Hybrid vehicle control method and hybrid vehicle control device for heating catalytic converter
When a manifold catalytic converter, which is a catalyst above an exhaust passage, is warmed, a control unit is configured to control the energization of an electric heater of the manifold catalytic converter, and/or the driving of an internal combustion engine in accordance with a battery SOC of a battery. This makes it possible in a hybrid vehicle to warm the manifold catalytic converter using an amount of electric power consumed by motoring of an electric motor, and generally to shorten a time taken to drive the internal combustion engine for catalyst warming.
1 . A hybrid vehicle control method for controlling a hybrid vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine having an exhaust passage, an electric motor configured to generate power by being driven by the internal combustion engine, a battery configured to be charged with electric power generated by the electric motor, and an electrically heated catalytic converter that generates heat due to being energized with electricity from the battery,
the hybrid vehicle being able to travel while the internal combustion engine is stopped, the hybrid vehicle control method comprising:
controlling at least one of energization of the electrically heated catalytic converter and driving of the internal combustion engine in accordance with a battery SOC of the battery in order to increase a temperature of the electrically heated catalytic converter when a catalyst temperature of the electrically heated catalytic converter falls to or below a predetermined temperature while the hybrid vehicle is traveling,
energizing the electrically heated catalytic converter to increase the temperature of the electrically heated catalytic converter and motoring the internal combustion engine using the electric motor when the catalyst temperature is equal to or below the predetermined temperature and the battery SOC of the battery is equal to or higher than a first threshold value,
energizing the electrically heated catalytic converter and driving the internal combustion engine to increase the temperature of the electrically heated catalytic converter when the catalyst temperature is equal to or below the predetermined temperature and the battery SOC of the battery is lower than the first threshold value and equal to or higher than a second threshold value, the second threshold value being smaller than the first threshold value, and
motoring the internal combustion engine using the electric motor without energizing the electrically heated catalytic converter to reduce the SOC of the battery when the catalyst temperature is above the predetermined temperature and the battery SOC of the battery is equal to or higher than a first threshold value.
2 . The hybrid vehicle control method according to claim 1 , wherein
a heat output of the electrically heated catalytic converter is changed according to the battery SOC of the battery.
3 . The hybrid vehicle control method according to claim 1 , wherein
the temperature of the electrically heated catalytic converter is increased by driving the internal combustion engine without energizing the electrically heated catalytic converter when the battery SOC of the battery is lower than the second threshold value.
4 . A hybrid vehicle control device for controlling a hybrid vehicle configured to travel while an internal combustion engine having an exhaust passage is stopped, the hybrid vehicle including an electric motor, a battery, and an electrically heated catalytic converter,
the electric motor being coupled to the internal combustion engine and configured to generate power by being driven by the internal combustion engine, the battery being configured to be charged with electric power generated by the electric motor, and the electrically heated catalytic converter being provided to the exhaust passage and that generates heat due to being energized with electricity from the battery,
the hybrid vehicle control device comprising:
a control unit configured to control at least one of energization of the electrically heated catalytic converter and driving of the internal combustion engine in accordance with a battery SOC of the battery in order to increase a temperature of the electrically heated catalytic converter when a catalyst temperature of the electrically heated catalytic converter falls to or below a predetermined temperature while the hybrid vehicle is traveling,
the control unit being further configured to
energize the electrically heated catalytic converter to increase the temperature of the electrically heated catalytic converter and motor the internal combustion engine using the electric motor when the catalyst temperature is equal to or below the predetermined temperature and the battery SOC of the battery is equal to or higher than a first threshold value,
energize the electrically heated catalytic converter and drive the internal combustion engine to increase the temperature of the electrically heated catalytic converter when the catalyst temperature is equal to or below the predetermined temperature and the battery SOC of the battery is lower than the first threshold value and equal to or higher than a second threshold value, the second threshold value being smaller than the first threshold value, and
motor the internal combustion engine using the electric motor without energizing the electrically heated catalytic converter to reduce the SOC of the battery when the catalyst temperature is above the predetermined temperature and the battery SOC of the battery is equal to or higher than a first threshold value.