Modular Planetary Transmission for Flexible EV Gear Ratios
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transmissions for electric vehicles are often unnecessarily complex and inefficient due to being designed for internal combustion engines, lacking modularity and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A modular transmission system comprising multiple individual drive modules with separate housings and planetary gearsets, allowing for easy coupling and interconnection to achieve a wide array of gear ratios through shifting assemblies, enabling flexible assembly and modification without undue time or expense.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If transmissions are designed for internal combustion engines, then they can accommodate broader power curves, but they become unnecessarily complex and inefficient for electric motors
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission system is divided into multiple independent drive modules, each containing a planetary gearset. These modules can be selectively combined to achieve different gear ratios, allowing the system to adapt to various power curves while maintaining simplicity in each individual module.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission system uses a dynamic configuration where drive modules can be selectively engaged or disengaged based on operating conditions. This allows the system to optimize its complexity level dynamically, using only the necessary number of modules for the current power delivery requirements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple drive modules are coupled together to provide a wide array of gear ratios, then versatility increases, but the number of moving parts increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple planetary gearsets are nested within a single housing, with each gearset providing two gear ratios. This nesting allows the system to achieve a wide array of gear ratios (2^N for N modules) while containing all components within a compact structure, effectively managing the number of moving parts through spatial efficiency.
3Volume of moving object
If a planetary gearset is used within each drive module, then compactness is achieved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission system segments the planetary gearsets into separate, standardized drive modules. Each module is designed and manufactured as an independent unit with standardized interfaces, allowing for modular assembly. This segmentation enables each planetary gearset to be optimized and manufactured to precise tolerances independently, then assembled into the final transmission system.
4Ease of manufacture
If drive modules have separate housings with mount points, then modularity and ease of assembly are improved, but the overall device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive modules are designed with universal mounting interfaces and standardized housings that can accommodate different planetary gearset configurations. The same basic housing design with standardized mount points can be used across multiple modules, allowing for easy assembly and disassembly while maintaining a consistent, manageable structural complexity.
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
The modular design provides a reliable and efficient transmission system with a wide range of gear ratios, reducing complexity and enhancing modularity, while allowing for quick assembly and maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
The drive modules include a planetary gearset mounted within the housing having a sun gear, a carrier with planetary gears, and a ring gear
Data Source
AI summary
A modular transmission for an electric drive system that includes multiple individual drive modules configured to each provide two forward and two reverse gear ratios. The individual drive modules optionally include separate and distinct housings at least partially enclosing a planetary gearset. A shifting assembly is optionally included for each drive module that is operable to selectively couple the ring gear either to the carrier, the sun gear, or to ground to achieve two different gear ratios. Multiple drive modules may be coupled together using corresponding mount points of the housings thus allowing a transmission and drive system to be formulated quickly, or to be modified or repaired, without undue time and expense. An electric motor may be arranged upstream, or downstream of the multiple individual drive modules, or positioned between modules.