Vehicle energy management system

• US 7,231,959 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2003
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Co. LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Co. LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Larson, Gerald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): CIRIC, LJILJANA V
• Application Number:
  US10/427,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20030205360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 165/41, 123/192.1, 388/908, 323/207
• US Class Current: 165/41
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/02 Intercooler
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/04 Lubricant cooler
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/045 for transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/14 Condenser
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 3/20 Cooling circuits not specific to a single part of engine or machine F01P3/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/08 by cutting in or out of pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 29/0431 Details or means to guide the ambient air to the heat exchanger, e.g. having a fan, flaps, a bypass or a special location in the engine compartment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 388/908 Frequency to voltage converter

Abstract

A vehicle energy management system relying on the principle of reallocation of existing resources provided by the vehicle manufacture. Engine belt or engine direct driven components are replaced with electrical motors. Since replacement of the main fan unit would involve a prohibitively large fan due to starting currents, the larger component that would have multiple cooling purposes is replaced with smaller single function electrical components. The larger multipurpose heat exchangers such as the vehicle radiator are replaced with smaller single function heat exchangers associated with the smaller electric fans. The energy management system may involve a main vehicle engine crankshaft mounted generator. This simple generator creates high voltage DC electricity that may be converted to household level AC for the operation of customer application equipment. In one embodiment, the converter is a closed loop converter that makes the conversion of DC to AC alternatively turning on and off at a varying frequency in order to produce a time averaged AC output.

Claims

1. An energy management system in combination with a mobile vehicle, comprising:

a chassis and a cab engaged to said chassis;

an engine engaged to said chassis and said engine engaged to a transmission for providing motive force on said vehicle;

an engine crankshaft mounted generator system engaged to said engine providing direct current electricity to an electric system of said vehicle;

said generator system being electrically engaged to a switch mode converter for converting direct current electricity to alternating current electricity by alternatively turning direct current input from said generator system ON and OFF;

output of said switch mode converter being electrically engaged to electrical loads on said cab and said chassis of said vehicle; and

the switch mode converter producing alternating current electricity at an average preselected fixed frequency and average preselected fixed peak amplitudes to supply the electrical loads electrically engaged to the output of the switch mode converter by varying the frequency of turning the direct current input from said generator system on and off so that the alternating current output to the electrical loads substantially matches the preselected fixed frequency and further varying the frequency of turning the direct current input from generator system on and off to substantially match the output to the average preselected fixed peak amplitudes.

2. The vehicle and energy management system combination of claim 1, comprising:

said generator system being mounted directly to a forward portion of said crankshaft of said engine; and

said generator system providing a crankshaft dampening function to said engine.

3. The vehicle and energy management system combination of claim 1, comprising:

a transformer electrically engaged to an output of said switch mode converter for converting AC electricity to lower voltage DC electricity for vehicle indication and controls.

4. The vehicle and energy management system combination of claim 1, comprising:

an engine oil heat exchanger engaged to said chassis for providing cooling to oil circulated to said engine within an engine oil system;

said engine oil heat exchanger having an electric fan powered from said electric system of said vehicle;

a separate engine coolant system heat exchanger engaged to said chassis for providing cooling to liquid coolant circulated to said engine within an engine coolant system;

said engine coolant system heat exchanger having an electric fan powered from said electric system of said vehicle;

an HVAC system for providing comfort to said cab;

a separate HVAC heat exchanger within said HVAC system to cool air for circulation to said cab;

said HVAC heat exchanger having an electric fan powered from said electric system of said vehicle;

a turbocharger engaged to said engine;

a separate turbocharger heat exchanger engaged to said chassis to cool said turbocharger;

said turbocharger heat exchanger having an electric fan powered from said electric system of said vehicle; and

said fans on each of said heat exchanger controlled to energize only when heat load rises to predetermined levels in components cooled by said heat exchangers and said fans on each said heat exchanger controlled to de-energize when heat load decreases to a predetermined levels in components cooled by said heat exchangers.

5. An energy management system in combination with a mobile vehicle, comprising:

a chassis and a cab engaged to said chassis;

an engine engaged to said chassis and said engine engaged to a transmission for providing motive force on said vehicle;

a generator engaged to said engine for providing direct current electricity;

said generator electrically engaged to a switch mode converter for converting DC electricity to AC electricity by alternatively turning input from said generator ON and OFF at a varying frequency; and

output of said switch mode converter being electrically engaged to electrical loads on said cab and said chassis of said vehicle;

the switch mode converter producing alternating current electricity at a preselected frequency and a time averaged preselected amplitude for the electrical loads by varying the frequency of turning the direct current input from said generator system to the switch mode converter on and off so that the alternating current electricity produced substantially matches the preselected frequency and further varying the frequency of turning the direct current input from generator system substantially matches the time averaged preselected amplitude.