Supercharger assembly for regeneration of throttling losses and method of control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9534531-B2
Application number	US-201214348303-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2012
Priority date	Sep 30, 2011
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

An engine assembly is provided that includes an engine throttle and a supercharger placed in series with one another in air flow to the engine. The throttle and supercharger can be controlled so that throttling losses are selectively distributed across the throttle and/or the supercharger. Throttling losses placed across the supercharger can create torque that can be converted to stored energy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly for controlling air flow to an engine having a crankshaft, cylinders and a throttle in a throttle body positioned in air flow to the cylinders, the assembly comprising:
a supercharger having a set of rotors in series with the throttle in the air flow to the engine;
a load device; and
a gear arrangement having a first member operatively connected with the load device, a second member operatively connectable with the crankshaft, and a third member operatively connectable with the supercharger, wherein the gear arrangement is a compounded, dual-planetary gear set having a first and a second ring gear member, a first and a second sun gear member, a common carrier member that supports a first set of pinion gears that mesh with the first ring gear member and the first sun gear member and supports a second set of pinion gears that mesh with the second ring gear member and the second sun gear member, wherein the first member operatively connectable with the load device is the first ring gear member; wherein the second member operatively connectable with the crankshaft is the first sun gear member, and wherein the third member operatively connectable with the supercharger is the second sun gear member;
wherein the load device is selectively controllable to vary a speed of rotation of the rotors through the gear arrangement to thereby cause the throttle to open so that a pressure drop across the throttle shifts to the rotors, creating torque on the rotors, throttling losses thereby being regenerated.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a clutch controllable to move between a first position and a second position, wherein the clutch is operable to ground the third member with a stationary member when in the first position and to operatively connect the third member with the rotors when in the second position so that the torque on the rotors is provided to the load device through the gear arrangement when the clutch is in the second position.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the clutch is a first clutch, and further comprising:
a second clutch selectively engageable to operatively connect the first member to a stationary member, thereby holding the first member stationary; and
a third clutch selectively engageable to operatively connect the crankshaft with the second member;
wherein at least a portion of the torque on the rotors is applied to the crankshaft through the gear arrangement when the first clutch is in the second position and the second and third clutches are engaged.

4. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the load device is a motor/generator operable to alternately function as a motor and as a generator; and further comprising:
a controller configured to control the motor/generator to alternatively function as a motor and as a generator;
wherein the motor/generator is controlled by the controller to function as a motor when the first clutch is in the first position, the second clutch is not engaged, and the third clutch is engaged, thereby applying torque to the crankshaft through the gear arrangement to start the engine.

5. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the clutch is a first clutch, and further comprising:
a second clutch selectively engageable to operatively connect the first member to a stationary member, thereby holding the first member stationary; and
a third clutch selectively engageable to operatively connect the crankshaft with the second member;
wherein the engine thereby drives the supercharger through the gear arrangement when the first clutch is in the second position and the second and third clutches are engaged.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the load device is a motor/generator operable to selectively function as a motor or as a generator, and further comprising:
a controller configured to control the motor/generator to alternatively function as a motor and as a generator;
a first clutch controllable to move between a first position and a second position, wherein the first clutch is operable to ground the third member with a stationary member when in the first position and to operatively connect the third member with the rotors when in the second position;
a second clutch selectively engageable to operatively connect the first member to a stationary member, thereby holding the first member stationary; and
a third clutch selectively engageable to operatively connect the crankshaft with the second member, the engine driving the supercharger through the gear arrangement to provide engine boost and the controller controlling the motor/generator to vary a speed of the third member to thereby vary the engine boost when the first clutch is in the second position, the third clutch is engaged, and the second clutch is not engaged.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first clutch controllable to move between a first position and a second position, wherein the first clutch is operable to ground the third member with a stationary member when in the first position and to connect the third member to rotate with the rotors when in the second position;
a second clutch selectively engageable to operatively connect the first member to a stationary member, thereby holding the first member stationary;
a third clutch selectively engageable to operatively connect the crankshaft with the second member; and
a controller;
wherein the load device is a motor/generator operable, and the controller is configured to control the motor/generator selectively as a motor or as a generator; and
wherein the motor/generator is controlled by the controller to function as a generator when the first clutch is in the first position, the second clutch is not engaged, and the third clutch is engaged to thereby provide torque from the crankshaft through the gear arrangement to the generator in a regenerative braking mode.

8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first member is a ring gear member, the second member is a carrier member, and the third member is a sun gear member.

9. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the load device is a motor/generator operable to alternately function as a motor and as a generator.

10. The assembly of claim 9 , further comprising:
a controller operatively connected to the motor/generator and configured to control the motor/generator to alternately function as a motor and as a generator; and
a battery operatively connected to the controller and the motor/generator;
wherein the throttle is open and the motor/generator is controlled to function as a generator to convert the torque on the rotors to energy stored in the battery during constant engine speeds when a state-of-charge of the battery reaches a predetermined first level and until the state-of-charge of the battery reaches a predetermined second level higher than the predetermined first level, and the throttle is less open and the motor/generator is controlled to function as a motor to provide torque at the crankshaft when the state-of-charge of the battery reaches the predetermined second level and until the state-of-charge of the battery again reaches the predetermined first level.

11. The assembly of claim 9 , further comprising:
a controller operatively connected to the motor/generator and configured to control the motor/generator to alternately function as a motor and as a generator; and
a battery operatively connected to the controller and the motor/generator and configured to store energy converted from the torque on the rotors by the motor/generator when the motor/generator is controlled to function as a generator;
wherein at least one vehicle electrical device is operatively connected to the battery and is configured to receive sto

Assignees

• Eaton Corp

Inventors

• Benjey Robert Philip
• Eybergen William Nicholas
• Vashisht Roneesh
• Pryor Martin D

Classifications

• F02B33/446 Primary

  having valves for admission of atmospheric air to engine, e.g. at starting · CPC title

• B60K6/485

  Motor-assist type · CPC title

• F02B33/32

  Engines with pumps other than of reciprocating-piston type (with crankcase pumps F02B33/02) · CPC title

• Y02T10/6226

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F02B33/06 Primary

  with reciprocating-piston pumps other than simple crankcase pumps · CPC title