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US 5,637,987 AGranted
Regenerative vehicle launch
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorsGerald T. Fattic, Daniel W. Stahura, William J. Vukovich
Life of this patent
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AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorsGerald T. Fattic, Daniel W. Stahura, William J. Vukovich
Estimating the term…
A hybrid electric vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, a multi-speed automatic transmission, and an electric machine operable in a motoring mode and a generating mode. A compound planetary gear set operatively couples the engine, transmission and electric machine. The electric machine is operable during periods of vehicle launch to provide a reaction torque for the planetary gearset such that torque is supplied to the input of the transmission and the reaction torque energy is converted to electrical energy for storage in a vehicle battery pack battery. The method employs a combination of open loop torque control and closed loop speed controls responsive to rotational parameters of the vehicle drivetrain including engine speed, electric machine rotor speed and transmission input speed to control the generator torque of the electric machine to thereby produce the reaction torque for accelerating the vehicle and for producing electrical power during the vehicle launch.
A method of launching a vehicle from a substantially static condition, said vehicle having a drivetrain comprising an internal combustion engine including an engine output member, a electric machine including a stator and rotor, and a gear set operatively coupling said internal combustion engine output, said rotor and a gear set output member of said gear set, said gear set output member being operatively coupled to at least one drive wheel for propelling the vehicle, wherein said generator is effective as an electric brake reaction element to control torque transfer between said engine output member and said gear set output member, the method comprising:
A method of launching a vehicle from a substantially static condition, said vehicle having a drivetrain comprising an internal combustion engine including an engine output member, a electric machine including a rotor, and a gear set operatively coupling said internal combustion engine output, said rotor and a gear set output member of said gear set, said gear set output member being operatively coupled to at least one drive wheel for propelling the vehicle, a first selectably engageable friction device for directly coupling said gear set output member to said engine output member, and a second selectably engageable friction device for directly coupling said gear set output member to said rotor, wherein said electric machine is effective as an electric brake reaction element to control torque transfer between said engine output member and said gear set output member, the method comprising:
A method of launching a vehicle from a substantially static condition, said vehicle having a drivetrain comprising an internal combustion engine including an engine output member, a electric machine including a rotor, and a gear set operatively coupling said internal combustion engine output, said rotor and a gear set output member of said gear set, said gear set output member being operatively coupled to at least one drive wheel for propelling the vehicle, a first selectably engageable friction device for directly coupling said gear set output member to said engine output member, and a second selectably engageable friction device for directly coupling said gear set output member to said rotor, wherein said electric machine is effective as an electric brake reaction element to control torque transfer between said engine output member and said gear set output member, the method comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.