Method and apparatus for controlling power generation in internal combustion engines

Claim 2

A power generation control apparatus for an internal combustion engine (41) comprising: an ac generator (10) including a plurality of armature windings (11, 12, 13) and arranged to be driven by said engine; power storage means (15) for storing power supplied from said ac genrator; a selector circuit (18) for detecting an electromotive force difference generated by said plurality of armature windings to select one of said windings to be energized; rectifier means (21) for respectively rectifying outputs of said plurality of armature windings; a plurality of switch elements (33, 34, 35) connected with said plurality of rectifiers to apply the power stored in said power storage means to said selected armature winding in response to a signal from said selector circuit; a position sensor (19) for detecting a rotational angle of said engine; and a control unit (18) responsive to a rotational speed signal generated by said position sensor to control in such a manner that a generated output from said armature windings is supplied to said power storage means through said rectifier means to apply a rotational load to said engine when said rotational speed is greater than a time average value thereof and the power from said power storage means is selectively supplied to said armature windings through said plurality of switch elements to supply a torque to said engine when said rotational speed is smaller than said time average value.

Claim 3

A power generation control apparatus for an internal combustion engine (41) comprising: an ac generator (10) including a plurality of armature windings (11, 12, 13) and driven by said engine; power storage means (15) for storing power supplied from said ac generator; a selector circuit (18) for detecting an electromotive force difference generated by said plurality of armature windings to select one of said windings to be energized; a plurality of rectifiers (21) for respec­tively rectifying outputs of said plurality of armature windings; a plurality of switch elements (33, 34, 35) connected in parallel with said plurality of rectifiers to apply the power stored in said power storage means to said selected armature winding in response to a signal from said selector circuit; a position sensor (19) for detecting a rotational angle of said engine; and a control unit (18) responsive to a rotational speed signal generated by differentiating an engine rotational speed signal generated by said position sensor to control in such a manner that a generated output from said armature windings is supplied to said power storage means through said plurality of rectifiers to apply a rotational load to said engine when said rotational speed is greater than a time average value thereof and the power from said power storage means is selectively supplied to said armature windings through said plurality of switch elements to supply a torque to said engine when said rotational speed is smaller than said time average value.

Claim 4

A power generation control apparatus for an internal combustion engine (41) comprising: an ac generator (10) including a plurality of armature windings (11, 12, 13) and driven by said engine; power storage means (15) for storing power supplied from said ac generator; a selector circuit (18) for detecting an electromotive force difference generated by said plurality of armature windings to select one of said windings to be energized; a plurality of rectifiers (21) for respec­tively rectifying outputs of said plurality of armature windings; a plurality of switch elements (33, 34, 35) connected in parallel with said plurality of rectifiers to apply the power stored in said power storage means to said selected armature winding in response to a signal from said selector circuit; a position sensor (19) for detecting a rotational angle of said engine; and a control unit (18) responsive to a rotational speed signal generated by differentiating an engine rotational speed signal generated by said position sensor to control in such a manner that a generated output from said armature windings is supplied to said power storage means through said plurality of rectifiers to apply a rotational load to said engine when said rotational speed is greater than a time average value thereof and the power from said power storage means is selectively supplied to said armature windings through said plurality of switch elements to supply a torque to said engine when said rotational speed is smaller than said time average value.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said control unit (18) has a learning function of computing a rotational speed variation obtained as a difference between an actual rotational speed in terms of degrees of crankshaft rotation of said engine and an average rotational speed obtained by averaging said rotational speed during one rotation of said engine, and controlling in accordance with rotational speed variation information over at least one previous rotation of said engine to switch said ac generator (10) to operate as a generator or a motor.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said power storing means (15) includes a plurality of capacitors (31, 32), and a booster circuit (31, 32, 33, 34, 35) adapted to be connected in parallel on charge and connected in series on discharge.

Claim 7

In an idle rotational speed control apparatus for controlling an idle rotational speed of an internal combustion engine (41), a method of controlling the generation of electric power in said engine wherein an idling operation of said engine is detected by idling detecting means (19), and wherein a power generation control apparatus is operated only when said idling detecting means detects that said engine is idling.

Claim 8

In an idle rotational speed control apparatus for controlling an idle rotational speed of an internal combustion engine (41), a method of controlling the generation of electric power in said engine wherein an idling operation of said engine is detected by idling detecting means (19), and wherein a power generation control apparatus is operated only when said idling detecting means detects that said engine is idling.

Claim 9

In an internal combustion engine (41) in which an output of an ac generator (10) is rectified and converted to a dc current to operate dc loads, a power generation control apparatus wherein rectifying means comprises a combination of power semiconductor switching elements (22) each comprising a vertical-type MOS having source, body, gate and drain electrodes, and wherein a rectifier is provided by a parasitic diode formed between the body and drain electrodes of each of said vertical-type MOSs.

Claim 10

In an internal combustion engine (41) in which an output of an ac generator (10) is rectified and converted to a dc current to operate dc loads, a power generation control apparatus wherein rectifying means comprises a combination of power semiconductor switching elements (22) each comprising a vertical-type MOS having source, body, gate and drain electrodes, and wherein a rectifier is provided by a parasitic diode formed between the body and drain electrodes of each of said vertical-type MOSs.

Claim 11

A power generation control apparatus for an internal combustion engine (41) comprising: means (F₁₁, F₁₂, F₁₃, F₂₁, F₂₂, F₂₃, 111, 112, 113) for electrically detecting an electrical angle of an ac generator (10) of said engine; and inverter means (20) responsive to said electrical angle information to control the supply of current to the phases of said ac generator.

Claim 12

A power generation control apparatus for an internal combustion engine (41) comprising: means (F₁₁, F₁₂, F₁₃, F₂₁, F₂₂, F₂₃, 111, 112, 113) for electrically detecting an electrical angle of an ac generator (10) of said engine; and inverter means (20) responsive to said electrical angle information to control the supply of current to the phases of said ac generator.