Drive system and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10081238-B2
Application number	US-201715601526-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2017
Priority date	Nov 25, 2014
Publication date	Sep 25, 2018
Grant date	Sep 25, 2018

Abstract

A drive system, mountable onto a vehicle including a detachable rotational drive mechanism, for driving the rotational drive mechanism in accordance with a torque requirement. The drive system includes an engine that outputs first rotational power, and a generator that includes a rotor for receiving the first rotational power, a stator including a stator core with a winding wound thereon, a magnetic circuit for the winding passing through the stator core, and a supply current adjustment device for adjusting magnetic resistance of the magnetic circuit for the winding, to thereby change an inductance of the winding to adjust an output current of the generator. The drive system further includes a motor driven by the outputted current of the generator to output second rotational power to the rotational drive mechanism, and a control device configured to control both the engine and the supply current adjustment device, in accordance with the torque requirement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drive system, mountable onto a vehicle that includes a detachable rotational drive mechanism, for driving the rotational drive mechanism with an output torque in accordance with a torque requirement, the drive system comprising:
an engine configured to output first rotational power;
a generator, including
a rotor, including a permanent magnet, configured to receive the first rotational power,
a stator arranged opposite to the rotor, and including a stator core with a winding wound thereon, the first rotational power causing the rotor and the stator to generate a current for outputting by the generator, and

a supply current adjustment device configured to adjust magnetic resistance of a magnetic circuit for the winding, which passes through the stator core, to thereby change an inductance of the winding to adjust the output current;
a motor connected directly or indirectly to the rotational drive mechanism, and configured to be driven by the current outputted from the generator, to output second rotational power to the rotational drive mechanism; and
a control device configured both to control the engine to adjust the first rotational power and to control the supply current adjustment device to change the inductance of the winding, in accordance with the torque requirement.

2. The drive system according to claim 1 , wherein
the magnetic circuit for the winding, which passes through the stator core, includes at least one non-magnetic gap between the winding and the rotor, and
the supply current adjustment device adjusts the current to be supplied to the motor by changing the inductance of the winding, which is implemented by changing magnetic resistance of the non-magnetic gap between the winding and the rotor.

3. The drive system according to claim 2 , wherein
the magnetic circuit for the winding, which passes through the stator core, includes at least one non-magnetic gap, and
the supply current adjustment unit adjusts the current to be supplied to the motor by changing the inductance of the winding, which is implemented by changing magnetic resistance of a non-magnetic gap among the at least one non-magnetic gap, the magnetic resistance of the non-magnetic gap being highest when the inductance of the winding is set to a highest settable value.

4. The drive system according to claim 3 , wherein
a magnetic flux forms in the rotor and is linked with the winding, the magnetic flux changing, at a first change rate, as the rotor rotates, and
the supply current adjustment device is controlled by the control device to adjust the supply current by changing the inductance of the winding at a second change rate that is higher than the first change rate.

5. The drive system according to claim 4 , wherein the supply current adjustment device is controlled by the control device to move at least a portion of the stator core relative to the winding, to thereby adjust the magnetic resistance of the magnetic circuit for the winding, which passes through the stator core, so as to adjust the current to be outputted from the generator.

6. The drive system according to claim 3 , wherein the supply current adjustment device is controlled by the control device to move at least a portion of the stator core relative to the winding, to thereby adjust the magnetic resistance of the magnetic circuit for the winding, which passes through the stator core, so as to adjust the current to be outputted from the generator.

7. The drive system according to claim 2 , wherein
a magnetic flux forms in the rotor and is linked with the winding, the magnetic flux changing, at a first change rate, as the rotor rotates, and
the supply current adjustment device is controlled by the control device to adjust the supply current by changing the inductance of the winding at a second change rate that is higher than the first change rate.

8. The drive system according to claim 7 , wherein the supply current adjustment device is controlled by the control device to move at least a portion of the stator core relative to the winding, to thereby adjust the magnetic resistance of the magnetic circuit for the winding, which passes through the stator core, so as to adjust the current to be outputted from the generator.

9. The drive system according to claim 2 , wherein the supply current adjustment device is controlled by the control device to move at least a portion of the stator core relative to the winding, to thereby adjust the magnetic resistance of the magnetic circuit for the winding, which passes through the stator core, so as to adjust the current to be outputted from the generator.

10. The drive system according to claim 1 , wherein
the magnetic circuit for the winding, which passes through the stator core, includes at least one non-magnetic gap, and
the supply current adjustment unit adjusts the current to be supplied to the motor by changing the inductance of the winding, which is implemented by changing magnetic resistance of a non-magnetic gap among the at least one non-magnetic gap, the magnetic resistance of the non-magnetic gap being highest when the inductance of the winding is set to a highest settable value.

11. The drive system according to claim 10 , wherein
a magnetic flux forms in the rotor and is linked with the winding, the magnetic flux changing, at a first change rate, as the rotor rotates, and
the supply current adjustment device is controlled by the control device to adjust the supply current by changing the inductance of the winding at a second change rate that is higher than the first change rate.

12. The drive system according to claim 11 , wherein the supply current adjustment device is controlled by the control device to move at least a portion of the stator core relative to the winding, to thereby adjust the magnetic resistance of the magnetic circuit for the winding, which passes through the stator core, so as to adjust the current to be outputted from the generator.

13. The drive system according to claim 10 , wherein the supply current adjustment device is controlled by the control device to move at least a portion of the stator core relative to the winding, to thereby adjust the magnetic resistance of the magnetic circuit for the winding, which passes through the stator core, so as to adjust the current to be outputted from the generator.

14. The drive system according to claim 1 , wherein
a magnetic flux forms in the rotor and is linked with the winding, the magnetic flux changing, at a first change rate, as the rotor rotates, and
the supply current adjustment device is controlled by the control device to adjust the supply current by changing the inductance of the winding at a second change rate that is higher than the first change rate.

15. The drive system according to claim 14 , wherein the supply current adjustment device is controlled by the control device to move at least a portion of the stator core relative to the winding, to thereby adjust the magnetic resistance of the magnetic circuit for the winding, which passes through the stator core, so as to adjust the current to be outputted from the generator.

16. The drive system according to claim 1 , wherein the supply current adjustment device is controlled by the control device to move at least a portion of the stator core relative to the winding, to thereby adjust the magnetic resistance of the magnetic circuit for the winding, which passes through the stator core, so as to adjust the current to be outputted from the generator.

17. The drive system according to claim 16 , wherein the s

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hino Haruyoshi

Classifications

• H02K21/029

  Vectorial combination of the fluxes generated by a plurality of field sections or of the voltages induced in a plurality of armature sections · CPC title

• H02P2101/25

  for combustion engines · CPC title

• B60W20/00

  Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles {(hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L)} · CPC title

• H02P9/04

  Control effected upon non-electric prime mover and dependent upon electric output value of the generator · CPC title

• B60K6/26 Primary

  characterised by the motors or the generators · CPC title