초록 ▼

At speeds of the vehicle lower than a predetermined speed, two rotors (19, 20) of a dual-rotor motor (17), rotating in opposite directions under the action of the same electromagnetic forces, drive the wheels (12, 13, 15, 16) of two drive axles (11, 14) respectively, driving the vehicle in a low-spe

At speeds of the vehicle lower than a predetermined speed, two rotors (19, 20) of a dual-rotor motor (17), rotating in opposite directions under the action of the same electromagnetic forces, drive the wheels (12, 13, 15, 16) of two drive axles (11, 14) respectively, driving the vehicle in a low-speed/four-wheel-drive mode, while an internal-combustion engine (45) drives an electric generator (52) or rests. The generator powers the dual-rotor motor, or charges an electric battery (56), or both. At speeds higher than the predetermined speed, the engine driving the generator also drives the wheels (12, 13) of the first drive axle (11), whereas under normal load the dual-rotor motor does not operate and the engine alone drives the vehicle in a high-speed/two-wheel drive mode, while under heavy load the dual-rotor motor, powered by the battery, operates and together with the engine drive the vehicle in a high-speed/four-wheel-drive mode. A clutch (51) selectively interrupts the power transmission between the engine and first drive axle. The dual-rotor motor selectively operates as a braking generator during speed retardation and braking of the vehicle. A central electronic controller (64) controls the operation of the clutch, dual-rotor motor, and engine for achieving high fuel efficiency and performance of the vehicle.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A vehicle comprising: a first drive axle including two wheels for driving the vehicle and a second drive axle including two wheels for driving the vehicle, wherein said two wheels of at least one of said two drive axles are also steerable for steering the vehicle; a dual-roto

What is claimed is: 1. A vehicle comprising: a first drive axle including two wheels for driving the vehicle and a second drive axle including two wheels for driving the vehicle, wherein said two wheels of at least one of said two drive axles are also steerable for steering the vehicle; a dual-rotor electric traction motor for selectively driving simultaneously the wheels of the two drive axles, said dual-rotor motor including a first rotor for driving the wheels of said first drive axle and a second rotor for driving the wheels of said second drive axle, wherein when the dual-rotor motor is energized said two rotors are propelled to rotate in opposite directions under the action of the same electromagnetic forces, and wherein said opposite directions of rotation of the two rotors are reversible; an electric power source for supplying the dual-rotor motor with electric energy, said electric power source including an electric battery for storing electric energy and selectively supplying the dual-rotor motor with electric energy and an electric generator for charging said electric battery and selectively supplying the dual-rotor motor with electric energy; an internal-combustion engine for selectively driving said electric generator or the wheels of the first drive axle and the electric generator; a clutch for selectively interrupting the transmission of mechanical energy between the internal-combustion engine and the wheels of the first drive axle; and a central electronic controller arranged and programmed to control and coordinate the operation of the dual-rotor motor, internal-combustion engine, and said clutch, for operating the vehicle in a plurality of drive modes and charging the electric battery, wherein said plurality of drive modes includes: a forward/low-speed/four-wheel-drive mode, wherein at speeds of the vehicle lower than a predetermined speed the clutch is disengaged, the dual-rotor motor alone drives the vehicle, and the internal-combustion engine drives the electric generator or rests; a forward/high-speed/two-wheel-drive mode, wherein at speeds of the vehicle higher than said predetermined speed the clutch is engaged, the internal-combustion engine alone drives the vehicle while also driving the electric generator, and the dual-rotor motor does not operate, a forward/high-speed/four-wheel-drive mode, wherein at speeds of the vehicle higher than the predetermined speed the clutch is engaged and both the internal-combustion engine and the dual-rotor motor together drive the vehicle; and a reverse/four-wheel-drive mode, wherein the clutch is disengaged, said opposite directions of rotation of both rotors are reversed, the dual-rotor motor alone drives the vehicle backward, and the internal-combustion engine drives the electric generator or rests. 2. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said first drive axle is a front axle of the vehicle and said second drive axle is a rear axle of the vehicle. 3. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said first drive axle is a rear axle of the vehicle and said second drive axle is a front axle of the vehicle. 4. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said first rotor is an inner rotor and said second rotor is an outer rotor coaxial to said inner rotor. 5. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said first rotor is an outer rotor and said second rotor is an inner rotor coaxial to said outer rotor. 6. A vehicle according to claim 1, and further comprising: a first mechanical drive train connecting said first rotor with said wheels of said first drive axle for transmitting mechanical energy between the first rotor and the wheels of the first drive axle; a second mechanical drive train connecting said second rotor with said wheels of said second drive axle for transmitting mechanical energy between the second rotor and the wheels of the second drive axle; a third mechanical drive train connecting said internal-combustion engine with the wheels of the first drive axle for transmitting mechanical energy between the internal-combustion engine and the wheels of the first drive axle, wherein said third drive train includes said clutch and a part of said first drive train; and a fourth mechanical drive train connecting the internal-combustion engine with said electric generator for transmitting mechanical energy between the internal-combustion engine and the electric generator. 7. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said electric generator is further arranged to selectively operate as an electric motor powered by said electric battery for starting said internal-combustion engine. 8. A vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the proportion between speed reduction ratios of said first and second mechanical drive trains is approximately equal to a predetermined preferred-for-safe-braking-of-the-vehicle proportion between the braking forces on said wheels of said first and second drive axles. 9. A vehicle according to claim 7, and further comprising: a clutch actuator for engaging or disengaging said clutch; an electric generator controller for automatically controlling the operation of said electric generator and further arranged for selectively operating the electric generator as an electric motor; an internal-combustion engine controller for operating said internal-combustion engine; a dual-rotor motor controller for operating said dual-rotor motor; an electric battery charger electrically connecting said electric generator controller, electric battery, and dual-rotor motor controller to each other respectively, and arranged for selectively disconnecting the electric generator controller, electric battery, and dual-rotor motor controller from each other respectively; a directional mode control switch controllable by the operator of the vehicle for pre-selecting a forward drive mode preparing the dual-rotor motor for driving the vehicle forward, a backward drive mode preparing the dual-rotor motor for driving the vehicle backward, and a neutral drive mode rendering the dual-rotor motor not operable; and an accelerator pedal controllable by the operator of the vehicle for providing continuously variable control of the tractive force of the vehicle by varying the depression of said accelerator pedal. 10. A vehicle according to claim 9, wherein said clutch actuator is further arranged to automatically engage said clutch when the vehicle is parked and said central electronic controller is not controlling the operation of the clutch. 11. A vehicle according to claim 9, wherein said electric battery charger is further arranged for selectively charging said electric battery from an external source of electric energy when the vehicle is parked and does not operate and the electric battery charger is electrically connected to said external source of electric energy. 12. A vehicle according to claim 9, wherein said central electronic controller is arranged to continuously monitor the direction of motion, speed, and acceleration of the vehicle, the depression of said accelerator pedal, the rotational output speed of said internal-combustion engine, the state of charge of said electric battery, and the magnitude of the electric current drawn from the electric battery, and wherein the central electronic controller is arranged to control the operation of said clutch, electric generator, dual-rotor motor, internal-combustion engine, and the charging of the electric battery via said clutch actuator, electric generator controller, dual-rotor motor controller, internal-combustion engine controller, and battery charger respectively. 13. A vehicle according to claim 12, wherein said central electronic controller is programmed: (a) to disengage said clutch, and to keep the clutch disengaged when the vehicle is not moving, when the vehicle is moving forward with speeds lower than a first predetermined speed, and when the vehicle is moving backward; (b) to start said internal-combustion engine, if the internal-combustion engine is not already running, and to operate the internal-combustion engine at a predetermined substantially constant rotational speed when the vehicle is not moving, when the vehicle is moving forward with speeds lower than said first predetermined speed, and when the vehicle is moving backward, only if any of the following conditions is detected: (i) the charge of said electric battery is lower than a predetermined low level, (ii) the electric current drawn from the electric battery is stronger than a predetermined electric current, and (iii) the speed of the vehicle is between the first predetermined speed and a slightly lower second predetermined speed; (c) to stop the operation of the internal-combustion engine, if the internal-combustion engine is already running, when the vehicle is not moving and the charge of the electric battery is higher than said predetermined low level; (d) to stop the operation of the internal-combustion engine, if the internal-combustion engine is already running, when the vehicle is moving forward at speeds lower than said second predetermined speed and when the vehicle is moving backward, if the charge of the electric battery is higher than a predetermined high level and the electric current drawn from the electric battery is weaker than said predetermined electric current; (e) to operate the internal-combustion engine at continuously variable torque-speed output in response to the depression of said accelerator pedal when the vehicle is moving forward at speeds higher than the first predetermined speed; (f) to operate said dual-rotor motor at continuously variable torque-speed output in response to the depression of the accelerator pedal when the vehicle is moving forward at speeds lower than the first predetermined speed and when the vehicle is moving backward; (g) to disconnect the dual-rotor motor from said electric power source regardless of the depression of the accelerator pedal when the vehicle is moving forward at speeds higher than the first predetermined speed and the internal-combustion engine alone is capable of sustaining the vehicle speed or of accelerating the vehicle to a higher speed in response to the depression of the accelerator pedal; (h) to disconnect the electric generator from the electric battery and from the dual-rotor motor, to connect the dual-rotor motor to the electric battery, and to operate the dual-rotor motor at continuously variable torque-speed output in response to the depression of the accelerator pedal when the vehicle is moving forward at speeds higher than the first predetermined speed, the internal-combustion engine alone is not capable of sustaining the vehicle speed or of accelerating the vehicle to a higher speed in response to the depression of the accelerator pedal, and the charge of the electric battery is higher than the predetermined low level; and (i) to disconnect the electric battery from the electric generator when the internal-combustion engine operates and the charge of the electric battery is higher than said predetermined high level. 14. A vehicle according to claim 13, wherein said electric generator is further arrange to selectively operate as an electric traction motor powered by said electric battery, and said central electronic controller is further programmed to operate the electric generator as an electric traction motor via said electric generator controller when the vehicle moves forward with a speed higher than said first predetermined speed and said accelerator pedal is fully depressed. 15. A vehicle according to claim 13, wherein said first predetermined speed of the vehicle is the speed which the vehicle would have if said clutch is engaged and said internal-combustion engine operating at said predetermined substantially constant rotational speed drives the wheels of said first drive axle. 16. A vehicle according to claim 13, wherein said central electronic controller is further programmed to automatically operate said internal-combustion engine and said dual-rotor motor respectively for maintaining a substantially constant cruising sped of the vehicle when said cruising speed is selected and set up by the operator of the vehicle via a cruise control system. 17. A vehicle according to claim 13, wherein said dual-rotor motor is further arranged to selectively operate as an electric braking generator powered by the kinetic energy of the vehicle, said dual-rotor motor controller is further arranged to selectively operate the dual-rotor motor as an electric braking generator for converting part of the kinetic energy of the vehicle into electric energy charging said electric battery during speed retardation and braking of the vehicle, and wherein the vehicle further comprising: wheel brakes for braking the rotation of said wheels of said drive axle; a wheel brakes actuator for selectively applying said wheel brakes; a brake pedal controllable by the operator of the vehicle for providing continuously variable control of the braking force of the vehicle by varying the depression of said brake pedal; and a steering wheel controllable by the operator of the vehicle for varying the steering angle of said steerable wheels. 18. A vehicle according to claim 17, wherein said central electronic controller is further arranged to continuously monitor the depression of said brake pedal, the steering angle of said steering wheel, the rotational speeds of said wheels of said drive axles, and the rotational speeds at the inputs of the drive axles, and to control the operation of the dual-rotor motor as an electric braking generator and the operation of said wheel brakes actuator, and wherein the central electronic controller is further programmed: (a) to operate the dual-rotor motor as an electric braking generator for maintaining the speed of the vehicle substantially constant and charging the electric battery when the vehicle is moving forward with a speed lower than said first predetermined speed, said accelerator pedal is not depressed, and an acceleration of the vehicle is detected; (b) to disengage the clutch, to operate the internal-combustion engine at said substantially constant rotational speed, and to operate the dual-rotor motor as an electric braking generator for maintaining the speed of the vehicle substantially constant and charging the electric battery when the vehicle is moving forward with a speed higher than the first predetermined speed, the accelerator pedal is not depressed, and an acceleration of the vehicle is detected; (c) when the vehicle is moving forward with a speed lower than the first predetermined speed and said brake pedal is depressed: (i) to operate the dual-rotor motor as an electric braking generator when in response to the depression of the brake pedal the dual-rotor motor alone while charging the electric battery provides a continuously variable braking force capable of sustaining the vehicle speed during speed retardation or of decelerating the vehicle to a lower desirable speed during braking; (ii) to operate the dual-rotor motor as an electric braking generator and, when in response to the depression of the brake pedal the dual-rotor motor alone does not provide a continuously variable braking force capable of sustaining the vehicle speed during speed retardation or of decelerating the vehicle to a lower desirable speed during braking, to gradually apply said wheel brakes and then to control the continuously variable braking force of the wheel brakes in response to the depression of the brake pedal; (iii) to discontinue the operation of the dual-rotor motor as an electric braking generator regardless of the depression of the brake pedal and to brake the vehicle only via the wheel brakes in response to the depression of the brake pedal when a pending lockup of any of said driving wheels of the vehicle is detected; and (iv) to brake the vehicle only via the wheel brakes in response to the depression of the brake pedal when the electric battery is fully charged; (d) when the vehicle is moving forward with a speed higher than the first predetermined speed and the brake pedal is depressed, to disengage the clutch, to operate the internal-combustion engine at the predetermined substantially constant speed, and: (i) to operate the dual-rotor motor as an electric braking generator when in response to the depression of the brake pedal the dual-rotor motor alone while charging the electric battery provides a continuously variable braking force capable of sustaining the vehicle speed during speed retardation or of decelerating the vehicle to a lower desirable speed during braking; (ii) to operate the dual-rotor motor as an electric braking generator and, when in response to the depression of the brake pedal the dual-rotor motor alone does not provide a continuously variable braking force capable of sustaining the vehicle speed during speed retardation or of decelerating the vehicle to a lower desirable speed during braking, to gradually apply the wheel brakes and then to control the continuously variable braking force of the wheel brakes in response to the depression of the brake pedal; (iii) to discontinue the operation of the dual-rotor motor as an electric braking generator regardless of the depression of the brake pedal and to brake the vehicle only via the wheel brakes in response to the depression of the brake pedal when a pending lockup of any of the driving wheels of the vehicle is detected; and (iv) to brake the vehicle only via the wheel brakes in response to the depression of the brake pedal when the electric battery is fully charged; and (e) when the vehicle is not moving or is moving backward, to apply the wheel brakes in response to the depression of the brake pedal. 19. A method for operating a vehicle comprising a first drive axle including two wheels for driving said vehicle and a second drive axle including two wheels for driving the vehicle, wherein the wheels of at least one of said two drive axles are also steerable for steering the vehicle, said method for operating a vehicle comprising the steps of: driving the vehicle in a forward/low-speed/four-wheel-drive mode at speeds lower than a predetermined speed of the vehicle via a dual-rotor electric traction motor including a first rotor for driving said wheels of said first drive axle and a second rotor for driving said wheels of said second drive axle, wherein when said dual-rotor motor is energized said two rotors are propelled to rotate in opposite directions under the action of the same electromagnetic forces; driving the vehicle in a forward/high-speed/two-wheel-drive mode at speeds higher than said predetermined speed via an internal-combustion engine, driving the wheels of the first drive axle, when said internal-combustion engine alone is capable to sustain the vehicle speed or to accelerate the vehicle to a higher speed; driving the vehicle in a forward/high-speed/four-wheel-drive mode at speeds higher than the predetermined speed via both the internal-combustion engine and the dual-rotor motor, wherein the internal-combustion engine drives the wheels of the first drive axle while the dual-rotor motor drives the wheels of the first and second drive axles, when the internal-combustion engine alone is not capable of sustaining the vehicle speed or of accelerating the vehicle to a higher speed; driving the vehicle in a reverse/four-wheel-drive mode via the dual-rotor motor, wherein said opposite direction of rotation of both rotors are reversed; interrupting the transmission of mechanical energy between the internal-combustion engine and the wheels of the first drive axle via a clutch when the vehicle does not move, when the vehicle operates in said forward/low-speed/four-wheel-drive mode, and when the vehicle operates in said reverse/four-wheel-drive mode; supplying the dual-rotor motor with electric energy from an electric power source including an electric battery for storing electric energy and selectively supplying the dual-rotor motor with electric energy and an electric generator for charging said electric battery and selectively supplying the dual-rotor motor with electric energy, wherein said electric generator is driven by the internal-combustion engine; controlling and coordinating the operation of the dual-rotor motor, internal-combustion engine, and said clutch via a central electronic controller for driving the vehicle in said drive modes and charging the electric battery; controlling the continuously variable tractive force of the vehicle in each of said drive modes only via the depression of an accelerator pedal controllable by the operator of the vehicle and continuously monitored by said central electronic controller. 20. A method for operating a vehicle according to claim 19, and further comprising the step of: transmitting mechanical energy between said first rotor and said wheels of said first drive axle via a first mechanical drive train; transmitting mechanical energy between said second rotor and said wheels of said second drive axle via a second mechanical drive train; transmitting mechanical energy between said internal-combustion engine and the wheels of the first drive axle via a third mechanical drive train including said clutch and a part of said first drive train; and transmitting mechanical energy between the internal-combustion engine and said electric generator via a fourth mechanical drive train. 21. A method for operating a vehicle according to claim 19, and further comprising the steps of: selectively operating said electric generator as an electric motor powered by said electric battery for starting said internal-combustion engine, and controlling the selective operation of the electric generator as an electric motor via said central electronic controller. 22. A method for operating a vehicle according to claim 19, and further comprising the steps of: selectively operating said electric generator as an electric traction motor powered by said electric battery for driving the wheels of said first drive axle, and controlling the selective operation of the electric generator as an electric traction motor via sad central electronic controller. 23. A method for operating a vehicle according to claim 19, and further comprising the steps of: selectively operating said dual-rotor motor as an electric braking generator driven by the kinetic energy of the vehicle during speed retardation and braking of the vehicle for charging of said electric battery, and controlling the selective operation of the dual-rotor motor as an electric braking generator via said central electronic controller. 24. A method for operating a vehicle according to claim 23, and further comprising the steps of: controlling the continuously variable braking force of the vehicle by the depression of a brake pedal controllable by the operator of the vehicle and continuously monitored by said central electronic controller, wherein the central electronic controller further continuously monitor the rotational behavior of said vehicle driving wheels; disengaging said clutch during speed retardation and braking of the vehicle; braking the vehicle via said dual-rotor motor operating as an electric braking generator when in response to the depression of said brake pedal the dual-rotor motor alone while charging the electric battery provides a continuously variable braking force capable of sustaining the vehicle speed during speed retardation or of decelerating the vehicle to a lower desirable speed during braking; braking the vehicle by operating the dual-rotor motor as an electric braking generator and simultaneously applying vehicle wheel brakes, controllable by the central electronic controller, when in response to the depression of the brake pedal the dual-rotor motor alone does not provide a continuously variable braking force capable of sustaining the vehicle speed during speed retardation or of decelerating the vehicle to a lower desirable speed during braking; and discontinuing the operation of the dual-rotor motor as an electric braking generator regardless of the depression of the brake pedal and braking the vehicle only via the wheel brakes in response to the depression of the brake pedal, under any of the following conditions: (i) when a pending lockup of any of said driving wheels of the vehicle is detected; (ii) when said electric battery is fully charged; (iii) when the vehicle is moving backward; and (iv) when the vehicle is not moving.