Vehicle propulsion system by individual stepping motors from continuously-running engine-driven alternator and/or pulsating battery current
First Claim
1. An engine-driven-alternator individual-wheel-motorized electric propulsion system for a four-wheel motor vehicle provided with a steering mechanism, said system comprisingan engine-driven two-phase alternator having a two-phase alternator output,a plurality of electric stepping motors adapted to be drivingly connected one to each vehicle wheel and having motor inputs,each stepping motor having a rotor and also having a stator with a multiplicity of pole pieces arranged in first and second sets disposed in alternate sequence with the pole pieces of each set having alternate opposite windings imparting alternate opposite polarities to the stator pole pieces of each set upon energization thereof,each stator pole piece having a first winding adapted to be energized by pulses of rectified alternating current and a second winding thereon adapted to be energized by pulses of direct current,a storage battery,a pulse-responsive electric power system including a plurality of gate-controlled rectifiers having power current input means and also having power current output means,a stepping motor control circuit interposed between and connecting said alternator output to said motor inputs and including switching means connected to the gates of said gate-controlled rectifiers and responsive to the reception of positive or negative pulses for selectively energizing said first and second windings of said stator pole pieces separately and simultaneously and thereby effecting step-by-step rotation of said rotors,variable frequency generating means electrically connected to said pulse-responsive electric power system including said plurality of gate-controlled rectifiers,and a frequency control circuit for selectively controlling the frequency output of said variable frequency generator means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A constant-speed continuously-running low-powered diesel engine or turbine drives a two-phase alternator, the output from which, for direct drive, flows to the stator pole piece windings of four independently-rotating stepping motors operating synchronously with the alternator. Each stepping motor is connected to a traction wheel of a motor vehicle, thereby propelled at a limited maximum speed sufficiently to overcome normal wind resistance over a level road. In starting, during acceleration, and for propulsion at higher speeds, direct current from a storage battery is caused to pulsate and is added to the current from the alternator to the stepping motors. A control circuit selectively controls the frequency of a variable frequency generator electrically connected to the pulse-responsive electrical power system to vary the frequency of the current supplied to the stepping motors and thus vary the vehicle speed. During idling, the alternating current from the alternator is rectified and recharges the battery. During braking, the consequent driving of the stepping motors causes them to generate alternating current which is rectified and returned to the battery. By varying the frequencies of the current delivered to the right side motors as compared with those delivered to the left side motors and vice versa, in response to the turning of the steering wheel in rounding a curve in the road, a differential action is obtained.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. An engine-driven-alternator individual-wheel-motorized electric propulsion system for a four-wheel motor vehicle provided with a steering mechanism, said system comprising
an engine-driven two-phase alternator having a two-phase alternator output, a plurality of electric stepping motors adapted to be drivingly connected one to each vehicle wheel and having motor inputs, each stepping motor having a rotor and also having a stator with a multiplicity of pole pieces arranged in first and second sets disposed in alternate sequence with the pole pieces of each set having alternate opposite windings imparting alternate opposite polarities to the stator pole pieces of each set upon energization thereof, each stator pole piece having a first winding adapted to be energized by pulses of rectified alternating current and a second winding thereon adapted to be energized by pulses of direct current, a storage battery, a pulse-responsive electric power system including a plurality of gate-controlled rectifiers having power current input means and also having power current output means, a stepping motor control circuit interposed between and connecting said alternator output to said motor inputs and including switching means connected to the gates of said gate-controlled rectifiers and responsive to the reception of positive or negative pulses for selectively energizing said first and second windings of said stator pole pieces separately and simultaneously and thereby effecting step-by-step rotation of said rotors, variable frequency generating means electrically connected to said pulse-responsive electric power system including said plurality of gate-controlled rectifiers, and a frequency control circuit for selectively controlling the frequency output of said variable frequency generator means.
Specification