Hybrid electric vehicle

1. A hybrid electric vehicle, comprising:

two or more drive wheels receiving torque for propelling said vehicle from an output shaft, and a power unit supplying drive torque to said output shaft, said power unit comprising:

a controllable torque transfer unit adapted to receive torque from two sources via first and second input shafts and transmit said torque to said output shaft;

an engine adapted to consume combustible fuel and supply torque to said torque transfer unit;

an electric motor adapted to receive electricity from a battery and supply torque to said torque transfer unit, said motor also being adapted to be operated as a generator, whereupon said motor receives torque and generates electric energy;

a battery for supply of stored electric energy to said motor, and for receiving and storing electric energy from said motor when operated as a generator; and

a controller for controlling the operation of said engine, said electric motor, and said torque transfer unit, such that said torque transfer unit receives torque from either or both of said internal combustion engine and said electric motor via said first and second input shafts and transmits torque therefrom to said drive wheels by way of said output shaft, and for controlling the relative contributions of the internal combustion engine and electric motor to the torque driving the wheels;

wherein the relative ratios of the rates of rotation of said engine and said electric motor to said input shafts, and the relative ratio of the rate of rotation of an output member of said torque transfer unit to the rate of rotation of said driven wheels, are fixed.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said controller means controls flow of combustible fuel to said engine and of electrical energy to said motor, whereby said vehicle may be operated in a variety of operating modes selected dependent on desired vehicle performance.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein said modes include at least:

a low speed/reversing mode, wherein all energy is supplied by said battery and all torque by said electric motor;

a high speed/cruising mode, wherein all energy is supplied by combustible fuel and all torque by said engine; and

an acceleration/hill climbing mode, wherein energy is supplied by both combustible fuel and said battery, and torque by both said engine and said motor.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said engine is an internal combustion engine.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein said combustible fuel is selected from the group consisting of ethanol, natural gas, propane, gasoline, and diesel fuel.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said motor is an AC inductor motor.

7. A hybrid electric vehicle comprising:

two or more drive wheels receiving torque for propelling said vehicle from an output shaft, and a power unit supplying drive torque to said output shaft, said power unit comprising:

a controllable torque transfer unit adapted to receive torque from two sources and transfer said torque to said output shaft;

an engine adapted to consume combustible fuel and supply torque to said torque transfer unit;

an electric motor adapted to receive electricity from a battery and supply torque to said torque transfer unit, said motor also being adapted to be operable as a generator;

a battery for supply of stored electric energy to said motor, and for receiving and storing electric energy from said motor when operated as a generator; and

a controller for controlling the operation of such engine, said electric motor, and said torque transfer unit such that said torque transfer unit receives torque from either or both of said internal combustion engine and said electric motor and transmits and for controlling the relative contributions of the internal combustion engine and electric motor to the torque driving the wheels, and

wherein said battery provides a maximum current of no more than about 75 amperes at a voltage selected responsive to the characteristics of said motor.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein said battery provides a maximum voltage in the approximate range of 500-1,500 volts.

9. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein said electric motor is an AC motor, said vehicle further comprises solid state switching means, and said battery provides DC to said switching means, said switching means comprising means for converting said DC supplied by said battery to AC for supply to said electric motor, and further comprising means for rectifying AC generated by said motor when operated in a regenerative mode to provide DC to charge said battery.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said AC supplied by said switching means has a frequency of between about 120 and about 1000 Hz.

11. A hybrid electric vehicle, comprising:

two or more drive wheels receiving torque for propelling said vehicle from an output shaft, and a power unit supplying drive torque to said output shaft, said power unit comprising:

a controllable torque transfer unit adapted to receive torque from two sources and transfer said torque to said output shaft;

an engine adapted to consume combustible fuel and supply torque to said torque transfer unit;

an AC electric motor adapted to receive electric energy from a battery and supply torque to said torque transfer unit, said motor being further adapted to be operable as a generator;

a battery for supply of stored electric energy to said motor, and for receiving and storing electric energy from said motor when operated as a generator;

solid state switching means for converting DC supplied by said battery to AC for supply to said electric motor, and for rectifying AC generated by said motor when operated in a regenerative mode to provide DC to charge said battery; and

a controller for controlling the operation of said engine, said electric motor, said solid state switching means, and said torque transfer unit, such that said torque transfer unit receives torque from either or both of said internal combustion engine and said electric motor and transmits torque therefrom to said drive wheels by way of said output shaft, and for controlling the relative contributions of the internal combustion engine and electric motor to the torque driving the wheels.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein said solid state switching means comprises a plurality of metal oxide semiconductor controlled thyristors switched responsive to control signals provided by said controller.

13. A hybrid electric vehicle, comprising:

two or more drive wheels receiving torque for propelling said vehicle from an output shaft, and a power unit supplying drive torque to said output shaft, said power unit comprising:

a controllable torque transfer unit adapted to receive torque from two sources and transfer said torque to said output shaft;

an engine adapted to consume combustible fuel and supply torque to said torque transfer unit;

an electric motor adapted to receive electricity from a battery and supply torque to said torque transfer unit, said motor being further adapted to be operated as a generator;

a battery for supply of stored electric energy to said motor, and for receiving and storing electric energy from said motor when operated as a generator; and

a controller for controlling the operation of said engine, said electric motor, and said torque transfer unit such that said torque transfer unit receives torque from either or both of said internal combustion engine and said electric motor and transmits torque therefrom to said drive wheels by way of said output shaft, and for controlling the relative contributions of the internal combustion engine and electric motor to the torque driving the wheels;

wherein said electric motor produces maximum power at a level at least equal to 100% of the maximum power of said internal combustion engine.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein said electric motor produces maximum power at a level equal to between about 130% and about 200% of the maximum power of said internal combustion engine.

15. A method of operating a hybrid electric vehicle, said vehicle comprising:

a controllable torque transfer unit, operable to transfer torque in three modes (a) from either or both of two input shafts to an output member, said output member transmitting torque to drive wheels of said vehicle; (b) between said input shafts; and (c) from said output member to one or both of said input shafts;

an electric motor adapted to apply torque to a first of said input shafts responsive to supplied electrical energy, said motor being further operable in a generator mode, to provide electrical energy when driven by torque transferred thereto via said first input shaft;

a combustible-fuel-burning internal combustion engine adapted to apply torque to a second of said input shafts;

a battery adapted to supply electrical energy to and store energy received from said electric motor; and

a controller adapted to receive input commands from a driver of said vehicle to monitor operation of said vehicle and to control operation of said controllable torque transfer unit, said motor, and said internal combustion engine, said method comprising the following steps:

selecting an appropriate mode of operation of said vehicle from the following possible modes of operation:

low speed running;

steady state running;

acceleration or hill climbing;

battery charging;

braking; and

engine starting;

selecting the appropriate flow paths of electrical energy and/or combustible fuel and of torque to effectuate the selected mode of operation; and

controlling operation of said controllable torque transfer unit, said electric motor and said internal combustion engine in accordance with said selected appropriate flow paths.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein during said low speed running mode of operation, said flow paths are controlled such that electrical energy flows from said battery to said electric motor, and torque flows from said electric motor to said torque transfer unit and thence to said drive wheels.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein during said steady state running mode of operation, said flow paths are controlled such that fuel flows from a supply thereof to said engine and torque supplied by said engine is transferred to said torque transfer unit and thence to said drive wheels.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein during said acceleration or hill climbing mode of operation, said flow paths are controlled such that electrical energy flows from said battery to said electric motor, fuel flows from a supply thereof to said engine and torque flows from said electric motor and said engine to said torque transfer unit and thence to said wheels.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein during said battery charging mode of operation, said flow paths are controlled such that fuel flows from a supply thereof to said engine and torque supplied by said engine is transferred to said motor, whereby electrical energy is transferred from said motor to said battery for storage therein.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein torque is further transferred from said engine to said wheels for propelling said vehicle during said battery charging mode of operation.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein during said braking mode of operation, said flow paths are controlled such that torque is transferred from said wheels to said motor, and electrical energy is transferred from said motor to said battery for storage therein.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein during said engine starting mode of operation, said flow paths are controlled such that electrical energy flows from said battery to said electric motor, and torque flows from said electric motor to said torque transfer unit and thence to said engine for starting said engine.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein during said engine starting mode of operation, said flow paths are controlled such that torque may additionally be transferred from said wheels to said torque transfer unit and thence to said engine for starting said engine.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein said battery supplies DC electrical energy, said electric motor operates on AC energy, said vehicle comprises a solid state switching network for conversion of DC to AC for powering said motor, and said controller controls operation of said switching network such that said DC is converted to AC of appropriate characteristics to effectuate the mode of operation thus determined.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said battery supplies DC of no more than about 75 amperes to said solid-state switching network, said network comprising a plurality of semiconductor switching elements, said controller controlling switching of said elements to generate AC of appropriate characteristics.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the frequency of said AC is controlled to be between about 120 and 1000 Hz and preferably between about 150 and about 600 Hz.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said motor is operable in constant power and constant torque modes, and wherein the frequency of said AC is below about 150 Hz in constant torque operation and between about 150 and about 600 Hz in constant power operation.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein the ratios at which torque is transferred between said input shafts and said torque transfer unit and between said torque transfer unit and said wheels are fixed.

29. The method of claim 15, wherein said controllable torque transfer unit is operable in a locked mode, wherein torque supplied from one or both of said input shafts to said torque transfer unit is transmitted directly to said output member, and in a differential mode, wherein the ratio of the speed of said output member is fixed with respect to the difference in speed of said two input shafts, and comprising the step of selecting the operational mode of said torque transfer unit responsive to the selected mode of operation.

30. The method of claim 29, comprising the further step of operating said torque transfer unit in a limited-slip differential mode, wherein the speed of said output member is related to the difference in speeds of the two input shafts by a ratio differing from the corresponding effective ratio in said differential mode.

31. The method of claim 30, comprising the further step of varying the ratio of the speed of said output member to the difference in speeds of said input shafts in said limited-slip differential mode.

32. A hybrid electric vehicle, comprising:

a controllable torque transfer unit, operable to transfer torque in three modes: (a) from either or both of two input shafts to an output member, said output member transmitting torque to drive wheels of said vehicle; (b) between said input shafts; and (c) from said output member to one or both of said input shafts;

an electric motor adapted to apply torque to a first of said input shafts responsive to supplied electrical energy, said motor further being operable in a generator mode, to provide electrical energy when driven by torque transferred thereto via said first input shaft;

a combustible-fuel-burning internal combustion engine adapted to apply torque to a second of said input shafts;

a battery adapted to supply electrical energy to and store energy received from said electric motor; and

a controller adapted to receive input commands from a driver of said vehicle to monitor operation of said vehicle and to control operation of said controllable torque transfer unit, said motor, and said internal combustion engine, wherein said controller comprises means for performing the following functions responsive to input commands and monitored operation of said vehicle:

selecting an appropriate mode of operation of said vehicle from at least the following possible modes of operation:

low speed running;

steady state running;

acceleration or hill climbing;

battery charging;

braking; and

engine starting;

selecting the appropriate flow paths of electrical energy and/or combustible fuel and of torque to effectuate the selected mode of operation; and

controlling operation of said controllable torque transfer unit, said electric motor and said internal combustion engine in accordance with said selected appropriate flow paths and selected mode of operation.

33. The vehicle of claim 32, wherein said controllable torque transfer unit comprises first and second input gears connected to said first and second input shafts and an output gear controllably connected to said output member, means actuable by said controller for controlling connection of said output gear to said output member, whereby said controller controls transfer of torque through said torque transfer unit.

34. The vehicle of claim 33, wherein said torque transfer unit is operable in a first locked mode, in which all torque supplied by one or both of said input shafts is transferred to said output members directly, and a differential mode, in which the speed of said output member is equal to the difference in speed of said input shafts, and wherein said controller controls the mode of operation of said torque transfer unit responsive to the selected mode of operation.

35. The vehicle of claim 34, wherein in both said locked and differential modes of operation of said torque transfer unit, the respective rates of rotation of said gears of said torque transfer unit and of the corresponding input shafts, and the respective rates of rotation of said output member and said wheels are fixed.

36. The vehicle of claim 34, wherein said torque transfer unit is further operable in a limited-slip differential mode, wherein the speed of the output member is proportional to the difference in speed of the input shafts, said limited-slip differential mode being selectible by said controller.

37. The vehicle of claim 36, wherein said controller is further enabled to select said proportion from a range thereof.

38. The vehicle of claim 32, wherein said battery supplies DC electrical energy, said electric motor operates on AC energy, said vehicle further comprising a solid state switching network for conversion of DC to AC for powering said motor, and wherein said controller controls operation of said switching network such that said DC is converted to AC of appropriate characteristics to effectuate the mode of operation thus determined.

39. The vehicle of claim 38, wherein said battery supplies DC of less than about 75 amperes to said solid-state switching network, said network comprising a plurality of semiconductor switching elements, said controller controlling said elements to generate AC of appropriate characteristics.

40. The vehicle of claim 38, wherein said motor is a multipole induction motor.