Electric driveline system and electric driveline system operating method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11872875-B2
Application number	US-202117447405-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2021
Priority date	Sep 10, 2021
Publication date	Jan 16, 2024
Grant date	Jan 16, 2024

Abstract

Methods and systems for an electric driveline are provided. In one example, the electric driveline system includes a transmission with a planetary gearset, with a first gearset component rotationally coupled to a first electric machine and a second electric machine, and a first output interface and a second output interface rotationally coupled to a first axle and a second axle, respectively, and a second gearset component in the planetary gearset. The driveline system further includes a first friction clutch configured to selectively brake a third gearset component and a second friction clutch configured to selectively couple the first gearset component to an output shaft.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electric driveline system, comprising:
a transmission including:
a planetary gearset with a first gearset component that is rotationally coupled to a first electric machine and a second electric machine;
a first output interface and a second output interface rotationally coupled to a first axle and a second axle, respectively, and a second gearset component in the planetary gearset;
a first friction clutch coupled to a third gearset component in the planetary gearset and configured to selectively brake the third gearset component;
a second friction clutch configured to selectively couple the first gearset component to an output shaft; and
a first disconnect clutch and a second disconnect clutch coupled to the first and second output interfaces, respectively.

2. The electric driveline system of claim 1 , further comprising a control unit including instructions that when executed cause the control unit to
operate the first friction clutch and the second friction clutch to synchronously shift between a first gear configuration and a second gear configuration.

3. The electric driveline system of claim 1 , wherein the first gearset component is a sun gear, the second gearset component is a carrier, and the third gearset component is a ring gear.

4. The electric driveline system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third electric machine mechanically driving a lubricant pump; and
a control unit including instructions that when executed cause the control unit to:
adjust a speed of the lubricant pump based on a lubricant demand of the transmission;

wherein:
the third electric machine receives electric power from a lower voltage inverter and the first and second electric machines receive electric power from higher voltage inverters; or
the first electric machine, the second electric machine, and the third electric machine receive electric power from inverters that operate with a similar voltage.

5. The electric driveline system of claim 1 , further comprising a coolant circuit with coolant conduits routed through the first and second electric machines and a heat exchanger coupled to the transmission.

6. The electric driveline system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second electric machines are arranged parallel to one another.

7. The electric driveline system of claim 1 , further comprising a mechanical power take-off (PTO) and a PTO clutch coupled to the output shaft of the first electric machine or the second electric machine.

8. The electric driveline system of claim 7 , further comprising a control unit including instructions that when executed cause the control unit to:
allocate mechanical power distribution to the mechanical PTO and the output shaft based on a prioritization of a PTO power demand and a traction power demand.

9. The electric driveline system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first inverter electrically coupled to the first electric machine and a traction battery;
a second inverter electrically coupled to the second electric machine and the traction battery; and
a control unit including instructions that when executed cause the control unit to:
coordinate electric power flow to the first and second inverters from the traction battery.

10. The electric driveline system of claim 1 , further comprising a heat exchanger coupled to a transmission housing or a vehicle frame and configured to transfer heat from a lubricant in the transmission to a coolant that is circulated through the heat exchanger.

11. A method for operation of an electric driveline system, comprising:
transferring rotational energy to a sun gear of a planetary gearset from a first electric machine and a second electric machine; and
shifting between a first gear configuration and a second gear configuration via:
engagement of a first friction clutch coupled to a ring gear of the planetary gearset and a synchronizer coupled to the first friction clutch; and
disengagement of a second friction clutch coupled to the sun gear of the planetary gearset; and

transferring rotational energy to one or more of a first axle and a second axle from a carrier in the planetary gearset.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising transferring rotational energy from the first electric machine to a power take-off (PTO).

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising disconnecting the first axle from the electric driveline system via operation of a first disconnect clutch.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising disconnecting the second axle from the electric driveline system via operation of a second disconnect clutch.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of shifting between the first gear configuration and the second gear configuration is implemented by a driveline control unit (DCU) in electronic communication with a vehicle control unit (VCU).

16. An electric driveline system, comprising:
a powershift transmission including:
a planetary gearset with sun gear rotationally coupled to a first electric machine and a second electric machine;
a first output interface and a second output interface coupled to a carrier in the planetary gearset and to a first axle and a second axle, respectively;
a first friction clutch and a synchronizer coupled to a ring gear in the planetary gearset, wherein the first friction clutch is configured to brake the ring gear to shift the planetary gearset between a first gear configuration and a second gear configuration; and

a second friction clutch coupled to the sun gear and configured to selectively couple the sun gear to an output shaft.

17. The electric driveline system of claim 16 , further comprising:
a mechanical power take-off (PTO) and a PTO clutch coupled to the output shaft of the first electric machine or the second electric machine; and
a control unit including instructions that when executed cause the control unit to:
allocate mechanical power distribution to the mechanical PTO and the planetary gearset based on a prioritization of a PTO power demand and a traction power demand.

18. The electric driveline system of claim 16 , further comprising:
a third electric machine mechanically driving a lubricant pump; and
a control unit including instructions that when executed cause the control unit to:
operate the lubricant pump and a valve coupled to the powershift transmission to adjust a flowrate of lubricant to the planetary gearset based on lubrication demands of the powershift transmission.

19. The electric driveline system of claim 18 , wherein:
the third electric machine receives electric power from a lower voltage inverter and the first and second electric machines receive electric power from higher voltage inverters; or
the first electric machine, the second electric machine, and the third electric machine receive electric power from inverters that have a similar operating voltage.

Assignees

• Dana Belgium Nv

Inventors

• Van Dingenen Joachim
• Hannon Bert
• Versini Jessica

Classifications

• B60K1/02 Primary

  comprising more than one electric motor · CPC title

• B60K17/046

  with planetary gearing having orbital motion · CPC title

• B60K2023/043

  Control means for varying left-right torque distribution, e.g. torque vectoring · CPC title

• Y02T10/62

  Hybrid vehicles · CPC title