Hybrid power system and method for operating same

A power train assembly for releasably connecting the crank shaft of a piston engine and an inertial load propelling shaft, said assembly comprising:

• a casing;
• an infinitely variable transmission unit enclosed by said casing and including a cranking body journalled for rotation in said casing on a first axis, a nutating body journalled for rotation in said cranking body on a second axis inclined with respect to and intersecting said first axis, a variable speed output shaft, and means for converting movement of said cranking body and said nutating body to rotation of said variable speed output shaft at infinitely variable ratios of the rotational speed of said cranking body;
• means for connecting said variable speed output shaft and the load propelling shaft at one end of said casing;
• a flywheel supported by and rotatable directly with said cranking body;
• friction clutch means at the opposite end of said casing for releasably coupling the engine crank shaft to said flywheel and said cranking body;
• and
• means for controlling said clutch to engage the crank shaft and said flywheel at all times during power generating operation of the engine and to at least partially disengage said clutch to enable energy storing rotation of said flywheel independent of crank shaft rotation.

The method of operating a hybrid power system to drive an inertial load, the system including a prime mover with a regulated fuel supply for operation at idling speeds to drive power accessories and at higher speeds to drive the accessories and to propel the inertial load, and a kinetic energy storage device, said method comprising the steps of:

• storing the kinetic energy of load momentum during deceleration of the load;
• terminating fueled operation of the engine during periods of load deceleration and rest;
• transmitting said stored kinetic energy as power for continued driving of the accessories when fueled operation of the prime mover is terminated;
• and
• restarting fueled operation of the prime mover when said stored kinetic energy is dissipated to a level required for initiating fueled operation of the prime mover.

A hybrid power system for driving an inertial load and for storing the kinetic energy of load deceleration, said system comprising:

• a fuel consuming prime mover having an output power shaft and which requires an inertial mass, such as a crank shaft flywheel, for power generating operation;
• a flywheel providing at least the inertial mass required for power generating operation of said prime mover;
• a variable speed ratio transmission for transmitting power from said flywheel to the inertial load and for transmitting the kinetic energy of load momentum from said load to said flywheel;
• releasable coupling means to connect said prime mover power shaft and said flywheel when said coupling means is fully engaged and to provide for rotation of said flywheel independently of said power shaft when not fully engaged;
• and
• control means to engage said coupling means at all times during fuel consuming operation of said prime mover, to at least partially disengage said coupling means and to terminate fuel consuming operation of said prime mover during load deceleration and when the kinetic energy stored in said flywheel is more than that required to restart power generating operation of said prime mover.

The method of operating a hybrid power system to drive an inertial load, the system including a prime mover with a regulated fuel supply for power generating operation and a kinetic energy storage device, said method comprising the steps of:

• storing the kinetic energy of load momentum during deceleration of the load;
• terminating fueled operation of the engine during periods of load deceleration and rest;
• transmitting said stored kinetic energy as load driving power when fueled operation of the prime mover is terminated;
• and
• restarting fueled operation of the prime mover when said stored kinetic energy is dissipated to a level required for initiating fueled operation of the prime mover.

The method of operating a hybrid power system to drive an inertial load, the system including an energy consuming prime mover which requires energy to initiate power generating operation, and an energy storing flywheel, said method comprising the steps of:

• connecting said prime mover and said flywheel with the load at all times during power generating operation of said prime mover to drive the load;
• terminating energy consuming operation of said prime mover during load deceleration and rest;
• disconnecting said prime mover and said flywheel during load deceleration;
• storing the kinetic energy of load momentum by accelerating the flywheel during load deceleration;
• transmitting kinetic energy from said flywheel as load driving power when energy consuming operation of said prime mover is terminated;
• and
• reconnecting said prime mover and said flywheel to restart energy consuming operation of said prime mover when the kinetic energy stored in said flywheel is dissipated to a level required for initiating such operation of the prime mover.