System for driving vehicle accessories through an electro-mechanical interface
First Claim
1. An electro-mechanical system for driving accessory loads in a series hybrid auxiliary power unit incorporated in a vehicle, said system comprising:
- a frame;
at least a first tier of a plurality of geared output shafts rotatably supported within said frame and meshingly engaged in a daisy-chain configuration having first and second ends;
one end of said first tier of geared output shafts in said daisy-chain configuration meshingly engaging a first geared transfer shaft;
the other end of said first tier of geared output shafts in said daisy-chain configuration meshingly engaging a second geared transfer shaft that is continuously connected to a motor/generator;
said first geared transfer shaft operatively connected to an internal combustion engine through selectively disengageable clutch means;
a second tier of a plurality of geared output shafts rotatably supported within said frame and meshingly engaged in a daisy-chain configuration having first and second ends;
at least one end of said second tier of geared output shafts in said daisy-chain configuration meshingly engaging a geared linking shaft;
said geared linking shaft selectively connected to one of said geared transfer shafts associated with said first tier of geared output shafts through a power take-off clutch; and
said geared output shafts in said first and second tier of output shafts being available to drive auxiliary loads.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electro-mechanical interface incorporated in a series hybrid auxiliary power unit. According to the present invention the electro-mechanical interface employs a first tier of geared output shafts rotatably supported within a frame and meshingly engaged in a daisy-chain configuration having first and second ends. One end of the first tier of geared output shafts in the daisy-chain configuration meshingly engages a first, geared transfer shaft. The first, geared transfer shaft selectively connects to an internal combustion engine through a selectively disengageable clutch. The other end of the aforesaid first tier of geared output shafts in the daisy-chain configuration meshingly engages a second geared transfer shaft that is continuously connected to a motor/generator. The geared output shafts in the aforesaid daisy-chain configuration are available to drive auxiliary loads. A second tier of geared output shafts are also rotatably supported within the frame. The geared output shafts in the second tier meshingly engage, also in a daisy-chain configuration having first and second ends. One end of the daisy-chain defined by the second tier of geared output shafts meshingly engages a geared linking shaft, and the geared linking shaft selectively connects to a geared transfer shaft associated with the first tier of geared output shafts. The geared output shafts in the second tier are also available to drive auxiliary loads.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. An electro-mechanical system for driving accessory loads in a series hybrid auxiliary power unit incorporated in a vehicle, said system comprising:
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a frame;
at least a first tier of a plurality of geared output shafts rotatably supported within said frame and meshingly engaged in a daisy-chain configuration having first and second ends;
one end of said first tier of geared output shafts in said daisy-chain configuration meshingly engaging a first geared transfer shaft;
the other end of said first tier of geared output shafts in said daisy-chain configuration meshingly engaging a second geared transfer shaft that is continuously connected to a motor/generator;
said first geared transfer shaft operatively connected to an internal combustion engine through selectively disengageable clutch means;
a second tier of a plurality of geared output shafts rotatably supported within said frame and meshingly engaged in a daisy-chain configuration having first and second ends;
at least one end of said second tier of geared output shafts in said daisy-chain configuration meshingly engaging a geared linking shaft;
said geared linking shaft selectively connected to one of said geared transfer shafts associated with said first tier of geared output shafts through a power take-off clutch; and
said geared output shafts in said first and second tier of output shafts being available to drive auxiliary loads. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
a high voltage battery pack is provided as an on-board source of electric power;
a traction drive motor supplies the tractive effort from the vehicle to the terrain over which the vehicle is to be driven;
pure electric propulsion is effected by releasing said selectively disengageable clutch means, the engine not operating, and engaging said power take-off clutch such that said motor/generator, operating as a motor powered by said high voltage battery pack, drives the accessories connected to the geared output shafts in said first and second tier; and
,said high voltage pack also provides power to the traction drive motor to effect pure electric propulsion.
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3. An electro-mechanical system for driving accessory loads in a series hybrid auxiliary power unit, as set forth in claim 2, wherein:
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transition from pure electric propulsion to hybrid propulsion is effected by engaging said selectively disengageable clutch means to start said internal combustion engine while maintaining said power take-off clutch engaged;
operation of said internal combustion engine drives said motor/generator as a generator which drives said traction drive motor and supplies power to recharge said high voltage battery pack.
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4. An electro-mechanical system for driving accessory loads in a series hybrid auxiliary power unit, as set forth in claim 3, wherein:
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transition from hybrid propulsion to regenerative operation whereby the kinetic energy of the moving vehicle reverses operation of the traction drive motor such that it generates AC power;
the AC power so generated is rectified to DC power;
an inverter changes a pardon of said rectified DC power to AC power that drives the motor/generator as a motor to power all the geared output shafts in said first and second tiers and thereby operate all the accessories; and
a portion of said rectified DC power also serves to replace energy to said high voltage battery pack.
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5. An electro-mechanical system for driving accessory loads in a series hybrid auxiliary power unit, as set forth in claim 4, wherein:
the power provided by the motor/generator to drive the geared output shafts in excess of the power provided by the internal combustion engine serves to effect regenerative blending.
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6. An electro-mechanical system for driving accessory loads in a series hybrid auxiliary power unit, as set forth in claim 2, wherein:
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said traction drive motor that supplies the tractive effort from the vehicle to the terrain over which the vehicle may be driven is inoperative during a charging mode of operation;
a traction inverter that normally converts DC power from the high voltage battery pack to AC power for driving said traction drive motor is adapted to receive AC power from a commercial source of electrical power and, operating as a rectifier, converts the AC power to DC power;
an electrical center director receives the DC power from said traction inverter, while operating as a rectifier, and directs a portion thereof to said high voltage battery pack to recharge the same; and
,said electrical center director also directs a portion of said DC power from said traction inverter, while operating as a rectifier, to an auxiliary power unit inverter to convert the DC power so received to AC power for operating said motor/generator as a motor to effect the desired cooling during a recharge mode of operation.
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7. A vehicle propulsion system comprising:
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a traction drive motor to supply the tractive effort from the vehicle to the terrain over which the vehicle is to be driven;
a high voltage battery pack to supply DC power;
an electrical center director to receive the DC power from said battery pack;
a traction inverter to receive DC power from said electrical center director to convert said DC power to AC power for driving said traction drive motor;
a series hybrid auxiliary power unit including a motor/generator;
an inverter included in said series hybrid auxiliary power unit to receive DC power from said electrical center director and provide AC power to said motor/generator so that said motor/generator may operate as a motor;
an internal combustion engine included in said series hybrid auxiliary power unit;
an electro-mechanical accessory drive transmission box to receive power from said motor/generator selectively to operate at least two classes of accessories;
said electro-mechanical accessory drive transmission box having a frame;
at least a first tier of a plurality of geared output shafts rotatably supported within said frame and meshingly engaged in a daisy-chain configuration having first and second ends;
one end of said first tier of geared output shafts in said daisy-chain configuration meshingly engaging a first geared transfer shaft;
said first geared transfer shaft operatively connected to said internal combustion engine through selectively disengageable clutch means;
said geared output shafts in said first tier being available to drive auxiliary loads;
the other end of said first tier of geared output shafts in said daisy-chain configuration meshingly engaging a second geared transfer shaft that is continuously connected to said motor/generator;
a second tier of a plurality of geared output shafts rotatably supported within said frame and meshingly engaged in a daisy-chain configuration having first and second ends;
at least one end of said second tier of geared output shafts in said daisy-chain configuration meshingly engaging a geared linking shaft;
said geared linking shaft selectively connected to one of said geared transfer shafts associated with said first tier of geared output shafts through a power take-off clutch; and
said geared output shafts in said second tier of output shafts being available to drive auxiliary loads. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
pure electric propulsion is effected by releasing said selectively disengageable clutch means, the engine not operating, and engaging said power take-off clutch such that said motor/generator, operating as a motor powered by said high voltage battery pack, drives the accessories connected to the geared output shafts in said first and second tier; and
,said high voltage pack also provides power to the traction drive motor to effect pure electric propulsion.
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9. A vehicle propulsion system, as set forth in claim 8, wherein:
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transition from pure electric propulsion to hybrid propulsion is effected by engaging said selectively disengageable clutch means to start said internal combustion engine while maintaining said power take-off clutch engaged;
operation of said internal combustion engine drives said motor/generator as a generator which drives said traction drive motor and supplies power to recharge said high voltage battery pack.
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10. A vehicle propulsion system, as set forth in claim 9, wherein:
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transition from hybrid propulsion to regenerative operation whereby the kinetic energy of the moving vehicle reverses operation of the traction drive motor such that it generates AC power;
the AC power so generated is rectified to DC power;
an inverter changes a portion of said rectified DC power to AC power that drives the motor/generator as a motor to power all the geared output shafts in said first and second tiers and thereby operate all the accessories;
a portion of said rectified DC power also serves to replace energy to said high voltage battery pack.
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11. A vehicle propulsion system, as set forth in claim 10, wherein:
the power provided by the motor/generator to drive the geared output shafts, instead of the power being provided by the internal combustion engine, serves to effect regenerative blending.
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12. A vehicle propulsion system, as set forth in claim 10, wherein:
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said traction drive motor chat supplies the tractive effort from the vehicle to the terrain over which the vehicle may be driven is inoperative during a charging mode of operation;
said traction inverter that normally converts DC power from the high voltage battery pack to AC power for driving said traction drive motor is adapted to receive AC power from a commercial source of electrical power and, operating as a rectifier, converts the AC power to DC power;
said electrical center director receives the DC power from said traction inverter, while operating as a rectifier, and directs a portion thereof to said high voltage battery pack to recharge the same; and
,said electrical center director also directs a portion of said DC power from said traction inverter, while operating as a rectifier, to an auxiliary power unit inverter to convert the DC power so received to AC power for operating said motor/generator as a motor to effect the desired cooling during a recharge mode of operation.
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Specification