Turbocharger with electrically coupled fully variable turbo-compound capability and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9752496-B2
Application number	US-201514804535-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2015
Priority date	Jul 21, 2014
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A turbocharger apparatus of an internal combustion engine and method of controlling the same is provided with electrically coupled fully variable turbo-compound capability. The turbocharger includes an exhaust gas turbine and an intake air compressor. A first electric machine coupled to the engine generates electricity and adds power to an output shaft of the engine depending on electricity flow to and from the first electric machine. A second electric machine coupled to the turbine and/or the compressor generates electricity and drives the turbine and/or the compressor depending on electricity flow between the first and the second electric machines. A planetary gearset connects the turbine, the compressor, and the second electric machine, and varies rotational speeds of the turbine, the compressor, and the second electric machine depending on electricity flow between the first and second electric machines to maximize efficiency and power of the engine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A turbocharger apparatus of an internal combustion engine comprising:
a turbine mounted on a turbine shaft;
a compressor mounted on a compressor shaft;
an electric machine with a rotating shaft rotatably coupled to at least one of said turbine and said compressor that generates electricity in an electricity generating state where electricity flows from said electric machine and that rotationally drives at least one of said turbine and said compressor in an electricity consuming state where electricity flows to said electric machine;
a planetary gearset;
wherein said planetary gearset further includes:
a sun gear rotatably coupled to said turbine shaft;
at least one planet gear rotatably coupled to said compressor shaft; and
a ring gear rotatable coupled to said rotating shaft of said electric machine

an auxiliary gear rotatably coupled to and carried on said rotating shaft of said electric machine; and
a transfer gear rotatably coupled to and extending from said ring gear that is meshingly engaged with said auxiliary gear such that said auxiliary gear and said transfer gear rotatable couple said ring gear and said electric machine.

2. The turbocharger apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:
an electricity source; and
an electrical power coupling electrically connected to said electric machine and said electricity source that transports electricity therebetween.

3. The turbocharger apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said electricity source is another electric machine that is rotatably coupled to the internal combustion engine.

4. The turbocharger apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said electricity source is a battery that is configured to store electricity.

5. The turbocharger apparatus as set forth in claim 2 further comprising:
a controller in electrical communication with said electric machine that controls electricity flow to and from said electric machine.

6. The turbocharger apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein
said ring gear is disposed circumferentially about and radially spaced from said sun gear and is coupled to said rotating shaft of said electric machine; and
wherein said at least one planet gear is disposed radially between and in meshing engagement with said sun gear and said ring gear, and is carried on a carrier that is rotatably coupled with said compressor shaft.

7. The turbocharger apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said planetary gearset provides a first ratio where said electric machine holds said ring gear fixed in place such that all mechanical power generated by said turbine is transferred through said planetary gearset to said compressor via said sun gear, said at least one planet gear, and said carrier.

8. The turbocharger apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said planetary gearset provides a second ratio where said electric machine rotates said ring gear at a rotational speed that equals a rotational speed of said sun gear and said turbine such that excess mechanical power generated by said turbine is used by said electric machine for electricity generation.

9. The turbocharger apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said planetary gearset provides a third ratio where said electric machine rotates said ring gear at a rotational speed that exceeds a rotational speed of said sun gear and said turbine such that said electric machine supplies additional rotational energy to said compressor shaft via said ring gear, said at least one planet gear, and said carrier.

10. A turbocharger apparatus of an internal combustion engine comprising:
a turbine mounted on a turbine shaft;
a compressor mounted on a compressor shaft;
a first electric machine rotatably coupled to the internal combustion engine that generates electricity in an electricity generating state where electricity flows from said first electric machine and that adds rotational power to the internal combustion engine in an electricity consuming state where electricity flows to said first electric machine;
a second electric machine electrically connected to said first electric machine, said second electric machine having a rotating shaft that is rotatably coupled to at least one of said turbine and said compressor that generates electricity in an electricity generating state where electricity flows from said second electric machine and that rotationally drives at least one of said turbine and said compressor in an electricity consuming state where electricity flows to said second electric machine;
a planetary gearset;
wherein said planetary gearset further includes:
a sun gear rotatably coupled to said turbine shaft;
at least one planet gear rotatably coupled to said compressor shaft; and
a ring gear rotatably coupled to said rotating shaft of said second electric machine;

wherein said planetary gearset varies rotational speeds of said turbine shaft, said compressor shaft, and said rotating shaft of said second electric machine with respect to one another in response to electricity flow to and from said second electric machine in order to maximize efficiency and power of the internal combustion engine;

an auxiliary gear rotatably coupled to and carried on said rotating shaft of said electric machine; and
a transfer gear rotatably coupled to and extending from said ring gear that is meshingly engaged with said auxiliary gear such that said auxiliary gear and said transfer gear rotatably couple said ring gear and said electric machine.

11. The turbocharger apparatus as set forth in claim 10 further comprising:
a controller in electrical communication with said first electric machine and said second electric machine that controls electricity flow to and from said first electric machine and said second electric machine by adjusting an electrical load applied to each of said first electric machine and said second electric machine.

12. The turbocharger apparatus as set forth in claim 11 further comprising:
an electrical power coupling electrically connected to said first electric machine and said second electric machine that transfers electricity therebetween.

13. The turbocharger apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein
said ring gear is disposed circumferentially about and radially spaced from said sun gear and is coupled to said rotating shaft of said second electric machine; and
wherein said at least one planet gear is disposed radially between and in meshing engagement with said sun gear and said ring gear, and is carried on a carrier that is rotatably coupled with said compressor shaft.

14. The turbocharger apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein said planetary gearset provides a first ratio where said second electric machine holds said ring gear fixed in place such that all mechanical power generated by said turbine is transferred through said planetary gearset to said compressor via said sun gear, said at least one planet gear, and said carrier.

15. The turbocharger apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein said planetary gearset provides a second ratio where said second electric machine rotates said ring gear at a rotational speed that equals a rotational speed of said sun gear and said turbine such that excess mechanical power generated by said turbine is used by said second electric machine for electricity generation.

16. The turbocharger apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein said planetary gearset provides a third ratio where said second electric machine rotates said ring gear at a rotational speed that exceeds a rotational speed of said sun gear and said turbine such that said

Assignees

• Avl Powertrain Engineering Inc

Inventors

• Johnson Gustav R

Classifications

• Y02T10/163

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F02B39/10 Primary

  electric · CPC title

• Y02T10/144

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F02B39/04

  Mechanical drives; Variable-gear-ratio drives (non-mechanical pump drives having variable gear ratio F02B39/08) · CPC title

• F02B41/10

  in exhaust turbines (use of exhaust turbines for charging F02B37/00) · CPC title