System and method for driving electric vehicle

• US 5,917,248 A
• Filed: 04/25/1997
• Issued: 06/29/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Obayashi, Kazuyoshi, Seguchi, Masahiro, Kouda, Shinji, Kajiura, Hiroaki, Banzai, Keiichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Nestor
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ponomarenko, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US08/847,609
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 290/31, 290/36 R, 290/38 R, 290/46, 290/40 C, 322/16, 322/14, 322/40, 310/113, 310/114
• US Class Current: 290/31
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/04 characterised by arrangement, location, or kind of gearing electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/16 of differential gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/003 with means for cooling the electrical propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/40 characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/405 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/448 Electrical distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• 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 2710/0644 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0677 Engine power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/105 Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1061 Output power
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 51/00 Dynamo-electric gears, i.e. dynamo-electric means for transmitting mechanical power from a driving shaft to a driven shaft and comprising structurally interrelated motor and generator parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/906 : Motor or generator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/91 : Orbital, e.g. planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/951 : Assembly or relative location of components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/952 : Housing details

Abstract

A T-S converter is composed of a first rotor which has a first control coil, a second rotor and a stator which has a second control coil. The second rotor has a first magnetic field member (such as permanent magnets) which supplies the first control coil with magnetic field and a second magnetic field member (such as permanent magnets) which supplies the second control coil with magnetic field. The first and second control coils are energized to drive the second rotor to rotate at a set speed with a set torque according to vehicle running condition. The first and the second control coil are also energized to generate battery charging current when the vehicle speed is decreased and the second rotor is driven by the vehicle wheels.

Claims

1. A system for driving an electric vehicle having a battery, an engine and a vehicle drive member comprising:

a speed-torque converter having a housing, an input shaft connected to said engine, an output shaft connected to said vehicle drive member, a first rotor having a first control coil, a stator having a second control coil, a second rotor having a first member for generating magnetic field interlinking said first control coil and a second member for generating magnetic field interlinking said second control coil;

means for detecting rotation of said first rotor and said second rotor; and

means, connected to said battery, said first and second control coils and said rotation detecting means, for supplying said first and second control coils with control electric current according to said rotation of said first and second rotors to convert rotational speed and torque of said engine and drive said vehicle drive member at a set rotational speed with a set torque.

2. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first rotor is connected to said input shaft and said second rotor is connected to said output shaft.

3. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second rotor is connected to said input shaft and said first rotor is connected to said output shaft.

4. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said speed-torque converter further comprises a speed reduction means connected in series with said output shaft.

5. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said speed-torque converter further comprises a planetary-gear speed reduction means connected in series with said output shaft.

6. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control current supplying means comprises means for controlling said engine to operate as a brake member when said vehicle drive member drives said output shaft.

7. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first rotor, said second rotor and said stator are disposed coaxially with each other on a common plane.

8. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first rotor is disposed radially inside said second rotor and said second rotor is disposed radially inside said stator coaxially.

9. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second members comprises permanent magnets.

10. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second members comprises a squirrel cage conductor.

11. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second members comprise squirrel cage conductors and said second rotor comprises a nonmagnetic member disposed between said first and second members.

12. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control electric current supplying means comprises a first inverter connected to said first control coil, a second inverter connected to said second control coil and an inverter control unit connected to said rotation detecting means and to said first and second inverters for controlling timing of said control electric current supplied to said first and second control coils by said inverters according to rotation of said first and second rotors.

13. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 12, wherein said input shaft and said output shaft are disposed at same side of said housing.

14. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 13, wherein said input shaft and said output shaft are disposed coaxially with each other.

15. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 14, wherein said rotation detecting means is disposed in said housing remote from said input shaft and said output shaft.

16. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim as claim 15, wherein said control electric current supplying means comprises brushes and slip rings disposed in said housing remote from said input shaft and said output shaft.

17. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 16, wherein said speed-torque converter further comprises a speed reduction means connected in series with said output shaft.

18. A system for driving an electric vehicle having a battery, an engine and vehicle differential gears comprising:

a speed-torque converter having a housing, an input shaft disposed in said housing and connected to said engine at a side, an output shaft disposed coaxially with said input shaft and connected to said vehicle differential gears at the same side, a first rotor having a first control coil, a stator having a second control coil, a second rotor having a first member for generating magnetic field interlinking said first control coil and a second member for generating magnetic field interlinking said second control coil;

means for detecting rotation of said first rotor and said second rotor; and

means, connected to said battery, said first and second control coils and said rotation detecting means, for supplying said first and second control coils with control electric current according to said rotation of said first and second rotors to convert rotational speed and torque of said engine and drive said vehicle at a set rotational speed with a set torque, last said means comprising means for controlling said engine to operate as a brake member when said vehicle drive member drives said output shaft.

19. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 18, wherein said rotation detecting means is disposed in said housing remote from said input shaft and said output shaft.

20. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim as claim 18, wherein said control electric current supplying means comprises brushes and slip rings disposed in said housing remote from said input shaft and said output shaft.

21. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 18, wherein said control electric current supplying means comprises means for generating battery charging current.

22. A system for driving an electric vehicle having a battery, an engine and a vehicle drive member comprising:

a speed-torque converter having a housing, an input shaft connected to said engine, an output shaft connected to said vehicle drive member, a first rotor having a first control coil, a stator having a second control coil, a second rotor having a first member for generating magnetic field interlinking said first control coil through a magnetic path and a second member for generating magnetic field interlinking said second control coil through the same magnetic path;

means for detecting rotation of said first rotor and said second rotor; and

means, connected to said battery, said first and second control coils and said rotation detecting means, for supplying said first and second control coils with control electric current according to said rotation of said first and second rotors to convert rotational speed and torque of said engine and drive said vehicle drive member at a set rotational speed with a set torque.

23. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 22, wherein said first member comprises a number of magnetic poles and said second member comprises the same number of the magnetic poles.

24. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 22, wherein said second rotor comprises a laminated core having a plurality of holes for accommodating said first and second members therein.

25. A system for driving an electric vehicle having a battery, an engine and a vehicle drive member comprising:

a first electromagnetic rotary unit having an input shaft connected to said engine, a first rotor connected to said input shaft and having a first control coil, a first member for generating magnetic field interlinking said first control coil;

a second electromagnetic rotary unit having an output shaft connected to said vehicle drive member, a stator having a second control coil and a second rotor connected to said output shaft and having a second member for generating magnetic field interlinking said second control coil, said second rotor being fixed to said first member ;

means for detecting rotation of said first rotor and said second rotor; and

means, connected to said batter y, said first and second control coils and said rotation detecting means, for supplying said first and second control coils with control electric current according to said rotation of said first and second rotors to convert rotational speed and torque of said engine and drive said vehicle drive member at a set rotational speed with a set torque.

26. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 25, wherein said first and second control coils comprise respectively three phase windings.

27. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 26, wherein said first and second members comprise respectively permanent magnets.

28. A system for driving an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 26, wherein at least one of said first and second members comprises a squirrel cage conductor.

29. A system for driving a vehicle having a battery, an engine and a vehicle-wheel drive member comprising:

a housing;

a rotary electric machine, disposed in said housing and including an input shaft connected to said engine, an output shaft connected to said vehicle-wheel drive member, a first rotor having a first control coil, a stator having a second control coil, and a second rotor having a first member for generating magnetic field interlinking said first control coil and a second member for generating magnetic field interlinking said second control coil;

means for detecting rotation of said first rotor and said second rotor;

means, connected to said first and second control coils, for supplying said first and second control coils with electric power according to said rotation of said first and second rotors to convert rotational speed and torque of said engine and drive said vehicle drive member at a set rotational speed with a set torque; and

means for supplying coolant to inside of said rotary electric machine.

30. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 29, wherein coolant supplying means is disposed near said electric power supplying means.

31. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 29, wherein said coolant supplying means comprises a conduit disposed in one of said input and output shafts, coolant passage and a plug member connecting said coolant passage and said conduit.

32. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 31, wherein said coolant passage is disposed between said housing and said plug member.

33. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 32, wherein said coolant supplying means further comprises a pair of oil seals disposed between said plug member and said one shaft and an annular groove disposed between said oil seals.

34. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 33, wherein said coolant supplying means further comprises a coolant return passage and an additional annular groove in parallel with the former annular groove to connect to said coolant return passage.

35. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 34, wherein said plug member is disposed near said electric power supplying means.

36. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 29, said coolant passage is disposed in said first rotor and opens at an end of said first rotor.

37. A system for driving a vehicle having a battery, an engine and a vehicle-wheel drive member comprising:

a housing;

a rotary electric machine, disposed in said housing and including an input shaft connected to said engine, an output shaft connected to said vehicle-wheel drive member, a first rotor connected to said input shaft and having a first control coil, a stator having a second control coil, and a second rotor connected to said output shaft and having a first member for generating magnetic field interlinking said first control coil and a second member for generating magnetic field interlinking said second control coil;

means, disposed in said housing, for detecting rotation of said first rotor and said second rotor;

means, connected to said first and second control coils, for supplying said first and second control coils with electric power according to said rotation of said first and second rotors to convert rotational speed and torque of said engine and drive said vehicle drive member at a set rotational speed with a set torque; and

means for supplying coolant to inside of said rotary electric machine;

wherein

said first rotor, stator and second rotor are disposed coaxially with one another.

38. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 37, wherein

said coolant supplying means comprises a conduit disposed longitudinally in said input shaft and a coolant passage disposed in said first rotor and connected to last said conduit.

39. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 38, wherein

said coolant supplying means further comprises an intake pipe disposed in said conduit, thereby forming said conduit into a return passage.

40. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 39 wherein said electric power supplying means comprises a first inverter connected between said battery and said first control coil and a second inverter connected between said battery and said second control coil.

41. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 38, wherein said first rotor comprises a plurality of laminated iron core having a hole forming said coolant passage.

42. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 38, wherein said coolant passage comprises a pipe disposed in said first rotor.

43. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 38, said coolant passage is disposed near said first control coil.

44. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 38, said first rotor has a plurality of slots for accommodating said first coil and said coolant passage comprises as many branch passages as said slots.

45. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 44, wherein every other of said branch passages has an opening connecting to said first control coil.

46. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 45, wherein said branch passages are disposed circumferentially.

47. A system for driving a vehicle having a battery, an engine and a vehicle-wheel drive member comprising:

a housing;

a rotary electric machine disposed in said housing and including a first rotor having an input shaft connectable to said engine, a rotor core carried by said input shaft and a first control coil disposed in said core, a stator having a stator core and a second control coil disposed in said stator core and a second rotor having an output shaft connectable to said vehicle-wheel drive member, a rotary yoke carried by said output shaft, a plurality of first permanent magnets disposed on a side of said first control coil and a plurality of second permanent magnets disposed on a side of said second control coil;

means, disposed in said housing, for detecting rotation of said first rotor and said second rotor;

means, connected to said first and second control coils, for supplying said first and second control coils with electric power according to said rotation of said first and second rotors to convert rotational speed and torque of said engine and drive said vehicle drive member at a set rotational speed with a set torque; and

means for supplying coolant to inside of said rotary electric machine.

48. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 47, wherein said coolant supplying means comprises a first coolant passage connected between a coolant inlet and said first control coil and a second coolant passage connected between said first control coil and said second control coil.

49. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 48, wherein said first coolant passage comprises a conduit disposed in said shaft, a conduit disposed in said rotor core and an opening disposed near said first control coil.

50. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 49, wherein said second coolant passage comprises a slit disposed in said rotary yoke.

51. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 50, wherein said rotary yoke comprises a plurality of iron sheets and said slit comprises an internal slit disposed in one of said sheets and an external slit disposed in another sheet adjacent to said one sheet and wherein said internal slit has one end open to said first control coil and the other end, and said external slit has one end open to said second control coil and the other end connected to the other end of said internal slit.

52. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 50, wherein said internal slit is disposed between adjacent two of said first permanent magnets and said external slit is disposed between adjacent two of said second permanent magnets.

53. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 51, wherein said rotary yoke has a plurality of fastening bolts for securing said rotary yoke to said housing, and each of said internal and external slits has C-shaped groove around one of said fastening bolt.

54. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 51, wherein each of said iron sheets has said internal slit and external slit.

55. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 47, wherein said coolant supplying means comprises a coolant outlet connected to an outside coolant reservoir, a first coolant passage having one end connected to said coolant outlet for cooling said first control coil and a pump connected to the other end of said first coolant passage for supplying coolant to said first coolant passage.

56. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 55, wherein

said first coolant passage is disposed in said input shaft.

57. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 56, wherein said pump is disposed in said housing and driven by one of said input and output shafts.

58. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 48, wherein said pump is driven by said input shaft, and said coolant supplying means further comprises another pump driven by said output shaft and connected in parallel with said former pump.

59. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 55, wherein said coolant reservoir comprises a radiator.

60. A system for driving a vehicle having a battery, an engine and a vehicle-wheel drive member comprising:

a housing;

a rotary electric machine disposed in said housing and including a first rotor having an input shaft connectable to said engine, a rotor core carried by said input shaft and a first control coil disposed in said core, a stator having a stator core and a second control coil disposed in said stator core and a second rotor having an output shaft connectable to said vehicle-wheel drive member, a rotary yoke carried by said output shaft, a plurality of first permanent magnets disposed on a side of said first control coil and a plurality of second permanent magnets disposed on a side of said second control coil;

means, disposed in said housing, for detecting rotation of said first rotor and said second rotor; and

means, connected to said first and second control coils, for supplying said first and second control coils with electric power according to said rotation of said first and second rotors to convert rotational speed and torque of said engine and drive said vehicle drive member at a set rotational speed with a set torque;

wherein

said means for supplying electric power comprises a power supply section disposed between said input shaft and housing,

said power supply section is composed of a plurality of brushes disposed longitudinally around said input shaft, insulating members disposed respectively between said brushes and fixed to said housing and slip rings fixed to said input shaft to be in contact with said brushes, and

said insulating members and said brushes are disposed in a heat dissipating passage connected to said housing.

61. A system for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 60, wherein said power supply section is further composed of brush holders disposed in contact with said insulating members.

62. A system for driving a vehicle claimed in claim 60, wherein said insulating members are made of heat conductive ceramics.

63. A system for driving a vehicle claimed in claim 60, wherein said power supply section is further composed of collars and bolts for positioning said insulating members in said housing, and

said collars are disposed in said heat dissipating passage.

64. A system for driving a vehicle having a battery, an engine and a vehicle-wheel drive member comprising:

a housing;

a rotary electric machine disposed in said housing and including a first rotor having an input shaft connectable to said engine, a rotor core carried by said input shaft and a first control coil disposed in said core, a stator having a stator core and a second control coil disposed in said stator core and a second rotor having an output shaft connectable to said vehicle-wheel drive member, a rotary yoke carried by said output shaft, a plurality of first permanent magnets disposed on a side of said first control coil and a plurality of second permanent magnets disposed on a side of said second control coil;

means, disposed in said housing, for detecting rotation of said first rotor and said second rotor; and

means, connected to said first and second control coils, for supplying said first and second control coils with electric power according to said rotation of said first and second rotors to convert rotational speed and torque of said engine and drive said vehicle drive member at a set rotational speed with a set torque;

wherein

said means for supplying said first and second control coils with electric power comprises

a set-torque-signal generating section for generating a set torque signal according to a vehicle condition,

an input-torque detecting section for calculating an input torque of said second rotor, and

a compensation torque signal generating section for generating a compensation-torque signal according to said set torque signal and said input torque detected by said input-torque detecting section.

65. A system for driving a vehicle claimed in claim 64, wherein said vehicle condition includes a depressed stroke of a vehicle accelerator.

66. A system for driving a vehicle claimed in claim 64, wherein said vehicle condition includes a difference between an actual torque calculated from rotational speed of said second rotor and said set torque.

67. A system for driving a vehicle claimed in claim 64, wherein said input-torque detecting section calculates an input torque of said second rotor from an engine torque and output torque of said first motor.

68. A method for driving a vehicle having a battery, an engine, a vehicle drive member, a first electromagnetic rotary unit having a first control coil and an input shaft connected to said engine, a second electromagnetic rotary unit having a second control coil and an output shaft connected to said vehicle drive member, said method comprising steps of;

calculating a set torque Tv and set angular speed xv of said vehicle drive member;

detecting output torque Te and angular speed ω

e of said engine;

supplying said first and second control coils with control electric current according to differences between said torques Tv and Te and between said angular speeds ω

v and ω

e thereby to convert torque Te and angular speed ω

e of said engine and drive said vehicle drive member at said set torque Tv and set angular speed.

69. A method for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 68 further comprising a step of supplying said first and second control coils with control electric current to generate battery charging current when said angular speed ω

e of said engine is higher than said set angular speed ω

v and said output torque Te of said engine is larger than said set torque Tv.

70. A method for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 68 further comprising a step of supplying said first and second control coils with control electric current to generate driving torque when said angular speed ω

e of said engine is lower than said set angular speed ω

v and said output torque Te of said engine is lower than said set torque Tv.

71. A method for driving a vehicle as claimed in claim 68 further comprising a step of supplying said first and second control coils with control electric current to connect said vehicle drive member to said engine as a load when said angular speed ω

e of said engine is lower than said set angular speed ω

v and said output torque Te of said engine is smaller than said set torque Tv.