Digital power take-off

A method comprising:

• providing power to one or more components of a subsystem of a service vehicle, the service vehicle comprising:
• a chassis supporting a wheel;
• an engine configured to provide mechanical power to drive the wheel;
• and
• a digital power take-off system attached to the chassis, the digital power take-off system comprising:
• an input shaft configured to receive mechanical power as an input shaft rotational speed;
• an output shaft configured to transmit mechanical power as an output shaft rotational speed;
• a planetary gear comprising:
• a sun gear located along a central axis;
• a ring gear located around the sun gear and sharing the central axis with the sun gear, the ring gear removably connected to the input shaft;
• at least one planet gear located between and engaged with the sun gear and the ring gear for rotation about an offset axis and revolution about the central axis;
• and
• a carrier coupled to the at least one planet gear such that revolution of the at least one planet gear urges rotation of the carrier, the carrier removably connected to the output shaft;
• an actuator mechanically coupled to the sun gear and configured to mechanically control a rotational speed of the sun gear based on a received operating parameter;
• an output shaft sensor configured to detect the output shaft rotational speed;
• a controller circuitry in electrical communication with the output shaft sensor and the actuator, and configured to:
• receive a desired output shaft rotational speed,
• receive the output shaft rotational speed from the output shaft sensor,
• determine a difference between the output shaft rotational speed and the desired output shaft rotational speed,
• determine the operating parameter based on the determined difference, and
• output the operating parameter to the actuator such that the actuator modifies a gear ratio of the planetary gear by modifying the rotational speed of the sun gear to maintain the desired output shaft rotational speed over a range of input shaft rotational speeds.

A service vehicle comprising:

• a chassis supporting a wheel;
• an engine configured to provide mechanical power to drive the wheel;
• a digital power take-off system attached to the chassis, the digital power take-off system comprising:
• an input shaft configured to receive mechanical power as an input shaft rotational speed;
• an output shaft configured to transmit mechanical power as an output shaft rotational speed;
• a planetary gear comprising:
• a sun gear located along a central axis;
• a ring gear located around the sun gear and sharing the central axis with the sun gear, the ring gear removably connected to the input shaft;
• at least one planet gear located between and engaged with the sun gear and the ring gear for rotation about an offset axis and revolution about the central axis;
• and
• a carrier coupled to the at least one planet gear such that revolution of the at least one planet gear urges rotation of the carrier, the carrier removably connected to the output shaft;
• an actuator mechanically coupled to the sun gear and configured to mechanically control a rotational speed of the sun gear based on a received operating parameter;
• an output shaft sensor configured to detect the output shaft rotational speed;
• and
• a controller circuitry in electrical communication with the output shaft sensor and the actuator, and configured to:
• receive a desired output shaft rotational speed;
• receive the output shaft rotational speed from the output shaft sensor;
• determine a difference between the output shaft rotational speed and the desired output shaft rotational speed;
• determine the operating parameter based on the determined difference;
• and
• output the operating parameter to the actuator, such that the actuator modifies a gear ratio of the planetary gear by modifying the rotational speed of the sun gear to maintain the desired output shaft rotational speed over a range of input shaft rotational speeds.