DEVICE FOR DETERMINING A TORQUE IN A DRIVETRAIN OF AN AT LEAST PARTIALLY ELECTRICALLY OPERATED MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A device for determining a torque in a drivetrain of an at least partially electrically operated motor vehicle is provided, having a first electric motor with a first rotor rotatably mounted in at least two rolling bearings spaced in the axial direction. The first rotor is operatively connected to at least a first vehicle wheel to be driven by the first electric motor. The first rolling bearing has a first angular position sensor and the second rolling bearing has a second angular position sensor, the sensors each generating a signal that represents the angular position of the first rotor at the particular bearing point. The signals are transmitted to a vehicle controller, in which the torque of the first electric motor applied to the first rotor is determined from the difference between the angular positions and is provided to control the motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A device for determining a torque in a drivetrain of an at least partially electrically operated motor vehicle, the device comprising: a first electric motor having a first rotor, the first rotor being rotatably mounted in at least first and second rolling bearings that are mutually spaced in an axial direction of the first rotor, and the first rotor of the first electric motor is operatively connected to a first vehicle wheel so that the first electric motor drives the first vehicle wheel; the first rolling bearing has a first angular position sensor; the second rolling bearing has a second angular position sensor; each of the first and second angular position sensors generate a signal representing an angular position of the first rotor at a respective bearing point, and the signals representing the angular positions are transmitted to a vehicle controller that is configured to determine the torque of the first electric motor which is applied to the first rotor from a difference in the angular positions and the torque is provided for controlling the motor vehicle.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first electric motor is operatively connected to the first vehicle wheel and a second vehicle wheel of a vehicle axle, so that the first electric motor drives the first vehicle wheel and the second vehicle wheel.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first electric motor is operatively connected to a first vehicle wheel and the device further comprises a second electric motor with a second rotor, which is operatively connected to a second vehicle wheel of a vehicle axle, so that the first electric motor drives the first vehicle wheel and the second electric motor drives the second vehicle wheel, and the second rotor is rotatably mounted in third and fourth rolling bearings that are spaced apart in the axial direction of the second rotor, the third rolling bearing has a third angular position sensor and the fourth rolling bearing has a fourth angular position sensor, each of the third and fourth angular position sensors generates a signal representing an angular position of the second rotor at a bearing point, and the signals representing the angular positions of the second rotor are transmitted to the vehicle controller which is configured to determine a torque of the second electric motor applied to the second rotor from a difference in the angular positions and the torque is provided for controlling the motor vehicle.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein each said vehicle axle has one said first electric motor and one said second electric motor for driving one vehicle wheel each.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein the first vehicle axle includes the first electric motor and the second electric motor for driving one said vehicle wheel each on the first vehicle axle, and a second vehicle axle includes a third electric motor for driving both vehicle wheels on the second vehicle axle.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first rolling bearing and the second rolling bearing are arranged inside the first electric motor.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first rolling bearing is arranged inside the first electric motor and the second rolling bearing is arranged outside the first electric motor.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first electric motor is on a vehicle axle which has a differential gear via which vehicle wheels of the vehicle axle are operatively connected to the first electric motor.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein the second rolling bearing is arranged in or on a vehicle wheel.

10. A drivetrain of an at least partially electrically operated motor vehicle, the drivetrain comprising: a first axle having a first electric motor with a first rotor, the first rotor being rotatably mounted in first and second rolling bearings that are mutually spaced in an axial direction of the first rotor, and the first rotor is operatively connected a first vehicle wheel so that the first electric motor drives the first vehicle wheel; a first angular position sensor connected to or on the first rolling bearing; a second angular position sensor connected to or on the second rolling bearing; each of the first and second angular position sensors generate a signal representing an angular position of the first rotor at a respective bearing point; a vehicle controller that receives the signals representing the angular positions, the vehicle controller being configured to determine a torque of the first electric motor which is applied to the first rotor from a difference in the angular positions and the torque is provided for controlling the motor vehicle.

11. The drivetrain of claim 10, wherein the first electric motor is operatively connected to a second vehicle wheel of the first axle.

12. The drivetrain of claim 10, further comprising a second electric motor with a second rotor, which is operatively connected to a second vehicle wheel of the first axle so that the first electric motor drives the first vehicle wheel and the second electric motor drives the second vehicle wheel, and the second rotor is rotatably mounted in third and fourth rolling bearings that are spaced apart in the axial direction of the second rotor, the third rolling bearing has a third angular position sensor and the fourth rolling bearing has a fourth angular position sensor, each of the third and fourth angular position sensors generates a signal representing an angular position of the second rotor at a bearing point, and the signals representing the angular positions of the second rotor are transmitted to the vehicle controller which is configured to determine a torque of the second electric motor applied to the second rotor from a difference in the angular positions and the torque is provided for controlling the motor vehicle.

13. The drivetrain according to claim 12, wherein each said first axle has one said first electric motor and one said second electric motor for driving one said vehicle wheel each.

14. The drivetrain according to claim 12, wherein the first axle includes the first electric motor and the second electric motor for driving one said vehicle wheel each on the first axle, and a second axle includes a third electric motor for driving both vehicle wheels on the second axle.

15. The drivetrain according to claim 10, wherein the first rolling bearing and the second rolling bearing are arranged inside the first electric motor.

16. The drivetrain according to claim 10, wherein the first rolling bearing is arranged inside the first electric motor and the second rolling bearing is arranged outside the first electric motor.

17. The drivetrain according to claim 10, wherein the first axle includes a differential gear via which the first vehicle wheel and a second vehicle wheel of the first axle are operatively connected to the first electric motor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] The disclosure will be explained in more detail below with reference to figures without limiting the general concept of the disclosure.

[0045] In the figures:

[0046] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a device according to the disclosure for determining a torque in a drivetrain of an at least partially electrically operated motor vehicle in a schematic block diagram,

[0047] FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of a device according to the disclosure for determining a torque in a drivetrain of an at least partially electrically operated motor vehicle in a schematic block diagram,

[0048] FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of a device according to the disclosure for determining a torque in a drivetrain of an at least partially electrically operated motor vehicle in a schematic block diagram, and

[0049] FIG. 4 shows a fourth embodiment of a device according to the disclosure for determining a torque in a drivetrain of an at least partially electrically operated motor vehicle in a schematic block diagram.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] FIG. 1 shows a device 1 for determining a torque in a drivetrain 2 of an at least partially electrically operated motor vehicle 3. In the embodiment shown, the device 1 comprises a first electric motor 4 with a first rotor 5, the first rotor 5 being rotatably mounted in two rolling bearings 6 that are mutually spaced in the axial direction of the rotor 5, specifically a first rolling bearing 9 and a second rolling bearing 10. The first rotor 5 of the first electric motor 4 is operatively connected to a first vehicle wheel 7 so that the first electric motor 4 drives the first vehicle wheel 7.

[0051] The first rolling bearing 9 has a first angular position sensor 8 and the second rolling bearing 10 has a second angular position sensor 11, each of which generates a signal 13 representing the angular position of the first rotor 5 at a bearing point. The signals 13 representing the angular positions are transmitted to a vehicle controller 12 in which the torque of the first electric motor 4 applied to the first rotor 5 is determined from the difference in the angular positions and is provided for controlling the motor vehicle 3.

[0052] The device 1 also comprises a second electric motor 16 having a second rotor 17, which is operatively connected to the second vehicle wheel 14 of the vehicle axle 15, so that the first electric motor 4 drives the first vehicle wheel 7 and the second electric motor 16 drives the second vehicle wheel 14 independently of one another. The second rotor 17 is also rotatably mounted in two rolling bearings 18 that are mutually spaced in the axial direction of the rotor 17, specifically a third rolling bearing 19 and a fourth rolling bearing 20. The third rolling bearing 19 also has a (third) angular position sensor 21 and the fourth rolling bearing 20 has a fourth angular position sensor 22, each of which generates a signal 13 that represents the angular position of the second rotor 17 at a bearing point. The signals 13 representing the angular positions are also transmitted to the vehicle controller 12, in which the torque of the second electric motor 16 applied to the second rotor 17 is determined from the difference in the angular positions and is provided for controlling the motor vehicle 3.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 1, in the embodiment shown, the vehicle axle 15 has a first electric motor 4 and a second electric motor 16 for each driving one vehicle wheel 7, 14. It is understood that, similarly to the embodiment shown, there can also be a second vehicle axle which also has individually electrically drivable vehicle wheels.

[0054] The Figure also shows that the first rolling bearing 9 and the second rolling bearing 10 are arranged inside the first electric motor 4. The same applies analogously to the second electric motor 16.

[0055] FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of a device 1 according to the disclosure for determining a torque in a drivetrain 2 of an at least partially electrically operated motor vehicle 3, in which the two vehicle wheels 7, 14 of a vehicle axle 15 are driven by an electric motor 4. The first electric motor 4 is operatively connected to a first vehicle wheel 7 and a second vehicle wheel 14 of a vehicle axle 15 so that the first electric motor 4 drives the first vehicle wheel 7 and the second vehicle wheel 14. This is realized in that the vehicle axle has a differential gear 24 via which the vehicle wheels 7, 14 of the vehicle axle 15 are operatively connected to the electric motor 4. As already known from the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1, the rotor 5 is mounted in the rolling bearings 9, 10 provided with angular position sensors 8, 11, such that the torque applied to the rotor 5 can be determined via the vehicle controller 12. As in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the rolling bearings 9, 10 are also arranged within the electric motor 4 in the configuration shown in FIG. 2.

[0056] FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of a device 1 according to the disclosure for determining a torque in a drivetrain 2 of an at least partially electrically operated motor vehicle 3, in which a first vehicle axle 15 has a first electric motor 4 and a second electric motor 16 for each driving one vehicle wheel 7, 14 of the first vehicle axle 15 and a second vehicle axle 23 has a third electric motor 25 for driving both vehicle wheels 31, 32 of the second vehicle axle 23. The three rotors 5, 17, 26 are each mounted via rolling bearings 9, 10, 19, 20, 27, 28 provided with angular position sensors 8, 11, 21, 22, 29, 30 so that the torque present on all of the three rotors 5, 17, 26 in each case—as already explained in the exemplary embodiments for FIG. 1 and FIG. 2—can be determined individually.

[0057] FIG. 3 shows another possible arrangement of the rolling bearings, in which the first rolling bearing 18 is arranged inside the first electric motor 16 and the second rolling bearing 19 is arranged outside the first electric motor 16 on a vehicle wheel. Other options for arranging the rolling bearings are outlined in FIG. 4. Here, for example, in the case of the electric motor 25, the rolling bearing 27 is positioned inside the vehicle wheel 32.

[0058] It is of course possible to freely combine the arrangement of the rolling bearings between the exemplary embodiments shown.

[0059] Finally, FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of a device 1 according to the disclosure for determining a torque in a drivetrain 2 of an at least partially electrically operated motor vehicle 3, in which each vehicle wheel 7, 14, 31, 32 can be operated individually by an electric motor 4, 16, 25, 33. The configuration of the vehicle axle 15 is already known from FIG. 1, so there is no need to go into more detail here. FIG. 4 also shows that an electric motor 33 can be configured as a wheel hub motor, which is arranged inside or on the vehicle wheel 31.

[0060] In the embodiment shown, all the rotors 5, 17, 26, 34 are mounted in rolling bearings, of which at least two rolling bearings have an angular position sensor so that the torque applied to the rotors 5, 17, 26, 34 can be determined.

[0061] The disclosure is not limited to the embodiments shown in the figures. The above description is therefore not to be regarded as limiting, but rather as explanatory. The following claims are to be understood as meaning that a named feature is present in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. This does not exclude the presence of further features. If the patent claims and the above description define ‘first’ and ‘second’ features, this designation serves to distinguish between two features of the same type without defining an order of precedence.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0062] 1 Device [0063] 2 Drivetrain [0064] 3 Motor vehicle [0065] 4 Electric motor [0066] 5 Rotor [0067] 6 Rolling bearing [0068] 7 Vehicle wheel [0069] 8 Angular position sensor [0070] 9 Rolling bearing [0071] 10 Rolling bearing [0072] 11 Angular position sensor [0073] 12 Vehicle controller [0074] 13 Signal [0075] 14 Vehicle wheel [0076] 15 Vehicle axle [0077] 16 Electric motor [0078] 17 Rotor [0079] 18 Rolling bearing [0080] 19 Rolling bearing [0081] 20 Rolling bearing [0082] 21 Angular position sensor [0083] 22 Angular position sensor [0084] 23 Vehicle axle [0085] 24 Differential gear [0086] 25 Electric motor [0087] 26 Rotor [0088] 27 Rolling bearing [0089] 28 Rolling bearing [0090] 29 Angular position sensor [0091] 30 Angular position sensor [0092] 31 Vehicle wheel [0093] 32 Vehicle wheel [0094] 33 Electric motor [0095] 34 Rotor [0096] 35 Rolling bearing [0097] 36 Rolling bearing [0098] 37 Angular position sensor [0099] 38 Angular position sensor