Parallel hybrid drive system utilizing power take off connection as transfer for a secondary energy source

• US 8,818,588 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2008
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Power Technology Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Odyne Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Ambrosio, Joseph Mario, Dalum, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US12/217,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20090018716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,245 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 180/65.23, 180/243, 180/65.265, 180/65.22, 180/65.21, 603/27, 604/13, 903/902, 903/904, 903/906, 903/907, 74/156.6
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/28 characterised by arrangement, location, or type of power take-off
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/006 to power outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/18 Buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/36 Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 Structure borne vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 : having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 : having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 : for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/023 : Fluid 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 10/30 : including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• 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 2510/0604 : Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 : Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 : Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 : Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1888 : Control of power take off [PTO]
• 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

Abstract

A parallel hybrid vehicle system utilizing the Power Take Off connection on an automatic transmission as a transfer port for a secondary device is described for both driving modes and stationary operation. The secondary device is a battery powered electric motor providing motive power or regenerative braking in driving mode or providing power to accessories typically mounted to a conventional PTO while stationary.

Claims

1. In a vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine connected through an automatic transmission to drive wheels of the vehicle, the automatic transmission having a power take off (PTO), a first end of the PTO being coupled to the automatic transmission, a parallel hybrid drive system comprising:

an electric motor, an energy storage system and a vehicle monitoring and control system (VMCS); and

wherein the electric motor is connected through a short drive shaft to a second end of said PTO for bi-directional power flow, the electric motor being coupled to an accessory device, the accessory device being a rotating machine for transmitting fluid in response to rotation, the accessory device being attached to an end of the short drive shaft, the energy storage system connected to the electric motor for providing and receiving electric power to and from the electric motor, the vehicle monitoring and control system (VMCS) having a first, accelerating mode for delivering the electric power from said energy storage system to said electric motor to provide mechanical power through the PTO to said automatic transmission for supplementing the mechanical power from the internal combustion engine to the wheels of the vehicle and a second, deceleration mode for having said electric motor receive the mechanical power from the automatic transmission through the PTO while acting as a generator to provide regenerative braking and recharging the energy storage system, wherein the accessory device can be powered by rotation of the short drive shaft by the electric motor or by the PTO, wherein the vehicle monitoring and control system (VMCS) has a third, stationary mode for delivering power to the electric motor to rotate the short drive shaft for powering the accessory device in accordance with a power requirement during the third, stationary mode, wherein the automatic transmission comprises a torque converter and a gear box, the first end of the PTO being coupled between an input of the torque converter and the gear box, the torque converter operating in a locked state and at least one unlocked state, the first end being in a 1 to 1 ratio connection with a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine when the torque converter is in the locked state, wherein the torque converter operates in the at least one unlocked state during the second, deceleration mode to reduce losses.

2. The parallel hybrid drive system as in claim 1, wherein the accessory device is selected from a group consisting of a hydraulic pump, an air compressor and a mounted accessory, and the PTO being disengaged from the transmission in the third, stationary mode.

3. The parallel hybrid drive system of claim 1 wherein the PTO is connected to a PTO output gear in said transmission at the first end.

4. The parallel hybrid drive system of claim 1 wherein the energy storage system comprises a battery pack, a battery charger for charging said battery pack using an outside electric power source, and a battery management system.

5. The parallel hybrid drive system of claim 1 wherein the electric motor has an auxiliary power take off.

6. The parallel hybrid drive system of claim 5 wherein the auxiliary power take off is disengaged when said VMCS is in the first, accelerating mode.

7. The parallel hybrid drive system of claim 6 wherein said VMCS is software controlled and includes a dampening function to reduce vibration and gear backlash in the PTO when engaging either the first mode or the second mode, said dampening function monitoring a velocity of the electric motor and the PTO and adjusting the velocity of the electric motor, thereby creating a closed-loop feedback loop to ensure smooth and efficient operation of the vehicle, wherein the closed-loop feedback loop uses an indexing function integrated with an assembly of the electric motor to mitigate destructive bi-directional forces.

8. The parallel hybrid drive system of claim 1 wherein the VMCS monitors accelerator pedal position, engine throttle position, battery voltage, vehicle speed, and torque request to determine amount and frequency of power being applied to the PTO for maintaining vehicle drivability and optimize overall efficiency.

9. The parallel hybrid drive system of claim 8 further comprising a DC connection center between the energy storage system and an inverter for the electric motor for controlling electric power flow between the energy storage system and the electric motor.

10. The parallel hybrid drive system of claim 9 wherein the VMCS has a first park/neutral mode wherein the electric motor recharges a battery pack of the energy storage system using the power provided by the PTO;

or wherein the VMCS has a second park/neutral mode wherein the electric motor recharges the battery pack using the power provided by the PTO while also operating the accessory.

11. The parallel hybrid drive system of claim 10 wherein said VMCS has an all-electric stationary mode with the internal combustion engine shut down, wherein the electric motor operates an auxiliary power take off in the all-electric stationary mode.

12. A hybrid drive system connected to a shaft of a PTO, the shaft being on a first interface of the PTO, a second interface of the PTO being associated with an automatic transmission of a vehicle, wherein the automatic transmission includes a torque converter and a gear box and the second interface is provided between an input of the torque converter and the gear box, the hybrid drive system comprising:

an electric motor in mechanical communication with the shaft;

an energy storage system in electric communication with the electric motor; and

a fluid pump in mechanical communication with the electric motor, wherein the fluid pump is attached to an end shaft of the electric motor, wherein the electric motor and the fluid pump are associated with the first interface of the PTO, wherein the electric motor is capable of providing mechanical power derived from electric energy in the energy storage system to said automatic transmission via the PTO and the electric motor is capable of receiving the mechanical power from the automatic transmission via the PTO to provide the electrical energy to the energy storage system, wherein the fluid pump can be powered via the electric motor or via the PTO.

13. In a vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine connected through an automatic transmission to drive wheels of the vehicle, the automatic transmission having a power take off (PTO), a method of retrofitting the vehicle with a hybrid drive system comprising steps of:

connecting an electric motor and a rotating machine for transmitting fluids to the PTO via a drive shaft, wherein the electric motor is part of the hybrid drive system comprising the electric motor and an energy storage system, the rotating machine being mounted on an end shaft of the electric motor, the drive shaft being attached to the PTO on a first end of the PTO, a second end of the PTO being attached to the automatic transmission; and

controlling the hybrid drive system to use the electric motor to supplement drive power to the wheels of the vehicle through the PTO and providing regenerative braking through the PTO, wherein the rotating machine can be powered by rotation of the electric motor powered by the energy storage system and can be powered by rotation of the PTO whereby said energy storage system in the hybrid drive system is recharged by the regenerative braking.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of connecting the PTO to a torque converter in the automatic transmission at the second end, wherein the torque converter is a variable state torque converter.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of recharging the energy storage system using an outside electric power source.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of withdrawing auxiliary power from the electric motor when the electric motor is recharging the energy storage system.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of disengaging auxiliary power take off when the electric motor is delivering power to the transmission through the PTO.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein a software controlled vehicle monitoring and control system (VMCS) uses a dampening function to reduce vibration in the PTO when switching between supplemental drive power and regenerative braking.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said VMCS monitors accelerator pedal position, engine throttle position, battery voltage, vehicle speed, and torque request to determine amount and frequency of power being applied to the PTO for maintaining vehicle drivability and optimize overall efficiency.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the hybrid drive system uses a 300V high voltage DC connection center between the energy storage system and an inverter for the electric motor for controlling electric power flow between the energy storage system and the electric motor.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein electric motor recharges said energy storage system during park or neutral position of the transmission.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the VMCS, controls the launch assist using the electric motor based upon a charge status of the energy storage system and demand.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the hybrid drive system shifts through each gear, the transmission providing a signal over a vehicle data network to the VMCS in order to provide advanced notice of a shift event, wherein said VMCS can increase or decrease the power provided to the electric motor in response to the signal and the pedal position, allowing for smoother and more efficient shifting, thereby enhancing the vehicle ride and reducing fuel consumption.

24. The method as in claim 19 wherein the VMCS further interfaces with an original equipment manufacturers (OEM) vehicle data system in order to eliminate or reduce regenerative braking based on anti-lock or traction control events.