FR2679839A1 - Hybrid motive equipment including an electric motor and a primary motor or engine such as a motor or engine which is not electric, for example a heat (combustion) or turbine engine, or an asynchronous motor - Google Patents

Abstract

The motive equipment of the hybrid type includes, in order to cause an output shaft (16) to rotate, a primary motor or engine such as a motor or engine (11) which is not electric, of the heat, turbine or similar engine type, or an asynchronous motor, and a complementary electric motor (12), the said motive equipment comprising a step-down/step-up assembly (13) making it possible to combine the speed (w1) and/or the output torque of the primary motor or engine (11) and/or the torque (w2) of the electric motor (12) in order automatically to control the speed (w3) and/or the torque of the output shaft (16) of the said equipment.

Description

 The present invention relates to an engine equipment of the hybrid type comprising an electric motor and a primary motor for regulating torque or difficult speed, such as a non-electric motor, for example thermal, with steam or gas turbines or the like. or an asynchronous motor.

 The applications of this engine equipment are very diverse: engine equipment for ships, locomotives, vehicles, etc ....

 Conventional heat engines (piston, steam or gas turbine, etc.) are mainly used for their properties of good compactness and great autonomy.

 They nevertheless have many drawbacks. They require in particular clutches and reducers or multipliers with in many cases several gear ratios. Thus, the so-called "Wilson" gearboxes use gear systems with planets and satellites in which the speed adjustment is carried out by immobilization of pinions with internal teeth.

 Also, in the case of piston engines, it is generally necessary to artificially increase the inertia of the shaft line to compensate for the large pulsating torques.

 Also also, it is known that thermal engines exhibit poor efficiency at low rotational speeds. When they are used far from their optimum functioning, they are the source of significant pollution.

 Above all, the independence between the torques and the rotation speeds is poorly guaranteed. In particular, for speeds close to zero, it is only possible to obtain very low torques.

 These various drawbacks are not found on electric motors. Current electric motors, in fact, powered by suitable power electronics, have a performance varying very little with speed and excellent control flexibility. In particular, the independence between torque adjustment and speed adjustment is very well ensured. Also, the pulsating torque components are very weak or zero.

 On the other hand, in the case of an isolated system (systems on board boats, vehicles, etc.), these motors require either energy storage by electrical accumulators, heavy and not very compact, or a primary energy source.

 Hybrid driving forces have already been proposed combining a heat engine and an electric motor. In particular, in the field of ship propulsion or railway traction, it is conventional to use engine equipment in which a heat engine turns an alternating or continuous generator which supplies an isolated network (on-board network for example) . This isolated network notably includes an electrical network and an adjustment device, which can range from simple rheostat to solid-state power electronics, or use less recent solutions such as mercury vapor valves or rotary groups of the type Ward-Leonard. The isolated network also generally includes a buffer battery, a three-phase alternating network for the utilities of the locomotive, or on board in the case of a ship, as well as sets of corresponding electronic equipment.

Also in the automotive field, it has already been proposed to improve the energy efficiency of the engine equipment of a car, to combine an electric motor with a heat engine. We can advantageously refer in this regard to the article "Traction automobile
Hybrid traction project "published in the journal" Flux "
Engineers of the Higher School of Electricity (N 126
October 1989 - pages 10 to 15 - R. BROUEE), in which hybrid engine equipment was proposed, the electric motor of which took over from the heat engine at the car's low speeds. The heat engine and the electric motor are mounted one behind the other before the gearbox to drive the crankshaft. Mechanical means allow said crankshaft to be driven either by the electric motor or by the heat engine, the electric motor being able to be used, for example when the vehicle is stopped, to recharge the electric accumulators associated with it by driving by the heat engine.

 The present invention relates to hybrid engine equipment of a new type in which an electric motor is used to control the speed of rotation of an output shaft mainly driven by a heat engine. The hybrid motor proposed by the invention allows shaft speed regulation as satisfactory as on an electric motor, while presenting a mass and a smaller bulk, as well as a much better efficiency and installed power. This motor equipment can also be used to control the output torques or the rotation speeds of other motors, such as for example motors of the asynchronous type, which are also not very easy to regulate.

 The present invention therefore relates to motor equipment of the hybrid type comprising, for rotating an output shaft, a primary motor, such as a non-electric motor, of the thermal type, with turbine (s), or the like, or an asynchronous motor. and a complementary electric motor, said motor equipment being characterized in that it comprises a reduction-multiplier assembly making it possible to combine the speed and / or the output torque of the primary motor and the speed and / or the torque of the electric motor to control the speed and / or the torque of the output shaft of said equipment.

To this end, this electric motor can operate either as a motor or as a generator. The expression “electric motor” designates here and in all that follows, this second member which operates either as a motor or as a generator, but whose main function is to adjust the speed and the torque of the output shaft.

 Thus, in the case of a ship it will be possible to regulate the propulsion speed of the latter over the whole range of speeds even if it is equipped with a propeller with fixed pitch and not with a propeller with variable pitch .

The present invention also relates to the characteristics below considered in isolation or in all their technically possible combinations:
- the gear-multiplier assembly is a mechanical gear-multiplier assembly of which at least two input rotary members are driven respectively one by the primary motor, the other by the electric motor, this gear-multiplier assembly imposing on the 'output shaft a speed linear function of the input rotation speeds;
- Said reduction-multiplier device is of the planetary and satellite pinion type;
- The output shaft is mechanically mounted on the planet gears of the reduction-multiplier device, the shaft of the primary motor and the rotor of the electric motor-generator driving the planetary gears of said reduction multiplier device; the output shaft can also be mechanically mounted on one of the planet gears, the primary motor shaft and the rotor of the electric motor supplying, one the other planetary gear, the other the planet gears;
- The reduction-multiplier device comprises a reduction-multiplier element of the cyclo type;
- the conventional electric generator or direct current motor is a rotating electric field device, the two coaxial rotors of which are mechanically connected, one to a shaft driven by the primary motor, the other to the output shaft of said equipment , to thereby realize the reduction-multiplier device;
- the electric motor is dimensioned for a power in steady state less important than the primary motor, the output shaft of said equipment being intended to be mainly driven by the primary motors, the electric motor being intended only to provide power marginal to said output shaft; it should be noted, however, that in certain cases of transient operation (acceleration, braking, etc.), the electric motor may, If the case is foreseen, be required to deliver a strong overpower, which may exceed the power installed on the primary engine, but which in return must normally remain temporary.

- an alternator is mounted at the output of the primary engine to supply the on-board network R or the network supplying the electric motor;
- the equipment comprises two primary motors, one of which controls the output shaft of said equipment, the other supplying power via an alternator mounted on its output shaft, an on-board network or the network supplying the engine electric;
the primary motor is associated with a brake making it possible to block, for example in the event of damage to the primary motor, its output shaft.

The following description of a particular embodiment of the invention is purely illustrative and not limiting. It must be read in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a block diagram of a hybrid engine equipment according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a hybrid engine equipment according to a particular embodiment of the invention;
Figure 3 is a schematic representation of engine equipment according to a second particular embodiment of the invention;
Figure 4 is a schematic representation of a hybrid engine equipment according to a third particular embodiment of the possible invention;
FIG. 5 schematically illustrates, in an exploded perspective view, a particular example of a mechanical multiplier-reduction unit which can be used to produce hybrid motor equipment according to the invention.

 The hybrid motor equipment according to the invention shown in Figure 1 mainly comprises a primary motor l whose output shaft 4 rotates at a speed wl, as well as an electric motor 2 whose rotor rotates at a speed w2. The primary engine 1 is for example of the thermal type or with gas or steam turbines. This electric motor 2 and this primary motor 1 are both connected, by means of mechanical connections referenced respectively by 5 and 7 to a reduction gearbox 3, to drive an output shaft 6 rotating at a speed w3.

The electric motor 2 is electrically powered by a power conversion unit 8 connected to the isolated network
R of the ship, vehicle or other, in which the hybrid engine equipment is integrated. At the output of the motor 1 is mounted on the shaft 4 an electric generator 9 electrically connected to the conversion assembly 8 for, for example, possibly recharging the batteries of the network R.

The speed w3 is for example, in particular in the case where the reduction-multiplier assembly 3 is a mechanical assembly, a linear function of wl and w2 with:
w3 = A wl + B w2, where A and B are coefficients which depend for a given installation on the characteristics of the reduction-multiplier assembly 3 and if necessary, for the coefficient A, on the mechanical connection between the shaft 4 the link 7.

 We have used for the elements of the particular embodiment shown in Figure 2, which we find in Figure 1, the same reference numbering increased by 10. The primary engine 11 is a diesel engine on the output shaft 14 of which is mounted an alternator 19 electrically connected, by a set of components 21, 22 of the power conversion assembly 18 to the batteries and to the continuous network of the isolated network R. The multiplier reducer assembly 13 is a mechanical assembly of the type with planets 23, 24 and satellites 25. The planets 23, 24 are in the case shown in the Figure, connected respectively to the shaft 14 forming a common shaft with the shaft 17 at the input of said assembly 13 and to the rotor 27a of the motor 12 , whose stator has been referenced by 27. The planet gears 25 are in turn connected to the shaft 16 at the outlet of the assembly 13 and on which is mounted for example a propeller 26 for the propulsion of a ship. The electric motor 12 is a conventional alternating or direct current motor with variable speed supplied by an inverter or chopper 28 of the assembly 18 connected to the isolated network R. On the links between the isolated network R and d ' on the one hand the alternator 19, and on the other hand the inverter or chopper 28 are interposed with switches referenced respectively by 29 and 30.

The alternator 19 and the inverter or chopper 28 are also connected by a switch link 29a possibly making it possible to use all of the equipment as conventional hybrid engine equipment. At the level of the shaft 14 or 17 is arranged a shaft brake 31.

 In operation, the conversion assembly 18 receives from control electronics, which have not been shown, information relating to the speed of either the shaft 14 or the shaft 16 respectively at input or output. of the reduction-multiplier assembly 13 and adjusts the variable speed of rotation of the electric motor 12 to the speed of rotation at the output of the heat engine 11, in order to obtain the desired speed on the output shaft 16 carrying the propeller 26 .

The control electronics can also intervene on the power admitted (fuel, etc.) in the thermal engine so as to adjust the transmitted torque and, if it is adjustable, its speed of rotation. The heat engine 11 is then preferably used in its optimal efficiency regime. If, however, it is not possible to obtain the desired speeds at the output on the shaft 16 with this speed, the rotational speeds at the output of the electric motor 12 being limited by the stop speeds of its own speed, the speed of the heat engine 11 will be modified so that regulation by the electric motor 12 becomes possible. In the event of a breakdown of the heat engine, it is possible, after opening the switch 29 and blocking the shaft 14 using the brake 31, to use only the electric motor 12 to rotate the output shaft 16. The motor 12 will then be supplied by the accumulator battery of the network 5. Conversely, in the event of failure of the electric motor 12, it will be possible, after having opened the switch 30 and blocked the rotor 27a, to rotate the shaft 16 only using the heat engine 11.

Also, at low speeds of the output shaft 16, the electric motor 12 will behave like a generator and return the excess energy to the network R.

 As an example, we can give a few orders of magnitude of power: for a power required on the output shaft 16 of 1 Mw, the heat engine 11 could supply, for example, 0.7 Mw, while the electric motor 12 will provide 0.3 Mw. The efficiency at the level of the gables is close to 100% (approximately 97%), while the losses at the level of the electric motor 12 are greater (of the order of 10%). The electric motor 11 playing here only a role of power auxiliary, the dissipated power will be much less than in the case of conventional hybrid motors where the power on the output shaft 16 is the power of the electric 12 (so that the equivalent conventional hybrid engine would dissipate 10% of 1 Mw instead of 10% of 0.3 Mw).

It will also be noted that the sizing of the electric motor of the hybrid equipment proposed by the invention is much less important than that of an electric motor of a conventional hybrid motor since for an output shaft power of the equivalent equipment , the first will be dimensioned for a power of 0.3 Mw and the second for a power of 1 Mw. Such equipment therefore makes it possible, like other hybrid systems, to combine the qualities of thermal and electric motors, while substantially reducing the power installed in electric form.

 A possible variant for the invention has been shown in FIG. 3. The same reference numbers increased by 100 have been used for the elements of the variant previously described with reference to FIG. 2, which is found in this new variant.

 The electric motor 112, the power conversion assembly 118, the reduction-multiplier assembly 113, the alternator 119 are substantially similar respectively to the motor 12, to the assemblies 18 and 13 and to the alternator 19.

The primary engine assembly 141 is itself composed of two turbines 142, 143 supplied by a steam production unit 144. The alternator 119 is mounted on the shaft 114, which is a single shaft from the outlet of the turbine 142 to the gearbox-multiplier assembly 113. On the shaft 145 at the outlet of the turbine 143 is mounted an alternator 146 producing an alternating current and also connected by conversion electronics 147 to the batteries and to the direct current network R Such a device makes it possible in particular to choose the frequency of the AC network which can for example be fixed or subject to a parameter external to the assembly.

The operation of such a device is substantially similar to that described with reference to Figure 2, the network
R being supplied by each of the two turbines 142 or 143.

 Yet another possible variant for the invention has been shown in FIG. 4. The same reference numbers increased by 200 have been used for the elements of the variant described with reference to FIG. 2. The shaft 214 at the output of a diesel engine 211 carries an alternator 219 connected to a power conversion assembly 218. This assembly 218 connected to the batteries and to the continuous network R of the isolated network also controls the operation of a device 213 to rotating electric field comprising two rotors 241, 242 one of which, 241 is mechanically connected to the shaft 214 with which it rotates, the other 242 being connected to the output shaft 216 which carries the propeller 226 of which one wishes control the rotation.

 A second diesel engine 243 operates in parallel with the diesel engine 211 to supply, via an alternator 244, the network R or an alternating current network.

 The operation of this device 213 is substantially similar to that of the previous variants. The speed of the output shaft 216 will be a combination of the speed of the shaft 214 and the relative speed of the two rotors 241 and 242, the coefficients of this combination being a function of the characteristics of the windings of the rotating field device. In the event of damage to the heat engine 211 or the rotating field device 241-242, either the shaft 214 or the two rotors 241 and 242 will be immobilized relative to each other, to operate the assembly hybrid equipment on only one of the two engines.

 Other variants of the invention are of course still possible. In particular, it is possible, without departing from the scope of the invention, to replace the mechanical reduction gearboxes as envisaged in the variants described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 by any known reduction gearbox and in particular for example by the reduction gears cyclo multipliers sold by the company GODARD SA and shown schematically in exploded view in Figure 5. These reduction gearboxes mainly include a motor shaft M which drives an eccentric E which forces a disc D to roll inside 11 of a crown C made by small cylinders mounted on an axis A and the number of which is greater than 1 compared to the number of cycloidal curvatures of the cam disc D.

 Also, gearbox and satellite devices can be beveled. The rotor of the electric motor may, in the case of a planetary and satellite gearbox-multiplier assembly, control the planet gears instead of the planetary gears.

 The motors or devices with rotating field can be conventionally DC motors, or synchronous or asynchronous motors etc ...

 Two outputs could be provided on the primary engine, one used to supply the on-board electrical network, the other for the mechanical drive of the equipment.

 The reference signs inserted after the technical characteristics mentioned in the claims, have the sole purpose of facilitating the understanding of the latter, and in no way limit their scope.

Claims (12)

 1. Motor equipment of the hybrid type comprising for rotating an output shaft (6, 16, 116, 216) a primary motor such as a non-electric motor (1, 11, 142, 211), of the thermal type, with turbine (s), or the like, or an asynchronous motor, and a complementary electric motor (2, 12, 112, 213), said motor equipment being characterized in that it comprises a reduction-multiplier assembly (3, (13, 113 , 213) making it possible to combine the speed (wl) and / or the output torque of the primary motor (1, 11, 142, 211) and / or the torque (w2) of the electric motor (2, 12, 142, 212) to control the speed (w3) and / or the torque of the shaft (6, 16, 116, 216) output from said equipment.  2. Equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that the reduction-multiplier assembly (13, 113) is a mechanical reduction-multiplier assembly of which at least two input rotary members (23, 24) are driven respectively one by the primary motor (11), the other by the electric motor (12), this reduction-multiplier assembly (13, 113) imposing on the output shaft a speed linear function of the input rotational speeds.  3. Equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that said reduction-multiplier device (13, 113) is of the type with planetary gears (23, 24) and satellites (25).  4. Equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that the output shaft (16) is mechanically mounted on the planet gears (25) of the reduction-multiplier device (13), the shaft (14, 17) of the primary motor (11) and the rotor (27a) of the electric motor (12) driving the planetary gears of said multiplier reduction device (13).  5. Equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that the output shaft is mechanically mounted on one of the planetary gears, the primary motor shaft and the rotor of the electric motor supplying, one the other planetary gear , the other the planet gears.  6. Equipment according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the reduction-multiplier device comprises a reduction-multiplier element (A, C, D, E, M) of the cyclo type.  7. Equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that the electric motor is a device (213) with a rotating electric field, the two coaxial rotors of which are mechanically connected one (241) to a shaft (214) driven by the motor primary, the other (242) to the output shaft (216) of said equipment, to thereby produce the reducing multiplier device.  8. Equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electric motor is dimensioned for less steady-state power than the primary motor, the output shaft of said equipment being intended to be mainly driven by the motors. primary, ie electric motor being intended only to provide marginal power to said output shaft.  9. Equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an alternator (9, 19, 119, 219) is mounted at the output of the primary engine (1, 11, 142, 211) to supply the on-board network. R or the network supplying the electric motor (2, 12, 112, 213).  10. Equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises two primary motors (142, 143; 211, 243), one of which controls the output shaft (116, 216) of said equipment, the other supplying, via an alternator (146, 244) mounted on its output shaft, an on-board network R or the network supplying the electric motor.  11. Equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the primary motor (11) is associated with a brake (31) making it possible to block, for example in the event of damage to the primary motor, its output shaft (14, 17).  12. Equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means making it possible, for example in the event of damage to the electric motor, to block the rotor of the latter relative to its stator, the output shaft being driven only by the primary motor.