Using AC induction motor as a generator in a utility vehicle

• US 9,272,628 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2013
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Textron Innovations Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Textron Inc
• Inventors: Harper, Joseph Lowell, Iyasere, Erhun
• Primary Examiner(s): Gonzalez Ramirez, Julio
• Application Number:
  US14/100,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20150158391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 290/40.C, 290/40.R, 180/65.26, 180/65.265, 180/275, 180/65.285, 180/65.29, 180/65.31
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/268 Electric drive motor starts the engine, i.e. used as starter motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/13 using AC generators and AC motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/16 for vehicles comprising converters between the power source and the motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/081 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/087 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/246 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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

Abstract

A power generation device for a utility vehicle having a battery source capable of storing electrical energy and selectively outputting electrical energy and selectively receiving electrical energy, a logic/driver module operably coupled to the battery source and capable of outputting power to a drive system of the utility vehicle, an internal combustion engine capable of outputting a mechanical driving force in response to a control input from the logic/driver module, and an AC induction motor operably coupled to the internal combustion engine via a coupler and electrically coupled to the logic/driver module. The AC induction motor is capable of operating as a generator in response to the mechanical driving force of the internal combustion engine, thereby outputting electrical energy to the logic/driver module, and further is capable of operating as an electric motor in response to input of electrical energy from the logic/driver module.

Claims

1. A power generation system for a utility vehicle, said power generation device comprising:

a battery source capable of storing electrical energy, said battery source selectively outputting electrical energy and selectively receiving electrical energy;

a logic/driver module operably coupled to said battery source, said logic/driver module capable of outputting electrical energy to a motive drive system of the utility vehicle;

an internal combustion engine capable of outputting a mechanical driving force, said internal combustion engine being responsive to a control input from said logic/driver module; and

an AC induction motor operably coupled to said internal combustion engine via a coupler and electrically coupled to said logic/driver module, said AC induction motor being capable of operating as a generator in response to said mechanical driving force of said internal combustion engine, thereby generating and outputting electrical energy to said logic/driver module and at least one voltage drawing component of the vehicle, said logic/driver module being operable to control operation of said AC induction motor such that a voltage of said electrical energy generated and output by said AC induction motor is regulated and maintained within a predetermined voltage range irrespective of a varying revolutions per unit of time of said internal combustion engine, thereby preventing damage to said at least one voltage drawing component due to overvoltage.

2. The power generation system according to claim 1 wherein said AC induction motor is capable of operating as an electric motor in response to input of electrical energy from said logic/driver module and applying a driving force to said internal combustion engine.

3. The power generation system according to claim 1 wherein said logic/driver module comprises a sensor monitoring temperature of said AC induction motor.

4. The power generation system according to claim 1 wherein said logic/driver module comprises a sensor monitoring revolutions per unit of time of said AC induction motor.

5. The power generation system according to claim 1 wherein said logic/driver module comprises a sensor monitoring temperature of said battery source.

6. The power generation system according to claim 1 wherein said logic/driver module is capable of adjusting a slip angle of said AC induction motor to maintain said regulated electrical voltage within the predetermined voltage range irrespective of the varying revolutions per unit of time of the internal combustion engine.

7. A power generation system for a utility vehicle, said power generation device comprising:

a battery source capable of storing electrical energy, said battery source selectively outputting electrical energy and selectively receiving electrical energy;

a logic/driver module operably coupled to said battery source;

a motive drive system operably coupled to said logic/driver module, said motive drive system capable of receiving electrical energy from said logic/driver module for providing a motive force to the utility vehicle;

a power regeneration system operably coupled to said logic/driver module, said power regeneration system capable of generating electrical energy in response to kinetic energy of the utility vehicle and capable of outputting electrical energy to said logic/driver module;

an internal combustion engine capable of outputting a mechanical driving force, said internal combustion engine being responsive to a control input from said logic/driver module; and

an AC induction motor operably coupled to said internal combustion engine via a coupler and electrically coupled to said logic/driver module, said AC induction motor being capable of operating as a generator in response to said mechanical driving force of said internal combustion engine, thereby generating and outputting electrical energy to said logic/driver module and at least one voltage drawing component of the vehicle, said logic/driver module being operable to control operation of said AC induction motor such that a voltage of said electrical energy generated and output by said AC induction motor is regulated and maintained within a predetermined voltage range irrespective of a varying revolutions per unit of time of said internal combustion engine, thereby preventing damage to said at least one voltage drawing component due to overvoltage, wherein said logic/driver module is further capable of receiving power from at least one of the power regeneration system of the utility vehicle, said battery source, and said AC induction motor, said logic/driver module still further capable of outputting power to the motive drive system of the utility vehicle.

8. The power generation system according to claim 7 wherein said logic/driver module comprises a sensor monitoring temperature of said AC induction motor.

9. The power generation system according to claim 7 wherein said logic/driver module comprises a sensor monitoring revolutions per unit of time of said AC induction motor.

10. The power generation system according to claim 7 wherein said logic/driver module comprises a sensor monitoring temperature of said battery source.

11. The power generation system according to claim 7 wherein said logic/driver module is capable of adjusting a slip angle of said AC induction motor to maintain said regulated electrical voltage within the predetermined voltage range irrespective of the varying revolutions per unit of time of the internal combustion engine.

12. A method for generating electrical energy for at least one voltage drawing component of a utility vehicle utilizing a power generation system of the utility vehicle, wherein the power generation system comprises a battery source capable of receiving, storing and outputting electrical energy, an internal combustion engine, an AC induction motor mechanically coupled to the internal combustion engine, and a logic/driver module electrically and communicatively coupled to the battery source, the internal combustion engine and the AC induction motor, said method comprising;

operating the internal combustion engine to drive the AC induction motor such that the AC induction motor generates and outputs electrical energy to the logic/driver module and at least one voltage drawing component of the vehicle; and

regulating a voltage of the electrical energy generated and output by the AC induction motor, via control of the AC induction motor by the logic/driver, such that the voltage is maintained within a predetermined voltage range irrespective of a varying revolutions per unit of time of the internal combustion engine, thereby preventing damage to the at least one voltage drawing component due to overvoltage.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein regulating the voltage generated and output by the AC induction motor comprises adjusting a slip angle of the AC induction motor, via control of the AC induction motor by the logic/driver, to maintain the generated and output voltage with the predetermined voltage range irrespective of the varying revolutions per unit of time of the internal combustion engine.