JPH07217528A - Drive mechanism using flywheel - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To provide energy-efficient driving means by converting energy loss due to brakes, etc. during vehicle operation into rotational force of a flywheel, and a vehicle applying this principle. thing. [Structure] A flywheel that is sandwiched between two DC motors and can rotate freely is installed between a power source and a tire, and the rotating force of this flywheel is used to move the vehicle. When using the brakes, the DC motor receives a reverse rotation force to increase the rotation of the flywheel and store energy.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fuel-efficient drive mechanism using a flywheel mechanically independent of a power source and various devices using the power source, and a material and structure of a new flywheel itself. Regarding

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Flywheel technology dates back to the era of the early steam engines long ago, when it was used to smooth long and uneven power shaft movements. In such an application, the rotation speed of the steam engine is usually 5000R.
It was possible because it was below PM. However, as the engine speed increased, the flywheel as an independent peculiar structure suddenly became unusable. Recently, however, with the call for improved fuel efficiency of automobiles, it has become an important energy storage means. In particular, a normal power source without a flywheel is inefficient because its size is determined according to the required maximum output. Ie wasting energy, especially during engine idling,
A large amount of energy loss occurs when a break is applied during low speed operation. To avoid such energy losses, modern car flywheels are used as an aid to efficiently store the energy lost. However, conventional flywheels have the drawback of reducing the efficiency of the engine.

For example, on a recent flywheel prototype, "The Design of An Engine Fl" by Schilke et al.
ywheel Hybrid Drive System for a Passenger Car "
Discloses a combination of an engine and a flywheel for a small car in order to reduce the maximum output of a normal car engine. This flywheel is used to assist in applying a break, to reduce the maximum power required, and to provide a second source of energy to store the energy released during idling and deceleration when the clutch is released. There is. The Schilke flywheel is designed as an external auxiliary power source rather than a built-in power source. Therefore, the scale of labor saving by the flywheel is not sufficient, and the transmission and control system for fully utilizing the energy of the flywheel tend to be complicated.

Another system uses a flywheel as a generator to drive an electric motor. For example, General Electric is developing a large electric commuter bus powered by a flywheel. The system consists of a £ 3,000 flywheel that powers the bus in a timely manner and recharges it along the bus route while moving the bus. This flywheel does not rely on other engines or motors, but rather as the main power source. The main drawback in this case is that the flywheel, once stored as kinetic energy, is used for electrical energy and, ultimately, for the kinetic energy that drives the vehicle. In addition, they use extremely large and heavy flywheels that cannot be used in ordinary cars. The flywheel must also be charged every 3.5 miles, which makes it practical only for short commuting distances with power cables.

Further, a problem in the design of the current flywheel is a housing for housing the mechanism itself. That is, in order to increase the inertial force, it is necessary to design the flywheel to an appropriate size, and it becomes relatively large, and it is necessary to rotate at a relatively high speed in order to store sufficient energy to move the vehicle. This is because. Technically, the problem of storing the flywheel is quite difficult. That is, it is necessary to lock the flywheel so that the flywheel does not run away or injure a person on the side even in an unexpected situation such as an accident or damage to the bearing. Finally, the design needs to be compact, lightweight, and profitable. However, current systems do not find a flywheel for high energy storage that minimizes total weight and is safe for small cars.

[0006]

As described above, a device that realizes high performance and high fuel efficiency by using the power source and the material and structure of the flywheel that uses a lightweight and safe flywheel with high fuel efficiency It is clear that a method is technically necessary. Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide a power source which is significantly more fuel efficient than an ordinary power source and is suitable for various power plants. More precisely, with a flywheel,
It is to completely separate the part that uses energy and the part that produces energy in the power source.

Another object is to mechanically separate and separate the three main components of the power source, that is, the power generation source, the flywheel, and the load mechanism, so that rotation can occur between them without mechanical energy loss. There are times when power is transmitted to each other. Yet another object is to provide a flywheel and its storage that is safe, reliable, lightweight and inexpensive.

Another object of the present invention is to make the flywheel from a strong and low plastic material in order to enhance the safety of the automobile. By selecting such a material, even if the flywheel rotating at high speed is damaged due to an unexpected situation, such as a strong impact caused by an accident, the flywheel will be scattered into many small pieces, so it will move in a certain direction. The power is not concentrated and the safety is improved. To summarize the above objects, the present invention relates to a device that provides a mobile drive system that uses energy efficiently.

[0009]

The drive system is adapted to be controlled by an electrical signal. A motor as a power source is connected to the electric signal system and the main shaft. The main shaft is connected to a power rotation transmission joint controlled by an electric signal system. This joint is made of a DC motor with no brushes or slots. A load rotation transmission joint is mounted on the opposite side of the flywheel. Therefore, the flywheel is freely rotated by being sandwiched between the power rotation transmission joint and the load rotation transmission joint. The load mechanism, for example the wheel of a motor vehicle, is attached to the output side of its load rotation transmission joint. Thus, the power rotation transfer joint transfers the torque from the motor to the flywheel, and the load rotation transfer joint transfers the torque to the wheels and vice versa.

[0010]

According to the present invention, driving of the motor, rotation of the main shaft connected to the motor, interlocking with the main shaft of the flywheel via the power rotation transmission joint, and rotation force to the wheels via the load rotation transmission joint. Is transmitted as needed, in which case each step from the flywheel to the wheels can be moved independently without mutual mechanical interference, resulting in efficient transmission of rotation and energy. The loss can be minimized.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be illustratively described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions and the like of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention thereto, but are merely examples, unless otherwise specified. Not too much. First, FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a power storage device 10 as a first embodiment of the present invention, although each is indicated by a number for each part in the drawing. The power storage device 10 has a power source 12 connected to a power rotating shaft 14 by any suitable means. Power rotary shaft 1
4 is connected to the power rotation transmission joint 31. This power rotation transmission joint has the rotary shaft 54 of the flywheel 20 on the opposite side. The flywheel 20, which is integrated with the rotary shaft 54 of the flywheel, is freely rotatable, and the power rotary shaft 1
4 is not mechanically fixedly connected.

The power rotation transmission joint 31 has an inner rotor 84 connected to the power rotation shaft 14. The outer rotor 82 is connected to the rotary shaft 54 of the flywheel 20,
Rotates together with. With such a mechanism, the rotational force is transmitted from the power rotating shaft 14 to the flywheel 20. Further, the other rotation shaft of the flywheel 20 is a load rotation transmission joint 3
It is connected to 0. The outer rotor 82 of the load rotation transmission joint 30 is also connected to the flywheel 20 in the same manner as the outer rotor 82 of the power rotation transmission joint 31, and is further connected to the external force transfer mechanism 18 such as a tire via the load rotation shaft 40. ing. In this configuration, the power source 12, the flywheel 20, and the tire 18, which are the main constituent members, are mechanically structured because the power and load rotation transmission joints 30, 31 have the outer rotor 82 and the inner rotor 84 therebetween. It is designed so that it can rotate freely without being fixed.
Therefore, they can rotate at different speeds. For example, the power rotary shaft 14 rotates at a certain speed, and the rotary shaft 54 of the flywheel and the load rotary shaft 40 are in between.
Can rotate at different speeds and varying speeds.

FIG. 1 shows the power storage device 10 applied to a vehicle, for example, a passenger vehicle. However, the present invention is applicable to other types of automobiles, trucks, buses, recreational vehicles,
It can be applied to commuter buses, large trucks, and even autonomous vehicles. Further, the present invention can be applied to not only automobiles but also special machines such as lathes, power plants, and manpowered machines such as bicycles. The structure of the present invention is also applicable to other types of engines, internal combustion engines, electric motors, steering
It can also be applied to power sources of alternative fuel sources such as engines, turbines and natural gas.

In this embodiment, the rotation transmission joint uses an electromagnetic motor, but other resistance-applied joints, such as hydraulic joints and hydraulic joints, are also used in this DC.
It can be applied in place of a motor / generator or dynamo. If possible, this electromagnetic motor is preferably a DC motor / generator of a type having neither a brush nor a slot. The reason is that both the inner rotor 84 and the outer rotor 82 rotate respectively. These motors are also called differential motors. An example of this type of motor is the model SB-40 manufactured by Elinco or a higher model.

The rotation transmission joints 30 and 31 apply and receive rotational energy by an electric control unit (not shown). Brush, D without slot
The C motor can be finely controlled and can efficiently transmit rotation between different rotation speeds. In addition, it is more efficient than the fixed rotor type and does not have the instability of the response that is common in other DC and AC motors.

In FIG. 1, a flywheel 20 is used as the central element of the drive system. In other words, it is a conventional function,
It works as a substantial power source to power the tires, not to keep the machine running smoothly. Power source 12
Transmits energy to the flywheel 20 through the power rotation shaft 14 and the inner rotor 84 and the outer rotor 82 of the power rotation transmission joint 31. According to the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the transmission itself can be used as it is, which means that many mechanical members can be omitted, and as a result, efficiency can be improved. Rotation transmission joint 3
Since the flywheel 20 and the flywheel 20 are independent of the power source 12 and the tire 18, the energy loss that is common in mechanical transmissions and clutch systems is small.

As will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9, the general operation of this system is as follows. Rotational force is bouncy wheel 2
While being transmitted from 0 to the tire 18, the rotational speed of the flywheel is gradually reduced as the vehicle accelerates or maintains a constant speed. When the flywheel reaches a certain minimum rotation speed, the power source 12 is activated to increase the rotation speed of the flywheel 20 to additionally supply energy. That is, the relationship between the flywheel 20 and the power source 12 is controlled by a preset control program, and energy is always supplied in a timely manner so that the flywheel has an optimum constant rotation speed. The power source 12 supplies a rotational force through the rotation transmission joint 31 until the flywheel 20 reaches the maximum rotation speed.
In this way, energy is efficiently supplied to the flywheel 20 and the power storage device 10.

On the contrary, when a break is applied, the rotational force from the tire is transmitted to the flywheel 20 through the load rotation transmission joint 30 and the load rotation shaft 40. In this way, the energy from the break is used to increase the rotation speed of the flywheel 20 and is not wasted. What is important here is that this braking action is merely a mechanism-to-mechanical energy transfer, which is very efficient and differs from other energy conversion methods, for example involving mecha-to-electric conversion. This braking operation will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9.

In this embodiment, a cylindrical flywheel 20 is energized by a constant speed motor or engine 12. However, variable speed single or multiple power sources can also be used. Further, in this configuration, the power rotating shaft 1
4 rotates the flywheel 20 via the power rotation transmission joint 31 while rotating at a speed higher than the maximum rotation speed required by the flywheel. Also, the minimum rotation speed of the flywheel is faster than the minimum operation speed of the car by a predefined speed. When transmitting rotation from the power source to the flywheel, the power rotation transmission joint functions as a kind of generator. In other words, the power rotary shaft 14
And the difference in the number of revolutions of the flywheel 20 give a rotating force to the flywheel and, conversely, give a load to the power source. Similarly, the rotation from the flywheel 20 to the tire 18 is transmitted by using the load rotation transmission joint 30 which is a kind of electromagnetic motor as a generator. By applying a rotational force to the tire 18 via the load rotation shaft 40, the automobile is accelerated and, conversely, a load is applied to the flywheel.

On the other hand, when the brake is applied, the load rotation transmission joint 30, which is a type of electromagnetic motor, works as a motor, and as a result, the speed difference between the tire 18 and the flywheel 20 is minus the tire and the flywheel. Is a positive rotational force for. Therefore, applying the brakes results in the flywheel accelerating, successfully conserving energy that would otherwise be lost in a normal car.

Assuming that the inertial force of the flywheel is large enough, the vehicle will be smooth and well-started at any speed. It can be fully used when more output is required such as sudden acceleration, overtaking, and speed maintenance on steep slopes. Regarding fuel efficiency, it is very efficient especially in city driving and other low speed driving.
There is no big difference on the highway from that of conventional cars, but there is still a difference in the congestion of the highway and the driving method. In the most rugged mountain areas, energy acts negatively and positively on cars, and these are absorbed by flywheels, so the difference from conventional cars becomes large.
In the case of the vehicle according to the present invention, the fuel consumption is not particularly proportional to the weight of the vehicle as compared with the conventional vehicle. Therefore,
The structure shown in Fig. 1 is used for commercial vehicles, luxury vehicles, buses, where fuel efficiency is important.
Suitable for large vehicles such as large trucks.

If the power source 12 is an electric motor, it is more efficient than the variable speed power source used in a typical electric vehicle. This is because the running of these electric vehicles is more dependent on the motor that is the power source thereof than in the present invention. In contrast, in the present invention, the flywheel produces propulsion, and the electric motor merely raises the flywheel to a constant maximum speed. That is, there is only a certain motor speed here.

Further, in a conventional electric vehicle, it is necessary to constantly charge a large-capacity battery in order to operate the electric motor which is the driving force. However, according to the present invention, such a large capacity battery is no longer necessary because the flywheel operates efficiently as a power source. An electric motor rotating at a constant speed according to the present invention evens out the maximum required horsepower of a conventional electric power source. Therefore, the power storage device 10 and its power source 12 are relatively small,
The battery can be small. Moreover, the automobile according to the present invention has an advantage that the traveling distance per charge is long as compared with the conventional automobile. Finally, the power storage device 10 minimizes the losses that occur in the energy transfer from the conventional electrical to mechanical movement and also to electrical.

Another feature when an electric motor is used as the power source 12 of the power storage device 10 according to the present invention is:
The battery is used only for the subsequent traveling because the AC power supply is turned off after the flywheel 20 is once raised to the required number of revolutions by the AC power supply for charging.

In the power storage type automobile according to the present invention, an electric motor of a constant speed and a normal internal combustion engine may be used together as the power source 12. In this case, the electric motor is used until the battery is consumed, and then the internal combustion engine is used. In this way, it can be used for both short distance and long distance.

Next, a two-wheel drive system as a second embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIG. In this two-wheel drive system 110, the main power source 112
It may be an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, or any other type as described above.

First, the main power source 112 transmits a rotational force to the pulley 146 via the output shaft 152 thereof. The belt 148 causes its pulley 146 and the second pulley 150 to rotate, thereby imparting a rotational force to the power rotating shaft 114. In this case, the belt and pulley may be replaced by a gear or directly driven. The power rotating shaft 114 is mechanically an auxiliary power source 190, 1
It is connected to 92. These are air conditioner compressors and power steering devices, which are powered by a power rotating shaft.

In the front wheel drive of FIG. 2, two pairs of rotation transmission joints 131 and 133 and flywheels 120 and 122 are provided on the left and right respectively. The cross section of each flywheel is cylindrical. The detailed structure is shown in FIG. A typical flywheel consists of spokes 174 and has a rotary shaft 154 of the flywheel.
And it is connected to other parts through a suitable frictionless bearing. The other end of the spoke is the edge 1 of the flywheel.
76 connected to each other and housed in the housing 100. The structure of the flywheel creates and stores rotational energy, so most of its weight is at the edge 176. The load rotation transmission joint 130 also has a load rotation shaft 140 in order to apply a rotational force to the tire 118.

Next, in FIG. 3, an embodiment of four-wheel drive to which a flywheel is applied is illustrated. This embodiment is basically the same as that of FIG. 2, but in this case the flywheel 22
4, 226 have been added. These operate as motors for initial rotation of the flywheel by driving the vehicle itself and by applying mechanical brakes during parking. As shown here, the tire 218 includes four flywheel devices 220,
Rotate at 222, 224, 226, two of them 22
0 and 222 are rotated by the main rotating shaft 214. As a modification of this, the flywheels 224 and 226 may be connected to the main rotary shaft 214 by an appropriate mechanical structure.

FIG. 4 shows the structure and arrangement of the flywheel-applied rotation transmission joint shown in the upper left of FIG. The flywheel 220 is housed in a housing 260. The housing also houses the rotation transmission joints 230, 231 and includes a flywheel, rotation transmission joints, especially shafts 254, 24.
0 and 214 are designed to have sufficient strength via bearings. Furthermore, the rotary shafts 240 and 254 are housings.
It is supported by a cover 262. Rotation transmission joint 2
Reference numerals 30 and 231 each have an inner rotor (rotor) and an outer rotor (stator). Energy is transferred between both rotors through the inner rotating contact 285 and the outer rotating contact 283, respectively. Both contacts are connected to electrical controls (not shown) via connecting cables 294,296. The contact portion may be a ring that slides well or other connection method as long as the inner and outer rotating contacts can freely rotate.

The rotation transmission joint is a bearing 265,
It is held by the housing 262 at 267. Further, the bearing 255 has a shaft 254 and a spoke center 274.
It is in between. The bearing is 8000 RPM
It may be an oil ring type that can hold even up to resistance. For example, Sleepoil RX for 8000 RPM
There is T22207. Bearings are various parts of the housing that stores the flywheel held by the vehicle body,
It is used to support rotation. The flywheel housing also includes an edge housing 264 and a housing portion 266 that houses the spoke portion, which is held by bearings.

FIG. 5 illustrates the electrical control system of the present invention. This system consists of three main elements. That is, the central monitoring control unit 510 and the terminal control unit 51
2, 514, 516, 518, and converter / amplifier 520, 522, 524, 526. The central supervisory controller 510 controls the central processing, monitoring, as well as the brakes and flywheels, which are subject to system sensor status, engine parameters, vehicle movements, and, most importantly, driver instructions. This central supervisory controller
It consists of a high-speed microprocessor and memory device that can be used in the automobile environment. It can be any type of microprocessor and memory with normal logic. It is also possible to combine well-known logic arrays or high-speed arithmetic processors.

As for the control parameter, the processing can be shortened by inserting a look-up table in the control section if necessary. The central supervisory control unit 510 may be composed of a plurality of microprocessors. For example, multiple dedicated processors, one that monitors system sensors, one that is used for high-speed lookup tables that control rotary transmission joints, and one that responds quickly to driver instructions and various inputs. Good.
Therefore, the central supervisory control unit 510 may have various configurations, whereby many system sensors for detecting the motion of the engine and the vehicle body which constantly changes its direction, and the driver's request such as acceleration and braking. Based on the input of, you can efficiently feed back. More strictly speaking, the engine function of 214 monitored by the central monitoring control unit is ON / OFF of the engine.
The state, the number of revolutions or RPM, various parameters unique to the engine, such as temperature, oil level, radiator water level, etc. The system sensor status 540, as measured by the central supervisory controller 510, refers to the vehicle 210
Various parameters relating to the axles 240, 254
Includes a sensor to measure the number of revolutions and the force of rotation. In addition, the RPM of the flywheel is monitored along with the RPM of the tires.

The body motion of 550 relates to the condition of the vehicle during operation. For example, when the driver turns the steering wheel, the central monitoring control unit 510 controls well so that an excessive force is not applied to the rotating mechanical portion and an unbalanced force is not applied during the rotation of the vehicle. Are doing The operator request of 560 is an electric signal regarding the degree of depression of the accelerator or the brake. The central monitoring control unit 510 includes a plurality of terminal control units 512, 514,
516 and 518 are connected to each other via an appropriate bus line 570. These terminal control units are PIDs capable of high-speed support for the rotary connection joints 231 to 233.
A controller of a type (proportional, integral, derivative processing) may be used. However, other types are also possible. The control by the controllers 512 to 518 of the terminal control unit relates to electromagnetic induction with respect to the inner rotor and the outer rotor of the rotation transmission joint. The signal from this controller is sent to the amplification section via the converter section.

During operation, for example, when the driver steps on the brake pedal, the central monitoring control unit 510 monitors the signal line of the brake pedal. The electrical signal on this signal line is
It occurs when the pedal reaches a certain position. The electric signal generated there is converted into a signal designating the number of rotations by the central monitoring control unit, and sent to the terminal control units (PID control) 512, 518 here, for example.
In the terminal control units 512 and 518, the magnetic field values of the inner rotor and the outer rotor are reset, and the magnetic field values are sent to the amplification unit to set new conditions. In this way, the central supervisory control unit controls the brake, and the terminal control unit executes the brake control. Further details of this electrical control will be described in FIGS. 6-9. It describes the operational flow of an electrical system, which is composed of computer software and other hard logic.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for starting the operation of the automobile to which the flywheel described above is applied. In operation,
In step 602, the vehicle is in a dormant state. Pause refers to a state in which the car has the engine stopped and the flywheel is also stopped. The start operation is the same as a normal car. That is, the ignition is the same as the normal one, and particularly the power source 12
If it is an internal combustion engine, it is exactly the same.

At the end of the ignition operation, the central supervisory controller 510 tests whether the rotation transmission joint is stopped and checks to ensure that it is not inadvertently accelerated. In step 606, it is checked whether the load rotation transmission joints (tire side) 130, 132 are not magnetized. If not OFF, the central monitoring control unit turns off the load rotation transmission joints to the terminal control unit in step 608. Issue a command to do so. Further, in step 610, the power rotation transmission joints (motor side) 131, 133 are also checked. As already mentioned, if the power rotary joint is ON, the central supervisory controller 510 turns it OFF in step 612 to the terminal controller.
When it is confirmed that all the rotation transmission joints are turned off, the power source starts to rotate in step 614. In order to start the engine early and in consideration of environmental issues, make sure to fully load the engine after it has warmed up after idling. The motor operation then starts.

The system then performs a load test in step 6
Check at 16 and 618 to see if the motor has reached the specified speed. For this test, the rotation speed (R
A PM) sensor is attached to the motor and is constantly monitored by the central supervisory controller 510 at start-up and during operation (not shown). If the motor here,
If it is still not ready, it will idle for a certain period of time and then be tested again.

When the motor becomes ready, the transfer of the rotational force to the flywheels 120, 122 is finally started through the power rotation transmission joints 131, 133. The rotational force transfer is slowed down by issuing command commands from the central supervisory controller 510 to the terminal controller to gradually increase the magnetic field excitation current of the load rotary transfer joint. Further, the central supervisory controller 510 continues to monitor the rotation of the flywheels 120, 122 in step 622 to determine if it has reached a predetermined maximum speed. In step 626,
If the maximum speed has not been reached yet, the flywheel is given more rotational force. As described above, the monitoring of the flywheel by the central monitoring control unit 510 is always performed during the operation of this system to check the change in the rotation speed as shown in FIGS. 6 to 9. If there is a change in the number of revolutions, the power rotary joints 131, 133, the motor 112, the flywheel 1
The torque is immediately transferred between 20 and 122. When the flywheel reaches a certain speed, the driver is given a start-OK sign visually and visually.

In the present invention, four gears are prepared. Parking, neutral, forward, and back. In the parking gear, the vehicle is stopped, and the central monitoring control unit 510 automatically applies the external brake. Furthermore, the load rotation transmission joint 130,
Since 132 is completely stopped, no force is exerted on the tire. Further, power rotation transmission joints 131 and 133
Is designed to function only when the engine is ON and the start operation is performed. As mentioned in Fig. 6, the start mode can only be entered from the parking gear. In addition, as a safety feature, it is equipped with a function to automatically stop the flywheel in an emergency in case of an emergency, either by manual operation or by an instruction from the central monitoring and control unit.

Next, the neutral gear is for safety,
The brake is not applied. However, in this case, neither the load rotation transmission joints 130, 132 nor the power rotation transmission joints 131, 133 are in a functional state. In neutral, the engine is always stopped. In forward gear, there are three modes: acceleration, deceleration, and speed maintenance. These modes are shown in FIG. 7, FIG.
In FIG. 9, each will be described. The back gear is almost the same as the forward movement shown in FIG.

The acceleration operation of the automobile will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The acceleration mode 700 is the same for both forward and reverse.
Acceleration operation starts when the operator enters the forward gear. The operation is the same as that of a normal vehicle, but as already described in steps 624 to 628 of FIG. 6, the driver cannot start until the rotation speed of the flywheel exceeds a certain value. After putting in the forward gear, just press the accelerator pedal like a normal car.

The central supervisory control unit 510 always reads the accelerator pedal signal in order to detect the acceleration state. The pedal position is set by the central monitoring control unit in step 71.
It is replaced by the rotation speed signal at 4. This signal is then transmitted to the load rotation transmission joint via each terminal control of system bus lines 570 and 512-518 of FIG. The terminal controller converts the rotational speed signal received from it into an exciting current for the load rotary transmission joint. As a result, the pedal position replaces the magnetic strength of the rotating brushless DC motor, transmitting the rotation of the flywheel to the tire 118. The central supervisory controller monitors the overall balance of the car during acceleration. This balance is also monitored during speed maintenance, deceleration and braking. What is balance? Load rotation transmission joint 13
This means acceleration adjustment of 0 and 132, so that only one side is not excessively pulled during traveling. Also, the balance does not detect only the relative relationship between these two joints, but rather the tire 11 relative to the axle.
The relative position of 8 is also detected. That is, when the vehicle turns left or right while stepping on the accelerator, the load rotation transmitting joints 130 and 132 rotate differently. As a result, the car can rotate smoothly. The central supervisory control unit 510 further checks the abnormal running of the tire. That is, in addition to whether or not the load-side axle 140 is rotating at a speed, whether or not there is any abnormality in each tire, for example, only one tire is not slipping on ice is detected. There is. When the rotation of one load side shaft suddenly rises, the central monitoring control unit 5
10 and the terminal control units 512-518 adjust the rotational speed of the load side axle so that the vehicle does not spin on ice. If the upper limit of the rotational speed stored in advance in the control memory (not shown) is exceeded, then in step 720, the central monitoring control unit automatically issues a command to reduce the rotational speed. This operation is 5
Relatively high speed processing within milliseconds.

If it is determined that the speed balance of the individual tires is normal, then the system checks in step 722 whether the current drive speed is within 90% of the pedal speed provided by the driver. If the speed is not up to 90%, the acceleration command is continuously issued to the terminal control unit in step 724. However, if it is 90% or more, the central monitoring control unit slowly adjusts the speed from that point to the pedal speed, so that the vehicle does not feel uncomfortable due to sudden acceleration and deceleration.

Once the desired speed is reached, the speed maintenance mode is entered in step 728.
00 is described. In step 810, the central monitoring control unit detects the speed of the vehicle by the rotation of the load side axle 140. As already mentioned, speed detection is always performed while the vehicle is in operation, so this speed maintenance mode is carried out in this speed detection operation.

The central detection controller then proceeds to step 81.
At 2, check whether the speed is too low.
If it is too low, go to the acceleration step previously described in FIG. 7, Maru D, for acceleration in step 814. On the contrary, if the speed is too fast in step 816, the central monitoring control unit 510
Proceeds to step C 818 shown in FIG. However, if the speed is moderate, then in step 820 the load rotation transfer joint is checked to determine if the load is zero. If the load is not zero (that is, the tire is not subjected to acceleration torque), the system repeats the detection loop. However, if the load of the load rotation transmission joint is zero (that is, the tire is not rotating) and the speed is increasing, the central monitoring control unit checks whether the speed is higher than the pedal speed intended by the driver. To check. In step 822, if the speed is not accelerating,
Alternatively, if the pedal speed is not exceeded, the central supervisory control unit continues monitoring, and if necessary, accelerates and decelerates as described above.

FIG. 9 further describes the deceleration mode. As a first routine, the central supervisory controller 510 checks the caring speed of the load rotation transmission joints 130,132. In particular, it is checked in step 912 whether the load rotation transmission joint is in the OFF state. OF
If it is not F, set it to OFF. When the rotation transmission joint is turned off, the brake mode is entered next.

First, the difference in the number of revolutions between the flywheel and the load side axle (140) is set in the load rotation transmission joint. This setting is done by the central supervisory controller 510 which monitors them. This makes the load rotary joint look like an unloaded motor.
As an effect, in the unloaded state, the difference between the rotational speed of the tire at low speed and the rotational speed of the flywheel at high speed is forcibly canceled. As a result, the load rotation transmission joint functioning as a motor cancels out this difference in the number of rotations, and thus increases the number of rotations. This difference in rotational speed is converted to reverse rotational force by the central monitoring control unit in step 918,
It is transmitted to the flywheel as forward rotation. As a result, the flywheel increases the number of revolutions. As described above, the braking operation in this state is automatically performed by the central monitoring control unit.

At step 920, the rotational speed of the flywheel is gradually increased until the total of the rotational speed of the tire and the rotational speed of the load rotation transmission joint is reached. This is the central monitoring control unit 51
Performed by zero. If the brakes are applied suddenly, the central supervisory control unit reduces the difference in set rotational speed between the flywheel and the load axle to prevent idling. In step 922, the central supervisory controller then also checks for sudden changes in the load axle. If a sudden change occurs, the central supervisory control slows down at step 924. Otherwise, continue to step 926 to see if the desired speed has been reached.
Check it out. If not, the process returns to step 920 and returns to the operation of gradually reducing the rotational speed.

If the desired speed is reached by the deceleration operation, it is checked whether or not the speed has reached the speed for shifting to the manual operation which is set in advance as the minimum speed. In other words, if the driver wants to stop the car completely or slow down to the speed below that transition speed, the mechanical brake is used. Therefore, if the deceleration speed becomes equal to or lower than the transition speed, the driver will stop the vehicle by himself or herself like a normal vehicle by using a mechanical brake in step 930.

Another feature of the present invention is the novel flywheel design. The problem with existing flywheels is their weight and size. Flywheels made of synthetic material have been used for more than 10 years to store high energy. However, due to the size of the large flywheel itself and the effect of energy saving per unit, a large and heavy storage structure was necessary for safety. Therefore, some flywheels weigh more than 1500 kg. As a result, even if the energy is stored and produced, the effect is reduced by the weight of the flywheel and the size of the case.

[0052]

[Effect] Therefore, the present invention was made by examining the design of a flywheel from another viewpoint. In other words, this flywheel is strong, hard, and well-considered, rather than being protected from damage.
Yet, it uses materials that have low plasticity and are considered engineering. For example, such materials include sintered aluminum,
Ceramics, metal ceramics, metals, special polymer materials, etc. are available. As one of the manufacturing methods, there is a method of sintering powder aluminum having a specific density that can withstand a load sufficiently and is in a powder state as much as possible. The method of sintering and strengthening differs depending on each flywheel of the material density. In each case, it is sufficiently strong for normal rotating operation, but it is made brittle on the contrary to a certain impact or more. As a result, by choosing such a flywheel material,
For example, in the event of an accident, the flywheel is disassembled into a large number of small pieces, and the rotational energy is dispersed. Therefore, the housing for protecting the small piece may be relatively simple. That is, the housing can also be made of a lightweight material. Such materials, structure and design will enhance the safety and reliability of the flywheel equipment body.

There may be various embodiments of the present invention having the same technical idea. All of the embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the claimed invention, and the applicant claims protection of the underlying technical idea.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a power storage device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a two-wheel mechanism diagram of an automobile using the above-described embodiment according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a four wheel mechanism diagram of an automobile using the first embodiment according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a structure and arrangement of a flywheel-applied rotation transmission joint shown in the upper left of FIG.

5 is a block diagram of an electric control system used in the power storage device shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart 1 showing a control procedure for system control.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart 2 showing a control procedure for system control.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart 3 showing a control procedure for system control.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart 4 showing a control procedure for system control.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Power Storage Device 14 Power Rotating Shaft 12 Power Source 31 Power Rotation Transmission Joint 20 Flywheel 30 Load Rotation Transmission Joint 18 External Force Transfer Mechanism such as Tire 54 Rotation Shaft of Flywheel 40 Load Rotation Shaft

Claims (18)

[Claims] 1. In a vehicle drive system structure, a CPU for controlling the operation procedure of the system according to a preset program, a drive power source, a power rotary shaft interlocking with the drive power source, and a rotational kinetic force are provided. A flywheel that accumulates, a rotary shaft that extends from the center of the flywheel to both sides, a power rotation transmission joint that links the power rotary shaft and the rotary shaft of the flywheel, and an external force transfer mechanism that moves the vehicle.
A drive mechanism using a flywheel, which comprises a load rotation transmission joint that interlocks the rotating shaft of the flywheel with the external force transfer mechanism. 2. The drive mechanism using a flywheel according to claim 1, wherein both the power rotation transmission joint and the load rotation transmission joint are brushless and grooveless type motors. 3. A bidirectional transfer of rotational force is possible by the CPU between the power rotation transmission joint, the load rotation transmission joint, and the flywheel that is mechanically separated and can rotate freely. A drive mechanism using the flywheel according to Item 1. 4. The drive mechanism using a flywheel according to claim 3, wherein the power rotation transmission joint and the load rotation transmission joint have the functions of both a DC motor and a generator. 5. A drive mechanism using a flywheel according to claim 4, wherein the rotating shaft of the flywheel is fixed to an outer rotor of the DC motor / generator and can rotate freely. 6. The drive mechanism using a flywheel according to claim 4, wherein the rotating shaft of the flywheel is fixed to the inner rotor of the DC motor / generator and can rotate freely. 7. The drive mechanism using a flywheel according to claim 1, wherein the flywheel is controlled so as to always keep rotation within a range of maximum and minimum rotation speeds preprogrammed by the CPU. . 8. The CPU controls the power rotating shaft and a driving power source so that the flywheel can maintain a constant rotation speed, and the driving power source is preprogrammed in the flywheel by the CPU. 2. The drive mechanism using a flywheel according to claim 1, wherein the output mechanism has a sufficient output so that the maximum rotation speed can be given. 9. The CPU, when a brake operation is performed,
2. The drive mechanism using a flywheel according to claim 1, wherein the load rotation transmission joint is controlled to transmit the rotation energy obtained from the external force transfer mechanism to the flywheel and hold the energy. 10. The drive mechanism using a flywheel according to claim 1, wherein the drive power source has a variable or constant output, and has an output enough to increase the flywheel to a maximum rotation speed. 11. The drive mechanism using a flywheel according to claim 1, wherein the drive power source is an internal combustion engine. 12. The drive mechanism using a flywheel according to claim 1, wherein the drive power source is an electric motor having a constant rotational force. 13. The drive mechanism using a flywheel according to claim 1, wherein the drive power source is a steering engine. 14. The flywheel has a cylindrical shape and is constituted by holding spokes from the center to the outer edge, and most of the weight of the flywheel is at the outer edge. Drive mechanism using a flywheel. 15. The drive mechanism using a flywheel according to claim 1, wherein the power rotation transmission joint, the load rotation transmission joint, and the flywheel are housed in an integral housing. 16. The flywheel is made of a material that is strong and has low plasticity, and is adapted to be decomposed into a large number of small pieces when an impact of a certain amount or more is received. Drive mechanism using a flywheel. 17. A power rotary shaft that interlocks with the drive power source, a flywheel that accumulates rotational kinetic force, a rotary shaft that penetrates the center of the flywheel, and the main rotary shaft and the rotary shaft of the flywheel that interlock. A power rotation transmission joint, an external force transmission / reception mechanism for moving the vehicle, and a load rotation transmission joint for interlocking the rotation shaft of the flywheel and the external force transmission / reception mechanism are applied to all wheels of the vehicle. The drive mechanism using a flywheel according to claim 1. 18. The driving power source is replaced by the power rotation transmission joint, and the driving force is obtained by the function of the DC motor of the power rotation transmission joint. Drive mechanism using a flywheel.