BROAD TURNDOWN RATIO TRACTION DRIVE

• US 20110204829A1
• Filed: 02/25/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Drive Labs Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide Inc.
• Inventors: Smugeresky, Craig Steven, Olischefski, Derrin Lynn
• Granted Patent: US 8,232,750 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/66
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/38 with automatic control
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 16/00 Machines with more than one rotor or stator machines for transmitting mechanical power from a driving shaft to a driven shaft and comprising structurally interrelated motor and generator parts H02K51/00; permanent magnet machines with multiple rotors or stators relatively rotated for vectorially combining the excitation fields or the armature voltages H02K21/029
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/108 with friction clutches
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/116 with gears
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 5/00 Arrangements specially adapted for regulating or controlling the speed or torque of two or more electric motors H02P6/04, H02P8/40 take precedence

Abstract

A traction drive system comprising a plurality of electric motors selectably connected to a main shaft by engagement devices, each motor or combination of motors provides distinct performance characteristics along a broad spectrum of performance characteristics; and a method of managing a traction drive system including sensing physical parameters of the fraction drive system, selecting an electric motor having well-suited performance profile based on pre-selected criteria against which the sensed parameter is compared, and engaging one or more of the corresponding motors to the main shaft.

Claims

1. A traction drive system, comprising:

a main shaft;

a first electric motor having a first performance profile and a first shaft connected to the main shaft; and

a second electric motor having a second performance profile distinct from the first performance profile and a second shaft selectably connected to the main shaft by an engagement device.

2. The traction drive system of claim 1, wherein the engagement device is configured to connect the second shaft to the main shaft when a sensed parameter satisfies a criterion.

3. The traction drive system of claim 2, wherein the criterion defines a range of motor speeds (RPM) at which the second motor provides at least as much output as any other motor of the traction drive system.

4. The traction drive system of claim 2, wherein the criterion defines a range of output that the second motor is capable of providing to satisfy a demand placed on the traction drive system at a greater efficiency than any other motor of the fraction drive system.

5. The traction drive system of claim 1, wherein the first performance profile and the second performance profile together provide a cumulative performance profile that exceeds the limits of each of the first performance profile and the second performance profile.

6. A traction drive system, comprising:

a first electric motor having a first performance profile and a first shaft selectably connected to a main shaft by a first engagement device; and

a second electric motor having a second performance profile distinct from the first performance profile and a second shaft selectably connected to the main shaft by a second engagement device.

7. The traction drive system of claim 6, wherein the first engagement device is configured to connect the first shaft to the main shaft when a sensed parameter satisfies a first criterion, the first criterion defining at least one of:

(a) a range of motor speeds (RPM) at which the first motor provides at least as much output as any other motor of the traction drive system and (b) a range of output that the first motor is capable of providing to satisfy a demand placed on the traction drive system at a greater efficiency than any other motor of the traction drive system.

8. The traction drive system of claim 6, wherein the second engagement device is configured to connect the second shaft to the main shaft when a sensed parameter satisfies a second criterion, the second criterion defining at least one of:

(a) a range of motor speeds (RPM) at which the second motor provides at least as much output as any other motor of the traction drive system and (b) a range of output that the second motor is capable of providing to satisfy a demand placed on the traction drive system at a greater efficiency than any other motor of the traction drive system.

9. The traction drive system of claim 6, further comprising:

a third electric motor having a third performance profile distinct from each of the first performance profile and the second performance profile and a third shaft selectably connected to the main shaft by a third engagement device when a sensed parameter satisfies a third criterion, the third criterion defining at least one of;

(a) a range of motor speeds (RPM) at which the third motor provides at least as much output as any other motor of the traction drive system and (b) a range of output that the third motor is capable of providing to satisfy a demand placed on the traction drive system at a greater efficiency than any other motor of the traction drive system.

10. The fraction drive system of claim 9, wherein the first shaft, the second shaft, the third shaft, and the main shaft are axially aligned.

11. The traction drive system of claim 9, wherein the second motor is disposed between the third motor and the main shaft.

12. The traction drive system of claim 11, wherein the third shaft is concentrically disposed within at least a portion of the second motor and at least a portion of the second shaft.

13. A method, comprising:

sensing a parameter of a drivetrain system;

if the parameter satisfies a first criterion, providing output from a first electric motor to a main shaft of the drivetrain system, the first motor having a first performance profile; and

if the parameter satisfies a second criterion, providing output from a second electric motor to the main shaft of the drivetrain system, the second motor having a second performance profile distinct from the first performance profile.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second criterion defines a range of motor speeds (RPM) at which the second motor provides at least as much output as any other motor of the traction drive system.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the second criterion defines a range of output that the second motor is capable of providing to satisfy a demand placed on the traction drive system at a greater efficiency than any other motor of the traction drive system.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first criterion defines a range of motor speeds (RPM) at which the first motor provides at least as much output as any other motor of the traction drive system.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the first criterion defines a range of output that the first motor is capable of providing to satisfy a demand placed on the traction drive system at a greater efficiency than any other motor of the traction drive system.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein providing output from the first motor comprises operating a first engagement device whereby a first shaft of the first motor is connected to the main shaft.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein providing output from the second motor comprises operating a second engagement device whereby a second shaft of the second motor is connected to the main shaft.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

if the parameter satisfies a third criterion, providing output from a third electric motor to the main shaft of the drivetrain system, the third motor having a second performance profile.