Electric vehicle and on-board battery charging apparatus therefor

• US 9,802,605 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2010
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: swissauto powersport LLC (Polaris Inc.)
• Original Assignee: swissauto powersport LLC (Polaris Inc.)
• Inventors: Wenger, Urs, Kohler, Beat Rene, Jenni, Hans-Rudolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II, J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coolman, Travis
• Application Number:
  US12/928,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20110155489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,514 Days
• Field of Search: 180 6531, 237 121, 1841041, 1841042, 123196 AB, 123 4133
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/24 characterised by the combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/36 characterised by the transmission gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/38 characterised by the driveline clutches shift clutches within the gearing or transmission B60K6/36 , B60K6/54
• 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 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/62 charged by low-power generators primarily intended to support the batteries, e.g. range extenders
• 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 20/13 in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/246 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 3/003 Combination of crank axles and bearings housed in the bottom bracket bottom bracket frame details B62K19/34
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 1/076 by clamping together two faces perpendicular to the axis of rotation, e.g. with bolted flanges
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 1/10 Quick-acting couplings in which the parts are connected by simply bringing them together axially
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 3/18 : the coupling parts (1) having slidably-interengaging teeth
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 1/376 : having projections, studs, serrations or the like on at least one surface F16F1/3835 , F16F1/387 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems
• 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

Abstract

An electric vehicle and a range extender engine are shown including the controls to operate the same.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

an electric propulsion drive assembly;

a plurality of ground engaging members driven only by the electric propulsion drive assembly;

a first cooling circuit for the electric propulsion drive assembly, the first cooling circuit including a first coolant other than oil;

an engine, including a crankcase having an oil sump;

a pre-heater for the oil sump in fluid communication with the first cooling circuit for pre-heating engine oil, the pre-heater being incorporated into the engine oil sump and comprising a heat exchanger utilizing the first coolant as the pre-heating medium for heating the oil;

a second cooling circuit for cooling the engine, the second cooling circuit circulating a second coolant to a portion of the engine different from the pre-heater;

an electric storage unit coupled to the electric propulsion drive assembly; and

a generator driven by the engine for recharging the electric storage unit, wherein the first cooling circuit circulates the first coolant to the generator.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the oil sump has a lower surface defining a portion of the pre-heater.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the oil sump lower surface defines cooling passageways and the pre-heater further comprises a cover plate enclosing the passageways.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second cooling circuit includes a passenger compartment heating element for heating a passenger compartment of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, further comprising an electric heater for the passenger compartment and a control circuit to determine whether to operate the electric heater or to start the engine and operate the passenger compartment heating element of the second cooling circuit.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the portion of the engine includes a water jacket of the engine.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first and second cooling circuits are discrete.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first cooling circuit has a lower maximum operating temperature than the second cooling circuit.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the pre-heater is integrated with the oil sump of the crankcase.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a control mechanism to start the engine and generator at defined charge levels of the electric storage unit.

11. A vehicle, comprising:

an electric propulsion drive assembly;

a first cooling circuit for cooling the electric propulsion drive assembly, the first cooling circuit including a first coolant;

an engine including a crankcase having an oil sump;

a pre-heater for the oil sump in fluid communication with the first cooling circuit for pre-heating engine oil, the pre-heater comprising a heat exchanger utilizing the first coolant as the pre-heating medium for heating the oil and the first coolant is a liquid other than oil; and

a second cooling circuit for cooling the engine, the second cooling circuit including a second coolant, the first and second cooling circuits being fluidly separate from one another, each of the first and second coolants being routed through the engine.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the first cooling circuit has a lower maximum operating temperature than the second cooling circuit.

13. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the pre-heater is integrated with the oil sump of the crankcase.

14. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the oil sump has a lower surface defining a portion of the pre-heater.

15. The vehicle of claim 11, further including a generator operative to output electrical energy used by the electric propulsion drive assembly, the first cooling circuit circulating coolant to the generator.

16. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the first cooling circuit and the second cooling circuit each include a radiator.

17. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the engine oil is contained within the engine.

18. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the first and second coolants are water.