This disclosure generally relates to hybrid vehicles, and more particularly to drive arrangements for transmitting power in a hybrid vehicle.
Hybridization and electrification of vehicles are gaining more and more attention due to the targets of fuel consumption and emissions that need to be met in the near future. The share of HEVs (Hybrid Electric Vehicles) and BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles) has increased continuously in recent years.
The functionality provided by hybrid powertrains for such vehicles can be one or more of, start/stop capability (which permits the engine to shut off when the vehicle is stopped temporarily, such as at a stoplight), generation of electricity during vehicle braking so as to recover the kinetic energy of the vehicle, boost and/or E-drive, wherein the vehicle is driven solely using an electric motor, or using an electric motor in combination with the engine.
Some of the systems on the market today require two separate electric motors, i.e. one traction motor and one motor/generator. For such vehicles, besides the costs of the two motors, the powertrain and transmission typically need to be redesigned in order to operate with the motor and the engine to drive the vehicle's wheels. As a result, the cost of a many hybrid vehicles is relatively high.
There is, therefore, a continuing need for improvements in hybrid vehicles in order to reduce their cost, while still providing useful functionality.
In an aspect, a drive arrangement for a vehicle is provided, comprising: an engine having a crankshaft; a crankshaft pulley that is drivable by the engine; a one-way clutch between the crankshaft pulley and the crankshaft; an endless drive member drivable in a first rotational direction by the crankshaft pulley through the one-way clutch by the engine; and an electric motor having an electric motor pulley that is engaged with the endless drive member, wherein, when the electric motor is operated to rotate the electric motor pulley to drive the endless drive member in the first rotational direction, the one-way clutch permits the endless drive member to overrun the crankshaft pulley, wherein the crankshaft defines a longitudinal engine axis and wherein the electric motor pulley is on a first axial side of the engine; a transmission on a second axial side of the engine, wherein the transmission is operatively connected to drive at least one ground-engaging wheel, the transmission having a transmission input shaft; a first transmission rotary drive member on the transmission input shaft; and a motor-transmission drive shaft that is drivable by the electric motor and which has a second transmission rotary drive member thereon, which is operatively connected with the first transmission rotary drive member.
In another aspect, a drive arrangement is provided for a vehicle, comprising: an engine having a crankshaft; an endless drive member drivable in a first rotational direction by the crankshaft pulley through the crankshaft pulley clutch by the engine; a crankshaft-endless drive member clutch between the crankshaft and the endless drive member; a transmission operatively connected to drive at least one ground-engaging wheel; a crankshaft-transmission clutch between the crankshaft and the transmission, and positionable in a drive position in which the crankshaft-transmission clutch operatively connects the crankshaft and the transmission and a disconnect position in which the crankshaft-transmission clutch operatively disconnects the crankshaft from the transmission; an electric motor having an electric motor pulley that is engaged with the endless drive member, wherein, when the electric motor is operated to rotate the electric motor pulley to drive the endless drive member in the first rotational direction, the first clutch permits the endless drive member to overrun the crankshaft pulley, a motor-transmission clutch operatively connected between the electric motor and the transmission along a torque flow path that bypasses the engine, wherein the motor-transmission clutch is positionable in an engagement position in which the motor-transmission clutch operatively connects the electric motor to the transmission such that the electric motor is operable to drive the at least one ground-engaging wheel through the transmission when the crankshaft-transmission clutch is in the disconnect position, and a disengagement position in which the electric motor is operatively disconnected from the transmission.
In yet another aspect, a drive arrangement is provided for a vehicle, comprising: an engine having a crankshaft; a transmission operatively connected to drive at least one ground-engaging wheel, wherein the engine is operatively connectable to the transmission along an engine-transmission torque flow path between the crankshaft and the transmission; a crankshaft-transmission clutch between the crankshaft and the transmission, and positionable in a drive position in which the crankshaft-transmission clutch operatively connects the crankshaft to the engine-transmission torque flow path and a disconnect position in which the crankshaft-transmission clutch operatively disconnects the crankshaft from the engine-transmission torque flow path; an endless drive member; at least one accessory having an accessory pulley that is engaged with the endless drive member so as to be driven thereby; an electric motor having an electric motor pulley that is engaged with the endless drive member; a motor-transmission clutch operatively connected between the electric motor and the transmission along a motor-transmission torque flow path that bypasses the engine, wherein the motor-transmission clutch is positionable in an engagement position in which the motor-transmission clutch operatively connects the electric motor to the motor-transmission torque flow path so as to permit the electric motor to drive the at least one ground-engaging wheel through the transmission when the crankshaft-transmission clutch is in the disconnect position, and a disengagement position in which the electric motor is operatively disconnected from the motor-transmission torque flow path, wherein the electric motor is operable to rotate the electric motor pulley to drive the endless drive member.
In yet another aspect, a drive arrangement is provided for a vehicle, comprising: an engine having a crankshaft; a crankshaft pulley that is drivable by the engine; a crankshaft pulley clutch between the crankshaft pulley and the crankshaft; an endless drive member drivable in a first rotational direction by the crankshaft pulley through the crankshaft pulley clutch by the engine; a transmission operatively connected to drive at least one ground-engaging wheel, the transmission having a transmission input shaft; a crankshaft-transmission clutch between the crankshaft and the transmission input shaft, and positionable in a drive position in which the crankshaft-transmission clutch operatively connects the crankshaft and the transmission input shaft and a disconnect position in which the crankshaft-transmission clutch operatively disconnects the crankshaft from the transmission input shaft; an electric motor having an electric motor pulley that is operatively connected to the endless drive member, wherein, when the electric motor is operated to rotate the electric motor pulley to drive the endless drive member in the first rotational direction, the first clutch permits the endless drive member to overrun the crankshaft pulley, a motor-transmission drive shaft that is drivable by the electric motor; a first transmission rotary drive member on the transmission input shaft; a second transmission rotary drive member on the motor-transmission drive shaft and operatively connected with the first transmission rotary drive member; a motor-transmission clutch operatively connected between the electric motor and the transmission along a torque flow path that bypasses the engine and which includes the motor-transmission drive shaft and the first and second transmission rotary drive members, wherein the motor-transmission clutch is positionable in an engagement position in which the motor-transmission clutch operatively connects the electric motor to the transmission such that the electric motor is operable to drive the at least one ground-engaging wheel through the transmission when the crankshaft-transmission clutch is in the disconnect position, and a disengagement position in which the electric motor is operatively disconnected from the transmission.
The foregoing and other aspects of the invention will be better appreciated having regard to the attached drawings, wherein:
Reference is made to
The engine 100 includes a crankshaft 102 (see
In the example shown in
Any other suitable overrunning decoupler could alternatively be provided instead of the decoupler shown in
An optional torsional vibration damper is shown at 110 for the crankshaft pulley 104. In the embodiment shown, the one-way clutch 109 is provided between the crankshaft pulley 104 and the crankshaft 102. The endless drive member 106 is drivable in the first rotational direction D1 by the crankshaft pulley 104 through the one-way clutch 109 by the engine 100.
An electric motor 112 is provided, and has an electric motor rotary drive member 114 (e.g. an electric motor pulley) that is engaged with the endless drive member 106. When the electric motor 112 is operated to rotate the electric motor pulley 114 to drive the endless drive member 106 in the first rotational direction, the one-way clutch 109 permits the endless drive member 106 to overrun the crankshaft pulley 104.
In the embodiment shown, the electric motor 112 is a motor/generator unit (MGU). The electric motor 112 is drivable by the crankshaft pulley 104 through the endless drive member 106 to generate electric power for storage in an electric power storage device (e.g. a vehicle battery (not shown). In embodiments where an MGU 112 is used as the electric motor, a tensioner 123 may be used to maintain tension in the endless drive member 106, particularly where the endless drive member 106 is a belt. The tensioner 123 may be any suitable tensioner, such as an MGU mounted tensioner with two arms, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 9,759,293, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.
While a one-way clutch 109 is advantageous for reducing stresses on various components during engine shutdown, for example, its presence, in some embodiments, prevents the MGU 112 from applying torque to the crankshaft 102 through the crankshaft pulley 104 and from driving the vehicle's wheels 125 (also referred to as ground engaging wheels 125) through the crankshaft pulley 104. However, the presence of the one-way clutch 109 does permit the MGU 112 to drive some accessories shown at 120 via the endless drive member 106, when the engine 100 is off, without driving the crankshaft 102. The accessories 120 may include, for example, an air-conditioning compressor 120a, a water pump 120b. Each accessory 120 includes an accessory pulley 122 that is engaged with the endless drive member 106. This permits the occupants of the vehicle 99 to enjoy the use of these accessories 120 while the engine is 100. This facilitates the use of a stop/start system for the vehicle 99, wherein the engine 100 is shut down when the vehicle 99 is stopped temporarily, e.g. at a stoplight.
In addition to this functionality, however, the MGU 112 may be provided with the capability to drive the vehicle 99. In the example shown in
With this arrangement, the MGU 112 may be driven as a motor, so as to drive the motor-transmission drive shaft 124, thereby driving the transmission 128, while the crankshaft-transmission clutch 136 is in the disconnect position. The permits the MGU 112 to drive the vehicle 99 bypassing the engine 100 thereby avoiding the drag that would be associated with driving the crankshaft 102 and pistons of the engine 100 when the engine 100 is off. The MGU 112 can be used to drive the vehicle 99 relatively slowly with relatively little torque, and therefore relatively little electrical power, thereby avoiding the need for a high-voltage motor and electrical system. This system can be used to drive the vehicle 99 in, for example, stop-and-go traffic. In some embodiments, the MGU 112 may have about 10-20 kW of power, and may have 60 nM or more of stall torque, whereby providing sufficient power and torque to drive a suitable vehicle at a suitable speed (e.g. less than 10 kph) for such purposes as keeping up in stop-and-go traffic, thereby eliminating the need to repeatedly restart the engine 100 only to move forward a few feet.
A motor-transmission clutch 140 may be provided and may be operatively connected between the MGU 112 and the transmission 128 along a torque flow path that bypasses the engine 100 (e.g. between the motor-transmission drive pulley 126 and the motor-transmission drive shaft 124). The motor-transmission clutch 140 is positionable in an engagement position in which the motor-transmission clutch 140 operatively connects the MGU 112 to the transmission 128 such that the MGU 112 is operable to drive the at least one ground-engaging wheel 125 through the transmission 128 when the crankshaft-transmission clutch 136 is in the disconnect position, and a disengagement position in which the electric motor 112 is operatively disconnected from the transmission 128. Repeated restarting of a vehicle's engine can lead to durability problems with certain components, NVH issues and can negatively affect driver comfort. It is therefore advantageous to be able to avoid this in at least some circumstances without the need for a second electric motor and the associated electrical system.
When it is desired to drive the vehicle wheels 125 using the engine 100, the crankshaft-transmission clutch 136 may be positioned in the drive position thereby operatively connecting the crankshaft 102 to the transmission 128, and the motor-transmission clutch 140 may be positioned in the disengagement position so as to disconnect the MGU 112 from the transmission 128. The engine 100 can then drive the vehicle's wheels 125. The engine 100 can also charge the vehicle battery (not shown) via the MGU 112 via the endless drive member 106.
The engine 100 could be used to drive the accessories 120 while the vehicle 99 is stationary if desired (in embodiments where the engine 100 can be kept running when the vehicle 99 is stopped), by moving both clutches 136 and 140 to the disengagement and disconnect positions respectively.
The MGU 112 could be used to provide boost to the engine 100 by having both clutches 136 and 140 in the drive and engagement positions respectively, thereby permitting power to be transmitted from both the engine 100 and the MGU 112 to the transmission 128.
The MGU 112 can be operated as a generator to capture braking energy (i.e. regenerative braking) by putting the clutch 136 in the drive position and the clutch 140 in the disconnect position, such that the MGU is operatively engaged with the crankshaft pulley 104 via the endless drive member 106. The resistance to rotation of the MGU 112 can be transmitted to the wheels 125, and can be used to charge the charge the vehicle's battery. Alternatively, the clutch 140 can be positioned in the engagement position, and the clutch 136 can be positioned in the disconnect position, and the braking torque of the MGU can be applied to the transmission 128 via the motor-transmission drive shaft 124, bypassing the engine 100.
Reference is made herein to torque flow paths. Two torque flow paths to the transmission are shown in
It will be noted that the MGU pulley 114 is on a first axial side of the engine 100, and the transmission 128 is on a second axial side of the engine 100 (i.e. at the opposite end of the engine 100), and they are connected via the motor-transmission drive shaft 124. This can be a relatively efficient way of packaging the components of the drive arrangement and permitting power transfer to the MGU 112 via the endless drive member 106, while also permitting the MGU 112 to drive the vehicle's wheels 125 while bypassing the engine 100.
Reference is made to
Reference is made to
Reference is made to
Additionally, the MGU 112 is directly connected to the motor-transmission drive shaft 124, instead of driving the shaft 124 via an endless drive member.
Additionally, the clutches 136 and 140 are provided inline with one another, on either side of the first transmission rotary drive member 132. This arrangement is narrower in the lateral direction (lateral being transverse to the axis A) than the embodiment shown in
When it is desired for the engine 100 to drive the accessories while the vehicle 99 is stopped, the clutch 140 may be positioned in the disconnect position, and moving the clutch 136 to the drive position. The MGU 112 can be used as a generator driven by the engine 100 through the clutch 136 in the drive position, whether or not the clutch 140 is in the engagement or disengagement position.
The clutches 136 and 140 are positioned in the disconnect and disengagement positions respectively when it is desired to drive the accessories 120 via the MGU 112 when the vehicle 99 is stopped.
Reference is made to
Other advantages and features will be understood by a person of skill in the art upon review of the present disclosure.
The MGU 112 is just an example of an electric motor that can be used in the embodiments disclosed herein. It is alternatively possible to use a dedicated electric motor and to have a separate generator in the drive arrangement.
In some embodiments the motor-transmission clutch 140 is on the motor-transmission drive shaft 124. This is advantageous as compared to hybrid systems that employ another clutch between the engine and the transmission, since the aforementioned motor-transmission clutch 140 requires the capability of handling much less torque than one between the engine and the transmission.
The drive arrangements described herein are preferably used in a vehicle that employs a 48V electrical systems. However, it is possible that the electric motor 112 can generate sufficient torque in a vehicle with an electrical system that has a lower voltage. It will be understood that higher voltage electrical systems are also contemplated.
Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that there are yet more alternative implementations and modifications possible, and that the above examples are only illustrations of one or more implementations. The scope, therefore, is only to be limited by the claims appended hereto.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/521,067 filed Jun. 16, 2017, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/CA2018/050739 | 6/18/2018 | WO | 00 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62521067 | Jun 2017 | US |