Electric powertrain for truck

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11725722-B2
Application number	US-202217657695-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2022
Priority date	Apr 2, 2021
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

A powertrain assembly includes one or several electric motors, a gearbox comprising a gearbox housing, an axle comprising: an axle housing, movable parts inside axle housing, comprising a shaft for a wheel, a lubricating system comprising an axle lubricating device comprising an axle oil sump and a gearbox lubricating device comprising a gearbox oil sump inside the gearbox housing which is a dry sump having an oil storage area which is separate from said gearbox oil sump, a scavenge pump and a first duct configured to retrieve oil from gear box oil sump and to convey the retrieved oil up to the oil storage area, and a main pump and a second duct configured to convey oil from the storage oil area to lubricate the gears of the gearbox.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A powertrain assembly comprising:
one or several electric motors,
a gearbox comprising a gearbox housing receiving gears therein, including at least one input gear wheel, engaged with said electric motor, and an output gear wheel,
an axle comprising:
an axle housing,
movable parts inside axle housing, comprising a shaft for a wheel, said shaft receiving power from the output gear wheel,
a lubricating system comprising an axle lubricating device comprising an axle oil sump disposed inside the axle housing and a gearbox lubricating device comprising a gearbox oil sump inside the gearbox housing,
wherein said gearbox lubricating device is a dry sump lubricating system, comprising:
an oil storage area which is separate from said gearbox oil sump,
a scavenge pump and a first duct configured to retrieve oil from gear box oil sump and to convey the retrieved oil up to the oil storage area, and,
a main pump and a second duct configured to convey oil from the storage oil area to lubricate the gears of the gearbox, via at least a spraying nozzle,
and wherein said oil storage area is formed in the axle oil sump, wherein the scavenge pump conveys oil to lubricate movable parts in the axle housing at a high delivery point (HD) whose level position (L HD ) is higher than the level (L O ) of oil in the axle oil sump, said high delivery point being configured so that the conveyed oil lubricates the movable part before falling in the axle oil tank, wherein the axle housing is interposed between the gearbox housing and the one or several electric motors.

2. A powertrain according to claim 1 wherein the axle housing and the gearbox housing are contiguous, the internal atmosphere of axle housing and the internal atmosphere of gear box housing being in gas communication.

3. A powertrain according to claim 2 wherein the axle housing and the gearbox housing share a single breathing system configured to equilibrate the pressure of the internal atmosphere of axle housing and the pressure of the internal atmosphere of gear box housing with the pressure of an outside atmosphere.

4. A powertrain according to claim 1 , wherein the axle oil sump and the gearbox oil sump share a single oil filing input at axle housing.

5. A powertrain according to claim 1 wherein the lubricating system comprises an oil cooler configured to cool oil conveyed by first duct, or to cool oil conveyed by second duct.

6. A powertrain according to claim 1 comprising an oil filter configured to protect main pump, and a by-pass valve configured to bypass said oil filter when said oil filter is clogged.

7. A powertrain according to claim 1 wherein said gearbox comprises a system configured to change the gear ratio between output gear wheel and input gear wheel.

8. A powertrain assembly according to claim 1 wherein the movable parts in axle housing comprises: a differential gear having a differential ring wheel at input, a first output and a second output, said differential ring wheel engaged with output gear wheel of said gearbox, a first shaft for a first wheel and a second shaft for a second wheel coupled respectively to first output and second output of said differential gear.

9. A powertrain assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the scavenge pump and/or the main pump is driven by a shaft that receives power from axle's movable parts, or receives power from the gear box.

10. A powertrain assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the scavenge pump and/or the main pump is an electrical pump.

11. A powertrain assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said axle lubricating device and said gearbox lubricating device are deprived of an oil reservoir which is distinct from the axle oil sump and the gearbox oil sump.

12. A powertrain assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the scavenge pump conveys oil to lubricate movable parts of said electric motor.

13. A vehicle chosen among trucks, buses, or construction equipment comprising a powertrain assembly according to claim 1 .

14. A powertrain assembly comprising:
one or several electric motors;
a gearbox comprising a gearbox housing receiving gears therein, including at least one input gear wheel, engaged with said electric motor, and an output gear wheel;
an axle comprising:
an axle housing;
movable parts inside the axle housing, comprising a shaft for a wheel, said shaft receiving power from the output gear wheel;
a lubricating system comprising an axle lubricating device comprising an axle oil sump disposed inside the axle housing and a gearbox lubricating device comprising a gearbox oil sump inside the gearbox housing;
wherein said gearbox lubricating device is a dry sump lubricating system, comprising:
an oil storage area which is separate from said gearbox oil sump;
a scavenge pump and a first duct configured to retrieve oil from gear box oil sump and to convey the retrieved oil up to the oil storage area; and,
a main pump and a second duct configured to convey oil from the storage oil area to lubricate the gears of the gearbox, via at least a spraying nozzle;
and wherein said oil storage area is formed in the axle oil sump wherein said scavenge pump conveys oil to lubricate movable parts of electric motor including an output shaft gear and/or a bearing of the electric motor, wherein the axle housing is interposed between the gearbox housing and the one or several electric motors.

15. A powertrain according to claim 14 , comprising two electric motors.

Assignees

• Volvo Truck Corp

Inventors

• Granottier Nicolas
• Boutin Baptiste

Classifications

• F16H57/0483 Primary

  Axle or inter-axle differentials · CPC title

• F16H57/027

  characterised by means for venting gearboxes, e.g. air breathers · CPC title

• F16H57/0417

  Heat exchangers adapted or integrated in the gearing · CPC title

• F16H57/0436

  Pumps · CPC title

• F16H57/0476

  Electric machines and gearing, i.e. joint lubrication or cooling or heating thereof · CPC title