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A supercharger of an engine comprises a motor/generator, a compressor provided in an air intake system of the engine, and a planetary gear mechanism. The planetary gear mechanism includes a sun gear connected to a driving shaft of the engine, planetary gears connected to the motor/generator and a ri

A supercharger of an engine comprises a motor/generator, a compressor provided in an air intake system of the engine, and a planetary gear mechanism. The planetary gear mechanism includes a sun gear connected to a driving shaft of the engine, planetary gears connected to the motor/generator and a ring gear connected to the compressor. The controller drives the motor/generator to control a rotational speed of the planetary gears. Through the control of the rotational speed of the planetary gears, a rotational speed of the compressor is controlled independently of a rotational speed of the engine. Thus, the rotation speed of the compressor can be continuously changed over a range from zero to a higher rotational speed than the engine rotational speed. Any desired supercharged pressure can be generated independently of the engine rotational speed.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method for controlling a supercharger of an engine, the supercharger comprising a planetary gear mechanism that includes a sun gear connected to a driving shaft of the engine, at least one planetary gear connected to a motor/generator and a ring gear connected to a compress

What is claimed is: 1. A method for controlling a supercharger of an engine, the supercharger comprising a planetary gear mechanism that includes a sun gear connected to a driving shaft of the engine, at least one planetary gear connected to a motor/generator and a ring gear connected to a compressor, the method comprising the steps of: driving the motor/generator to control a rotational speed of the at least one planetary gear, wherein the rotational speed of the ring gear is controlled independently of the sun gear; and through the control of the rotational speed of the at least one planetary gear, controlling a rotational speed of the compressor independently of a rotational speed of the engine. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the motor/generator is connected to a carrier which defines orbital motion of the at least one planetary gear relative to the sun gear. 3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: driving the motor/generator so that the compressor rotates at a higher rotational speed than the rotational speed of the engine when a requested driving force of the engine exceeds a predetermined value. 4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: driving the motor/generator so that the compressor rotates at a lower rotational speed than the rotational speed of the engine or so that the rotation of the compressor stops when a requested driving force of the engine is less than a predetermined value. 5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of: driving the motor/generator as an electric motor to rotate the compressor at a higher rotational speed than the rotational speed of the engine, and driving the motor/generator as an electric generator to rotate the compressor at a lower rotational speed than the rotational speed of the engine. 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of: supplying an electric power to the motor/generator from an electric generator connected to the engine when the motor/generator is driven as an electric motor. 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of: stopping the electric generator when an accelerator pedal is full open or almost full open. 8. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of: controlling the amount of electric power generated by the motor/generator when the motor/generator is driven as an electric generator. 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: performing a response assignment control to generate a motor command that is used for driving the motor/generator so that a supercharged pressure converges to a desired value. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: adjusting an opening angle of a throttle valve provided in the intake air system to control the amount of intake air to the engine. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of: performing a response assignment control to determine the opening angle of the throttle valve so that the amount of intake air to the engine converges to a desired value. 12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: preventing reverse rotation of the compressor through use of a one-way clutch provided between the motor/generator and the compressor. 13. A supercharger of an engine, the supercharger comprising: motor/generator means; compression means for compressing air introduced into an intake air system of the engine; planetary gear means including a sun gear, at least one planetary gear, and a ring gear, the sun gear rotating in accordance with a driving shaft of the engine, the at least one planetary gear rotating in accordance with the motor/generator means and the ring gear rotating in accordance with the compression means; and driving means for driving the motor/generator means to control a rotational speed of the at least one planetary gear, wherein the rotational speed of the ring gear is controlled independently of the sun gear, and wherein the control of the rotational speed of the at least one planetary gear allows a rotational speed of the compression means to be controlled independently of a rotational speed of the engine. 14. The supercharger of claim 13, wherein the motor/generator means is connected to a carrier which defines orbital motion of the at least one planetary gear relative to the sun gear. 15. The supercharger of claim 13, wherein the driving means further comprises means for driving the motor/generator means so that the compression means rotates at a higher rotational speed than the rotational speed of the engine when a requested driving force of the engine exceeds a predetermined value. 16. The supercharger of claim 13, wherein the driving means further comprises means for driving the motor/generator means so that the compression means rotates at a lower rotational speed than the rotational speed of the engine or so that the rotation of the compression means stops when a requested driving force of the engine is less than a predetermined value. 17. The supercharger of claim 13, wherein the driving means further comprises means for driving the motor/generator means as an electric motor to rotate the compression means at a higher rotational speed than the rotational speed of the engine, and wherein the driving means further comprises means for driving the motor/generator means as an electric generator to rotate the compressor at a lower rotational speed than the rotational speed of the engine. 18. The supercharger of claim 17, further comprising: electric generation means for generating electric power and means for causing the electric generation means to supply an electric power to the motor/generator means to drive the motor/generator means as an electric motor. 19. The supercharger of claim 18, further comprising: means for stopping the generation of the electric power by the electric generation means when an accelerator pedal is full open or almost full open. 20. The supercharger of claim 17, further comprising: means for controlling the amount of electric power generated by the motor/generator means when the motor/generator means is driven as an electric generator. 21. The supercharger of claim 13, further comprising: means for performing a response assignment control to generate a motor command that is used for driving the motor/generator means so that a supercharged pressure converges to a desired value. 22. The supercharger of claim 13, further comprising: means for adjusting an opening angle of a throttle valve to control the amount of intake air to the engine. 23. The supercharger of claim 22, further comprising: means for performing a response assignment control to determine the opening angle of the throttle valve so that the amount of intake air to the engine converges to a desired value. 24. The supercharger of claim 13, further comprising: a one-way clutch means for preventing reverse rotation of the compression means. 25. A supercharger of an engine, the supercharger comprising: a motor/generator; a compressor provided in an intake air system of the engine; a planetary gear mechanism including a sun gear connected to a driving shaft of the engine, at least one planetary gear connected to the motor/generator and a ring gear connected to the compressor; and a controller for driving the motor/generator to control a rotational speed of the at least one planetary gear, wherein the rotational speed of the ring gear is controlled independently of the sun gear, and wherein control of the rotational speed of the at least one planetary gear allows a rotational speed of the compressor to be controlled independently of a rotational speed of the engine. 26. The supercharger of claim 25, wherein the motor/generator is connected to a carrier which defines orbital motion of the at least one planetary gear relative to the sun gear. 27. The supercharger of claim 25, wherein the controller drives the motor/generator so that the compressor rotates at a higher rotational speed than the rotational speed of the engine when a requested driving force of the engine exceeds a predetermined value. 28. The supercharger of claim 25, wherein the controller drives the motor/generator so that the compressor rotates at a lower rotational speed than the rotational speed of the engine or so that the rotation of the compressor stops when a requested driving force of the engine is less than a predetermined value. 29. The supercharger of claim 25, wherein the controller drives the motor/generator as an electric motor when the controller rotates the compressor at a higher rotational speed than the rotational speed of the engine, and wherein the controller drives the motor/generator as an electric generator when the controller rotates the compressor at a lower rotational speed than the rotational speed of the engine. 30. The supercharger of claim 29, further comprising an electric generator connected to the engine, wherein the controller causes the electric generator to supply an electric power to the motor/generator when the controller drives the motor/generator as an electric motor. 31. The supercharger of claim 30, wherein the controller stops the electric generator when an accelerator pedal is full open or almost full open. 32. The supercharger of claim 29, wherein the controller further controls the amount of electric power generated by the motor/generator when the controller drives the motor/generator as an electric generator. 33. The supercharger of claim 25, wherein the controller performs a response assignment control to generate a motor command that is used for driving the motor/generator so that a supercharged pressure converges to a desired value. 34. The supercharger of claim 25, wherein the controller further adjusts an opening angle of a throttle valve provided in the intake air system to control the amount of intake air to the engine. 35. The supercharger of claim 34, wherein the controller performs a response assignment control to determine the opening angle of the throttle valve so that the amount of intake air to the engine converges to a desired value. 36. The supercharger of claim 25, further comprising a one-way clutch provided between the motor/generator and the compressor.