Hybrid car with electric and heat engine

A vehicle comprising

• a supporting structure having wheels rotatably mounted relative to said supporting structure;
• a heat engine mounted on said supporting structure for driving at least a first said wheel;
• a battery powered electric motor mounted on said supporting structure for driving at least a second said wheel, said electric motor having an armature winding and at least two magnetic fields through which said armature winding rotates, at least one of said magnetic fields being created by a permanent magnet, another of said at least two magnetic fields being created by a field winding;
• means for controlling the magnetic field produced by said field winding by reducing the current in said field winding at increased vehicle speed;
• and
• means for controlling average power flowing through said armature winding by chopping and having a control input and power terminals through which the current in said armature winding flows responsive to a control signal at said control input.

A vehicle comprising

• a supporting structure having wheels rotatably mounted relative to said supporting structure;
• a heat engine mounted on said supporting structure for driving at least a first wheel;
• a battery powered electric motor mounted on said supporting structure for driving at least a second said wheel, said electric motor having an armature winding and at least one shunt wound field winding for a magnetic field through which said armature winding rotates;
• means for sensing vehicle speed including means for generating a speed signal responsive to vehicle speed;
• means for controlling current to said shunt wound field winding including a chopper responsive to said speed signal to reduce current with increased vehicle speed;
• and
• means for providing at least a minimum of current in said shunt wound field winding at increased vehicle speed.

A vehicle comprising

• a supporting structure having a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted relative to said supporting structure;
• a heat engine mounted on said supporting structure for driving at least a first said wheel;
• a battery powered electric motor mounted on said supporting structure for driving at least a second said wheel, said electric motor having an armature winding and a magnetic field through which said armature winding rotates;
• a main battery mounted on said supporting structure for applying power to said electric motor;
• a means for sensing the vehicle speed and for generating a DC signal proportional to said speed;
• a means for charge rate selection including an operator control transducer for producing a first control signal in proportion to the setting selected by the operator and an operator control means for producing an offset signal of opposite polarity from said first control signal electrically responsive to said means for sensing vehicle speed and mechanically responsive to the movement of said operator controlled transducer such that the offset signal varies both with the rotational speed of said armature winding and with the operator's selected rate of charge;
• and
• means for summing said first control signal and said offset signal so that the resultant control signal varies inversely and in predetermined proportion to the power output from said armature winding as said power output varies with changing vehicle speed to maintain a substantially constant charging rate at said main battery when said motor-generator is in the generating mode.

A vehicle comprising

• a supporting structure having a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted relative to said supporting structure;
• a heat engine mounted on said supporting structure for driving at least a first said wheel and having a fuel metering device;
• an electric motor mounted on said supporting structure for driving at least a second said wheel and being driven by said wheel, said electric motor having an armature winding and at least two magnetic fields through which said armature winding rotates, at least one of said magnetic fields being created by a permanent magnet, and said electric motor acting as a generator driven by said wheel when desired by the vehicle operation;
• a main battery mounted on said supporting structure for supplying power to said electric motor;
• an inductor electrically connected to said armature winding for stepping up the output voltage therefrom above the main battery voltage at substantially all rotational speeds of said armature winding when said electric motor is acting as a generator;
• a means for controlling power by chopping having power terminals and a control input for controlling the average power entering or leaving said armature winding through said power terminals in proportion to a control signal at said control input;
• means for switching the connections of said power terminals from controlling power flowing from said main battery through said inductor and into said armature winding in an electric drive configuration to controlling power flowing out of said armature winding through said inductor and into said main battery in a battery charging configuration, said means for switching being connected between said inductor and armature winding on one side and said power terminals and said main battery on the other side and having an input for receiving a signal causing said switching to occur;
• a means for power plant speed control having a single accelerator pedal for alternately controlling either said fuel metering device or the control signal at said control input of said means for controlling power, but not both simultaneously, and having a mode select input for receiving a signal indicating which device is to be controlled, and for directing a signal to said input for said means for switching for causing it to switch to the battery charging configuration when said accelerator pedal is undepressed or when said fuel metering device is being controlled and to switch to the electric drive configuration when the accelerator pedal is depressed and control of said means for controlling power has been selected as indicated by the signal at said mode select input and having a means for electrically interlocking;
• a mode switch for selecting which device said means for power plant speed control controls and for sending a signal to said mode select input of said means for power plant speed control;
• a mechanical braking system connected to said wheels and having a brake pedal;
• a means for regenerative braking mechanically connected to said brake pedal and electrically interlocked with said means for electrically interlocking in said means for power plant speed control for sensing when said accelerator pedal is undepressed or when said vehicle is in heat engine drive and for sensing pressure on said brake pedal and the amount thereof, and when these conditions are met, for sending a control signal to said control input of said means for controlling power to increase the charging rate in proportion to increasing braking pressure for causing increasing mechanical load on the wheel driving said electric motor and having a second means for interlocking;
• and
• means for charging said main battery at a substantially constant, operator selected rate of power from energy derived from said electric motor and electrically interlocked with said means for electrically interlocking in said means for power plant speed control and with said second means for electrically interlocking in said means for regenerative braking for controlling the signal at said control input in such a manner that the average rate of power flowing into said main battery remains constant over a range of vehicle speeds when said means for switching is in the battery charging configuration and said brake pedal is undepressed.