Apparatus and method for delivering power in a hybrid vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9561719-B2
Application number	US-201314375396-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2013
Priority date	Feb 3, 2012
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

A method and apparatus for delivering power to a hybrid vehicle is disclosed. The apparatus includes an apparatus for delivering power to a hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle including a powertrain having a power take-off coupling, the powertrain including an engine and a transmission. The apparatus includes an electric motor operable to generate a torque, the motor being coupled to transmit a starting torque through the power take-off of the powertrain for starting the engine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for delivering power to a hybrid vehicle comprising:
a powertrain comprising:
an engine;
a transmission coupled to the engine, the transmission comprising a torque converter;

an electric motor coupleable to the powertrain, the motor being operable to generate a starting torque; and
a power take-off for transmitting the starting torque through and bypassing the torque converter for starting the engine.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the torque converter comprises an input operable to receive torque generated by the engine.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:
the torque converter is operable to transmit the torque generated by the engine to a torque converter output via fluid coupling;
the power take-off is operable to transmit the starting torque to the torque converter output; and
the torque converter further comprises a lock-up clutch for mechanically coupling the torque converter input to the torque converter output for bypassing the torque converter to the engine when transmitting the starting torque.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the lock-up clutch is actuated by hydraulic fluid pressure provided by a fluid pump operated using engine power and further comprising one of:
a hydraulic accumulator operably configured to provide hydraulic fluid pressure for actuating the lock-up clutch prior to starting the engine; and
an electrically powered hydraulic pump operably configured to provide hydraulic fluid pressure for actuating the lock-up clutch prior to starting the engine.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the power take-off comprises a power take-off clutch operable when engaged to transmit the starting torque through the power take-off to the engine.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the power take-off clutch is actuated by hydraulic fluid pressure provided by a fluid pump, and further comprising one of:
a hydraulic accumulator operably configured to provide hydraulic fluid pressure for actuating the power take-off clutch prior to starting the engine; and
an electrically powered hydraulic pump operably configured to provide hydraulic fluid pressure for actuating the power take-off clutch prior to starting the engine.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the power take-off clutch comprises one of:
an electrically actuated clutch; and
a mechanically actuated clutch wherein power for actuation of the clutch is provided from a power source other than the engine.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a planetary gear system operable to receive torque generated by the motor and being selectively configurable to transmit the starting torque through the power take-off to the engine.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:
a clutch disposed to selectively transmit torque between the engine and a driveline of the vehicle, the clutch being operable to transmit an engine drive torque to the driveline when engaged and operable to disengage the engine from the driveline while the engine is being started.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the clutch comprises an overrunning clutch operable to disengage the driveline from the engine when a rotational speed of the driveline is greater than a rotational speed of the engine.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the transmission comprises a planetary gear set and wherein the overrunning clutch is coupled between the planetary gear set and the driveline.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising an auxiliary power output for delivering power for operating auxiliary equipment and wherein the planetary gear system is selectively configurable to transmit the torque generated by the motor to the auxiliary power output.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the planetary gear system comprises a sun gear, a ring gear, a planet gear coupled between the sun gear and the ring gear, and a planet carrier coupled to the planet gear, and wherein:
the motor is coupled to the sun gear, and one of the ring gear and the planet carrier is coupled to the auxiliary power output; and
the planetary gear system is selectively configurable to transmit the torque generated by the motor to the auxiliary power output by configuring the planetary gear system to transmit torque through the one of the ring gear and the planet carrier coupled to the auxiliary power output while prohibiting rotation of the other of the ring gear and the planet carrier.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the planetary gear system comprises a sun gear, a ring gear, a planet gear coupled between the sun gear and the ring gear, and a planet carrier coupled to the planet gear, wherein:
the motor is coupled to the sun gear, one of the ring gear and the planet carrier is coupled to the power take-off, and the other of the ring gear and the planet carrier is coupled to the driveline; and
the planetary gear system is configurable to transmit the starting torque to the engine through one of the ring gear and the planet carrier while prohibiting rotation of the other of the ring gear and the planet carrier.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a brake operable to be actuated to prohibit rotation of the other of the ring gear and the planet carrier.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the clutch comprises a three-way clutch having a disengaged state, an engaged state to transmit torque between the engine and the driveline, and a braked state to prohibit rotation of the driveline.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the transmission further comprises a transmission lock-up operable to prohibit rotation of an output shaft of the transmission and operably configured to be engaged to prohibit rotation of the other of the ring gear and the planet carrier.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the ring gear further comprises a ring gear brake operable to prohibit rotation of the ring gear.

19. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the planetary gear system is selectively configurable to receive torque from the driveline and to transmit a generating torque to the motor when the motor is configured to act as a generator.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the generating torque comprises at least one of:
a torque generated by the engine; and
a regenerative torque coupled through wheels of the vehicle to the driveline.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the planetary gear system comprises a sun gear, a ring gear, a planet gear coupled between the sun gear and the ring gear, and a planet carrier coupled to the planet gear, wherein:
the motor is coupled to the sun gear, and one of the ring gear and the planet carrier is coupled to the driveline; and
the planetary gear system is configurable to transmit the generating torque by prohibiting rotation of the other of the ring gear and the planet carrier to cause the generating torque to be transmitted from the driveline through the sun gear to the motor.

22. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the planetary gear system is selectively configurable to transmit a portion of the torque generated by the motor to the driveline as a motor drive torque.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the planetary gear system is selectively configurable to transmit the motor drive torque to the driveline while simultaneously transmitting the starting torque through the power take-off to the engine for starting the engine.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the planetary gear system comprises a

Assignees

• Ge Hybrid Tech Llc

Inventors

• Lo Jonathan Mong Ling
• Gromadzki Jacek
• Bouchon Nicolas Louis
• Strange Martin Alexander
• Woo Victor

Classifications

• B60L50/15

  with additional electric power supply (with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61) · CPC title

• B60K17/344

  having a transfer gear · CPC title

• B60W30/1888

  Control of power take off [PTO] · CPC title

• B60L50/16

  with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion · CPC title

• B60Y2400/795

  Power take off · CPC title