Volvo Truck Corporation

Hamid Yhr

Leo Laine

Ulf Stenbratt

Mats Rydström

Niklas Haraldsson

Robert Johansson

Pär Blomqvist

A braking arrangement for decelerating a heavy duty vehicle, the arrangement including a control unit, at least one electric machine arranged for regenerative braking, an electrical energy absorption device, an eddy current braking device, and a power distribution network arranged to connect the electric machine to the energy absorption device and to the eddy current braking device, wherein the control unit is configured to distribute regenerated electrical power from the electric machine between the energy absorption device and the eddy current braking device by the power distribution network in dependence of a target deceleration value of the heavy duty vehicle.

Braking arrangement for heavy duty vehicles

A wheel brake arrangement for a vehicle, the wheel brake arrangement comprising an eddy current wheel brake configured to receive electric power from a source of electric power of the vehicle during braking, and a transmission arrangement comprising a first shaft connected to the eddy current wheel brake and a second shaft connectable to a wheel of the vehicle, wherein the transmission arrangement comprises a ratio varying arrangement, the ratio varying arrangement being configured to, for any rotational speed below a predetermined threshold speed of the second shaft during braking, control a rotational speed of the first shaft to be maintained within a predetermined rotational speed range.

Wheel brake arrangement for a vehicle

A wheel module arranged to generate torque to accelerate and to decelerate a heavy-duty vehicle. The wheel module comprises at least one electric machine arranged for regenerative braking, an eddy current braking device, and an electronic control unit, ECU. The wheel module further comprises a communications port arranged for communication with an external control unit and a power distribution network arranged to connect the electric machine to the eddy current braking device and to a power port arranged to input and to output electrical power to and from the wheel module. The ECU is arranged to obtain configuration data via the communications port indicative of a maximum output power of the power port, and to control the power distribution network to maintain the output power of the power port below the maximum output power by distributing power from the at least one electric machine between the eddy current braking device and the power port.

Electrical wheel module for acceleration and braking of a heavy-duty vehicle

The present disclosure relates to a method for selecting and identifying a powered dolly vehicle for forming a vehicle combination with a primary vehicle and one or more trailers. The method includes receiving a request from a primary vehicle to select a powered dolly vehicle among a group of powered dolly vehicles based at least in part on a mission-characteristic for a vehicle combination; evaluating the operational characteristic of each one of the powered dolly vehicles based on the mission-characteristic; selecting a powered dolly vehicle among the group of powered dolly vehicles based at least in part on the evaluation; locating the selected powered dolly vehicle in the geographical area based at least in part on the identification information; and communicating the location of the selected powered dolly vehicle to the primary vehicle or operating the powered dolly vehicle to primary vehicle.

Method for forming a vehicle combination

A wireless communication system () for communication between a truck () and a trailer (), the system comprising:

Connector assembly for high-speed wireless communication between vehicles

The present disclosure relates to controlling transfer of electrical energy in a coupling between a first vehicle and a second vehicle of a vehicle combination, each of the first and second vehicles having an electric machine and an energy storage system, wherein at least the electric machine of the second vehicle is operable in a traction mode and a generator mode for generating electrical energy during a regenerative braking event of the second vehicle, the method comprising determining an amount of possible excessive energy from the braking event of the second vehicle, determining a total energy level of the second vehicle, determining a total energy level of the first vehicle, comparing the determined amount of possible excessive energy with the determined total energy levels of the first vehicle and second vehicle, and controlling direction of the transfer of electrical energy between the first and second vehicle based on the comparison.

Method for controlling a vehicle combination

A vehicle network comprising a processor; a network switch having a plurality of physical ports, from which two or more of the physical ports are configured as access ports and at least one of the physical ports is configured as a trunk port; a plurality of sensors connected to respective access ports of the network switch, wherein the sensors have preconfigured network addresses; and at least two virtual networks, wherein each virtual network corresponds to a group of access ports, and the sensors connected thereto are addressable within the virtual network by their preconfigured network addresses, wherein each network switch is connected via the trunk port to the processor, and the trunk port is configured to accept communications from the processor directed to the sensors connected to the access ports of the network switch.

Vehicle network

The invention relates to a system for arranging electronic control units (ECUs) in a chassis of a vehicle. The system comprises a set of ECUs arranged on corresponding circuit boards that are arranged in corresponding casing members. Each casing member comprises a frame structure extending circumferentially in a plane substantially parallel to its corresponding layer. Each circuit board extends in a plane substantially parallel to its corresponding layer and is arranged inside the frame structure of the corresponding casing member. First and second end plates are arranged at opposite end portions of the layered structure. The first end plate is adapted to be connected to the chassis of the vehicle, and at least one connection member extends along the layered structure between opposite end portions thereof. The at least one connection member is configured to be connected to the first and second end plates to hold the layered structure together.

System for arranging ECUs in a chassis of a vehicle

An arrangement is provided for providing redundancy in a vehicle electrical control system, including a plurality of electronic control units connected to each other through a first data bus, and where each electronic control unit is connected to one or more I/O-units through a separate second data bus, where each second data bus is provided with a separate transceiver which allows communication between an electronic control unit and an I/O-unit, and where the arrangement includes a programmable switch arranged between the electronic control units and the transceivers, where the programmable switch is adapted to interconnect each transceiver with a selected electronic control unit. A transceiver may be reconnected to a new ECU in an easy way, when the ECU to which the transceiver was originally connected to breaks down, which allows the new ECU to access the I/O-units of the broken ECU and which in turn provides an effective redundancy for the electrical control system.

Growing community of inventors

Gråbo, Sweden

Hamid Yhr