Vehicle system, and method

• US 8,825,242 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• Original Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• Inventors: Foster, Darren Leigh
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Calvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramesh, Krishnan
• Application Number:
  US12/520,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20100305794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,447 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• 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 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/62 Vehicle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/56 Temperature prediction, e.g. for pre-cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/20 Refrigerated goods vehicles air treatment of goods space B60H; air-conditioning means for freight cars, isothermic wagons B61D27/0027; superstructures for refrigerated goods vehicles B62D33/048
• 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 20/10 Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18127 Regenerative braking
• 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

Abstract

Vehicle system, comprising: —a hybrid powertrain (E, EMG, B) to drive the vehicle system and configured to generate electric energy; and —at least one electrically operable refrigerator unit (R) configured to cool at least one storage compartment of the system; wherein the refrigerator unit (R) is powered by electric energy generated by the hybrid powertrain.

Claims

1. A vehicle system for transporting refrigerated goods on roadways comprising:

a controller;

a powertrain configured to drive the vehicle system on roadways and to generate electric energy; and

at least one electrically operable refrigerator unit configured to cool a storage compartment of the system, the storage compartment being located separate from a driver cabin;

wherein the refrigerator unit is configured to be powered by electric energy generated by the powertrain,

wherein the controller is configured to render an estimate of, or a determination of, future driving conditions that will require above-average electric power consumption in the powertrain during operation to move the vehicle, and

wherein the controller is configured to activate, based on the estimate or determination of future driving conditions that will require above-average electric power consumption, the refrigerator unit to provide extra cooling of the compartment before the future driving conditions are experienced by the vehicle system.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to utilize Global Positioning System data to render the estimate of, or the determination of, future driving conditions.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerator unit is configured to consume at least 10 kW of powertrain generated energy during operation of the refrigerator unit.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to schedule vehicle functions based on priorities assigned to those functions, and to control distributing at least part of available electric power, generated by a hybrid drivetrain, to the refrigerator unit to cool the storage compartment.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

assign a regular refrigeration priority to a first refrigeration function relating to regular refrigeration conditions, and

assign a hybrid powertrain priority to a hybrid powertrain mutex scheduler,

wherein the regular refrigeration priority is lower than the hybrid powertrain priority.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to:

assign an emergency refrigeration priority to a second refrigeration function relating to emergency refrigerating conditions,

wherein the emergency refrigeration priority is higher than the hybrid powertrain priority.

7. A method for distributing electric power in a hybrid vehicle system for transporting refrigerated goods on roadways, the system including a powertrain configured to both drive the hybrid vehicle system on roadways and generate electric energy, the hybrid vehicle system further including a controller and an electrically operable refrigerator unit configured to cool a storage compartment located separate from a driver cabin, the method comprising:

powering the refrigerator unit by electric energy generated by the powertrain;

rendering, by the controller, an estimate of, or determination of, future driving conditions that will require above-average electric power consumption in the powertrain during operation to move the hybrid vehicle; and

activating, by the controller in response to the estimate or determination of future driving conditions, the refrigerator unit to provide extra cooling of the compartment before the future driving conditions are experienced by the hybrid vehicle system.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

scheduling vehicle functions based on priorities assigned to those functions, to distribute at least part of available electric power, generated by a hybrid drivetrain, to at least one electrically operable refrigerator unit to cool at least one storage compartment.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the refrigerator unit is configured to consume at least 10 kW of powertrain generated energy during operation of the refrigerator unit.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the controller utilizes Global Positioning System data for rendering the estimate of, or the determination of, future driving conditions.