Electric power train control

Abstract

In a shared process control system for a power train of a hybrid electric vehicle operating responsive to operation of an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal and including a gas turbine powering a first motor-generator, a flywheel powering a second motor-generator, and a traction third motor-generator operatively coupled for selectively driving and being driven by vehicle wheels, each of the first, the second and the third motor-generators being commonly connected to a high voltage bus via respective rectifier-inverters controlled by a single controller, the control system is operated by a method including steps for operating of accelerator pedal to produce a substantially instantaneous increase in output torque with an increase in load on the bus by the traction motor to thereby produce a voltage drop, initiating increased power output from the flywheel motor-generator in response to the voltage drop to hold up bus voltage, thereby decreasing flywheel shaft speed, and subsequently producing a proportional increase in speed of the gas turbine in response to the decreasing shaft speed to thereby cause increased flow of fuel to the gas turbine so as to permit an increase in voltage provided by the first motor generator. A method for providing compressive braking is also described.