Electric vehicle drive system and drive method

• US 5,549,172 A
• Filed: 04/28/1994
• Issued: 08/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Masaki, Ryoso, Tajima, Fumio, Mutoh, Nobuyoshi, Miyazaki, Taizou, Ohmae, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US08/234,424
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/65.6, 180/65.8, 180/65.3
• US Class Current: 180/65.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/60 using power supplied by batteries in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to provide an electric drive system which ensures effective generation of torque from the start to the maximum speed, and extended cruising distance and upgraded running performances. The drive system according to the present invention is characterized in that, in a electric vehicle to be driven by the wheels which are driven by the rotary output of two or more motors, said two or more motors comprise at least two different types of motors, and the system is provided with the control means to adjust the share of the vehicle driving force to be generated by each of said motors in conformity to the running state of said vehicle. These two or more motors comprise a combination of a low speed drive motor and high speed drive motor, and a highly efficient motor is used as said low speed motor, while a motor having a greater capacity and greater base speed than said low speed drive motor is used as the high speed drive motor. The share of the driving force of said vehicle is controlled by the control means such that up to the maximum torque is generated by said low speed drive motor, with the remaining torque generated by said high speed drive motor.

Claims

1. In an electric vehicle wherein DC power of the vehicle-mounted battery is amplified and is supplied to at least two motors, and the wheels are driven by the torque of said at least two motors to drive the vehicle,

an electric vehicle drive system wherein said at least two motors comprise at least two different types of motors, and the system is provided with the control means to adjust the share of the vehicle driving force to be generated by each of said motors in conformity to the running state of said vehicle,

wherein front and rear wheels constitute the drive source of said vehicle, and said front and rear wheels are separately driven by said different types of motors.

2. An electric vehicle drive system according to claim 1, wherein said two or more motors comprises a combination of a low speed drive motor and high speed drive motor, a highly efficient motor is used as said low speed motor, while a motor having a greater capacity and greater based speed than said low speed drive motor is used as said high speed drive motor, and the share of the driving force of said vehicle is controlled by said control means such that up to the maximum torque is generated by said low speed drive motor, with the remaining torque generated by said high speed drive motor.

3. An electric vehicle drive system according to claim 1, wherein said two or more motors comprise a combination of a low speed drive motor and high speed drive motor, a highly efficient motor is used as said low speed motor, while a motor having a greater capacity and greater base speed than said low speed drive motor is used as said high speed drive motor, and said control means, using the efficiency map of said motors given in advance, determines the ratio of the force to be provided by said low speed drive motor and that to be provided by said high speed drive motor, and exercises control such that torque is generated by each of said motors based on this ratio.

4. An electric vehicle drive system according to claim 1 wherein a synchronous motor is used as said low speed motor, while an induction motor is used as said high speed drive motor.

5. An electric vehicle drive system according to claim 1 or wherein a DC motor is used as said low speed motor, while an induction motor is used as said high speed drive motor.

6. An electric vehicle drive system according to claim 1 wherein an induction motor having a greater number of poles is used as said low speed motor, while the induction motor having a smaller number of poles is used as said high speed drive motor.

7. An electric vehicle drive system according to claim 1, characterized in that, of said two or more types of motors, at least one type of the motor has multiple winding coils.

8. An electric vehicle drive system according to claim 7 wherein a power amplifier is connected to each terminal of said multiple winding coils, and auxiliary load is connected to at least one said multiple winding coil.

9. An electric vehicle drive system according to claim 7 characterized in that, two or more motors comprise a permanent magnetic synchronous motor using the rotor as permanent magnet and using the armature winding of multiple winding structure, and induction motor, wherein part of the multiple winding coils of said permanent magnetic synchronous motor is used as the armature winding to generate driving torque and induced voltage is taken out of the remaining windings to be used as the power source of said auxiliary load.

10. In an electric vehicle wherein DC power of the vehicle-mounted battery is amplified and is supplied to at least two motors, and the wheels are driven by the torque of said at least two motors to drive the vehicle,

an electric vehicle drive system wherein said at least two motors comprise at least two different types of motors having different operation/torque characteristics, and the system is provided with the control means to adjust the share of the vehicle driving force to be generated by each of said motors in conformity to the running state of said vehicle,

wherein front and rear wheels constitute the drive source of said vehicle, and said front and rear wheels are separately driven by said different types of motors.

11. An electric vehicle drive system according to claim 10, wherein said two or more motors comprise a combination of a low speed drive motor and high speed drive motor, a highly efficient motor is used as said low speed motor, while a motor having a greater capacity and greater base speed than said low speed drive motor is used as said high speed drive motor, and the share of the driving force of said vehicle is controlled by said control means such that up to the maximum torque is generated by said low speed drive motor, with the remaining torque generated by said high speed drive motor.

12. An electric vehicle drive system according to claim 10, wherein said two or more motors comprise a combination of a low speed drive motor and high speed drive motor, a highly efficient motor is used as said low speed motor, while a motor having a greater capacity and greater base speed than said low speed drive motor is used as said high speed drive motor, and said control means, using the efficiency map of said motors given in advance, determines the ratio of the force to be provided by said low speed drive motor and that to be provided by said high speed drive motor, and exercises control such that torque is generated by each of said motors based on this ratio.

13. An electric vehicle drive system according to claim 10, wherein a synchronous motor is used as said low speed motor, while an induction motor is used as said high speed drive motor.

14. An electric vehicle drive system according to claim 10, wherein a DC motor is used as said low speed motor, while an induction motor is used as said high speed drive motor.

15. An electric vehicle drive system according to claim 10, wherein an induction motor having a greater number of poles is used as said low speed motor, while the induction motor having a smaller number of poles is used as said high speed drive motor.

16. An electric vehicle drive system according to claim 10, characterized in that, of said two or more types of motors, at least one type of the motor has multiple winding coils.

17. In an electric vehicle wherein DC power of the vehicle-mounted battery is amplified and is supplied to at least two motors, and the wheels are driven by the torque of said at least two motors to drive the vehicle,

an electric vehicle drive system wherein said at least two motors comprise at least two different types of motors having the same electric magnetic compositions but different capacities, and the system is provided with the control means to adjust the share of the vehicle driving force to be generated by each of said motors in conformity to the running state of said vehicle,

wherein front and rear wheels constitute the drive source of said vehicle, and said front and rear wheels are separately driven by said different types of motors.

18. An electric vehicle drive system according to claim 17, characterized in that, of said two or more types of motors, at least one type of the motor has multiple winding coils.

19. In an electric vehicle wherein DC power of the vehicle-mounted battery is amplified and is supplied to at least two motors, and the wheels are driven by the torque of said at least two motors to drive the vehicle,

an electric vehicle drive system wherein said at least two motors comprise at least two different types of motors, and the system is provided with the control means to adjust the share of the vehicle driving force to be generated by each of said motors in conformity to the running state of said vehicle,

wherein an induction motor having a greater number of poles is used as said low speed motor, while an induction motor having a smaller number of poles is used as said high speed drive motor.

20. In an electric vehicle wherein DC power of the vehicle-mounted battery is amplified and is supplied to at least two motors, and the wheels are driven by the torque of said at least two motors to drive the vehicle,

an electric vehicle drive system wherein said at least two motors comprise at least two different types of motors having different operation/torque characteristics, and the system is provided with the control means to adjust the share of the vehicle driving force to be generated by each of said motors in conformity to the running state of said vehicle,

wherein an induction motor having a greater number of poles is used as said low speed motor, while an induction motor having a smaller number of poles is used as said high speed drive motor.

21. In an electric vehicle wherein DC power of the vehicle-mounted battery is amplified and is supplied to at least two motors, and the wheels are driven by the torque of said at least two motors to drive the vehicle,

an electric vehicle drive system wherein said at least two motors comprise at least two different types of motors, and the system is provided with the control means to adjust the share of the vehicle driving force to be generated by each of said motors in conformity to the running state of said vehicle,

wherein, of said at least two types of motors, at least one type of the motor has multiple winding coils, and

wherein a power amplifier is connected to each terminal of said multiple winding coils, and an auxiliary load is connected to at least one of said multiple winding coils.

22. In an electric vehicle wherein DC power of the vehicle-mounted battery is amplified and is supplied to at least two motors, and the wheels are driven by the torque of said at least two motors to drive the vehicle,

an electric vehicle drive system wherein said at least two motors comprise at least two different types of motors, and the system is provided with the control means to adjust the share of the vehicle driving force to be generated by each of said motors in conformity to the running state of said vehicle,

wherein, of said at least two types of motors, at least one type of the motor has multiple winding coils, and

wherein the at least two motors comprise a permanent magnetic synchronous motor using the rotor as permanent magnet and using the armature winding of multiple winding structure, and induction motor, wherein part of the multiple winding coils of said permanent magnetic synchronous motor is used as the armature winding to generate driving torque and induced voltage is taken out of the remaining windings to be used as the power source of said auxiliary load.

23. In an electric vehicle wherein DC power of the vehicle-mounted battery is amplified and is supplied to at least two motors, and the wheels are driven by the torque of said at least two motors to drive the vehicle,

an electric vehicle drive system wherein said at least two motors comprise at least two different types of motors having different operation/torque characteristics, and the system is provided with the control means to adjust the share of the vehicle driving force to be generated by each of said motors in conformity to the running state of said vehicle,

wherein, of said at least two types of motors, at least one type of the motor has multiple winding coils, and

wherein a power amplifier is connected to each terminal of said multiple winding coils, and an auxiliary load is connected to at least one of said multiple winding coils.

24. In an electric vehicle wherein DC power of the vehicle-mounted battery is amplified and is supplied to at least two motors, and the wheels are driven by the torque of said at least two motors to drive the vehicle,

an electric vehicle drive system wherein said at least two motors comprise at least two different types of motors having different operation/torque characteristics, and the system is provided with the control means to adjust the share of the vehicle driving force to be generated by each of said motors in conformity to the running state of said vehicle,

wherein, of said at least two types of motors, at least one type of the motor has multiple winding coils, and

wherein the at least two motors comprise a permanent magnetic synchronous motor using the rotor as permanent magnet and using the armature winding of multiple winding structure, and induction motor, wherein part of the multiple winding coils of said permanent magnetic synchronous motor is used as the armature winding to generate driving torque and induced voltage is taken out of the remaining windings to be used as the power source of said auxiliary load.