A system and method are provided for hybrid electric internal combustion engine applications in which a motor-generator, a narrow switchable coupling and a torque transfer unit therebetween are arranged and positioned in the constrained environment at the front of an engine in applications such as commercial vehicles, off-road vehicles and stationary engine installations. The motor-generator is preferably positioned laterally offset from the switchable coupling, which is co-axially-arranged with the front end of the engine crankshaft. The switchable coupling is an integrated unit in which a crankshaft vibration damper, an engine accessory drive pulley and a disengageable clutch overlap such that the axial depth of the clutch-pulley-damper unit is nearly the same as a conventional belt drive pulley and engine damper. The front end motor-generator system includes an electrical energy store that receives electrical energy generated by the motor-generator when the coupling is engaged. When the coupling is disengaged, the motor-generator may drive the pulley portion of the clutch-pulley-damper to drive the engine accessories using energy returned from the energy store, independent of the engine crankshaft.

Front end motor-generator system and hybrid electric vehicle operating method

In a fuel cell vehicle of the present invention, a floor panel is constructed to have a center tunnel formed to extend in a front-rear direction of the vehicle. A fluid distributor provided below the floor panel is at least partly located in the center tunnel and is operative to distribute a supply of a fluid in a vehicle width direction. At least one fuel cell stack is provided adjacent to the fluid distributor in the vehicle width direction below the floor panel and is operative to receive the distributive supply of the fluid from the fluid distributor. This fuel cell system has an efficient component layout from the total standpoint of the operability and the space efficiency.

Fuel cell vehicle

The invention relates to a control system for a hybrid electric vehicle (100), the vehicle having a powertrain (135) comprising at least one electric propulsion motor (123) and at least one engine (121), the control system being operable to control the vehicle to operate in an electric vehicle (EV) mode in which the at least one engine remains switched off and the at least one electric propulsion motor is configured to deliver drive torque and a boost mode in which the at least one engine is switched on to provide additional power to drive the vehicle. When the vehicle is operating in EV mode the system is further operable to determine whether a boost location exists ahead of the vehicle being a location at which a gradient of a driving surface is sufficiently high to require selection of the boost mode, the control system being operable automatically to command starting of the at least one engine before the boost location is reached.

Hybrid electric vehicle control system and method

A method for controlling a vehicle's speed, including: acquiring a set speed; determining, using using map and location data, a horizon made of route segments, each with a route characteristic; performing simulation cycles, each including: predicting the speed according to a conventional cruise control, which first prediction depends on the route characteristic; comparing the first predicted speed with lower and upper limit values, which define an engine torque for use in the next simulation cycle; making a second prediction of the speed when the engine torque depends on the comparison in the immediately preceding simulation cycle; comparing, as a second comparison, the second predicted speed with second lower and upper limit values, which delineate a speed range within which the speed is maintained; determining, based on the second comparison and/or the second predicted speed in this simulation cycle, a reference value for use by a vehicle control system.

Method and module for controlling a vehicle's speed based on rules and/or costs

A fuel cell vehicle includes: a motor chamber provided in a front part of the vehicle; side frames extending on right and left sides of the vehicle in a front-to-back direction of the vehicle; a fuel cell; a motor for driving the vehicle, wherein the motor is driven using electric power generated by the fuel cell, and the fuel cell, the motor, and the side frames are installed in the motor chamber; and a support frame for coupling rear portions of the side frames with each other in a width direction of the vehicle, and for supporting the fuel cell installed on the support frame, wherein the motor is arranged below the support frame. The fuel cell vehicle may further include a guide member for guiding the motor toward a lower-back side of the support frame when a front collision of the vehicle occurs.

Fuel cell vehicle having support frame which couples side frames in width direction of vehicle

A method for controlling the speed of a vehicle having a regenerative or active braking capacity when the vehicle is traveling downhill using a cruise control system on the vehicle. When brake pedal is applied and the cruise control is set, the vehicle is put into a controlled braking mode. The cruise control system controls are then used inversely to the normal operation where decreases in vehicle speed are provided by applying motoring torque. For the inversed cruise control, increasing the vehicle speed is prohibited by applying more regenerative braking torque.

Operating device for a cruise control system in a vehicle with regenerative braking capability

A power distribution unit for a vehicle includes a fuel cell stack, a bracket connected to the fuel cell stack and including at least one mount adapted to be connected directly to a vehicle to directly interconnect the fuel cell stack to the vehicle, a connection feature, and a traction system communicated with the fuel cell stack and carried by at least one of the fuel cell stack and the bracket with the connection feature disposed between the traction system and said at least one of the fuel cell stack and the bracket so that the traction system is indirectly connected to the vehicle. In one implementation, the connection feature includes an elastomeric pad disposed between a housing of the traction system and a mount or the vehicle frame. The pad provides a so-called “soft mount” of the traction system to the vehicle.

Vehicle mounted fuel cell assembly

An inductor array that includes a plurality of inductors where adjacent inductors share a core piece and thus a flux path to reduce the size and weight of the array. In one embodiment, the shared core pieces are formed as back-to-back U-shaped members defining an indented region at the center of the core piece. In another embodiment, a plurality of small block-shaped center core pieces in each inductor defines a plurality of gaps therebetween.

Inductor array with shared flux return path for a fuel cell boost converter

A shielded cable assembly that receives a shielded cable therein and includes an isolator or spacer block having a bore and a spring having a fixed portion disposed about the isolator and a resilient portion extending into the bore. A housing retains the isolator and receives the shielded cable. The fixed portion of the spring is in pressed contact with an internal surface of the housing and the resilient portion of the spring is in pressed contact with a shield ring of the shielded cable to scrape the internal surface upon reception into the housing to remove a non-conductive oxide layer formed on the internal surface.

Enclosed electrical connector with isolator for shielded cables

Ein
Aufbau mit abgeschirmtem Kabel, der in sich ein abgeschirmtes Kabel
aufnimmt und einen Isolator oder einen Abstandsblock mit einer Bohrung und
einer Feder einschliest,
die einen festen Abschnitt, der an dem Isolator angeordnet ist,
und einen elastischen Abschnitt aufweist, der sich in die Bohrung
erstreckt. Ein Gehause
halt den
Isolator und nimmt das abgeschirmte Kabel auf. Der feste Abschnitt
der Feder steht in einem Presskontakt mit einer Innenflache des
Gehauses
und der elastische Abschnitt der Feder steht in einem Presskontakt
mit einem Abschirmring des abgeschirmten Kabels, um die Innenflache beim
Aufnehmen in das Gehause
abzuschaben, sodass eine nicht leitende Oxidschicht entfernt wird,
die auf der Innenflache
gebildet ist.

Thomas Vogel

Papers

Operating device for a cruise control system in a vehicle with regenerative braking capability

Vehicle mounted fuel cell assembly

Inductor array with shared flux return path for a fuel cell boost converter

Enclosed electrical connector with isolator for shielded cables

Elektrische Verbindung für abgeschirmte Kabel