Wheel provided with driving means

• US 7,533,747 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2004
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: E-Traction Europe B.V. (Saietta Group Plc)
• Original Assignee: E-Traction Europe B.V. (Saietta Group Plc)
• Inventors: Heinen, Adrianus Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis; Christopher P
• Assistant Examiner(s): AVERY, BRIDGET D
• Application Number:
  US10/795,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20050029026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,898 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/65.2, 180/65.5, 180/233, 180/248, 310/67.R, 310/75.C, 310/75.R, 310/165
• US Class Current: 180/65.51
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/02 with liquid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/30 the ultimate propulsive elements, e.g. ground wheels, being steerable
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0038 the motor moving together with the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0092 the motor axle being coaxial to the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• 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 2220/44 Wheel Hub motors, i.e. integrated in the wheel hub
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/46 Wheel motors, i.e. motor connected to only one wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/50 Structural details of electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/60 using power supplied by batteries in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0418 Electric motor acting on road wheel carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/14 Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06
• 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 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A traction assembly includes a wheel with a wheel shaft and traction means which, when in operation, exert torque on the wheel shaft. The traction assembly further includes a first electromotor coupled to a second electromotor, housings, stators, rotors, controllers, at least one operating means connected to a controller, at least one measurement tool and at least one data communication means.

Claims

1. A modular traction assembly that drives a wheel of a vehicle, comprising a first electromotor assembly coupled to a second electromotor assembly:

said first electromotor assembly comprising;

a first electromotor that directly drives the wheel of the vehicle, said first electromotor positioned outside of the wheel, said first electromotor having a first housing;

a first stator connected to the first housing and comprising at least two groups of physically separated first windings;

a first rotor, coaxially and rotatably mounted with the first stator and comprising permanent magnets, wherein the first stator is stationary with respect to an axis of rotation of the first rotor during operation of the first electromotor;

a first controller that controls electric current in the first windings;

at least one first measurement tool that measures an angular position of the first rotor with respect to the first stator;

first operating means, connected to the first controller and the at least one first measurement tool, for operating the first electromotor, and

first data communication means, connected to the first operating means, for communicating data to outside the first housing;

said second electromotor assembly comprising;

a second electromotor that directly drives the wheel of the vehicle, said second electromotor positioned outside of the wheel, said second electromotor having a second housing;

a second stator connected to the second housing and comprising at least two groups of physically separated second windings;

a second rotor, coaxially and rotatably mounted with the second stator and comprising permanent magnets, wherein the second stator is stationary with respect to an axis of rotation of the second rotor during operation of the second electromotor;

a second controller that controls electric current in the second windings;

at least one second measurement tool that measures an angular position of the second rotor with respect to the second stator;

second operating means, connected to the second controller and the at least one second measurement tool, for operating the second electromotor, and

second data communication means, connected to the second operating means, for communicating data to outside the second housing;

wherein the first rotor has a bush that receives an end of the second rotor, whereby the first and second rotors are coupled such that the axis of rotation of the first rotor during operation of the first electromotor is identical to the axis of rotation of the second rotor during operation of the second electromotor;

wherein the first housing has an attachment means for coupling the first housing to the second housing;

wherein the first data communication means exchanges data with the second data communication means so that the first electromotor assembly and the second electromotor assembly function as a single electromotor for propelling the vehicle; and

wherein the vehicle is self-propelled by the traction assembly.

2. The traction assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first measurement tool comprises at least two means for measuring a magnetic field, arranged between two permanent magnets.

3. The traction assembly according to claim 1, wherein one axial end of the first rotor comprises the bush and a second axial end of the first rotor comprises a driving shaft adapted to be received in a further bush of a rotor in a further electromotor assembly.

4. The traction assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first rotor is enclosed completely within the first housing.

5. The traction assembly according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the first operating means have a so-called master and slave setting, wherein the first operating means can be converted from a so-called master into slave setting, and vice versa, influenced by either the demand for power, the speed of rotation of the first rotor or via the first data communication means.

6. The traction assembly according to any one of claim 3, wherein the end of the second rotor received in the bush is provided with a homokinete.

7. The traction assembly according to claim 5, wherein the first electromotor is set as so-called master and at least the second electromotor is set as so-called slave.

8. A method for driving a wheel of a vehicle, comprising:

directly driving the wheel of the vehicle with a modular traction assembly comprising a first electromotor assembly positioned outside of the wheel and a second electromotor assembly positioned outside of the wheel, wherein the first electromotor assembly is coupled to the second electromotor assembly, said first electromotor assembly being substantially enclosed in a first housing;

said second electromotor assembly being substantially enclosed in a second housing;

providing a first stator connected to the first housing and comprising at least two groups of physically first separated windings;

providing a second stator connected to the second housing and comprising at least two groups of physically separated second windings;

providing a first rotor, coaxially and rotatably mounted with the first stator and comprising permanent magnets, wherein the first stator is stationary with respect to an axis of rotation of the first rotor during operation of the first electromotor;

providing a second rotor, coaxially and rotatably mounted with the second stator and comprising permanent magnets, wherein the second stator is stationary with respect to an axis of rotation of the second rotor during operation of the second electromotor;

wherein the first rotor has a bush for receiving an end of the second rotor;

coupling the first rotor to the second rotor by inserting the end of the second rotor into the bush, whereby the first and second rotors are coupled such that the axis of rotation of the first rotor during operation of the first electromotor assembly is identical to the axis of rotation of the second rotor during operation of the second electromotor assembly;

attaching the first housing to the second housing;

communicating data from the first electromotor assembly to outside the first housing;

communicating data from the second electromotor assembly to outside the second housing;

controlling electric current in the first windings; and

controlling electric current in the second windings;

measuring an angular position of the first rotor with respect to the first stator;

measuring an angular position of the second rotor with respect to the second stator;

transmitting data communicated from the first electromotor assembly to the second electromotor assembly; and

transmitting data communicated from the second electromotor assembly to the first electromotor assembly;

operating the first electromotor assembly in accordance with the controlled electric current in the first windings and the measured angular position of the first rotor with respect to the first stator;

operating the second electromotor assembly in accordance with the controlled electric current in the second windings and the measured angular position of the first rotor with respect to the second stator;

wherein the first electromotor assembly and the second electromotor assembly function are operated as a single electromotor for propelling the vehicle; and

wherein the vehicle is self-propelled by the first electromotor assembly and the second electromotor assembly operating as a single electromotor.