Tractor unit with on-board regenerative braking energy storage for stopover hvac operation without engine idle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020398657-A1
Application number	US-202017013850-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 7, 2020
Priority date	Feb 17, 2017
Publication date	Dec 24, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A through the road (TTR) hybridization strategy is proposed to facilitate introduction of hybrid electric vehicle technology in a significant portion of current and expected trucking fleets. In some cases, the technologies can be retrofitted onto an existing vehicle (e.g., a trailer, a tractor-trailer configuration, etc.). In some cases, the technologies can be built into new vehicles. In some cases, one vehicle may be built or retrofitted to operate in tandem with another and provide the hybridization benefits contemplated herein. By supplementing motive forces delivered through a primary drivetrain and fuel-fed engine with supplemental torque delivered at one or more electrically-powered drive axles, improvements in overall fuel efficiency and performance may be delivered, typically without significant redesign of existing components and systems that have been proven in the trucking industry.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
supplying supplemental torque to one or more wheels of a vehicle for use in a tractor-trailer vehicle configuration using an electrically powered drive axle on the vehicle to supplement, while the vehicle travels over a roadway, primary motive forces applied through a separate drivetrain of the vehicle; and supplying the electrically powered drive axle with electrical power from an energy store on the vehicle, the energy store configured to receive and store energy recovered using the electrically powered drive axle in a regenerative braking mode of operation.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is a tractor unit.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the tractor unit is retrofitted to replace a dead axle of a tandem pair with the electrically powered drive axle.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the tractor unit is a 6×2 tractor unit.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the energy store includes a battery.

6 . The method of claim 1 , comprising controllably maintaining a desired state of charge (SoC) of the energy store.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the SoC is maintained by a battery management system during the over-the-roadway travel.

8 . The method of claim 1 , comprising moderating temperature of the energy store.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the temperature is moderated by a heat exchanger during the over-the-roadway travel.

10 . The method of claim 1 , comprising supplying electrical power from the energy store to a heating, ventilation or cooling (HVC) system on the vehicle.

11 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that when read by a processor, cause the processor to perform:
supplying supplemental torque to one or more wheels of a vehicle for use in a tractor-trailer vehicle configuration using an electrically powered drive axle on the vehicle to supplement, while the vehicle travels over a roadway, primary motive forces applied through a separate drivetrain of the vehicle; and supplying the electrically powered drive axle with electrical power from an energy store on the vehicle, the energy store configured to receive and store energy recovered using the electrically powered drive axle in a regenerative braking mode of operation.

12 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the vehicle is a tractor unit.

13 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the tractor unit is retrofitted to replace a dead axle of a tandem pair with the electrically powered drive axle.

14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the tractor unit is a 6×2 tractor unit.

15 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the energy store includes a battery.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are further configured to perform controllably maintaining a desired state of charge (SoC) of the energy store.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the SoC is maintained by a battery management system during the over-the-roadway travel.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are further configured to perform moderating temperature of the energy store.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the temperature is moderated by a heat exchanger during the over-the-roadway travel.

20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are further configured to perform supplying electrical power from the energy store to a heating, ventilation or cooling (HVC) system on the vehicle.

Assignees

• Hyliion Inc

Inventors

• Healy Thomas Joseph
• Weber Eric

Classifications

• B60W2510/18

  Braking system · CPC title

• Y10S903/947

  Characterized by control of braking, e.g. blending of regeneration, friction braking · CPC title

• B60L58/13

  Maintaining the SoC within a determined range · CPC title

• B60W2510/244

  Charge state · CPC title

• B60L1/02

  to electric heating circuits · CPC title