ELECTRIC VEHICLE

• US 20170217317A1
• Filed: 01/24/2017
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2016
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Beijing Horizon Information Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ShenZhen Deep Space Intelligence Technology Co., LTD
• Inventors: KHUSRAVSHO, RAHMATULLOEV, HENDERSON, DAVID I
• Granted Patent: US 10,272,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/001 one motor mounted on a propulsion axle for rotating right and left wheels of this axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0405 characterised by their position
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0416 Arrangement in the rear part of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0472 from below
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0477 from the back
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/16 DC brushless machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/30 using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/12 for vehicles propelled by dc motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/91 Electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/162 Flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/006 Structural association of a motor or generator with the drive train of a motor vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/025 for power storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/16 Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids
• 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: Y02T 10/92 : Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

The invention provides a powertrain for an electric vehicle, and an electric vehicle as such. The powertrain has an electric motor and a drivetrain for transmitting rotary power from the electric motor to at least one of the vehicle wheels. A mechanical rotary transmission is provided in association with a flywheel. The mechanical rotary transmission is controllable to transmit power in a direction from the vehicle wheels to the flywheel and further transmit power in the reverse direction. Power from both the electric motor and the flywheel is concurrently used to accelerate the vehicle. The vehicle kinetic energy is recovered and stored at the flywheel during vehicle deceleration. The motor vehicle has at least one battery unit to supply the electric motor. The battery unit is removable from the vehicle, without tools, and is portable so that it is carried away from the vehicle for charging.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle having multiple vehicle wheels and comprising

an electric motor;

a drivetrain for transmitting rotary power from the electric motor to at least one of the vehicle wheels;

a flywheel;

a mechanical rotary transmission which is configured and controllable

to transmit power from the at least one of the vehicle wheels to the flywheel and

to transmit power from the flywheel to the at least one of the vehicle wheels, enabling power from the electric motor and the flywheel to be used concurrently to accelerate the vehicle, and enabling vehicle kinetic energy to be recovered and stored at the flywheel during vehicle deceleration; and

at least one battery unit which is engageable with the vehicle to supply electric power to the electric motor for vehicle propulsion, the battery unit being removable from the vehicle and being portable so that it is able to be carried away from the vehicle for charging.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, a mass of the battery unit is 30 kg or less.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, a mass of the battery unit is 10 kg or less.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, a mass of the battery unit is 6 kg or less.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, drivable using power is solely derived from the at least one battery unit.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, the battery unit is provided with a carrying handle or a shoulder strap.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, the at least one battery unit comprises a first battery unit, the vehicle comprises a first port for receiving the first battery unit which is accessible from inside of a vehicle cabin. s

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein, the at least one battery unit comprises a second battery unit, the vehicle comprises a second port for receiving the second battery unit, the second port being accessible from outside the vehicle cabin.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein, the second port is accessible from rear of the vehicle and the second battery unit is receivable by the vehicle in a position behind vehicle seating.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, the vehicle is configured to be able to receive at least two different sizes of battery unit, comprising a larger battery unit and a smaller battery unit.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein, the vehicle further comprises an electronic control device configured to control power supplied to the electric motor, the electronic control device is configured to implement at least two different power control strategies according to which size of battery unit is installed.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle has an unladen mass, inclusive of the battery unit, of 1200 kg or less.

13. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle has an unladen mass, inclusive of the battery unit, of 600 kg or less.

14. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, the mechanical rotary transmission comprises a decoupling clutch or a power split device for selectively decoupling the flywheel from the vehicle wheel(s) to enable the flywheel to be driven from the electric motor while the vehicle is stationary, so that the flywheel is able to be charged with energy prior to the launch.

15. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, the mechanical rotary transmission comprises a variator.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein, the variator is operatively coupled to a motor shaft of the electric motor, which is operatively coupled to the at least one of the vehicle wheels through the drivetrain.

17. A powertrain for an electric vehicle having multiple vehicle wheels, the powertrain comprising:

an electric motor;

a drivetrain for transmitting rotary power from the electric motor to at least one of the vehicle wheels;

a flywheel;

a mechanical rotary transmission which is configured and controllable to

transmit power from the at least one of the vehicle wheels to the flywheel; and

transmit power from the flywheel to the at least one of the vehicle wheels, enabling power from the electric motor and the flywheel to be used concurrently to accelerate the vehicle, and enabling vehicle kinetic energy to be recovered and stored at the flywheel during vehicle deceleration; and

at least one battery unit which is engageable with the vehicle to supply electric power to the electric motor for vehicle propulsion, the battery unit being configured to be removable from the vehicle and being portable so that it is able to be carried away from the vehicle for charging.