The first Toyota Prius sedan

Toyota Prius Vehicle operation in various driving modes

Comparative data of Prius cars of various years of manufacture

Internal combustion engine Toyota Prius

Toyota Prius has an internal combustion engine (ICE) with a volume of 1497 cm3, which is unusually small for a car weighing 1300 kg. This is made possible due to the presence of electric motors and batteries that help the ICE when more power is needed. In a conventional car, the engine is designed for high acceleration and driving up a steep hill, so it almost always operates at low efficiency.The 30th body uses a different engine, 2ZR-FXE, 1.8 liter.Because the car can not be connected to the city network power supply (which is planned to be implemented by Japanese engineers in the near future), there is no other long-term source of energy and this engine must supply energy to charge the battery, as well as to move the car and power additional consumers such as air conditioning, electric heater, audio, etc. .e Toyota designation for engine Prius - 1NZ-FXE. The prototype of this engine is the 1NZ-FE engine, which was installed on Yaris, Bb, Fun Cargo", Platz cars. The design of many parts of the 1NZ-FE and 1NZ-FXE engines is the same. For example, cylinder blocks for Bb, Fun Cargo, Platz and Prius 11 However, the 1NZ-FXE engine uses a different carburetion scheme, and therefore the design differences are associated.The 1NZ-FXE engine uses the Atkinson cycle, while the 1NZ-FE engine uses the conventional Otto cycle.

In an Otto cycle engine, during the intake process, an air-fuel mixture enters the cylinder. However, the pressure in the intake manifold is lower than in the cylinder (because the flow is controlled by the throttle), and so the piston does extra work to suck in the air-fuel mixture, acting as a compressor. closes near bottom dead center inlet valve. The mixture in the cylinder is compressed and ignited at the moment the spark is applied. In contrast, the Atkinson cycle does not close the intake valve at bottom dead center, but leaves it open while the piston begins to rise. Part of the air-fuel mixture is forced into the intake manifold and used in another cylinder. Thus, pumping losses are reduced compared to the Otto cycle. Since the volume of the mixture that compresses and burns is reduced, the pressure during compression with this mixture formation scheme also decreases, which makes it possible to increase the compression ratio to 13, without the risk of detonation. Increasing the compression ratio increases the thermal efficiency. All these measures contribute to improving the fuel efficiency and environmental friendliness of the engine. The payoff is a reduction in engine power. So the 1NZ-FE engine has a power of 109 hp, and the 1NZ-FXE engine has 77 hp.

Engine/Generators Toyota Prius

Toyota Prius has two electric motors/generators. They are very similar in design, but differ in size. Both are three-phase permanent magnet synchronous motors. The name is more complex than the design itself. The rotor (the part that rotates) is a large, powerful magnet and does not have any electrical connections. The stator (the fixed part attached to the car body) contains three sets of windings. When current flows in a certain direction through one set of windings, the rotor (magnet) interacts with the magnetic field of the winding and is set in a certain position. By passing a current in series through each set of windings, first in one direction and then in the other, one can move the rotor from one position to the next and thus make it rotate. Of course, this is a simplified explanation, but it shows the essence of this type of engine. If an external force turns the rotor, the current flows through each set of windings in turn and can be used to charge a battery or power another motor. Thus, one device can be a motor or a generator depending on whether current is passed through the windings to attract the rotor magnets, or current is released when some external force turns the rotor. This is even more simplified, but will serve the depth of the explanation.

Motor/Generator 1 (MG1) is connected to the Power Distribution Device (PSD) sun gear. It is the smaller of the two and has a maximum output of around 18 kW. Usually, he starts the internal combustion engine and regulates the revolutions of the internal combustion engine by changing the amount of electricity produced. Motor/generator 2 (MG2) is connected to the ring gear of the planetary gear (power distribution device) and further through the gearbox to the wheels. Therefore, it directly drives the car. It is the larger of the two motor generators and has a maximum output of 33kW (50kW for the Prius NHW-20). The MG2 is sometimes referred to as a "traction motor" and its usual role is to propel the car as a motor or return braking energy as a generator. Both motors/generators are cooled with antifreeze.

Toyota Prius Inverter

Since motors/generators run on AC three-phase current, and the battery, like all batteries, produces direct current, some device is needed to convert one form of current to another. Each MG has an "inverter" that performs this function. The inverter learns the position of the rotor from a sensor on the MG shaft and controls the current in the motor windings to keep the motor running at the required speed and torque. The inverter changes the current in a winding when the magnetic pole of the rotor passes that winding and moves on to the next one. In addition, the inverter connects the battery voltage to the windings and then turns it off again very quickly (at a high frequency) in order to change the average current value and hence the torque. By exploiting the "self-inductance" of the motor windings (a property of electrical coils that resist changing current), the inverter can actually push more current through the winding than is supplied by the battery. It only works when the voltage across the windings is less than the battery voltage, hence energy is saved. However, since the amount of current through the winding determines the torque, this current allows very high torque to be achieved at low speeds. Up to approximately 11 km/h, the MG2 is capable of generating 350 Nm (400 Nm for the Prius NHW-20) of torque at the gearbox. That is why the car can start moving with acceptable acceleration without using the gearbox, which usually increases the torque of the internal combustion engine. In the event of a short circuit or overheating, the inverter switches off the high voltage part of the machine. In the same unit with the inverter, there is also a converter, which is designed to reverse convert AC voltage to DC -13.8 volts. To deviate a little from theory, a bit of practice: the inverter, like motor-generators, is cooled by an independent cooling system. This cooling system is powered by an electric pump. If on body 10 this pump turns on when the temperature in the hybrid cooling circuit reaches about 48 ° C, then on bodies 11 and 20 a different algorithm for the operation of this pump is used: be "overboard" at least -40 degrees, the pump will still start its work already at turning on the ignition. Accordingly, the resource of these pumps is very, very limited. What happens when a pump jams or burns out: according to the laws of physics, antifreeze under heating from MG (especially MG2) rises up - into the inverter. And in the inverter, it must cool the power transistors, which heat up significantly under load. The result is their failure, i.e. the most common error on body 11: P3125 - inverter malfunction due to a burnt out pump. If in this case the power transistors withstand such a test, then the MG2 winding burns out. This is another common error on body 11: P3109. On the 20th body, Japanese engineers improved the pump: now the rotor (impeller) does not rotate in a horizontal plane, where the entire load goes to one support bearing, but in a vertical one, where the load is distributed evenly over 2 bearings. Unfortunately, this added little reliability. In April-May 2009 alone, 6 pumps on 20 bodies were replaced in our workshop. practical advice for owners of 11 and 20 Prius: make it a rule at least once every 2-3 days to slightly open the hood for 15-20 seconds with the ignition on or the car running. You will immediately see the movement of antifreeze in expansion tank hybrid system. After that, you can drive safely. If there is no antifreeze movement there, you can’t drive a car!

Toyota Prius high voltage battery

high voltage battery(abbreviated VVB Toyota Prius) Prius in 10 body consists of 240 cells with a nominal voltage of 1.2 V, very similar to a D-size flashlight battery, combined in 6 pieces, into the so-called "bamboos" (there is a slight resemblance in appearance). "Bamboos" are installed in 20 pieces in 2 buildings. The total nominal voltage of the VVB is 288 V. The operating voltage fluctuates in the mode idle move from 320 to 340 V. When the voltage drops to 288 V in the VVB, starting the internal combustion engine becomes impossible. In this case, the battery symbol with the "288" icon inside will light up on the display screen. To start the internal combustion engine, the Japanese in the 10th body used a regular Charger, which is accessed from the trunk. Frequently asked questions, how to use it? I answer: firstly, I repeat that it can only be used when the "288" icon is on the display. Otherwise, when you press the "START" button, you will simply hear a nasty squeak, and the red "error" light will light up. Secondly: you need to hook up a “donor” to the terminals of a small battery, i.e. either a charger or a well-charged powerful battery (but in no case starting device!). After that, with the ignition OFF, press the "START" button for at least 3 seconds. When the green light turns on, the VVB will start charging. It will end automatically after 1-5 minutes. This charge is quite enough for 2-3 starts of the internal combustion engine, after which the VVB will be charged from the converter. If 2-3 starts did not lead to the start of the internal combustion engine (and at the same time "READY" ("Ready") on the display should not blink, but burn steadily), then it is necessary to stop useless starts and look for the cause of the malfunction. In the 11th body, the VVB consists of 228 elements of 1.2 V each, combined in 38 assemblies of 6 elements, with a total nominal voltage of 273.6 V.

The entire battery is installed behind the rear seat. At the same time, the elements are no longer orange "bamboos", but are flat modules in gray plastic cases. The maximum battery current is 80 A when discharging and 50 A when charging. The nominal capacity of the battery is 6.5 Ah, however, the car's electronics allow only 40% of this capacity to be used in order to prolong the life of the battery. The state of charge can only change between 35% and 90% of the full rated charge. Multiplying the battery voltage and its capacity, we get the nominal energy reserve - 6.4 MJ (megajoules), and the usable reserve - 2.56 MJ. This energy is enough to accelerate the car, driver and passenger to 108 km / h (without the help of the internal combustion engine) four times. To produce this amount of energy, an internal combustion engine would require approximately 230 milliliters of gasoline. (These figures are only given to give you an idea of ​​the amount of stored energy in the battery.) The vehicle cannot be driven without fuel, even when starting at 90% full rated charge on a long downhill. Most of the time you have about 1 MJ of usable battery power. A lot of VVB gets into repair exactly after the owner runs out of gas (at the same time, the icon " check engine"("Check the engine") and a triangle with an exclamation mark), but the owner is trying to "reach out" to refueling. After the voltage drops on the cells below 3 V, they "die". On the 20th body, Japanese engineers went the other way to increase power: they reduced the number of elements to 168, i.e. left 28 modules.But for use in the inverter, the battery voltage is increased to 500 V using a special device -booster.Increasing the nominal voltage of MG2 in the NHW-20 body made it possible to increase its power to 50 kW without changing dimensions.

The Prius also has an auxiliary battery. This is a 12-volt, 28 amp-hour lead-acid battery, which is located on the left side of the trunk (in the 20 body - on the right). Its purpose is to energize the electronics and accessories when the hybrid system is off and the main high voltage battery relay is off. When the hybrid system is running, the 12-volt source is the converter direct current supplied from the high voltage system to 12 V DC. It also recharges the auxiliary battery when needed. The main control units communicate via the internal CAN bus. The remaining systems communicate over the Body Electronics Area Network. The VVB also has its own control unit, which monitors the temperature of the elements, the voltage on them, the internal resistance, and also controls the fan built into the VVB. On the 10th body there are 8 temperature sensors, which are thermistors, on the "bamboos" themselves, and 1 is a common VVB air temperature control sensor. On the 11th body -4 +1, and on the 20th -3 +1.

Toyota Prius power distribution unit

The torque and energy of the internal combustion engine and motors/generators are combined and distributed by a planetary set of gears, called by Toyota "power split device" (PSD, Power Split Device). And although it is not difficult to manufacture, this device is quite difficult to understand and even more tricky to consider in full context all modes of operation of the drive. Therefore, we will devote several other topics to the discussion of the power distribution device. In short, this allows the Prius to operate in both series- and parallel-hybrid modes at the same time and get some of the benefits of each mode. The ICE can turn the wheels directly (mechanically) through the PSD. At the same time, a variable amount of energy can be taken from the internal combustion engine and converted into electricity. It can charge a battery or be passed on to one of the motors/generators to help turn the wheels. The flexibility of this mechanical/electrical power distribution allows the Prius to improve fuel efficiency and manage emissions while driving, which is not possible with a rigid mechanical connection between the combustion engine and the wheels, as in a parallel hybrid, but without the loss of electrical energy, as in a series hybrid. The Prius is often said to have a CVT (Continue Variable Transmission) - continuously variable or "constantly variable" transmission, this is the PSD power distribution unit. However, a conventional CVT works exactly like a normal transmission, except that the gear ratio can change continuously (smoothly) rather than in a small range of steps (first gear, second gear, etc.). A little later, we will look at how the PSD differs from a conventional continuously variable transmission, i.e. variator.

Usually the most asked question about the "box" of a Prius car: what kind of oil is poured there, how much in volume and how often to change it. Very often, there is such a misconception among car service workers: since there is no dipstick in the bark, it means that the oil does not need to be changed there at all. This misconception has led to the death of more than one box.

10 body: working fluid T-4 - 3.8 liters.

11 body: working fluid T-4 - 4.6 liters.

20 body: ATF WS working fluid - 3.8 liters. Replacement period: after 40 thousand km. According to Japanese terms, oil is changed every 80 thousand km, but for especially difficult operating conditions (and the Japanese attribute the operation of cars in Russia to these especially difficult conditions - and we are in solidarity with them), the oil is supposed to be changed 2 times more often.

I will tell you about the main differences in the maintenance of the boxes, i.e. about changing the oil. If in the 20th body, in order to change the oil, you just need to unscrew the drain plug and, having drained the old one, fill in new oil, then on the 10th and 11th bodies it is not so simple. The design of the oil pan on these machines is made in such a way that if you simply unscrew the drain plug, then only part of the oil will drain, and not the dirtiest. And 300-400 grams of the dirtiest oil with other debris (pieces of sealant, wear products) remains in the sump. Therefore, in order to change the oil, it is necessary to remove the box pan and, having poured out the dirt and cleaned it, put it in place. When removing the pallet, we get another additional bonus - we can diagnose the condition of the box by the wear products in the pallet. The worst thing for the owner is when he sees yellow (bronze) chips at the bottom of the pan. This box won't last long. The pan gasket is cork, and if the holes on it have not acquired an oval shape, it can be reused without any sealants! The main thing when installing the pallet is not to overtighten the bolts so as not to cut the gasket with the pallet. What else is interesting in the transmission: The use of a chain drive is quite unusual, but all ordinary cars have gear reductions between the engine and the axles. Their purpose is to allow the engine to spin faster than the wheels and also increase the engine generated torque to more torque at the wheels. The ratios with which rotational speed is reduced and torque increased are necessarily the same (neglect friction) due to the law of conservation of energy. The ratio is called the "total gear ratio". Complete gear ratio Prius in the 11th body - 3,905. It turns out like this:

The 39-tooth sprocket on the PSD output shaft drives the 36-tooth sprocket on the first intermediate shaft through a silent chain (so-called Morse chain).

The 30-tooth gear on the first countershaft is connected to and drives the 44-tooth gear on the second countershaft.

The 26-tooth gear on the second countershaft is connected to and drives the 75-tooth gear at the differential input.

The value of the output of the differential to the two wheels is the same as the input of the differential (they are, in fact, identical, except when cornering occurs).

If we perform a simple arithmetic operation: (36/39) * (44/30) * (75/26), we get (to four significant digits) a total gear ratio of 3.905.

Why is a chain drive used? Because it avoids the axial force (force along the axis of the shaft) that would occur with conventional helical gears used in automotive transmissions. This could also be avoided with spur gears, but they produce noise. Thrust is not a problem on the intermediate shafts and can be balanced by tapered roller bearings. However, this is not so easy with the PSD output shaft. There is nothing very unusual about a Prius differential, axles and wheels. As in a conventional car, the differential allows the inner and outer wheels to rotate with different speeds when the car turns. The axles transmit torque from the differential to the wheel hub and include an articulation to allow the wheels to move up and down following the suspension. The wheels are lightweight aluminum alloy and fitted with high pressure tires with low rolling resistance. The tires have a rolling radius of approximately 11.1 inches, which means the car moves 1.77 meters for each revolution of the wheel. Only the size of stock tires on 10 and 11 bodies is unusual: 165/65-15. This is a rather rare tire size in Russia. Many sellers, even in specialized stores, quite seriously convince that such rubber does not exist in nature. My recommendations: for Russian conditions, the most suitable size is 185/60-15. In the 20 Prius, the size of the rubber has been increased, which has a beneficial effect on its durability. Now more interesting: what is missing in the Prius, what is in any other car?

There is no stepped transmission, either manual or automatic - the Prius does not use stepped transmissions;

There is no clutch or transformer - the wheels are always hardwired to the ICE and motors/generators;

There is no starter - starting the internal combustion engine is done by MG1 through gears in the power distribution device;

There is no alternator - electricity is generated by motors/generators as needed.

Therefore, the structural complexity of the Prius hybrid drive is actually not much greater than that of a conventional car. In addition, new and unfamiliar parts such as motors/generators and PSDs have higher reliability and longer life than some of the parts that have been removed from the design.

Vehicle operation in various driving conditions

Toyota Prius engine start

To start the motor, MG1 (connected to the sun gear) rotates forward using the power from the high voltage battery. If the vehicle is stationary, the planetary ring gear will also remain stationary. The rotation of the sun gear therefore forces the planet carrier to rotate. It is connected to the internal combustion engine (ICE) and cranks it at 1/3.6 of the rotational speed of MG1. Unlike a conventional car, which supplies fuel and ignition to the internal combustion engine as soon as the starter begins to turn it, the Prius waits until MG1 has accelerated the internal combustion engine to approximately 1000 rpm. This happens in less than a second. The MG1 is significantly more powerful than a conventional starter motor. To rotate the internal combustion engine at this speed, it must itself rotate at a speed of 3600 rpm. Starting an ICE at 1000 rpm creates almost no stress on it because that is the speed at which an ICE would be happy to run on its own power. Also, the Prius starts by firing only a couple of cylinders. The result is a very smooth start, free of noise and twitch, which eliminates the wear and tear associated with conventional car engine starts. At the same time, I will immediately draw attention to a common mistake of repairmen and owners: they often call me and ask what prevents the internal combustion engine from continuing to work, why it starts for 40 seconds and stalls. In fact, while the READY frame is blinking, the ICE DOES NOT WORK! It turns him MG1! Although visually - a complete feeling of starting the internal combustion engine, i.e. ICE makes noise exhaust pipe smoke is coming..

Once the ICE has started to run on its own power, the computer controls the throttle opening to get the right idle speed during warm up. Electricity no longer powers MG1 and, in fact, if the battery is low, MG1 can generate electricity and charge the battery. The computer simply sets up MG1 as a generator instead of a motor, opens the engine throttle a little more (up to about 1200 rpm) and gets electricity.

Cold start Toyota Prius

When you start a Prius with a cold engine, its top priority is to warm up the engine and catalytic converter so that the emission control system can work. The engine will run for several minutes until this happens (how long depends on the actual temperature of the engine and catalytic converter). At this time, special measures are taken to control the exhaust during warm-up, including keeping the exhaust hydrocarbons in the absorber, which will be cleaned later, and running the engine in a special mode.

Warm start Toyota Prius s

When you start a Prius with a warm engine, it will run for a short time and then stop. idle will be within 1000 rpm.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to prevent the internal combustion engine from starting when you turn on the car, even if all you want to do is move to a nearby lift. This only applies to 10 and 11 bodies. On the 20th body, a different start algorithm is applied: press the brake and press the "START" button. If there is enough energy in the VVB, and you do not turn on the heater to heat the interior or glass, the internal combustion engine will not start. The inscription "READY" (Totob ") will just light up, i.e. the car is COMPLETELY ready to move. It is enough to switch the joystick (and the choice of modes on the 20th body is done with the joystick) to position D or R and release the brake, you will go!

The Prius is always in direct gear. This means that the engine alone cannot provide all the torque to drive the car vigorously. The torque for the initial acceleration is added by the MG2 motor driving directly the planetary ring gear connected to the gearbox input, the output of which is connected to the wheels. Electric motors develop the best torque at low rotational speeds, so they are ideal for starting a car.

Let's imagine that the ICE is running and the car is stationary, which means that the motor MG1 rotates forward. The control electronics starts to take energy from the generator MG1 and transfers it to the motor MG2. Now, when you take energy from a generator, that energy has to come from somewhere. There is some force that slows down the rotation of the shaft and something that rotates the shaft must resist this force in order to maintain speed. Resisting this "generator load", the computer speeds up the internal combustion engine to add more power. So, the ICE is turning the planet carrier more hard, and MG1 is trying to slow down the rotation of the sun gear. The result is a force on the ring gear that causes it to rotate and start moving the car.

Recall that in a planetary gear, the torque of the internal combustion engine is divided 72% to 28% between the crown and the sun. Until we pressed the accelerator pedal, the ICE was just idling and producing no output torque. Now, however, the revs have been added and 28% of the torque is turning MG1 like a generator. The other 72% of the torque is transferred mechanically to the ring gear and therefore to the wheels. While most of the torque comes from the MG2 motor, the ICE does transfer torque to the wheels in this way.

Now we have to find out how the 28% of the ICE torque that is sent to the MG1 generator can possibly boost the start of the car - with the help of the MG2 motor. To do this, we must clearly distinguish between torque and energy. Torque is a rotating force, and just like a straight line force, no energy is required to maintain the force. Suppose you are pulling a bucket of water with a winch. She takes energy. If the winch is driven by an electric motor, you would have to supply it with electricity. But, when you have raised the bucket to the top, you can hook it with some kind of hook or rod or something else to keep it on top. The force (weight of the bucket) that is applied to the rope and the torque transmitted by the rope to the winch drum has not disappeared. But because the force does not move, there is no transfer of energy, and the situation is stable without energy. Likewise, when the car is stationary, even though 72% of the ICE's torque is being sent to the wheels, there is no energy flow in that direction since the ring gear is not rotating. The sun gear, however, rotates quickly, and although it receives only 28% of the torque, this allows a lot of electricity to be generated. This line of reasoning shows that MG2's task is to apply torque to the input of a mechanical gearbox that does not require much power. A lot of current must pass through the motor windings, overcoming electrical resistance, and this energy is wasted as heat. But when the car is moving slowly, this energy comes from MG1. As the vehicle starts to move and picks up speed, MG1 rotates more slowly and produces less power. However, the computer may increase the speed of the internal combustion engine a little. Now more torque is coming from the ICE and since more torque must also go through the sun gear, MG1 can keep the power generation high. The reduced rotational speed is compensated by an increase in torque.

We've avoided mentioning the battery up to this point to make it clear how it's not necessary to get the car going. However, most starting is the result of the computer transferring power from the battery directly to the MG2 motor.

There are ICE speed limits when the car is moving slowly. They are due to the need to prevent damage to MG1, which will have to rotate very quickly. This limits the amount of power produced by the internal combustion engine. In addition, it would be unpleasant for the driver to hear that the ICE is revving up too much for a smooth start. The harder you press the accelerator, the more the ICE will rev up, but also the more power will come from the battery. If you put the pedal to the floor, approximately 40% of the energy comes from the battery and 60% from the internal combustion engine at a speed of about 40 km / h. As the car accelerates and the ICE revs up at the same time, it delivers most of the power, reaching about 75% at 96 km/h if you're still pushing the pedal to the floor. As we remember, the energy of the internal combustion engine includes what is taken by the generator MG1 and transferred in the form of electricity to the motor MG2. At 96 km/h, the MG2 actually delivers more torque, and therefore more power to the wheels, than is supplied through the planetary gear from the internal combustion engine. But most of the electricity it uses comes from MG1 and therefore indirectly from the ICE, not from the battery.

Accelerating and driving uphill Toyota Prius

When more power is needed, the ICE and MG2 work together to generate torque to drive the car in much the same way as described above for starting off. As the vehicle speed increases, the amount of torque the MG2 is able to deliver decreases as it begins to operate at its 33kW power limit. The faster it spins, the less torque it can put out at that power. Fortunately, this is consistent with the driver's expectations. When an ordinary car accelerates, step box shifts into a higher gear and the torque on the axle is reduced so that the engine can reduce its speed to a safe value. Although it is done using completely different mechanisms, the Prius gives the same overall feel as accelerating in a conventional car. The main difference is the complete absence of "jerking" when shifting gears, because there is simply no gearbox.

So, the internal combustion engine rotates the carrier of the satellites of the planetary mechanism.

72% of its torque is sent mechanically through the ring gear to the wheels.

28% of its torque is sent to the MG1 generator via the sun gear, where it is converted into electricity. This electrical energy feeds the MG2 motor, which adds some extra torque to the ring gear. The more you press the accelerator, the more torque the internal combustion engine produces. It increases both the mechanical torque through the crown and the amount of electricity produced by the MG1 generator for the MG2 motor used to add even more torque. Depending on various factors such as the state of charge of the battery, the grade of the road, and especially how hard you pedal, the computer may direct additional battery power to MG2 to increase its contribution. This is how acceleration is achieved, sufficient to drive such a large car with an internal combustion engine with a power of only 78 hp on the highway. With

On the other hand, if the required power is not so high, iu part of the electricity produced by MG1 can be used to charge the battery even when accelerating! It is important to remember that the ICE both turns the wheels mechanically and turns the MG1 generator, causing it to produce electricity. What happens to this electricity and whether more battery electricity is added depends on a complex of reasons that we cannot all account for. This is handled by the vehicle's hybrid system controller.

Once you have reached a steady speed on a flat road, the power that should be supplied by the engine is used to overcome aerodynamic drag and rolling friction. This is much less than the power needed to drive uphill or accelerate a car. In order to operate efficiently at low power (and also not create a lot of noise), the internal combustion engine runs at low speeds. The following table shows how much power is needed to move the car at different speeds on a level road and the approximate rpm.

Note that the high vehicle speed and low ICE RPM put the power distribution device in an interesting position: MG1 should now be spinning backwards, as you can see from the table. Rotating backward, it causes the satellites to rotate forward. The rotation of the planets adds to the rotation of the carrier (from the internal combustion engine) and causes the ring gear to rotate much faster. Again, the difference is that in the earlier case we were happy with high speed ICE get more power even when traveling at a slower speed. In the new case, we want the ICE to stay at a low RPM even if we have accelerated to a decent speed in order to set a lower power draw with high efficiency. We know from the section on power distribution devices that MG1 must reverse torque on the sun gear. This is, as it were, the fulcrum of the lever, with the help of which the internal combustion engine rotates the ring gear (and hence the wheels). Without MG1 drag, the ICE would simply spin MG1 instead of propelling the car. When MG1 rotated forward, it was easy to see that this reverse torque could be generated by the generator load. Therefore, the inverter electronics had to take power from MG1, and then reverse torque appeared. But now MG1 is spinning backwards, so how do we get it to generate this reverse torque? Ok, how would we make MG1 spin forward and produce straight torque? If only it worked like a motor! The opposite is true: if MG1 is rotating backwards and we want to get torque in the same direction, MG1 must be the motor and rotate using the electricity supplied by the inverter. It's starting to look exotic. ICE pushes, MG1 pushes, MG2, what, pushes too? There is no mechanical reason why this cannot happen. It may look attractive at first sight. The two engines and the internal combustion engine all contribute to the creation of the movement at the same time. But, we must recall that we got into this situation by reducing the speed of the internal combustion engine for efficiency. It wouldn't be an efficient way to get more power to the wheels; to do this, we must increase the ICE RPM and return to the earlier situation where MG1 is spinning forward in generator mode. There is one more problem: we have to figure out where we are going to get energy to rotate MG1 in motor mode? From a battery? We can do this for a while, but soon we will be forced to exit this mode, left without battery power to accelerate or climb the mountain. No, we must receive this energy continuously, without allowing the battery to run low. Thus, we came to the conclusion that the energy should come from MG2, which should work as a generator. Does generator MG2 produce power for motor MG1? Since both the ICE and MG1 contribute power that is combined by a planetary gear, the name "power combining mode" has been proposed. However, the idea of ​​MG2 producing power for motor MG1 was so at odds with people's idea of ​​how the system would work that a name was coined that has become generally accepted - "Heretical Mode". Let's go over it again and change our point of view. The internal combustion engine rotates the planet carrier at low speed. MG1 rotates the sun gear backwards. This causes the planets to rotate forward and adds more rotation to the ring gear. The ring gear still only receives 72% of the ICE torque, but the speed at which the ring rotates is increased by moving the MG1 motor backwards. Rotating the crown faster allows the car to go faster at low engine speeds. MG2, incredibly, resists the car's movement like a generator, and produces electricity that powers MG1's motor. The car is propelled forward by the remaining mechanical torque from the internal combustion engine.

You can determine that you are moving in this mode if you are good at determining the engine speed by ear. You are driving forward at a decent speed and you can barely hear the engine. It can be completely masked by road noise. The Energy Monitor display shows the energy supply internal combustion engine wheels and a motor/generator that charges the battery. The picture can change - the processes of charging and discharging the battery to the motor alternate in order to turn the wheels. I interpret this alternation as adjusting the MG2 generator load to keep the driving energy constant.

"Hybrids" are increasingly found on the roads of Russia. And it's not just the rising price of fuel. "Hybrids" are economical, and in terms of comfort they are not inferior to gasoline competitors. Today we will talk about one of the representatives of the "hybrid" - the car "Toyota Prius". In particular, about the second generation, which was released in 2005.

How the Toyota Prius works

The second generation of the Prius is a five-door hatchback. Depending on the configuration, it can have up to six airbags, ESP, climate control and even navigation. The operation of the car is provided by two power sources - an electric motor of 50 kW and an unpretentious chain motor of 1.5 liters, 77 liters. With. They can work simultaneously, alternately and complement each other if necessary.

Starting and acceleration is made from an electric motor. After the car picks up speed, the internal combustion engine turns on. When you press the brake, the motor turns off and charges the battery. When accelerating, overtaking or driving at high speed, it comes into operation again.

The total power of the hybrid installation is 110 hp. With. (taking into account the addition of the total operating ranges). With proper maintenance, it runs stably in any frost.

In the city, fuel consumption does not exceed 6 liters. Nearly 40% of the ICE urban route remains switched off. On the highway, along with an increase in speed, fuel consumption rises to 8 liters.

Gearbox - CVT with electronic control E-CVT. This combination is capable of accelerating the car to hundreds in 10.9 seconds. There were no special problems with the gearbox, only a routine oil change is required.

What suspension and handling "hybrid"

The suspension in the Prius is classic for the budget segment. Ahead - "MacPherson", behind - a torsion beam. Therefore, you should not expect excellent handling from the car. The suspension is moderately soft, a little rolly during maneuvers and stiff on bumps. Due to the low clearance - 145 mm does not like cars dirt roads and more suitable for leisurely city driving.

The undercarriage is repairable. It does not contain complex knots. There are also no problems with the availability of spare parts. Their cost is no more than other models in the budget price category. For example, a MacPherson strut assembly costs no more than 2,500 rubles for a contract item. A new shock absorber will cost no more than 5,000 rubles.

How is an electric motor battery charged?

This model can only be refueled with gasoline. Electricity for the battery is generated when the electric motor interacts with the drive wheels. There are two main charging methods. The first is due to the recuperation system, when a current is generated during braking. Second - active system recharging - a special generator, which is driven by a gasoline engine.

The model has two main modes of motion:

• EV - electric traction only, on batteries (when the batteries are fully charged);
• HV - hybrid mode of internal combustion engine plus electric traction (the battery is charged by a gasoline engine).

What are the diseases of hybrid "Priuses"

The battery pack of the Prius is afraid of overheating. Therefore, the air conditioning system cools not only the interior, but also the batteries. This makes the maintenance of the system more difficult. Not every service is suitable for refueling the air conditioner. Need and special equipment and qualified professionals. He does not like the car and long downtime - batteries are prone to self-discharge, which is detrimental to them.

The warranty for the battery pack is only 8 years or 160 thousand kilometers. And this is not much if you buy a used car. Not every service will undertake to assess the degree of wear of the battery pack if you are going to purchase a Prius. And this is another reason to abandon the "hybrid".

The actuator may also need to be replaced. The manufacturer declared a resource of 250-300 thousand km. In addition to the electrical installation, the whole picture is spoiled by such classic sores as poor sound insulation, low landing and long warm-up of the cabin due to low engine power. Moreover, in general reliable engine after 100 thousand km, it begins to consume oil, and replacement of oil scraper rings is required. This service costs from 17 thousand rubles.

LCP leaves much to be desired. Like other budget foreign cars, secondary market old cars will have chips on the body.

Due to the large batteries, the trunk of the model is small - 360 liters. Enough for a couple of medium sized suitcases. But for traveling with the whole family, this volume may not be enough.

How much do battery powered cars cost?

The relative novelty of hybrids still scares off many buyers. Therefore, in the secondary market there may be problems with buying or selling. Restyling of the second generation, according to the Avto.ru portal, has only about 100 ads in Russia.

For 450 thousand rubles, you can afford a hybrid Toyota Prius II with a restyled body in 2007.

If you decide to take the 2010 model with restyling, then get ready to pay already from 700 thousand rubles.

What secrets do Priuses keep in the secondary market

We do not recommend buying Priuses that have been in an accident. In serious accidents, there is a high risk of damage to the battery pack. The battery does not tolerate "injuries" to the block body. Even after minor "shocks" they can stop functioning properly. A new block costs 80-100 thousand rubles.

We found a typical example of a car in the secondary market that, after purchase, can promise problems.

As we can see from the report, the car was in an accident. The impact was on the right front. And such a blow could damage the battery pack or connecting nodes.

If the blow was strong enough, then the wheel was probably hit. This means that the recovery system, which is responsible for recharging the batteries, may also have been damaged. The car is already 8 years old, which means it has run out of warranty on the battery pack.

Who Should Buy a Prius

Due to rising fuel prices, people are increasingly paying attention to cars with low fuel consumption. And in this niche, the Prius has no equal. Therefore, the "hybrid" is definitely suitable for drivers who are used to saving. But when communicating with the seller, it is recommended to find out if the battery has changed. If so, ask for service documents for it.

This car is not suitable for lovers of aggressive and fast driving. because of weak engine you won’t see much agility from him. And because of the long acceleration to 100 km - 10.9 seconds - spinning up the engine to high speeds will lead to excessive fuel consumption.

What do you think about hybrid cars? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Salon

The new car was distinguished by excellent aerodynamics for its class, demonstrating a coefficient of 0.3. Unusual appearance complemented by no less original interior equipment.

Salon Toyota Prius first generation

A feature of the seats was their high location (compared to other sedans). Thanks to this innovation, visibility has improved, boarding and disembarking the driver and passengers have become easier.

In addition to the driver and passenger airbags, safety belts equipped with pretensioners and force limiters, as well as headrests that protect against neck injury in a rear impact, provided protection in the event of an accident. When creating a steel body, the latest achievements in the field of passive safety were taken into account.

The dashboard in Salon 10 was located directly under the windshield, which allowed the driver to drive the car more concentratedly, controlling both indicators and the traffic situation. The center console was equipped with a touch screen, on which, in addition to the state of the music system, the drive operation diagram was visible.

The impressive automatic transmission lever was located on the steering column and was not directly connected to the transmission. His task was to give signals to the control unit, which was responsible for the operation of the power transmission system. In addition to the standard lever positions (P, N, D, R), there was a special braking mode B (Brake), in which the electric motor came into operation.

Equipment

The most accessible version 10 already had:

• glasses with UV protection;
• remote control of the lock;
• 2nd airbags;
• air conditioner.

In the very expensive option the buyer still received leather trim, a CD player and navigation.

power unit

The power plant of the Prius 10 was represented by gasoline, which was carried out according to the Atkinson cycle (high efficiency in a relatively small rev range). It was possible to increase traction with the help of a synchronous electric motor by 30 kW. Together with a generator and a current converter, these elements were located under the hood of a hybrid from Toyota.

The battery, manufactured by Panasonic, was originally located behind the rear seats (vertically). The task of the inverter was to convert direct current to alternating current (and vice versa), as well as to lower the voltage to the standard 13.8 V required by car electrical appliances.

The planetary gearbox was the central part of the drive and combined the main elements of the hybrid installation. The starter in the Prius 10 was completely absent, since the alternator took over its role.

The gas tank was located under the rear seat and was an elastic container that swelled as it filled with fuel. Minimal contact of gasoline with the environment, almost completely absent evaporation were part of the concept of environmental friendliness that formed the basis of the first serial hybrid from Toyota.

Specifications

XW10 differed quite good technical specifications and at the first testing (only at the first!) caused enthusiastic responses from experts and journalists.

Dimensions

The Prius 10 had the following features:

• body dimensions (mm) - length (4275), width (1695) and height (1490);
• dimensions of a five-seat saloon with two rows of seats - length (1850), width (1400) and height (1250);
• clearance - 140 mm;
• wheelbase - 2550 mm;
• turning radius (minimum) - 4.7 m;
• tank volume - 50 l (in the filled state).

Parameters of the hybrid power plant

The power plant of the XW10 hybrid had the following parameters:

• 1NX-FXE engine displacement - 1497 cc (1.5 l);
• torque - 102 N * m (10 kg * m) at 4000 rpm;
• power - 58 hp (43 kW) at 4000 rpm;
• consumption - 3.6 liters per 100 km;
• electric motor torque - 305 Nm.

joint ICE work and an electric motor, combined with good aerodynamics of the body, demonstrated confident acceleration. However, the battery charge was not enough for a long acceleration - for dashboard a turtle appeared, indicating the need to reduce speed.

restyling

XW10 is the first model of hybrid cars. Subsequently, it successfully passed the update.

After restyling in 2000, the Prius XW10 began to be sold in Europe and the United States.

On Toyota Prius hybrids of 2000, in addition to external body upgrades (new bumpers and lighting, as well as a rear wing mounted on the trunk), built-in rear seats hatches. Thanks to them, it became easier to transport large items.

Toyota Prius 11 also became more powerful, gasoline began to produce 72 hp, and the output of the electric motor was 33 kW. Compact batteries also played a decisive role (they decreased by 40%), which began to be located horizontally.

Caring for the environment

The environmental friendliness of the Japanese Prius 10 hybrids was ensured by reducing emissions, using easy-to-recycle polymers that make it easier to dispose of old cars. The bodies of used cars were restored or disposed of. Toyota has even set up a battery collection and recycling program.

As for emissions, their level was only 10% of the values ​​established by Japanese law. For Australian environmental regulations, the values ​​were even lower. Low fuel consumption also contributed to the reduction in CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions.

Hello everyone.
There has been a lot of talk lately about hybrids, about expensive gasoline, about ways to save money, but a lot of this is true. It's no secret that people here like to discuss something, but it almost comes to a fight. But unfortunately, there is little truth in all this, because many theorists and analysts have divorced.

I am an experienced Prius user, I have owned them for more than a year, at the moment I have 2 Prius: 20 series and 30 series.
I will try to make a series of articles on the topic of hybrid Toyota cars Prius.

Prius models:

10,11 1997 - 2003
20 2003 - 2009

1. The battery does not last long, you need to change it.

One of the most popular myths :) .

Toyota uses Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries because they
- resistant to frost, working range of their work -60..+55;
- cheap to manufacture;
- Virtually no memory effect.

In addition, the battery pack consists of smaller blocks, which in turn are made of cells, in fact, finger-type batteries.

The whole unit is controlled by a controller that uses the battery capacity in the range from 40 to 80%, which allows many times to extend the service life. The division into blocks and cells allows, in case of loss of capacity, to "pump" run-down batteries (this procedure is familiar to those who have so-called smart charges that produce a charge in a special mode to restore the battery) and also turn off damaged cells (similar to HDD, when broken sectors are disabled without serious losses in the total volume).
Toyota used to give a guarantee of 8 years, now 10 years. It must be understood that when using the battery in such a sparing mode, it will not be able to fail immediately, but only after a long period of time (10-15 years) will it lose its efficiency a little, which in the worst case will affect consumption, and At best it won't be noticeable at all.

What do we have in practice: a powerful battery, which consists of a huge number of small cells, a smart controller that monitors the state of the battery and uses it in a sparing mode, cars that have been driving for more than 10 years (Priuses of the 20th series have been mass-produced since 2003) and no battery issues.

I think that many have heard that someone had a battery in a Prius out of order, but this is more true for Prius 10 and 11 series, which were mass-produced from 1997 to 2002, they had a different type of battery ( dry batteries) and now, 16 years later, some of them need partial or complete replacement battery.

2. The Prius runs on battery.

Complete nonsense :)

Of course, you can force the "EV" mode, which will use only the electric motor, but you need to understand that the Prius runs on gasoline. This is a gasoline car, and its electrical component was created in order to increase the efficiency of the entire system as a whole. And the higher the efficiency, the more power with less fuel consumption. And no matter what they say about diesels, no one has yet achieved the efficiency of the Prius.
The Prius battery is used as a small storage for energy, part of which escapes into a normal car during braking, and accumulates here, the other part of this energy comes when the internal combustion engine is idling (for example, for warming up), another part comes from coasting. The accumulated energy is used when accelerating.

3. The Prius doesn't drive.

Goes, does not go - it's quite subjective. Any Subaru owner will tell you the answer to this question :).

Prius owners often like to brag about how fast and good the Prius is, wherever you look, everywhere the comparison of the 20th Prius with the Toyota Mark 2 (which has 2 or even 2.2 liters under the hood) and where the Prius makes it stand up. This, of course, is all wrong. It is necessary to compare with classmates and with modern cars.

As for the Prius classmates, I can say for sure that when accelerating from a standstill, it will be more dynamic than its 1.8 - 2.0 liter atmospheric classmates, however, when compared with modern cars like Solaris or Rio, which has a 4-speed automatic, 1.6 dviglo and 122ls , the Prius taxis only at the start, but if you start the race at a speed of 40 km / h, the 20th Prius will not be able to pull ahead sharply.

In total, according to the 20th Prius, it has a sharp start, a smooth speed increase at the level of 1.8 liters of aspirated.

The situation has improved in the 30th model. Here, acceleration to a hundred is slightly less (10.3 (although according to some sources - 9.8) for 30s versus 10.6 for 20s). A POWER mode has appeared, in which the settings for the operation of the hybrid system change in such a way that the responsiveness of the gas pedal is greatly improved, dynamic characteristics at a slight cost loss. There are no problems here to overtake a more powerful Civic on an automatic from 144ls, Solaris and Rio nervously smoke, Skoda 1.8TSI loses only the first 30-70m at the start, then it leads, but it’s understandable, 152ls for Skoda versus 130ls for Prius.

The sharp start of the Prius is due to the presence of a traction electric motor, which, according to Toyota, is capable of developing a torque of 478 Nm at speeds up to 22 km / h.

4. Hybrids are dangerous to use due to high voltage. (taken from priusklub)

The engineers who designed hybrid cars put safety first.

The main possible sources of danger:

Battery
The battery itself is closed with a metal casing and consists of typesetting elements. Maintenance under normal operating conditions is not required. Protected from electrolyte leaks. Contacts are securely hidden and covered. When the machine is turned off, the battery contactors disconnect it from the rest of the machine circuit. The parameters of temperature, currents, and other things are controlled by a separate computer.

Wiring
High voltage cables run to the engine compartment under the floor. The cables are carefully shielded and marked in orange. In ordinary life, it is difficult to get to them both from the outside and from the inside.

Hybrid plant/inverter
The inverter is located in the engine compartment. Closed with a strong metal casing. Cooled by a separate cooling system. The incoming and outgoing power cables are also shielded and hidden so as not to inadvertently catch anything.

All power components are continuously monitored electronic systems. In the event of an accident, automation cuts off all consumers and disables all energy sources.

And, as far as we know, no cases of electric shock have been recorded. (the craftsmen with crooked hands were also not reported)

5. Hybrids are uncomfortable in the cabin, there is little space in the trunk due to the battery

There is a lot of space in the cabin, in this indicator the Prius is almost equal to the Camry, +/- a couple of centimeters.
This is due to the fact that the total length is 4370, while the hybrid power plant takes up quite a bit of space under the hood.
As for the trunk, it is very large, and accumulator battery takes up very little space and is located almost under the rear seat.

As I wrote above, the battery at -60 works fine. In addition, most priuses are equipped with electric heaters for faster warm-up. And in the 30m Prius, they added the option of quickly warming up the engine from the resonator.

In addition, you need to understand that the Prius does not have the usual starter for everyone, which barely turns your ordinary cars in cold weather, there is a powerful motor that spins the internal combustion engine up to 1000 rpm in half a second. At the same time, for ordinary motorists, the question is always whether to heat or not to heat, everything is simpler here, since at low speeds most of the load falls on the electric motor, which definitely does not need to be warmed up.

Only this morning it was -17, the full warm-up of the car was exactly 5 minutes. Under full warm-up is understood: the sweating of all glasses, the temperature in the cabin is +20.

7. Priuses have nowhere to service

I already wrote about the battery, it does not need to be serviced, and as for the electric motor and inverter, the situation is the same with them - they are not serviced. Well, there are no difficult mechanical parts, as, for example, in some box an automatic machine, which, in turn, runs in ordinary cars for a rather long time (80-100 thousand or more), but here there is no such complex mechanics at all, which means the service life is an order of magnitude longer.

8. The Prius is hard to drive.

You need to understand that the Prius works like ordinary cars with automatic transmission, but that incredible smoothness, acceleration, lack of jerks when switching speeds will definitely please you :).

Well, in general, everything, questions and criticism are waiting in the comments, and

Hybrid Synergy Drive. In the name of the full hybrid power plant Prius raises questions except perhaps the second overseas word, similar to our "bullfinches". This is synergy - joint efforts. In the Prius, things so bizarre and so different in all respects have synergistically united and closely interact that the very fact of their alliance is puzzling. In the balance, the main feeling of a multifaceted and controversial car is bewilderment.

What he is, a conscientious purchaser of the third "Generation P", both the Japanese and Russian dealers perfectly imagine: he is a wealthy person, an individual open to high-tech innovations. And it does not matter that in Russia these two do not even know each other. There is an understanding - Russian Prius will not buy, and it is useless to try to sell it to them. So the hybrid flaunts in the window as a fashion car Japanese brand. Complete set - maximum, price - prohibitive, take it - I don't want to.