Failure mode operation for an electric vehicle

• US 8,000,850 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2007
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oshkosh Corporation
• Original Assignee: Oshkosh Corporation
• Inventors: Zhang, Rongjun, Pillar, Duane R., Nasr, Nader, Yakes, Christopher K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Algahaim; Helal A
• Application Number:
  US11/944,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20080071438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/29, 701/33, 701/34, 701/35, 701/50, 318/139, 318/161, 318/798, 180/65.1, 180/65.2, 180/65.31, 180/65.51, 180/65.8
• US Class Current: 701/20
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 27/00 Fire-fighting land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 5/4206 Control apparatus; Drive systems, e.g. coupled to the vehicle drive-system
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/06 using substantially sinusoidal ac
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/36 Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/12 Induction machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0084 relating to control modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/33 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/34 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/00 Electric propulsion with power supply external to the vehicle electric propulsion for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways B60L13/00; in combination with batteries or fuel cells within the vehicle B60L50/53
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0315 : using multiplexing techniques multiplexing for transmission of signals G08C15/00; multiplexing for electrical communication in general H04J
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 3/043 : with additional means for keeping the receptacle substantially vertical during raising
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 3/045 : Four-bar linkages
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/00 : Testing of vehicles testing fluid tightness G01M3/00; testing elastic properties of bodies or chassis, e.g. torsion-testing, G01M5/00; testing alignment of vehicle headlight devices G01M11/06; testing of engines G01M15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 : Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 : Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 : communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 : Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 : using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 : Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• 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 10/7072 : 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/10 : Waste collection, transportation, transfer or storage, e.g. segregated refuse collecting, electric or hybrid propulsion

Abstract

An electric vehicle is described herein which includes a microprocessor based interface module which is used to control electric motors coupled to drive wheels. The interface module is configured to include a backup communications link to allow an operator to control the vehicle in situations where control information is unavailable over a primary communications network.

Claims

1. An electric traction vehicle comprising:

a vehicle platform;

a communication network;

a power transmission link;

a power source mounted on the vehicle platform, the power source including an engine and at least one of a generator and an alternator that converts mechanical power from the engine to electric power, the power source configured to operate in a first mode to provide variable electric power output to the power transmission link based on a power output control information and the power source configured to operate in a second mode to provide constant electric power output to the power transmission link when the power output control information is unavailable;

a plurality of drive wheels rotatably mounted on the vehicle platform;

a plurality of electric motors which are used to drive the drive wheels, the electric motors receiving power from the power source; and

one or more microprocessor based interface modules coupled to the communication network, the one or more interface modules being used to control the electric motors based on control information received by the one or more interface modules;

wherein the one or more interface modules are capable of receiving control information over the communication network and over a second communication link;

wherein the variable power output is produced based on the engine operating at a variable revolutions per minute;

wherein the constant power output is produced based on the engine operating at a constant revolutions per minute.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second communication link is used to provide the control information to the one or more interface modules when the control information is unable to be provided over the communication network.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control information includes operator inputs.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control information includes electric motor output commands provided by another module on the communication network.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a power storage unit.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein each of the electric motors are used to regenerate power back to at least one of a principal power unit and the power storage unit.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of microprocessor based interface modules which are used to control the electric motors, the microprocessor based interface modules including an I/O status table, the interface modules being configured to control the electric motors based on the status information stored in the I/O status table, the I/O status information being broadcast over the communication network to update the values in the I/O status table.

8. An electric traction vehicle comprising:

a vehicle platform;

a communication network;

a power transmission link;

a plurality of drive wheels rotatably mounted on the vehicle platform;

a plurality of electric motors which are used to drive the drive wheels, the electric motors being coupled to and receiving power from the power transmission link; and

a power source mounted on the vehicle platform, the power source including an engine and at least one of a generator and an alternator that converts mechanical power from the engine to electric power, the power source configured to operate in a first mode to provide variable electric power output to the power transmission link based on power output control information and the power source configured to operate in a second mode to provide electric constant power output to the power transmission link when the power output control information is unavailable;

wherein the variable power output is produced based on an engine operating at a variable revolutions per minute;

wherein the constant power output is produced based on the engine operating at a constant revolutions per minute.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the power transmission link is an AC bus assembly.

10. The vehicle of claim 8, further comprising a microprocessor based module coupled to the communication network, the module being used to control the power source to provide the variable power output.

11. The vehicle of claim 8, further comprising a power storage unit.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein each of the electric motors are used to regenerate power back to at least one of a principal power unit and the power storage unit.

13. A method for controlling an electric traction vehicle, the method comprising:

providing a vehicle platform, a power source coupled to the vehicle platform, a plurality of drive wheels rotatably coupled to the vehicle platform, and a plurality of electric motors which are used to drive the drive wheels, the electric motors receiving power from the power source, a power distribution and control system which is used to control the power source to provide variable power output from the power source, the power source including an engine and at least one of a generator and an alternator that converts mechanical power from the engine to electric power;

determining that a failure has occurred in the power distribution and control system, the failure resulting in the power source no longer being controlled to provide variable power output; and

operating the power source to provide a constant electric power output in response to determining that the failure has occurred in the power distribution and control system;

wherein the variable power output is produced based on an engine operating at a variable revolutions per minute;

wherein the constant power output is produced based on the engine operating at a constant revolutions per minute.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the power transmission link is an AC bus assembly.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the vehicle comprises a microprocessor based module coupled to the communication network, the module being used to control the power source to provide the variable power output.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining step comprises determining that a failure has occurred because the power source has not received control information for a predetermined period of time.