Hybrid vehicle having power assembly arranged transversely in engine compartment

• US 7,980,340 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BYD Company Limited
• Original Assignee: BYD Company Limited
• Inventors: Liu, Yan, Yang, ShengLin, Luo, HongBing, Wang, Tao, Ren, Yi
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, HAU VAN
• Application Number:
  US12/341,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20090166122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.21, 180/65.22, 180/65.23, 180/65.25, 180/65.31, 180/65.6, 180/312, 180/208, 180/311, 903/906, 903/951, 903/952, 475/5, 475/10, 475/2
• US Class Current: 180/65.21
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/387 Actuated clutches, i.e. clutches engaged or disengaged by electric, hydraulic or mechanical actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/405 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/442 Series-parallel switching type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• 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 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• 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 20/40 Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/081 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/1024 combined with hydraulic actuation
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/1066 Hybrid
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3024 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/30401 On-off signal indicating the engage or disengaged position of the clutch
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/7027 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/70406 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/7041 : Position
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 3/66 : the elements being metallic, e.g. in the form of coils
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 48/02 : Control by fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/912 : Drive line clutch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/946 : Characterized by control of driveline clutch

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle includes two front wheels, two rear wheels, an internal combustion engine, a first motor/generator, and a second motor/generator. The first motor/generator may be rotatably coupled to the internal combustion engine, and the second motor/generator may be rotatably coupled to at least one wheel of the hybrid vehicle. The first motor/generator, the second motor/generator and a gear transmission are housed within the engine compartment and are located between two front wheels and arranged in a substantially linear manner. The first motor/generator, the second motor/generator, and the gear transmission are located substantially above a centerline of the front wheels of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

two front wheels;

two rear wheels;

an internal combustion engine housed within an engine compartment and configured to provide rotational power to a flywheel;

a first motor/generator rotatably operatively coupled to the flywheel of the internal combustion engine so that the first motor/generator rotates in unison with the engine and is non-disengagable from the engine;

a gear transmission having a first port configured to receive rotational power in a first rotational (RPM) range, and a second port configured to provide rotational power in a second RPM range to at least one wheel of the vehicle;

a second motor/generator rotatably coupled to the first port of the gear transmission;

a clutch operatively positioned between the engine and first motor/generator, and configured to engage and disengage rotational power between the engine and the second motor/generator;

wherein the internal combustion engine, the first motor/generator, the second motor/generator, the clutch, and the gear transmission are housed within the engine compartment and located between the two front wheels and arranged in a substantially linear manner; and

wherein the first motor/generator, the second motor/generator, the clutch, and the gear transmission are located substantially above a centerline of the front wheels.

2. The hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein the gear transmission is configured to receive rotational force at a first rotational speed from the second motor/generator and provide rotational force at a second rotational speed to at least one of the front wheels through a differential gear assembly, and wherein the second rotational speed is less than the first rotational speed.

3. The hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein the gear transmission includes a selector assembly to provide a forward gear position, a reverse gear position, a park gear position, and a neutral gear position.

4. The hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein the gear transmission includes a single forward gear position to facilitate transfer of rotational force from the second motor/generator to at least one of the front wheels to propel the vehicle from a minimum vehicle speed through a maximum vehicle speed.

5. The hybrid vehicle of claim 4, wherein the minimum vehicle speed is zero indicating that the vehicle is stopped.

6. The hybrid vehicle of claim 4, wherein the single forward gear position is used to propel the vehicle from a stopped condition through a maximum vehicle speed without manual or automatic shifting.

7. The hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein the engine, the first motor-generator, and the second motor-generator form a power sub-system.

8. The hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first motor-generator is operatively coupled between the engine and the second motor-generator.

9. The hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein the engine has a displacement of about 998 cc, a maximum output torque of about 90 Newton-meters, a maximum output power of about 50 kW, and a maximum output speed of about 6000 RPM.

10. The hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first motor-generator has a maximum output torque of about 150 Newton-meters, a maximum output power of about 20 kW, and a maximum output speed of about 5000 RPM.

11. The hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second motor/generator is a traction motor.

12. The hybrid vehicle of claim 11, wherein the traction motor has a maximum output torque of about 400 Newton-meters, a maximum output power of about 50 kW, and a maximum output speed of about 6000 RPM.

13. The hybrid vehicle of claim 11, wherein the traction motor is selected from the group consisting of an AC motor, switched reluctance motor, DC permanent magnet motor, and repulsion-induction motor.

14. The hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein a mechanical power coupling is arranged in a substantially linear arrangement from the engine to the first motor-generator and from the first motor-generator to the second motor-generator.

15. The hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein gear transmission includes a differential gear assembly to provide rotation of opposing wheels at different rotational speeds.

16. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

a pair of front wheels;

a pair of rear wheels;

an internal combustion engine housed within an engine compartment and configured to provide rotational power to a flywheel;

a first motor/generator rotatably operatively coupled to the flywheel of the internal combustion engine so that the first motor/generator rotates in unison with the engine and is non-disengagable from the engine;

a gear transmission having a first port configured to receive rotational power in a first rotational (RPM) range, and a second port configured to provide rotational power in a second RPM range;

a differential gear assembly housed within the gear transmission configured to receive rotational power from the second port and provide rotational power to the pair of front wheels;

a second motor/generator rotatably coupled to the first port of the gear transmission;

a clutch operatively positioned between the engine and the first motor/generator, and configured to engage and disengage rotational power between the engine and the second motor/generator;

wherein the internal combustion engine, the first motor/generator, the second motor/generator, the clutch, the gear transmission, and the differential gear assembly are housed within the engine compartment and located between pair of front wheels; and

wherein the first motor/generator, the second motor/generator, the gear transmission, the clutch, and the differential gear assembly are located substantially above a centerline of the front wheels.