HYBRID DRIVE SYSTEM WITH REDUCED POWER REQUIREMENT FOR VEHICLE

• US 20110083919A1
• Filed: 09/14/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: KPIT Technologies Ltd.
• Original Assignee: KPIT Cummins Infosystems Limited
• Inventors: Kshatriya, Tejas Krishna
• Application Number:
  US12/882,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20110083919A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.26
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0416 Arrangement in the rear part of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/268 Electric drive motor starts the engine, i.e. used as starter motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/28 characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/40 related to technical updates when adding new parts or software
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• 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 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/15 Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/04 the motors being associated with current generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0818 Conditions for starting or stopping the engine or for deactivating the idle-start-stop mode
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle is disclosed. The hybrid vehicle comprises an internal combustion engine having a peak power rating and an electric motor coupled to the internal combustion engine for assisting the internal combustion engine in rotating a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine. The electric motor has a continuous power rating that less than approximately one tenth of the peak power rating of the internal combustion engine.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

an internal combustion engine having a peak power rating; and

an electric motor coupled to the internal combustion engine for assisting the internal combustion engine in rotating a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine, the electric motor having a continuous power rating that less than approximately one tenth of the peak power rating of the internal combustion engine.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the electric motor at least sometimes operates above its continuous power when providing assistance to the internal combustion engine.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the electric motor at least sometimes operates at a peak power rating of the electric motor when providing assistance to the internal combustion engine.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 wherein the peak power rating of the electric motor is between approximately three and five times greater than the continuous power rating of the electric motor.

5. The vehicle of claim 3 wherein the peak power rating of the electric motor alone is insufficient to meet the total torque requirements of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle of claim 3 wherein the electric motor operates at the peak power rating of the electric motor only in the form of pulses.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the duration of the pulses is less than approximately four seconds.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising an energy storage device configured to provide power to the electric motor.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 wherein the energy storage device comprises at least one lead-acid battery.

10. The vehicle of claim 8 wherein the energy storage device comprises at least one of a supercapacitor, an ultracapacitor, a lithium-ion battery and a nickel-metal-hydride battery.

11. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the continuous power rating of the electric motor is between one tenth and one fortieth of the peak power rating of the internal combustion engine.

12. The vehicle of claim 11 wherein the continuous power rating of the electric motor is between one fifteenth and one fortieth of the peak power rating of the internal combustion engine.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the continuous power rating of the electric motor is between one twentieth and one fortieth of the peak power rating of the internal combustion engine.

14. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the peak power rating of the internal combustion engine is approximately 47 horsepower and the continuous power rating of the electric motor is approximately 3.5 kilowatts.

15. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the peak power rating of the internal combustion engine is approximately 80 horsepower and the continuous power rating of the electric motor is approximately 6 kilowatts.

16. A hybrid drive system for a vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a transmission, the hybrid drive system comprising:

an electric motor configured to be coupled to a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine on a side of the engine opposite the transmission, the electric motor configured to provide assistance to the internal combustion engine in rotating the crankshaft, the electric motor having a continuous power rating that is less than approximately one tenth of a peak power rating of the internal combustion engine;

at least one energy storage element configured to provide power to the electric motor; and

a motor control unit configured to control the amount of power delivered from the at least one energy storage element to the electric motor.

17. The hybrid drive system of claim 16 wherein the continuous power rating of the electric motor is between one tenth and one fortieth of the peak power rating of the internal combustion engine

18. The hybrid drive system of claim 16 wherein the electric motor comprises at least one of a 3-phase induction motor and a brushless DC motor.

19. The hybrid drive system of claim 16 wherein the electric motor at least sometimes operates above its continuous power when providing assistance to the internal combustion engine.

20. The hybrid drive system of claim 19 wherein the electric motor at least sometimes operates at a peak power rating of the electric motor when providing assistance to the internal combustion engine.

21. The hybrid drive system of claim 20 wherein the peak power rating of the electric motor is between approximately three and five times greater than the continuous power rating of the electric motor.

22. The hybrid drive system of claim 20 wherein the electric motor is configured to operate at the peak power rating of the electric motor only in the form of pulses.

23. The hybrid drive system of claim 22 wherein the duration of the pulses is less than approximately four seconds.

24. A method of reducing emissions of a hybrid vehicle, the method comprising:

using an internal combustion engine to function as a prime mover for the vehicle;

using an electric motor to assist the internal combustion engine in rotating a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine, the electric motor having a peak rating that is less than approximately forty percent of a peak power output of the internal combustion engine; and

at least sometimes operating the electric motor at its peak power rating to assist the internal combustion engine in rotating the crankshaft; and

operating the electric motor in short pulses when operating at its peak power rating.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the short pulses are less than approximately four seconds in duration.

26. The method of claim 24 further comprising using an energy storage element to power the electric motor, the energy storage element being at least one of a supercapacitor, an ultracapacitor, a lead acid battery, a lithium-ion battery and a nickel-metal-hydride battery.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the energy storage element comprises a plurality of lead acid batteries coupled in series.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the electric motor is configured to operate in a regeneration mode during which the electric motor functions as a generator for charging the lead acid batteries.

29. A method of reducing emissions of a hybrid vehicle, the method comprising:

using an internal combustion engine as a prime mover for the vehicle;

using one or more electric motors to assist the internal combustion engine in rotating a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine, the one or more electric motors having a combined continuous power rating that remains between approximately one tenth and one fortieth of a peak power rating of the internal combustion engine; and

at least sometimes operating the one or more electric motors above the continuous power rating when assisting the internal combustion engine in rotating the crankshaft.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising operating the one or more electric motors in short pulses when operating above the continuous rating.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the short pulses are less than approximately four seconds in duration.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein the one or more electric motors comprises an AC induction motor.

33. The method of claim 29 wherein operating the one or more electric motors above the continuous rating comprises operating the one or more electric motors at the peak power rating.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the peak power rating of the one or more electric motors is between approximately three and five times greater than the combined continuous power rating of the one or more electric motors.