Electric generating system for automobiles and its control method

• US 6,661,109 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2002
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Maeda, Yuuji, Innami, Toshiyuki, Yamamoto, Tatsuyuki, Tajima, Susumu, Shimizu, Hisaya, Mashino, Keiichi, Fukasaku, Yoshinori, Nishidate, Keisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Nestor
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gonzalez, Julio
• Application Number:
  US10/152,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20020139592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 290/40.C, 180/65-- 6, 322/24, 322/28
• US Class Current: 290/40.00C
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/16 of differential gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/356 having fluid or electric motor, for driving one or more wheels disposition of motor in, or adjacent to, traction wheel B60K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/40 characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/44 Series-parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2054 by controlling transmissions or clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/507 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• 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: B60W 20/10 Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/105 Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 23/06 having shunt connection of excitation windings
• 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 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/906 : Motor or generator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/916 : with plurality of drive axles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/919 : Stepped shift
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/951 : Assembly or relative location of components

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle driving apparatus capable of being mounted easily even in a narrow space such as under-floor of the vehicle. The vehicle driving apparatus comprises a first and a second generators driven by an engine for driving front wheels, and a motor driven by receiving a power supply from the second generator to drive rear wheels, the first and second generators being installed in the vicinity of an engine within an engine room, the motor being arranged in the vicinity of a differential gear with which a reduction mechanism is integrated and is positioned substantially in a central part of the rear wheels.

Claims

1. A vehicle driving apparatus comprising:

a synchronous AC generator driven by a prime mover for driving a first axle of a vehicle, said synchronous AC generator having a field winding and an armature winding for generating electromotive force by magnetic flux generated from said field winding;

an auxiliary generator driven by said prime mover, for charging an auxiliary battery;

an induction motor driven by an output of said synchronous AC generator, for driving a second axle of the vehicle, said induction motor having an armature winding with the same number of phases as the armature winding of said synchronous AC generator;

a connection wire connecting said armature winding of said synchronous AC generator and said armature winding of said induction motor; and

a control device for controlling said synchronous AC generator, which control device controls a current flowing into said field winding of said synchronous AC generator to make voltage applied to said induction motor variable, thereby controlling torque generated in said induction motor.

2. The vehicle driving apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a polarity switching device for switching the direction of a current flowing into said field winding to rotate said induction motor in any of forward and reverse directions.

3. The vehicle driving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a rectifier for converting AC output of said armature winding of said synchronous AC generator to DC, wherein:

DC output of said rectifier and DC output of said auxiliary battery serve as a power supply of said field winding of said synchronous AC generator; and

the higher of an output of said rectifier and an output of said auxiliary battery is supplied to said field winding of said synchronous AC generator.

4. The vehicle driving apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a diode connected between said rectifier and said battery.