System, architecture, and method for minimizing power consumption and increasing performance in electric vehicles
First Claim
1. A drive system for a vehicle, comprising:
- a differential gear set having a main port and first and second differential ports, said second differential port being configured to be mechanically coupled to a wheel of said vehicle;
a first electric motor being mechanically coupled to impart a first rotational torque in a first rotational orientation at a first rotational speed to said first differential port;
a second electric motor being mechanically coupled to impart a second rotational torque in a second rotational orientation at a second rotational speed to said main port;
an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to control said first and second electric motors such that said second differential port of said differential gear set imparts a desired output torque at a desired output rotational speed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electric vehicle accomplishes speed changes through the use of electronically controlled, multiple electric motor configurations that are coupled to an output drive shaft instead of a speed change transmission. A parallel-coupled motor configuration includes at least two motors that are each coupled to the output drive shaft through respective gear arrangements, each gear arrangement having a respective gear ratio. In a serially-coupled motor configuration, the stator of the second motor is coupled to the rotor of the first motor, where the rotor of the second motor is coupled to the output drive shaft. The required torque to reach or maintain a desired vehicle speed can be obtained by selective energization of either one or both of the motors (in both multi-motor configurations). Two motors are also coupled to a differential gear so that the rotational speed contributed by both motors are additive at the output shaft.
52 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A drive system for a vehicle, comprising:
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a differential gear set having a main port and first and second differential ports, said second differential port being configured to be mechanically coupled to a wheel of said vehicle; a first electric motor being mechanically coupled to impart a first rotational torque in a first rotational orientation at a first rotational speed to said first differential port; a second electric motor being mechanically coupled to impart a second rotational torque in a second rotational orientation at a second rotational speed to said main port; an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to control said first and second electric motors such that said second differential port of said differential gear set imparts a desired output torque at a desired output rotational speed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A drive system for a vehicle, comprising:
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first and second electric motors having respective first and second output shafts, said first and second output shafts being coupled to a drive shaft through gear arrangements having respective gear ratios associated therewith to thereby define a parallel motor architecture, said drive shaft being configured for connection to a drive arrangement for driving at least one wheel; an electronic control unit (ECU) and a computer-readable memory coupled thereto; control logic stored in said memory and configured to be executed by said ECU, said control logic being configured to control said first and second motors in accordance with a predetermined operating strategy, said strategy including first, second and third modes of operation, wherein in said first mode of operation said first motor is active and said second motor is inactive, in said second mode of operation said first and second motors are active, and in said third mode of operation, said first motor is inactive and said second motor is active. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A drive system for a vehicle, comprising:
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a first electric motor having first stator and rotor portions; a second electric motor having second stator and rotor portions; wherein said second stator portion is coupled to said first rotor portion and said second rotor portion being coupled to a drive shaft configured for connection to a drive arrangement for driving at least one wheel; an electronic control unit (ECU) and a computer-readable memory coupled thereto; control logic stored in said memory and configured to be executed by said ECU, said control logic being configured to control said first and second motors in accordance with a predetermined operating strategy, said strategy including first, and second modes of operation, wherein in said first mode of operation, said second motor is active and said first motor is inactive, in said second mode of operation said first and second motors are active. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. In a vehicle, a method of operating an electric motor arrangement configured to deliver power to an output drive shaft, comprising the steps of:
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operating the electric motor arrangement in a first, serially-coupled motor configuration in accordance with a set of operating parameters; and altering the first configuration to a second, parallel-coupled motor configuration when a change in one or more parameters in the set of operating parameters satisfy predetermined configuration-change criteria. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification