Hybrid electric transmission with supercapacitor

An industrial power system comprising:

• an internal combustion engine;
• an external load;
• a hybrid electric transmission assembly having a first driveshaft, a second driveshaft, a primary drivetrain gear assembly having at least a first gearset, a second gearset and a third gearset, the primary drivetrain gear assembly coupling the first driveshaft to the second driveshaft with at least one of the first and second driveshafts extending along a transmission primary axis, and an electric drive gearset disposed along the primary drivetrain axis separate from the primary drivetrain gear assembly, the electric drive gearset mounted on either the first driveshaft or the second driveshaft and spaced axially apart from the primary drivetrain gear assembly along the primary drivetrain axis, the first driveshaft operatively coupled to the internal combustion engine and the second driveshaft operatively coupled to the external load;
• a transmission housing having an exterior surface and enclosing the primary drivetrain gear assembly and the electric drive gearset and from which the first driveshaft and the second driveshaft extend;
• at least two electric motors, each of the at least two electric motors supported on the exterior surface of the transmission housing and each of the at least two electric motors having an electric output shaft extending along a respective electric motor axis, where each electric motor axis of the at least two electric motors is parallel with but spaced radially outward from the transmission primary axis with an electric output gearset mounted on the electric output shaft of each of the at least two electric motors, each electric output gearset meshed with the electric drive gearset;
• and
• a supercapacitor and an additional electricity source, wherein one of the at least two electric motors is electrically coupled to the supercapacitor and the at least one additional electricity source and another one of the at least two electric motors is electrically coupled to the at least one additional electricity source.

A method for operating an industrial power system to drive an external load, the method comprising:

• utilizing an external power source to provide power to a transmission to drive the external load;
• identifying the need for a gear change in the transmission;
• prior to the gear change, temporarily suspending operation of the external load by disengaging the external power source from driving the external load;
• at the same time the external power source is disengaged from driving the external load, operating one or more electric motors to provide equilibrium power to the transmission by discharging a supercapacitor electrically coupled to the one or more electric motors, thereby providing a burst of power to the one or more electric motors;
• following discharge of the supercapacitor, providing an on-going supply of electricity to the one or more electric motors to maintain the equilibrium power during the duration of the gear change;
• following the gear change, disengaging the one or more electric motors from providing equilibrium power to the transmission and reengaging the external power source with the transmission;
• and
• using the reengaged external power source to continue to provide driving power to the external load in operation thereof.

A method for operating an industrial power system to drive an external load, the method comprising:

• utilizing an external power source to provide power to a transmission to drive the external load;
• identifying the need for a gear change in the transmission;
• prior to the gear change, disengaging the external power source from driving the external load;
• following disengagement of the external load, initiating the gear change in the transmission by discharging one or more supercapacitors to drive one or more electric motors to power the transmission during the gear change;
• following discharge of the one or more supercapacitors, providing an on-going supply of electricity to the one or more electric motors from another source of electricity other than the discharged one or more supercapacitors to maintain power to the transmission during the duration of the gear change;
• following the gear change, disengaging the one or more electric motors from providing power to the transmission and reengaging the external power source with the transmission;
• and
• using the reengaged external power source to continue to provide driving power to the external load in operation thereof.

A method for operating an industrial power system to drive an external load, the method comprising:

• providing, using an external power source, power to a transmission;
• driving, using the transmission, the external load;
• initiating a gear change in the transmission comprising:
• disengaging the external power source from the transmission to temporarily suspend the driving of the external load using the transmission;
• and
• discharging one or more supercapacitors electrically coupled to at least two electric motors coupled to the transmission to provide power to the at least two electric motors to power the transmission during the gear change;
• performing the gear change in the transmission comprising:
• changing gears in the transmission;
• and
• providing, after the discharge of the one or more supercapacitors, an on-going supply of power to the at least two electric motors from an additional electricity source different from the discharged one or more supercapacitors to maintain power to the transmission during the duration of the gear change;
• disengaging, after the gear change, the at least two electric motors from providing power to the transmission;
• reengaging the external power source with the transmission;
• and
• using the reengaged external power source to continue to provide driving power to the external load in operation thereof.