Electric Motor Wheel Drive Eliminates Differential Gears
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Solution Overview
Problem
Motor vehicles with electric motors are limited by their power and battery duration, requiring frequent charging and the use of complex and expensive differential gears to manage wheel speed during turns.
Innovation Solution
A motor vehicle design that eliminates the need for differential gears by using an electric motor with a rotatably mounted stator and rotor, connected to both wheels, and an endothermic motor connected via a three-way clutch to the generator or stator for increased power and battery charging, allowing efficient and reliable operation without differential gears.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a differential gear is used to adjust wheel speed during turns, then the vehicle can navigate curves without skidding, but the device becomes complex and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the differential gear from the system entirely. Instead of using a mechanical differential to adjust wheel speeds, the invention independently controls each wheel's motor (or motor-brake unit) to achieve the desired speed differentiation during turns, thereby eliminating the complex differential mechanism while maintaining the ability to navigate curves without skidding
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical differential gear system with an electronic control system that independently actuates each wheel's motor or brake. This substitution of mechanical components with electronically controlled actuators eliminates the need for complex mechanical differentials while achieving the same functional outcome of differential wheel speed control
2Object-generated harmful factors
If an electric motor is used to power the vehicle, then noise and contamination are reduced, but power and battery duration are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the motor-brake units serve multiple functions: they act as motors during acceleration and as brakes during deceleration or energy recovery. This multi-functionality allows the same component to provide both propulsion and energy recovery, effectively extending the vehicle's operational capability without adding separate systems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the energy that would normally be lost during braking (a harmful waste) into useful electrical energy through regenerative braking. The motor-brake units recover kinetic energy during deceleration and store it in the battery, transforming energy waste into a beneficial resource that extends battery duration and reduces the need for frequent charging
3Adaptability or versatility
If the stator is fixed to the vehicle frame, then the electric motor can drive both wheels independently, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the electric motor into two independently controllable units (motor-brake assemblies), with each unit directly mounted to a wheel hub. This segmentation allows each wheel to be independently driven and controlled, eliminating the need for a complex centralized transmission system while maintaining simple individual wheel assemblies
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient, reliable, and cost-effective operation by automatically distributing rotational speed during turns and providing extended travel capabilities through battery charging and power augmentation, reducing noise and contamination.
Implementation Method 1
an electric motor comprising a rotor rotatably mounted on a stator, said electric motor being adapted to drive two axle shafts in rotation
Implementation Method 2
an endothermic motor provided with a drive shaft
Implementation Method 3
an electric generator electrically connected to said at least one battery
Data Source
AI summary
A motor vehicle comprising an electric motor, at least one battery, and an electronic regulation unit connected to a potentiometer of the accelerator to regulate the power supply of the electric motor. The stator of the electric motor is rotatably mounted on two fixed supports joined to the frame of the vehicle, an axle shaft of a wheel is connected to the stator and the axle shaft of the other wheel is connected to the rotor. The vehicle additionally comprises a rotation reversing device to reverse the rotation of one of the two axle shafts of the wheels with respect to the rotation of the rotor or stator, respectively, an endothermic motor, an electric generator connected to the battery and a three way clutch to couple the endothermic motor to the generator and/or stator of the electric motor.