Control system and method for electric vehicle

• US 6,885,920 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Issued: 04/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oshkosh Corporation
• Original Assignee: Oshkosh Corporation
• Inventors: Morrow, Jon J., Yakes, Christopher K., Pillar, Duane R., Squires, Bradley C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gibson, Eric M.
• Application Number:
  US10/326,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20030158638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 180 651- 658
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 27/00 Fire-fighting land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 5/4206 Control apparatus; Drive systems, e.g. coupled to the vehicle drive-system
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/06 using substantially sinusoidal ac
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/36 Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/12 Induction machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/33 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/34 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0315 using multiplexing techniques multiplexing for transmission of signals G08C15/00; multiplexing for electrical communication in general H04J
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 3/043 with additional means for keeping the receptacle substantially vertical during raising
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 3/045 Four-bar linkages
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/00 : Testing of vehicles testing fluid tightness G01M3/00; testing elastic properties of bodies or chassis, e.g. torsion-testing, G01M5/00; testing alignment of vehicle headlight devices G01M11/06; testing of engines G01M15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 : communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 : Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 : using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 : Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• 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: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/10 : Waste collection, transportation, transfer or storage, e.g. segregated refuse collecting, electric or hybrid propulsion

Abstract

An electric traction vehicle comprises a vehicle platform, a communication network, a power source mounted on the vehicle platform, a plurality of drive wheels rotatably mounted on the vehicle platform, a plurality of electric motors coupled to respective ones of the plurality of drive wheels, and a plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules coupled to the plurality of electric motors. The interface modules are configured to control the plurality of electric motors and are coupled to each other by way of the communication network.

Claims

1. An electric traction vehicle comprising:

a vehicle platform;

a communication network;

a power source mounted on the vehicle platform;

a plurality of drive wheels rotatably mounted on the vehicle platform;

a plurality of electric motors coupled to respective ones of the plurality of drive wheels;

a plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules coupled to each other by way of the communication network, the plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules also being coupled to the plurality of electric motors and being configured to process input information received by way of the communication network to control the plurality of electric motors.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of drive wheels is a first plurality of drive wheels, wherein the vehicle comprises a second plurality of drive wheels, each of the second plurality of drive wheels being paired with respective ones of the first plurality of drive wheels such that each pair of drive wheels is driven in tandem by a respective one of the plurality of electric motors.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electric motors includes at least four electric motors, and wherein the plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules includes at least four microprocessor-based interface modules.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electric motors includes at least eight electric motors, and wherein the plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules includes at least four microprocessor-based interface modules.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the power source provides AC power and is connected to the plurality of interface modules by way of an AC bus assembly.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the AC bus assembly is configured to provide three phase power having a frequency of either about 50 Hz or about 60 Hz and a voltage in a range of about 460-480 VAC.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the vehicle further comprises an electrical connector to allow a power-consuming system off-board the vehicle to be connected to the vehicle and draw power from the AC bus assembly, and wherein the AC bus assembly is capable of providing at least 250 kilowatts of power to the off-board power-consuming system.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the vehicle is a tactical military vehicle.

9. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the vehicle is a firefighting vehicle, and wherein the AC bus assembly provides power to scene lighting at the scene of a fire.

10. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the vehicle is a hybrid electric vehicle with the power source comprising a diesel engine coupled to an electric generator.

11. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the power source comprises a fuel cell coupled to an inverter, the inverter converting DC power from the fuel cell to AC power for the AC bus assembly.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of auxiliary drive modules, and wherein the vehicle has a reconfigurable drive capacity, the reconfigurable drive capacity being achieved by way of the auxiliary drive modules, each of the plurality of auxiliary drive modules comprising an additional microprocessor-based interface module, an additional electric motor, and an additional drive wheel, the auxiliary drive modules being capable of being added to and removed from the vehicle as a unit to achieve a corresponding increase or decrease in the drive capacity of the vehicle.

13. The vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of interface modules include a compensation program with two modes of operation,

wherein, in the first mode of operation, the plurality of interface modules control the electric motors such that all of the plurality of drive wheels are driven,

wherein, in the second mode of operation, the plurality of interface modules control the electric motors such that less than all of the plurality of drive wheels are driven, the compensation program compensating for less than all drive wheels being driven by causing the remaining electric motors to be controlled to provide additional horsepower to compensate for the undriven drive wheel.

14. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules and the plurality of additional microprocessor-based interface modules cooperate to reconfigure the vehicle upon the addition and removal of the plurality of auxiliary modules.

15. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of interface modules is configured to control the respective electric motor to brake the vehicle.

16. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of interface modules is configured to control the respective electric motor to regenerate power back to one of the principal power unit and the power storage unit.

17. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of drive controllers, the plurality of drive controllers being coupled between respective ones of the plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules and respective ones of the plurality of electric motors.

18. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of interface modules include a program that causes the plurality of electric motors to simulate a mechanical differential assembly, such that the plurality of drive wheels rotate at different speeds during vehicle turning maneuvers.

19. A method of operating an electric traction vehicle, comprising:

providing the electric traction vehicle, the electric vehicle comprising a vehicle platform, a communication network, a power source mounted on the vehicle platform and connected to an AC bus assembly, a drive wheel rotatably mounted on the vehicle platform, an electric motor coupled to the drive wheel, a first microprocessor-based interface module coupled to the electric motor, and a plurality of additional microprocessor-based interface modules including a second microprocessor-based interface module, the second interface module being coupled to a throttle input device, and the first and second interface modules being coupled to each other by way of the communication network;

receiving a throttle input from the throttle input device, the throttle input being received at the second interface module;

transmitting the throttle input from the second interface module to the first interface module by way of the communication network; and

controlling the electric motor using the first interface module, the first interface module controlling a speed of the electric motor in accordance with the throttle input received from the throttle input device.

20. A method according to claim 19, further comprising

receiving a brake input from a brake input device at one of the plurality of additional interface modules;

transmitting the brake input from the additional interface module to the first interface module by way of the communication network; and

wherein the first interface module controls the electric motor so as to operate in a regenerative braking mode in response to the brake input being active, the regenerative braking mode causing electric power to be drawn from the first and second electric motors and provided to a power storage unit on board the vehicle.

21. A method according to claim 19, further comprising

receiving a transmission input from a shift input device at one of the plurality of additional interface modules;

transmitting the transmission input from the additional interface module to the first interface module by way of the communication network; and

wherein the first interface module controls the electric motor so as to operate at different operating points depending on a status of the shift input device.

22. A method according to claim 19, further comprising

receiving a steering angle input from a steering input device at a first one of the plurality of additional interface modules;

transmitting the steering angle input from the first additional interface module to a second one of plurality of additional interface modules by way of the communication network;

controlling a steering mechanism of the vehicle using the second one of the plurality of additional interface modules, the steering mechanism being controlled in accordance with the steering angle input to control a direction of travel of the vehicle; and

wherein the first interface module controls the electric motor in accordance with the steering angle input to operate at different speeds during turning maneuvers.

23. The method of claim 19,

wherein the vehicle further comprises second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth electric motors;

and

wherein the plurality of additional interface modules control speeds of the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth electric motors in accordance with the throttle input received from the throttle input device.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the AC bus assembly is configured to provide three phase power having a frequency of either about 50 Hz or about 60 Hz and a voltage in a range of about 460-480 VAC.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the vehicle further comprises an electrical connector to allow a power-consuming system off-board the vehicle to be connected to the vehicle and draw power from the AC bus assembly, and wherein the AC bus assembly is capable of providing at least 50 kilowatts of power to the off-board power-consuming system.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein vehicle is a tactical military vehicle.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein vehicle is a fire fighting vehicle, and further comprising the step of providing power from the AC bus assembly provides to scene lighting at the scene of a fire.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the vehicle is a hybrid electric vehicle with the power source comprising a diesel engine coupled to an electric generator, and wherein the method further comprises using the diesel engine to mechanically drive the electric generator and using the generate to convert mechanical power from the diesel engine to electric power.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the power source comprises a fuel cell coupled to an inverter, and wherein the method further comprises using the inverter to convert DC power from the fuel cell to AC power for the AC bus assembly.

30. The method of claim 19, further comprising

detecting that an auxiliary drive module has been added to the vehicle, the auxiliary drive module comprising an additional microprocessor-based interface module, an additional electric motor, and an additional drive wheel;

and

reconfiguring the vehicle to accommodate the added auxiliary drive module, including updating control algorithms in the first interface module to decrease the horsepower produced by the electric motor in response to a particular throttle input.

31. The method of claim 19,

wherein the plurality of interface modules include a compensation program with two modes of operation,

wherein in the first mode of operation, the plurality of interface modules control the electric motors such that all of the plurality of drive wheels are driven,

wherein in the second mode of operation, the plurality of interface modules control the electric motors such that less than all of the plurality of drive wheels are driven, the compensation program compensating for less than all drive wheels being driven by causing the remaining electric motors to be controlled to provide additional horsepower to compensate for the undriven drive wheel.

32. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules and the plurality of additional microprocessor-based interface cooperate to reconfigure the vehicle upon the addition and removal of a plurality of auxiliary modules, the plurality of auxiliary modules each including an additional microprocessor-based interface module, an additional electric motor, and an additional drive wheel.

33. The method of claim 19, wherein each of the auxiliary modules is removable and replaceable with a different auxiliary unit having different characteristics, the different characteristics being programmed into the interface module, and wherein the system is capable of reconfiguring itself automatically when a new auxiliary system is mounted on the vehicle.

34. A method of generating electric power comprising:

providing an electric traction vehicle, the electric vehicle comprising a vehicle platform, a communication network, a power source mounted on the vehicle platform and connected to an AC bus assembly, a drive wheel rotatably mounted on the vehicle platform, an electric motor respectively coupled to the drive wheel, a first microprocessor-based interface module coupled to the electric motor, and a plurality of additional microprocessor-based interface modules including a second microprocessor-based interface module, the second interface module being coupled to a throttle input device, and the first and second interface modules being coupled to each other by way of the communication network;

producing electric power using the power source and providing the electric power to the AC bus assembly;

providing power to off-board, electric power-consuming devices using the AC bus assembly, the AC bus assembly providing the power to the off-board devices when the vehicle is stationary and the electric motor is consuming substantially no power from the AC bus assembly, and wherein the AC bus assembly provides three phase power having a frequency of either about 50 Hz or about 60 Hz and a voltage in a range of about 460-480 VAC, and wherein the AC bus assembly provides in excess of 250 kilowatts of power.

35. A method according to claim 34, wherein the power source comprises a generator, and wherein the method further comprises using a power storage unit mounted on the vehicle to supplement the power provided by the generator.

36. A method according to claim 34, wherein AC bus assembly provides in excess of 750 kilowatts of power.

37. A vehicle comprising:

(A) first and second drive wheels;

(B) a power source;

(C) a power transmission link;

(D) a plurality of input devices;

(E) a plurality of output devices, the plurality of output devices including first and second motor drive systems, the first and second motor drive systems including first and second electric motors, the first and second electric motors being respectively coupled to the first and second drive wheels and being capable of applying torque to the first and second drive wheels to drive motion of the vehicle;

(F) a communication network;

(G) a plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules, the plurality of interface modules being coupled to the power source by way of the power transmission link, the plurality of interface modules being interconnected to each other by way of the communication network, each of the plurality of interface modules being coupled to respective ones of the plurality of input devices and the plurality of output devices by way of respective communication links, the plurality of interface modules cooperating to control the plurality of output devices based on input status information from the plurality of input devices; and

wherein at least one of the plurality of interface modules controls power distribution to the first and second motor drive systems to control a speed of the vehicle.

38. A vehicle comprising:

(A) a first drive wheel, the first drive wheel being capable of contacting land and driving motion of the vehicle;

(B) a second drive wheel, the second drive wheel being capable of contacting land and driving motion of the vehicle in cooperation with the first drive wheel;

(C) a fuel cell, the fuel cell being capable of providing electric energy;

(D) a power transmission link;

(E) a plurality of input devices;

(F) a plurality of output devices, the plurality of output devices including

(1) a first motor drive system, the first motor drive system including a first servo drive and a first electric motor, the first electric motor being coupled to the first drive wheel and being capable of applying torque to the first drive wheel to drive motion of the vehicle,

(2) a second motor drive system, the second motor drive system including a second servo drive and a second electric motor;

(G) a communication network;

(H) a plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules, the plurality of interface modules being coupled to the fuel cell by way of the power transmission link, the plurality of interface modules being interconnected to each other by way of the communication network, each of the plurality of interface modules being coupled to respective ones of the plurality of input devices and the plurality of output devices by way of respective communication links, the plurality of interface modules cooperating to control the plurality of output devices based on input status information from the plurality of input devices, the plurality of interface modules being distributed throughout the vehicle; and

wherein at least one of the plurality of interface modules controls power distribution to the first and second motor drive systems to control a speed of the vehicle.

39. A control method for a military vehicle having a plurality of input devices and a plurality of output devices, comprising:

(A) determining desired output states of a first subset of the plurality of output devices based on I/O status information stored in an I/O status table, the determining step being performed by an interface module that comprises the I/O status table, the interface module being coupled to a first subset of the plurality of input devices and the first subset of the plurality of output devices, the first subset of the plurality of output devices including an electric motor that drives forward motion of the military vehicle, the interface module being further coupled to a plurality of additional interface modules by way of a communication network, the plurality of additional interface modules being coupled to a second subset of the plurality of input devices and a second subset of the plurality of output devices, the I/O status information stored in the I/O status table including input status information pertaining to input states of the first subset of the plurality of input devices and input status information pertaining to input states of the second subset of the plurality of input devices;

(B) controlling the first subset of the plurality of output devices including the electric motor in accordance with the desired output states, the controlling step being performed by the interface module; and

(C) maintaining the I/O status table, the maintaining step being performed by the interface module, the maintaining step including

(1) acquiring the input status information pertaining to the input states of the first subset of the plurality of input devices,

(2) storing the input status information pertaining to the input states of the first subset of the plurality of input devices in the I/O status table,

(3) acquiring, from the plurality of additional interface modules by way of the communication network, the input status information pertaining to the input states of the second subset of the plurality of input devices, and

(4) storing the input status information pertaining to the input states of the second subset of the plurality of input devices.

40. A method according to claim 39, wherein each of the plurality of additional interface modules broadcasts I/O status information, and wherein the acquiring step (C)(3) comprises receiving the broadcasts.

41. A method according to claim 40, wherein the broadcasts occur asynchronously.

42. A method according to claim 40, wherein each of the plurality of additional interface modules maintains respective additional I/O status tables, and wherein each of the plurality of additional interface modules receives the broadcasts and stores I/O status information received in the broadcasts to maintain the respective additional I/O status tables.

43. A method according to claim 42, wherein the I/O status table and the respective additional I/O status tables store substantially the same I/O status information.

44. A vehicle comprising:

(A) first and second drive wheels;

(B) a plurality of input devices;

(C) a plurality of output devices, the plurality of output devices including first and second motor drive systems, the first and second motor drive systems including first and second electric motors, the first and second electric motors being respectively coupled to the first and second drive wheels and being capable of applying torque to the first and second drive wheels to drive motion of the vehicle;

(D) a communication network;

(E) a plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules, the plurality of interface modules being interconnected to each other by way of the communication network, each of the plurality of interface modules being coupled to respective ones of the plurality of input devices and the plurality of output devices by way of respective communication links, the plurality of interface modules cooperating to control the respective ones of the plurality of output devices by processing the input status information from the plurality of input devices to determine output states of the respective ones of the plurality of output devices.

45. A vehicle comprising:

(A) first and second drive wheels;

(B) a plurality of input devices;

(C) a plurality of output devices, the plurality of output devices including first and second motor drive systems, the first and second motor drive systems including first and second electric motors, the first and second electric motors being respectively coupled to the first and second drive wheels and being capable of applying torque to the first and second drive wheels to drive motion of the vehicle;

(D) a communication network;

(E) a plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules, the plurality of interface modules being interconnected to each other by way of the communication network, each of the plurality of interface modules being coupled to respective ones of the plurality of input devices and the plurality of output devices by way of respective communication links;

wherein each of the plurality of interface modules collects input status information from the respective ones of the plurality of input devices and broadcasts the input status information over the communication network to each of the remaining ones of the plurality of interface modules, each of the remaining ones of the plurality of interface modules receiving the input status information and locally storing the input status information.

46. The vehicle of claim 45, wherein each of the plurality of interface modules control the respective ones of the plurality of output devices based on the locally stored input status information.

47. The vehicle of claim 45, wherein each of the plurality of interface modules process the input status information to determine output states of the respective ones of the plurality of output devices.

48. An electric traction vehicle comprising:

a vehicle platform;

a communication network;

a power source mounted on the vehicle platform;

a plurality of drive wheels rotatably mounted on the vehicle platform;

a plurality of electric motors coupled to respective ones of the plurality of drive wheels;

a plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules coupled to each other by way of the communication network, the plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules also being coupled to the plurality of electric motors and being configured to control the plurality of electric motors; and

an electrical connector to allow an electrical power-consuming device off-board the vehicle to be connected to the vehicle and draw AC power from the vehicle.

49. The electric vehicle of claim 48, wherein the vehicle is capable of providing at least 50 kilowatts of AC power to the off-board power-consuming device.

50. The electric vehicle of claim 48, wherein the vehicle is capable of providing at least 200 kilowatts of AC power to the off-board power-consuming device.

51. An electric traction vehicle comprising:

a vehicle platform;

a communication network;

a power source mounted on the vehicle platform;

a plurality of auxiliary drive modules, each of the plurality of auxiliary drive modules comprising a microprocessor-based interface module, an electric motor, and a drive wheel, the auxiliary drive modules being capable of being added to and removed from the vehicle as a unit to achieve a corresponding increase or decrease in the drive capacity of the vehicle;

wherein the microprocessor-based interface modules are communicatively coupled together by way of the communication network when the auxiliary drive modules are coupled to the vehicle.

52. An electric traction vehicle comprising:

a vehicle platform;

a communication network;

an electrical power storage device;

a plurality of drive wheels rotatably mounted on the vehicle platform;

a plurality of electric motors coupled to respective ones of the plurality of drive wheels, power being provided to the electric motors from the electrical power storage device; and

a plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules coupled to each other by way of the communication network, the plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules also being coupled to the plurality of electric motors and being configured to control the plurality of electric motors;

wherein one of the interface modules is used to selectively discharge the electrical power storage device in response to an operator input.

53. The electricvehicle of claim 52, wherein the electrical energy storage device comprises a plurality of capacitors.

54. The electric vehicle of claim 52, wherein the electrical energy storage device provides power to the electric motors by way of an AC bus assembly.