Motor Vehicle Accessory to Increase Power Supply and Reduce Fuel Requirements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020001726-A1
Application number	US-201916545033-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 20, 2019
Priority date	May 1, 2015
Publication date	Jan 2, 2020
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 creation module that generates electrical power, a battery which store the electrical power, a motor affixed to a trailer axle of a trailer which provides a turning force to the trailer axle when enabled to operate from the stored electrical power of the battery, and a motor controller configured to initiate the motor to operate according to a predefined sensor condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for use in a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a first electric motor-generator; a first wheel coupled with the first electric motor-generator to provide, in a first mode of operation, a motive rotational force at the first wheel to supplement the primary motive forces, and to provide, in a second mode of operation, a regenerative braking force; an energy store from which energy is supplied to power the first electric motor-generator in the first mode of operation and to which energy is supplied by regenerative braking in the second mode of operation; and a controller operatively coupled between the first electric motor-generator and a sensor input to transition the first electric motor-generator between the first, the second and at least a third mode of operation, during motion of the tractor-trailer vehicle over a roadway.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the vehicle includes a tractor-trailer vehicle.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the vehicle includes a tractor-trailer vehicle; and wherein the first electric motor-generator is coupled to provide the motive rotational force at a wheel of a trailer of the tractor-trailer vehicle.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the vehicle includes a tractor-trailer vehicle; and wherein the first electric motor-generator is coupled to provide the motive rotational force at a wheel of a tractor of the tractor-trailer vehicle.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the vehicle includes a tractor-trailer vehicle, and wherein a second wheel includes a second electric motor-generator; wherein the first electric motor-generator is coupled to provide the motive rotational force at a wheel of a trailer of the tractor-trailer vehicle; and wherein the second electric motor-generator is coupled to provide the motive rotational force at a wheel of a tractor of the tractor-trailer vehicle.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the suspension assembly is configured as a retrofit assembly for attachment beneath a trailer of the tractor-trailer vehicle as a replacement for an existing suspension assembly thereof which lacks a drive axle to boost fuel efficiency of the tractor-trailer vehicle configuration.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the energy store is further configured to receive at least one of compressed air energy and flywheel energy.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cooling system coupled to the energy store and configured to cool the energy store.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 ,
wherein the energy store includes a battery array, and wherein the battery array is submerged within a non-conductive fluid of the cooling system.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is couplable to receive signals from a controller area network bus (CANbus) or electronic control module (ECM) interface of a tractor of the tractor-trailer vehicle and responsive to at least some signals received therefrom.

11 . A method, comprising:
coupling a first wheel and a first electric motor-generator to provide, in a first mode of operation, an assistive motive force at the first wheel and, in a second mode of operation, a regenerative braking force, the one or more wheels configurable with tires to allow the trailer to roll along a roadway when motivated by a fuel consuming engine of a tractor to which the trailer is mechanically coupled in a tractor-trailer vehicle configuration; and coupling a controller between the first electric motor-generator and one or more sensor inputs to transition the first electric motor-generator between the first, the second, and at least a third mode of operation, during motion of the tractor-trailer vehicle over the roadway.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
coupling an energy store to receive energy regenerated by the first electric motor-generator.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
coupling the energy store to further receive at least one of compressed air energy and flywheel energy.

14 . The method of claim 11 ,
wherein the first electric motor-generator is coupled to provide the motive rotational force at a wheel of the trailer of the tractor-trailer vehicle.

15 . The method of claim 11 ,
wherein the first electric motor-generator is coupled to provide the motive rotational force at a wheel of the tractor of the tractor-trailer vehicle.

16 . The method of claim 11 ,
wherein a second wheel includes at least a second electric motor-generator; wherein the first electric motor-generator is coupled to provide the motive rotational force at a wheel of the trailer of the tractor-trailer vehicle; and wherein the second electric motor-generator is coupled to provide the motive rotational force at a wheel of the tractor of the tractor-trailer vehicle.

17 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
coupling the controller to a controller area network bus (CANbus) or electronic control module (ECM) interface of the tractor to receive and respond to at least some signals received therefrom.

18 . An apparatus for use in a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a first wheel including a first electric motor-generator and a second wheel including a second electric motor-generator, the first and second electric motor-generators coupled to provide, in a first mode of operation, a motive rotational force at respective ones of the first and second wheels to supplement the primary motive forces, and to provide, in a second mode of operation, a regenerative braking force; an energy store from which energy is supplied to power the first and second electric motor-generators in the first mode of operation and to which energy is supplied in the second mode of operation; and a controller operatively coupled between the first electric motor-generator, the second electric motor-generator, and one or more sensor inputs to independently transition each of the first and second electric motor-generators between the first, the second and at least a third mode of operation, during motion of the vehicle over a roadway.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 ,
wherein, based on a second sensor input, the controller transitions the second electric motor-generator between the first, the second, and the third mode of operation.

20 . The apparatus of claim 18 ,
wherein the vehicle includes a tractor-trailer vehicle; and wherein at least one of the first and second electric motor-generators is coupled to provide the motive rotational force at a wheel of a trailer of the tractor-trailer vehicle.

Assignees

• Hyliion Inc

Inventors

• Healy Thomas Joseph

Classifications

• B60L50/60

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

• B60Y2300/60

  Control of electric machines, e.g. problems related to electric motors or generators · CPC title

• B60T2220/04

  Pedal travel sensor, stroke sensor; Sensing brake request · CPC title

• B60L2260/24

  Coasting mode · CPC title

• B60L8/003

  Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems · CPC title