Magnetorheological (MR) clutches for hybrid drivetrain power distribution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12448143-B2
Application number	US-202318316714-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2023
Priority date	May 12, 2023
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

Systems and techniques for controlling a power distribution of a hybrid powertrain system using magnetorheological (MR) clutches. In embodiments, MR clutches may be used to control the power transfer from a mechanical power source to a plurality of loads. For example, mechanical power produced by a mechanical power source (e.g., an internal combustion engine (ICE)) may be transferred to each load of the plurality of loads using an MR clutch respectively connected to each load. In this example, the amount of mechanical power transferred from the mechanical power source to each of the loads of the plurality of loads may be controlled and/or managed using the MR clutch connected to each respective load. In embodiments, a load may be engaged or disengaged from the mechanical power source gradually, such as by ramping up or ramping down the amount of mechanical power transferred via the MR clutch to the load.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for controlling a power distribution of a powertrain system, the system comprising:
an engine configured to provide a mechanical power to drive a plurality of loads of the powertrain system;
the plurality of loads, wherein each load of the plurality of loads is operably connected to the engine;
a plurality of magnetorheological (MR) clutches connected to the plurality of loads, wherein each MR clutch of the plurality of MR clutches is configured to:
operably connect a respective one of the plurality of loads to the engine to transfer mechanical power from the engine to the respective one of the plurality of loads; and
control an amount of mechanical power transferred from the engine to the respective one of the plurality of loads by receiving an amount of current corresponding to a requested amount of mechanical power to be transferred from the engine to the respective one of the plurality of loads connected to the MR clutch and varying, in response to receiving the amount of current, a viscosity of an MR fluid of the MR clutch to vary an amount of torque transferred via the MR clutch from a driveshaft of the engine to a driveshaft of the respective one of the plurality of loads such that the amount of torque transferred from the driveshaft of the engine to the driveshaft of the respective one of the plurality of loads corresponds to the requested amount of mechanical power, wherein:
to increase the amount of mechanical power transferred from the engine to the respective one of the plurality of loads, the MR clutch receives the amount of current as a ramp up signal over a period of time, wherein the amount of current received by the MR clutch increases from a first amount to the amount of current corresponding to the requested amount of mechanical power over the period of time; and
to decrease the amount of mechanical power transferred from the engine to the respective one of the plurality of loads, the MR clutch receives the amount of current as a ramp down signal over a period of time, wherein the amount of current received by the MR clutch decreases from a first amount to the amount of current corresponding to the requested amount of mechanical power over the period of time.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the powertrain system includes a hybrid powertrain system including loads of different types.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the requested amount of mechanical power to be transferred from the engine to the load connected to the MR clutch is one of:
a minimum amount of mechanical power indicating that the load is to be disengaged from the engine; or
a maximum amount of mechanical power indicating that the load is to be engaged to the engine.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein a first load of the plurality of loads includes at least one propeller of an aircraft, the propeller configured to provide horizontal propulsion for the aircraft.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein a second load of the plurality of loads includes a generator, wherein the generator is connected to a battery configured to provide electrical power to at least one electric motor including at least one lift propeller of the aircraft configured to provide vertical lift for the aircraft.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein during a vertical flight mode, the engine operates at full power and the configuration of each MR clutch of the plurality of MR clutches to control the amount of mechanical power transferred from the engine to the respective one of the plurality of loads includes configuration of:
a first MR clutch to disengage the propeller from the engine; and
a second MR clutch to engage the generator to the engine to receive the full power from the engine.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the generator charges the battery and the battery provides the electrical power to the at least one electric motor including the at least one lift propeller of the aircraft to provide vertical lift for the aircraft, and wherein the electrical power provided by the battery to the at least one electric motor is greater than the charge received from the generator.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein during a first horizontal flight mode, the engine operates at full power and the configuration of each MR clutch of the plurality of MR clutches to control the amount of mechanical power transferred from the engine to the respective one of the plurality of loads includes configuration of:
a first MR clutch to engage the propeller to the engine to receive the full power from the engine, the propeller providing the horizontal propulsion for the aircraft; and
a second MR clutch to disengage the generator from the engine.

9. The system of claim 5 , wherein during a second horizontal flight mode, the engine operates at full power and the configuration of each MR clutch of the plurality of MR clutches to control the amount of mechanical power transferred from the engine to the respective one of the plurality of loads includes configuration of:
a first MR clutch to engage the propeller to the engine to receive at least a first portion of the full power from the engine based on the first MR clutch, the propeller providing the horizontal propulsion for the aircraft; and
a second MR clutch to engage the generator to the engine to receive at least a second portion of the full power from the engine based on the second MR clutch, the generator providing a charge for the battery.

10. A method of controlling a power distribution of a powertrain system, comprising:
operably connecting, using a plurality of magnetorheological (MR) clutches, a plurality of loads of the powertrain system to an engine configured to provide a mechanical power to drive the plurality of loads, wherein each load of the plurality of loads is operably connected to the engine using a respective MR clutch connected to each load; and
transferring an amount of mechanical power from the engine to each load of the plurality of loads, wherein the amount of mechanical power transferred from the engine to each load of the plurality of loads is controlled using an MR clutch connected to each respective load, wherein controlling the amount of mechanical power transferred from the engine to a load of the plurality of loads using the MR clutch connected to the load includes applying an amount of current to the MR clutch to control a viscosity of an MR fluid of the MR clutch to vary an amount of torque transferred via the MR clutch from a driveshaft of the engine to a driveshaft of the load connected to the MR clutch, including:
applying the amount of current as a ramp up signal over a period of time to increase the amount of mechanical power transferred from the engine to the load connected to the MR clutch, wherein the amount of current applied to the MR clutch is increased from a first amount to the amount of current over the period of time; and
applying the amount of current as a ramp down signal over a period of time to decrease the amount of mechanical power transferred from the engine to the load connected to the MR clutch, wherein the amount of current applied to the MR clutch is decreased from a first amount to the amount of current over the period of time.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein:
a first load of the plurality of loads includes at least one propeller of an aircraft, the propeller configured to provide horizontal propulsion for the aircraft; and
a second load of the plurality of loads includes a generator, wherein the generator is connected to a battery configured to provide electrical power to at least one electric motor including at least one lift propeller of the aircraft configured to provide vertical lift for the aircra

Assignees

• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Landry Francois
• Laforest Olivier
• Pedneault Plourde Nicola
• Lapalme Maxime

Classifications

• F16D2500/10412

  Transmission line of a vehicle · CPC title

• F16D2500/10475

  Magnetic field, e.g. electro-rheological, magnetisable particles · CPC title

• B60L53/00

  Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles · CPC title

• F16D48/06

  Control by electric or electronic means, e.g. of fluid pressure · CPC title

• F16D37/008 Primary

  the particles being carried by a fluid, to vary viscosity when subjected to electric change, i.e. electro-rheological or smart fluids (composition of such fluids C10M171/001) · CPC title