An electromechanical power train system for an automotive vehicle having a driving engine with a torque converter in which an electric-generating and motor means having operation as a generator and/or motor for generating electric energy for storage supply when driven by the engine and for driving a driven shaft when energized by the storage supply, is accommodated therewith together with an electronic controller for controlling the operation of the components with speed reduction gear. The driving engine may be small enough to operate always at full power with the throttle fully open.
The present invention relates to a power transmission that is interposed between the internal combustion engine and the drive ratio selection transmission of a vehicle. A motor/generator is operatively connected to the power transmission, and the power transmission selectively adds and subtracts torque provided by the motor/generator to the torque provided by the internal combustion engine. The power transmission effects the operative interconnection between both the internal combustion engine and the motor/generator to the drive ratio selection transmission. The power transmission employs compounded first and second planetary gear sets. A common gear member serves not only as the ring gear for the first planetary gear set but also as the sun gear for the second planetary gear set. The power transmission provides operating advantages not possible with prior art mechanisms, and these advantages allow the internal combustion engine to operate with desirable engine emissions.
A system for electropneumatically propelling a vehicle comprises essentially a pneumatic motor and an electric motor. The pneumatic motor is driven by the air supplied under pressure from a source of compressed air such as a cylinder or a liquid-air tank, while the electric motor is driven by a storage battery in which is stored electrical energy produced by a generator, which is driven by a turbine operated by air supplied under pressure from the source of compressed air. Both the pneumatic motor and the electric motor are connected to transmission means linked to the driving wheels of the vehicle. The transmission means includes first and second differential means adapted for controlling the supply of air to the pneumatic motor and for causing the pneumatic motor to rotate in the same direction as a preselected rotational direction of the electric motor.
The disclosed hybrid power train for a self-propelled vehicle is designed to reduce the emission of atmospheric pollutants. The chemically fueled prime mover and the secondary-battery powered electric dynamotor are joined together and joined to the output shaft by fixed ratio rotating linkage. The prime mover is operated as a quasi-constant -torque device, with its torque able to be varied in response to the state of charge of the battery or to operator torque demands in excess of certain predetermined amounts. The instantaneous torque output of the combined combustion engine/electric motor power train is controlled by a mechanical accelerator control which causes the dynamotor to either add to or subtract from the torque produced by the prime mover. When added torque is required by the vehicle, the dynamotor takes energy from the storage battery. When less torque is required, the extra energy produced by the prime mover is fed by the dynamotor into the storage battery. The low pollution qualities of this power train are realized, in part, by the uncoupling of the prime mover throttle from the rapid variations of the accelerator control typical of urban driving.
A planetary gear arrangement, which provides a starting device for a power transmission, has an electrically biased reaction member. The reaction member is operatively connected with an electric motor/generator that is selectively controlled to establish a braking force at the reaction member. A fluid operated friction brake is disposed in parallel with the motor/generator to provide a selective fully engaged brake to establish the reaction, or a slipping brake to assist the generator in establishing the reaction at the planetary gear arrangement. A fluid operated clutch is also associated with the planetary gear arrangement to provide a selective 1:1 ratio within the planetary gear arrangement. The planetary gear arrangement cooperates with the park mechanism in the transmission and the motor/generator to provide an engine cranking mechanism which is useful during engine start.
Poor torque characteristics especially at low and intermediate speeds of a single shaft gas turbine engine is compensated for by the motor torque of a motor-generator having its armature directly coupled with the turbine shaft of the engine. The turbine shaft is connected through a reduction gear to a hydraulic torque converter followed by a forward-reverse gearbox to drive vehicle wheels.
