# US 10,374,529 B2 · Electric drive system and energy management method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,374,529 B2 - Document ID: US10374529B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/453,218 - Filed: 2017-03-08 - Published: 2017-06-22 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-03 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Jian Zhou; Fei Xu; Dong Liu; Hai Qiu; Pengju Kang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10374529B2 ## CPC - B60L 7/18: Controlling the braking effect (B60L7/12, B60L7/14, B60L7/16 take precedence) - B60L 15/20: for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed - B60L 15/2081: {for drive off on a slope} - B60L 15/209: {for overtaking} - B60L 15/38: with automatic control - B60L 50/30: using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels - B60L 50/40: using propulsion power supplied by capacitors - B60L 50/51: characterised by AC-motors - B60L 50/64: Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles - B60L 58/20: having different nominal voltages - H02J 7/02: for charging batteries from AC mains by converters - H02K 17/02: Asynchronous induction motors - H02P 4/00: Arrangements specially adapted for regulating or controlling the speed or torque of electric motors that can be connected to two or more different electric power supplies (vector control H02P21/00) - B60L 2240/421: Speed - B60L 2240/423: Torque - H02J 7/345: {using capacitors as storage or buffering devices} - Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility - Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) - H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract An electric drive system includes an energy storage system (ESS), a power conversion system, and an alternating current (AC) traction system. The ESS provides or receives electric power. The ESS includes a first energy storage unit and a second energy storage unit. The power conversion system is electrically coupled to the ESS for converting an input power to an output power. The AC traction system is electrically coupled to the power conversion system for converting the output power of the power conversion system to mechanical torques. The AC traction system includes a first AC drive device and a second AC drive device. An energy management system (EMS) is in electrical communication with the ESS, the AC traction system, and the power conversion system for providing control signals. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A drive system for a vehicle, comprising: an energy storage system (ESS); a first electric motor/generator coupled to the ESS; a second electric motor/generator coupled to the ESS; a transmission device coupled to the first electric motor/generator; a power split device coupled to the transmission device and the second electric motor/generator, the power split device comprising one or more planetary sets; and a load coupled to the first motor/generator via the transmission device and coupled to the second motor/generator via the power split device; wherein: in a first mode of operation only the first motor/generator of the first and second motor/generators is operated as a motor to drive the vehicle; in a second mode of operation both the first and second motor/generators are operated as motors to drive the vehicle; the first mode of operation being selected when the vehicle is cruising; and the second mode of operation being selected when the vehicle is accelerating. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The drive system of claim 1, further comprising an energy management system (EMS) in communication with the ESS and the first and second electric motor/generators. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The drive system of claim 1, further comprising a power conversion system, the power conversion system comprising a DC power conversion device coupled between the ESS and the first and second motor/generators. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The drive system of claim 3, wherein the ESS comprises a first energy storage unit and a second energy storage unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The drive system of claim 4, wherein the power conversion system further comprises: a first power conversion device coupled to the first energy storage unit; and a second power conversion device coupled to the second energy storage unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The drive system of claim 5, wherein the first energy storage unit comprises a battery and the second energy storage unit comprises an ultra-capacitor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The drive system of claim 1, further comprising a first inverter coupled between the ESS and the first electric motor/generator and a second inverter coupled between the ESS and the second electric motor/generator. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The drive system of claim 1, wherein the first electric motor/generator comprises an induction motor and the second electric motor/generator comprises a permanent magnet motor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The drive system of claim 1, further comprising a pre-charging switching device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The drive system of claim 9, wherein the pre-charging switching device is a unidirectional switching device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The drive system of claim 1, wherein in the first mode of operation the second motor/generator is operated as a generator. ### Claim 12 An electric drive system for a vehicle, comprising: an energy storage system (ESS); a first inverter coupled to the ESS; a first AC motor/generator coupled to the first inverter; a second inverter coupled to the ESS; a second AC motor/generator coupled to the second inverter; a transmission device coupled to the first AC motor/generator; a power split device coupled to the transmission device and the second AC motor/generator, the power split device comprising one or more planetary sets; and a load coupled to the first AC motor/generator via the transmission device and coupled to the second AC motor/generator via the power split device; wherein: in a first mode of operation only the first AC motor/generator of the first and second motor/generators is operated as a motor to drive the vehicle based on a condition when the vehicle is cruising; and in a second mode of operation both the first and second AC motor/generators are operated as motors to drive the vehicle based on a condition when the vehicle is accelerating or in an uphill mode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The electric drive system of claim 12, further comprising an energy management system (EMS) in communication with the ESS and the first and second AC motor/generators. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The electric drive system of claim 12, further comprising a power conversion system, the power conversion system comprising a DC power conversion device coupled between the ESS and the first and second inverters. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The electric drive system of claim 12, wherein the ESS comprises a first energy storage unit and a second energy storage unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The electric drive system of claim 12, wherein the first AC motor/generator comprises an induction motor and the second AC motor/generator comprises a permanent magnet motor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The electric drive system of claim 12, further comprising a pre-charging switching device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The electric drive system of claim 12, wherein in the first mode of operation the second motor/generator is operated as a generator. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The electric drive system of claim 18, further comprising a DC power conversion device coupled between the ESS and the first and second inverters. ### Claim 20 A drive system for a vehicle, comprising: an energy storage system (ESS); a first electric motor/generator coupled to the ESS; a second electric motor/generator coupled to the ESS; a transmission device coupled to the first electric motor/generator; a power split device coupled to the transmission device and the second electric motor/generator, the power split device comprising one or more planetary sets; and a load coupled to the first motor/generator via the transmission device and coupled to the second motor/generator via the power split device; wherein: in a first mode of operation only the first motor/generator of the first and second motor/generators is operated as a motor to drive the vehicle; in a second mode of operation both the first and second motor/generators are operated as motors to drive the vehicle; the first mode of operation being selected when the vehicle is cruising; and the second mode of operation being selected when the vehicle is in an uphill mode.