Consortium De Recherche Brp - Université De Sherbrooke S.e.n.c.

Eric Lafreniere

Roger Rioux

David Monfette

Simon Richard

Real Dupont

Maxime Desjardins-Goulet

Daniel Duceppe

A watercraft propulsion system has a driveshaft, an impeller or a propeller, an overrunning clutch, an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. The overrunning clutch has a first race and a second race. The first race is one of an inner race and an outer race. The second race is an other one of the inner race and the outer race. The first race is connected to the driveshaft for driving the driveshaft. The electric motor has a motor output shaft operatively connected to the first race. The internal combustion engine has an engine output shaft operatively connected to the second race. The overrunning clutch is connected to the motor output shaft and the engine output shaft such that the electric motor is able to selectively rotate the first race at a higher speed than the second race. A watercraft having the propulsion system is also disclosed.

Hybrid propulsion system for a watercraft

A driving pulley for a CVT has a shaft, a fixed sheave mounted on the shaft, a first sleeve disposed around the shaft and being operatively connected to the shaft, a movable sheave mounted on the first sleeve, a second sleeve disposed around the first sleeve and being connected to the shaft, a spring biasing the movable sheave away from the fixed sheave, and a CVT chamber having an annular cross-section. The fixed and movable sheaves are adapted to receive a belt therebetween. The CVT chamber has at least one opening adapted for fluidly communicating the CVT chamber with a hydraulic fluid reservoir. Hydraulic pressure in the CVT chamber biases the movable sheave toward the fixed sheave. The CVT chamber has an inner wall formed by the first sleeve, an outer wall formed by the second sleeve, an outer end, and an inner end formed by the movable sheave.

Driving pulley for a continuously variable transmission

A vehicle powertrain has an engine, a driving shaft having a passage defined therein, a driven shaft, a pump, a hydraulic fluid reservoir, and a CVT. A driving pulley of the CVT includes a fixed sheave and a movable sheave disposed on the driving shaft for rotation therewith, a spring biasing a movable sheave away from the fixed sheave, and a CVT chamber fluidly communicating with the passage of the driving shaft. The pump supplies hydraulic fluid from the reservoir to the passage in the driving shaft. The hydraulic fluid flows from the passage to the CVT chamber to create a hydraulic pressure in the CVT chamber. The hydraulic pressure in the CVT chamber biases the movable sheave toward the fixed sheave.

Vehicle powertrain having a hydraulic continuously variable transmission

A watercraft propulsion system has a driveshaft, one of an impeller and a propeller, an overrunning clutch having outer and inner races, a driveshaft connector connecting the driveshaft to the outer race, an electric motor having a motor output shaft operatively connected to the outer race, and an internal combustion engine. The engine has a crankcase and a crankshaft operatively connected to the inner race. A lubricant pump supplies lubricant to the overrunning clutch via lubricant passages in the crankshaft. A watercraft having the propulsion system and a hybrid propulsion conversion system for a watercraft are also disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Saint-Nicephore, Canada

Eric Lafreniere