Retrofitting a vehicle drive train

• US 9,457,792 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2013
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rick Akin
• Original Assignee: Clean Emissions Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Bradley, Bill C., Diehl, Joel Craig, Harris, Dan Warner, Harris, Warner Olan, Turnbow, Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US14/057,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20140041179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/28 characterised by arrangement, location, or type of power take-off
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• 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 10/11 Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• 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 30/19 Improvement of gear change, e.g. by synchronisation or smoothing gear shift
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/14 Trucks; Load vehicles, Busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49716 Converting

Abstract

A vehicle includes a drive train having a manual transmission. An internal combustion engine is coupled to the manual transmission via a clutch. The vehicle is retrofitted so that auxiliary devices operate auxiliary systems of the vehicle, a battery energizes electric drivers for the auxiliary devices, a power exchange unit is coupled to the manual transmission via a power takeoff port, an electric generator is coupled to the power exchange unit, and the internal combustion engine drives the electric generator via the power exchange unit. The battery is energized by the electric generator via a battery charger.

Claims

1. A method of retrofitting a vehicle having a drive train and an internal combustion engine coupled to a manual transmission of the drive train suitable for propelling the vehicle, and the vehicle having a radiator suitable for cooling the internal combustion engine, the method comprising:

installing a battery;

installing auxiliary devices suitable for operating auxiliary systems of the vehicle, the auxiliary devices including an air-conditioning coolant compressor and a fan for the radiator;

installing electric drivers for the auxiliary devices, wherein the electric drivers are configured for being energized by the battery;

installing an electric generator;

installing a battery charger wherein the battery is suitable for being energized by the generator via the battery charger; and

coupling the electric generator to the internal combustion engine via an external connection of the internal combustion engine or to the manual transmission via an external connection of the manual transmission suitable for driving the generator;

wherein the vehicle has a clutch in the drive train configured for disengaging the internal combustion engine from the manual transmission responsive to a clutch pedal being depressed, the method further comprising;

connecting a control device suitable to receive a clutch pedal position sensor signal and a vehicle speed sensor signal; and

configuring the control device to automatically shut off the internal combustion engine in response to detecting an idling condition, wherein the idling condition includes a first condition wherein the control device receives a signal from the vehicle speed sensor indicating the vehicle is in a stationary state and a second condition wherein the control device receives a signal from the clutch pedal position sensor indicating the clutch pedal is in a released state;

further comprising configuring the control device to automatically generate a notification to a driver responsive to detecting a condition wherein the vehicle has been in a stationary state for a predetermined time interval and wherein the clutch pedal been has not been released during the predetermined time interval.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the coupling of the electric generator to the manual transmission via an external connection is via a power takeoff port of the manual transmission.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the coupling of the electric generator to the internal combustion engine via an external connection is via a cog belt.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein installing the auxiliary devices includes installing an air compressor for vehicle brakes and wherein installing the electric drivers for the auxiliary devices includes installing an electric driver for the air compressor, wherein the vehicle has an air compressor drive gear coupled to the internal combustion engine, wherein the coupling of the electric generator to the internal combustion engine via an external connection is via the air compressor drive gear, and wherein the internal combustion engine drives the electric generator via the air compressor drive gear instead of driving the air compressor.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising installing at least one electric converter configured for being energized by the battery, wherein the electric drivers are configured for being energized by the battery via the at least one electric converter.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising removing mechanical drive connections from the internal combustion engine to an OEM air conditioning coolant compressor and an OEM engine-cooling radiator fan.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the idling condition detected by the control device further includes a third condition wherein a predetermined time interval has expired after the first or second condition.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising configuring the control device to automatically restart the internal combustion engine responsive to receiving a signal from a clutch pedal position sensor indicating the clutch pedal is depressed.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising configuring the control device to automatically activate an alarm responsive to detecting a condition wherein the vehicle has been in a stationary state for a predetermined time interval and wherein the clutch pedal has not been released during the predetermined time interval.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising configuring a control device to regulate a base load of the electric generator to provide a base rate of battery recharging responsive to a user selected recharge time interval.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicle has an accelerator pedal configured for driver control of mechanical output of the internal combustion engine, the method further comprising configuring a control device to regulate a regenerative braking output of the electric generator responsive to a signal from an accelerator pedal position sensor indicating a physical position of the accelerator pedal.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicle has an accelerator pedal configured for driver control of mechanical output of the internal combustion engine, the method further comprising:

configuring a control device to regulate a base load of the electric generator to provide a base rate of battery recharging responsive to a predetermined recharge time interval;

configuring the control device to regulate a regenerative braking output of the electric generator responsive to a signal from an accelerator pedal position sensor indicating a physical position of the accelerator pedal; and

configuring the control device to regulate the base load of the electric generator, wherein the base rate of battery recharging is maintained essentially independent of the accelerator pedal position.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising configuring a control device to regulate the electric generator to provide a predetermined battery recharging rate responsive to a user selected charge rate and responsive to detection of permissive conditions.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the vehicle has a cruise controller configured for generating a cruise control torque demand signal when in a cruise control mode to regulate output of the internal combustion engine responsive to vehicle speed and a cruise control set point, the method further comprising:

configuring the control device such that the regenerative braking output is responsive to accelerator pedal position when the cruise controller is not in the cruise control mode; and

configuring the control device to, when the cruise controller is in the cruise control mode, regulate the regenerative braking load in response to i) a decrease in the cruise control torque demand signal and ii) a vehicle speed greater than the cruise control set point.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising configuring the control device to provide a reduced regenerative braking response to the accelerator pedal position for a first post-cruise control time interval after the cruise control mode is terminated.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising configuring the control logic to, in response to expiration of the first post-cruise control time interval, restore the regenerative braking response to the accelerator pedal position over a second post-cruise control time interval.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising configuring a control device to energize a motor for the radiator fan at a first predetermined speed responsive to internal combustion engine temperature exceeding a predetermined temperature.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising configuring the control device to increase a motor speed for the radiator fan to a second predetermined speed responsive to the internal combustion engine temperature continuing to exceed the predetermined temperature for a first predetermined temperature time interval.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising configuring the control device to operate the motor for the radiator fan at full speed responsive to the internal combustion engine temperature exceeding the predetermined temperature and vehicle speed exceeding a predetermined speed.

20. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

coupling a temperature sensor to a control device, wherein the temperature sensor is suitable to measure ambient temperature outside a cabin of the vehicle;

providing i) records stored in a memory accessible by the control device, the records indicating how much power is required to heat or cool the cabin for predetermined parameters including cabin temperature set point, rest time interval, and outside temperature, or ii) an algorithm stored in the memory for calculating the required power as a function of the predetermined parameters;

configuring the control device to receive user inputs indicating a user selected time for a rest interval and cabin temperature set point; and

configuring the control device to control charging of the battery, wherein the control device stops the charging when the battery reaches a required battery state of charge for a detected outside ambient temperature and the received rest time interval and temperature set point.

21. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

providing i) records stored in a memory accessible by a control device indicating how much cabin comfort power is required to cool a cabin of the vehicle for predetermined parameters including cabin temperature set point, rest time interval, and outside temperature, or ii) providing an algorithm in the memory for calculating the required power as a function of the predetermined parameters;

configuring the control device to measure an actual rate of power use during a user specified rest interval and time remaining for the rest interval;

configuring the control device to determine first required power that will be used in the time remaining for the rest interval based on the measured actual rate of power use;

configuring the control device to determine whether a current battery state of charge is sufficient to provide the determined first required power; and

configuring the control device to reduce power consumption responsive to determining that the current battery state of charge is not sufficient to provide the determined first required power.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising configuring the control device to determine from the records or the algorithm a new cabin temperature set point for a current outside ambient temperature and time remaining for the rest interval, wherein the new cabin temperature set point reduces power use such that the power that will be used in the time remaining for the rest interval based on a reduced rate of power use that is no greater than the current battery state of charge, wherein reducing the power use includes the control device causing the cabin temperature set point to change to the new cabin temperature set point.