Patent classifications
B60L11/00
VEHICLE-SIDE POWER CIRCUIT FOR SUPPLYING POWER IN AN ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN VEHICLE
A vehicle-side circuit for supplying power in an electrically driven vehicle is provided. The power circuit includes an external AC voltage terminal; at least one DC/AC converter having an AC voltage side; and an electrical machine having a plurality of windings, each of which has a first tapping. The electrical machine is connected to the AC voltage side of the DC/AC converter. A switching device is connected to the plurality of windings and to a signal shaping filter having a plurality of first capacitors. The signal shaping filter is connected between the DC/AC converter and an external AC terminal. The switching device may interconnect the windings within the electrical machine or may connect the first tappings of the plurality of windings within the signal shaping filter to the plurality of first capacitors to form an at least third-order low-pass filter.
Battery configuration for an electric vehicle
A power delivery system for an electric vehicle provides efficient power management for either continuous or intermittent high-performance operation, using a boost stage and an on-board charging circuit. A main battery, configured as a high-capacity power source, supplies power to the electric motor under normal load conditions. An auxiliary boost battery assists the main battery in supplying a high-level current at a higher discharge rate thereby causing the motor to operate in a high-performance drive mode. A charging circuit recharges the boost battery from the main battery during operation of the motor. The charging circuit also maintains a charge balance between the boost battery and the main battery when the two batteries have different chemistries. In one embodiment, participation of the boost battery in powering the electric motor can be controlled automatically according to sensed changes in the load. In another embodiment, power management can be based on timed intervals.
Bicycle control device, motor assist bicycle including bicycle control device, and method of controlling motor of motor assist bicycle
A bicycle control device controls a motor to assist driving of a wheel of a bicycle. The bicycle control device includes a controller configured to control the motor and an operation unit configured to be operated to switch operation modes of the motor. The controller includes at least a walk mode as the operation modes. In a case that a rotation speed of a wheel becomes lower than or equal to a predetermined value while the motor is driven in the walk mode, the controller is configured to control the motor so as to gradually decrease output of the motor and then stop driving the motor.
Bicycle control device, motor assist bicycle including bicycle control device, and method of controlling motor of motor assist bicycle
A bicycle control device controls a motor to assist driving of a wheel of a bicycle. The bicycle control device includes a sole first operation switch and a controller. The controller is configured to switch, when the first operation switch is operated, between a ride mode that controls the motor in correspondence with manual driving force and a walk mode that drives the motor in correspondence with the operation of the first operation switch. After switching to the walk mode in accordance with the operation of the first operation switch, the controller is configured to drive the motor in correspondence with the operation of the first operation switch.
Apparatus and method for generating power using inertia
The invention is an apparatus for generating power using inertia of a load in a moving vehicle. The apparatus includes a vessel having a volume that is capable of an expansion and a contraction, and containing a fluid under a pressure. The fluid is released from the vessel as a force is exerted by the load of the vehicle against the vessel. The apparatus includes a reservoir, operably connected to the vessel by fluid conduit. The reservoir contains the fluid under pressure until an optimum pressure is reached at which point the reservoir releases the fluid to a power generator. The power generator then generates electrical power. Excess fluid released from the power generator then returns to the vessel.
Electromotive drive system for engine-driven vehicle
An electromotive drive system including a small motor and a small-capacity battery more effectively improves the fuel economy of an engine-driven vehicle. An electromotive drive system includes: a motor for driving a vehicle; a battery storing electrical energy to rotate the motor; an inverter; a converting mechanism transmitting rotation of the motor to a drive shaft at a predetermined conversion ratio independently of a conversion ratio at which an engine is driven; and a control unit controlling an operation of the inverter. The control unit is configured so that upper vehicle speed limits, to which the motor is allowed to operate, can be set separately during powering and during regeneration, respectively.
Electrical Circuit Sharing for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
Electric vehicle charging stations are coupled with a circuit sharing controller. Multiple electric vehicle charging stations are wired on the same electrical circuit. The circuit sharing controller implements a circuit sharing process that dynamically allocates electric current to charging stations on the same electrical circuit such that the capacity of the electrical circuit is not exceeded while permitting each of those charging stations to draw electric current through that electrical circuit for at least some amount of time.
CONTROLLER FOR DRIVING A MOTOR, AND ELECTRIC POWER ASSISTED VEHICLE
In one aspect, a controller for driving a motor of the present invention includes a driving control unit that controls driving of a motor, and a regenerative control unit that instructs the driving control unit to start regeneration when a signal from a pedal rotation sensor that detects a rotation direction of the pedal indicates that the rotation direction of the pedal is backwards, the regenerative control unit controlling an amount of the regeneration in accordance with a backward rotation amount of the pedal while the rotation direction of the pedal is backwards, the backward rotation amount being obtained by the pedal rotation sensor.
Method for reducing the energy of the acceleration-boosting torque of a hybrid vehicle
A method for reducing energy of torque for electrically boosting acceleration of a hybrid vehicle including a power train, a heat engine, an electric machine capable of jointly or separately outputting a torque to a wheel in accordance with management laws optimizing energy consumption of the vehicle, and a traction battery which is capable of recovering all or part of kinetic energy of a decelerating vehicle in a form of electric energy, and rechargeable via the heat engine. In the method electric boost torque available for the torque boost is reduced by a reduction coefficient of 0 to 1 according to an amount of energy remaining in an energy range of the battery reserved for the torque boost.
APPARATUS, METHOD AND ARTICLE FOR RESERVING POWER STORAGE DEVICES AT RESERVING POWER STORAGE DEVICE COLLECTION, CHARGING AND DISTRIBUTION MACHINES
A network of collection, charging and distribution machines collect, charge and distribute portable electrical energy storage devices (e.g., batteries, supercapacitors or ultracapacitors). Locations of collection, charging and distribution machines having available charged portable electrical energy storage devices are communicated to or acquired by a mobile device of a user, or displayed on a collection, charging and distribution machine. The locations are indicated on a graphical user interface on a map on a user's mobile device relative to the user's current location. The user may use their mobile device select particular locations on the map to reserve an available portable electrical energy storage device. The system nay also warn the user that the user is near an edge of the pre-determined area having portable electrical energy storage device collection, charging and distribution machines. Reservations may also be made automatically based on information regarding a potential route of a user.