Integrated cranking inverter and boost converter for a series hybrid drive system

• US 5,589,743 A
• Filed: 03/03/1995
• Issued: 12/31/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: King, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro, Bentsu
• Application Number:
  US08/398,266
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 318/139, 318/140, 318/148, 318/151, 290/8-11, 290/14, 290/16, 290/18, 290/19, 290/47, 290/50, 322/17, 322/21-25, 180/65.1, 180/65.3, 180/65.4
• US Class Current: 318/139
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/268 Electric drive motor starts the engine, i.e. used as starter motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/4833 Step up or reduction gearing driving generator, e.g. to operate generator in most efficient speed range
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/28 characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/36 characterised by the transmission gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/383 One-way clutches or freewheel devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/387 Actuated clutches, i.e. clutches engaged or disengaged by electric, hydraulic or mechanical actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• 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 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• 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: H02P 9/08 Control of generator circuit during starting or stopping of driving means, e.g. for initiating excitation
• 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: Y10S 903/909 : Gearing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/913 : One way
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/914 : Actuated, e.g. engaged or disengaged by electrical, hydraulic or mechanical means

Abstract

An electric continuously variable drive system includes an ac motor, an alternator for supplying electrical power to the ac motor via a rectifier and an inverter, a heat engine for driving the alternator, an energy storage device for providing electrical energy to the electric continuously variable drive system, and a combination cranking inverter and boost converter. The combination cranking inverter and boost converter is coupled in series between the alternator and the energy storage device and coupled substantially in parallel with the rectifier in a series hybrid drive.

Claims

1. An electric continuously variable drive system, comprising:

an ac motor;

an alternator for supplying electrical power to the ac motor via a rectifier and a drive inverter;

a heat engine for driving the alternator;

an energy storage device;

a combination cranking inverter and boost converter, the combination coupled in series between the alternator and the energy storage device and coupled substantially in parallel with the rectifier in a series hybrid drive.

2. The drive system of claim 1, wherein the combination cranking inverter and boost converter comprises a system cranking inverter capable of serving as a boost converter.

3. The drive system of claim 2, wherein the alternator comprises a three-phase alternator and the system cranking inverter comprises six pairs of electronic switches and diodes, each pair having one respective switch and one respective diode coupled in parallel, each phase of the three-phase alternator coupled to two respective pairs.

4. The drive system of claim 3, wherein each diode comprises an anti-parallel diode and each switch comprises a device selected from the group consisting of field effect transistors, insulated gate bipolar transistors, metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors, bipolar junction transistors, and metal oxide semiconductor controlled thyristors.

5. The drive system of claim 1, wherein the alternator comprises a high speed alternator.

6. The drive system of claim 1, further including a speed multiplier coupling the heat engine to the alternator.

7. The drive system of claim 6,, wherein the speed multiplier comprises a mechanical speed multiplier selected from the group consisting of a gear, a chain, and a belt.

8. The drive system of claim 6, further including a controlled clutch mounted on the alternator side of the speed multiplier.

9. The drive system of claim 6, further including a controlled clutch mounted on the engine side of the speed multiplier.

10. An electric continuously variable drive system, comprising:

an ac motor;

an alternator for supplying electrical power to the ac motor via a rectifier and a drive inverter;

a heat engine for driving the alternator;

an energy storage device;

a cranking inverter coupled in series between the alternator and the energy storage device and coupled substantially in parallel with the rectifier in a series hybrid drive for cranking and starting the heat engine.

11. The drive system of claim 10, wherein the alternator comprises a high speed alternator.

12. The drive system of claim 10, further including a speed multiplier coupling the heat engine to the alternator.

13. The drive system of claim 12, wherein the speed multiplier includes a controlled clutch.

14. The drive system of claim 12, further including a controlled clutch mounted on the alternator side of the speed multiplier.

15. The drive system of claim 12, further including a controlled clutch mounted on the engine side of the speed multiplier.

16. An electric continuously variable drive system, comprising:

an ac motor;

an alternator for supplying multi-phase electrical power to the ac motor via a rectifier and a drive inverter;

a heat engine for driving the alternator;

an energy storage device;

a boost converter coupled in series between the alternator and the energy storage device and coupled substantially in parallel with the rectifier in a series hybrid drive for receiving multi-phase electrical power from the alternator and controlling dc output voltage during battery charging and propulsion in the series hybrid drive.

17. The drive system of claim 16, wherein the boost converter is adapted to control battery charging while the drive system supplies electrical power to the ac motor.