EP2882623A2

EP2882623A2 - Device for driving a machine with a non-steady power requirement

Info

Publication number: EP2882623A2
Application number: EP13752825.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Udo Sorgatz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-08-11
Filing date: 2013-08-08
Publication date: 2015-06-17
Also published as: WO2014026751A2; DE102012015961A1; WO2014026751A3

Abstract

In the vehicle according to the invention, a high-capacity energy store, particularly a flywheel arrangement, is used for providing the dynamic driving performance, this store being chargeable by a battery charged in a highly environmentally responsible manner and, if necessary, by an internal combustion engine and by regenerative braking energy. If necessary, the battery can be charged by external mains power or the internal combustion engine which can also supply power to cover energy losses in the event of the vehicle travelling at maximum speed for a prolonged period. By dimensioning the components in a manner according to the invention, a highly efficient hybrid vehicle suitable for long journeys and having a large emission-free range and low specific energy requirement with good dynamic driving performance is achieved. Furthermore, advantageous embodiments are disclosed which use equivalent components and a display device which is advantageous to the drive device.

Description

Device for driving a machine with transient power requirement

The present invention relates to a device for driving a machine with unsteady power requirements, such as in particular a vehicle with an internal combustion engine, an electrical energy storage and associated drives.

Vehicles with internal combustion engine are characterized by the fact that the

Energy supply in the form of an oxidizable chemical energy carrier can be filled within a short time and thus with only brief interruptions operation of the vehicle over long distances and long periods is possible.

However, internal combustion engines as sole vehicle drives have a low efficiency, which results to a large extent from the fact that the internal combustion engine of a vehicle and in particular a road vehicle to a much larger than that required in normal operation in the time average

Performance must be designed. The internal combustion engine is therefore operated predominantly in the lower part load range and thus in an area with high specific consumption and low efficiency. The use of vehicles powered by internal combustion engines is subject to increasingly stringent requirements, particularly in urban areas.

Electric machines can be operated both as an electric motor and as a generator. Thus they can be used both to drive a vehicle as well as allow a recuperative braking of the vehicle. Electric machines have a favorable for driving vehicles

Speed-torque characteristic curve with good efficiency and in particular a high possible torque in the lower speed range and a large speed range with relatively constant torque or power on. During operation, no harmful exhaust emissions occur locally and the operation is quiet.

CONFIRMATION COPY However, the power supply of an electric motor for vehicle drive causes considerable problems. Associated traction batteries have relatively high costs with a relatively high weight per storable amount of energy and only a limited life. The aging of the traction battery is essentially dependent on the capacity stored and stored relative to the capacity and the relative charge level of the battery, expressed as a percentage of the maximum storable

Energy content - also referred to as "state of charge" (SOC) - The charging or discharging power is generally expressed as the quotient of the nominal capacity in ampere hours and the current flowing in ampere and referred to as specific charging power or specific charging current "C" , As the specific charging current C increases, the aging of the battery and its power dissipation and thus its heating also generally increase. Currently, to achieve a long life, the usable SOC range of traction batteries is limited to approximately 50-60% of the nominal capacity. The high electrical power required for the drive cause high specific discharge currents and the fast and large occurring during driving

Load changes additionally have a negative effect on the aging of the battery. Due to high loading and unloading resulting heat loss and the relatively low operating temperature range of conventional traction batteries require a complex temperature control.

Vehicles with exclusive electric drive, also called electric vehicles, in practice usually have only a relatively short range, according to which the traction battery present in the vehicle either by an external

Power supply can be charged or charged by a

Traction battery needs to be replaced. Charging the traction battery to charging stations requires undesirably long breaks, with a charge with high charging power in addition to high demands on the

Charging infrastructure, in turn, poses problems in terms of tempering and aging of the batteries. Electric vehicles are thus for long-distance trips, for example, for a trip of 1000 km or more, at most

restricted use, which leads to considerable acceptance problems. Although electric vehicles drive emissions locally, they only shift the emission of pollutants in the current electricity mix to power plants. Although their efficiency is higher than the average efficiency of

Internal combustion engines in motor vehicles, due to the losses due to transport, multiple conversion and storage results in a total specific pollutant emissions, which is comparable to that of motor vehicles with internal combustion engine. It is known in place of a traction battery for powering the

Electric machine to use a fuel cell. However, this is also expensive and relatively vulnerable. Besides, it only allows in special

Embodiments a synthesis of fuel by introduced electrical

Recuperation.

Finally, the possibilities for recuperation in electric vehicles have so far been limited by the design of the electric machine and the electric drive train, which are economically reasonable designed only for the maximum drive power. If the deceleration power is above the maximum drive power during a sharp braking, only a part of the braking power can be recuperated, which is often additionally limited by the operating state of the traction battery, in particular its state of charge and temperature.

The drive of vehicles with flywheel motors, with a suitable design, allows almost unlimited performance, which can be both delivered and stored. In addition, the energy content of a

Use the flywheel almost completely for driving. Problems related to aging of the flywheel and a working temperature range are low. Past safety issues have also been largely addressed by new materials and manufacturing processes. Flywheels, however, have the decisive disadvantage of a low energy content in terms of mass, volume and cost. The capacity of the flywheel can not be so large due to the required installation space and the disadvantageous for road vehicles centrifugal forces that can be achieved with a conventional motor vehicle with combustion engine comparable ranges.

Hybrid drives have been developed to combine the specific advantages of these drive types and, if possible, to reduce their specific disadvantages. The currently most used hybrid concept consists of one

Combination of an internal combustion engine with one or more electric motors and a traction battery. However, if a locally emission-free drive is to be made possible with a range sufficient for operation in so-called "Zero-Emission Zones", the electric drivetrain should be designed to be comparable to a pure electric vehicle, whereby the above-mentioned problems of pure electric vehicles remain largely intact The problem is that the range is insufficient for long-distance journeys, with the additional provision of an internal combustion engine. "Hybrid vehicles built in series usually only have sufficient battery capacity for a short range of just a few kilometers, with the use of the internal combustion engine and the electric motor being combined during operation the advantage that both the performance of the internal combustion engine and the electric drive train can be designed lower than in a vehicle with only one drive and in particular the capacity of the traction battery re may be relatively low, but this is heavily used. In phases with low power requirements, either only one of the two drive types can be used. Nevertheless, the internal combustion engine drivetrain has to be dimensioned relatively large and operation in larger zero-emission zones is not meaningfully possible. To hybrid vehicles a

To enable recuperation, associated electric drive motors are usually realized as electrical machines. There have already been proposed some drive concepts that include a flywheel, an electric drive machine, a traction battery and a

Combine internal combustion engine in a vehicle drive.

From German Utility Model DE 20 2007 015 050 U1 a hybrid motor vehicle with a flywheel assembly is known, which also has an internal combustion engine and an electric motor with an on-board battery. In this case, all three drives via a chain converter or an automatic transmission to a central drive shaft of the vehicle can be coupled. The presented there hybrid motor vehicle is characterized in that at least two

Flywheels are present, which rotate opposite to each other with the same number of revolutions. According to an embodiment mentioned there, the drive train for a total vehicle weight of 2000 kg can be designed so that the flywheels can be brought to a speed of 9,600 or 12,000 revolutions per minute and then have sufficient energy content to the vehicle once from 0 to approx To accelerate 70 km / h. The electric motor with a power of 10 - 12 kW should be sufficiently dimensioned to compensate for the rolling resistance on level terrain, while the dynamics is covered by the flywheels. The electric motor is intended by the

Be fed onboard battery. Since the weight of the on-board battery would be too large when designed for longer trips without an internal combustion engine, it is provided that the internal combustion engine can be coupled as required with the electric motor to the

Recharge battery and to reach higher speeds than 70 km / h. The power of the internal combustion engine can be limited to approx. 30 kW.

The proposed in DE 20 2007 015 050 U1 vehicle is thus not able to cover longer distances locally emission-free and has unacceptably low driving performance in locally emission-free operation. The usable energy content of the flywheels is designed to accelerate the vehicle once to a speed of about 70 km / h. Of the

Combustion engine can be limited in its power to about 30 kW, with also for lack of any indication of an interpretation of the performance on a consumption-optimal operating range of a conventional dimensioning based on its maximum performance is. Also missing is an indication of the performance of the flywheels, of which only is known that a

Acceleration from 0 to 70 km / h from the flywheels should only depend on how fast an intermediate automatic transmission upshifts or downshifts.

German Offenlegungsschrift DE 1 812 480 A1 discloses a drive system for vehicles which is intended to reduce air pollution and / or to improve vehicle performance. This is an internal combustion engine

provided, whose performance is only for the maintenance of the maximum

Traffic speed of the vehicle is designed according to the weight and type of vehicle. According to a local embodiment is for a called "conventional sedan", fully loaded motor vehicle with 2200 kg

Total weight of a diesel engine with 2 liters of displacement and 59 hp corresponding 43.4 KW provided, which is to allow a constant speed on a flat road of 135 km / h. In phases of lower power requirements, work of the internal combustion engine can be cached in 12 flywheels, each with 44.3 kg mass via a switchable mechanical connection and returned to the drive train as needed. In addition, there is a small one

Electric machine with 4.9 horsepower in the embodiment provided corresponding to 3.6 kW, which can accelerate the flywheels and from a

commercially available battery that can be charged by the internal combustion engine via an alternator.

The local vehicle drive system does not have a traction battery capable of moving the vehicle over a significant distance without local emissions. The electric machine is so small that it is not possible to sufficiently recharge the flywheel from the battery. In addition, a total flywheel mass of over 500 kg distributed on 12 flywheels for use in a car seems impractical and the connection the flywheels on a gearless slip clutch to the

Internal combustion engine is not very energy efficient.

The German patent application DE 197 18 480 A1 discloses a hybrid drive for a vehicle with an internal combustion engine and at least one as

Motor / generator usable electric machine, in which the

Acceleration performance is provided via a vehicle electrical system by a flywheel-fed electric machine. The internal combustion engine is provided to recharge a battery or to maintain a minimum speed of the flywheel and to overcome the rolling and air resistance of the vehicle. In a local embodiment for a rail vehicle with 30 tons

Total weight of a flywheel storage with 2.5 kWh of usable energy and a power of 350 kW and two batteries of 25 kWh of usable energy are intended to cover a locally emission-free route of about 30 km. As combustion engine is a diesel engine with 140 kW and electric drive motors are 4 electric machines, each with about 200 kW peak power provided.

A sizing proposal for significantly lighter vehicles is not made there. With a linear scale on a vehicle with 1000 kg

Total weight would give a usable energy content of the flywheel of only 0.083 kWh and only 11, 6 kW power and a usable battery capacity of only 1, 66 kWh. In addition, the document lacks any reference to a performance of the

Combustion engine in the consumption-optimal operating range. Only a power of 140 kW is given, without reference to specific conditions, which apparently represents a maximum performance according to customary practice. In the disclosure it is mentioned that the internal combustion engine for recharging the batteries in city traffic can be operated at half load, which in normal internal combustion engines usually no operation in the

corresponds to the consumption-optimal operating range. In the overland traffic the Power output of the internal combustion engine are dimensioned so that only the respective air resistance and rolling resistance of the vehicle in the manner of a

Feedforward control can be compensated. This is neither a

Dimensioning of the internal combustion engine based on its performance in the

consumption-optimal operating range revealed, nor its operation in this area suggested.

Although different hybrid drives with the involvement of flywheels, internal combustion engines, electric motors, batteries and fuel cells are known, there is a lack of advantageous dimensioning and tuning of the above components, which allows achieving the objectives specified in the task.

In order to enable a consistent terminology and a simple understanding of the invention in the following, a few key terms are first defined:

A machine with unsteady power requirement is a machine or an aggregate, the power output in normal, normal operation subject to strong fluctuations of at least a factor of 3 in the short-term time output power, in particular a wheel-driven road vehicle.

The term hybrid vehicle initially and above all refers to a wheel-driven road vehicle with a combination of at least two different engine drives. However, the term should not be limited to wheeled vehicles or road vehicles in the context of this document, so that, for example, chain and screw driven vehicles are included as well as land vehicles that are moved off paved roads and water and air vehicles. Further, the term should be limited neither by the purpose of the vehicle nor by its typical size, e.g. also

Toy or model vehicles, driverless transport systems, and self-propelled machines are completely covered. For better understanding will be hereinafter always referred to a hybrid road vehicle, without this being a limitation with respect to the type of machine or the vehicle is intended. The term drive means includes not only a drivable wheel (drive wheel) of a vehicle but also equivalent elements such as chains, screws or propellers. The term also includes a plurality of drivable wheels or their equivalents used to propel a vehicle or propel others

Facilities are provided.

A chemical-mechanical energy converter converts chemical energy into mechanical energy or work. These include, for example

Internal combustion engine as well as the combination of a fuel cell and an electric machine and the like.

Under an internal combustion engine is generally understood a motor with internal combustion, in particular in the manner of a gas or liquid fuel such as diesel or gasoline piston engine operated. For the purposes of this specification, the term "internal combustion engine" should also include all engines in which a chemical energy source "generates" mechanical energy through oxidation.

The optimum working range of the internal combustion engine refers to a power range in which the internal combustion engine is observed

Boundary conditions in the range of maximum efficiency can be operated. The size of the optimum working range can be determined, for example, by specifying an acceptable additional consumption per delivered power, which may be, for example, a maximum of + 10%, but preferably not more than + 5%. The boundary conditions to be considered relate primarily to the wear and the pollutant emissions of the internal combustion engine, such as the temperatures of the engine, engine oil and cooling water and the temperature and the Degree of loading of catalysts and / or particulate filters and the

Fuel quality, but can also be other sizes such as the

Consider air pressure. The optimal working area can also be under

Incorporation of ancillary efficiencies determined and / or defined in relation to the overall vehicle. So it can, for example, at low operating temperature of the engine or high

Heizenergiebedarf the battery and / or the vehicle interior be energetically sensible, temporarily targeted to set a lower mechanical efficiency of the engine when the use of the by

Combustion engine generated waste heat with respect to the entire vehicle is more energetically effective than alternative ways of heat generation.

A fuel cell is understood to be a device in which electrical energy is obtained directly from a chemical energy source, ie without conversion into mechanical energy or work. Most fuel cells work with hydrogen gas and atmospheric oxygen and are to be understood in the context of this document in combination with an electric motor locally as emissionless drives or as mentioned above as the equivalent of an internal combustion engine. However, if the hydrogen initially takes place aboard the vehicle from a carbonaceous energy source, in particular methane or gasoline with emission of CO 2, the system of reformer, fuel cell and electric motor can be operated as a chemical-mechanical energy converter

Some fuel cells allow the process to be reversed or coupled to systems that allow recovery of a chemical energy source by the use of electrical energy. Such a reversible conversion represents a functional equivalent to a battery. In this case, the term of the reversible fuel cell also includes a combination of a non-reversible fuel cell and a device for. Generation of a chemical energy source from electrical energy. A high-performance energy storage device is an energy storage device which, in relation to conventional electrochemical energy storage devices such as lithium-ion cells, enables a very high loading and unloading capacity with low aging in terms of energy capacity and preferably has only a low heat loss power loss and, moreover prefers one compared to

conventional electrochemical energy storage has a large usable proportion of nominal capacity. These are primarily mechanical

Energy storage and flywheels may also be certain capacitor batteries, which have the appropriate properties, in particular certain double-layer capacitors such as so-called super or ultra caps.

A mechanical energy store may in particular be a flywheel arrangement, a mechanical spring store, a pneumatic or hydro-pneumatic pressure store or the like.

A flywheel assembly, which may include one or more flywheels, can receive and deliver energy by means of a rotating mass. The energy content of the flywheel (or more flywheels) is called

Percentage of the maximum storable, actually usable energy of the

Flywheel specified and referred to as State of charge (SOC).

An electrical energy store is in particular an electric flywheel, an electric capacitor, a battery, a reversibly operating fuel cell system or the like.

An electric flywheel is usually a functional combination of a flywheel and an electric machine, wherein the electric machine physically form part of the flywheel and may preferably be integrated into the housing of the flywheel. An electrical capacitor can

in particular also be designed as a capacitive high-performance memory based on double-layer capacitors, such as so-called super or ultracaps, with corresponding control electronics. Such supercapacitors or ultracaps are comparable with an electric flywheel insofar as both components have a similar maximum energy content within the scope of the present invention

Drive concept due to the relevant properties (low aging and heating in large stored and stored services with good

Efficiency, almost fully usable nominal capacity, large

Operating temperature range, self-discharge behavior) can be exchanged for each other. In the context of this document, the term of the battery includes a memory for electrical energy based on a reversible electrochemical conversion and moreover also equivalent effective storage for electrical energy, in particular based on electrical or magnetic fields. For electrochemical batteries, it should be noted that the usable charge range is usually only about 50% of the nominal capacity of the battery, since the battery is to be kept in a charge range of about 40-90% of the maximum possible charge amount to reduce aging.

Unless otherwise indicated, the following is the reference to what is known as the state of charge (SOC), usable energy content of a battery not to the nominal capacity of the battery, but on the actually usable in practice capacity of an unaltered battery under normal operating conditions. A nominal battery capacity of z. B. 15 kWh therefore corresponds to an assumed usable charge range of 50% of a usable actual capacity of 7.5 kWh. An SOC of 33% therefore corresponds to a removable energy of 2.5 kW. In special operating states, the usable portion of the nominal battery capacity can be temporarily extended, which is why in these cases, a SOC of less than 0% or more than 100% is basically possible, for example, in case of failure of the

internal combustion engine powertrain to reach the destination or a workshop (so-called limb home), or at very high Driving performance requirements (kick down) to allow increased performance despite reaching the discharge limit of the battery.

A low specific load on the battery is to be understood as meaning a specific charging and discharging capacity of the battery of at least below 3 ° C., but preferably below 2 ° C. Particularly preferred is a specific loading and

Discharge capacity of usually 1 C or less, wherein in certain

Operating situations and a temporary increase to up to about 2 C or preferably 1, 5 C should be possible. This makes it possible to optimize the battery cells to a high specific energy content, whereby at the same weight and

Volume of the battery can be realized a significantly larger battery capacity and thus saved either weight and space or the battery at the same weight may have a higher capacity, causing longer local

emission-free ranges are achievable. In addition, a low specific battery load also increases the usable

Charge range allows, whereby the nominal battery capacity can also be chosen smaller or with the same nominal battery capacity, a higher usable battery capacity can be provided. Furthermore, the waste heat accumulated in the battery per discharged or stored amount of energy at low specific loading and unloading capacities is considerably lower, which greatly simplifies the temperature control of the battery and, finally, the aging of the battery is considerably lower at low specific powers under otherwise identical conditions. A relatively long-cycle load on the battery is present when, compared to the rapid alternation between charging and discharging phases of conventional battery and hybrid electric vehicles, only very few changes occur over the course of time. This feature is met when the number of changes per time is at least about 5 to preferably 10 times, and more preferably more than 20 times less frequently. This has a positive effect on the aging behavior of the battery and also allows a relatively sluggish control. The concept of high dynamic driving performance is mainly determined by the vehicle's power-to-weight ratio. Differences in terms of

Rolling resistances and the Cw value are particularly within vehicle types, e.g. usual cars, SUVs, pickups, vans, light and heavy trucks in modern design and manufacturing relatively low. Therefore, a reference to the power of the vehicle is sufficiently accurate to indicate the dynamic driving performance.

It is assumed that the average weight-to-power ratio of all cars registered in Germany in 2012 is obviously viewed by the buyers as having good dynamic performance. This was according to statistics of the Federal Motor Transport Authority for 2012 at about 15 kg / kW maximum drive power. Due to the provided here at least predominantly providing the drive power by electric machines and their in relation to the

Acceleration of the vehicle an engine significantly superior performance curves during acceleration can be further assumed that a power to weight of about 20 kg / kW may be sufficient to provide a still good dynamic driving performance. Usual sports cars such as the Audi TT quattro have a power to weight ratio of about 10 kg / kW and

highly motorized, so-called Supersportier as the Porsche 911 Carrera S, from 5 kg / kW up. It should be noted that for the determination of the

Power weight a possible performance of the battery for driving the

Vehicle is ignored because its performance when the battery is empty,

especially for longer trips with speeds above the

Maximum continuous speed and thus in an important operating range, not reliably available. The object of the invention is to present a drive device for driving machines with unsteady power requirements, such as in particular of motor vehicles, wherein a thus driven machine - has excellent energy efficiency,

- can provide high dynamic performance,

- is suitable for locally emission-free operation in larger zero emission zones,

- for the long-distance operation with uninterrupted drive from

at least a few hundred kilometers,

- A low and relatively long-cycle load on the battery by low specific loading and unloading allowed, as well

- Offers a high level of reliability against so-called Lying.

This object is achieved by a drive device according to claim 1 or by a vehicle with a corresponding drive device. By the last independent claim, a display device is also presented, which is for the use of the drive device according to the invention of great advantage. The dependent claims become advantageous

Further developments under protection.

The drive device according to the invention according to claim 1 is used to drive a machine with unsteady power requirements, such as from a motor vehicle. Here, first, a first chemical-mechanical

Energy converter, for example, and preferably as a piston internal combustion engine, but e.g. may also be configured as a turbine engine or engine of any other type for generating mechanical work from a chemical energy carrier, and / or contain a first fuel cell, which may possibly work reversibly or by assigning a reformer a reversibly operable

Fuel cell system component can form. Furthermore, a first electrical energy store is included, which may preferably be designed as an electrochemical, reversible battery, in particular lithium-ion-based or as a similarly acting, reversible electrical storage and / or contain a second fuel cell or a second fuel cell system component. Next is as a central component for the invention

High-performance energy storage provided, as defined above, characterized in that it can save compared to currently known electrochemical energy storage based on the maximum energy content very high performance with low aging and good efficiency and can deliver. In addition, the high-performance energy storage preferably allows the use of a very large SOC range with low aging in comparison to known lithium-ion based electrochemical batteries. In specific embodiments, this high-performance energy storage device preferably consists of a mechanical energy store and in particular a flywheel arrangement. Alternatively or additionally, for this mechanical energy storage and a

Spring storage, a pneumatic or hydro-pneumatic accumulator or the like may be included. The mechanical energy storage is associated with a second electric machine, which is preferably designed for the intended performance of the mechanical energy storage and advantageous as

Electric machine of an electric flywheel may be formed. In the

Using a flywheel assembly, exactly one or alternatively a plurality of flywheels can be provided, which in this case to extinguish

driving dynamic influences of the flywheels by centrifugal forces are preferably even and half formed in opposite directions. In addition, however, other embodiments, in particular based on the aforementioned criteria fulfilling high performance capacitors, in particular

Double-layer capacitors and especially so-called super or

Ultracaps and hybrid capacitors possible.

Since these high-performance energy storage devices are very expensive per energy storage capacity compared to conventional electrochemical energy storage devices, their use as the first electrical energy storage device, for example instead of a lithium-ion battery, is not economically feasible and, in the case of a design as a mechanical energy storage device, would also result in considerable problems in terms of weight, required space and in the case of a flywheel module possibly in relation to large, for the driving dynamics disadvantageous centrifugal forces. Finally, the drive device according to the invention comprises at least one drive means, in particular one or more drive wheels and the

Drive device according to the invention is designed and the aforementioned components are arranged so that they - so far in a concrete

Embodiment present - the or the drive means can mechanically and / or electrically drive.

For the solution of the problem has been found that it is particularly advantageous if the high-performance energy storage can deliver a power for driving the machine, which is higher by a factor of 1, 5 to 8 than the sum of the benefits of the first chemical-mechanical Energy converter in the

consumption-optimal operating range and / or the first fuel cell. It has also been found that a factor within the range of 2 to 6 is particularly good and an optimum around the value 4, whereby values within a range of 3 to 5 are also very well suited. It goes without saying that under the performance of the first fuel cell here

design maximum or maximum continuous power under consideration of the usual boundary conditions such as aging should be understood as a dimensioning based on an arbitrarily adjustable partial power or only briefly realizable overload power would make no sense. If optimal efficiency results for certain types of fuel cell in the upper part-load range, it is of course also preferred according to the comments on the performance of the internal combustion engine to select this operating point or operating range with optimal efficiency as interpretative.

The above-mentioned dimensioning is therefore particularly advantageous because, given a design maximum of the machine or of the motor vehicle designed as given, it allows an advantageously small dimensioning of the chemical-mechanical energy converter or of the first fuel cell, at the same time as high overall power, without the first electric motor To interpret energy storage undesirable large or need to claim undesirable heavy. This will be detailed below with particular reference to the second embodiment. In the following, the present invention and its advantages are explained in more detail. It is described in many places so that instead of general terms, such as "chemical-mechanical converter" and

"High-performance energy storage" concrete versions are called, such as "internal combustion engine" or "flywheel module" or "flywheel assembly". It should be noted that this is for convenience of description only and is not intended to be a limitation on the invention.

The advantageous dimensioning according to the invention becomes an extreme

Low-consumption and low-emission drive for machines with highly unsteady power requirements and in particular for motor vehicles allows, since they provide a small size of the internal combustion engine, the provision of a high

Drive power allows, without posing considerable problems in terms of the space required for the flywheel module space and its costs and at the same time the possible dynamic driving influences of the flywheel module by centrifugal forces are still sufficiently low.

Since the overall performance of the machine or the motor vehicle is an essential design criterion, it can for a particular machine or

Motor vehicle can be considered largely given. Thus, the inventive dimensioning of the performance of the flywheel assembly and the internal combustion engine or their equivalent configurations to the fact that the engine (rounded) only for 11, 1 - 40%, preferably 14.3 - 33.3% more preferably 16.7 - 25 % and most preferably about 20% of the

Total output of flywheel module and internal combustion engine in

is to be interpreted in terms of consumption-optimal range. This division of the power of the main drive sources is suitable to make the engine so small that it is completely or at least predominantly in a consumption-optimal Operating range can be operated or in the case of a fuel cell in terms of their high performance-related costs economically meaningful interpretation at acceptable total costs in the first place is made possible. In a known use of an electrochemical battery for storing excess power of the internal combustion engine and from recuperation and as the main drive source of the vehicle, considerable problems would arise with respect to large discharge and discharge currents, either the provision of a very large-sized battery with corresponding disadvantages in Reference to required space, weight and cost or require a very large load of the battery by high specific loading and unloading C and thus would cause significant problems in terms of their temperature and aging.

If the power of the flywheel assembly chosen smaller in relation to the performance of the engine, its power would be so large that the operation in the consumption-optimal operating range in many phases of operation, especially in city traffic would be possible only by disadvantageously high charging currents in the battery. Unless the battery is very large and thus unwanted heavy and expensive designed, the internal combustion engine (or a

Fuel cell, etc.) are operated only for short periods due to the limited capacity of the battery and the flywheel assembly. Thus, the proportion of the operating time of the internal combustion engine and an associated emission control system in an insufficient temperature range undesirably high, or the internal combustion engine would have to be operated in terms of consumption and exhaust emissions very disadvantageous partial load range. In addition, the internal combustion engine (or a fuel cell, etc.) in comparison to a dimensioning according to the invention would be characterized by an unfavorably large weight and a disadvantageously large space requirement and unnecessarily high costs.

If the power of the flywheel assembly chosen to be larger in relation to the performance of the internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine at a Design in a meaningful overall drive performance in many situations do not make sufficient contribution to the drive of the vehicle, such as on long-distance highway driving or recharging the battery, since its performance even at moderate driving requirements completely for driving the

Vehicle would be needed. To prevent this, and the internal combustion engine (or a fuel cell, etc.) nevertheless dimensioned sufficiently large to allow sufficient performance and recharge the battery even when the battery is discharged, the flywheel assembly would have to be large enough to make it the operation of the vehicle no or almost no benefits. Such dimensioning would therefore represent a cost unnecessary in terms of cost and space requirements.

In particular, it has been shown that a power of the high-energy storage, which is greater by a factor of 1, 5, than the performance of the first mechanical

Energy converter in consumption-optimal operating range, leading to a design of the internal combustion engine, in which the power at reasonable design of the battery just with desired small specific charging currents can be stored in the battery. This is especially true for vehicles with one

Power weight between about 20 kg / kW and about 10 kg / kW and thus forms a lower limit of the factor range.

An interpretation of factor 8 leads to relatively small interpretations of the

Combustion engine. At even smaller sizing would

especially in vehicles with a relatively high power-to-weight ratio, its ability to ensure a sufficiently high maximum steady-state speed or, alternatively, the performance of the flywheel would be compromised

Very low power-weight vehicles so big that the

Overall drive line in design of the power of the internal combustion engine to an acceptable continuous maximum speed would correspond to an undesirable due to the additional effort Übermotorisierung. Factor 8 therefore forms a sensible upper limit of the factor range. A design on a preferred or more preferred factor range 2 or 3 as the lower limit allows for about 15 kg / kW "normal" motorized vehicles in comparison to factor 1, 5 a smaller dimensioning of

Internal combustion engine, which allows for task designed according to small specific charging power of the battery, a design of the battery to smaller capacities, resulting in a higher design freedom in the choice of battery capacity and choosing a smaller battery capacity lower vehicle mass and correspondingly better dynamic driving performance. The factors 2 and 3, respectively, allow high maximum continuous speeds of approximately 120-130 km / h for "normally" motorized vehicles with a power-to-weight ratio of approximately 15 kg / kW and approximately 160-180 km / h for sporty motor vehicles with about 10 kg / kW power weight, which for markets with a high or no general speed limit advantageous to meet the expectations of customers for such vehicles with appropriate engine.

An upper limit of the factor range of 6 or 5 are preferred or more preferred, because they allow for a given power to weight compared with factor 8, an advantageous greater performance of the engine, just at about 15 kg / kW "normal" motorized vehicles a higher one

Permissible maximum speed for markets with a general maximum speed of approximately 100 or 110 km / h. The possible higher charging power further enables the faster charging of the battery e.g. in preparation for entry into a zero-emission zone without joining

Task appropriate low specific charging power of the battery whose capacity to choose undesirable large. The same applies to sporty motor vehicles with a power to weight ratio of approx. 10 kg / kW. This will be in addition to improved performance in long-distance trips

Exhaustion of the battery also promotes high design freedom of the designers in choosing a suitable battery capacity.

The choice of the factor 4 is particularly preferred because in vehicles with a "normal" engine of about 15 kg / kW, with sporty motorization of about 10 kg / kW and even at extremely high engine power of about 5 kg / kW for the respective engines advantageous maximum continuous speeds of about 110 km / h or 130 km / h or 170 km / h, the claims to the respective

Motorization classes in markets with high or no general speed limit particularly well, the performance of the internal combustion engine are still so low that a complete feed into the battery at task specific low

Charging power even with sporty motorized vehicles up to about 10 kg / kW power weight can still be done in battery sizes, their interpretation mainly due to the task, locally emission-free

Range takes place. Even with very powerful motorized vehicles, the capacity of the battery can be chosen still small enough to integrate their cost, volume and weight without significant disadvantages in a vehicle can, especially if this is designed for a relatively large local emissionless range.

If the high-performance energy storage contains a mechanical energy storage, in particular in the form of a flywheel assembly, a particularly powerful and durable high-performance energy storage can be realized with very high efficiency and very large usable SOC range, which is also highly independent of temperature and characterized by low heat loss during operation and It is also based on a well-engineered, field-proven technology. It is particularly advantageous if at least one fast-rotating, wound flywheel is used for this purpose, which is more preferably in one

extensive vacuum or a reduced-pressure atmosphere and / or running in a light gas, as wound flywheels compared to others

Versions have significant safety advantages in case of failure and a high design speed has a very significant impact on the mass and volume of the flywheel hat_-and thus the integration in cramped

Construction space conditions made easier or only makes sense. Under a flywheel flywheel flywheels should be understood here with a maximum of at least 20,000, preferably at least 35,000 revolutions per minute. An arrangement of the flywheel or wheels in a partial vacuum or a reduced-pressure atmosphere and / or a light gas reduces the friction and thus the energy losses of the flywheel or the flywheel considerably.

If this mechanical energy storage or flywheel arrangement - wherein as described also a breakdown to a plurality of flywheels is possible - is mechanically coupled to a second electric machine or electric machines, can on a mechanical transmission of power to or from the

Flywheel module completely or optionally partially omitted and thus the structural complexity can be reduced and in particular easily transfer energy between the battery and the flywheel or flywheel module. Alternatively and just as preferred, the high-performance energy storage can

Memory based on capacitors, in particular double-layer capacitors and particularly preferably supercapacitors or hybrid capacitors. These three groups of capacitors are also collectively referred to as electrochemical double layer capacitors. Double layer capacitors are

Capacitors whose very high specific capacitance compared to electrolytic capacitors is based at least in large part on the physical phenomenon of the Helmholtz double layers. The particularly high specific capacities of supercapacitors, even ultracapacitors or short super or

Called Ultracaps, use compared to traditional ones

Double layer capacitors to a greater extent the effects of an electrochemical or Faraday pseudo capacity. Hybrid capacitors, such as lithium-ion capacitors, also have asymmetric, i. differently structured electrodes. The electrochemical double-layer capacitors have in common that they are in

Compared to lithium-ion battery cells a significantly higher

Lifetime, both in years and and especially in terms of the number of Charging and discharging cycles and also have a superior power density, which in combination with large possible capacities per

Capacitor as high performance energy storage in the sense of this document are particularly well suited. The use of super or hybrid capacitors is preferred due to their higher energy density compared to double layer capacitors, with hybrid capacitors having the highest power densities, which is advantageous in terms of required space and weight. In contrast, supercapacitors have advantages in terms of efficiency, which is particularly advantageous in terms of an energy-efficient drive device due to the high and frequent loading and unloading the high-performance energy storage.

Compared to flywheels, capacitors have the advantage that no rotating masses and therefore also no dynamic driving effects by centrifugal forces occur, which accounts for provided on flywheels electric machine, or can be replaced by a power electronics and their

Self-discharge in the preferred electrochemical

Double layer capacitors is lower. However, compared to flywheels they are currently even more expensive in relation to the energy content and require an interconnection of a large number of individual capacitors for the energy contents and outputs required here, and thus an elaborate control and monitoring electronics.

It has further been shown that it is particularly advantageous when the chemical mechanical energy converter is mechanically coupled to a first electric machine, because this allows a conversion of the mechanical energy into electrical energy, which significantly easier on different energy consumers such as the drive wheels, the battery and the flywheel module is to be transferred, whereby the structural complexity can be significantly reduced. If the drive means or the drive wheels or is mechanically connected to at least one third electric machine or, the structural complexity for the transmission of mechanical power can also be reduced, and especially if required, electric power from or into the battery without further, especially for it to be provided to the conversion units to and from the drive wheels. The combination of drive means, mechanical connection and third electric machine can also be realized in particular in the form of wheel hub motors, which make advantageous use of the available space in the rim anyway and greatly simplify the power transmission, especially in steered wheels and thus also reduce the structural complexity.

Further, when the first electrical energy storage or the battery is electrically connected to the first and / or the second electric machine of the internal combustion engine module or the flywheel module, so that the first electrical

Energy storage or the battery can absorb electrical energy from there and deliver it there, results in a particularly flexible system with a variety of options for the management and storage of power, also in comparison to mechanical line transmissions greatly reduced structural complexity.

Further advantages result if the first fuel cell and / or the second fuel cell are designed as reversible fuel cells which, together with an associated fuel tank, form a first and / or second fuel cell module functioning as an electrical energy store. This forms

functional equivalent to a battery and thus allows, if necessary, the elimination of the electrochemical battery, in addition, if necessary by

Refueling the fuel tank very quickly an energy supply can be absorbed. If the second fuel cell is formed reversible and designed for a requested battery power corresponding performance, the battery can therefore be omitted or made smaller. If the first

Fuel cell is formed reversible, it can in accordance with

powerful design not only the internal combustion engine and this one replace assigned first electric machine, but also take over the function of the battery in whole or in part with. However, fuel cells are currently still in terms of specific cost and life, as well as the need for careful environmental control

Combustion engines and also electrochemical batteries far inferior, which is why these options mainly in future, further developed

Fuel cells appear attractive.

In addition, it is particularly advantageous if the internal combustion engine (or a fuel cell, etc.) in the consumption-optimal operating range (or maximum or optimal continuous power) are designed to deliver in total a power that is the sum of the power consumption of conventional auxiliary active in operation and the power requirement for maintaining a constant in-plane vehicle speed at a desired steady state maximum speed, preferably in the range between 90 km / h and 150 km / h, more preferably between 110 km / h and 140 km / h, and most preferably at 120 km / h to 130 km / h.

Due to this design, the motor vehicle is able, regardless of

Charge the battery wide, only covered by the capacity of a fuel tank limited distances at a desired high speed. This allows long holiday trips on highways, without having to interrupt the journey to charge the battery or their replacement for a charged battery and to rely on an appropriate infrastructure. In addition, it has been found that such a design in conjunction with the above-described dimensioning of the performance of

Flywheel assembly and the internal combustion engine (or a fuel cell, etc.) on the one hand can provide a desired high total drive power of the motor vehicle and also in highway driving under practical conditions sufficient recharge of the battery and / or the flywheel assembly by the internal combustion engine (or fuel cell, etc.) allows to keep the flywheel in a sufficient condition under normal conditions To maintain state of charge in order to provide the desired, high maximum drive power safely available.

The choice of the maximum continuous speed can be made dependent on the design or assumed use of the motor vehicle and permissible or in practice possible maximum speeds on highways. For example, if the vehicle is designed for city traffic and designed for occasional use on motorways, the maximum permissible speed can be set lower than for a vehicle that has just been designed for long-distance driving on motorways. A

However, dimensioning to a maximum steady state speed of less than approximately 80-90 km / h would already lead to a collapse of the available drive power on longer inclines and is therefore not preferred for motor vehicles with universal usability.

A motor vehicle for countries with a general maximum speed of e.g. 100 km / h can be sensible to this maximum maximum speed, possibly with a surcharge of e.g. 10% are designed. Even a motor vehicle for long-distance driving on German highways without general

Speed limit is designed, can be useful on one

Maximum speed of 130 km / h, designed for very sporty vehicles maximum 150 km / h, as higher speeds for limited distances by removed from the battery and preferably in the

Flywheel arrangement cached benefits are possible and even higher average speed over long distances because of distance-based top speeds and real traffic conditions does not seem realistic. Only vehicles designed for high-speed racing or vehicles that are designed for regular trailer operation can make an even higher design-determining permanent maximum speed sensible in individual cases. When the high power energy storage or flywheel assembly can store a maximum usable amount of energy sufficient to power the engine or motor vehicle at least two times, preferably at least three times, and more preferably between 3.5 and 5 times from standstill to maximum steady state speed To accelerate, resulting in terms of space, cost and motor vehicles with flywheel arrangement with respect to influences on the driving dynamics by centrifugal forces particularly advantageous dimensioning, since the flywheel assembly is dimensioned so large that on the one hand always such a significant amount of energy from the flywheel assembly for the Drive can be provided that their actual limitation can not be perceived by a driver under normal operating conditions and at the same time the SOC of the flywheel assembly can always be chosen so that (as far as technically possible) the entire kinetis che energy of the vehicle in the high-performance energy storage or the flywheel assembly can be recuperated. The exact sizing may in turn make sense from the suspected real operating conditions of the

Motor vehicle are made dependent. Thus, a design for a higher continuous maximum speed requires a relatively large design of the capacity of the flywheel assembly. On the other hand, if it can be assumed that the vehicle will normally be driven with relatively low acceleration and deceleration powers, the capacity of the

Flywheel arrangement to be chosen lower than in a vehicle which is designed for a sporty driving style. A factor of at least 2 represents a reasonable lower limit of the

Factor range, which is a rapid acceleration of the vehicle

Speeds above the maximum steady-state speed, even under unfavorable boundary conditions, e.g. a slope, headwind or a

Roof rack allowed increased air resistance. However, a factor of at least 3 is preferred because it provides correspondingly higher power reserves. A particularly preferred design in a factor range between 3.5 and 5 allows the driver to participate only in extreme conditions Discharge of the flywheel is facing a strong decline in driving performance. In addition, such a design makes it possible to keep the SOC of the flywheel in a middle range below 80-90% SOC in most of the operating phases, which is advantageous in terms of energy efficiency due to the high power dissipation in the upper SOC range of the flywheel. Since dimensioning to a factor greater than 5 leads to no significant advantages in terms of performance, but to an increased cost in terms of cost, weight and space requirements of the flywheel, factor 5 is considered as the upper limit of the particularly advantageous factor range.

If the battery is designed to be in normal operation of the machine with

Performances of a maximum of 2 C, preferably a maximum of 1, 5 C and more preferably a maximum of 1 C to be charged, the loading and unloading is very uniform compared to the power requirement of the machine, the aging of the battery and the necessary effort for their temperature be kept very low. In addition, it is possible to use a larger range of the nominal battery capacity in relation to more heavily loaded batteries without disadvantages with respect to the aging behavior. This advantageous dimensioning is made possible by the fact that the battery is used in the presented drive concept primarily to the resulting in operation energy losses of

Balance flywheel, which not only low loading and unloading, but also in relation to the temporal performance profile of a motor vehicle in city and overland operation allows very long loading and unloading cycles. If the usable capacity of the battery is such that it is at least a factor of 4, preferably by a factor of 8 and more preferably at least by a factor of 10 greater than the usable capacity of the flywheel assembly, on the one hand desired long, locally emission-free ranges can be achieved and on the other hand, the sufficient recharging of energy from the battery in the flywheel assembly even in sporty driving or difficult

Environmental conditions are ensured without the specific burden of Increase the battery undesirable or to operate the internal combustion engine or the first fuel cell.

If the machine has an external charging port, via the electrical energy between on the one hand at least one of the internal electrical

Energy storage and an external power grid can be replaced on the other hand, it is possible to operate the machine or the motor vehicle as a plug-in hybrid vehicle and, if desired, in practice, according to a plug-in electric vehicle. The internal combustion engine or the first fuel cell can in this case mainly for extreme

Performance requirements and very long journeys held without external recharging of the battery or - unless it must be reckoned with such operating conditions - even temporarily removed. Further, the vehicle can, if necessary, with the help of a suitably designed control also feed energy and in particular control energy in the power grid or operate external consumers.

If a charge control device for charging at least one of the electrical energy storage, preferably the battery and the flywheel device, is provided whose continuous power is such that it can deliver a maximum charging current for the battery in the amount of at least 1 C, preferably of about 1.5 C. , resulting in network charges advantageously short, possible charging times of - starting from a usable capacity of about 50% of the nominal battery capacity - about 20 to 30 minutes. This design further allows the operation of the motor vehicle operation of the charge control device for loading and unloading of the battery in a range with good efficiency.

When the electrical lines for transmitting electrical power to and from the battery (or the second fuel cell) and from and to the first electric machine (or the first fuel cell) and the

High-performance energy storage or its electric machine, possibly with the exception of the line from and to the external charging port and preferably from and to at least one and more preferably all of the mechanically coupled to the drive means electric machines are designed for safe to touch voltages, voltage converters are attributed to the respective components and assigned locally, which can be in electrical and

Hybrid vehicles previously required effort to protect people from electric shocks are significantly reduced, since only spatially narrow areas have a dangerous voltage.

This reduces, especially if these electrical cables with

DC voltage are applied, also the required effort for an electromagnetic shield considerably. Since the battery does not need to be completely disconnected from the vehicle network for safety reasons when it is designed for contact-safe voltage when the vehicle is parked, this design also allows maintaining a desired speed of the flywheel assembly when the vehicle is parked. A separate low-voltage electrical system battery for operating components that should be able to be supplied even when the vehicle is turned off, can thus advantageously be dispensed with. It goes without saying that not all of the electrical lines mentioned must be present and other electrical lines can be provided if necessary. However, the drive concept presented above allows the power flows between the first electric machine and / or the first fuel cell, the battery and / or the second fuel cell, and the high-performance energy storage and preferably at least partially the drive electric machines to powers of less than 30 - 40 kW limit what at a voltage of 100 volts or 120 volts DC high, but still reasonable continuous currents of maximum 300 - 400 ampere conditional. The required cable cross-sections and

Line losses are not negligible, but justified by the advantages mentioned. If the motor vehicle at least two axes with drive means, such as

In particular drive wheels, which can be driven by the third electric machines (also called drive electric machines here) and generating Recuperation energy are brakable, it is advantageous to this

Drive power engineering specially designed. It is particularly favorable if the sum of the powers of the drive axle machines of the front axle and that of the rear axle has a ratio of between 80:20 and 60:40, preferably approximately 70:30. This results in a particularly advantageous for recuperation at high decelerations deceleration of the drive power to the axles of the motor vehicle and in a preferred arrangement of

High-performance energy storage and the flywheel assembly and mechanically coupled with her second electric machine in the front end of an advantageously short length of the particularly highly loaded electrical lines between the second electric machine and the drive-electric machines of the front axle. In particular, in the case of an above-described design of the electrical lines between the second electric machine and the drive electric machine to a contact-safe voltage, for example, 100 volts DC, the weight of the lines and the electrical losses can also be advantageously limited.

In this case, the sum of the powers of the drive train electrical machines should advantageously be further dimensioned such that they can receive and deliver at least a maximum of 10 seconds, preferably over a period of 20-30 seconds and more preferably indefinitely, an electrical power Performance of the high-performance energy storage or the second electric machine corresponds. However, it is of further advantage if the sum of the performances of the drive electric machines is significantly higher than the maximum power of the second electric machine, namely at least the value of the maximum electric power generated by the internal combustion engine - together with the first electric machine - and any existing one first fuel cell is generated. It is also a particular advantage if the power sum of the drive electric machines is even higher, namely about the value of the power corresponding to the discharge current of the battery at 1 C. The sum of the services of the drive train electric machines should be unlimited in time, at least for at least 10 seconds, preferably at least 20 -30 seconds can be applied. The peak performance and the period for increased performance by the prime movers should be optimally chosen so that, taking into account the limited energy content of the flywheel and the limited benefits of the flywheel and the other energy-supplying components, even in sporty driving style no bottlenecks or performance restrictions. By this design, even with a relatively weak interpretation of the (continuous) performance of the drive electric motors, a drive power can be provided which is comparable or superior to the average drive power of today's motor vehicles. An interpretation of the drive electric motors to a power that in sum not even short term, for example for overtaking maneuvers at least the maximum power of the second electric machine of the flywheel assembly would mean an inappropriate oversizing the performance of this second electric machine or the high-performance energy storage. For this short-term peak performance, a period of 10 seconds is considered to be the shortest acceptable period of time, with at least 20-30 seconds being considered meaningful in order to avoid over-loading of components or a performance crash unforeseen for the driver. It is particularly preferred, however, that at least 50% -75% of the peak power of the second electric machine can be recorded and released indefinitely from the sum of the drive electric machines, even in sporty driving with frequent strong accelerations and delays caused by heating performance bottleneck of the second Electric machine to avoid. Since the internal combustion engine powertrain according to the presented here

Drive concept especially for long-distance trips with high

Driving speeds is switched on, it is further preferred if the power absorbable by the drive electric machines in total is greater than this power at least the maximum electric power of the internal combustion engine drive train, as additional power reserves are provided for driving situations with particularly high power consumption at low cost can. Finally, it makes sense to increase this maximum power of the sum of the drive electric machines again by the electric power, the corresponds to the discharge current of the battery at 1 C, as this power can be removed from the battery without overloading them excessively.

The drive device according to the invention also makes it possible to realize a power generator in a simple manner in an associated vehicle. For this, the internal combustion engine and the first electric machine and / or the first

Fuel cell module structurally installed to a corresponding module. This can be designed and arranged so that it can be removed within a short time without expertise from the vehicle. The vehicle is correspondingly lighter and it is a space free, which can be used in various ways, such as luggage or storage space. It is also possible in the presence of appropriate mechanical and electrical means to install an additional battery or a fuel cell and so the locally emission-free range of the vehicle, for. for operation in very large Zero Emission Zones. Due to the easy changeability of the module, it is also possible to replace a largely empty battery module with a charged battery module in a short time, which significantly shortens the charging times, especially for vehicles in a pool when used in cities or zero emission zones. Finally, such a removable module also allows a secondary use of the components contained therein, such as a stationary power generator, which can provide, for example, when required control energy for an electrical supply network. For this purpose, components required for operation, such as a control device, a fuel tank and an exhaust system or parts thereof may be integrated into the module or, alternatively, additionally provided in an external module receptacle.

It has also been found that for the use of the drive device according to the invention, a specially matched signaling device makes sense, which has a significant influence on the reliability and solves a technical problem, which is the first time from the presented

Drive concept results. Precisely because a user will seldom encounter the performance limits of the system in normal operation, he will assume constant availability of the maximum drive power. However, it is especially strong

Accelerations to high speeds and under unfavorable

Boundary conditions, it may happen that the energy content of the

High-performance energy storage or the flywheel module not to

Providing this maximum performance or work is sufficient, it can come without dangerous and intuitively perceptible by the user signal of short-term performance or work delivery to dangerous situations by a for the user unanticipated performance degradation.

According to the invention, first the maximum speed of the vehicle is determined, which with the help of the currently in the high-performance energy storage or the

Flywheel module stored energy and their deliverable power is achievable and can be maintained for a predetermined distance. In this case, its performance can also be taken into account, preferably when the internal combustion engine is running or can be started. Different parameters can be taken into account, such as the nature of the landscape (gradient, slope, pavement, etc.), vehicle load (number of occupants, their weight, luggage, roof luggage, etc.), weather conditions (temperature, wind, etc .) and / or the like.

The signal device according to the invention signals are supplied, which are a measure of the above-mentioned maximum speed. Depending on this

Speed corresponding optical and / or acoustic signals are output.

It has been found that a corresponding optical display is particularly well suited. This has suitable optical means, such as a circle segment, a pointer, a beam or the like. These can be realized mechanically, as an LCD, as an LED or in any other suitable manner. In order to make the display as intuitively understandable and easily perceived as possible for the user, it is particularly favorable to present the power reserves available in the short term in the form of a representation in the speedometer or spatially adjacent thereto and information about the currently achievable and for a predetermined distance to give a maintainable top speed.

Preferably, the signal device according to the invention is further transmitted a signal about the currently driven speed or the position of a speedometer speed display and the optical signal activated only from one of this speed or speedometer position corresponding position.

As a result, on the one hand, recognition of the current driving speed by the driver is made even easier and, on the other hand, recognition of the available power reserves to achieve the abovementioned

Top speed improved.

Further features and advantages of the present invention are described below with reference to preferred embodiments. 1 shows a first embodiment of the drive device according to the invention with reference to a block diagram,

Fig. 2 shows a second, more concrete embodiment of the invention

Drive device based on a block diagram,

3 is a block diagram illustrating various operating phases and modes of the drive device, particularly with respect to the second

Embodiment,

Fig. 4 is an illustration of a display device for the drive device.

Fig. 1 shows a symbolic block diagram for a first embodiment with the essential components of a drive device according to the invention. This first embodiment relates to a drive train, preferably for a hybrid vehicle, not shown here, in particular road vehicle, and serves in particular to represent the range of possible characteristics. For the sake of clarity was on the representation of for the

Understanding non-central components and active compounds omitted. Thus, it goes without saying that the various components can be controlled and / or regulated and / or monitored by one or more control units, not shown. Likewise, conventional devices for transmission and conversion of mechanical and electrical energy such as gears, shafts, couplings, DC and inverter and other conventional components and ancillaries such as

Fuel pumps, air conditioners, comfort systems and the like are not shown, since the expert will supplement this without own inventive performance according to the respective requirements. It should also be noted that in other embodiments, not all components shown here must be included. In addition, it is possible that at least some of these components are integrated with other designs. To simplify the description, individual components are combined into modules in the following. It is understood that in other embodiments, the components combined in the modules can also be realized individually or in other combinations with each other.

The exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 has an internal combustion engine module 10 in which an internal combustion engine 14, an associated first tank 20 and a first fuel line 18 are contained. A first fuel cell module 11 includes a first fuel cell 16, which is connected via a second fuel line 22 to a second tank 24. In normal operation, these tanks 20, 24 contain a chemical energy carrier, which is usually liquid or gaseous and is also referred to below as fuel. A second fuel cell module 12 includes a second fuel cell 28 which is connected via a third fuel line 30 to a third tank 32 into which suitable fuel can be charged. In the preferred embodiment, the second fuel cell 28 is less powerful than the first fuel cell 16. Further, a battery 34 is present, which is connected via a first electrical line 36 to an external charging port 38.

In addition, a flywheel module 13 is provided in which a second

Electric machine 40 and a flywheel assembly 42 are included. The flywheel module 13 may also be designed as an electric flywheel, in which the flywheel assembly 42 and the second electric machine 40 are integrated with each other. The flywheel assembly 42 preferably consists of exactly one flywheel or an even number of flywheels (not shown separately here), which are in opposite directions in pairs, whereby centrifugal forces cancel each other as far as possible. The one or more flywheels are preferably as wound, arranged in a reduced-pressure environment

High speed flywheels with a maximum number of revolutions of at least 20,000, preferably formed at least 35,000 revolutions per minute.

1 symbolically a third electric machine 44 - hereinafter also referred to as a drive electric machine - and drive wheels 46 are shown. The drive electric machine 44 may also include a plurality of electric machines, for example, acting on different axes of the vehicle or on individual drive wheels 46, for example in the form of as well

Hub motors referred to wheel hub electric machines. The

Electric machines 26, 40, 44 are each designed such that they can be operated both as an electric motor and as a generator. The number of drive wheels 46 depends on the type of vehicle used. Thus, although drive wheels are usually referred to in this description, a plurality of drive wheels or even only one of them may be provided. In a typical passenger car, their number is 2 or 4. The internal combustion engine 14 is connected to the first electric machine 26 via a first mechanical drive 48 and to the drive wheels 46 via a second mechanical drive 50, wherein the second mechanical drive 50 is also equivalently connected to or integrated with the first mechanical drive 48 the shaft of the first electric machine 26 can attack. These two drives 48, 50 allow mechanical energy from the engine 14 to be delivered to the components 26, 46, respectively. On the other hand, these components can provide mechanical power to the

Transfer internal combustion engine 14, in particular to start this and / or to tow the engine 14 and thus to use as an engine brake, which is preferred due to the associated energy losses only in a few exceptional cases, for example, in very long downhills, if no further charge the flywheel assembly 42 and the battery 34 is more possible or desired.

The flywheel assembly 42 is connected to the second electric machine 40 via a third mechanical drive 52 and to the drive wheels 46 via a fourth mechanical drive 54, the fourth mechanical drive 54 also being equivalently connected to or integrated with the third mechanical drive 52 the shaft of the second electric machine 40 can attack. A fifth mechanical drive 56 exists between the third

Electric machine 44 and the drive wheels 46. These three drives 52, 54, 56 allow bi-directional mechanical energy between the

Flywheel assembly 42 and the second electric machine 40, between the flywheel assembly 42 and the drive wheels 46 and between the third electric machine 44 and the drive wheels 46 to transmit.

The first fuel cell 16 is connected via a second electrical line 57 to the third electric machine 44, via a third electrical line 58 to the first electric machine 26 and via a fourth electrical line 60 to the second electric machine 40. Electrical energy can be via the fourth electrical Line 60 and another, fifth electrical line 64 between the first fuel cell 16, the second electric machine 40 and the battery 34 are transmitted. Electrical energy can also be transferred via the electrical lines 68 and 70 between the first electric machine 26 and the battery 34 or vice versa, for which purpose a separate sixth electrical line 72 can be provided as an equivalent. The second electric machine 40 is also connected to the second fuel cell 28 via a seventh electrical line 62 and to the third electric machine 44 via an eighth electrical line 66. Via the electrical line 72 arranged between the first electric machine 26 and the battery 34, the battery 34 can be charged by the first electric machine 26 and the first electric machine 26 can be used to start the electric motor 26

Internal combustion engine 14 are operated. Via the electrical leads 72 and 64 is also a transfer of electrical energy between the first

Electric machine 26 and the second electric machine 40 possible, for which, equivalently, a separate twelfth electrical line 84 shown in Figure 2

can be provided. The drive electric machine 44 is further connected via a ninth electrical line 68 to the first electric machine 26 and via a tenth electrical line 70 to the battery 34, which is also connected via an eleventh electrical line 74 to the second fuel cell 28.

The existing mechanical drives 48, 50, 52, 54, 56 may be designed in various ways. For example, they can be designed to be continuous and / or provided with electromagnetic or other couplings. The only point here is that both the input and output variables are mechanical. Therefore, for example, hydraulic and pneumatic transmission devices with the use of appropriate converters and other conventional auxiliary equipment are possible and should be included, since they represent mechanical active connections in the context of this document. For the realization of the drive train shown in Fig. 1, the following should be noted. The internal combustion engine 14, the drive wheels 46 via the mechanical drive 50 with the interposition of conventional, not shown,

Supply drive train components with drive energy and / or drive the first electric machine 26 via the mechanical drive 48 as a generator. Further, it is also possible for certain operating conditions, in particular for starting the internal combustion engine 14 and / or for its rapid acceleration to a desired speed, mechanical energy from the first

Electric machine 26 via the first mechanical drive 48 or, if desired, from the drive wheels 46 via the second mechanical drive 50 to the internal combustion engine 14 to pass.

Finally, with appropriate design mechanical energy from the

Drive wheels 46 are passed via the second and first mechanical drive 50, 48 to the first electric machine 26, wherein the internal combustion engine 14 are preferably uncoupled via a clutch, not shown, or freewheel or alternatively can run to realize an engine brake. As a result, an additional recuperation power can be achieved by the first electric machine 26 with or without simultaneous engine braking action of the internal combustion engine 14. As mentioned, it is also possible as an equivalent embodiment to couple the second mechanical drive 50 with the shaft of the first electric machine 26, whereby, possibly with the interposition of a switchable coupling, not shown, with the first mechanical drive 48 one of the function of the shown mechanical Drive 50 equivalent design results. Further, the first electric machine 26 may be formed to have a

Speed ratio between the mechanical drive 48 and the modified as described above mechanical drive 50 can make, whereby the first electric machine 26 at the same time the function of

Change gear and possibly a switchable clutch can take over. These equivalent embodiments are not shown in FIG. 1 for reasons of clarity. Further, it is possible that the internal combustion engine 14 drive the flywheel 42 via a mechanical drive, not shown, and / or that the

Flywheel 42 by this mechanical drive to drive the engine 14 and in particular can start.

If a first or high-performance fuel cell 16 is provided instead of the internal combustion engine 14 or in addition to this, this can generate electrical energy with the aid of the fuel stored in the second tank 24. Of course, it is also possible to provide both the first fuel cell 16 and the internal combustion engine 14, the performances of both

Power sources 14, 16 can be divided as desired, but in total should be able to provide at least the power required for a maximum steady state speed. The electrical power of the first electric machine 26 and / or the first

Fuel cell 16 may optionally be used to drive the drive wheels 46 by transmitting the electrical energy via the electrical leads 68 and / or 57 to the drive electric machine 44. A mechanical one

Interaction between the engine 14 and the drive wheels 46 is not required in this case, but may be additionally provided.

Currently not required for the drive of the vehicle energy of the

Combustion engine drive train or internal combustion engine module 10 and / or the first fuel cell module 11 may be preferably used to flywheel 42 if necessary via a mechanical drive, not shown, and / or via the mechanical drive 48, the first electric machine 26 and the electrical lines 72nd , 64 and the electrical lines 60, 64 and the second electric machine 40 and the mechanical drive 52 to

accelerate and / or charge the battery 34.

Is at least one of the possible two fuel cells 16, 28 designed as a reversible fuel cell or is an equivalent embodiment an additional Synthesis device provided, electrical energy from one or more of the electric machines 26, 44, 40 alternatively used in whole or in part for the synthesis of fuel and the fuel in an associated tank 24, 32 are stored. Basically, it should be noted that the three tanks 20, 24, 32 can also be partially or wholly combined according to practical considerations, as far as the nature of the fuel permits.

The battery 34 of the flywheel-based drive train 12 may preferably be chargeable via the external charging port 38. This can preferably also be designed to charge the flywheel assembly 42 via the second electric machine 40 or a regenerative fuel cell 28, 16 or a

Synthesizer with energy for the synthesis of fuel to supply and / or be designed if necessary, optionally also energy to an external

Consumer or an external power grid. The second fuel cell 28 may be provided in addition to the battery 34 (as shown in FIG. 1) or alternatively.

The second fuel cell 28 is preferably less powerful than the first fuel cell 16 because, in the event that it is provided in place of the battery 34, substantially replacing the power of the battery 34 with the second electric machine 40 for driving the flywheel assembly 42. As will be explained in more detail below, this power can be significantly smaller than the power of the internal combustion engine 14 in the optimum operating range or of the first fuel cell 16 replacing the internal combustion engine 14.

The sum of the design-relevant maximum powers of the battery 34 and the second fuel cell 28 is substantially constant and is measured according to the anticipated maximum, via the second electric machine 40 in the

Flywheel assembly 42 according to design to be fed in averaged net Nachladeleistung the flywheel assembly 42, possibly plus the expected power consumption of other electrical loads, such as electric heaters, lighting, air conditioning, comfort systems and Controls (not shown). The second electric machine 40 can, however, if required, and preferably also significantly more powerful designed to the mechanical power transmission via the mechanical drive 54 between the flywheel assembly 42 and the drive wheels 46 partially or preferably completely by a mechanical coupling 52 between the

Flywheel assembly 42 and the second electric machine 40 and an electrical coupling 66 between this and to the drive wheels 46 coupled to the drive electric machine 44 to replace. Although the flywheel assembly 42 and the second electric machine 40 are shown functionally as two components, both components 42, 40 may preferably be integrated into one assembly. This offers advantages in terms of installation space and weight in a preferred, running in a substantial vacuum flywheel also benefits in terms of a waiver of shaft seal and a reduction in the losses of the second electric machine 40, which in this case also be arranged in a substantial vacuum can.

Main function of the battery 34 and / or the second fuel cell 28 is the delivery of electrical energy to the second electric machine 40 to the flywheel - or more - the flywheel assembly 42 in a

to bring desired speed band or to hold there. The

Flywheel assembly 42 serves as an essential energy source or

Energy storage for the dynamic drive of the vehicle. If desired or necessary, however, the electrical energy generated by the second electric machine 40 can also be used for other purposes, in particular for

Charging the battery 34 and / or for generating fuel in a reversible fuel cell 28, 16, for starting the engine 14 via the first electric machine 26 or an electric starter motor, not shown, or a starter-generator electric machine, not shown, or for the operation of another Consumer or to deliver electrical energy to an external power grid via the external charging port 38th Further, the internal combustion engine 14 via the first electric machine 26 and / or the first fuel cell 16, electrical energy for charging the battery 34 and / or via the second electric machine 40 for charging the

Flywheel assembly 42 and / or for the reversible operation of at least the second fuel cell 28 and / or possibly the first fuel cell 16 produce. Finally, a moment can also be removed from the drive wheels 46 and converted into electrical energy via the drive electric machine 44 and / or the first electric machine 26 and, alternatively or in addition to a mechanical drive 54 of the flywheel assembly 42 by the drive wheels 46, also for Drive the flywheel assembly 42 via the second

Electric machine 40, for charging the battery 34 and / or for the reversible operation of at least one of the fuel cells 28, 16 are used.

The various electric machines 26, 40, 44 can also be combined or divided among several electric machines and not necessarily

form physically independent machines, as far as alternative configurations can fulfill the listed functions.

The illustrated with reference to FIG. 1, various possible interpretations and

Associations of the components of the drive train make it clear that the proposed drive concept is less about a specific structural or physical connection of components, but rather about one

Concept, the developers a variety of different specific designs and thus a comprehensive optimization in terms of desired

Drive concepts and boundary conditions allowed.

These boundary conditions include, in particular, the respective costs of the components used in the specific individual case, their requirement for installation space, their weight and, last but not least, freely selectable parameters such as, for example, the decision for or against the use of fuel cells. Accordingly, the advantages of the invention do not result from the selection of the type of

Components or their concrete link, but only from the relative Design of components in terms of performance and usable storable energy content.

1 and the above description thus essentially serve to clarify the respective equivalence ranges, so that in the following exemplary embodiments in each case one can focus on a specific embodiment, without having to mention these equivalence ranges with, whereby the understanding is much easier. Fig. 2 shows a block diagram for a second embodiment. This is a simplified or more concrete embodiment of the drive concept compared to the embodiment described above. Identical or functionally similar components are identified with the reference numerals used in FIG. 1 and these are only discussed insofar as is necessary for the understanding of the present invention.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the fuel cells 16, 28 and the associated tanks 24, 32 have been omitted. In addition, an additional electrical line 84 between the two electric machines 26 and 40 is shown.

The flywheel assembly 42 and the second electric machine 40 coupled thereto via the third mechanical drive 52 are preferably designed as a flywheel with an integrated electric machine, and - in contrast to FIG. 1 - are referred to below as the electric flywheel 43. Through the integration of

Flywheel assembly 42 and second electric machine 40, the space can be used more efficiently and problems with respect to a shaft feedthrough to a running in a substantial vacuum flywheel avoided and the losses of the electric machine 40 are greatly reduced by turbulence. The internal combustion engine 14 is combined with the first electric machine 26 by the bidirectional mechanical drive 48 structurally to a generator 15, which optionally to avoid conversion losses over a preferably bidirectional mechanical coupling 82 may be connected to the drive wheel 46, wherein a non-illustrated, switchable clutch and a not shown gear can proceed with stepless or stepped-interchangeable translation. Preferably, the functions of the clutch and the transmission can be taken over by a suitable embodiment of the first electric machine 26. As already noted, the mechanical drive 82 can also take place between the drive wheel 46 and the internal combustion engine 14 if an additional clutch or a freewheel and possibly an additional transmission are provided, corresponding to the mechanical drive 50 of FIG. 1. It is also possible to use the rotor the first electric machine 26 on a continuous mechanical drive, consisting of the mechanical drives 48 and 82 to arrange.

The drive electric machine 44 is here preferably embodied as an electric machine integrated into the drive wheels 46, and the combination of drive wheel 46 and drive electric machine 44 and its mechanical drive 56 can be configured as a wheel hub motor 45. It should be noted that it is also possible to provide a drive wheel 46, which is exclusively by the

mechanical drives 82 and 50 and / or exclusively by the

Drive electric machine 44 is driven. As already mentioned, a plurality of drive wheels 46 are normally provided in a vehicle. This also applies in the same way to the number of wheel hub motors 45 and the electric machines 44 contained therein, even if in the following the elements 44, 45 and 46 are usually mentioned only in the singular.

For ease of understanding was mentally assume a built in 2000 in series Audi A2 1.2 TDI, which in a Cd coefficient of 0.25 and a curb weight of 855 kg by an exhaust turbo-charged diesel engine with 1,191 ^cm3 displacement with a maximum power powered by 45 kW. The vehicle can accommodate 4 people and one

Luggage compartment volume of a maximum of 350 liters. In operation, it has a

Standard consumption of 3 liters per 100 km and a CO ₂ emission of 81 - 86 g / km on. The top speed is 168 km / h, with an Eco mode is provided, in which the engine power is throttled to a maximum of about 31, 5 kW and the maximum speed is limited to 160 km / h, which is safely achieved with this power.

The drive concept according to the invention provides that the generator 15 can deliver an output in an optimal working range of the internal combustion engine 14, which in addition to the average power consumption of conventionally operated in the vehicle consumers of the sum of the driving resistances at a desired, determined by the structural design,

Maximum speed of the vehicle corresponds. Specifically, the power of the engine 14 should be sized here so that the vehicle

maintained solely by energy of the generator 15 under normal operating and environmental conditions in the plane a maximum maximum speed of, for example, 130 km / h and at the same time usual

Can operate ancillaries.

Surprisingly, an internal combustion engine 14 with 25 kW in the optimum operating range is assumed here. The electrical power of the generator 15 can be delivered as needed via the electrical line 68 to the wheel hub motor 45 and / or via the electrical lines 72, 84 to the battery 34 and / or to the electric machine 40 of the electric flywheel 43. The electrical lines are each designed bi-directional. The first electric machine 26 may also be preferred as a starter motor for the

However, internal combustion engine 14 serve, the internal combustion engine 14 can also be started by providing the optional mechanical coupling 82 by closing the unillustrated switchable clutch by removing a torque from the drive wheel 46 while the vehicle is running. If the optional mechanical drive 82 is provided between the power unit 15 and the drive wheel 46, the first electric machine 26 can be designed for a lower power of, for example, 15 kW or less or can be replaced by a conventional starter motor or starter-generator in order to reduce space, Reduce weight and component costs. In this case, it is preferable to operate the internal combustion engine 14 only or at least predominantly while the vehicle is running, if at least predominantly a power can be output to the drive wheel 46 which corresponds to the difference between the power of the internal combustion engine 14 and the power of the first electric machine 26 or corresponds to the starter generator. Due to the low additional cost of a design of the first electric machine 26 on the performance of

Internal combustion engine 14 is not preferred, but is intended

be included according to the invention. According to a particularly preferred variant, it can be provided that the first mechanical drive 48 between the internal combustion engine 14 and the first electric machine 26 is a first shiftable clutch, not shown, and the sixth electric drive 82, which is the first electric machine 26 and the drive wheel 46, a second shiftable clutch, not shown include. This allows the internal combustion engine 14 by closing the first clutch and opening the second clutch together with the first electric machine 26 as

Generator 15 are used without mechanical connection of the engine 14 to the drive wheels 46. By opening the first clutch and closing the second clutch, the first electric machine 26 at

switched off internal combustion engine 14 via the sixth mechanical drive 82 also work as a drive electric machine 44.

By this double usability of the first electric machine 26 can

be saved according to weight and space for the drive electric machines 44. With appropriate dimensioning of the first

Electric machine 26, this or the drive electric machine (s) 44 of the associated axle, in particular the rear axle, completely replace or take over their function with. In addition, the first electric machine 26, which is preferably designed for the power of the internal combustion engine 14, has the advantage of being able to provide a plurality of drive electric machines 44, 26 of different power for a driven wheel or the driven wheels 46 of an axle, as a result of which the overall efficiency of the drive electric motors 44 or 26 by a corresponding to the respective efficiencies for the respective

Achievements improved and preferably optimal distribution to different drive machines 44, 26 can be optimized. Further, it is possible to close both clutches during operation of the internal combustion engine 14 and to operate the first electric machine 26 either as a generator, to reduce energy not required for the vehicle drive, to convert it into electrical energy and to store it in the electric flywheel 43 and / or the battery 34. The first electric machine 26 may also be operated by a motor to deliver additional mechanical power to the drive wheels 46. With the provision of the power unit 15 in the rear of the vehicle, it would be possible, for example, a switchable with the rear axle first electric machine 26 with in this example about 25 kW continuous power with another on this axis or their drive wheels 46 operatively connected drive electric machine 44 To combine 15 kW power, whereby even low drive power can always be applied or recuperated by an electric machine 26, 44 in a load range with good efficiency.

It is even more energetically advantageous if the drive electric machine 44 acting on the rear axle acts by two wheels acting on the rear wheels

Wheel hub motors 44 and 45, each with eg 7.5 or 10 kW is replaced, since then very low power or braking performance, as they often occur when driving at a constant speed or very low acceleration or deceleration in city traffic, by operating only a wheel hub motor a range of good efficiency can be provided. Such low power outputs can without significant negative impact on the Driving behavior also act asymmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, especially since the asymmetry can be lifted at any time if needed.

For a meaningful mechanical coupling of the internal combustion engine 14 with the drive wheels 46 with the first and second clutches closed, a transmission with stepless or stepped transmission is to be provided in the area of the first or sixth mechanical drive 48, 82, resulting in a considerable expenditure in terms of costs, Weight and space and due to the efficiency of the transmission, a reduction in the total efficiency.

However, because of the embodiment of the drive concept presented here, it is sufficient if the power of the internal combustion engine 14 can be mechanically coupled to the drive wheels 46 at relatively high speeds and thus relatively high drive powers required over relatively long periods of time. Therefore, it can be advantageously provided that this mechanical coupling of the engine 14 with drive wheels 46 with closed first and second clutch for driving the vehicle exclusively for an upper

Speed range of the vehicle is provided. This makes it possible to mechanically connect the internal combustion engine 14 to the drive wheels 46 either by a very simple and low-friction gear stage with fixed gear ratio or possibly a gearbox with two fixed ratios or a continuously variable gearbox with correspondingly small ratio spread.

If the consumption-optimal operating range of the internal combustion engine e.g. a spread of speed by factor two could be one on one

Top speed of 200 km / h designed vehicle in one

Speed range between about 100 km / h and 200 km / h with only a fixed ratio for the mechanical drive of the drive wheels 46 are used. By eliminating the change gear or design of a transmission to only two gears or continuously variable transmission to a relatively small transmission range of about a factor of about 3, the cost of the gearbox in terms of weight and cost and efficiency-related energy losses of the transmission can be advantageously avoided or at least be greatly reduced. It should be noted that this also realizes an engine braking function which is also in the speed range below the for a

Coupling for driving purposes necessary lower vehicle speed can be used. This is preferably used only when the battery 34 and the flywheel 43 are not to receive any further charge and may e.g. be used for very long descents.

The term "optimal working range" implies that the power output of the internal combustion engine 14 can be varied by, for example, 20%, the concrete power range being determined by the percentage of efficiency degradation accepted, which is as described above up to 10% can, but preferably should not exceed 5% or only in exceptional cases.

Not required for the drive of the vehicle power of the engine 14, not from the electric machine 26 and the starter-generator

can be recorded, can be passed with the drive wheel 46 rotating via the mechanical drive 82 to the drive wheel 46 and from this by the drive electric machine 44 of the wheel hub motor 45 again

removed and used to charge the electric flywheel 43 and / or the battery 34. At standstill or very low rotational speed of the drive wheel 46 is to weigh whether the engine 14 are temporarily stopped or temporarily throttled in the power and thus exceptionally briefly operated outside the optimal working range. Alternatively or additionally, such an operating phase can preferably be used to set special operating states, for example to heat the internal combustion engine 26 to a desired one

Operating temperature to accelerate, useful heat for tempering a

Passenger compartment and / or the battery 34 to produce or perform a regeneration of catalysts or particulate filters. It is further provided that the capacity of the flywheel assembly 42 is 0.75 kWh and the output from the flywheel assembly 42 and the electric flywheel 43 and recordable power is about 100 kW. Would that in Figure 1 As shown, fourth mechanical drive 54 added, the design of the second electric machine 40 could be reduced to a power that corresponds to at least the time averaged net power requirements in urban and rural road traffic and is assumed here with a maximum of 10 kW. Roughly rough can be assumed that the weight of the electric flywheel 43 of about 35 kg at a volume of about 25 dm ³ .

The battery 34 has a usable capacity of 7.5 kWh in this example, which corresponds to a nominal capacity of the battery 34 of 15 kWh assuming a useful 50% SOC range, with a usable SOC related to the nominal capacity Range of z. B. 40% to 90% is based. Based on mature lithium-ion battery cells, the battery 34 can be assumed with about 130 kg at about 60 dm ³ space. In the preferred embodiments, two or four wheel hub motors 45 are included with a total electrical design power of 140 KW, to achieve optimal recuperation either only the wheels of the

Front axle are electrically driven or in a preferred embodiment as a four-wheel drive power is divided approximately 70:30 between the drive wheels 46 of the front axle and the rear axle, resulting in a power of the two front wheel hub motors 45 of about 50 kW and the two rear wheel hub motors 45 each of about 20 kW results. This allows for low drive and Rekuperationsleistungen operation of the

Wheel hub motors and their control electronics in a range of good efficiency. Of course, it is also possible to drive the wheels of an axle by a common electric machine 44.

Compared to the mental starting vehicle can be estimated from a weight of the additional components of 130 kg for the battery 34 and 35 kg for the electric flywheel 43 are assumed. Added to this is the weight of the wheel hub motors 45 and the necessary control devices, electrical power connections and other small components, which is estimated at a total of about 150 kg.

This additional weight of a total of about 315 kg stand

Weight savings by a significantly reduced internal combustion engine 14 and preferably the elimination of the transmission, the shiftable friction clutch and the mechanical drive train 82 to the drive wheels 46 opposite. Next, the on-board battery can be interpreted significantly smaller or completely eliminated and a smaller fuel tank and a smaller exhaust system can be used, resulting in the extra weight compared to the mental

Starting vehicle Audi A2 1.2TDI reduced to approx. 200 kg.

In summary, the example vehicle is characterized by the following properties:

- 5-door minivan for 4 or 5 people with about 1050 kg weight

- Internal combustion engine powertrain in the form of a generator 15 with a diesel engine 14 with 25 KW power in the optimal working range and an associated fuel tank for example 10 liters of fuel and a first electric machine 26 also about 25 kW power

Flywheel-based powertrain having an electric flywheel 43 with 0.75 kWh of usable capacity of the flywheel assembly 42 and 100 kW of maximum power of the integrated electric machine 40, a battery 34 with 7.5 kWh of usable capacity and an external charging port 38

Four wheel hub motors 45, wherein the drive wheels 46 of the

Front axle electric machines 44 have a power of 50 kW and acting on the drive wheels 46 of the rear axle

Electric machines 44 have a power of 20 kW each. It should be noted that the power of the first electric machine 26 is a continuous power, while the power specifications of the remaining

Electric machines 40 and 44, as far as space, weight and costs are reduced should also be able to relate to excellence that can be applied over periods of time that arise from the requirement profiles of the specific vehicle but should be at least about 10 seconds, preferably at least 20-30 seconds. The continuous power can be selected as needed up to about 50% lower, resulting in a continuous power of the electric machine 40 of the electric flywheel 43 of at least 50 kW and a total output of the wheel hub motors 45 of a minimum of about 70 kW.

This inventive dimensioning of the components creates a vehicle which

has a maximum continuous speed of 130 km / h with the exclusive use of the internal combustion engine 14,

- With sufficient SOC of the battery 34 an extended

Has a maximum speed of about 170 km / h,

has a maximum dynamic drive power of 140 KW, wherein the power unit 15 about 25 kW and the flywheel 43 can provide about 100 kW of power and the 140 KW missing 15 KW can be removed if necessary from the battery 34,

- With fully charged battery 34 and an assumed average power requirement, taking into account largely complete

Recuperation of 7.5 kW has a locally emission-free travel time of about one hour,

- The battery 34 due to the required only in normal operation for recharging the flywheel 42 and the electric flywheel 43 power of about 5 to 10 kW can be discharged very gently and with temporally largely constant current, which significantly extends their life, largely avoids Temperierungsprobleme and possibly an extension of the usable SOC range allows

- Due to the high maximum recuperation input power of 140 kW by the wheel hub motors 45 in almost all operating states allows a largely complete recuperation, allows a largely free placement and arrangement of the generator 15, the battery 34 and the flywheel 43 in the vehicle,

- With a suitable design for large parts of the previously necessary

Can spend effort for a conventional brake system.

This performance is mainly due to the fact that power and maximum energy content of the electric flywheel 43 are dimensioned so that in almost all operating conditions whose full power of 100 kW for the drive is available or can be recuperated from the drive in the electric flywheel 43, while the battery 34 substantially only for the recharging of the electric flywheel 43 to compensate unavoidable

Energy losses due to air resistance and friction and possibly for the operation of ancillaries is used and the engine 14 is dimensioned so that it has sufficient for the compensation of these losses at a desired maximum steady-speed performance during long trips or largely discharged battery 14, and at lower powers required for the propulsion of the vehicle recharge the battery 34 and the

Electric flywheel 43 allows. Only by the relative design of the components to each other a vehicle is possible, which is locally emission-free operable with excellent dynamic performance for shorter, dependent on the usable capacity and the SOC of the battery 34 routes of up to about 100 km as a flywheel electric vehicle and at the same time also suitable for long-distance journeys without restrictions. Of course, the usable capacity of the battery 34 can be selected larger or smaller if required, if a larger locally emission-free range should be realized or a lower is considered sufficient. With a reduction of the battery 34, however, it should be noted that it should be designed so large that the positive effects of a low specific loading and unloading capacity C are maintained and preferably largely below 2 C, preferably below 1, 5 C and especially preferably in normal operation (according to NEDC driving cycle when the internal combustion engine is switched off) are below 1 ° C.

In the following, with reference to FIG. 3, together with FIG. 2, essential operating states and modes of operation of the example vehicle and their essential advantages will be explained, which result from the advantageous dimensioning of the components.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the essential steps for the cold start of the vehicle, the warm start and the normal operation of the vehicle in the flywheel mode, at the extended maximum speed, in the range external and in the boost mode, the essential logical steps For reasons of clarity are presented without possibly necessary or meaningful intermediate steps that will complement the expert as needed according to the specific design of the vehicle and its design criteria.

The flowchart goes from a cold start of the standing in step S1

Vehicle with switched off internal combustion engine 14 and a very low SOC of the electric flywheel 43 from. Subsequently, in step S2, it is determined whether the condition of the battery 34 is sufficient to deliver a power P1 which is greater than a minimum power Pminl. This is necessary in order to start the internal combustion engine 14 by means of the first electric machine 26 by power drawn directly from the battery 34. For this purpose, the operating state of the battery is determined by means of various parameters, in particular, the SOC of the battery 34, its temperature or its SOH. Furthermore, the aging of the battery 34 is also preferably taken into account. Pminl can be a specified power, which is sufficient even under unfavorable conditions for a safe start of the engine 14. If necessary, however, Pminl may also be determined taking into account parameters such as the outside temperature, the engine oil temperature, or historical power values determined for the start of the internal combustion engine. If the battery condition is insufficient (P1 <Pminl), the

Electric flywheel 43 accelerates in step S3 with a low power from the battery 34 to a subsequent start of the engine 14 sufficient SOCminl and then in step S4, the internal combustion engine 14 with removed from the flywheel 43 energy through the first

Electric machine 26 started. The transmitted from the battery 34 in the electric flywheel 43 power can in turn be selected depending on the aforementioned parameters of the battery so that it is at least not permanently damaged. The power can be very low in a very aged, partially defective, almost completely discharged or very cold battery 34 and in extreme cases only a few 10 watts. Since this power is collected in the electric flywheel 43, a sufficient amount of energy is still available after a few seconds and at the latest after a few minutes in the electric flywheel 43 in order to safely start the internal combustion engine with the required high power. The vehicle is ready to go. Thus, the power of the internal combustion engine 14 is now available, which in the preferred

Embodiment 25 kW. Energy not required to drive the vehicle is used in step S5 to further accelerate the flywheel 43 and / or to charge and / or heat the battery 34 as long as they have their optimum SOCs

Working temperature has not yet reached or until the operation of the

Internal combustion engine is stopped by a command of the driver or a device of the vehicle.

If the query in S2 indicates that the battery condition is sufficient to deliver the required power (P1> Pminl), it is first checked in step S6 whether there is an explicit request for operation of the vehicle in the engine-powered mode or if the battery 34 has a SOC, SOH or one

Battery temperature, which is a starting of the vehicle in one

Do not allow flywheel mode or make it appear desirable. If so (Yes in step S6), it goes to step S7 and the engine 14 is started with the power taken out of the battery 34 by the first electric machine 26, and the vehicle is in the above-described running state of step S5.

Normally, the SOC of the battery 34, its aging and

State of health (SOH) and its temperature, however, sufficient to provide sufficient for the start of the vehicle in flywheel mode discharge capacity and amount of energy. If in step S6 no explicit requirement for operation of the vehicle in

Therefore, in the normal mode of operation of the vehicle, the query of step S6 is usually answered with "no" and a jump is made to step S8, If so, it is decided in step S9 whether the power P removable from the battery 34 can be determined is at least equal to Pmin2 (P =; Pmin2), where Pminl <Pmin2 and Pmin2 corresponds to a possible discharge power of the battery 34, which allows direct drive of the vehicle by energy removed from the battery, as in steps S12 and S13 below described.

If the power P removable from the battery 34 is less than Pmin2,

For example, 20 kW, the electric flywheel 43 is first charged in step S 10 by means of the battery 34 removed energy to a sufficient for the start of driving SOCmin2. This may be the case for a sufficiently charged battery 34 at a very low battery temperature, at which the removal power of the battery 34 is initially limited to a few kW in order to keep their aging low. With use of the battery 34 and possibly

additional heating increases their performance in a short time. However, a maximum initial power for driving the vehicle of less than, for example, 20 kW should be avoided for reasons of traffic safety and would also give the driver an unpleasant driving experience. The SOCmin2 of the electric flywheel 43 may be fixed or preferably based on the power that can be taken from the battery 34 and an estimate of the increase in this power on the basis of others

Battery parameters, in particular SOC, SOH and battery temperature can be set variably. For very cold battery 34 or a power removable from the battery for other reasons, e.g.

a maximum of only 5 kW should be the SOC achieved before departure

Electro flywheel 43, for example, be considerably higher than a removable from the battery 34 power of 10 KW, since the Nachladeleistung the battery 34 in the electric flywheel 43 in the first few minutes of driving in the former case is likely to be insufficient to the energy losses of the vehicle. Of course, more complex calculations of the SOCmin2 of the electric flywheel 43 using e.g. an accepted aging of the battery 34, the outside temperature and a possible heating power for heating the battery 34, a battery model, a prediction of the route profile to be traveled and other influencing factors conceivable and useful.

Upon reaching the SOCmin2 of the flywheel 43 at the end of step S10, step S1 is proceeded to, in which the vehicle is ready to run in flywheel mode. In this condition, the total output of the electric flywheel of 100 KW, if necessary minus the power requirement of

Ancillaries, available for propulsion of the vehicle. It should be noted that the time required for the vehicle to be ready for charging the electric flywheel 43 can be shortened from the driver's point of view by the beginning of the charging of the electric flywheel 43, for example already at a release of the vehicle doors, possibly via a special button, or is initiated when approaching the driver's door with a transponder or by a time code. To increase the satisfaction of the users, it makes sense to provide them with information about the remaining time until they are ready to drive, for example in the form of a countdown of an optical drive Display, eg by a bar graph, so that they can make a qualified decision whether they want to wait for the readiness to fly in flywheel mode or prefer immediate driving readiness by a manual request of the internal combustion engine mode, resulting in a change not shown in the figure Step S7 or S3 would lead.

If it is decided in step S9 that it is possible to extract a high discharge power of at least Pmin2 (preferably at least, for example, 20 kW) from the battery for driving the vehicle and an engine mode has not been explicitly selected, step S12 is proceeded to. In this case, the charging of the electric flywheel 43 to a SOC of SOCmin2 and the associated waiting time can be dispensed with. The battery 34 can provide a sufficient or acceptable power for the drive of the wheel hub motors 45 of approximately 20 kW in this example in step S12. The vehicle is thus ready for immediate operation, although initially only with a low maximum power, that of the battery 34th

deliverable power, less the power of the ancillaries corresponds.

As soon as possible for driving the vehicle a lower than that from the battery 34, taking into account SOC, SOH and battery temperature maximum

is obtained in step S13, depending on the state of the battery 34, in particular their SOC, SOH and temperature, either the SOC of the flywheel and / or the withdrawal power from the battery is reduced to minimize their aging.

It should be noted that the battery 34 when performing step S13 and possibly and to a lesser extent when carrying out the step S14 explained below for short periods of time with a higher discharge current than 1 C can be charged.

Starting from a nominal battery capacity of 15 kWh of

Example vehicle can, for suitable battery conditions, in particular Battery temperature and SOH briefly, for example, a maximum

Discharge capacity of the battery of 1, 5 C are released. Since the vehicle is at the beginning, this also allows for completely unloaded at first

Electric flywheel 43 an immediate provision of a driving performance, which is not perceived as restricted from the perspective of a driver for Ausparkvorgänge or driving from a parking lot and also for acceleration in the

City traffic is acceptable for a few seconds. The electric flywheel 43 would be e.g. already after 15 seconds Ausparkvorgang at a battery power of 1, 5 C corresponding to about 22 kW and at an average in this time for charging the electric flywheel 43 available power of 18 kW a

Energy content of about 0.075 kWh, which would be mathematically sufficient to accelerate the vehicle with a power of 100 kW alone from the electric flywheel to a speed of about 75 km / h, in addition from the battery 34, an output of up to 22 kW is available. Also taking into account conversion losses and one due to lower

Speeds not meaningfully usable flywheel charge below e.g. 5% SOC, it is therefore unlikely that a driver will even notice the vehicle's limited performance in the first few seconds of a cold start with a stationary flywheel assembly 42 but a sufficiently powerful battery. However, this increased discharging current of the battery at the start of the vehicle is required only when the flywheel SOC is initially very low, and forms a period of usually less than 30 seconds negligible relative to the total operating time of the vehicle special case.

In summary, it becomes clear from the described steps S1 to S13 that the vehicle can always be started immediately even when the state of the electric flywheel 43 is initially discharged. If the possible power output of the battery 34 is so low that it can not even directly start the internal combustion engine 14 via the electric machine 26, the electric flywheel 43 is initially charged to such an extent that a reliable start of the internal combustion engine 14 can take place with it. S5). Is it enough for the direct start of the Internal combustion engine 14, this is directly started according to steps S6, S7 and S5, unless the possible power output is sufficient for a start of the vehicle in the flywheel-based drive mode or explicitly by the driver or a device of the vehicle, the internal combustion engine drive mode was requested. If the possible power output of the battery 34 to start the vehicle in the flywheel-based drive mode is sufficient and no commissioning in the engine operating mode is given by the driver or a device of the vehicle, the battery 34 becomes sufficient in accordance with the steps S12 to S13

Drive power of the vehicle taken in the first few seconds directly from the battery 34 and accelerates the electric flywheel 43 with available, not required for the drive of the vehicle and the operation of ancillaries power. If the battery power does not suffice for this purpose, according to steps S10 to S11, the electric flywheel 43 is first charged to an SOC sufficient to secure the start of the journey.

As long as the electric flywheel 43 is not yet accelerated to its desired or optimal SOC, the desired in normal operation

However, services are not yet fully provided. Therefore, in order to establish the full operational readiness, in step S14, the

Electric flywheel 43 accelerates to an optimal SOC (SOCopt), for which when the power generator 15 is currently not required for the drive of the vehicle and ancillaries power of the generator 15 and taking into account their capacity alternatively or if necessary, the battery 34 are used. When the generator 15 is switched off, the energy is removed from the battery 34, taking into account its SOC, SOH and the battery temperature alone. If this is not possible or sensible, since, for example, the SOC of the battery is low, the internal combustion engine is started in analogy to step S7. In both cases, the electric flywheel is additionally accelerated during recuperative braking of the vehicle. Should the driver so desire, he can increase the available total power, and if a device of the vehicle does not explicitly specify the flywheel-based drive mode, start the engine 14 at any time according to step S7. The internal combustion engine drive mode can also be automatically started by a device for specifying the drive mode, for example, when the demand for power for driving the vehicle and the operation of ancillary units exceeds a limit or the SOC of the battery 34 falls below a limit. The device for specifying the drive mode can be based, for example, on an evaluation of the current location of the vehicle and its stay in a zone in which the operation in internal combustion engine mode is not permitted, but also take into account other influencing variables, in particular the state data of the various units of the vehicle but may also include other parameters. For example, the internal combustion engine 14 can be started automatically when due to very cold outside and / or

Interior temperatures can be assumed that a significant performance for the operation of heaters is retrieved immediately after or after departure, if it can be concluded from known from a navigation system data that immediately after the start of a significant slope is to be driven or if data from the navigation system It is known that the vehicle is likely to enter a zero-emission zone in the near future and that the degree of charge of the battery 34 is rated as insufficient for this. Conversely, the means for specifying the drive mode may for example specify the flywheel-based drive mode, provided that e.g. Data of a navigation device can be concluded that the operation of the internal combustion engine is not permitted or desired.

Since the electric flywheel 43 with a suitable design, in particular a storage in a substantial vacuum or a pressure-reduced

Hydrogen or helium atmosphere, only relatively little energy loses to the environment, it may according to specification by a control device, not shown at usual parking times of the vehicle from a few hours to a few days on one for immediate operation of the vehicle in the flywheel-based

Drive mode can be maintained at a suitable rotational speed. at

Power charging via the external charging port 38, the electric flywheel 43 can be accelerated parallel or alternatively to a charging of the battery 34 to a desired speed and / or kept in a desired speed range. The cold start described in steps S1 to S13 therefore represents a special case in the operation of the vehicle, which rarely occurs in practice, depending on the design of the control, for example, after returning from a holiday.

In a warm start, the SOC of the electric flywheel 43 for a

Immediate start of the journey is sufficiently high, which is the one described in S11

Situation exists. If the combustion engine driving mode is explicitly specified by the driver or the device for specifying the drive mode, the internal combustion engine can be configured in accordance with that described in S4 or S7

Steps are started. Thereafter, as described in step S14, the SOC of the flywheel 43 is accelerated to an optimum SOC or at least a minimum SOC sufficient for full ride on full power.

At the end of step 14, the vehicle is fully ready to drive. In particular, this means that the SOC of the electric flywheel 43 is sufficiently high not to be perceivable by the driver under normal operating conditions

To cause performance limitations of the vehicle. In step S15, it is determined whether the engine 14 or the power generator 15 is in operation. If this is the case, the generated and not required by ancillaries electrical energy is used in step S16 primarily for the drive of the vehicle in order to minimize the conversion losses. Excess power is used to charge the flywheel 43 and / or the battery 34, wherein the selection of which component 43, 34 to load with what part of the available power is primarily of their SOCs and their deviation from optimum SOC depends and in addition of the already repeatedly mentioned variety of battery parameters can be made dependent.

In step S17, it is determined whether the operating time of the power generator has reached a desired period of time and at the same time the electric flywheel 43 and the battery 34 at least a sufficient or preferably optimal SOC, and it is checked whether a command for non-operation or the Internal combustion engine 14 is present by the driver or by the means for specifying the drive mode. The operation of the internal combustion engine 14 over a certain minimum period of time is preferred in order to keep the proportionate operation with cold engine and exhaust system low.

If these two queries are answered with no (N), there is a return to step S16, otherwise the internal combustion engine 14 is switched off in step 18 and the system returns to step S14.

With the engine 14 turned off (No at step S15), it is first checked at step S19 if the SOC of the battery 34 makes recharging by the engine 14 of the generator 15 necessary or desirable and at the same time the operation of the engine 14 is permitted.

If this is the case (Yes in step S19), the internal combustion engine 14 is started in step S20 analogously to the procedure described in step S7 and then jumped to step S16.

Whether charging the battery 34 and possibly the flywheel 43 is required or desirable, besides the SOC and SOH of the battery 34, may also be made dependent on the current or expected future performance of the wheel hub motors 45. If, for example, it is foreseeable that the vehicle will soon be driven on a long and considerable gradient, the start of the internal combustion engine 14 can be shifted to a lower SOC of the battery 34, since a rechargeable charging of the battery 34 is to be expected shortly. If, on the other hand, driving on a long and steep slope is to be expected, a trailer operation will be detected, the speeding up of a zero emission Zone expects or leaves the driving style of the driver elevated

average power requirement, the threshold for triggering the recharging of the battery 34 by the generator 15 may be shifted in accordance with a higher SOC of the battery 34. Of course, a variety of other factors, in particular a forecast of an imminent grid charge and the energy needed until then and more

State variables of the vehicle are taken into account.

In step 21, it is checked whether the power requirement of the vehicle can be satisfied in consideration of the performance of the ancillary units without combustion engine 14, which in the example vehicle usually contributes

Performance requirements for the drive of the vehicle of less than 115 - 100 kW is the case. If this is not the case, and the operation of the internal combustion engine 14 is permitted, it also jumps to step 20 and the internal combustion engine 14 is started.

Of course, it is possible to use the step S21 to increase the

Reaction speed also independent of passing through the steps S 15 and S19 with the internal combustion engine 14 to be performed at a high frequency. Likewise, the other steps mentioned can be meaningfully varied or in the

Order be reversed, as long as the described effects of

Control / regulation on the vehicle components are identical or comparable. In this case, the process presented is a specific design that should not restrict the scope of protection.

In summary, through the steps S14 to S21, the engine 14 is started unless it is prevented by the driver or the drive mode setting means and either the SOC of the battery 34 should be raised or the power without the engine 14 for the drive of the vehicle and the operation of the ancillaries is not sufficient. It is ensured that the operating time of the Internal combustion engine 14 is sufficient to operate this and the exhaust system largely predominantly in a suitable temperature range.

It should be noted that when recharging the

Electric flywheel 43 through the battery 34 and the charge of the battery 34 and the electric flywheel 43 is an analytical consideration. In

Operating phases in which the vehicle is accelerated by means of the electric flywheel 43 reduces the recharging capacity of the battery 34, for example, the discharge power of the electric flywheel 43, which should also be considered here as a recharge. In practice, the most advantageous energy paths depend not only on the specific design of the drive system, for example, on the actual and target load levels of the flywheel 43 and the battery 34, the efficiencies of the individual components and the services required for driving the vehicle and the operation of auxiliary equipment In which the desired charging levels can again be made dependent on a large number of further parameters, as described above.

Not included in FIG. 3 are emergency operating modes which will be discussed briefly below.

In the case of a defect in the area of the power unit 15 or of the

internal combustion engine drive train 10, the vehicle remains fully roadworthy, as long as the battery 34 SOC sufficient and sufficient

Have performance to keep the electric flywheel 43 in a sufficient SOC range. In this case, the range of the vehicle can be significantly increased if necessary by releasing an additional SOC range of the battery 34, in particular if the discharge power of the battery 34 in the electric flywheel 43 to a low value of, for example, 0.5 C, or 0.3 C is limited. Even with a defect in the area of the electric flywheel 43 or the flywheel-based drive train, the vehicle remains fully operational with limited efficiency. Even in the case of a nearly discharged or defective battery 34, the vehicle can be started, provided that the battery 34 can provide at least a low power. Since preferably also the wheel hub motors 45 are multiple and can be operated independently of each other, the vehicle has a very high

Fail-safe against staying on.

In the following, some advantages that can be achieved by the dimensioning of the components according to the invention and / or the operating sequences described above will be described. First, the charging and discharging currents of the battery 34 can be kept at least almost completely in a range below 1 C, which the

Temperature control of the battery 34 facilitates and reduces the necessary effort. The permissible charging and discharging current can be made dependent on the battery data to a large extent without serious effects on the driving performance and the battery 34 thus be treated very gently, in particular with regard to their aging.

Second, in flywheel-based mode, depending on the allowable discharge power of the battery 34 and the power requirement of

Nebenverbrauchern a drive power of 85 to about 115 kW are provided, with an allowable discharge current of the battery 34 of more than 1 C more.

Third, if desired, by starting the internal combustion engine 14, the maximum drive power can be increased by a further approx. 25 kW, whereby a maximum drive power of up to 140 kW can be provided.

Fourth, at a sufficient battery SOC until its drop to a predetermined minimum, an increased maximum continuous speed is possible by the power of the generator 5 by a maximum of the possible

Discharge power of the battery 34 for driving the vehicle and the operation of ancillaries is increased. At the beginning of fully charged battery 34 and assuming a maximum discharge current of 1 C corresponding to 15 kW, the total output thus increases from approx. 25 kW to approx. 40 kW for a travel time of approx. 30 minutes, which corresponds to an extended maximum maximum speed of approx. 170 km / h. In this case, the electric flywheel 43 further allows the short-term provision of a significantly higher drive power.

With respect to the charging levels of the battery 34 and the flywheel 43 while driving, the following interpretations are preferred, which are approximate, which may be varied depending on a variety of parameters:

With a SOC of the battery 34 below about 20% recharging of the battery 34 is triggered by the generator 15, if its operation is permitted and unless shortly with a charge of the battery 34 by a

Net charge and / or a long downhill stretch is expected. Of course, a charge of the battery 34 can also be triggered manually or automatically at a higher SOC, for example, the vehicle on a journey with increased average power requirements such as a ride above the

Maximum speed or driving on a longer incline

prepare to allow a long range in flywheel mode or if a high payload or a deterioration in the Cw value,

for example, by a roof rack or a trailer. Further, as already mentioned, if necessary, an additional SOC range of the battery 34 can be released from, for example, up to 15% of the nominal battery capacity corresponding to 30% SOC in order to avoid a power dip of the vehicle. If the Stromgenerator.15 for other reasons, for example, by a manual request of the driver or to provide a retrieved, additional drive power started, preferably takes place at a higher SOC of the battery 34 a charge thereof, to an advantageous long duration of operation of the internal combustion engine fourteenth and cause a correspondingly small proportion of the operating time for cold engine 14 or cold exhaust system. If the generator 15 is started, the battery 34 is preferably charged to at least 90%, preferably to near 100% SOC, provided that the operation of the

Power generator 15 is allowed further and not with a considerable

recuperative charge or network charge is calculated, which makes sense a lower SOC of the battery 34 at the end of the charging phase. In a normal recharge of the battery 34 by means of the generator 15, the battery at the assumed power of the generator 15 of 25 kW and an assumed average power requirement for the drive of the vehicle and the operation of ancillaries of about 10 kW with about 15 kW, which corresponds to an advantageous long operating time of the power generator of about 24 minutes and a charging current of the battery of 1 C. If the power required to drive the vehicle and the ancillaries fall below 10 kW, with absorbable flywheel 43, part of the

electrical charging power stored in this and / or the power of the engine 15 and the power unit 15, if necessary, as already mentioned temporarily by up to about 20%, corresponding to 5 kW are lowered to the charging current of the battery 34 if possible to 1 C. to limit, and / or temporarily increased charge current of preferably maximum up to 1, 5 C are allowed.

The target SOC of the electric flywheel 43 should always be at least sufficient to drive the vehicle from standstill during normal driving

Permanent maximum speed, but at least to accelerate to 100 km / h, which in the embodiment corresponds to an amount of energy of about 0, 12 to 0.2 kWh and thus a charge of about 16% to 27% SOC.

It is advantageous if the minimum desired SOC of the electric flywheel 43 is additionally always chosen so that the vehicle, starting from its instantaneous speed with the aid of the electric flywheel 43 by a fixed predetermined or situation-dependent differential speed of, for example, 40 km / h, but maximum on the absolute maximum speed of the vehicle can be accelerated. This allows a fast acceleration in all operating conditions and gives the driver the impression of always possible maximum driving performance. At a technically possible maximum speed of the vehicle of 200 km / h, a power of at least 0.185 kWh, corresponding to 25% SOC of the flywheel assembly 42 would have to be kept at a driving speed of 160 km / h. Preferably, however, the SOC of the electric flywheel 43 is also intended to maintain the achieved

Speed over a fixed or dynamically predetermined distance or period of time, which will be explained in more detail below with reference to the display concept. In the design relevant case of a

Driving speed of 160 km / h, the minimum target SOC of

Electric flywheel 43 therefore approximately 40% SOC amount.

The maximum target SOC of the flywheel 43 should always be so low that the total kinetic energy of the vehicle in the flywheel 42 is recuperatable. In the design example, the kinetic energy of the vehicle at a driving speed of 130 km / h or 180 km / h roughly 0.20 kWh or 0.38 kWh, which is a maximum target SOC of the flywheel 42 of about 73% or 49% SOC equals. For the design relevant case of a

Driving speed of 160 km / h at a maximum possible speed of 200 km / h would thus be a free SOC in the amount of about 44%, corresponding to an amount of energy of about 0.33 kWh, thus the target SOC range of the flywheel assembly 42 between 40% and 46%. At lower and higher travel speeds, the target SOC range expands. It can be seen that the sizing of the capacity of the

Electric flywheel with respect to the example vehicle and a design to a technically possible maximum speed of 200 km / h is an optimum. Since a rapid and consistent recuperation from high speeds to a stop or at very low speeds, however, hardly occurs in practice, can be kept free for recuperation performance SOC share of Electro flywheel 43 in the upper speed range, eg above the maximum speed or above about 120 to 160 km / h and less than the maximum recuperative kinetic energy of the vehicle can be selected, whereby the capacity of the electric flywheel may be selected smaller or at the same flywheel capacity at high speeds advantageously a higher target load level of the electric flywheel 43 can be provided. This allows an increase in the case of high speeds in the

Electric flywheel 43 vorhaltbaren energy reserves and correspondingly better performance in the border area and a lazy control of Nachladeleistung the electric flywheel 43rd

The desired optimum SOC may preferably be in the range of 60% to 100% of the span between the minimum and maximum target SOC of the

Electric flywheel 43 are. The power taken from the battery 34 for the recharging of the flywheel 43 may preferably be determined as a function of the difference between the optimum and the actual SOC of the battery

Electro-flywheel 43 and / or be selected by the speed at which the SOC from the optimal SOC. Here, the total load of the battery 34 is essentially limited to a discharge current of 1 C, here corresponding to 15 kW, which can be exceeded in exceptional cases, if necessary, however, if the state of the battery allows this. With less reloading of the flywheel 43, the charging power can be advantageously lowered, whereby the battery 34 is charged over long operating periods only about 0.3 to 0.7 C.

The presented dimensioning of the drive components further enables an advantageous design of the electrical components to meet demand

Conversion of electrical energy and thus high efficiency of these components. With a design of the charging electronics of the battery to a maximum of 1, 5 C and the power electronics of the electric flywheel to 100 kW, these components can be operated predominantly in a power range between 15 and 80% and thus in a range of good efficiency. To further Reduction of conversion losses, it is preferably also possible to divide these services into several components that can be operated in parallel, with a division into 2 or 3 sub-components, a division approximately in the ratio 30:70 or 15:30:55 is preferred.

By dividing the performance of the wheel hub motors 45 of maximum 140 kW in the ratio of about 70:30 between the front and rear not only a largely complete recuperative braking is possible even at high delays from high speeds, but it can be at low drive and Brake power also preferred the wheel hub motors 45 driven by the rear axle or operated as a generator and so the efficiency can be increased. Is a further optimization of the efficiencies desirable, it is also possible to divide the power of the rear hub motors 45 from here 20 kW each to two parallel-acting hub motors with, for example, 5 kW and 15 kW, which also very low drive power, as in a mere Maintaining the speed in urban and rural road traffic often occur, can be generated with optimal efficiency.

Next, the preferred limitation of the charging and discharging of the battery 34 to 1, 5 C allows a design of the charging electronics to a continuous power of about 22 kW, which at a mains charge of the battery 34 from a protected with 32 amp three-phase socket in 3 * 230 V. Net can be delivered, what a

Fast charge of a fully discharged battery in just over 20 minutes. On a standard 16 amp "household three-phase power outlet", the charging time would be at a maximum of 11 kW twice the time and with a favorably low charging current of about 0.73 C. On a standard, 16 ampere-fused 230 volt Household socket is a charging power of 3.6 kW possible, which corresponds to an acceptable charging time of just over 2 hours at a charging current of less than 0.25 C.

In contrast to conventional hybrid vehicles, the typical charging and discharging currents of the battery 34 are preferably 5 in the normal driving mode of the vehicle kW to 10 kW and preferably at most 20 kW corresponding to 1/3 to a maximum of 4/3 C, whereby the charge controller can always work in a range of good energy efficiency. Should by an extreme performance requirement in the short term, a higher

Discharge capacity of z. B. 30 kW may be desired, this peak power usually way for a few seconds by a designed for 22 kW

Charging electronics are taken.

One by the advantageous dimensioning of the battery 34, enabled

Limitation of loading and unloading capacity - with the exception of short-term

Power peaks - 22 kW further enable a design of the battery voltage at or just below 100 or 120 volts. This allows a

touch voltage safe design of the battery 34, whereby this at

parked vehicle must not be completely disconnected from the electrical system, which in turn allows the use of the battery 34 for the supply of low-voltage consumers of the 12-volt electrical system, whereby a separate low-voltage electrical system battery can be advantageously eliminated. It will continue without special

Safety devices possible to use the battery 34 even when the vehicle is turned off to maintain an optimal for this state SOCs of the electric flywheel 43 or at high SOC of the flywheel 43 after stopping the vehicle to load part of the energy of the flywheel 43 in the battery 34 and to minimize the losses of the electric flywheel 43 with the vehicle off. At the same time the necessary effort to ensure the electrical safety against personal injury decreases considerably.

Further, if required, the electrical lines 64, 66, 68, 72 and 84 can be designed for a contact-safe DC voltage, since here, with the exception of the electrical lines 66 to the wheel hub motors 45 of the front axle also achievements of a maximum of 25 kW to be transferred. Although the wheel hub motors 45 of the front axle have a higher maximum power of up to 50 kW, the necessary cable lengths are very small in the case of an arrangement of the electric flywheel 43 in the region of the front axle. It is thus possible Non-contact safe voltages in the drive power system of the vehicle when needed largely or completely limited to the individual electric machines 26, 40, 44 associated with control devices and the charging electronics of the battery 34, provided that these facilities in close proximity to the relevant electric machines 26, 40, 44 and the battery 34 are arranged. This also allows a substantial reduction of the necessary effort for

Preventing personal injury.

The temperature of the battery 34 is often a problem in hybrid vehicles, since lithium ion cells can be operated in a fairly narrow optimal temperature window of mostly about 15-25 ° C with optimum efficiency and minimal aging. Temperatures above approx. 60 ° C and below approx. 0 ° C should be avoided during operation, as they lead to rapid aging and / or too low deliverable performances. In operation is a

> Heating of the battery 34 by the internal resistance and the resulting power loss can not be avoided. The power loss, however, depends strongly on the flowing current. Due to the relatively low and uniform charging and discharging currents, the temperature of the battery 34 is therefore designed relatively little critical in an inventive design of the drive, which allows a significant reduction of the necessary effort. Therefore, it can be used here on Peltier elements that can be used either for cooling and heating of the battery. This also facilitates the use of heat accumulators and, in particular, latent heat accumulators for the battery 34. It should be noted that even for the temperature of the internal combustion engine 14, a latent heat storage is advantageous because in

Operating phases accumulating waste heat on the one hand can be used to keep the engine 14 for the next phase of operation, at least approximately in a desired temperature range. In addition, allow

Latent heat storage an inert control of the temperature and the support of an interior heating by stored waste heat and thus allow a lower energy consumption for the temperature of the interior of the

Vehicle. Of course, heat energy of a latent heat storage at Need also be used for temperature control of the other latent heat storage.

Another advantage arises from the dimensioning and distribution of the power of the wheel hub motors 45. Thus, the front wheels can be independently accelerated or decelerated independently of each other with 50 kW and the rear wheels each with 20 kW. The possible delay of a

wheel-driven motor vehicle is physically limited to about 0.8 G due to the static friction coefficient between rubber and dry asphalt. With a heavy braking with 0.6 g and a total vehicle weight of 1200 kg can be braked completely recuperative up to a speed of about 70 km / h. If the wheel hub motors 45 are designed for a continuous load of 50 or 20 kW and a short-term peak power of 150%, the vehicle with a total weight of 1200 kg alone by the wheel hub 45 from a speed of about 107 km / h with 0.6 G and from a speed of 80 km / h with 0.8 G delayed, provided that the generated electrical energy of about 210 kW can be dissipated in the top. This is possible, for example, by acting on the rear wheel hub motors 45 by a torque which opposes the direction of rotation while at the same time maximizing the loading of the flywheel and the battery.

However, with a maximum maximum vehicle speed of 160, 180 or 200 km / h, the maximum braking power exceeds the performance of the vehicle

Hub motors 45 why can not be dispensed with a further brake. The good controllability of the wheel hub motors 45

applied torques, however, allows the functions of a

Antilock braking system, an electronic stability program, a

To integrate slip control and other driving dynamic effective assistance systems in the control of the drive train and the other brake relatively low power, easy and low overall braking performance on their

Longevity and thus easy, small and inexpensive to train. Optionally, can be completely dispensed with an additional brake for the rear wheels. The further brake is preferably a conventional friction brake, in particular a small-sized disc brake, which can also be used to decelerate the vehicle from very low speeds to a stop and as a parking brake.

The proposed drive concept is characterized by a very high design freedom, since the essential components generator 15, electric flywheel 43 and battery 34 can be placed almost anywhere in the vehicle.

According to a development of the drive concept, it can be provided that the power unit 15 is optionally formed with or without the tank 20 and components not shown, in particular the control of the generator 15 and the exhaust system, as a module, which is preferably removed as a whole from the vehicle , In this way, if desired, the weight of the vehicle can be reduced by the weight of said components, as long as the battery capacity for the planned journeys is considered sufficient.

The freed by the removal of the generator module space can be made available, for example, by providing a corresponding insert as a further luggage space or it can be installed if required, another battery to increase the local emission-free range.

A built-in generator module can, if necessary by installation in a stand-alone module, the not removed from the vehicle components such as a

Control device, a fuel tank and / or an exhaust system includes operated as a mobile power generator. If this mobile generator set can be controlled by a network operator, it can be used, for example, to cover power peaks or to provide control energy. Especially for vehicles that are mainly used at least during the week for driving to work and other relatively short distances, the generator 15 can be supplied as a meaningful secondary use. Of course, it makes sense to use the generator module and, if necessary, to design a battery module which can be installed in its place in such a way that it can be installed and removed by the user without special knowledge in a short time and optionally installed in a stand-alone module, for which it is preferred as an encapsulated unit with quick connections for fresh air, exhaust gas, Fuel, electrical energy and control signals is formed.

If the vehicle is connected to an external power supply by means of the external charging port 38 and the grid operator can request an infeed of electrical power from the vehicle into the power grid, in particular to compensate for short-term power peaks, up to approx

Generator 15 and / or the battery 34 are provided, is the

Charge control designed accordingly, the short-term provision of higher power is also possible with the involvement of the battery 34, the electric flywheel 43 and / or the power unit 15.

It has been shown that the described drive concept can be advantageously supplemented by a display concept which will be described in more detail below. The proposed drive concept gives a driver the impression that the vehicle at any time via a drive power of at least about 115 KW, when operating the generator 15 even over 140 kW power has.

However, situations are conceivable in which the flywheel 43, which provides about 100 kW most of the maximum power is discharged during the ride so far that it can no longer deliver drive power, causing the maximum providable drive power for the driver unanticipated and strong to a maximum of about 35 kW - 45 kW can decrease. Since the electric flywheel 43 can give up substantially full power until almost complete discharge, a sudden performance collapse that is surprising for the driver can lead to dangerous situations, for example during an overtaking process. To mitigate the collapse of the drive power, it makes sense to

Achieving power transfer with substantial discharge of the electric flywheel 43 by an increasing limitation of the deliverable by the electric flywheel 43 power less abrupt, with a request for maximum power, for example, by a kickdown of the accelerator pedal, if necessary, can be excluded. It is also useful, the short-term possible discharge power of the battery 34 as far as possible to z. B. 30 kW, corresponding to 2 C increase, if the current battery parameters and the design of the battery electronics allow this. This increase in the discharge power of the battery 34 may preferably already be achieved with an SOC of the flywheel 43 of e.g. Use 20% to delay a performance slump and avoid it if possible.

But drives the vehicle over a longer distance at a speed that is well above the maximum speed or is for other reasons, for example, in a long-haul driving or pulling a trailer for a long period of power for the drive of the vehicle and the Operation of the ancillary units retrieved, which is above the power of the generator 15 from here 25 kW plus the here assumed maximum 15 kW, normal discharge capacity of the battery 34, the

Electric flywheel 43 continuously discharged. If the driver is not informed about this by easily understandable and directly perceptible information, dangerous situations may arise in particular during overtaking, which must be avoided at all costs. There is therefore a need for a simple and clear indication of the degree of charge of the flywheel 43 in the form of a display of current and expected near-term performance in the near future.

A variety of proposals for displaying an available energy content in electric and hybrid vehicles are known from the prior art, but relate to the energy content of a traction battery, either as a percentage of the maximum absolute or usable SOCs, as an absolute value of a the battery retrievable amount of electrical energy or as with this amount of energy is expected to be displayed zurücklegbare route. The aim of these displays is information about the energy content of the battery and thus improved planning of grid charges and protection against so-called lingering by discharged traction batteries.

The display concept presented here, on the other hand, aims at informing the driver that allows him to assess the performance or work that can be called up for the vehicle drive in the shortest possible and intuitive manner in order to avoid a sudden and unforeseen, temporary collapse of the available drive power ,

Without such an indication, situations could occur in which a driver may rely on the maximum available in the usual way

Driving power of the vehicle of e.g. 140 KW for example to one

Overtaking maneuver attaches, which, however, can only be performed safely when the drive power not for the driver unforeseen on the performance of the generator 15 and the battery 34 removable, available for the drive power of about 40 kW - 45 KW in this example together breaks.

A preferred display concept is explained below with reference to FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 shows a speed display unit 100, which will also be referred to below as a speedometer in the following. Therein, in addition to a tachometer needle 110, an additional maximum speed indicator element 130 is provided, on which the vehicle can be reached at a given time and can be maintained for a maximum distance that can be maintained for a defined minimum distance. The high-speed display element 130 may consist of an additional pointer of a tachometer 100 designed as a round instrument or bar instrument or a comparable display in the form of a segment-wise or continuously optically changeable strip or circular segment. The display element 130 is in normal operation a clearly visible area 150, which has a lower limit 120 (here about 125 km / h) and an upper limit 140 (here about 175 km / h). The lower limit 120 corresponds to the current one

Speed of the vehicle, according to the tachometer display, and the upper limit 140 is determined by the short-term achievable and maintainable for a given distance maximum speed, hereinafter referred to as short-term maximum speed 140. This predetermined route can be fixed in the simplest case and be for example 500 m. Preferably, however, it may also be variable as a function of the current speed and / or the achievable maximum speed. In place of the specified route can equivalent to a

Period of time over which the short-term maximum speed can be maintained.

For this purpose, at least the determined or assumed mass of the vehicle, the current driving speed and the current usable energy content of the electric flywheel 43 is determined. With the help of information on the amount of energy required under normal conditions at different speeds to accelerate to a higher speed and the

Maintaining this higher speed over the given distance at a constant speed required amount of energy, the short-term maximum speed 140 can be determined and displayed.

The exact nature of the determination can be easily determined by the skilled person in the presence of said input data in different ways, in the simplest case, a previously created multi-dimensional map can be used. Alternatively, it is also possible to perform an arithmetic calculation, possibly with the desired relationship between expenditure and accuracy taking into account simplifications. Starting from the basic variant presented above, a large number of modifications and developments are possible for improving the accuracy, the most important of which are to be represented below: Modifications or extensions to increase the accuracy:

Considering the possible power output of the battery 34, advantageously taking for example the SOC, SOH and temperature of the battery 34 and possibly the need for not used for the drive electrical power for e.g. Interior climate control, heaters and other consumers

can be considered.

More precise determination of the actual mass of the vehicle, for example by load sensors, from vehicle dynamics data, etc.

More precise determination of the acceleration for the short-term

Maximum speed 140 energy required and the energy required to maintain that speed over the given distance by taking into account detected, transmitted, estimated or assumed values for air resistance, taking into account, for example, the presence of roof boxes, roof racks or trailers, taking into account the wind direction and - Speed, the consideration of relevant characteristics of the current and / or preceding route and in particular their slope, which may be known for example from a navigation system.

Variable specification of the specified route over which the short-term maximum speed 140 can be maintained.

Variable default of a safety buffer, for example via a fixed or variable, mathematical reduction of the underlying amount of energy available in the flywheel 42, by reducing the determined short-term maximum speed 140 by a fixed or variable, absolute or percentage value, and / or by appropriate security -

Factors in determining the parameters used in the determination. Taking into account the possibility of not providing energy currently used for vehicle propulsion, for example by temporarily switching off non-essential, high-performance consumers, in particular heating and air-conditioning equipment.

Modifications and enhancements to improve the presentation of the short-term maximum speed 140:

- Basically, it makes sense the maximum possible display of

short-term maximum speed 140 to limit by the vehicle by constructive determination absolutely achievable maximum speed.

Furthermore, it makes sense to make the perceptibility or conspicuousness of the display of the short-term maximum speed 140 changeable by, for example, taking a difference between the current one

Driving speed and the short-term maximum speed below a first limit, the brightness, the color or the contrast of the display is increased and / or the driver is made aware by optical, acoustic and / or haptic signals that he approaches a border area in which sudden drop in the

Drive power could occur. Of course, several can

Limits with graded degrees of perceptibility or urgency of warning signals are defined and these limits are fixed or specified variable depending on other variables.

- The display of short-term speed 140 could be at

Exceeding a fixed or variable limit of the difference between the current driving speed and the short-term

Maximum speed 140 are turned off because it has only a small information value for the driver in this case for the driver in this case. For example, the ad could be the short term

Maximum speed 140 are activated only if it is less than 50 km / h above the current driving speed. As soon as the difference between the current driving speed 120 and short-term attainable maximum speed 140 is less than 40 km / h, the display of z. Green, e.g. yellow, change to red if the difference falls below 30 km / h and, if the difference falls below 20 km / h, flash additionally and / or an acoustic warning is issued. A hysteresis function is useful to avoid a quick and repeated switching of the display.

Finally, of course, a personalization of the display is possible in which the type of display, the heights of the limits and possibly other parameters either by a service technician, by the driver, an evaluation of the driving behavior of the driver or by choosing between certain

Presets, for example "economically" or "sporty" chosen or

can be set changeable or specified.

FIG. 4 shows the tachometer 100 with a maximum speed display element 130 arranged within the scale of the speedometer 100 for indicating the short-term maximum speed 140. The possible display range of the

Display element 130 can - as shown here - only begin at a position of the tachometer scale, in practice, an occurrence of a

Power loss is considered possible by a discharged electric flywheel under normal conditions, here from a speed of 90 km / h. The possible display range of the display element 130 can be advantageously limited to the design-defined, absolute maximum speed, here about 199 km / h. The tachometer 100 is shown in a simplified manner and can, of course, as usual, contain further displays, indicator lights, etc., and be executed as a physical instrument or as a representation of an instrument on a display be and have a shape deviating from a circular shape. The

Display element 130 can, as shown here, be provided inside the speedometer 100, but also spatially adjacent to it. In the example shown here, the current vehicle speed is 125 km / h, which is indicated here by the tachometer needle 110. Of course, other suitable means may be used instead of the tachometer needle 110. Accordingly, the visible to the driver or visually begins

highlighted portion of the display element 130 at a position shown in the position of the tachometer needle 110 corresponding position and extends to a position 140, which corresponds to the short-term maximum speed, but preferably at most the absolute maximum speed of the vehicle.

For reasons of clarity, the display element 130 can be completely switched off or optically unobtrusive if the speed range to be displayed by the display element 130 exceeds a limiting value which may be dependent on the driving speed. So it may be useful to disable the display 130, if the short-term to be displayed

Maximum speed 140 more than z. B. 50 km / h above the current

Driving speed is because in this case a sudden acceleration up to the energy and performance limits of the vehicle is unlikely and activation of the display element 130 in each case takes place in a timely manner that no safety-relevant effects are to be feared. Of course, it is also up to the driver to decide whether the display element should be permanently active while driving. Further, it may be possible for the driver to set himself the relevant limits, for example via a screen menu itself, the selection can be advantageously limited by the manufacturer so that the intended warning function is maintained sufficiently. Also not shown in FIG. 4 is an increase in the perceptibility of the active region 150 of the display element 130 as a function of the acceleration reserve indicated by the display element 130, that is to say the difference between the current driving speed and the short-term

Maximum speed, for example, by different colors, brightnesses, contrasts and / or additional optical, acoustic and / or haptic signals.

Finally, it should be mentioned that the display element 130 can of course be realized in different ways and can be based, for example, on a series of circular-shaped LEDs arranged in round instruments or other light sources or on mechanical and movable diaphragms. In an already used for the display of the tachometer 100, graphical display or adjacent within or outside of the tachometer 100 and arranged suitable graphical display is the representation of

Display element 130 is preferred as part of this graphical display.

Reference Signs List

10 combustion engine module

11 First fuel cell module

12 Second fuel cell module

13 high-performance energy storage, flywheel module

14 first chemical-mechanical energy converter, internal combustion engine

15 generator

16 First fuel cell

18 First fuel line

20 First tank

22 Second fuel line

24 Second tank

26 First electric machine

28 Second fuel cell

30 third fuel line

32 Third tank

34 first electrical energy storage, battery

36 First electrical line

38 charging port

40 Second electric machine

42 flywheel assembly

43 High-performance energy storage, electric flywheel

44 Third electric machine / drive electric machine

45 wheel hub motor

46 drive means, drive wheel / drive wheels

48 First mechanical drive

50 Second mechanical drive

52 Third mechanical drive

54 Fourth mechanical drive

56 fifth mechanical drive

57 Second electrical line Third electrical line

Fourth electrical line

Seventh electrical line

Fifth electrical line

Eighth electrical line

Ninth electrical line

Tenth electrical line

Sixth electrical line

Eleventh electrical line

Sixth mechanical drive

Twelfth electrical line

Speed display unit / tachometer

Tachonadel

Lower limit of 150

Speed Limit display element

Upper limit of 150 or short-term maximum speed

Active display area of 130

Claims

claims

Drive device for driving machines with unsteady

Power requirement, in particular of motor vehicles, with a first chemical mechanical energy converter (14) and / or a first

Fuel cell (16), a first electrical energy store (34) and / or a second fuel cell (28), a high-performance energy storage (13 or 43) and a drive means (46), wherein

the abovementioned components (14 and / or 16, 34 and / or 28, 13 or

43) are designed and arranged such that they can mechanically and / or electrically drive the drive means (46), characterized in that

- The high-performance energy storage (13 or 43) can deliver a power for the drive of the machine by a factor of 1, 5 to 8, preferably 2 to 6, more preferably 3 to 5 and most preferably higher by about a factor of 4 is the sum of the powers of the first chemical-mechanical energy converter (14) in the consumption-optimal operating range and / or the first fuel cell (16).

Drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that the high-performance energy storage (13 or 43) has a mechanical

Energy storage in particular in the form of a flywheel assembly (42), preferably at least one fast-rotating, wound

Flywheel, which more preferably runs in a partial vacuum and / or in an atmosphere of a light gas and this mechanical

Energy storage with a second electric machine (40) is mechanically coupled.

Drive device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the high-performance energy storage (13 or 43), a memory based on capacitors, in particular double-layer capacitors and especially preferably supercapacitors or hybrid capacitors is and / or contains such a memory.

Drive device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that

- the chemical mechanical energy converter (14) is mechanically coupled to a first electric machine (26),

- The drive means (46) mechanically with at least a third

Electric machine (44) is connected,

- The first electrical energy store (34) with the first and / or the

second electric machine (26; 40) is electrically connected, so that the first electrical energy store (34) can receive electrical energy from there and deliver it there.

Drive device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first fuel cell (16) and / or the second fuel cell (28) are designed as reversible fuel cells, which together with an associated fuel tank (24 or 32) acting as an electrical energy storage first and / or second

Fuel cell module (11 or 12) form.

Drive device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first chemical-mechanical

Energy converters (14) in the consumption-optimal operating range and / or the optionally existing first fuel cell (16) are designed to deliver a total sum of the power consumption of conventional active in operation auxiliary consumers and the power requirement to maintain a constant speed of the motor vehicle in the Level at a desired maximum maximum speed, preferably in the range between 90 km / h and 150 km / h, more preferably between 110 km / h and 140 km / h and most preferably at about 120 km / h to 130 km / h lies. Drive device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the high-performance energy store (13; 43) can store a maximum usable amount of energy sufficient to power the machine without recuperation at least twice, preferably at least three times and more preferably between 3.5 and 5 times from a standstill to accelerate to the maximum speed.

Drive device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first electrical energy store (34) is designed so as to be loaded during normal operation of the machine with powers of at most 2 C, preferably at most 1, 5 C and more preferably at most 1 C. , wherein the loading and unloading is very uniform compared to the power requirement of the machine.

Drive device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the usable capacity of the first electrical energy store (34) is such that it is at least by a factor of 4, preferably by a factor of 8 and more preferably by a factor of 10 greater than the usable Capacity of high performance energy storage (13; 43).

0. Drive device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the machine has a charge port (38), via the electrical energy between an external power grid and at least one of the existing electrical energy storage (11, 12, 13 and 43, 34 ) can be exchanged and where one

Charge control device for charging at least one of the aforementioned electrical energy storage (11, 12, 13 or 43, 34), preferably of the first electrical energy storage (34) and the high-performance energy storage (3 or 43) is provided, the continuous power is such that it can deliver a maximum charging current for the first electrical energy store (34) in the amount of at least 1 C, preferably of about 1.5 C.

11. Drive device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that electrical lines

(57; 58; 60; 62; 64; 68; 70; 72; 74; 84 and preferably 66), if present, for transmitting electrical power between the first electrical

Energy storage (34) and / or the second fuel cell (28) and the first

Electric machine (26) and / or the first fuel cell (16) and the

High-performance energy storage (13 or 43) or its electric machine (40) and the third electric machine (44) are provided, which are designed for safe to touch voltages, where voltage converter the respective

Components (16; 26; 28; 34; 40; 44) are attributed and assigned locally.

12. Motor vehicle with a drive device according to at least one of

preceding claims, characterized in that the vehicle has at least two axles with drive means (46), each of which is drivable by at least one of the third electric machines (44) and can be braked to produce recuperation energy, and the sum of the powers of the third electric machines (44). the front axle and the rear axle have a ratio between 80:20 and 60:40, preferably about 70:30, and the sum of the powers of the third electric machines (44) is such that they are at least over a period of 10 seconds, preferably over a period of 20 seconds and more preferably indefinitely record an electrical power and can deliver, at least the maximum electrical power of

High-performance energy storage device (13 or 43) or possibly contained therein the second electric machine (40) corresponds to and preferably at least by the first chemical-mechanical energy converter (14) and / or the first fuel cell (16) generated maximum electrical power greater than this power is, and particularly preferably, once again greater by a power which is the sum of the discharge current of the first electric power

Energy storage (34) at 1 C and / or the maximum electric power of the second fuel cell 28 corresponds.

13. Motor vehicle with a drive device according to at least one of the preceding claims and preferably according to claim 12, characterized in that at least the first chemical-mechanical

Energy converter (14) and the first electric machine (26) and / or the first

Fuel cell module (11) are designed structurally together as a power generator module (15) that this can be easily removed from the vehicle.

14. Motor vehicle with a drive device according to at least one of

The preceding claims and preferably according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the internal combustion engine (14) through the first

mechanical drive (48) with a first switchable coupling with the first electric machine (26) and this via the sixth mechanical drive (82) with a second switchable clutch with a drive wheel (46) is connected between the internal combustion engine (14) and the Drive wheel (46) preferably only one gear stage with a fixed ratio, alternatively, a switchable transmission with only two gears or a continuously variable transmission with a small spread of the speed ratio of at most 3 factor is provided.

15. Signal device for a drive device or a motor vehicle according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that

an evaluation unit is provided which, on the basis of predetermined parameters, determines a value for an achievable maximum speed (140) of the machine or of the motor vehicle which can be maintained for a predetermined distance, and in that

- Means (130) are provided, by means of which the value for said

Maximum speed (1 0) can be displayed visually and / or acoustically.