Apparatus and method for controlling engine start during refueling of hybrid vehicle

1. An apparatus for controlling an engine start during refueling of a hybrid vehicle, the apparatus comprising a controller configured to:

stop an engine to block the engine start by determining that the hybrid vehicle enters a refueling state in accordance with a fuel injection port open or closed state, a vehicle speed, and brake pedal state (BPS) information,

start the engine in accordance with a switchover to a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) mode by determining whether the refueling state is released in accordance with the fuel injection port open or closed state, the vehicle speed, and acceleration pedal state (APS) information,

upon determining the fuel injection port is closed and the vehicle speed is higher than 0 (zero) based on information with regard to the fuel injection port open or closed state and the vehicle speed input to at least one of the ECU or the HCU, determine release of the refueling state, and

upon determining the fuel injection port is open and the vehicle speed exceeds a threshold speed by operating an acceleration pedal with an acceleration intention by the driver, determine release of the refueling state and release the stopping of the engine.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller determines that the hybrid vehicle enters the refueling state when the fuel injection port is open and the vehicle speed is 0 (zero) based the information with regard to the fuel injection port open or closed state and the vehicle speed input to at least one of the ECU or the HCU.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the controller stops the engine and blocks the engine start in consideration of a deceleration when the hybrid vehicle decelerates while the fuel injection port is open.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when the acceleration is not caused by the driver's operation of the acceleration pedal in a state in which the vehicle speed exceeds the threshold speed, the controller determines that the refueling state is not released.

5. A method for controlling an engine start during refueling of a hybrid vehicle, the method comprising:

first determining, by a processor, whether a fuel injection port is open or closed;

second, upon determining that the fuel injection port is open, determining, by the processor, whether a vehicle speed is 0 (zero) so as to determine whether the hybrid vehicle is in a stopped state upon determining that the fuel injection port is open;

third, upon determining that the hybrid vehicle is in the stopped state, stopping, by the processor, the engine to block the engine start;

fourth determining, by the processor, whether the fuel injection port is closed;

fifth, upon determining that the fuel injection port is not closed, determining, by the processor, whether the vehicle speed exceeds a threshold speed in an electric vehicle (EV) mode driving by operating an acceleration pedal with an acceleration intention by the driver; and

sixth, upon determining that the vehicle speed exceeds the threshold speed in the EV mode, releasing, by the processor, the stopping of the engine.

6. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising a eighth, upon determining that the fuel injection port is closed in the fourth determining, releasing, by processor, the stopping of the engine.

7. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising, upon determining that the hybrid vehicle is not in the stopped state in the second determining, releasing the stopping of the engine to permit the engine start.

8. The method according to claim 5 , wherein, upon determining that the vehicle speed does not exceed a threshold speed in the electric vehicle (EV) mode in the fifth determining, the fourth determining whether the fuel injection port is closed is performed again.