Motor vehicle accessory to increase power supply and reduce fuel requirements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016318421-A1
Application number	US-201615144775-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 2, 2016
Priority date	May 1, 2015
Publication date	Nov 3, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A power control system may include at least one of batteries, a motor, and a data logic analyzer that can interpret certain variable conditions of a transport, such as a tractor trailer, moving along a road or highway. The data can be used to determine when to apply supplemental power to the wheels of a trailer to reduce fuel usage. One example device may include at least one of a power source affixed to a trailer to capture energy from movement of an axle of the trailer, and a motor powered by the power source to operate and provide movement assistance to the axle.

First claim

1 . An apparatus comprising:
a power source affixed to a trailer configured to capture energy from movement of an axle of the trailer; and a motor powered by the power source and configured to operate and provide movement assistance to the axle.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power source stops capturing energy from the movement of the axle when the motor is providing movement assistance to the axle.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power source stops operating and permits the motor to begin coasting based on a received command from a controller.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power source and motor are mounted to an undercarriage of the trailer.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the motor further provides a charging mode of operation to charge the power source.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power source comprises at least one battery.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller configured to identify a driving condition experienced by the trailer, and provide a control operation command to operate the motor based on the driving condition.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein in a passive mode of operation, a rotation of the axle spins the motor.

9 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein in an active mode of operation, the motor applies torque to the axle.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein in the active mode of operation, the at least one battery is used to power the motor.

11 . An apparatus comprising:
a power source affixed to a trailer configured to charge a battery from movement of an axle of the trailer; and a motor powered by the battery and configured to operate and provide movement assistance to the axle.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the power source stops capturing energy from the movement of the axle when the motor is providing movement assistance to the axle.

13 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the power source stops operating and permits the motor to begin coasting based on a received command from a controller.

14 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the power source and motor are mounted to an undercarriage of the trailer.

15 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the motor further provides a charging mode of operation to charge the battery.

16 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the battery can also be charged via at least one of a solar panel and movement of shocks of a vehicle attached to the trailer.

17 . The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
a controller configured to identify a driving condition experienced by the trailer, and provide a control operation command to operate the motor based on the driving condition.

18 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein in a passive mode of operation, a rotation of the axle spins the motor.

19 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein in an active mode of operation, the motor applies torque to the axle.

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein in the active mode of operation, the battery is used to power at least one of the motor, a vehicle attached to the trailer, a refrigeration unit of the vehicle, and a heating unit of the vehicle.

21 . A trailer suitable for use in a tractor-trailer vehicle configuration in which a dominant motive force is supplied from a fuel consuming engine of the tractor, the trailer comprising:
one or more on-trailer motor-generators coupled to a respective one or more drive axles of the trailer to provide, in a first mode of operation, an assistive motive rotational force at wheels of the trailer and to provide, in a second mode of operation, a regenerative braking force at wheels of the trailer, the one or more on-trailer motor-generators responsive to a controller operatively coupled to one or more sensor inputs to transition between the first, the second and at least a third mode of operation based on characterization, during motion of the tractor-trailer vehicle over a roadway, of an uphill or downhill angle of inclination in a direction of travel over the roadway; and an on-trailer battery from which stored energy is supplied to power the one or more on-trailer motor-generators in the first mode of operation and to which regenerated braking energy is supplied in the second mode of operation.

22 . The trailer of claim 21 , wherein the controller includes an on-trailer motor controller portion that controls supply of energy from and to the one or more on-trailer motor-generators and a vehicle controller portion that interfaces with sensors and data sources including either or both of:
a geopositioning system configured to predict, for travel over the roadway along a route of predicted travel and based on then-current geopositioning and terrain information, future values of the uphill or downhill angle of inclination in the direction of travel over the roadway; and an inclinometer configured to indicate, during motion of the tractor-trailer vehicle over the roadway, the uphill or downhill angle of inclination in the direction of travel over the roadway.

23 . The trailer of claim 22 ,
wherein the vehicle controller portion is configured to manage charging and discharging of the on-trailer battery in accordance with terrain along the route of predicted travel.

24 . The trailer of claim 22 , wherein the vehicle controller portion interfaces with further sensors or data sources including one or more of:
an on-vehicle accelerometer; an on-vehicle gyroscope; and a braking status indication, a speed indication or electronic control module (ECM) data from the tractor.

25 . The trailer of claim 22 ,
wherein, in the third mode of operation, neither motive rotational nor regenerative braking forces are applied to the one or more drive axles of the trailer using the one or more on-trailer motor-generators, but instead the tractor-trailer vehicle coasts or is motivated over the roadway solely by the fuel consuming engine of the tractor.

26 . The trailer of claim 21 , further comprising:
at least one additional motor-generator operatively coupled to the controller and coupled to at least another of the one or more drive axles to provide, in the first mode of operation, the assistive motive rotational force and to provide, in the second mode of operation, the regenerative braking force, wherein the controller further coordinates the motive rotational or regenerative braking forces applied to respective ones of the one or more drive axles.

27 . A method comprising:
in a tractor-trailer vehicle configuration in which a dominant motive force is supplied from a fuel consuming engine of the tractor and wherein at least one drive axle of the tractor-trailer vehicle configuration is unpowered by the fuel consuming engine,
providing, in a first mode of operation, an assistive motive rotational force at the drive axle using an electric motor-generator powered from a battery so as to reduce fuel consumption of the fuel consuming engine of the tractor in an uphill grade or during acceleration; and
providing, in a second mode of operation, a regenerative braking force at the drive axle by capturing regenerative braking energy in a downhill grade or during braking using the electric motor-generator and storing the captured regenerative braking energy in the battery,
wherein the electric motor-generator is responsive to a controller operatively coupled to one or m

Assignees

• Hyliion Inc

Inventors

• Healy Thomas Joseph

Classifications

• B60L50/60

  using power supplied by batteries (in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75) · CPC title

• Y02T10/7072

  Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors · CPC title

• B60L15/2009

  for braking · CPC title

• B60Y2400/303

  Speed sensors · CPC title

• B60L15/2018

  for braking on a slope · CPC title