(12) United States Patent
`Severinsky et al.
`
`(10) Patent No.:
`
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 7,104,347 B2
`Sep. 12, 2006
`
`US007l04347B2
`
`(54) HYBRID VEHICLES
`
`(75)
`
`Inventors: Alex J. Severinsky, Washington, DC
`(US); Theodore Louckes, Holly, MI
`(US)
`
`(73) Assignee: Paice LLC, Boca Raton, FL (US)
`
`( * ) Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. l54(b) by 263 days.
`
`DE
`DE
`DE
`DE
`EP
`EP
`EP
`EP
`EP
`EP
`
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`2517110
`1905641
`19814402
`19838853
`136055
`0136055
`510582
`0510582
`0743211
`0769403
`
`10/1975
`6/1976
`3/1998
`8/1998
`3/1985
`3/1985
`10/1992
`12/1995
`5/1996
`4/1997
`
`(Continued)
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 10/382,577
`
`(22)
`
`(65)
`
`Filed:
`
`Mar. 7, 2003
`
`Prior Publication Data
`US 2003/0217876 A1 NOV. 27, 2003
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`
`(60) Division of application No. 09/822,866, filed on Apr. 2,
`2001, now Pat. No. 6,554,088, which is a continuation-in-
`part of application No. 09/392,743, filed on Sep. 9, 1999,
`now Pat. No. 6,338,391, which is a continuation-in-part of
`application No. 09/264,817, filed on Mar. 9, 1999, now Pat.
`No. 6,209,672.
`Provisional application No. 60/122,296, filed on Mar. 1,
`1999, and provisional application No. 60/100,095, filed on
`Sep. 14, 1998.
`
`(60)
`
`(51)
`
`Int. Cl.
`B60K 6/02
`
`(2006.01)
`
`...................... .. 180/65.2; 180/65.4; 701/54
`(52) U.S. Cl.
`(58) Field of Classification Search .............. .. 180/65.2,
`180/65.3, 65.4, 65.8, 165; 60/706, 711, 716,
`60/718; 290/17, 40 R, 40 C; 322/16; 477/2,
`477/3; 701/54
`See application file for complete search history.
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
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`. ”, SAE Paper
`
`.
`
`(Continued)
`
`Primary Examiner—David R. Durm
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Michael de Angeli
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A hybrid vehicle comprises an internal combustion engine,
`a traction motor, a starter motor, and a battery bank, all
`controlled by a microprocessor in accordance with the
`vehicle’s instantaneous torque demands so that the engine is
`run only under conditions of high efficiency, typically only
`when the load is at least equal to 30% of the engine’s
`maximum torque output. In some embodiments, a turbo-
`charger may be provided, activated only when the load
`exceeds the engine’s maximum torque output for an
`extended period; a two-speed transmission may further be
`provided, to further broaden the vehicle’s load range. A
`hybrid brake system provides regenerative braking, with
`mechanical braking available in the event the battery bank is
`fi.1lly charged, in emergencies, or at rest; a control mecha-
`nism is provided to control the brake system to provide
`linear brake feel under varying circumstances.
`
`(Continued)
`
`41 Claims, 17 Drawing Sheets
`
`"J*—
`\NVEl'LTEVL/
`1/;
`CHAREER
`
`.
`BATTERY
`BKNK
`
`
`
`X
`\\~NEKTER/ MCHNZ£aE\'L
`
`
`
`
`mg
`
`61
`
`40
`
`THROTTLE
`
`35 4- FUEL
`
`
`ENC-n\NE SFEED
`kU:E\.ERM\<)N
`MOTOR. $PEED
`OPERMOK
`nnzemon
`B¢\TTEv.Y \I0\Jk(aE
`any mpm
`COMMKNDS
`DE(E\.EV.Nl’\0N
`BMTERY C\-UXTLGE
`Cl2U\$EMOOE
`AMHENT TEMP.
`
`
`
`ENG\NE
`
`1of54
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`FORD 1364
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`FORD 1364
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`

`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
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`
`>>>>>D>>>D>>>>>>>>D>>>>>D>>>D>>>D>>>>>>>>D>D>D>D>D>>D>D>D>D>>D>D>>D>D>>D>D>D>D>>D>D>>D>D>D>D>D>D>D>>D>D>
`
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`US 7,104,347 B2
`Page 2
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`
`>D>>>D>>>>>D>>>>>>>>D>>>D>>>D>>>>>D>>>>>>>>D>D>>D>D>>D>D>>D>D>D>D>D>D>D>D>D>>D>D>>D>D>>D>D>D>>D>D>D>D>D>D>
`
`3/1989
`8/1989
`5/1990
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`9/1990
`3/1991
`10/1991
`1/1992
`6/1992
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`US 7,104,347 B2
`Page 3
`
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Sep. 12, 2006
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`Sheet 1 of 17
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`US 7,104,347 B2
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`Sep. 12,2006
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`Sheet 2 of 17
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`U.S. Patent
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`Sep. 12,2006
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`Sep. 12,2006
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`US 7,104,347 B2
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`US 7,104,347 B2
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`1
`HYBRID VEHICLES
`
`CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATIONS
`
`This application is a divsional of Application Ser. No.
`09/822,866, filed Apr. 2, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,088
`which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 09/264,817, filed
`Mar. 9, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,672, issued Apr. 3,
`2001, which in turn claims priority from provisional appli-
`cation Ser. No. 60/100,095, filed Sep. 14, 1998, and is also
`a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 09/392,743, filed Sep. 9,
`1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,391, which in turn claims
`priority from provisional application Ser. No. 60/122,296,
`filed Mar. 1, 1999.
`
`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`
`This application relates to improvements in hybrid
`vehicles, that is, vehicles in which both an internal combus-
`tion engine and one or more electric motors are provided to
`supply torque to the driving wheels of the vehicle. More
`particularly, this invention relates to a hybrid electric vehicle
`that
`is
`fully competitive with presently conventional
`vehicles as regards performance, operating convenience,
`and cost, while achieving substantially improved fuel
`economy and reduced pollutant emissions.
`
`DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART
`
`For many years great attention has been given to the
`problem of reduction of fuel consumption of automobiles
`and other highway vehicles. Concomitantly very substantial
`attention has been paid to reduction of pollutants emitted by
`automobiles and other vehicles. To a degree, efforts to solve
`these problems conflict with one another. For example,
`increased thermodynamic efiiciency and thus reduced fuel
`consumption can be realized if an engine is operated at
`higher temperatures. Thus there has been substantial interest
`in engines built of ceramic materials withstanding higher
`combustion temperatures than those now in use. However,
`higher combustion temperatures in gasoline-fueled engines
`lead to increase in certain undesirable pollutants, typically
`NOX.
`Another possibility for reducing emissions is to burn
`mixtures of gasoline and ethanol (“gasohol”), or straight
`ethanol. However, to date ethanol has not become economi-
`cally competitive with gasoline, and consumers have not
`accepted ethanol to any great degree. Moreover, to make an
`alternate fuel such as ethanol available to the extent neces-
`
`sary to achieve appreciable improvements in nationwide air
`quality and fuel conservation would require immense costs
`for infrastructure improvements; not only the entire nation’s
`motor fuel production and delivery system, but also the
`vehicle manufacture, distribution, and repair system, would
`have to be extensively revised or substantially duplicated.
`One proposal for reducing pollution in cities is to limit the
`use of vehicles powered by internal combustion engines and
`instead employ electric vehicles powered by rechargeable
`batteries. To date, all such “straight electric” cars have had
`very limited range, typically no more than 150 miles, have
`insufficient power for acceleration and hill climbing except
`when the batteries are substantially fully charged, and
`require substantial time for battery recharging. Thus, while
`there are many circumstances in which the limited range and
`extended recharging time of the batteries would not be an
`inconvenience, such cars are not suitable for all the travel
`requirements of most individuals. Accordingly, an electric
`
`2
`car would have to be an additional vehicle for most users,
`posing a substantial economic deterrent. Moreover, it will be
`appreciated that
`in the United States most electricity is
`generated in coal-fired power plants, so that using electric
`vehicles merely moves the source of the pollution, but does
`not eliminate it. Furthermore, comparing the respective net
`costs per mile of driving, electric vehicles are not competi-
`tive with ethanol-fueled vehicles, much less with conven-
`tional gasoline-fueled vehicles. See, generally, Simanaitis,
`“Electric Vehicles”, R0ad& Track, May 1992, pp. 126—136;
`Reynolds, “AC Propulsion CRX”, Road & Track, October
`1992, pp. 126-129.
`Brooks et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,192 shows such an
`electric vehicle;
`the invention appears to be directed to
`incorporation of antilock braking and traction control tech-
`nologies into an otherwise conventional electric vehicle.
`Much attention has also been paid over the years to
`development of electric vehicles including internal combus-
`tion engines powering generators,
`thus eliminating the
`defect of limited range exhibited by simple electric vehicles.
`The simplest such vehicles operate on the same general
`principle as diesel-electric locomotives used by most rail-
`roads. In such systems, an internal combustion engine drives
`a generator providing electric power to traction motors
`connected directly to the wheels of the vehicle. This system
`has the advantage that no variable gear ratio transmission is
`required between the engine and the wheels of the vehicle.
`More particularly, an internal combustion engine pro-
`duces zero torque