US 11,912,160 B2
Hybrid-type engine generator controller
Yukihiko Kiyohiro, Wako (JP); Taiyo Onodera, Wako (JP); and Minoru Maedako, Wako (JP)
Assigned to Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 17/042,166
Filed by Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Mar. 29, 2018, PCT No. PCT/JP2018/013447
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 27, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/186960, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 3, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0023961 A1, Jan. 28, 2021
Int. Cl. B60L 58/15 (2019.01); H02J 7/00 (2006.01); H02J 7/16 (2006.01)
CPC B60L 58/15 (2019.02) [H02J 7/0048 (2020.01); H02J 7/16 (2013.01)] 3 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An inverter generator controller, comprising:
an engine;
an engine generator unit equipped with an alternator driven by the engine and a power conversion unit including an inverter having switching elements;
a battery connected to the power conversion unit through a DC-DC converter;
an electrical load connected to the power conversion unit and supplied with generated power from the alternator and discharged power from the battery through the power conversion unit;
a battery residual charge detector configured to detect residual charge of the battery;
a power conversion unit output detector configured to detect the generated power;
a load output demand detector configured to detect a load output demand from the electrical load; and
an electronic control unit configured to control the engine, the engine generator unit, and the battery, wherein
the electronic control unit:
ON-OFF controls the switching elements of the inverter so that AC power outputted from the inverter matches the load output demand detected by the load output demand detector at a desired frequency;
implements low-load charging of the battery if the generated power detected by the power conversion unit output detector is equal to or greater than the load output demand detected by the load output demand detector and the generated power is less than a predetermined low-load value, when the residual charge detected by the battery residual charge detector is equal to or less than a first threshold value unless the battery is determined to be fully charged based on the residual charge detected by the battery residual charge detector;
terminates the low-load charging when the residual charge detected by the battery residual charge detector becomes equal to or greater than the first threshold value; and
implements high-load charging of the battery if the generated power detected by the power conversion unit output detector is greater than the predetermined low-load value and the generated power is equal to or greater than the load output demand detected by the load output demand detector, when the residual charge detected by the battery residual charge detector is less than a second threshold value that is set less than the first threshold value.