Vehicle hybridization system
AssigneeInternational Truck Intellectual Property Company, LLC
InventorGerald L. Larson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle control system is programmed to stop the vehicle's internal combustion engine upon certain conditions including the vehicle being stopped and engine temperature having reached a minimum operating level. On vehicles equipped with air brakes and having an engine driven air compressor, engine restarts are provided by an air pressure supported hydraulic motor once triggered by operator actions such as releasing the brake and/or depressing the vehicle's accelerator indicative of the driver's intention to move the vehicle.
Claims21
A motor vehicle comprising:
- an internal combustion engine;
- a pressurized air source driven by the internal combustion engine;
- a starter hydraulic circuit coupled to the pressurized air source, the starter hydraulic circuit including an hydraulic motor for cranking the internal combustion engine;
- a controller responsive to detection of engine idling for shutting off the internal combustion engine;
- and
- the controller being further responsive to detection of selected motor vehicle operations for supplying air under pressure from the pressurized air source to the starter hydraulic circuit to run the hydraulic motor.
A starter system for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- an electric starter motor for cranking the internal combustion engine;
- a hydraulic circuit including an hydraulic motor for cranking the internal combustion engine;
- an air tank connected to supply compressed air to the hydraulic circuit;
- a controller responsive to idling of the internal combustion engine for automatic shut off the internal combustion engine;
- and
- the controller being further responsive to detection of engine power demands occurring subsequent to the automatic shut off of the internal combustion engine for supplying compressed air from the air tank to the hydraulic circuit to run the hydraulic motor to crank the internal combustion engine.
A motor vehicle comprising:
- an internal combustion engine;
- a gas tank for storing compressed gas;
- an hydraulic circuit coupled to the gas tank and including an hydraulic motor for cranking the internal combustion engine upon application of compressed gas from the gas tank to the hydraulic circuit;
- means for detecting idling of the internal combustion engine;
- means responsive to detection of idling for performing a shutdown of the internal combustion engine;
- and
- means for restarting the internal combustion engine by applying compressed gas from the gas tank to the to the hydraulic circuit to run the hydraulic motor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.