HYBRID POWERTRAIN WITH OPERATOR SELECTABLE ELECTRIC PROPULSION MODE

• Main Authors: MILLER MICHAEL ANDREW, CONLON BRENDAN M, TARNOWSKY STEVEN A, HOLMES ALAN G
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 13.12.2012
• Subjects: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS INVEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OFTRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GASEXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS, IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TOTRANSPORTATION; CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE ORDIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TOTHE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

A powertrain for a vehicle includes an engine and a transmission having an input member, an output member, and a neutral state in which torque is not transmitted from the input member to the output member. A first motor/generator is coupled to the engine. A second motor/generator is coupled with vehicle wheels directly or indirectly through the transmission. The first motor/generator acts as a generator when powered by the engine to provide electric power to the second motor/generator. The second motor/generator acts as a motor when receiving electric power from a battery or from the first motor/generator. A shift selector is moved by a vehicle operator to establish an electric propulsion mode in which the transmission is in the neutral state and the second motor/generator functions as a motor.