US 4,719,361 A · Mobile, off-road, heavy-duty haulage vehicle

Abstract

An off-road, heavy duty, haulage vehicle includes a diesel engine driving an alternator (generator) for producing electrical power for motorized rear wheels. An alternator field converter is electrically connected to the alternator and an armature converter and a motor field converter are electrically connected to the two motors of the motorized rear wheels. A computerized control center includes control systems including an alternator field converter control system, a motor field control system, and a vehicle operation and maintenance control system. Tertiary windings are used as a source of excitation and the phase angle controlled armature converter is used in conjunction with alternator voltage control system for holding the alternator at an increment of voltage higher than the motors but not at a constant maximum voltage level. Other operating functions are under control of an additional control system for providing warnings of impending trouble, detection of system faults and records of operating information for diagnostic purposes and maintenance and repair.

Claims35

Dependent claims

An off-road, heavy-duty, haulage vehicle comprising:

(a) a vehicle having an electrical motor driven wheel means including a voltage monitoring means for continuously monitoring the motor voltage;
and
(b) a generator means for producing electrical power, said generator means including a power control means responsive to the motor voltage for producing a tracking voltage which tracks the motor voltage always at a higher increment up to the maximum allowable voltage output of the generator means.

An off-road, heavy duty, haulage vehicle comprising:

(a) a vehicle having drive wheels, and motors responsive to electric power for driving the drive wheels, the motors having armatures and motor fields;
and
(b) a prime mover electric traction drive system including a combustion engine, an alternator means operatively connected to the combustion engine for producing electrical energy, a control center including an armature converter control means responsive to motor operation outputs for producing armature converter control signals, an armature converter operatively connected to the alternator means and motor armatures, said armature converter responsive to the electrical energy and control signals for producing forward motion and reversing and regulating the flow of energy from the motors for selectively producing regeneration power into the combustion engine whereby low speed retarding is provided, a motor voltage monitoring means for continuously monitoring the motor voltage, and a power control means responsive to the motor voltages for producing a tracking voltage which tracks the motor voltage as a higher increment up to a maximum allowable voltage.

An off-road, heavy-duty haulage vehicle comprising:

(a) a support frame;
(b) front wheels and motorized rear wheels operatively connected to the support frame, each motor of said motorized rear wheel having an armature and a field exciter means;
and
(c) a prime mover electric traction drive system operatively connected to the support frame and motorized rear wheels, said prime mover electric traction drive system including a prime mover, an alternator having multiple windings operatively connected to the prime mover for producing a plurality of ac power sources, a control means including an alternator voltage control means operatively connected to the motor for receiving motor feedback voltages and adding a preselected voltage increment for providing an operating voltage other than a constant maximum voltage level to the alternator for controlling the operating voltages, an armature converter and a field converter responsive to the ac alternator for producing dc power, respectively, for the armature and field exciter of the motorized rear wheel motor whereby the armature and field currents closely track each other without the field always lagging armature current.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Mobile, off-road, heavy-duty haulage vehicle

Life of this patent

Mobile, off-road, heavy-duty haulage vehicle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims35