Wheel provided with driving means

• US 9,393,859 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2013
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: E-Traction Europe B.V. (Saietta Group Plc)
• Original Assignee: E-Traction Europe B.V. (Saietta Group Plc)
• Inventors: Heinen, Adrianus Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Follman, Brodie
• Application Number:
  US14/105,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20140103700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.51, 180/65.21, 180/65.6, 180/65.7, 180/65.8, 180/6.48, 180/6.5, 180/907, 180/65.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/02 with liquid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/30 the ultimate propulsive elements, e.g. ground wheels, being steerable
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0038 the motor moving together with the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0092 the motor axle being coaxial to the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• 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 2220/44 Wheel Hub motors, i.e. integrated in the wheel hub
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/46 Wheel motors, i.e. motor connected to only one wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/50 Structural details of electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/60 using power supplied by batteries in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0418 Electric motor acting on road wheel carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/14 Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06
• 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

The invention relates to a wheel provided with electric driving means in the wheel, the electric driving means comprising a rotor and a stator coaxially within the rotor and connectable to a vehicle, with an air gap provided between said rotor and said stator, wherein said wheel is provided with an air gap controlling bearing.

Claims

1. A wheel, comprising:

an electric drive in the wheel, said electric drive comprising a rotor that is rotatable around a central shaft and a stator that is situated at a smaller distance from the shaft than the rotor, the stator being mounted on a circumferential surface of a central carrying member, the circumferential surface extending in the direction of the central shaft, the carrying member having recesses arranged in a radial surface thereof that is oriented transversely to the central shaft; and

a clamping member arranged on said radial surface of the carrying member, the clamping member being configured to close off the recesses so as to allow cooling liquid to pass through the recesses, the clamping member forming an accommodation space in which operating and control electronics are housed, and the carrying member and the clamping member forming a cooling body configured to cool the electronics.

2. The wheel of claim 1,

wherein the clamping member comprises a radial body that is oriented transversely to the central shaft and an annular circumferential body extending in the direction of the central shaft, the wheel further comprising:

a cover plate having a radial surface contacting the circumferential body of the clamping member at an axial distance from the radial body of the clamping member, for closing off the accommodation space with the operating and control electronics.

3. The wheel of claim 1, further comprising an inlet and an outlet for the cooling liquid.

4. The wheel of claim 1, wherein the cooling liquid is water.

5. The wheel of claim 1, wherein the stator is placed coaxially within the rotor.

6. The wheel of claim 5, wherein the stator by means of a cover plate is connectable to a vehicle.

7. The wheel of claim 1, wherein an air gap is provided between the rotor and the stator.

8. The wheel of claim 7, wherein the air gap is less than 2 mm.

9. The wheel of claim 1, further comprising control, measuring and operating devices in the wheel.

10. The wheel of claim 9, further comprising a data communications device in the wheel.

11. The wheel of claim 9, wherein the measuring device comprises at least one Hall sensor.

12. The wheel of claim 1, wherein the control electronics include insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) for current control and programmable operating modules for an operating system.

13. The wheel of claim 1, wherein the control electronics include encoders mounted about a central shaft, the encoders being configured to measure a position of the rotor with regard to windings.

14. The wheel of claim 1, wherein the control electronics are configured to control an exact phase of a voltage on each winding at any moment, so that phases are optimally adjusted to a position of magnetic flux with regard to each of the windings.

15. A wheel, comprising:

an electric drive in the wheel, said electric drive comprising a rotor that is rotatable around a central shaft and a stator that is situated at a smaller distance from the shaft than the rotor, the stator being mounted on a circumferential surface of a central carrying member, the circumferential surface extending in the direction of the central shaft, the carrying member having recesses arranged in a radial surface thereof that is oriented transversely to the central shaft;

a liquid cooling system to cool the electric drive;

operating and control electronics including transistors for current control and programmable operating modules for an operating system;

a cooling body configured to cool the electronics and to seal off cooling liquid from the electronics; and

a clamping member arranged on said radial surface of the carrying member, the clamping member being configured to close off the recesses so as to allow the cooling liquid to pass through the recesses, the clamping member forming an accommodation space in which said operating and control electronics are housed, and the carrying member and the clamping member forming said cooling body configured to cool the electronics.

16. The wheel of claim 15, wherein the clamping member comprises a radial body that is oriented transversely to the central shaft and an annular circumferential body extending in the direction of the central shaft, the wheel further comprising:

a cover plate having a radial surface contacting the circumferential body of the clamping member at an axial distance from the radial body of the clamping member, for sealing off operating and control electronics present in the wheel from the an outside world; and

said recesses, upon mounting of the wheel, forming transporting channels for the cooling liquid.

17. The wheel of claim 15, wherein the control electronics are configured to control an exact phase of a voltage on each winding at any moment, so that phases are optimally adjusted to a position of magnetic flux with regard to each of the windings.