A method of operating a first electric machine and a second electric machine in a vehicle drive includes operating the vehicle drive in a first operating mode by operating the first electric machine to regulate electrical power at a bus to maintain a first voltage on the bus and operating the second electric machine to consume electrical power from the bus. The method includes operating the vehicle drive in a second operating mode by operating the first electric machine to consume electrical power from the bus and operating the second electric machine to regulate electrical power at the bus to maintain a second voltage on the bus. A sum of the electrical power regulated by the first electric machine, the electrical power losses, and the electrical power consumed by the second electric machine is zero in the first operating mode and in the second operating mode.

A control apparatus for a motive power transmission device equipped with a first input shaft, a second input shaft to which a motive power from a motor is input, a rear wheel-side output shaft from which a motive power is output to a first driving wheel, a front wheel-side output shaft from which a motive power is output to a second driving wheel, and a planetary gear device that has, as three rotating elements, a sun gear to which the second input shaft is coupled, a carrier to which the front wheel-side output shaft is coupled, and a ring gear to which the first input shaft and the rear wheel-side output shaft are coupled engages an engagement device when a torque of the rear wheel-side output shaft is equal to or smaller than a threshold with the motor outputting the motive power.

A limited slip differential (LSD) is mounted on a driven axle of a vehicle to drive left and right wheels. To control the LSD, a speed of the vehicle is determined. A value of a preload for application to the LSD is also determined. The value of the preload is based on a predicted engine torque and on the speed of the vehicle. A preload is applied to the LSD when the value of the preload is greater than zero.

A vehicle drive device includes a differential mechanism provided with a first rotating element connected to the first output shaft, a second rotating element connected to the second output shaft, and a third rotating element connected to the rotating electric machine and an engaging element that selectively engages any two of the first rotating element, the second rotating element, and the third rotating element. A control device controls torque from a rotating electric machine so as to change a torque distribution ratio at which torque from a power source is distributed to the first output shaft and the second output shaft, and changes the torque distribution ratio by controlling a torque capacity of the engaging element when the torque from an rotating electric machine is limited and thus a change in the torque distribution ratio is restricted.

When temperature of a second power source of a vehicle becomes higher than a threshold value during a first mode in which three rotating elements of a differential gear can make differential movement and when four-wheel drive is needed, switching is performed to a second mode in which the three rotating elements are unified, and when four-wheel drive is not needed even when the temperature of the second power source becomes higher than the threshold value during the first mode, output of the second power source is restricted, while the first mode is maintained.

A drive train for a vehicle includes a first electromagnetic device, a second electromagnetic device electrically coupled to the first electromagnetic device by an electrical power transmission system, and an engine coupled to the first electromagnetic device and configured to drive the first electromagnetic device to provide electrical energy. In all modes of operation where the engine drives the first electromagnetic device to provide the electrical energy, the first electromagnetic device operates without providing the electrical energy to an energy storage device.

When a collision occurs, a driving force of a drive shaft is transmitted to a reversing high-load multiple disk clutch via an inertia absorbing gear mechanism. Then, the driving force is transmitted to a gear via a gear, and inertia is absorbed and the driving force acts to rotate an output shaft at a low speed. On the other hand, when the gear rotates, a regenerative/backing up motor also rotates, and so-called regenerative driving is also performed. Due to these operations, the output shaft rapidly decreases in rotation speed, and goes into a rotation stopping state from a forward rotating state. Then, when a vehicle speed sensor detects that the vehicle speed has reached “0,” the regenerative/backing up motor is driven, the output shaft is driven to rotate reversely for several seconds, and thereafter, driving of the regenerative/backing up motor is stopped.

A method for controlling an engine clutch of an electrified vehicle is provided to easily engage and disengage an engine clutch by applying a launch engagement control method that utilizes power from both of an engine and a motor in accordance with the variation of the number of revolutions per hour of the engine and the usage rate of electrical energy by a motor to engage the engine clutch in a terrain mode and by applying a control method that disengages an engine clutch early in accordance with the number of revolutions per hour of the engine and the shaft torque of the engine clutch in the terrain mode.

A split serial-parallel hybrid dual-power drive system, comprised of two or more than two separation drive systems allowing independent operation to respectively drive the load, or all loads driven individually are incorporated in a common frame to drive land, surface, underwater transportation means or aircraft, industrial machines and equipment or any other load drive by rotational kinetic energy.

A vehicle drive includes a gear set, a first motor/generator coupled to the gear set, a second motor/generator at least selectively rotationally engaged with the gear set, and an engine at least selectively coupled to the gear set and at least selectively coupled to the second motor/generator. The second motor/generator is electrically coupled to the first motor/generator by an electrical power transmission system. The first motor/generator and the second motor/generator are electrically coupled without an energy storage device configured to at least one of (a) provide electrical energy to the first motor/generator or the second motor/generator to power the first motor/generator or the second motor/generator and (b) be charged by electrical energy from the first motor/generator or the second motor/generator.