ELECTRIC DRIVE INERTIA RATIO FOR TTT

• US 20100126786A1
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Stemler, Eric D., Vanderham, Michael E.
• Application Number:
  US12/277,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20100126786A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/9.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/046 with planetary gearing having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/18 Reluctance machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• 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 2710/081 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/411 Bulldozers, Graders
• 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: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An electric powertrain, a vehicle using an electric powertrain, and a method of manufacturing a vehicle having an electric powertrain are disclosed. The electric powertrain balances the ability of the vehicle to accept a given load, while at the same time affording the vehicle with an acceptable level of maneuverability. By selectively sizing the ratio of the inertia of the electric motor to the inertia of the vehicle, the optimum balance between these two competing concerns may be reached. Moreover, by optionally ensuring the Stemler Factor is less than or equal to the inertia ratio, the proper balance between load acceptance and maneuverability is attained as well.

Claims

1. A powertrain, comprising:

an electric motor having an inertia; and

a driven member operatively coupled to the electric motor, the driven member having all inertia, the ratio of the motor inertia to the driven member inertia being within the range of about 1 to about 2.5.

2. The powertrain of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the motor inertia to the driven member inertia is within the range of about 1.3 to about 2.3.

3. The powertrain of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the motor inertia to the driven member inertia is within the range of about 1.5 to about 2.1.

4. The powertrain of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the motor inertia to the driven member inertia is within the range of about 1.7 to about 1.9.

5. The powertrain of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the motor inertia to the driven member inertia is about 1.8.

6. The powertrain of claim 1, wherein the driven member is a track-type tractor.

7. The powertrain of claim 6, wherein the motor includes a rotor and the powertrain further includes a gear reduction assembly operatively coupled to the rotor, the gear reduction assembly having an overall gear reduction ratio, the motor inertia being equal to the mass of the rotor multiplied by the square of the overall gear reduction ratio of the gear reduction assembly.

8. The powertrain of claim 7, wherein the track-type tractor includes a rotatable track having a rolling radius, the track is operatively coupled to the gear reduction assembly to propel the track-type tractor, and the driven member inertia is equal to the mass of the track-type tractor multiplied by the square of the track rolling radius.

9. A track-type tractor, comprising:

a main frame;

an electric motor mounted to the main frame, the motor having a rotor, the rotor having a mass;

a gear reduction assembly operatively coupled to the electric motor, the gear reduction assembly having an overall gear reduction ratio, the mass of the rotor multiplied by the square of the overall gear reduction ratio of the gear reduction assembly producing the inertia of the motor; and

a track operatively coupled to the gear reduction assembly and having a rolling radius, the track-type tractor having a total mass, the total mass of the track-type tractor multiplied by the square of the rolling radius of the track producing an inertia of the tractor, the ratio of the inertia of the motor to the inertia of the tractor being with the range of about 1 to about 2.5.

10. The track-type tractor of claim 9, wherein the ratio of the inertia of the motor to the inertia of the tractor is within the range of about 1.3 to about 2.3.

11. The track-type tractor of claim 9, wherein the ratio of the inertia of the motor to the inertia of the tractor is within the range of about 1.5 to about 2.1.

12. The track-type tractor of claim 9, wherein the ratio of the inertia of the motor to the inertia of the tractor is within the range of about 1.7 to about 1.9.

13. The track-type tractor of claim 9, wherein the ratio of the inertia of the motor to the inertia of the tractor is about 1.8.

14. A method of manufacturing a track-type tractor, comprising:

operatively coupling an electric motor to a gear reduction assembly, the electric motor and gear reduction assembly having a motor inertia;

operatively coupling the gear reduction assembly to a track of the track-type tractor, the track-type tractor having a tractor inertia; and

sizing the electric motor relative to the track-type tractor such that the track-type tractor has a Stemler Factor less than the ratio of the motor inertia to the tractor inertia.

15. The method of manufacturing a track-type tractor of claim 14, wherein the electric motor is sized relative to the track-type tractor such that the Stemler Factor is within the range of about 0.9 to about 2.5.

16. The method of manufacturing a track-type tractor of claim 14, wherein the electric motor is sized relative to the track-type tractor such that the Stemler Factor is within the range of about 1.4 to about 2.0.

17. The method of manufacturing a track-type tractor of claim 14, wherein the electric motor is sized relative to the track-type tractor such that the Stemler Factor is within the range of about 1.6 to about 1.8.

18. The method of manufacturing a track-type tractor of claim 14, wherein the electric motor is sized relative to the track-type tractor such that the Stemler Factor is about 1.7.

19. The method of manufacturing a track-type tractor of claim 14, wherein the tractor has a stall pull, the track has a rolling radius, the gear reduction assembly has an efficiency, and the electric motor has a torque, and wherein the Stemler Factor is calculated by multiplying the stall pull by the rolling radius, the inverse of the gear reduction assembly efficiency, and the inverse of the motor torque.

20. The method of manufacturing a track-type tractor of claim 19, wherein the stall pull of the Stemler Factor is calculated by multiplying the motor torque by the number of motors on the track-type tractor, by the gear reduction assembly efficiency, and by the inverse of the rolling radius.