Transmission, control device, and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10449846-B2
Application number	US-201715587569-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2017
Priority date	Nov 25, 2014
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

A transmission for outputting a rotational torque in accordance with a torque requirement. The transmission includes a generator, a motor and a control device. The generator includes a rotor configured to receive first rotational power from an engine, 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 configured to adjust magnetic resistance of the magnetic circuit for the winding, to thereby change an inductance of the winding to adjust a current outputted by the generator. The motor is driven by the current outputted from the generator, to thereby output second rotational power. The control device controls the supply current adjustment device to change the inductance of the winding, in accordance with the torque requirement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A transmission configured to output a rotational torque in accordance with a torque requirement, comprising:
a generator, including a rotor, including a permanent magnet, configured to receive first rotational power outputted from an engine,
a stator 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, wherein the magnetic circuit passes through the stator core, to thereby switch between a low-resistance state and a high-resistance state, and to thereby change an inductance of the winding to adjust the output current;
a motor configured to be driven by the current outputted from the generator, to thereby output second rotational power; and
a control device configured to control the supply current adjustment device to change the inductance of the winding, in accordance with the torque requirement, wherein
for each rotation speed of first rotational power, the current generated by the stator is of a first amount and a second amount when the supply current adjustment device is in the low-resistance state and the high-resistance state, respectively, the first amount being larger than the second amount when said each rotation speed is lower than a threshold, and smaller than the second amount when said each rotation speed is higher than the threshold,
the supply current adjustment device changes the magnetic resistance of the magnetic circuit for the winding by moving at least a portion of the stator core relative to the winding, to thereby adjust the current to be outputted from the generator, and
the control device is configured to control the current adjustment device to, responsive to receipt of the torque requirement,
switch from the low-resistance state to the high-resistance state when a rotation speed of the received first rotational power is higher than the threshold, and
switch from the high-resistance state to the low-resistance state when the rotation speed of the received first rotational power is lower than the threshold.

2. The transmission according to claim 1 , further comprising a motor power control device provided in an electric power supply path between the generator and the motor, wherein
the control device controls both the motor power control device and the supply current adjustment device, to thereby adjust the current outputted from the generator.

3. The transmission according to claim 2 , wherein
the magnetic circuit for the winding includes at least one non-magnetic gap between the winding and the rotor, and
the supply current adjustment device adjusts the current to be outputted from the generator by changing the inductance of the winding, the changing of the inductance being implemented by changing magnetic resistance of the at least one non-magnetic gap between the winding and the rotor.

4. The transmission according to claim 3 , wherein
the magnetic resistance of the at least one non-magnetic gap is highest when the inductance of the winding is set to a highest settable value.

5. The transmission according to claim 2 , wherein
the magnetic circuit for the winding includes at least one non-magnetic gap, and
the supply current adjustment unit adjusts the current to be outputted from the generator by changing the inductance of the winding, the changing of the inductance being 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 among the at least one non-magnetic gap being highest when the inductance of the winding is set to a highest settable value.

6. The transmission according to claim 1 , further comprising an engine output adjustment device and an engine control device configured to control the engine output adjustment device,
wherein the control device is configured to direct the supply current adjustment device to change the inductance of the winding while the engine control device directs the engine output adjustment device to adjust the first rotational power outputted from the engine.

7. The transmission according to claim 6 , wherein
the magnetic circuit for the winding includes at least one non-magnetic gap between the winding and the rotor, and
the supply current adjustment device adjusts the current to be outputted from the generator by changing the inductance of the winding, the changing of the inductance being implemented by changing magnetic resistance of the at least one non-magnetic gap between the winding and the rotor.

8. The transmission according to claim 7 , wherein
the magnetic resistance of the at least one non-magnetic gap is highest when the inductance of the winding is set to a highest settable value.

9. The transmission according to claim 6 , wherein
the magnetic circuit for the winding includes at least one non-magnetic gap, and
the supply current adjustment unit adjusts the current to be outputted from the generator by changing the inductance of the winding, the changing of the inductance being 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 among the at least one non-magnetic gap being highest when the inductance of the winding is set to a highest settable value.

10. The transmission according to claim 1 , wherein
the magnetic circuit for the winding includes at least one non-magnetic gap between the winding and the rotor, and
the supply current adjustment device adjusts the current to be outputted from the generator by changing the inductance of the winding, the changing of the inductance being implemented by changing magnetic resistance of the at least one non-magnetic gap between the winding and the rotor.

11. The transmission according to claim 10 , wherein
the magnetic resistance of the at least one non-magnetic gap is highest when the inductance of the winding is set to a highest settable value.

12. The transmission according to claim 1 , wherein
the magnetic circuit for the winding includes at least one non-magnetic gap, and
the supply current adjustment unit adjusts the current to be outputted from the generator by changing the inductance of the winding, the changing of the inductance being 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 among the at least one non-magnetic gap being highest when the inductance of the winding is set to a highest settable value.

13. The transmission 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 adjusts the current to be outputted from the generator by changing the inductance of the winding at a second change rate that is higher than the first change rate.

14. The transmission according to claim 1 , wherein the supply current adjustment device causes the portion of the stator core to move relative to the winding while maintaining a position of the stator core relative to the rotor.

15. The transmission according to claim 1 , wherein the supply current adjustment device changes the magnetic resistance of the magnetic circuit for the winding, by moving the winding, to thereby adjust the current to be outputted from the generator.

1

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hino Haruyoshi

Classifications

• Y10S903/906

  Motor or generator · CPC title

• B60Y2200/92

  Hybrid vehicles · CPC title

• B60L2220/50

  Structural details of electrical machines · CPC title

• B60K6/24

  characterised by the combustion engines · CPC title

• H02K7/006

  Structural association of a motor or generator with the drive train of a motor vehicle · CPC title