Electric drivetrain system and method having a single speed ratio direct drive

• US 9,764,633 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2016
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Dorothy, Joshua, Adra, Rodwan, Zwilling, Edward, Kauk, Corey, Tigue, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Gurari, Erez
• Application Number:
  US15/071,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20170267093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/12 of electric gearing of electrically-actuated clutches B60K17/02
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/34 for driving both front and rear wheels, e.g. four wheel drive vehicles arrangement or mounting of control devices for changing number of driven wheels B60K23/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/10 using propulsion power supplied by engine-driven generators, e.g. generators driven by combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/17 Construction vehicles, e.g. graders, excavators
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/41 Construction vehicles, e.g. graders, excavators
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/415 Wheel loaders
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/92 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/60 Electric Machines, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/10 the sub-units or components being engines, clutches or transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/34 with bucket-arms , i.e. a pair of arms, e.g. manufacturing processes, form, geometry, material of bucket-arms with a single arm E02F3/283 directly pivoted on the frames of tractors or self-propelled machines
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2075 of the hybrid type for vehicles in general B60W20/00
• 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: Y10S 903/915 Specific drive or transmission adapted for hev
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/916 with plurality of drive axles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/919 : Stepped shift
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 : Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

A machine having a series electric drivetrain system includes an engine to provide mechanical energy to an electric generator, the electric generator able to convert the mechanical energy received from the engine into electrical energy, the electric generator including an input shaft extending through the electric generator, a rotor to rotate on the input shaft, and the input shaft is able to rotate an input gear, an idler gear, a pump drive gear, and a rotor gear, a motor to receive the electrical energy and to produce a rotational output, a single speed ratio direct drive to transfer the rotational output of the motor to a torque output to deliver to a drive shaft, and power electronics to control the electrical energy between the electric generator and the motor and to regulate the rotational output of the motor.

Claims

1. A machine having a series electric drivetrain system, the machine comprising:

an engine configured to provide mechanical energy to an electric generator;

the electric generator configured to convert the mechanical energy received from the engine into electrical energy, the electric generator comprising an input shaft extending through the electric generator, a rotor configured to be rotatably supported by and about the input shaft, and the input shaft is configured to rotate an input gear, an idler gear, a pump drive gear, and a rotor gear;

a motor configured to receive the electrical energy and to produce a rotational output;

a single speed ratio direct drive configured to transfer the rotational output of the motor to a torque output to deliver to a drive shaft; and

power electronics configured to control the electrical energy between the electric generator and the motor and to regulate the rotational output of the motor.

2. The machine of claim 1, wherein the electric generator and the motor are positioned between the engine and the single speed ratio direct drive in an area defining a series electric drivetrain space claim that is comparable to a mechanical drivetrain space claim defined by a mechanical drivetrain system, and the series electric drivetrain system is configured to operate in place of the mechanical drivetrain system.

3. The machine of claim 1, wherein the rotor is positioned on a hollow rotor shaft, the hollow rotor shaft having a first end and a second end.

4. The machine of claim 3, wherein the first end of the hollow rotor shaft is rotatably supported about the input shaft at the electric generator to engine connection interface and the second end is rotatably supported about the input shaft and connected to the rotor gear.

5. The machine of claim 1, wherein the electric generator and hydraulic pumps each use speed-up gearing configured to produce an output speed wherein an output speed of the engine is less than the output speed of the electric generator and the hydraulic pumps.

6. The machine of claim 5, wherein the input gear drives the idler gear and the idler gear drives the pump drive gear to create a first speed up ratio;

and

the idler gear is connected to and rotates in unison with a driven gear, the driven gear drives the rotor gear to create a second speed up ratio.

7. The machine of claim 6, wherein the series electric drivetrain system using the single speed ratio direct drive is configured to provide a stall torque and run out performance that is consistent with a mechanical drivetrain system using a multispeed transmission.

8. A machine comprising:

an engine configured to provide mechanical energy to an electric generator;

the electric generator configured to convert the mechanical energy received from the engine into electrical energy and into hydraulic power, and the electric generator comprising an input shaft extending through the electric generator, a rotor configured to rotate on the input shaft, and the input shaft is configured to rotate an input gear, an idler gear, a pump drive gear, and a rotor gear;

a motor configured to receive the electrical energy and to produce a rotational output;

a single speed ratio direct drive configured to transfer the rotational output of the motor to a torque output to deliver to a drive shaft; and

power electronics configured to transmit the electrical energy between the electric generator and the motor and to regulate the rotational output of the motor.

9. The machine of claim 8, wherein the electric generator and the motor are positioned between the engine and the single speed ratio direct drive in an area defining a series electric drive space claim that is comparable to a mechanical drivetrain space claim defined by a mechanical drivetrain system, and a series electric drivetrain system comprising the engine, the electric generator, the motor, and the single speed ratio direct drive is configured to operate in place of the mechanical drivetrain system.

10. The machine of claim 8, wherein the rotor is positioned on a hollow rotor shaft, the hollow rotor shaft having a first end and a second end.

11. The machine of claim 10, wherein the first end of the hollow rotor shaft is rotatably supported about the input shaft at the electric generator to engine connection interface and the second end is rotatably supported about the input shaft and connected to the rotor gear.

12. The machine of claim 9, wherein the electric generator and hydraulic pumps each use speed-up gearing configured to produce an output speed wherein an output speed of the engine is less than the output speed of the electric generator and the hydraulic pumps.

13. The machine of claim 12, wherein the input gear drives the idler gear and the idler gear drives the pump drive gear to create a first speed up ratio;

and

the idler gear is connected to and rotates in unison with a driven gear, the driven gear drives the rotor gear to create a second speed up ratio.

14. The machine of claim 13 wherein the series electric drivetrain system using the single speed ratio direct drive is configured to provide a torque and run out performance that is consistent with a mechanical drivetrain system using a multispeed transmission.

15. A method of replacing a mechanical drivetrain system with a series electric drivetrain system, the method comprising:

removing mechanical components from the mechanical drivetrain system; and

replacing the mechanical components of the mechanical drivetrain system with power electronics and with electrical components of the series electric drivetrain system, wherein;

the electrical components of the series electric drivetrain system comprise a switched reluctance motor and an electric generator with an input shaft extending through the electric generator, the electrical components positioned between an engine and a single speed ratio direct drive in an area defining a series electric drive space claim that is comparable to a mechanical drivetrain space claim defined by the mechanical drivetrain system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein removing the mechanical components of the mechanical drivetrain system comprises removing a torque converter, a multispeed transmission, and a drive shaft.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein replacing the multispeed transmission further comprises replacing the multispeed transmission with the switched reluctance motor, wherein the single speed ratio direct drive is configured to transfer a rotational output of the switched reluctance motor to a torque output to ground engaging members.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a stall torque and run out performance of the series electric drivetrain system is comparable to the mechanical drivetrain system.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising driving ground engaging members with the switched reluctance motor and the single speed ratio direct drive to provide a stall torque and run out performance with the series electric drivetrain system that is comparable to the mechanical drivetrain system.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the series electric drive space claim has a volume that is comparable to a volume of the mechanical drivetrain space claim.