet generator. A charging path switching circuit for disconnecting the electrical connection between the inverter and the capacitor is provided.

The charging path switching circuit disconnects the electrical connection between the inverter and the capacitor during at least a part of the period in which the battery is charged by the permanent magnet generator of the saddle-type vehicle in the above configuration. That is, the disconnection of the electrical connection between the inverter and the capacitor is performed in part or all of the period. The disconnection is performed, for example, substantially during the entire period. For example, the period during which the electrical connection is disconnected is longer than the period during which the electrical connection is made. As described above, in the above configuration, the battery is charged under the condition that the electrical connection between the inverter and the capacitor is disconnected. As a result, the influence of the battery voltage on the capacitor voltage can be reduced. For example, when the battery is charged with the power output from the inverter, the capacitor can maintain its state regardless of the voltage of the battery even if the battery is not fully charged.
When the engine is started, the battery and capacitor supply power to the permanent magnet generator. At this time, for example, electric power can be supplied to the permanent magnet generator from a fully charged capacitor. Therefore, the frequency of utilization of the capacitor as a power source for starting the engine can be increased.

(2) The saddle-mounted vehicle of (1)
The charging path switching circuit disconnects the inverter from the battery when the capacitor is charged by the electric power output from the inverter by generating electricity from the permanent magnet generator.

When the capacitor is charged by the electric power output from the inverter by the permanent magnet type generator of the saddle type vehicle in the above configuration, the charging path switching circuit disconnects the connection between the inverter and the battery. Therefore, the capacitor is charged in a situation where the electrical connection between the inverter and the battery is disconnected. This reduces the effect of the battery voltage on the capacitor voltage, even when the capacitor is charged. For example, when the capacitor is charged with the electric power output from the inverter, the capacitor can reach the fully charged state regardless of the voltage of the battery even if the battery is not fully charged. Capacitors can reach a fully charged state in a short period of time. Therefore, the frequency of utilization of the capacitor as a power source for starting the engine can be further increased.

(3) The saddle-mounted vehicle of (2)
The charging path switching circuit charges the battery while disconnecting the connection between the inverter and the capacitor in a period after the period during which the capacitor is charged while disconnecting the connection between the inverter and the battery.

In the saddle-mounted vehicle in the above configuration, when both the capacitor and the battery need to be charged, the connection between the inverter and the capacitor is disconnected after the capacitor is charged. For example, the capacitor can remain charged regardless of the voltage of the battery, even if the battery is not fully charged.

(4) The saddle-mounted vehicle of (1)
The permanent magnet type generator includes a rotor having a plurality of magnetic poles composed of the permanent magnets and a rotor.
A stator core having a plurality of slots formed at intervals in the circumferential direction of the permanent magnet generator and a stator having windings provided so as to pass through the slots are provided.
The number of magnetic poles is larger than the number of the plurality of teeth.

According to the saddle-mounted vehicle in the above configuration, the angular velocity with respect to the rotational speed of the rotor is larger than that in the case where the number of magnetic poles is smaller than the number of the plurality of teeth.
The angular velocity is the angular velocity with respect to the electric angle based on the repetition period of the magnetic poles. When the angular velocity is large, the inductance of the winding is large. Further, the angular velocity further increases as the rotation speed of the rotor increases. The inductance of the winding interferes with the current flowing through the winding. Therefore, the induced electromotive voltage increases as the rotation speed of the rotor increases, but the large winding inductance suppresses an excessive increase in the current output from the generator.
Therefore, according to the saddle-mounted vehicle in the above configuration, the power storage device can be charged to a higher rotation speed of the crankshaft than in the case where the number of magnetic poles is smaller than the number of the plurality of teeth. Therefore, the frequency of utilization of the capacitor can be further increased.

(5) The saddle-mounted vehicle of (1)
The engine further comprises a crankcase configured to lubricate the interior with oil.
The permanent magnet type generator is provided at a position where it comes into contact with the oil.

According to the saddle-mounted vehicle in the above configuration, the power storage device can be charged in the range up to the rotation speed of the high crankshaft without wasting electric power. Therefore, in such a permanent magnet generator, the temperature of the stator winding does not become higher than or is unlikely to be higher than the temperature of the lubricating oil, so that even if the permanent magnet generator is arranged so as to come into contact with the lubricating oil, Evaporation of lubricating oil can be suppressed.
For example, when the permanent magnet type generator is arranged in an environment where it comes into contact with lubricating oil, it is usually required to increase the size of the cooling mechanism. However, according to the saddle-mounted vehicle in the above configuration, it is possible to suppress or avoid the increase in size of the cooling mechanism. Therefore, the vehicle body can be made more compact while increasing the frequency of using the capacitor.

(6) The saddle-mounted vehicle of (1).
The inverter supplies electric power from the power storage device to the permanent magnet generator while the saddle-mounted vehicle is traveling, and assists the permanent magnet generator in rotation of the crank shaft.

According to the saddle-type vehicle in the above configuration, there is a high possibility that the permanent magnet generator is driven by the electric power of the capacitor having a high voltage while the saddle-type vehicle is running. Therefore, the crankshaft can be driven to a higher rotation speed. Therefore, it is possible to assist the acceleration by the engine up to a higher rotation speed. The frequency of utilization of capacitors can be increased.

The permanent magnet type generator has a permanent magnet. For example, the configuration in which the rotor is provided with a coil instead of a permanent magnet is different from the permanent magnet type generator in this configuration.

The battery is, for example, a lead battery. The battery is, for example, a deep cycle lead battery. The deep cycle lead battery has, for example, a plate having less complexity of the surface structure, so that the consumption of the surface structure is suppressed. Therefore, a decrease in storage capacity in the case of deep discharge is suppressed. However, the battery is not particularly limited, and for example, a lead battery other than the deep cycle lead battery may be used. Further, the battery may be, for example, a lithium ion battery or a nickel hydrogen battery.

The capacitor is, for example, a lithium ion capacitor. However, the capacitor is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, an electric double layer capacitor, an electrolytic capacitor, or a tantalum capacitor.

The condition for the charging path switching circuit to disconnect the connection between the inverter and the capacitor is, for example, the state of the capacitor. In this case, the charging path switching circuit disconnects the inverter and the capacitor based on the state of the capacitor.
The state of the capacitor as a condition also includes, for example, estimation of the state of the capacitor.
The state of the capacitor is, for example, the electrical state of the capacitor, for example, at least one of the following: (A) Capacitor voltage. (B) Capacitor charging time. (C) Integrated value of rotation speed. (D) Current and time. (E) Integrated value of current.

A saddle-mounted vehicle is a vehicle in which the driver sits across the saddle. A saddle-type vehicle is a vehicle equipped with a saddle-type seat. A saddle-mounted vehicle is a vehicle in which the driver rides in a riding style. A saddle-mounted vehicle is an example of a vehicle. The saddle-mounted vehicle is, for example, a vehicle that turns in a lean posture, and is configured to lean toward the center of the curve when turning.
The saddle-mounted vehicle is, for example, a motorcycle. The motorcycle is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a scooter type, a moped type, an off-road type, and an on-road type motorcycle. Further, the saddle-mounted vehicle is not limited to a motorcycle, and may be, for example, a tricycle. Further, the saddle-mounted vehicle may be, for example, an ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle) or the like.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of defining only specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the invention.
As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any or all combinations of one or more related listed components.
As used herein, the use of the terms "including, including,""comprising," or "having," and variations thereof, is a feature, process, operation, described. It identifies the presence of elements, components and / or their equivalents, but can include one or more of steps, actions, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.
As used herein, the terms "attached", "combined" and / or their equivalents are widely used and are both direct and indirect attachments and bindings unless otherwise specified. Including.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs.
Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be construed to have meaning consistent with the relevant technology and in the context of the present disclosure and are expressly defined herein. Unless it is, it will not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense.
It is understood that the techniques and many steps are disclosed in the description of the present invention.
Each of these has its own interests, and each may be used in conjunction with one or more of the other disclosed techniques, or in some cases all.
Therefore, for clarity, this description refrains from unnecessarily repeating all possible combinations of individual steps.
Nevertheless, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that all such combinations are within the scope of the present invention and claims.
This specification describes a new saddle-mounted vehicle.
In the following description, for purposes of illustration, a number of specific details are given to provide a complete understanding of the present invention.
However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be practiced without these particular details.
The present disclosure should be considered as an example of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments set forth in the drawings or description below.

According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a saddle-type vehicle capable of increasing the frequency of utilization of a capacitor as a power source for starting an engine.

It is a figure which shows typically the saddle type vehicle which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the state different from FIG. 1 of the charge path switching circuit shown in FIG. It is a chart which shows the outline of the voltage change at the time of charging of the battery and the capacitor shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. It is a figure which shows typically the saddle-type vehicle and the electric system which are application examples of the embodiment shown in FIG. It is a partial cross-sectional view schematically showing the schematic structure of the engine unit shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the cross section perpendicular to the rotation axis of the permanent magnet type generator shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on the embodiments with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a saddle-type vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. Part (a) of FIG. 1 is a side view of a saddle-mounted vehicle. Part (b) of FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic electrical configuration of the saddle-mounted vehicle shown in Part (a).

The saddle-mounted vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes

wheels

3a and 3b, an engine 10, a permanent magnet generator 20, an inverter 21, and a power storage device 4. The power storage device 4 includes a capacitor 42, a battery 41, and a charging path switching circuit 43. That is, it includes

wheels

3a and 3b, an engine 10, a permanent magnet generator 20, an inverter 21, a capacitor 42, a battery 41, and a charging path switching circuit 43. Further, the saddle-mounted vehicle 1 is provided with an electric auxiliary machine L.
Further, the saddle-mounted vehicle 1 includes a vehicle body 2. FIG. 1 shows a lean vehicle as an example of the saddle-mounted vehicle 1. The lean vehicle tilts to the left of the vehicle while turning left and tilts to the right of the vehicle while turning right.

The

wheels

3a and 3b provided in the saddle-mounted vehicle 1 include a front wheel 3a and a rear wheel 3b. The rear wheel 3b is a driving wheel.

The engine 10 includes a crankshaft 15.
The engine 10 outputs power via the crankshaft 15. The engine 10 outputs torque for driving the wheels 3b from the crankshaft 15. The wheels 3b receive power from the crankshaft 15 and drive the saddle-mounted vehicle 1.
The power output from the engine 10 can be transmitted to the wheels 3b via, for example, a transmission and a clutch.

The electric auxiliary machine L is an electric device mounted on the saddle-mounted vehicle 1. The electric auxiliary machine L operates by being supplied with electric power. The electric auxiliary machine L is, for example, an engine auxiliary machine that operates so as to cause the engine 10 to perform combustion. Engine accessories include, for example, a fuel injection device 18 and an ignition device 19 (see FIG. 5).

The permanent magnet type generator 20 is provided at one end of the crankshaft 15.
The permanent magnet type generator 20 has a permanent magnet. More specifically, the permanent magnet type generator 20 includes a permanent magnet portion 37 composed of a permanent magnet.
The permanent magnet type generator 20 also serves as a starter for starting the engine 10. The permanent magnet type generator 20 is a permanent magnet type starting generator. The permanent magnet type generator 20 starts the engine 10 by rotating the crankshaft 15. The permanent magnet generator 20 also generates electricity by being driven by the engine 10.

The power storage device 4 is a device capable of charging and discharging electricity. The power storage device 4 stores electric power.
The power storage device 4 outputs the charged electric power to the outside. The power storage device 4 supplies electric power to the permanent magnet type generator 20. The power storage device 4 supplies electric power to the permanent magnet generator 20 when the engine 10 is started. Further, for example, after the engine 10 is started, the power storage device 4 is charged by the electric power generated by the permanent magnet type generator 20.

More specifically, the battery 41 stores the electric power output from the permanent magnet generator 20 via the inverter 21. The battery 41 has, for example, a maximum rated voltage of 12 V or more. The battery 41 is, for example, a battery having a nominal voltage of 12 V. For example, the battery 41 is a lead battery.
The capacitor 42 stores the electric power output from the permanent magnet generator 20 via the inverter 21. The maximum rated voltage of the capacitor 42 is equal to or higher than the maximum rated voltage of the battery 41. The capacitor 42 has, for example, a maximum rated voltage of 12 V or more. The capacitor 42 has a capacitance capable of charging an amount of electric power that starts the engine 10 at least once.
The battery 41 has a capacity larger than that of the capacitor 42.
Further, the capacitor 42 has a maximum charge rate higher than the maximum charge rate of the battery 41.
The charging rate represents the speed of charging. The unit is C [sea]. The magnitude of the current that fully charges the capacity of the battery in one hour is defined as 1C. The maximum charge rate is the maximum charge rate allowed.
For example, the battery 41 has a maximum charge rate of 1 C or less, and the capacitor 42 has a maximum charge rate of 40 C or more. However, the specifications of the battery 41 and the capacitor 42 are not limited to this.

The inverter 21 supplies the electric power generated by the permanent magnet generator 20 to the capacitor 42 and the battery 41, for example, when the engine 10 is in combustion operation. In this case, the inverter 21 rectifies the current generated by the permanent magnet generator 20.
Further, the inverter 21 rotates the permanent magnet type generator 20 by supplying electric power to the permanent magnet type generator 20. The inverter 21 controls the current by controlling the on / off of the current flowing through the stator winding W of the permanent magnet generator 20.

The inverter 21 includes a switching unit 211 and a control device 60. The control device 60 is physically provided integrally with the inverter 21. The control device 60 controls the voltage output from the inverter 21 by controlling the operation of the switching unit 211 of the inverter 21. The control device 60 controls the current flowing between the permanent magnet type generator 20 and the power storage device 4 by controlling the operation of the switching unit 211 of the inverter 21. Further, the control device 60 controls the operation of the permanent magnet type generator 20. The control device 60 controls the voltage output from the inverter 21 by, for example, a phase control method or vector control. The control device 60 controls the inverter 21 so that the voltage output from the inverter 21 is smaller than either the maximum rated voltage of the battery 41 or the maximum rated voltage of the capacitor 42, for example. That is, the control device 60 controls the inverter 21 so that the battery 41 and the capacitor 42 do not become overvoltage.
For example, if the battery 41 has a nominal voltage of 12 V and a maximum rated voltage of 14.5 V and the capacitor 42 has a maximum rated voltage that is greater than the maximum rated voltage of the battery 41, the controller 60 may be the battery 41 or capacitor. The inverter 21 is controlled so as to supply a voltage of 14 V to 42. However, the voltage value is an example for understanding and is not particularly limited.

The charging path switching circuit 43 switches the path of the current output from the permanent magnet type generator 20 via the inverter 21. The charging path switching circuit 43 includes a battery switch unit 431 and a capacitor switch unit 432. The battery switch unit 431 and the capacitor switch unit 432 are composed of, for example, transistors. However, the structures of the battery switch unit 431 and the capacitor switch unit 432 are not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a relay.
When the battery switch unit 431 is turned on, the battery 41 and the inverter 21 are electrically connected. When the battery switch unit 431 is turned off, the battery 41 and the inverter 21 are electrically disconnected. When the capacitor switch unit 432 is turned on, the capacitor 42 and the inverter 21 are electrically connected. When the capacitor switch unit 432 is turned off, the capacitor 42 and the inverter 21 are electrically disconnected.
The current path to the capacitor 42 and the battery 41 is switched depending on the on / off state of the battery switch unit 431 and the capacitor switch unit 432.

The charging path switching circuit 43 is controlled by the control device 60. For example, the charging path switching circuit 43 is an electrical connection between the inverter 21 and the capacitor 42 during at least a part of the period in which the battery 41 is charged by the electric power output from the inverter 21 by the permanent magnet type generator 20. To disconnect. For example, part (b) of FIG. 1 shows a battery switch unit 431 in an on state and a capacitor switch unit 432 in an off state. In this state, the battery 41 is charged by the electric power output from the inverter 21, and the electrical connection between the inverter 21 and the capacitor 42 is cut off.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a state different from that of FIG. 1 in the charging path switching circuit 43 shown in FIG.

FIG. 2 shows the battery switch unit 431 in the off state and the capacitor switch unit 432 in the on state. In this state, the capacitor 42 is charged by the electric power output from the inverter 21, and the electrical connection between the inverter 21 and the battery 41 is cut off.

The control device 60 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 causes the inverter 21 to supply a current from the power storage device 4 to the permanent magnet generator 20 in response to the signal from the starter switch 6. As a result, electric power is supplied from the power storage device 4 to the permanent magnet type generator 20, and the engine 10 is started.

After starting the engine 10, that is, after starting the combustion operation, the control device 60 controls the inverter 21 so that the current from the permanent magnet generator 20 flows through at least one of the battery 41 and the capacitor 42. As a result, the battery 41 or the capacitor 42 is charged by the generated power of the permanent magnet generator 20.
Further, the control device 60 transfers the electric power of the battery 41 or the capacitor 42 to the inverter 21 in response to the operation of the acceleration indicator 8 (see FIG. 4) after the engine 10 is started, that is, after the combustion operation is started. It can be supplied to 20. More specifically, the control device 60 supplies electric power from the battery 41 or the capacitor 42 to the permanent magnet generator 20 while the saddle-mounted vehicle 1 is traveling, and rotates the crankshaft 15 to the permanent magnet generator 20. To assist. As a result, the acceleration of the saddle-mounted vehicle 1 by the engine 10 is assisted by the permanent magnet generator 20.

The control device 60 also has a function of an engine control unit that controls the supply and combustion of fuel to the engine 10. The control device 60 controls the combustion of the engine 10 by controlling the operation of the electric auxiliary machine L that functions as an auxiliary machine for the engine.
The control device 60 includes a central processing unit and a memory (not shown). The control device 60 controls the combustion of the engine 10 by executing a program stored in the memory.
The control device 60 operates on the electric power of the battery 41. More specifically, the control device 60 operates from the voltage of the battery 41 at an operating voltage down-converted so that it can be applied to the control device 60. The down converter is provided in, for example, the inverter 21. The voltage fluctuation of the battery 41 is smaller than that of the capacitor 42, for example. Therefore, fluctuations in the operating voltage of the control device 60 are also suppressed. For example, even if the current is consumed when the engine 10 is started, the fluctuation of the operating voltage of the control device 60 is suppressed.

FIG. 3 is a chart showing an outline of voltage changes during charging of the battery 41 and the capacitor 42 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

At time 0 in the example shown in FIG. 3, both the battery 41 and the capacitor 42 are in a discharged state. In this state, for example, the voltage of the battery 41 is about 11V, and the voltage of the capacitor 42 is about 0V.
In the example shown in FIG. 3, electric power is output from the inverter 21 by generating electric power from the permanent magnet type generator 20. Although the voltage is output from the inverter 21, the voltage of the power storage device 4 is not always equal to the output of the inverter 21 due to the voltage drop of the cable between the inverter 21 and the power storage device 4. The voltage of the power storage device 4 fluctuates as shown in the graph of FIG. 3, for example.

The solid line V1 in FIG. 3 shows the voltage of the power storage device 4. More specifically, V1 shows the voltage of node N1 in part (b) of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, for example, the charging path switching circuit 43 disconnects the inverter 21 and the battery 41 when the capacitor 42 is charged by the electric power from the inverter 21. For example, the charging path switching circuit 43 disconnects the inverter 21 and the battery 41 from time 0 to t1.
As the capacitor 42 is charged, the voltage of the capacitor 42 rises. Therefore, the voltage V1 of the power storage device 4 rises. The voltage of the capacitor 42 is approximately equal to the output voltage of the inverter 21 (14V in the example of FIG. 3) at time t1.

The charging path switching circuit 43 is a period (0 to t1) after the period (0 to t1) for charging the capacitor 42 while disconnecting the connection between the inverter 21 and the battery 41, as shown in the part (b) of FIG. The battery 41 is charged while disconnecting the connection between the 21 and the capacitor 42. For example, the charging path switching circuit 43 charges the battery 41 at time t1 while disconnecting the connection between the inverter 21 and the capacitor 42.

More specifically, the charging path switching circuit 43 switches the connection after a predetermined time (for example, t1 second) has elapsed after the start of charging, for example, by operating a timer. The charging path switching circuit 43 measures a predetermined time by, for example, a timer. However, the switching conditions in the charging path switching circuit 43 are not particularly limited. For example, the charging path switching circuit 43 may be switched according to the terminal voltage of the capacitor 42, or may be switched according to the current flowing through the capacitor 42. May be done.

By switching, the voltage V1 of the power storage device 4 reflects the voltage V12 of the battery 41 after the time t1. In FIG. 2, the voltage V1 of the power storage device 4 after the time t1 is equal to the voltage V12 of the battery 41.
The broken line V11 indicates the terminal voltage of the capacitor 42 after the time t1. The terminal voltage of the disconnected capacitor 42 maintains the value of voltage V1 at time t1 (eg 14V). That is, the capacitor 42 maintains the voltage V11 when the connection is broken. In the example of FIG. 3, the capacitor 42 maintains a voltage V11 that is substantially equal to the voltage output from the inverter 21.
As the battery 41 is charged, the voltage V12 of the battery 41 rises. However, the rate of change of the voltage V12 of the battery 41 is smaller than that of the capacitor 42. That is, it takes a long time for the voltage V12 of the battery 41 to become substantially equal to the voltage output from the inverter 21.

The broken line V12'in FIG. 3 indicates the voltage of the power storage device 4 of the reference example in which both the battery 41 and the capacitor 42 are always connected to the inverter 21. The voltage of the power storage device 4 is substantially equal to the voltage of the capacitor 42.
Since the capacitor 42 is connected to the battery 41, the voltage of the capacitor 42 is restricted by the voltage of the battery 41. Even at time t1, the voltage (V12') of the capacitor 42 is constrained.

On the other hand, in the charging path switching circuit 43 of the present embodiment, the inverter 21 and the capacitor 42 are charged during a period in which the battery 41 is charged by the electric power output from the inverter 21 by generating electricity from the permanent magnet type generator 20. Disconnect the electrical connection. Therefore, the voltage of the capacitor 42 is not restricted by the voltage of the battery 41. At least after time t1, the voltage V11 of the capacitor 42 can be maintained in a state of exceeding the voltage (V12) of the battery 41.

When the engine 10 is started, the power storage device 4 outputs electric power to the inverter 21.
For example, when the engine 10 is started between the times t1 and t2 shown in FIG. 3, power is supplied to the permanent magnet generator 20 from the capacitor 42 having a high voltage.
Therefore, for example, more power can be supplied from the capacitor 42 than in the case of the reference example in which the battery and the capacitor are always connected when charging the power storage device.

Therefore, the frequency of utilization of the capacitor 42 as a power source for starting the engine 10 can be increased.

When the engine 10 is started, for example, the charging path switching circuit 43 outputs electric power from the capacitor 42 to the inverter 21 while electrically disconnecting the battery 41 and the inverter 21.
In this case, power is supplied to the permanent magnet generator 20 from the capacitor 42 having a high voltage as shown in V11 of FIG. Therefore, more power can be supplied from the capacitor 42.

[Application example]
Subsequently, an application example of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a saddle-mounted vehicle 1 and an electric system, which are application examples of the embodiment shown in FIG. Part (a) of FIG. 4 is a plan view of the saddle-mounted vehicle 1. Part (b) of FIG. 4 is a side view of the saddle-mounted vehicle 1. Part (c) of FIG. 4 is a physical wiring diagram schematically showing the connection of the electric system of the saddle-mounted vehicle 1.
In the application examples shown in FIGS. 4 and 4 onward, the elements corresponding to the embodiments shown in FIG. 1 will be described with the same reference numerals as those in FIG.

The saddle-mounted vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 4 includes a vehicle body 2. The vehicle body 2 is provided with a seat 2a for the driver to sit on. The driver sits so as to straddle the seat 2a. FIG. 4 shows a motorcycle as an example of the saddle-mounted vehicle 1.

The saddle-mounted vehicle 1 is provided with front wheels 3a and rear wheels 3b. The tread surfaces of the

wheels

3a and 3b of the saddle-mounted vehicle 1 have an arcuate cross-sectional shape in a state where they do not come into contact with the road surface.

The engine 10 constitutes an engine unit EU. That is, the saddle-mounted vehicle 1 includes an engine unit EU.
The engine unit EU includes an engine 10 and a permanent magnet generator 20.
The engine 10 outputs power via the crankshaft 15. The engine 10 outputs torque for driving the wheels 3b from the crankshaft 15. The wheels 3b receive power from the crankshaft 15 and drive the saddle-mounted vehicle 1. The engine 10 has, for example, a displacement of 100 mL or more. The engine 10 has, for example, a displacement of less than 400 mL.
Further, the saddle-mounted vehicle 1 includes a transmission CVT and a clutch CL. The power output from the engine 10 is transmitted to the wheels 3b via the transmission CVT and the clutch CL.

The permanent magnet type generator 20 is driven by the engine 10 to generate electricity. The permanent magnet type generator 20 shown in FIG. 4 is a magnet type start generator.
The permanent magnet generator 20 has a rotor 30 and a stator 40 (see FIG. 6). The rotor 30 includes a permanent magnet portion 37 composed of a permanent magnet. The rotor 30 rotates with the power output from the crankshaft 15. The stator 40 is arranged so as to face the rotor 30.

The power storage device 4 is a device that can be charged and discharged. The power storage device 4 outputs the charged electric power to the outside. The power storage device 4 supplies electric power to the permanent magnet type generator 20 and the electric auxiliary machine L. The power storage device 4 supplies electric power to the permanent magnet generator 20 when the engine 10 is started. Further, the power storage device 4 is charged by the electric power generated by the permanent magnet type generator 20.

The saddle-mounted vehicle 1 is equipped with an inverter 21. The inverter 21 includes a plurality of switching units 211 that control the current flowing between the permanent magnet type generator 20 and the power storage device 4.

The permanent magnet type generator 20 rotates the crankshaft 15 by the electric power of the power storage device 4. As a result, the permanent magnet generator 20 starts the engine 10.

The saddle-mounted vehicle 1 includes a main switch 5. The main switch 5 is a switch for supplying electric power to the electric auxiliary machine L (see FIG. 4) provided in the saddle-mounted vehicle 1 according to the operation. The electric auxiliary machine L comprehensively represents a device that operates while consuming electric power, except for the permanent magnet type generator 20. The electric auxiliary machine L includes, for example, a headlight 9, a fuel injection device 18, and an ignition device 19 (see FIG. 5).
The saddle-mounted vehicle 1 includes a starter switch 6. The starter switch 6 is a switch for starting the engine 10 in response to an operation. The saddle-mounted vehicle 1 includes a main relay 75. The main relay 75 opens and closes a circuit including the electric auxiliary machine L in response to a signal from the main switch 5.
The saddle-mounted vehicle 1 includes an acceleration indicator 8. The acceleration instruction unit 8 is an operator for instructing the acceleration of the saddle-mounted vehicle 1 according to the operation. The acceleration indicator 8 is, in detail, an accelerator grip.

The power storage device 4 includes, for example, a battery 41, a capacitor 42, and a charging path switching circuit 43. The battery 41 is, for example, a lead battery. The capacitor 42 is, for example, an electric double layer capacitor (Electric Double Layer Capacitor, EDLC).

As shown in part (c) of FIG. 4, the permanent magnet type generator 20, the power storage device 4, the main relay 75, the inverter 21, and the electric auxiliary machine L are electrically connected by wiring J. For the sake of legibility of the code, the code (J) of the wiring is attached to a part of the wiring shown in the part (c) of FIG.
The wiring J is composed of, for example, a lead wire. The wiring J may be composed of a plurality of connected lead wires. Further, the wiring J may include a connector for relaying a lead wire, a fuse, and a connection terminal. The illustration of connectors, fuses, and connection terminals is omitted. Further, in the physical wiring diagram of the part (c) of FIG. 4, the connection of the positive electrode region is shown. The negative electrode region, that is, the ground region is electrically connected via the vehicle body 2. More specifically, the negative electrode region is electrically connected via a metal frame (not shown) of the vehicle body 2. The distance of electrical connection of each device via the vehicle body 2 is usually equal to or shorter than the connection of the positive electrode region by a lead wire or the like. Therefore, in the part (c) of FIG. 4, the connection of the negative electrode region by the vehicle body 2 is not shown, and the wiring of the positive electrode region will be mainly described.
The wiring J shown in FIG. 4 is combined with other wiring provided in the vehicle to form a wire harness (not shown). Part (c) of FIG. 4 shows only the wiring J that electrically connects the devices shown in the figure.
Part (c) of FIG. 4 schematically shows the connection relationship of the wiring J between the devices and the distance of the wiring J.

[Engine unit]
FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically showing a schematic configuration of the engine unit EU shown in FIG.

The engine unit EU includes an engine 10. The engine 10 includes a crankcase 11, a cylinder 12, a piston 13, a connecting rod 14, and a crankshaft 15. The piston 13 is provided in the cylinder 12 so as to be reciprocating.
The crankshaft 15 is rotatably provided in the crankcase 11. The crankshaft 15 is connected to the piston 13 via a connecting rod 14. A cylinder head 16 is attached to the upper part of the cylinder 12. A combustion chamber is formed by the cylinder 12, the cylinder head 16, and the piston 13. The crankshaft 15 is supported by the crankcase 11 in a rotatable manner. A permanent magnet type generator 20 is attached to one end portion 15a of the crankshaft 15. A transmission CVT is attached to the other end 15b of the crankshaft 15. The transmission CVT can change the gear ratio, which is the ratio of the rotation speed of the output to the rotation speed of the input. The transmission CVT can change the gear ratio corresponding to the rotation speed of the wheels with respect to the rotation speed of the crankshaft 15.

The engine unit EU is provided with a fuel injection device 18. The fuel injection device 18 supplies fuel to the combustion chamber by injecting fuel. The fuel injection device 18 injects fuel into the air flowing through the intake passage Ip. A mixture of air and fuel is supplied to the combustion chamber of the engine 10.
Further, the engine unit EU is provided with an ignition device 19. The ignition device 19 has a spark plug 19a and an ignition voltage generation circuit 19b. The spark plug 19a is provided in the engine 10. The spark plug 19a is electrically connected to the ignition voltage generation circuit 19b.
The fuel injection device 18 and the ignition device 19 are examples of the electric auxiliary machine L shown in FIG. The fuel injection device 18 and the ignition device 19 are examples of auxiliary equipment for an engine. The fuel injection device 18 and the ignition device 19 operate at an 18V system voltage.

The engine 10 is an internal combustion engine. The engine 10 is supplied with fuel. The engine 10 outputs power by a combustion operation that burns the air-fuel mixture. That is, the piston 13 reciprocates by burning the air-fuel mixture containing the fuel supplied to the combustion chamber. The crankshaft 15 rotates in conjunction with the reciprocating movement of the piston 13. The power is output to the outside of the engine 10 via the crankshaft 15.
The fuel injection device 18 adjusts the power output from the engine 10 by adjusting the amount of fuel to be supplied. The fuel injection device 18 is controlled by the control device 60. The fuel injection device 18 is controlled to supply an amount of fuel based on the amount of air supplied to the engine 10. The igniter 19 ignites a gas in which fuel and air are mixed. The fuel injection device 18 and the ignition device 19 are engine auxiliary machines that operate to cause the engine 10 to perform combustion.
The engine 10 outputs power via the crankshaft 15. The power of the crankshaft 15 is transmitted to the wheels 3b via the transmission CVT and the clutch CL (see part (b) of FIG. 4).

The crankcase 11 is configured so that the inside is lubricated with oil. The permanent magnet type generator 20 is provided at a position where it comes into contact with oil.

The engine 10 has a high load region in which the load for rotating the crankshaft 15 is large and a low load region in which the load for rotating the crankshaft 15 is smaller than the load in the high load region during the four strokes. The high load region means a region in which the load torque is higher than the average value of the load torque in one combustion cycle in one combustion cycle of the engine 10. Further, the low load region means a region in which the load torque is lower than the average value of the load torque in one combustion cycle in one combustion cycle of the engine 10. Looking at the rotation angle of the crankshaft 15 as a reference, the low load region is wider than the high load region. More specifically, the engine 10 rotates forward while repeating four strokes of an intake stroke, a compression stroke, an expansion stroke, and an exhaust stroke. The compression stroke has an overlap with the high load region. The engine 10 is a single cylinder engine.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section perpendicular to the rotation axis of the permanent magnet type generator 20 shown in FIG.
The permanent magnet type generator 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

The permanent magnet type generator 20 has a rotor 30 and a stator 40. The permanent magnet type generator 20 of this application example is a radial gap type. The permanent magnet type generator 20 is an outer rotor type. That is, the rotor 30 is an outer rotor. The stator 40 is an inner stator.
The rotor 30 has a rotor main body 31. The rotor body 31 is made of, for example, a ferromagnetic material. The rotor main body 31 has a bottomed tubular shape. The rotor main body 31 has a tubular boss portion 32, a disk-shaped bottom wall portion 33, and a tubular back yoke portion 34. The bottom wall portion 33 and the back yoke portion 34 are integrally formed. The bottom wall portion 33 and the back yoke portion 34 may be configured separately. The bottom wall portion 33 and the back yoke portion 34 are fixed to the crankshaft 15 via the tubular boss portion 32. The rotor 30 is not provided with a winding to which a current is supplied.

The rotor 30 has a permanent magnet portion 37. The rotor 30 has a plurality of magnetic pole portions 37a. The plurality of magnetic pole portions 37a are formed by the permanent magnet portions 37. The plurality of magnetic pole portions 37a are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the back yoke portion 34. In this application example, the permanent magnet portion 37 has a plurality of permanent magnets. That is, the rotor 30 has a plurality of permanent magnets. The plurality of magnetic pole portions 37a are provided on each of the plurality of permanent magnets.
The permanent magnet portion 37 can also be formed by one annular permanent magnet. In this case, one permanent magnet is magnetized so that a plurality of magnetic pole portions 37a are lined up on the inner peripheral surface.

The plurality of magnetic pole portions 37a are provided so that the north pole and the south pole are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction of the permanent magnet type generator 20. In this application example, the number of magnetic poles of the rotor 30 facing the stator 40 is 24. The number of magnetic poles of the rotor 30 means the number of magnetic poles facing the stator 40. No magnetic material is provided between the magnetic pole portion 37a and the stator 40.
The magnetic pole portion 37a is provided outside the stator 40 in the radial direction of the permanent magnet type generator 20. The back yoke portion 34 is provided outside the magnetic pole portion 37a in the radial direction. The permanent magnet type generator 20 has more magnetic pole portions 37a than the number of tooth portions 45.
The rotor 30 may be of an embedded magnet type (IPM type) in which the magnetic pole portion 37a is embedded in a magnetic material, but as in this application example, the magnetic pole portion 37a is a surface magnet type exposed from the magnetic material. (SPM type) is preferable.

The stator 40 has a stator core ST and a plurality of stator windings W. The stator core ST has a plurality of teeth 45 provided at intervals in the circumferential direction. The plurality of tooth portions 45 integrally extend radially outward from the stator core ST. In this application example, a total of 18 tooth portions 45 are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction. In other words, the stator core ST has a total of 18 slots SL formed at intervals in the circumferential direction. The tooth portions 45 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

The rotor 30 has a number of magnetic pole portions 37a that is larger than the number of tooth portions 45. The number of magnetic poles is 4/3 of the number of slots.

A stator winding W is wound around each tooth portion 45. That is, the multi-phase stator winding W is provided so as to pass through the slot SL. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the stator winding W is in the slot SL.

The permanent magnet type generator 20 is a three-phase generator. Each of the stator windings W belongs to any of U phase, V phase, and W phase. The stator windings W are arranged so as to be arranged in the order of, for example, U phase, V phase, and W phase.

When the engine 10 is operating while the saddle-mounted vehicle 1 is running, the power storage device 4 is charged by the electric power generated by the permanent magnet generator 20. When the power storage device 4 is fully charged, the electric power generated by the permanent magnet generator 20 is consumed as heat by, for example, a short circuit of the windings, without being used for charging. Further, when the rotation speed of the crankshaft 15 becomes so large that the voltage output from the inverter 21 to the power storage device 4 cannot be suppressed to the rated value, the inverter 21 short-circuits the stator winding W of the permanent magnet generator 20. The switching unit 211 is controlled so as to do so. The upper limit rotation speed of the crankshaft 15 capable of charging the power storage device 4 can be set to a high value.
When the generator generates electricity, the current flowing through the stator winding W is affected by the impedance generated in the stator winding W itself. Impedance is an element that hinders the current flowing through the stator winding W. Impedance includes the product of rotational speed ω and inductance. Here, the rotation speed ω actually corresponds to the number of magnetic poles passing near the tooth portion in a unit time. That is, the rotation speed ω is proportional to the ratio of the number of magnetic poles to the number of teeth in the generator and the rotation speed of the rotor.

The permanent magnet type generator 20 shown in FIG. 6 has a number of magnetic pole portions 37a that is larger than the number of tooth portions 45. That is, the permanent magnet type generator 20 has a number of magnetic pole portions 37a that is larger than the number of slots SL. Therefore, the stator winding W has a large impedance. Therefore, the voltage applied to the power storage device 4 is reduced as compared with the case where the number of magnetic poles is smaller than the number of teeth, for example. Therefore, the upper limit rotation speed of the crankshaft 15 can be set to a higher value than in the case of, for example, 12V. Therefore, in order to increase the torque at the time of starting in the permanent magnet type generator 20, a thick winding having a small electric resistance can be adopted.

Further, in the permanent magnet type generator 20, the temperature of the stator winding W does not become higher than the temperature of the lubricating oil or is unlikely to become higher than the temperature of the lubricating oil. Therefore, even if the permanent magnet type generator 20 is arranged so as to come into contact with the lubricating oil, Evaporation of lubricating oil can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress or avoid an increase in the size of the lubricating oil cooling mechanism.

1 Saddle-

type vehicle

3a, 3b Wheels 41 Battery 42 Capacitor 43 Charging path switching circuit 10 Engine 15 Crankshaft 20 Permanent magnet generator 21 Inverter

Claims

It ’s a saddle-mounted vehicle,
The saddle-mounted vehicle is
With wheels
An engine that has a crankshaft and outputs torque for driving the wheels generated by the combustion operation of gas from the crankshaft.
A permanent magnet generator provided at one end of the crankshaft, having a permanent magnet, starting the engine by rotating the crankshaft, and generating electricity by being driven by the engine.
An inverter equipped with a plurality of switching units for controlling the current output from the permanent magnet generator, and
A capacitor having a capacitance capable of charging an amount of electric power for starting the engine at least once and storing electric power output from the permanent magnet generator via the inverter.
A battery that stores electric power output from the permanent magnet generator via the inverter,
At least a part of the period in which the battery is charged by the electric power output from the inverter by being electrically connected to the inverter, the permanent magnet generator, and the power storage device and generating electricity by the permanent magnet generator. A charging path switching circuit for disconnecting the electrical connection between the inverter and the capacitor is provided.
The saddle-mounted vehicle according to claim 1.
The charging path switching circuit disconnects the inverter from the battery when the capacitor is charged by the electric power output from the inverter by generating electricity from the permanent magnet generator.
The saddle-mounted vehicle according to claim 2.
The charging path switching circuit charges the battery while disconnecting the connection between the inverter and the capacitor in a period after the period during which the capacitor is charged while disconnecting the connection between the inverter and the battery.
The saddle-mounted vehicle according to claim 1.
The permanent magnet type generator includes a rotor having a plurality of magnetic poles composed of the permanent magnets and a rotor.
A stator core having a plurality of slots formed at intervals in the circumferential direction of the permanent magnet generator and a stator having windings provided so as to pass through the slots are provided.
The number of magnetic poles is larger than the number of the plurality of teeth.
The saddle-mounted vehicle according to claim 1.
The engine further comprises a crankcase configured to lubricate the interior with oil.
The permanent magnet type generator is provided at a position where it comes into contact with the oil.
The saddle-mounted vehicle according to claim 1.
The inverter supplies electric power from the power storage device to the permanent magnet generator while the saddle-mounted vehicle is traveling, and assists the permanent magnet generator in rotation of the crank shaft.