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US 6,712,166 B2Granted
Energy management system
AssigneePermo-Drive Research and Development Pty. Ltd.
InventorsAllan Rush, Michael Perry, Colin Kerr
Life of this patent
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AssigneePermo-Drive Research and Development Pty. Ltd.
InventorsAllan Rush, Michael Perry, Colin Kerr
Estimating the term…
An energy management system operable in three modes of operation to either drive or retard the drive shaft (110) of a vehicle, or in a neutral mode, to have no driving or retarding influence on the drive shaft. The system includes energy accumulating means (100, 101) which is operable to store and release energy through receipt and release of fluid, pumping means (104) in fluid communication with the energy communication means (100, 101), a reservoir (107) of fluid in communication with the pumping means (104), and coupling means for coupling the pumping means (110) to the drive shaft (110). Whereby in the retarding mode of the system, the drive shaft (110) drives the pumping means (104) to pump fluid to the energy accumulating means (100, 101), and whereby in the driving mode of the system, the energy accumulating means (100, 101) releases fluid to drive the pumping means (104) which drives the drive shaft (110). Whereby in the neutral mode of the system, the pumping means (104) is inoperative to exert any driving or retarding influence on the drive shaft (110). A retarding system is also provided, as is a terrain logging facility for logging the terrain of a route over which a vehicle travels.
An energy management system operable in three modes of operation including a driving mode to drive a drive shaft of a vehicle, a retarding mode to retard said drive shaft of the vehicle and a neutral mode to have no driving or retarding influence on said drive shaft, said system comprising an energy accumulator operable to store and release energy through receipt and release of fluid, a pump in fluid communication with said energy accumulator, a reservoir of fluid in communication with said pump, and a coupler adapted to couple said pump to said drive shaft, whereby in said retarding mode of said system, said drive shaft drives said pump to pump fluid to said energy accumulator, and whereby in said driving mode of said system, said energy accumulator releases fluid to drive said pump which drives said drive shaft, and whereby in said neutral mode of said system, said pump is inoperative to exert any driving or retarding influence on said drive shaft, the system further including at least one sensor adapted to provide input signals indicative of selected system parameters including vehicle ground speed, and a controller incorporating a microprocessor adapted to regulate the modes of operation of said pump and said accumulator in response to said input signals.
An energy management system operable in three modes of operation including a driving mode to drive a drive shaft of a vehicle, a retarding mode to retard said drive shaft of the vehicle, and a neutral mode to have no driving or retarding influence on said drive shaft, said system comprising an energy accumulator operable to store and release energy through receipt and release of fluid, a pump in fluid communication with said energy accumulator, a reservoir of fluid in communication with said pump, and a coupler adapted to couple said pump to said drive shaft, whereby in said retarding mode of said system, said drive shaft drives said pump to pump fluid to said energy accumulator, and whereby in said driving mode of said system, said energy accumulator releases fluid to drive said pump which drives said drive shaft, and whereby in said neutral mode of said system, said pump being inoperative to exert any driving or retarding influence on said drive shaft, said system further comprising an optical sensor adapted to sense relative movement between adjacent selected parts of said system and upon sensing of such movement when said drive shaft is not rotating, said controller operates to discharge said accumulator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.