Operating machine

Abstract

A hybrid or battery type working machine including a hydraulic pump, an electric motor, an electric storage device, and a control device which controls a pump absorption horsepower maximum value in accordance with an amount of electricity stored in the electric storage device. The control device reduces the pump absorption horsepower maximum value by dividing the pump absorption horsepower maximum value into a plurality of regions having different target flow rates, and reduces the pump absorption horsepower maximum value from an old pump absorption horsepower maximum value corresponding to the pump absorption horsepower maximum value which has not yet been reduced to a new pump absorption horsepower maximum value corresponding to the pump absorption horsepower maximum value which has been reduced, so that temporal differences among the regions can increase in a descending order of a target flow rate.

Claims

1. A working machine comprising: a hydraulic pump; an electric motor which drives the hydraulic pump; an electric storage device which supplies electric power for power running to the electric motor; and a control device which controls a pump absorption horsepower maximum value in accordance with an amount of electricity stored in the electric storage device, wherein: the control device obtains an amount of reduction in the amount of electricity stored in the electric storage device within a stored electricity amount change measuring time set in advance, obtains an operation possible time from the obtained amount of reduction and a residual amount of electricity stored in the electric storage device, determines whether the obtained operation possible time reaches a remaining time of a preset operation scheduled time obtained by subtracting a currently spent real operating time from the operation scheduled time or not, and reduces the pump absorption horsepower maximum value to such a value that the operation possible time can reach the remaining time of the operation scheduled time when determination is made that the operation possible time does not reach the remaining time, wherein: when the control device reduces the pump absorption horsepower maximum value, further the control device divides a difference between an old pump absorption horsepower maximum value corresponding to the pump absorption horsepower maximum value which has not yet been reduced and a new pump absorption horsepower maximum value corresponding to the pump absorption horsepower maximum value which has been reduced into a plurality of regions having different target flow rates in a descending order of target flow rate, and reduces the old pump absorption horsepower maximum value to the new pump absorption horsepower maximum value by firstly reducing the old pump absorption horsepower maximum value corresponding to one of the regions whose target flow rate is high among the plurality of regions to the new pump absorption horsepower maximum value, and lastly reducing the old pump absorption horsepower maximum value corresponding to another one of the regions whose target flow rate is low among the plurality of regions to the new pump absorption horsepower maximum value, so that temporal differences among the regions increase in a descending order of a target flow rate.

2. The working machine according to claim 1, further comprising: an engine which serves for driving the hydraulic pump and whose rated output torque is smaller than the pump absorption horsepower maximum value; wherein the control device operates the engine at the rated output torque even when a determination is made that the obtained operation possible time does not reach the remaining time of the operation scheduled time.

3. The working machine according to claim 2, wherein: the control device includes a residual stored electricity amount monitoring unit which calculates a new pump absorption horsepower maximum value corresponding to the pump absorption horsepower maximum value which has been reduced, from the amount of electricity stored in the electric storage device, the operation scheduled time and the real operating time, and a load torque control unit which calculates a minimum value of a tilt angle signal of the hydraulic pump from the new pump absorption horsepower maximum value outputted from the residual stored electricity amount monitoring unit, a rotational speed of the engine and a discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump.

4. The working machine according to claim 1, wherein: a time between an operation start scheduled time instant of one day and an operation end scheduled time instant of the day is set as the operation scheduled time, and a fixed time from an operation start time instant of the day and a fixed time from any desirably set time instant after the pump absorption horsepower maximum value is reduced are set as new stored electricity amount change measuring times.

5. The working machine according to claim 1, wherein: the real operating time is counted using an hour meter, and the hour meter stops counting the real operating time when each part of the machine is changed over to an operation prohibition state by a gate lock unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 A configuration diagram of a plug-in hybrid type hydraulic excavator according to an embodiment.

(2) FIG. 2 A system configuration diagram of the plug-in hybrid type hydraulic excavator according to the embodiment.

(3) FIG. 3 A flow chart showing the procedure of control in an electric storage device monitoring unit provided in the plug-in hybrid type hydraulic excavator according to the embodiment.

(4) FIG. 4 A transition diagram of a pump absorption horsepower maximum value according to Example 1.

(5) FIG. 5 A transition diagram of an tilt angle minimum value according to Example 1.

(6) FIG. 6 Graphs showing change of an amount of stored electricity, an output of an engine and an power-running output of an electric motor in the case where a control method according to Example 1 is applied.

(7) FIG. 7 A transition diagram of a pump absorption horsepower maximum value according to Example 2.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(8) An working machine according to the invention will be described below while a hybrid type hydraulic excavator is used as an example. The hybrid type hydraulic excavator is configured so that a hydraulic pump is driven by an engine and an electric motor driven for power running by electric power discharged from an electric storage device and hydraulic actuators are driven by pressure oil ejected from the hydraulic pump. The hybrid type hydraulic excavator is regarded as a plug-in hybrid type excavator machine which is configured so that the rated absorption horsepower of the pump is higher than the rated output of the engine and the amount of electricity stored in the electric storage device is fully consumed in a set operating time. In addition to the plug-in hybrid type hydraulic excavator, the invention may be applied to a battery type hydraulic excavator in which a hydraulic pump is driven only by an electric motor. In addition, the invention may be applied to another hybrid type or battery type working machine than the hydraulic excavator.

Example 1

(9) A plug-in hybrid type hydraulic excavator 10 shown in FIG. 1 has a boom 101, an arm 102, a bucket 103, a crawler 104 and a revolving structure 100 as operating portions. The boom 101, the arm 102 and the bucket 103 are driven by hydraulic cylinders 20a, 20b and 20c which are hydraulic actuators, respectively. On the other hand, the crawler 104 for travelling is driven by a hydraulic motor 20d which is a hydraulic actuator, and the revolving structure 100 is also driven by a not-shown hydraulic motor which is a hydraulic actuator. These hydraulic actuators 20a to 20d are driven by pressure oil ejected from a hydraulic pump 30. The hydraulic pump 30 is a variable displacement hydraulic pump. The displacement (the amount of pressure oil ejected by one revolution) of the hydraulic pump 30 can be changed when the tilt angle thereof is changed. The drive shaft of the hydraulic pump 30 is connected coaxially with an engine 40 and an electric motor 50. The hydraulic pump 30 is operated by the rotation of the engine 40 and the power running of the electric motor 50. The electric motor 50 is electrically connected to an electric storage device 60 through an inverter 51 and a chopper 61. The power running output of the electric motor 50 is performed by electric power which is discharged from the electric storage device 60, transformed by the chopper 61 and converted into an alternating current by the inverter 51. The hydraulic pump 30, the engine 40, the electric motor 50, the inverter 51, the electric storage device 60, the chopper 61 and a control device 70 for controlling these are mounted on the revolving structure 100. Incidentally, the electric motor 50 can generate electric power by the drive force of the engine 40 and charge the electric storage device 60 with the electric power. When the hydraulic motor of the revolving structure 100 is replaced by an electric motor, the electric motor for revolution may be driven by the electric power generated by the electric motor 50.

(10) An engine whose rated output torque is smaller than the pump absorption horsepower maximum value of the hydraulic pump 30 is provided as the engine 40. The control device 70 operates the engine 40 at its rated output torque regardless of the change of the pump absorption horsepower maximum value. Thus, the engine of the hybrid type working machine can be miniaturized and fuel consumption, the amount of exhaust gas and noise can be reduced.

(11) As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 70 fetches a hydraulic pump discharge pressure detected from the hydraulic pump 30, an engine rotational speed detected from the engine 40, an amount of electricity stored in the electric storage device 60 and detected from an inverter circuit including the chopper 61, an operation scheduled time, a stored electricity amount change measuring time, an operating time and a divided arithmetic operation time outputted from a not-shown timer, a real operating time outputted from a not-shown hour meter, and an operation lever signal outputted from a not-shown operation lever, so that the control device 70 outputs a final tilt angle signal to the hydraulic pump 30. The control device 70 has not only a normal control unit 70c which calculates and outputs the tilt angle signal from the hydraulic pump discharge pressure and the operation lever signal, but also a monitoring unit (residual stored electricity amount monitoring unit) 70a which calculates and outputs a new pump absorption horsepower maximum value, which is a corrected pump absorption horsepower maximum value, from the amount of stored electricity, the operation scheduled time, the stored electricity amount change measuring time, the operating time and the real operating time, and a load torque control unit 70b which calculates and outputs a minimum value of the tilt angle of the hydraulic pump 30 from the new pump absorption horsepower maximum value outputted from the monitoring unit 70a. According to this configuration, the control device which can be applied to the working machine according to the invention can be built simply by additionally providing the residual stored electricity amount monitoring unit 70a and the load torque control unit 70b in a control device for a general working machine which has been heretofore known. Thus, the working machine according to the invention can be implemented at a low cost.

(12) The normal control unit 70c outputs the tilt angle signal for controlling the absorption horsepower of the hydraulic pump 30, based on the operation lever signal outputted from the operation lever operated by an operator, and the hydraulic pump discharge pressure detected from the hydraulic pump 30. At the same time, the normal control unit 70c controls the outputs of the engine 40 and the electric motor 50 in accordance with the absorption horsepower of the hydraulic pump 30. The tilt angle signal outputted from the normal control unit 70c is limited to the tilt angle signal minimum value outputted from the monitoring unit 70a and the load torque control unit 70b. When the electric motor 50 is operated for power running under this control, the amount of electricity stored in the electric storage device 60 is reduced correspondingly to the energy consumed. In FIG. 2, the output control portion of the engine 40 and the electric motor 50 is a known item and not the gist of the invention so that illustration thereof is omitted.

(13) The operation scheduled time shown in FIG. 2 is a time in which it is requested to drive the electric motor 50 for power running by the electric power stored in the electric storage device 60. Normally, the operation scheduled time is set as 7.5 hours or 8 hours corresponding to the operating time of one day. The stored electricity amount change measuring time is a time for measuring the amount of reduction in the amount of electricity stored in the electric storage device 60. The stored electricity amount change measuring time is set at least as a fixed time, for example, 10 minutes from a time instant when the engine 40 starts up. The operating time is a total time in which the control device 70 repeats the calculation of the new pump absorption horsepower maximum value. The operating time is set, for example, as 10 minutes. The divided arithmetic operation time corresponds to a pitch in which the control device 70 calculates the new pump absorption horsepower maximum value. The divided arithmetic operation time is set, for example, as 1 minute. Thus, in this case, the number n of times of repetition with which the control device 70 calculates the new pump absorption horsepower maximum value is 10.

(14) The control of the pump absorption horsepower maximum value carried out by the control device 70 in accordance with the amount of electricity stored in the electric storage device 60 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6.

(15) At the start of operation, an initial value (old pump absorption horsepower maximum value) P.sub.maxold is set as the pump absorption horsepower maximum value as shown in FIG. 4, and the tilt angle signal minimum value has a characteristic a corresponding thereto as shown in FIG. 5. That is, when the operator operates the operation lever to the utmost, the final tilt angle signal outputted from the control device 70 takes a value corresponding to P.sub.maxold, which is larger than the rated output of the engine 40. Thus, the shortage is compensated by the power running drive of the electric motor 50.

(16) In Step S1 in FIG. 3, the monitoring unit 70a calculates the amount of reduction, by which the amount of stored electricity is reduced by the power running of the electric motor 50, in a stored electricity amount change measuring time t1 set in advance from the operation start time instant. Next, an operation possible time in which the operation can be continued is calculated from the calculated amount of reduction in the amount of stored electricity and the stored electricity amount change measuring time t1. In Step S2 in FIG. 3, determination is made as to whether the calculated operation possible time is shorter than a remaining time t2 of a preset operation scheduled time or not. In the example of FIG. 6(a), the operation possible time is smaller than the remaining time t2 of the operation scheduled time. When determination is made in this manner that the operation possible time is shorter than the remaining time t2 of the operation scheduled time (YES), the flow of processing is moved to Step S3 in FIG. 3, in which the new pump absorption horsepower maximum value P.sub.maxnew in which the electric motor 50 can be driven for power running within the range of the remaining time t2 of the operation scheduled time is calculated from the residual amount of electricity stored in the electric storage device 60, the operation scheduled time and the stored electricity amount change measuring time t1.

(17) The new pump absorption horsepower maximum value P.sub.maxnew can be calculated in the following method. That is, as apparent from FIG. 6(b), the new pump absorption horsepower maximum value P.sub.maxnew is calculated as the sum of the rated output P.sub.engmax of the engine 40 and an addition PM2 derived from the electric motor 50. Therefore, it is assumed that the ratio between the average output of the electric storage device 60 in the stored electricity amount change measuring time t1 and the average output of the electric storage device 60 in the remaining time t2 of the operation scheduled time corresponds to the ratio between an addition PM1 derived from the electric motor 50 in the initial condition and the addition PM2 derived from the electric motor 50 after the lapse of the stored electricity amount change measuring time t1. That is, as shown in FIG. 6(a), when the amount of consumption of stored electricity in the stored electricity amount change measuring time t1 is designated as Q.sub.e1 and the residual amount of stored electricity after the lapse of the stored electricity amount change measuring time t1 is designated as Q.sub.e2, it is assumed that the ratio is established as:
Q.sub.e1/t1:Q.sub.e2/t2=PM1:PM2

(18) This can be solved as:

(19) $\begin{array}{c}{P}_{\mathrm{maxnew}}=\mathrm{PM}2+P_{\mathrm{engmax}}\\ =\left(Q_{e1}/t1\right)/\left(Q_{e2}/t2\right)\mathrm{PM}1+P_{\mathrm{engmax}}\end{array}$

(20) Besides, there may be considered another method in which the average output of the electric storage device 60 is calculated from a real value obtained by subtracting the rated output P.sub.engmax of the engine 40 from the real pump absorption horsepower.

(21) In this embodiment, the change from the old pump absorption horsepower maximum value P.sub.maxold to the new pump absorption horsepower maximum value P.sub.maxnew is carried out in a plurality of batches in each set divided arithmetic operation time till the set operating time is terminated. That is, after the new pump absorption horsepower maximum value P.sub.maxnew is calculated in Step S3 in FIG. 3, the flow of processing is moved to Step S4, in which an adjustment amount P of the pump absorption horsepower maximum value for each time is calculated by dividing the difference between the old pump absorption horsepower maximum value P.sub.maxold and the new pump absorption horsepower maximum value P.sub.maxnew into n. Next, the flow of processing is moved to Step S5, in which the pump absorption horsepower maximum value P.sub.max is set as P.sub.maxoldP, and an tilt angle signal minimum value corresponding thereto is outputted by the load torque control unit 70b. After that, in Step S6, this operation is carried out in each divided arithmetic operation time (one minute in this example) till the preset operating time is terminated. Thus, the tilt angle signal minimum value is reduced sequentially from the characteristic a to a characteristic b and from the characteristic b to a characteristic c. In accordance therewith, the pump absorption horsepower maximum value changes gently from the old pump absorption horsepower maximum value P.sub.maxold to the new pump absorption horsepower maximum value P.sub.maxnew as shown in FIG. 6(b). This change will be stepwise in accordance with the setting of the divided arithmetic operation time and the magnitude of the difference between the old pump absorption horsepower maximum value P.sub.maxold and the new pump absorption horsepower maximum value P.sub.maxnew. In this manner, the pump absorption horsepower maximum value can be reduced gently so that the operator hardly has a feeling of strangeness on an operation and the fatigue of the operator can be relaxed.

(22) When determination is made in Step S2 in FIG. 3 that the calculated operation possible time is longer than the remaining time t2 of the operation scheduled time set in advance (NO), the flow of processing is moved to Step S7 in FIG. 3, in which determination is made as to whether the pump absorption horsepower maximum value P.sub.max is lower than its initial value or not. When determination is made that the pump absorption horsepower maximum value P.sub.max is lower (YES), the flow of processing is moved to Step S3. When determination is made that the pump absorption horsepower maximum value P.sub.max is not lower (NO), the flow of processing returns to Step S1. In this manner, the residual amount of electricity stored in the electric storage device 60 can be used effectively.

(23) In this example, the stored electricity amount change measuring time t1 is assigned only to a fixed time from the operation start time instant of one day. However, in addition thereto, the stored electricity amount change measuring time t1 may be set as a fixed time from any desirably set time instant after the pump absorption horsepower maximum value has been reduced. In this manner, the pump absorption horsepower maximum value can be corrected more minutely in accordance with the amount of electricity stored in the electric storage device 60. In addition, as for the count of the real operating time, the count of the real operating time may be suspended when each part of the machine is changed over to an operation prohibition state by a gate lock unit. In this manner, the time in which each part of the machine has been changed over to the operation prohibition state by the gate lock unit, that is, the time in which operation of the working machine is suspended, is not counted as the real operating time. Thus, an accurate new absorption horsepower maximum value that is more suitable for the actual situation of the operation can be calculated.

Example 2

(24) Next, Example 2 of the working machine according to the invention will be described with reference to FIG. 7. According to this example, as shown in FIG. 7, the difference between the new pump absorption horsepower maximum value and the old pump absorption horsepower maximum value is divided into a region A whose target flow rate Q is high, a region B whose target flow rate Q is medium and a region C whose target flow rate Q is low. When the pump absorption horsepower maximum value is reduced, the part corresponding to the region A of the old pump absorption horsepower maximum value is first reduced to the new pump absorption horsepower maximum value, the part corresponding to the region B of the old pump absorption horsepower maximum value is next reduced to the new pump absorption horsepower maximum value, and the part corresponding to the region C of the old pump absorption horsepower maximum value is finally reduced to the new pump absorption horsepower maximum value. In the state where the hydraulic actuators are operating at high speed, that is, in the state where the flow rate of pressure oil flowing in the hydraulic actuators is high, the operator hardly senses a change in the pump absorption horsepower maximum value when the pump absorption horsepower maximum value is reduced to some extent. On the contrary, in the state where the flow rate of pressure oil flowing in the hydraulic actuators is low, the operator can sensitively sense the change even when the pump absorption horsepower maximum value is reduced slightly. Therefore, as described above, when the pump absorption horsepower maximum value is reduced sequentially in the regions in a descending order of target flow rate, the pump absorption horsepower maximum value can be changed smoothly without giving a feeling of strangeness on an operation to the operator.

(25) In the working machine according to the invention, the pump absorption horsepower maximum value can be reduced substantially uniformly from the start time instant of the preset operating time to the end time instant of the operating time in accordance with the reduction in the amount of electricity stored in the electric storage device. Thus, a feeling of strangeness on an operation is hardly given to the operator and the fatigue of the operator can be lightened. In addition, the drive of the electric motor can be secured until the end time instant of the operating time. Thus, high operability can be kept.

INDUSTRIAL AVAILABILITY

(26) The invention can be applied to an working machine such as a plug-in hybrid type or battery type hydraulic excavator.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

(27) 10 hybrid type excavator machine 20 hydraulic actuator 20a hydraulic cylinder for driving boom 20b hydraulic cylinder for driving arm 20c hydraulic cylinder for driving bucket 20d hydraulic cylinder for driving crawler 30 hydraulic pump 40 engine 50 electric motor 60 electric storage device 70 control device 70a monitoring unit 70b load torque control unit 100 revolving structure 101 boom 102 arm 103 bucket 104 crawler Q.sub.max maximum value of amount of electricity stored in electric storage device Q.sub.min lower limit value of amount of electricity stored in electric storage device t1 stored electricity amount change measuring time t2 remaining time of operation scheduled time .sub.Qe1 amount of stored electricity that has been consumed in t1 .sub.Qe2 amount of stored electricity that can be consumed in t2 P.sub.engmax maximum rated output of engine PM1 output of electric motor in t1 PM2 output of electric motor in t2 P.sub.maxold old pump absorption horsepower maximum value P.sub.maxnew new pump absorption horsepower maximum value