Electric automobile

• US 4,199,037 A
• Filed: 05/19/1978
• Issued: 04/22/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bruce D. White
• Original Assignee: Bruce D. White
• Inventors: White, Bruce D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertsch, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Milton L.
• Application Number:
  US05/907,845
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65 C, 180/65 R, 180/60, 180/65 F, 180/65 E, 318/139, 318/4, 318/5, 318/8
• US Class Current: 180/65.245
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0444 Arrangement on a trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 3/04 of turbine type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/28 Trailers
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/20 DC electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/26 by pedal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/62 charged by low-power generators primarily intended to support the batteries, e.g. range extenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/06 Combustion engines, Gas turbines
• 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

An electrically-powered vehicle having a combination automobile frame and trailer, which are driven by a pair of electric motors located on the automobile frame. A battery is also located on the automobile frame, and a generator, along with a gas turbine for driving the generator, are located on the trailer. The vehicle can be operated with the trailer attached and the electric motors powered by a parallel combination of the battery and generator, or with the trailer removed and the motors powered by the battery alone. A controller turns on the gas turbine when the charge level in the battery drops below a first predetermined level and turns off the turbine when the charge level rises above a second predetermined level. Additionally, when the gas turbine is operating, its speed is maintained at a constant level, thereby maximizing its operating efficiency and yielding a minimum level of exhaust pollution.

Claims

1. An electrically-driven vehicle comprising:

an automobile frame supported on a plurality of wheels;

first and second direct-current electric motors mounted on said automobile frame, each of said motors adapted to drive a separate wheel;

a battery mounted on said automobile frame, for storing electrical energy that can be utilized to drive said first and second electric motors;

a trailer member adapted to be removably connected to said automobile frame;

a direct-current electric generator mounted on said trailer member for producing electrical current that can be utilized to drive said and second electric motors, and, simultaneously, to charge said battery;

a gas turbine mounted on said trailer member for driving said electric generator;

sensor means for producing a measure of the amount of usable electric energy being stored in said battery;

means for controlling operation of said gas turbine, including

means for turning on said gas turbine when the measure produced by said sensor means is less than a first predetermined level,

means for turning off said gas turbine when the measure produced by said sensor means is greater than a second predetermined level, and

means operable when said gas turbine is operating, for maintaining the speed of the turbine at a constant level, thereby maximizing the efficiency of the turbine;

means for controlling the speed of the vehicle, including

an accelerator pedal,

means for producing a first periodic control signal having a duty cycle that varies in accordance with the position of said accelerator pedal, and

first semiconductor switch means responsive to the first periodic control signal for transmitting electric current produced by said battery or said electric generator to said first and second electric motors; and

regenerative braking means utilizing said first and second electric motors as generators, for controllably slowing the vehicle, including

a brake pedal,

means for producing a second periodic electrical control signal having a duty cycle that varies in accordance with the position of said brake pedal,

means operable when said brake pedal is actuated, for inhibiting the transmission of electrical current from said battery or said electric generator to said first and second electric motors,

means operable when said brake pedal is actuated, for connecting said first and second electric motors in a series arrangement, and

second semiconductor switch means responsive to the second periodic control signal for utilizing electric current produced by said first and second electric motors to charge said battery.

2. An electrically-driven vehicle comprising:

an automobile frame having first and second drive wheels mounted thereon;

first and second electric motors coupled to said first and second drive wheels, respectively;

a battery for storing electrical energy that can be utilized to drive said first and second electric motors; and

speed control means for controllably coupling the electrical energy stored in said battery to said first and second electric motors, said speed control means including

an accelerator pedal,

first coupling means for controllably coupling electrical energy from said battery to said first electric motor in accordance with the position of said accelerator pedal, and

second coupling means for controllably coupling electrical energy from said battery to said second electric motor in accordance with the position of said accelerator pedal,

wherein the amount of electrical energy coupled by each of said first and second coupling means is controllably adjusted to compensate for any variations in the relative efficiencies of said first and second motors, such that the respective torques produced by said first and second drive wheels are substantially equal.

3. An electrically-driven vehicle as defined in claim 2, wherein:

said first coupling means includes

means for producing a first periodic control pulse signal having a duty cycle that varies in accordance with the position of said accelerator pedal, and

first switch means responsive to the first periodic control pulse signal for transmitting electrical energy from said battery to said first electric motor, accordingly;

said second coupling means includes

means for producing a second periodic control pulse signal having a duty cycle that varies in accordance with the position of said accelerator pedal, and

second switch means responsive to the second periodic control pulse signal for transmitting electrical energy from said battery to said second electric motor, accordingly; and

the relative duty cycles of said first and second periodic control pulse signals are controllably adjusted to compensate for any variations in the relative efficiencies of said first and second electric motors, such that the respective torques produced by said first and second drive wheels are substantially equal.

4. A regenerative braking system for use in an electrically-driven vehicle of the type having a frame, first and second electric motors mounted on the frame and adapted to be driven in parallel to propel the vehicle, and energy storage means mounted on the frame for storing energy that can be utilized to drive the motors, said braking system comprising:

a brake pedal mounted on the vehicle frame;

means for producing a periodic control pulse signal having a duty cycle that varies in accordance with the position of said brake pedal;

means for connecting said first and second electric motors in a series arrangement whenever said brake pedal is depressed, said series-connected electric motors functioning as an electric generator that can be utilized to controllably charge said energy storage means, thereby controllably braking the vehicle; and

switch means responsive to the periodic control pulse signal for correspondingly coupling said series-connected electric motors to said energy storage means;

wherein the degree of vehicle braking effected by said regenerative braking system is proportional to the duty cycle of the periodic control pulse signal.

5. A regenerative braking system as defined in claim 4, further including inductor means coupled between said series-connected electric motors and said energy storage means, for limiting the voltage applied to said energy storage means and thereby preventing possible damage thereto.

6. An electrically-driven vehicle comprising:

an automobile frame supported on a plurality of wheels;

first and second direct-current electric motors, each of said motors adapted to drive a separate wheel;

a battery for storing electrical energy that can be utilized to drive said first and second electric motors;

speed control means for controllably powering said first and second electric motors, including

an accelerator pedal,

means for producing a first periodic control pulse signal having a duty cycle that varies in accordance with the position of said accelerator pedal, and

first switch means responsive to the first periodic control pulse signal for transmitting electric current produced by said battery to said first and second electric motors, accordingly; and

regenerative braking means utilizing said first and second electric motors as generators, for controllably braking the vehicle, including

a brake pedal,

means for producing a second periodic control pulse signal having a duty cycle that varies in accordance with the position of said brake pedal,

means operable when said brake pedal is actuated, for inhibiting the transmission of electrical current from said battery to said first and second electric motors,

means operable when said brake pedal is actuated, for connecting said first and second electric motors in a series arrangement, and

second switch means responsive to the second periodic control pulse signal for utilizing electric current produced by said first and second electric motors to charge said battery, accordingly.