Method for detecting abnormality in a hybrid vehicle

• Main Authors: IZUMIURA ATSUSHI, KUMAGAI KATSUHIRO, KITAJIMA SHINICHI, NISHIOKA FUTOSHI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 11.11.2008
• Subjects: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS INVEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OFTRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GASEXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS, IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; BLASTING; COMBUSTION ENGINES; CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE ORDIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES; ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT OR PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLEDVEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES, IN GENERAL; HEATING; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; LIGHTING; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TOTHE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT; SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL, WITH COMBUSTIBLEMIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL; WEAPONS

A method for detecting an abnormality in a hybrid vehicle. The hybrid vehicle includes an engine that can run in a cylinder cut-off state where intake and exhaust valve lifts are made zero, and a motor/generator that functions as both a motor and a generator. The vehicle travels by means of the power of at least one of the engine and the motor/generator and carries out regenerative braking by the motor/generator while running the engine in a cylinder cut-off state during deceleration. When detecting an abnormality in a negative intake pressure sensor or an EGR control valve based on the negative intake pressure of the engine, the engine is prohibited from running in a cylinder cut-off state even during deceleration, thus generating a negative intake pressure and thereby enabling the abnormality detection to be carried out without any problems.