Vehicle transmission and method for operation of said transmission

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11441645-B2
Application number	US-202016882152-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2020
Priority date	May 22, 2020
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

Methods and systems for a vehicle transmission are provided. In one example, a vehicle transmission system includes a first planetary gear set rotationally coupled to a second planetary gear set and a first electrical machine rotationally coupled to a gear in the first planetary gear set. The vehicle transmission system further includes a second electrical machine rotationally coupled to a gear in the second planetary gear set and a first clutch configured to selectively disconnect the first and second planetary gear sets from a drive axle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle transmission system, comprising:
a first planetary gear set rotationally coupled to a second planetary gear set;
a first electrical machine rotationally coupled to a gear in the first planetary gear set;
a second electrical machine rotationally coupled to a gear in the second planetary gear set; and
a first clutch configured to selectively disconnect the first and second planetary gear sets from a drive axle.

2. The vehicle transmission system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an electrical energy storage device electrically coupled to the first and second electrical machines; and
a controller including executable instructions stored in non-transitory memory that cause the controller to:
operate the first clutch to disconnect the first and second planetary gear sets from the drive axle.

3. The vehicle transmission system of claim 2 , wherein the controller includes executable instructions stored in the non-transitory memory that cause the controller to:
operate the first clutch to connect the first and second planetary gear sets to the drive axle.

4. The vehicle transmission system of claim 2 , wherein operating the first clutch to disconnect the first and second planetary gear sets from the drive axle brings an output of the vehicle transmission to a zero-torque state without operation of an inverter electrically coupled to the first and second electrical machines.

5. The vehicle transmission system of claim 1 , further comprising an inverter electrically coupled to the first and second electrical machines and an electrical energy storage device.

6. The vehicle transmission system of claim 5 , wherein the inverter is not configured to guarantee a zero-torque state for the first and second electrical machines.

7. The vehicle transmission system of claim 5 , further comprising an electrical power take-off electrically coupled to the inverter.

8. The vehicle transmission system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second clutch configured to selectively rotationally couple a carrier in the first planetary gear set from a ring gear in the second planetary gear set;
a third clutch configured to selectively rotationally couple an input shaft to the second planetary gear set; and
a brake coupled to the second planetary gear set.

9. The vehicle transmission system of claim 1 , further comprising a mechanical power take-off rotationally coupled to an engine, wherein the first planetary gear set is rotationally coupled to the engine.

10. The vehicle transmission system of claim 1 , wherein the first planetary gear set, the second planetary gear set, the first electrical machine, the second electrical machine, and the first clutch are arranged co-axial to one another.

11. The vehicle transmission system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle transmission is an electro-mechanical infinitely variable transmission (EMIVT).

12. An electro-mechanical infinitely variable transmission (EMIVT) system, comprising:
a first planetary gear set coupled to a second planetary gear set;
a neutral clutch configured to selectively disconnect the first and second planetary gear sets from a drive axle;
an inverter electrically coupled to a first electrical machine and a second electrical machine; and
wherein the first electrical machine is coupled to the first planetary gear set and the second electrical machine is coupled to the second planetary gear set;
a controller including executable instructions stored in non-transitory memory that, during an operating condition, cause the controller to:
operate the neutral clutch to disconnect the first and second planetary gear sets from the drive axle.

13. The EMIVT system of claim 12 , further comprising an electrical energy storage device electrically coupled to the inverter and wherein the operating condition is a condition where a period of time a vehicle remains at rest exceeds a threshold value and/or a fault state condition.

14. The EMIVT system of claim 12 , wherein the inverter is not configured to guarantee a zero-torque state for the first and second electrical machines.

15. The EMIVT system of claim 12 , further comprising:
an electrical power take-off electrically coupled to the inverter; and
a mechanical power take-off rotationally coupled to an engine, wherein the engine is rotationally coupled to the first planetary gear set.

Assignees

• Dana Belgium Nv

Inventors

• Van Dingenen Joachim
• Versini Jessica
• Verstraete Dries
• Hannon Bert

Classifications

• F16H3/727 Primary

  with at least two dynamo electric machines for creating an electric power path inside the gearing, e.g. using generator and motor for a variable power torque path · CPC title

• B60K2025/022

  by a mechanical transmission · CPC title

• B60Y2300/1886

  Controlling power supply to auxiliary devices · CPC title

• B60K25/00

  Auxiliary drives (arrangement of tyre-inflating pumps mounted on vehicles B60C23/10) · CPC title

• B60K2025/026

  by a hydraulic transmission · CPC title