Patent Application
20230286371
This application claims the benefit of priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-038614 filed on Mar. 11, 2022. The entire contents of this application are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a hybrid work vehicle including a transmission.
As disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-65349, as a tractor as an example of a work vehicle, there is such a tractor including a hybrid transmission configured to vary power from an engine and output the power to a travel device. The hybrid transmission includes an electric transmission portion including a motor generator, and a gear transmission portion including a gear driving mechanism.
In a case where the electric transmission portion is provided like Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-65349, it is necessary to cool the motor generator. Since an inverter for the motor generator is provided, it is also necessary to cool the inverter.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention achieve simplification of cooling structures for motor generators and inverters in hybrid work vehicles.
A work vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an engine, a travel device, a battery, a hybrid transmission to vary power from the engine and output the power to the travel device, the hybrid transmission including an electric transmission including a motor generator, and a gear transmission including a gear driver, an inverter to drive the motor generator, and a pump to cool the inverter by supplying, to the inverter, a refrigerant to cool the motor generator.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerant to cool the motor generator is supplied to the inverter by the pump, so that the inverter is cooled by the refrigerant.
The refrigerant to cool the motor generator is also used to cool the inverter. Accordingly, it is not necessary to separately prepare a first refrigerant for cooling the motor generator and a second refrigerant for cooling the inverter, thus making it possible to achieve simplification of the structure.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the work vehicle includes an accumulator to store the refrigerant, and a supply to supply the refrigerant to the motor generator. It is preferable that the pump cause the refrigerant in the accumulator to be supplied to the inverter, from the inverter to the supply, and from the supply to the motor generator, and to return from the motor generator to the accumulator.
It is necessary to cool the inverter, out of the motor generator and the inverter, to be a lower temperature.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerant in the accumulator is supplied to the inverter to cool the inverter. Subsequently, the refrigerant is supplied from the inverter to the supply, supplied from the supply to the motor generator to cool the motor generator, and returns from the motor generator to the accumulator.
Since the inverter is cooled by the refrigerant earlier than the motor generator, it is possible to sufficiently cool the inverter.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the electric transmission and the gear transmission be separated from each other, the accumulator be the electric transmission, the refrigerant be a lubricant accumulated in the electric transmission, and the lubricant accumulated in the electric transmission be different from a lubricant accumulated in the gear transmission.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lubricant is used as the refrigerant, and by supplying the lubricant to the motor generator, it is possible to lubricate a bearing for the motor generator or a speed-increasing or reduction gear in addition to cooling of the motor generator.
The electric transmission and the gear transmission are separated from each other, and the electric transmission defines and functions as the accumulator for the lubricant. Accordingly, it is not necessary to provide an exclusive oil tank or the like to accumulate the lubricant. This is advantageous for simplification of the structure.
In a case where the lubricant is used as the refrigerant, in the electric transmission, it is preferable to use a lubricant with a relatively low viscosity so that the lubricant does not disturb the motor generator and the motor generator is easily cooled.
In the gear transmission, lubrication has priority over cooling. Accordingly, it is preferable to accumulate a lubricant with a relatively high viscosity so that an oil film of the lubricant easily remains in gears of the gear driver.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the electric transmission and the gear transmission are separated from each other, and the lubricant to cool the motor generator is different from the lubricant accumulated in the gear transmission.
Even in a case where the lubricant preferable to cool the motor generator in the electric transmission and the lubricant preferable for lubrication of the gear driver in the gear transmission are set, those lubricants are not mixed with each other. Accordingly, it is possible to easily maintain cooling for the motor generator and lubrication for the gear driver.
When small waste caused in the gear transmission mixes in the lubricant to cool the motor generator, an insulation portion in the motor generator may be damaged.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the electric transmission and the gear transmission are separated from each other, so that such contamination is reduced or prevented from occurring. This is also advantageous for improvement of durability of the motor generator.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the work vehicle include an oil cooler on a supply passage for the lubricant from the electric transmission to the inverter.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lubricant in the electric transmission is supplied to the inverter after the lubricant is cooled by the oil cooler. This is advantageous for cooling of the inverter and is also advantageous for cooling of the motor generator.
The above and other elements, features, steps, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
A tractor as an example of a work vehicle is illustrated in
As illustrated in
The body 1 includes an engine 5, a clutch housing 11 (corresponding to an electric transmission) (corresponding to an accumulator) connected to a rear portion of the engine 5, a transmission case 12 (corresponding to a gear transmission) connected to a rear portion of the clutch housing 11, a front frame 14 connected to a front portion of the engine 5, and so on. A hybrid transmission 4 includes the clutch housing 11 and the transmission case 12.
The front wheels 2 are supported by the front frame 14, and the rear wheels 3 are supported by a rear portion of the transmission case 12. The engine 5 is covered with the bonnet 6. The driving portion 9 is covered with a cabin 10, and the driving portion 9 includes a driver seat 7 and a control wheel 8 by which the front wheels 2 are steered.
As illustrated in
The clutch 13 is connected to an output shaft 5a of the engine 5, a transmission shaft 16 is connected to the clutch 13 and extends from the inside of the clutch housing 11 to a rear portion of the inside of the transmission case 12. A cylindrical shaft 17 is rotatably attached to the transmission shaft 16 and extends from the inside of the clutch housing 11 into a front portion of the inside of the transmission case 12. The hydraulic pump 15 and the first motor generator 21 are attached to the transmission shaft 16, and the second motor generator 22 is attached to the cylindrical shaft 17.
As illustrated in
Power from the engine 5 (or power from the first motor generator 21) is transmitted to the planetary device 18 and changed in speed, transmitted from the forward-reverse switching device 19 to the sub-transmission 20, and then transmitted to the rear wheels 3 via the rear-wheel differential device 23. Power branching right before the rear-wheel differential device 23 is transmitted to the front-wheel transmission 24, transmitted from a transmission shaft 28 to a front-wheel differential device 29, and then transmitted to the front wheels 2 via the front-wheel differential device 29.
The power from the engine 5 (or the power from the first motor generator 21) is transmitted to the PTO transmission 25 via the transmission shaft 16 and the PTO clutch 30 and changed in speed and then transmitted to the PTO shaft 26 provided in the rear portion of the transmission case 12.
The inside of the clutch housing 11 and the inside of the transmission case 12 are separated from each other by a wall portion 11a of the rear portion of the clutch housing 11 and a wall portion 12a of a front portion of the transmission case 12. The transmission shaft 16 and the cylindrical shaft 17 penetrate through the wall portion 11a of the clutch housing 11 and the wall portion 12a of the transmission case 12.
As illustrated in
In the planetary device 18, the sun gear 18a is connected to the cylindrical shaft 17. The carrier 18c is connected to the transmission shaft 16, the planetary gears 18b are rotatably supported by the carrier 18c, and the sun gear 18a meshes with the planetary gears 18b. The cylindrical shaft 27 is rotatably attached to the transmission shaft 16. The ring gear 18d is connected to the cylindrical shaft 27, and the planetary gears 18b mesh with the ring gear 18d.
The power from the engine 5 (or the power from the first motor generator 21) is transmitted to the carrier 18c of the planetary device 18, and the power from the second motor generator 22 is transmitted to the sun gear 18a of the planetary device 18. In a planetary device 18, the power from the engine 5 (or the power from the first motor generator 21) and the power from the second motor generator 22 are combined and changed in speed, and the combined power is transmitted from the ring gear 18d of the planetary device 18 to the cylindrical shaft 27.
As illustrated in
The forward clutch 31 and the reverse clutch 32 are attached to the cylindrical shaft 27. The transmission shaft 33 is provided in parallel with the cylindrical shaft 27, and transmission gears 33a, 33b are connected to the transmission shaft 33. The forward clutch 31 includes an output gear meshing with the transmission gear 33a of the transmission shaft 33. The reverse clutch 32 includes an output gear meshing with the relay gear 34, and the relay gear 34 meshes with the transmission gear 33b of the transmission shaft 33.
In the forward-reverse switching device 19, when the forward clutch 31 is operated into a transmission state, the power from the cylindrical shaft 27 is transmitted to the transmission shaft 33 in a forward-travel state via the forward clutch 31. When the reverse clutch 32 is operated into a transmission state, the power from the cylindrical shaft 27 is transmitted to the transmission shaft 33 in a reverse-travel state via the reverse clutch 32 and the relay gear 34.
As illustrated in
The high gear 35 is connected to the transmission shaft 33. The cylindrical shaft 37 is rotatably attached to the transmission shaft 16, transmission gears 37a, 37b are connected to the cylindrical shaft 37, and the high gear 35 meshes with the transmission gear 37a of the cylindrical shaft 37.
The transmission shaft 38 is provided coaxially with the transmission shaft 33 and the high gear 35, and the shift member 39 is provided in the transmission shaft 38. The low gear 36 is rotatably attached to the transmission shaft 38, and the low gear 36 meshes with the transmission gear 37b of the cylindrical shaft 37.
In the sub-transmission 20, when the shift member 39 is slid to mesh with the high gear 35, the transmission shaft 33 is connected to the transmission shaft 38, so that the power from the transmission shaft 33 is transmitted to the transmission shaft 38 in a high-speed state. When the shift member 39 is slid to mesh with the low gear 36, the power from the transmission shaft 33 is transmitted to the transmission shaft 38 in a low-speed state via the high gear 35, the cylindrical shaft 37, and the low gear 36.
The power transmitted to the transmission shaft 38 is transmitted from a rear-wheel output shaft 40 to the rear-wheel differential device 23 and transmitted from the rear-wheel differential device 23 to the rear wheels 3.
As illustrated in
The standard clutch 41 and the speed increasing clutch 42 are attached to the transmission shaft 43, and the power from the rear-wheel output shaft 40 is transmitted to the transmission shaft 43. The front-wheel output shaft 44 is provided in parallel with the transmission shaft 43, and transmission gears 44a, 44b are connected to the front-wheel output shaft 44. The standard clutch 41 includes an output gear meshing with the transmission gear 44a of the front-wheel output shaft 44, and the speed increasing clutch 42 includes an output gear meshing with the transmission gear 44b of the front-wheel output shaft 44.
When the front wheels 2 are operated within a range of right and left setting angles from a straight travel position, the standard clutch 41 is operated into a transmission state in the front-wheel transmission 24.
The power from the rear-wheel output shaft 40 is transmitted to the front-wheel output shaft 44 via the transmission shaft 43 and the standard clutch 41 and transmitted to the front wheels 2 via the transmission shaft 28 and the front-wheel differential device 29, so that the front wheels 2 and the rear wheels 3 are driven at the same speed.
When the front wheels 2 are steered to right or left beyond the right and left setting angles, the speed increasing clutch 42 is operated into a transmission state in the front-wheel transmission 24.
The power from the rear-wheel output shaft 40 is transmitted to the front-wheel output shaft 44 via the transmission shaft 43 and the speed increasing clutch 42 and transmitted to the front wheels 2 via the transmission shaft 28 and the front-wheel differential device 29, so that the front wheels 2 are driven at a speed higher than the rear wheels 3.
As illustrated in
In a case where the first motor generator 21 (the second motor generator 22) works as a motor and provides power to the transmission shaft 16 (the cylindrical shaft 17), direct-current power of the battery 46 is converted into alternating-current power by the inverter 45 and supplied to the first motor generator 21 (the second motor generator 22), so that the first motor generator 21 (the second motor generator 22) works as the motor (a drive mode).
In a case where the first motor generator 21 (the second motor generator 22) is driven to work as a generator, alternating-current power generated in the first motor generator 21 (the second motor generator 22) is converted into direct-current power by the inverter 45 and charged in the battery 46 (a charging mode).
Based on the state of a work device (not illustrated) to be attached to the body 1, the traveling state of the body 1, or the like, the charging mode and the drive mode of the first motor generator 21 and the charging mode and the drive mode of the second motor generator 22 are set by a control device (not illustrated).
In this case, a state where the first motor generator 21 is set to the charging mode and the second motor generator 22 is set to the drive mode is a basic traveling state.
In the basic traveling state, the power from the engine 5 is transmitted to the carrier 18c of the planetary device 18, and the power from the second motor generator 22 is transmitted to the sun gear 18a of the planetary device 18, so that the power from the engine 5 is combined with the power from the second motor generator 22 in the planetary device 18, and the combined power is transmitted from the ring gear 18d of the planetary device 18 to the cylindrical shaft 27.
Traveling is also performable in the drive modes of the first motor generator 21 and the second motor generator 22 while the engine 5 is stopped by operating the clutch 13 into a cut-off state.
As illustrated in
In the transmission case 12, a lubricant with a viscosity higher than the viscosity of the lubricant in the clutch housing 11 is accumulated. A sufficient amount of the lubricant is accumulated in the transmission case 12 such that the oil level of the lubricant accumulated in the transmission case 12 is higher than the oil level L1 of the lubricant in the clutch housing, and the transmission case 12 serves as an oil bath.
With the above configuration, the lubricant accumulated in the clutch housing 11 (the lubricant used to cool the first motor generator 21 and the second motor generator 22) is set to be different from the lubricant accumulated in the transmission case 12.
The inside of the clutch housing 11 and the inside of the transmission case 12 are separated from each other by the wall portion 11a of the rear portion of the clutch housing 11 and the wall portion 12a of the front portion of the transmission case 12. The lubricant accumulated in the clutch housing 11 (the lubricant used to cool the first motor generator 21 and the second motor generator 22) is not mixed with the lubricant accumulated in the transmission case 12.
As illustrated in
The lubricant sucked by the hydraulic pump 15 is supplied from the hydraulic pump 15 to an oil cooler 50 through a supply passage 48 such that the lubricant is cooled. The lubricant cooled by the oil cooler 50 is supplied to the inverter 45 through a supply passage 49 and cools the inverter 45.
In the present preferred embodiment, inside the clutch housing 11, a plurality of jet nozzles 53 (corresponding to a supply) is provided to face each portion of the first motor generator 21 and each portion of the second motor generator 22, and a jet pump 52 (corresponding to a supply) is provided for the jet nozzles 53. In this case, the jet nozzles 53 may be configured to supply the lubricant to each portion of the first motor generator 21 and each portion of the second motor generator 22 without the jet pump 52.
The lubricant that has cooled the inverter 45 is supplied to the jet pump 52 through a supply passage 51 and is supplied from the jet pump 52 to the jet nozzles 53 through a supply passage 54. The lubricant is supplied from the jet nozzles 53 to each portion of the first motor generator 21 and each portion of the second motor generator 22, so that the first motor generator 21 and the second motor generator 22 are cooled and lubricated.
The lubricant that has cooled and lubricated the first motor generator 21 and the second motor generator 22 naturally falls from the first motor generator 21 and the second motor generator 22 and returns to the bottom portion of the clutch housing 11.
With the above configuration, the lubricant in the clutch housing 11 (the electric transmission) is supplied by the hydraulic pump 15 to the inverter 45 and then supplied from the inverter 45 to the jet pump 52 (the supply) and the jet nozzles 53 (the supply).
The lubricant is supplied from the jet pump 52 (the supply) and the jet nozzles 53 (the supply) to the first motor generator 21 and the second motor generator 22 and returns from the first motor generator 21 and the second motor generator 22 to the clutch housing 11 (the electric transmission).
The oil cooler 50 configured to cool the lubricant is provided on the supply passages 48, 49 for the lubricant from the clutch housing 11 (the electric transmission) to the inverter 45.
As illustrated in
The case 58 includes a board member 58a and a cover portion 58b. Inside the board member 58a of the case 58, a cooling passage 59 through which the lubricant passes is provided, and the cooling passage 59 includes a first portion 59a, a second portion 59b, and a third portion 59c.
The first portion 59a of the cooling passage 59 is formed rearward along the front-rear direction from a front portion of the board member 58a of the case 58, and the supply passage 49 (see
The second portion 59b of the cooling passage 59 is formed by changing the direction of a rear portion of the first portion 59a of the cooling passage 59 by 180 degrees and is directed forward along the front-rear direction. The third portion 59c of the cooling passage 59 is formed by changing the direction of a front portion of the second portion 59b of the cooling passage 59 by 180 degrees and is directed rearward along the front-rear direction. The supply passage 51 (see
In the board member 58a of the case 58, the capacitor 55 is attached to a portion corresponding to the first portion 59a and an upper portion of the second portion 59b of the cooling passage 59. In the board member 58a of the case 58, the IGBT 56 and the resistor 57 are attached to a portion corresponding to an upper portion of the third portion 59c of the cooling passage 59.
As illustrated in
With the above configuration, as illustrated in
The lubricant enters the third portion 59c from the second portion 59b of the cooling passage 59. Due to the projecting portion 59e of the cooling passage 59, the lubricant comes closer to the pin fins 56a of the IGBT 56, so that the IGBT 56 is sufficiently cooled (heat of the IGBT 56 is absorbed by the lubricant).
The lubricant that has passed the projecting portion 59e of the cooling passage 59 reaches the position of the resistor 57, so that the resistor 57 is cooled. The lubricant that has come out of the third portion 59c of the cooling passage 59 is supplied to the jet pump 52 through the supply passage 51.
Instead of providing the first motor generator 21 and the second motor generator 22, one motor generator (not illustrated) may be provided in the clutch housing 11. In this configuration, the motor generator should be provided in the transmission shaft 16.
Instead of accumulating the lubricant in the bottom portion of the clutch housing 11, an oil tank (not illustrated) in which the lubricant is accumulated may be provided separately from the clutch housing 11.
A case (not illustrated) covering the first motor generator 21 (the second motor generator 22) may be provided separately from the clutch housing 11, and the first motor generator 21 (the second motor generator 22) may be cooled by passing a refrigerant through the inside of the case.
With this configuration, as the refrigerant for cooling the first motor generator 21 (the second motor generator 22) and the inverter 45, a coolant can be used.
The hydraulic pump 15 and the jet pump 52 may not be provided, and an electric oil pump (not illustrated) (corresponding to a pump) may be provided on the supply passage 49.
With this configuration, the pressure of the lubricant can be set to be high on the downstream side from the supply passage 49, so that the lubricant smoothly flows in the cooling passage 59 of the inverter 45. Accordingly, even without the jet pump 52, the lubricant is supplied from the jet nozzles 53 to each portion of the first motor generator 21 and each portion of the second motor generator 22 without difficulty.
A pump (not illustrated) and a supply passage (not illustrated) to supply the lubricant accumulated in the clutch housing 11 to the inverter 45 to cool the inverter 45 may be independently provided to be separated from a pump (not illustrated) and a supply passage (not illustrated) to supply the lubricant accumulated in the clutch housing 11 to the first motor generator 21 and the second motor generator 22 to cool the first motor generator 21 and the second motor generator 22.
Hereby, the lubricant accumulated in the clutch housing 11 is used both to cool the inverter 45 and to cool the first motor generator 21 and the second motor generator 22.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention are not limited to tractors but are also applicable to work vehicles for loading and transporting goods, work vehicles for pulling a bogie or the like, and work vehicles for construction such as wheel loaders, and preferred embodiments of the present invention are also applicable to work vehicles equipped with crawler travel devices instead of the front wheels and the rear wheels.
While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it is to be understood that variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention, therefore, is to be determined solely by the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-038614 | Mar 2022 | JP | national |
