Regenerative braking methods for a hybrid locomotive
First Claim
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1. An off road vehicle, comprising:
- (a) at least one motor operable to displace the off road vehicle and generate electrical energy when the vehicle is decelerating;
(b) an energy storage system operable to store electrical energy and provide electrical energy to the at least one motor;
(c) a prime power source operable to provide electrical energy to at least one of the energy storage system and at least one motor;
(d) a direct current (DC) bus interconnecting the at least one motor, energy storage system, and prime power source; and
(e) a pulse sequencer operable to provide, to the energy storage system, pulsed electrical energy generated by a selected motor.
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Abstract
The present invention relates generally to regenerative braking methods for a hybrid vehicle such as a hybrid locomotive, which are compatible with optimum management of a large battery pack energy storage system. Four methods for recovering energy from regenerative braking and for transferring this energy to an energy storage systems are disclosed. These methods may also be used with battery operated vehicles.
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Citations
58 Claims
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1. An off road vehicle, comprising:
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(a) at least one motor operable to displace the off road vehicle and generate electrical energy when the vehicle is decelerating;
(b) an energy storage system operable to store electrical energy and provide electrical energy to the at least one motor;
(c) a prime power source operable to provide electrical energy to at least one of the energy storage system and at least one motor;
(d) a direct current (DC) bus interconnecting the at least one motor, energy storage system, and prime power source; and
(e) a pulse sequencer operable to provide, to the energy storage system, pulsed electrical energy generated by a selected motor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An off road vehicle, comprising:
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(a) a plurality of motors to displace the off road vehicle and generate electrical energy when the vehicle is decelerating, each of the plurality of motors having an armature and a field coil;
(b) an energy storage system operable to store electrical energy and provide electrical energy to the at least one motor;
(c) a prime power source operable to provide electrical energy to at least one of the energy storage system and at least one motor;
(d) a direct current (DC) bus interconnecting the at least one motor, energy storage system, and prime power source; and
(e) a plurality of power control apparatuses, wherein the field coils of the motors are connected in series, wherein the armature coils are connected in parallel to the field coils, and wherein a field coil power control apparatus varies a field current passing through series-connected field coils to control an armature current passing through the armature coils during vehicular deceleration. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for operating an off road vehicle, the off road vehicle including a plurality of traction motors to displace the off road vehicle and generate electrical energy when the vehicle is decelerating, an energy storage system to store electrical energy and provide electrical energy to the motors, a prime power source to provide electrical energy to at least one of the energy storage system and at least one motor, and a direct current (DC) bus interconnecting the at least one motor, energy storage system, and prime power source, the method comprising:
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(a) decelerating the vehicle; and
(b) while the vehicle is decelerating, the energy storage system receiving, in discrete time intervals, electrical energy generated by a selected motor. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method, comprising:
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(a) providing an off road vehicle comprising;
(i) a plurality of motors to displace the off road vehicle and generate electrical energy when the vehicle is decelerating, each of the plurality of motors having an armature and a field coil, the field coils of at least first and second motors being connected in series;
(ii) an energy storage system operable to store electrical energy and provide electrical energy to the at least one motor;
(iii) a prime power source operable to provide electrical energy to at least one of the energy storage system and at least one motor;
(iv) a direct current (DC) bus interconnecting the at least one motor, energy storage system, and prime power source; and
(v) a plurality of power control apparatuses; and
(b) when the vehicle is decelerating, varying a field current passing through series-connected field coils to control an armature current passing through the armature coils during vehicular deceleration. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A method, comprising:
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(a) providing an off road vehicle comprising;
(i) a plurality of motors to displace the off road vehicle and generate electrical energy when the vehicle is decelerating, each of the plurality of motors having an armature coil and a field coil, the field coils of at least first and second motors being connected in series;
(ii) an energy storage system operable to store electrical energy and provide electrical energy to the at least one motor;
(iii) a prime power source operable to provide electrical energy to at least one of the energy storage system and at least one motor;
(iv) a direct current (DC) bus interconnecting the at least one motor, energy storage system, and prime power source; and
(v) a plurality of power control apparatuses; and
(b) when the vehicle is decelerating, allowing at least a portion of the electrical energy generated by the motors to flow back to an alternator of the prime power source, wherein, in response to the flow of electrical energy, the alternator turns a crank shaft of the prime power source, thereby dissipating electrical energy. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52)
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53. A method for controlling an off road vehicle, comprising:
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(a) when the vehicle is decelerating, determining a current level in each of a plurality of armature windings when each of a plurality of traction motors is in a free-wheeling mode, the current being generated by the traction motors;
(b) when each of the measured current levels does not exceed a first predetermined level and when each of the measured current levels exceeds a second predetermined level less than the first predetermined level, switching from the free-wheeling mode to a regeneration mode in which electrical energy is provided by the traction motors to an energy storage system; and
(c) when the current level is less than a third predetermined level less than the second predetermined level, switching back to the free-wheeling mode. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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Specification