HYBRID ELECTRIC POWER ARCHITECTURE FOR A VEHICLE

• US 20110304199A1
• Filed: 06/09/2010
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Rozman, Gregory I., Moss, Steven J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,536,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2016/003 solar power driven
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/00 Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/00 Electric propulsion with power supply from forces of nature, e.g. sun or wind
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/30 The power source being a fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/34 Arrangements for transfer of electric power between networks of substantially different frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/90 Energy harvesting concepts as power supply for auxiliaries' energy consumption, e.g. photovoltaic sun-roof

Abstract

An electric architecture for use on a vehicle has a collector bus for receiving power from a plurality of power sources. The collector bus distributes power to at least a pair of subsystems which are operable at different frequency levels. Each subsystem is provided with a global bus and a local bus, and is utilized to power at least one motor.

Claims

1. An electric architecture for use on a vehicle comprising:

a collector bus for receiving power from a plurality of power sources, said collector bus distributing power to at least a pair of subsystems which are each operable at different frequency levels, and each of said subsystems being provided with a global bus and a local bus, and being utilized to power at least one motor.

2. The architecture as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said pair of subsystems is provided with a pair of inverters, and a plurality of switches that allows a first variable voltage, variable frequency inverter to provide power to said at least one motor at start-up, and until said at least one motor reaches a predetermined speed at which time said switches are changed such that power flows to said at least one motor through a second inverter providing constant voltage and constant frequency, and such that said first inverter then powering the local bus, while said second inverter switching to powering the global bus.

3. The architecture as set forth in claim 2, wherein there are a plurality of motors powered by each of said subsystems.

4. The architecture as set forth in claim 3, wherein said switches are opened to start each of said plurality of motors in sequence.

5. The architecture as set forth in claim 2, wherein said at least two different frequency levels include 60 Hz and 400 Hz.

6. The architecture as set forth in claim 2, wherein said first and second inverters are operable to replace each other should one of said first and second inverters fail.

7. The architecture as set forth in claim 2, wherein said first inverter is also operable as a constant voltage and constant frequency inverter after a predetermined time.

8. The architecture as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of said subsystems also powers at least one of a non-linear load, and a lighting load.

9. An electric architecture for use on a vehicle comprising:

a collector bus for receiving power from a plurality of power sources, said collector bus distributing power to at least a pair of subsystems which are each operable at different frequency levels, and each of said subsystems being provided with a global bus and a local bus, and being utilized to power a plurality of motors;

each of said pair of subsystems is provided with a pair of inverters, and a plurality of switches that allows a first variable voltage, variable frequency inverter to provide power to each of said plurality of motors in sequence, and until each said motor reaches a predetermined speed at which time said switches are changed such that power flows to each said motor through a second inverter providing constant voltage and constant frequency, and such that said first inverter then powering the local bus, while said second inverter switching to powering the global bus;

said first and second inverters are operable to replace each other should one of said first and second inverters fail;

said first inverter is also operable as a constant voltage and constant frequency inverter after a predetermined time; and

at least one of said subsystems also powers at least one of a non-linear load, and a lighting load.

10. A method of operating an electric architecture for use on a vehicle including the steps of:

receiving power from a plurality of power sources at a collector bus, said collector bus distributing power to at least a pair of subsystems operable at different frequency levels, and each of said pair of subsystems powering a global bus and a local bus, and powering at least one motor.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein each of said pair of subsystems is provided with a pair of inverters, and a plurality of switches using a first variable voltage, variable frequency inverter to provide power to said at least one motor at start-up, and once said at least one motor reaches a predetermined speed, said switches are changed such that power flows to said at least one motor through a second inverter providing constant voltage and constant frequency, and such that said first inverter then powering the local bus, while said second inverter switching to powering the global bus.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein there are a plurality of motors powered by each of said subsystems.

13. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein said switches are opened to start each of said plurality of motors in sequence.

14. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein said first and second inverters are used to replace each other when one of said first and second inverters fail.

15. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein said first inverter is also used as a constant voltage and constant frequency inverter after a predetermined time.