HYBRID POWERTRAIN SYSTEM USING FREE PISTON LINEAR ALTERNATOR ENGINES

• US 20110011660A1
• Filed: 07/16/2009
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company), Board of Regents of the University of Michigan (University of Michigan)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company), Board of Regents of the University of Michigan (University of Michigan)
• Inventors: Filipi, Zoran S., Assanis, Dionissios N., Rask, Rodney B., Lavoie, George, Najt, Paul M., Kuo, Tang-Wei, Babajimopoulos, Aristotelis
• Granted Patent: US 8,261,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.275
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 5/08 comprising more than one engine
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/24 characterised by the combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/90 using propulsion power supplied by specific means not covered by groups B60L50/10 - B60L50/50, e.g. by direct conversion of thermal nuclear energy into electricity
• 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 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• 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 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0676 Engine temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• 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

Abstract

A hybrid powertrain system includes reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines, each including a linear alternator device configured to generate electric power. A control module determines mechanical and electrical power demands responsive to an operator torque request and a state of charge of an energy storage device. The control module operates the torque machine to generate an output torque responsive to the mechanical power demands and operates the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines to generate electric power responsive to the electrical power demands.

Claims

1. Hybrid powertrain system, comprising:

an electrical energy storage device;

an electrically-powered torque machine configured to generate torque transferable to a driveline and react torque from the driveline;

a plurality of reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines each including a linear alternator device configured to generate electric power when in an engine-on state;

a power electronics circuit configured to transfer electric power between each of the linear alternator devices, the electrical energy storage device and the torque machine; and

a control module configured to

determine mechanical and electrical power demands responsive to an operator torque request and a state of charge of the electrical energy storage device,

command operation of the torque machine to generate an output torque responsive to the mechanical power demands, and

command operations of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines to generate electric power responsive to the electrical power demands.

2. The hybrid powertrain system of claim 1, wherein commanding operations of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines to generate electric power responsive to the electrical power demands comprises a power management strategy including individually commanding operations of each of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines over a range of output powers from a minimum electric power to a maximum electric power to generate electric power responsive to the electrical power demands.

3. The hybrid powertrain system of claim 1, wherein commanding operations of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines to generate electric power responsive to the electrical power demands comprises a power management strategy including commanding simultaneous operation of all of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines in one of the engine-on state and an engine-off state.

4. The hybrid powertrain system of claim 1, wherein commanding operations of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines to generate electric power responsive to the electrical power demands comprises a power management strategy including commanding individual operation of each of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines in one of the engine-on state and an engine-off state.

5. The hybrid powertrain system of claim 4, wherein the individual operation of each of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines includes individual operation in the engine-on state at a rated output power.

6. The hybrid powertrain system of claim 4, wherein the individual operation of each of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines includes individual operation in the engine-on state at a resonant speed and at a rated output power.

7. The hybrid powertrain system of claim 4, wherein the individual operation of each of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines includes individual operation in the engine-on state at a predetermined fraction of a rated output power.

8. The hybrid powertrain system of claim 4, wherein the individual operation of each of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines includes operation of selected ones of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines to generate a total electric power that is greater than a required mechanical power associated with the operator torque request.

9. The hybrid powertrain system of claim 4, wherein the individual operation of each of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines includes operation of selected ones of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines to generate a total electric power that is less than a required mechanical power associated with the operator torque request.

10. The hybrid powertrain system of claim 1, wherein the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines including linear alternator devices are configured to generate the same rated output power when operating in the engine-on state at resonant speed.

11. The hybrid powertrain system of claim 1, wherein the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines including linear alternator devices are configured to generate different progressive amounts of rated output power when operating in the engine-on state at resonant speeds.

12. Hybrid powertrain system, comprising:

an electrical energy storage device;

a plurality of electrically-powered torque machines configured to

generate and react mechanical torque;

a plurality of reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines each including a linear alternator device configured to generate electric power;

a power electronics circuit configured to transfer electric power between each of the linear alternator devices, the electrical energy storage device and the torque machines; and

a control module configured to

determine mechanical and electrical power demands responsive to an operator torque request and a state of charge of the electrical energy storage device,

command operation of the torque machines to generate torque responsive to the mechanical power demands, and

command operations of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines to generate electric power responsive to the electrical power demands.

13. Hybrid powertrain system, comprising:

an electrical energy storage device;

an electrically-powered torque machine configured to generate torque transferable to a driveline and react torque from the driveline;

a plurality of reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines each including a linear alternator device configured to generate electric power;

a power electronics circuit configured to transfer electric power between each of the linear alternator devices, the electrical energy storage device and the torque machine; and

a control module configured to

determine electrical power demands responsive to an operator torque request and a state of charge of the electrical energy storage device, and

command operations of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines to generate electric power responsive to the electrical power demands.

14. The hybrid powertrain system of claim 13, wherein commanding operations of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines to generate electric power responsive to the electrical power demands comprises a power management strategy including individually commands operations of each of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines over a range of output powers from a minimum electric power to a maximum electric power to generate electric power responsive to the electrical power demands.

15. The hybrid powertrain system of claim 13, wherein commanding operations of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines to generate electric power responsive to the electrical power demands comprises a power management strategy including commanding simultaneous operation of all of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines in one of the engine-on state and an engine-off state during operation of the hybrid powertrain system.

16. The hybrid powertrain system of claim 13, wherein commanding operations of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines to generate electric power responsive to the electrical power demands comprises a power management strategy including commanding individual operation of each of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines in one of the engine-on state and an engine-off state during operation of the hybrid powertrain system.

18. The hybrid powertrain system of claim 18, wherein the individual operation of each of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines includes individual operation in the engine-on state at a resonant speed and at a rated output power.

17. The hybrid powertrain system of claim 18, wherein the individual operation of each of the reciprocating free-piston internal combustion engines includes individual operation in the engine-on state at a rated output power.