Electric traction motor vehicle

• US 5,632,352 A
• Filed: 03/21/1995
• Issued: 05/27/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SMH Management Services AG (The Swatch Group AG)
• Original Assignee: SMH Management Services AG (The Swatch Group AG)
• Inventors: Edye, Thomas, Muller, Jacques, Jeanneret, Rene
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US08/379,474
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/65.2, 180/65.3, 180/65.4, 290/14, 290/16, 290/17, 320/62
• US Class Current: 180/65.23
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/10 using propulsion power supplied by engine-driven generators, e.g. generators driven by combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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

The vehicle (1) comprises a driving wheel (2) driven by an electric motor (3) whose control circuit (4) is supplied by a generator (6) coupled to a fuel engine (5), and a sensor (18) supplying a power-setting control signal (SC) representative of the position of an accelerator pedal (17) and hence of the desired power that the electric motor (3) has to supply to the wheel (2). To avoid having to provide the vehicle (1) with a large capacity traction battery, the vehicle further comprises means (7, 14 to 16, 19, 20) responsive to the power setting signal (SC) to regulate the rotational speed of the fuel engine (5) to the value at which the latter supplies a mechanical power (Pm) that is equal, firstly, to the desired power and, secondly, to a predetermined fraction of its maximum power.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle comprising:

a fuel engine for producing a first mechanical power;

a generator for converting said first mechanical power into a first electrical power;

control means operable by a driver of said vehicle to produce a power setting signal representative of a desired power;

a driving wheel;

motor means for supplying a second mechanical power to said driving wheel from a second electrical power, said motor means including an electric motor mechanically coupled to said driving wheel and a circuit for controlling said electric motor that is responsive to said power setting signal to regulate the value of said second mechanical power to the value of said desired power; and

,

regulating means responsive to said power setting signal to regulate the rotational speed of said fuel engine to the value at which said first mechanical power is at least substantially equal, firstly, to said desired power and, secondly, to a set fraction of the maximum mechanical power of said fuel engine, said regulating means including transfer means electrically coupled to said generator and to said motor means to produce said second electrical power from said first electrical power,

wherein said regulating means includes means for producing a measurement signal representative of said rotational speed and means for supplying a comparison signal between said measurement signal and said power setting signal,

wherein said transfer means is arranged to respond to said comparison signal to increase the braking torque exerted by said generator on said fuel engine when said measurement signal is greater than said power setting signal and to decrease said braking torque when said measurement signal is less than said power setting signal,

and wherein said transfer means includes a first regulating element connected across a first terminal and a second terminal of said generator and a second regulating element connected across said first terminal of said generator and a terminal of said control circuit, said first regulating element including a first resistor and a first switch connected in series with said first resistor and responsive to said comparison signal to connect said first resistor across said terminals of said generator when said first measurement signal is greater than said power setting control signal and to disconnect said first resistor from said terminals of said generator when said measurement signal is less than or equal to said power setting signal, and said second regulating element including a second resistor and a second switch connected in parallel with said second resistor and responsive to said comparison signal to connect said second resistor in series across said first terminal of said generator and said terminal of said control circuit when said measurement signal is less than said power setting signal and to directly connect said first terminal of said generator to said terminal of said control circuit when said measurement signal is greater than or equal to said power setting signal.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said transfer means includes power supply means connected between said generator and said control circuit and responsive to said comparison signal for supplying to said control circuit an electrical power equal to said first electrical power when said measurement signal is greater than or equal to said power setting signal and for supplying to said control circuit an electrical power less than said first electrical power when said measurement signal is less than said power setting signal.

3. A vehicle according to claim 2 further comprising a rechargeable source of electrical energy arranged to supply to said control circuit an electrical power having a value equal to the difference between said desired power and the electrical power supplied by said power supply means.

4. A motor vehicle comprising:

a fuel engine for producing a first mechanical power;

a generator for converting said first mechanical power into a first electrical power;

control means operable by a driver of said vehicle to produce a power setting signal representative of a desired power;

a driving wheel;

motor means for supplying a second mechanical power to said driving wheel from a second electrical power, said motor means including an electric motor mechanically coupled to said driving wheel and a circuit for controlling said electric motor that is responsive to said power setting signal to regulate the value of said second mechanical power to the value of said desired power; and

,

regulating means responsive to said power setting signal to regulate the rotational speed of said fuel engine to the value at which said first mechanical power is at least substantially equal, firstly, to said desired power and, secondly, to a set fraction of the maximum mechanical power of said fuel engine, said regulating means including transfer means electrically coupled to said generator and to said motor means to produce said second electrical power from said first electrical power,

wherein said regulating means includes means for producing a measurement signal representative of said rotational speed and means for supplying a comparison signal between said measurement signal and said power setting signal,

wherein said vehicle further comprises a device for supplying fuel to said fuel engine that is responsive to said comparison signal to regulate said first mechanical power to a value greater than that of said set fraction of said maximum mechanical power when said measurement signal is less than said power setting signal, to the value of said set fraction of said maximum mechanical power when said measurement signal is equal to said power setting signal, and to a value less than that of said set fraction of said maximum mechanical power when said measurement signal is greater than said power setting signal,

and wherein said transfer means is arranged to respond to said comparison signal to reduce the braking torque exerted by said generator on said fuel engine when said measurement signal is less than said power setting signal.

5. A vehicle according to claim 4, wherein said transfer means includes power supply means connected between said generator and said control circuit and responsive to said comparison signal for supplying to said control circuit an electrical power equal to said first electrical power when said measurement signal is greater than or equal to said power setting signal and for supplying to said control circuit an electrical power less than said first electrical power when said measurement signal is less than said power setting signal.

6. A vehicle according to claim 5 further comprising a rechargeable source of electrical energy arranged to supply to said control circuit an electrical power having a value equal to the difference between said desired power and the electrical power supplied by said power supply means.

7. A motor vehicle comprising:

a fuel engine for producing a first mechanical power;

a generator for converting said first mechanical power into a first electrical power;

control means operable by a driver of said vehicle to produce a power setting signal representative of a desired power;

a driving wheel;

motor means for supplying a second mechanical power to said driving wheel from a second electrical power, said motor means including an electric motor mechanically coupled to said driving wheel and a circuit for controlling said electric motor that is responsive to said power setting signal to regulate the value of said second mechanical power to the value of said desired power; and

,

regulating means responsive to said power setting signal to regulate the rotational speed of said fuel engine to the value at which said first mechanical power is at least substantially equal, firstly, to said desired power and, secondly, to a set fraction of the maximum mechanical power of said fuel engine, said regulating means including transfer means electrically coupled to said generator and to said motor means to produce said second electrical power from said first electrical power,

wherein said regulating means includes means for producing a measurement signal representative of said rotational speed and means for supplying a comparison signal between said first measurement signal and a second power setting signal;

wherein said transfer means includes a converter connected between said generator and said control circuit and responsive to said comparison signal for supplying to said control circuit an electric power equal to said first electrical power when said measurement signal is greater than or equal to said second power setting signal and for supplying to said control circuit an electrical power less than said first electrical power when said measurement signal is less than said second power setting signal;

wherein said vehicle further comprises a rechargeable source of electrical energy arranged to supply to said control circuit an electrical power having a value equal to the difference between said desired power and the electrical power supplied by said converter, and a device for supplying fuel to said fuel engine that is responsive to said comparison signal to regulate said first mechanical power to a value greater than that of said set fraction of said maximum mechanical power when said measurement signal is less than said second power setting signal, to the value of said set fraction of said maximum mechanical power when said measurement signal is equal to said second power setting signal, and to a value less than that of said set fraction of said maximum mechanical power when said measurement signal is greater than said second power setting signal, said source including means for supplying a detection signal representative of the quantity of electrical energy contained in said source; and

,

wherein said vehicle further comprises means responsive to said detection signal for producing said second power setting signal with a value equal to the sum of the value of said first power setting signal and of a predetermined value when said quantity of electrical energy becomes less than a first predetermined quantity and with a value equal to the value of said first power setting signal when said quantity of electrical energy becomes greater than a second predetermined quantity.

8. A motor vehicle comprising:

a fuel engine for producing a first mechanical power;

a generator for converting said first mechanical power into a first electrical power;

control means operable by a driver of said vehicle to produce a power setting signal representative of a desired power;

a driving wheel;

motor means for supplying a second mechanical power to said driving wheel from a second electrical power, said motor means including an electric motor mechanically coupled to said driving wheel and a circuit for controlling said electric motor that is responsive to said power setting signal to regulate the value of said second mechanical power to the value of said desired power; and

,

regulating means responsive to said power setting signal to regulate the rotational speed of said fuel engine to the value at which said first mechanical power is at least substantially equal, firstly, to said desired power and, secondly, to a set fraction of the maximum mechanical power of said fuel engine, said regulating means including transfer means electrically coupled to said generator and to said motor means to produce said second electrical power from said first electrical power,

wherein said regulating means includes means for producing a measurement signal representative of said rotational speed and means for supplying a comparison signal between said measurement signal and said power setting signal,

wherein said transfer means is arranged to respond to said comparison signal to increase the braking torque exerted by said generator on said fuel engine when said measurement signal is greater than said power setting signal and to decrease said braking torque when said measurement signal is less than said power setting signal,

and wherein said transfer means includes a first regulating element connected across a first terminal and a second terminal of said generator and a second regulating element connected across said first terminal of said generator and a terminal of said control circuit, said first regulating element being responsive to said comparison signal to connect said terminals of said generator when said measurement signal is greater than said power setting signal, and said second regulating element being responsive to said comparison signal to connect said first terminal of said generator and said terminal of said control circuit.

9. A vehicle according to claim 8,

wherein said vehicle further comprises a device for supplying fuel to said fuel engine that is responsive to said comparison signal to regulate said first mechanical power to a value greater than that of said set fraction of said maximum mechanical power when said measurement signal is less than said power setting signal, to the value of said set fraction of said maximum mechanical power when said measurement signal is equal to said power setting signal, and to a value less than that of said set fraction of said maximum mechanical power when said measurement signal is greater than said power setting signal.

10. A vehicle according to claim 9, wherein said transfer means includes power supply means connected between said generator and said control circuit and responsive to said comparison signal for supplying to said control circuit an electrical power equal to said first electrical power when said measurement signal is greater than or equal to said power setting signal and for supplying to said control circuit an electrical power less than said first electrical power when said measurement signal is less than said power setting signal.

11. A vehicle according to claim 10 further comprising a rechargeable source of electrical energy arranged to supply to said control circuit an electrical power having a value equal to the difference between said desired power and the electrical power supplied by said power supply means.

12. A vehicle according to claim 8, wherein said transfer means includes power supply means connected between said generator and said control circuit and responsive to said comparison signal for supplying to said control circuit an electrical power equal to said first electrical power when said measurement signal is greater than or equal to said power setting signal and for supplying to said control circuit an electrical power less than said first electrical power when said measurement signal is less than said power setting signal.

13. A vehicle according to claim 12 further comprising a rechargeable source of electrical energy arranged to supply to said control circuit an electrical power having a value equal to the difference between said desired power and the electrical power supplied by said power supply means.