Front end motor-generator system and hybrid electric vehicle operating method

• US 10,220,831 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2016
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Original Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Inventors: Colavincenzo, David, Venegas Diaz, Fernando
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramesh, Krishnan
• Application Number:
  US15/378,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20180162372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 701 22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/4825 Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox input shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/4833 Step up or reduction gearing driving generator, e.g. to operate generator in most efficient speed range
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/387 Actuated clutches, i.e. clutches engaged or disengaged by electric, hydraulic or mechanical actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/40 characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/442 Series-parallel switching type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/448 Electrical distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2054 by controlling transmissions or clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/42 Voltage source inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/54 related to batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/30 using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 : Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/22 : Dynamic electric resistor braking, combined with dynamic electric regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 : including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 : including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 : including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/13 : in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/20 : Control strategies involving selection of hybrid configuration, e.g. selection between series or parallel configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/40 : Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 : Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 : Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/305 : target power to auxiliaries
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/91 : Battery charging
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/112 : Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/162 : Flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/421 : Dog type clutches or brakes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/914 : Actuated, e.g. engaged or disengaged by electrical, hydraulic or mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 : Conjoint control of different elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/951 : Assembly or relative location of components

Abstract

A system and method are provided for hybrid electric internal combustion engine applications in which a motor-generator, a narrow switchable coupling and a torque transfer unit therebetween are arranged and positioned in the constrained environment at the front of an engine in applications such as commercial vehicles, off-road vehicles and stationary engine installations. The motor-generator is preferably positioned laterally offset from the switchable coupling, which is co-axially-arranged with the front end of the engine crankshaft. The switchable coupling is an integrated unit in which a crankshaft vibration damper, an engine accessory drive pulley and a disengageable clutch overlap such that the axial depth of the clutch-pulley-damper unit is nearly the same as a conventional belt drive pulley and engine damper. The front end motor-generator system includes an electrical energy store that receives electrical energy generated by the motor-generator when the coupling is engaged. When the coupling is disengaged, the motor-generator may drive the pulley portion of the clutch-pulley-damper to drive the engine accessories using energy returned from the energy store, independent of the engine crankshaft.

Claims

1. A hybrid electric motor-generator system, comprising:

an internal combustion engine including an engine crankshaft having a front end opposite a rear end at which an engine flywheel is located, the engine being configured to transfer torque from the rear end of the crankshaft to a torque consumer;

a front end motor-generator having a motor-generator rotation axis;

a back end motor-generator on a torque consumer-side of the rear end of the crankshaft;

a torque transfer segment having a front end motor-generator end configured to receive the front end motor-generator and to transfer torque between the front end motor-generator end and a coupling end of the torque transfer segment; and

an integrated switchable coupling having a coupling rotation axis and being located co-axially along a crankshaft rotation axis between the coupling end of the torque transfer segment and the front end of the engine crankshaft in a region adjacent to a front end of the engine, the integrated switchable coupling including

an engine-side portion coupled to the engine crankshaft,

a drive-side portion coupled to the torque transfer segment coupling end, and

an engagement actuator configured to selectively engage the engine-side portion with the drive-side portion, at least a portion of the engagement actuator being concentrically surrounded by the drive portion along the coupling rotation axis;

an engine accessory drive arranged to be driven by the drive-side portion of the integrated switchable coupling and to drive at least one engine accessory;

an energy storage system, the energy storage system including

an energy store configured to store electrical energy generated by at least the front end motor-generator and to deliver stored electrical energy to at least the front end motor-generator to generate torque output from the front end motor-generator to the integrated switchable coupling, and

an electrical energy conversion and distribution network configured to convert a current type of the electrical energy transferred between the front end motor-generator and the energy store between alternating current and direct current when the electrical energy is transferred from the front end motor-generator to the energy store and between direct current and alternating current when the electrical energy is transferred from the energy store to the front end motor-generator; and

a front end motor-generator system controller configured to switch the integrated switchable coupling actuator between engaged and disengaged states and control operation of the electrical energy conversion and distribution network during transfer of electrical energy between the front end motor-generator and the energy store,

wherein

a rotation axis of the front end motor-generator is parallel to and laterally offset from the coupling rotation axis, and

operation of the back end motor-generator is controlled by at least one of the front end motor-generator controller and a back end motor-generator controller configured to communicate with the front end motor-generator such that operation of the front end and back end motor-generators are coordinated.

2. The hybrid electric front end motor-generator system of claim 1, wherein

the torque consumer is a driveline arranged to propel a vehicle,

the vehicle includes a plurality of system sensors and a plurality of system controllers,

front end motor-generator system controller is configured to

communicate with at least one of the plurality of system sensors, at least one of the system controllers and the energy storage system to obtain operating state information,

select based on the operating state information which of a plurality of front end motor-generator operating modes the front end motor-generator is to be operated, and

command operation of the integrated switchable coupling to an engaged stated or a disengaged state in accordance with the selected motor-generator operating mode, and

the plurality of front end motor-generator operating modes includes

a generation mode in which the integrated switchable coupling is engaged and the front end motor-generator receives torque from the crankshaft to generate electrical energy, and

an engine accessory drive mode in which integrated switchable coupling is disengaged and the front end motor-generator generates torque for delivery to the drive-side portion of the integrated switchable coupling to drive the engine accessory drive.

3. The hybrid electric front end motor-generator system of claim 2, wherein

the plurality of front end motor-generator operating modes includes an engine torque output supplementing mode in which the integrated switchable coupling is engaged and the front end motor-generator generates torque transferable via the torque transfer segment and the integrated switchable coupling to the crankshaft.

4. The hybrid electric front end motor-generator system of claim 2, wherein

the front end motor-generator controller is configured to

determine at least a back end motor-generator operating state and back end motor-generator operating capabilities, and

determine whether at least one of the front end motor-generator and the back-end motor generator is operable at a reduced torque output or electrical energy output by operation of the other of the front end and back end motor-generators to meet at least one of a vehicle total torque demand and a vehicle total electrical energy generation demand.

5. The hybrid electric front end motor-generator system of claim 4, wherein

one of the front end motor-generator and the back end motor-generator is operated to generate torque while the other of the front end motor-generator and the back end motor-generator is operated to generate electrical energy.

6. The hybrid electric front end motor-generator system of claim 4, wherein

the front end motor-generator and the back end motor-generator are both operated to simultaneously generate torque or simultaneously generate electrical energy.

7. The hybrid electric front end motor-generator system of claim 4, wherein

one of the front end motor-generator and the back end motor-generator is in an idle state when the other motor-generator is operated to generate torque or to generate electrical energy.

8. The hybrid electric front end motor-generator system of claim 1, wherein

the integrated switchable coupling is a clutch-pulley-damper unit in which

the engine-side portion of the integrated switchable coupling is a damper configured to damp vibrations of the crankshaft,

the drive-side portion of the switchable coupling is a pulley configured to drive the engine accessory drive, and

the engagement actuator of the integrated switchable coupling is a clutch.

9. The hybrid electric front end motor-generator system of claim 8, wherein

the front end motor-generator controller is configured to

receive information on an operating state of an environment in which the engine is installed, the installation environment including an on-road vehicle, an off-road vehicle or a stationary engine installation and an operating state of the back end motor-generator, from at least one of sensors and control modules of the installation environment,

select based on the operating state information which of a plurality of front end motor-generator operating modes the front end motor-generator is to be operated,

command operation of the clutch-pulley-damper unit clutch to an engaged stated or a disengaged state in accordance with the selected front end motor-generator operating mode, and

issue signals to coordinate control of operation of the back end motor-generator with the operation of the front end motor generator, and

the plurality of front end motor-generator operating modes includes

a generation mode in which clutch-pulley-damper unit clutch is engaged and the motor-generator receives torque from the crankshaft to generate electrical energy;

and

an engine accessory drive mode in which clutch-pulley-damper unit clutch is disengaged and the motor-generator generates torque for delivery to the clutch-pulley-damper unit pulley to drive the engine accessory drive.

10. The hybrid electric front end motor-generator system of claim 9, wherein

the coordination of operation of the back end motor-generator with the front end motor-generator is performed at least one of by direct control of the back end motor-generator by the front end motor-generator controller and by indirect control of the back end motor-generator in response to the signals issued by the front end motor-generator controller.

11. The hybrid electric front end motor-generator system of claim 10, wherein

the plurality of front end motor-generator operating modes includes an engine torque output supplementing mode in which the clutch-pulley-damper clutch is engaged and the front end motor-generator generates torque transferable via the torque transfer segment and the clutch-pulley-damper to the crankshaft.

12. The hybrid electric front end motor-generator system of claim 1, wherein

the front end motor-generator and the back end motor-generator have different torque output capacities.

13. The hybrid electric front end motor-generator system of claim 1, wherein

the front end motor-generator and the back end motor-generator have different electrical energy generation capacities.