Abstract:
A reluctance force brake device applies the coupling and combining concept of the reluctance braking unit to the original rotating source or say mechanical rotation axle for kinetic energy output. The reluctance braking unit, utilizing electrical energy from forward electrical energy source or brake reverse recover energy, generates the reverse reluctance force to reduce the speed of rotating source to operate brake action. The driving design can be extended to absorb the brake reverse recovery energy for recycling in motives related applications, which can help to upgrade or replace the bake system of traditional mechanical vehicles or electrical vehicles, and improve the applicability for drive-by-wire development trend.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention is concerned with a method and apparatus to construct a reluctance force brake device, being related to an applicable reluctance force utilization design and implementation of the brake device and particularly to a brake device that employs reluctance force to accomplish the brake function of the operation tasks. The method and apparatus involves the alternative structure, for the replacement consideration of mechanical type brake device, in a wire-controlled scheme that can provide the brake function by production of the reverse reluctance force production while the brake action is required.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The concept of applying drive-by-wire system for constructing an overall electric scheme, being feasible to the related applications, is mainly to replace mechanical elements of brake devices, which may employ oil pressure control and gears such as a fuel pedal and a steering wheel, by an electronic driving approach. SKF Co. and Bertone jointly developed a prototype concept car named FILO in 2001 that adopted the drive-by-wire technique with an integrated system control unit. As electronic signal transmission is more sensitive than mechanical operation and conforming the electronically controlled trend for the improvement of development for the conventionally mechanical type motion control, in the event of an accident, a corresponding passive protection measure may be taken for an integration driving, so called drive-by-wire, in an easier way. However, the market for this opinion is not mature for being still in lack of acceptable response capability about the safety operation mechanism of that type of vehicles. It is obviously that needing more research efforts involved for improving the safety acceptability. No doubt that the consideration for the brake function plays the important role for the techniques development.  
         [0003]     Energy recycling and recovery related techniques and applications have been generally realized in the prior art. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,782 to Hatanaka issued Mar. 20, 2001, disclosed a technique for recovering thermal energy that used two flywheels to transform mechanical energy into electric energy and store the energy in a battery to design the operation procedures for reusing the braking energy for a hybrid vehicle propulsion system. To increase the braking power without exceeding a predetermined braking power and focus on the action apparatus used in electric motor vehicles was addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,791 to Kawashima et al. issued Jan. 3, 1995. However, the method for the recovery energy applying to do the brake operation was not elaborated herein. The mechanical structure needed to actuate the brake function also took a greater proportion in the system design. The prior art described in patents does not explicitly cover both the operation consideration and steps related to the method and apparatus for design concept about how to utilize the recovery braking energy with/without energy feedback flow and the auxiliary energy source is also taken into account to improve the brake effectiveness. In fact, an electric-driven brake device is still the apparently technical bottleneck for the drive-by-wire vehicle system development and has to be explored for breakthrough.  
         [0004]     The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) has defined Federal Test Procedure 75 (FTP75), targeting an electrical vehicle (EV) that regulates brake test mechanisms and processes, including frequency/speed of rotation, operation ratio range of torque, and so forth. It can be clearly observed that while testing the present electrical vehicles according to FTP75, the ratio of energy deployment and operation under the brake conditions is still excessively high. The brake performance and reliability are no doubt the important examination factors needed to put to the test. All this mentioned above indicates that while the present vehicles have progress on the issues of energy conservation and recovery energy application, there are still no overall effective solutions to solve the problem of energy consumption during braking process, and no verbosity the more challengeable research topic for the development of present electrical vehicles.  
         [0005]     For the vehicle body designed with mechanical transmission, the braking mechanism has even a greater field to be discussed for system performance upgrading. Conventional brake operation based on the mechanical transmission is usually accomplished through plate brakes and speed reducing mechanisms. For simplicity, they generally can be divided into drum type brakes and disk type brakes. The ordinary vehicles mostly adopt the design of disk type brakes on the front wheels to perform the brake action and drum type brakes on the rear wheels as well. The function of the drum type brake is acting like a clip, which is spread to increase friction effect on the brake linings to reduce the speed of the vehicle. As for the disk type brake, it uses a clip-like component to clamp symmetrical disk mounted on the rotation axle to achieve the brake function. The disk type brake can stop the vehicles at a shorter distance than the drum type brake, thus is safer in this discussion opinion. Besides, some vehicles are also coupled with a brake-locking prevention function, such as an anti-brake system (ABS), to improve safety. However, these mechanically dominated brake devices still require brake oil and some pollutants for the operation. In terms of energy deployment, converting kinetic energy to thermal energy involves heat dissipation. The temperature under the heat reaction status could reach several hundred degrees Celsius. This mechanical mechanism technique still needs further improvement in the opinion of environmental protection and energy utilization, especially for the research of drive-by-wire vehicles. Moreover, the service life and severe life cycle of the conventional brake systems is not predictable because the affecting factors, which can be focus on wearing and aging, deteriorate systems during randomly occurred brake operation. Besides of that, the maintenance for safety concern also makes it relatively expensive to replace the brake elements while considering the cost in specific time intervals.  
         [0006]     The feasibility to operate the switched reluctance (SR) machines, the electrical machines with double-salience that without winding in its rotor, and owning the advantages of high power density, high robustness with rigid structure and temperature allowance, simple structure for low materials and manufacturing cost, wide speed range, and so on, is proved under assigned brake function in published lectures. In  IEEE Transactions on Magnetics,  39(5), 3253 (2003), Osamu Ichinokura et al. have developed the evaluation simulation model of SR machines, including the dynamic behavior calculation for generator utilization, being useful for analysis and design. The study has also shown that SR machines can meet the requirements for propulsion application using microcontroller-based drives by Robert B. Inderka et al. published in  IEEE Transaction on Industrial Electronics,  49(1), 48 (2002). Hereafter, to apply the high environmental robustness reluctance force production source to achieve the objectives, which can construct the drive-by-wire vehicles concrete concept and enlarge the reluctance force application fields, both by the means of the energy reused concept based on the transiently required reverse reluctance force supplying for brake function is the original invention motivation.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     In view of the aforesaid problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a reluctance force brake device to aid or replace the brake systems used in the conventional vehicles or electrical vehicles, and can recycle the braking energy of the electrical vehicles and provide the reverse reluctance force for braking.  
         [0008]     In order to achieve the foregoing object, the reluctance force brake device, according to the present invention, mainly executes the brake action for a rotating source. The rotating source generates mechanical energy, which is output through the connecting rotation axle. The reluctance force brake device includes a reluctance braking unit and a driving unit. The reluctance braking unit is coupled with the rotation axle to generate the reluctance force in the reverse direction comparing with the axle rotation direction by electric energy supplying, to reduce the rotation speed of the axle. The driving unit is electrically connected to the reluctance braking unit, to transform electric energy to drive the reluctance braking unit.  
         [0009]     The foregoing, as well as additional objects, advantages and salient features of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a first embodiment of the invention, depicted the main concept of the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of the principle and implementation of the SR machine, partially in approximately cross section, of a known SR machine structure.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the implementation of the SR machines driving unit, partially represents one kind of the standard circuits and overall topologies related to driving phases.  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is one perspective drawing of the preferred embodiment with simplified structure design view of the reluctance braking unit being shown schematically.  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view of a second embodiment of the invention, particular for additional brake systems related applications.  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a schematic view of a third embodiment of the invention, particular for internal combustion engine related applications.  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  is a schematic view of a fourth embodiment of the invention, particular for conventional mechanical mechanism related applications with rotation and brake. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0017]     The reluctance force brake device according to the invention uses reluctance force as motive energy required for braking. It not only can be adopted for usage of electrical or conventional vehicles, it can also be widely adopted for application on various types of kinetically or rotationally mechanical equipments and facilities.  
         [0018]     Referring to  FIG. 1  for a first embodiment of the present invention adopted for usage on broadly defined electric machinery includes electric carriers, electric tools, and even large household appliances, such as washing machines and the like. The electric machinery (not shown in the drawing) provides electric energy through a power supply circuit (not shown in the drawing). An electric motor  110  is provided as rotating source to transfer electric energy to mechanical energy, which is output through a rotation axle  120 . In this embodiment, the reluctance force brake device includes a reluctance braking unit  210 , a driving unit  220  and an electric power supply  230 . The electric motor  110  is the main braking mechanism to perform brake action.  
         [0019]     The reluctance braking unit  210  is coupled with the electric motor  110  or the rotation axle  120 , to generate reluctance force through electric energy. In practice, it may be a reluctance motor, preferably a switched reluctance (SR) machine. Before elaborating the applications of the reluctance braking unit  210 , its operation principle and characteristics are described as follows:  
         [0020]     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the reluctance motor  10  (the motor is taken as an example in the embodiment, but is not the limitation. The reluctance motor  10  has a four-phase electric input, and the numbers of poles of the stator and rotor are eight and six, respectively, and denoted as  8 / 6 ). The structure representation of the reluctance motor  10  mainly includes stator poles  1 - 8  and a rotor  9  for ease of introduction. The electric power supply circuit includes control switches, which is denoted by SW 1 -SW 4 . The supplying voltage controlled by the control switches SW 1 -SW 4 , according to the rotor position and relatively desired actuation phase for producing reluctance force in reverse direction, is represented by V 1 -V 4 , respectively. The basic principle of the reluctance motor  10  is channeling the magnetic path through where the magnetic resistance is the least. Hence when current conducts through the pole sets (in this example, it can be said to be the following pole pairs: ( 1 , 2 ), ( 3 , 4 ), ( 5 , 6 ), and ( 7 , 8 ) for related actuation phases) corresponding to the stator poles  1 - 8 , the force, so called reluctance force, is generated to channel the magnetic path in the direction which tends to have the minimum magnetic resistance, which means the angle/position that the least reluctance exists as well. Reluctance can be defined further that the value equals to the ratio of magneto-motive force to magnetic flux. Namely, the reluctance force makes the rotor  9  tend to face that pole set of the stator. The reluctance force related torque expression could be contained and given in the following equation:  
         T   e     =     ∑       1   2     ⁢     i   x   2     ⁢       ∂     L   x         ∂   θ               
     Where     
       Te   =     output   ⁢           ⁢   torque         
         i   =     phase   ⁢           ⁢   conduction   ⁢           ⁢   current       ⁢     
     ⁢   L   =     equivalent   ⁢           ⁢   magnetic   ⁢           ⁢   inductance   ⁢           ⁢   associated   ⁢           ⁢   with   ⁢           ⁢   the   ⁢           ⁢   reluctance         
       and   ⁢           ⁢   exists   ⁢           ⁢   the   ⁢           ⁢   approximately   ⁢           ⁢   inverse   ⁢           ⁢   proportion   ⁢           ⁢   with   ⁢           ⁢   each   ⁢           ⁢   other       
       θ   =     rotor   ⁢           ⁢   angle         
       suffix   ⁢           ⁢   x   ⁢           ⁢   means   ⁢           ⁢   phase   ⁢           ⁢     expression   .         
 
         [0021]     The reluctance motor  10  is an electric motor. As mentioned above, it can output reluctance torque to drive the rotor to the angle/position where the equivalent magnetic inductance is the maximum (means the reluctance is the minimum). The reluctance motor  10  may be rotary or linear type. The rotor  9  may be designed and placed to be internal or external motion type structure. Besides, the coils of the stator poles  1 - 8  are wound in an overlapped fashion or distributed in many phases to be magnetized in a single phase or multiple phases at the same time. When the reluctance motor  10  rotates, generally the phase is magnetized while the related phase equivalent magnetic inductance either varies in increasing or decreasing. In the same means, while the equivalent magnetic inductance changes the variation fashion, magnetization stops.  
         [0022]     To people skilled in the art, the reluctance motor is a rough, inexpensive motor with low material cost as described in the former introduction. It can provide a relatively large torque, and the rotor structure is suitable for high-speed rotation under severe environment. Moreover, it can withstand a higher temperature, thus is a desirable driving source for brake operation.  
         [0023]     For the present invention, the reluctance motor has many advantages such as high power density, withstanding high temperature allowance, rigid structure, and so forth. It meets the requirements of the braking mechanism that operates in tough and demanding environments.  
         [0024]     The electric energy source required by the reluctance motor  10  may be an electric power supply  230  ( FIG. 1 ) or a braking energy source  20  generated by the energy transformation between the kinetic energy and electric energy of an electric motor  110  during braking operation. It mainly presents in the form of transient voltage increasing. In terms of energy recycling, using the braking energy source  20  is preferable. But for fully considering the brake performance and safety, the electric power supply  230  may be used as an auxiliary usage for electric energy supplying. In practice, the electric power supply  230  may be a first battery (not shown in the drawings) that recovers electric energy in the electric machinery, or an extra second battery (not shown in the drawings) as well. Generation of the braking energy source  20  is described as follows: when the electric motor  110  performs a braking action, mechanical energy outputted by the electric motor  110  decreases; the reduced energy incurs abruptly a high voltage and a corresponding return current in the power supply circuit for the electric motor  110 . The voltage may be called regenerative voltage and a braking energy source  20  is existed herein. Application of the recovery energy may adopt the design that includes the driving unit  220 . In practice, the driving unit  220  may be an asymmetrical half-bridge converter, as shown in  FIG. 3 . Each limb will be channeled through that related to the desired windings of the pole sets by current for performing the brake function. At switch-off the current transfers from the switches to flow through the diodes d of the limb.  
         [0025]     Referring to  FIG. 1  again, when the electric motor  110  is under the ordinary operating condition, the reluctance braking unit  210  is not activated. It is driven by the electric motor  110  to rotate. When the braking action starts to execute, the electric power supply  230  provides electric energy, and the reluctance braking unit  210  generates a reluctance force which opposes the rotational direction of the rotation axle  120  by the output of electric motor  110 . Therefore, the braking and speed reducing function is generated and achieved. Next, the power supply circuit of the electric motor  110  may transmit reverse energy through the build-up energy flow absorbing source (braking energy source) while braking takes place. The energy may be supplied to the reluctance braking unit  210  through the driving unit  220  to accomplish the energy recycling and reused purpose. Moreover, practically the reluctance braking unit  210  can perform the brake function without violent reversion of the rotation direction of the electric motor  110  or the rotation axle  120  by providing a reverse force to diminish the rotational momentum smoothly. As shown in  FIG. 4 , depicted one simplified structure of the reluctance braking unit originated from the structures of SR machines. In practical applications, the rotor  9  can be designed to be the structure with merely two salient poles to produce the flux through path. The physical reluctance concept for the magnetic flux channels through the path with the minimum reluctance is applied for realizing this embodiment as well. The supply of the voltage for forming the magnetic flux is controlled by the control switches (not shown in the drawing) according to the position of rotor  9  for generating reluctance force in desired direction. As the brake action is required, the stator pole pair, being the closest to the poles of rotor  9  or decided by the specific sequence set for rotation direction, can be either actuated by impressing electric energy on the winding at the shortest time for emergency condition or rotated using controlled voltage supply command sequence in the reverse direction to achieve this function. This embodiment is arranged to provide a comparative thinking for possible application in a concrete scheme. The combination unit, denoted in  FIG. 4 , could be implemented by mean of coupling connect design with consideration of manufacturing ease issue, such as union welding, axle extension, and so on.  
         [0026]     To refer to  FIG. 5  for a second embodiment of the invention and the concept can be describe further. The electric machinery (not shown in the drawing) is operated in coordination to a conventional brake mechanism  313 , such as an ABS, drum type brake, disk type brake and a combination thereof, or other electric brake control systems applied on an electric motor  311  or rotation axle  312 . In this embodiment, the reluctance force brake device functions as an auxiliary brake device. In this condition, which does not require to supply relatively great reverse reluctance force for not only one brake mechanism existed, the electric power supply  323  may be dispensed with. Electric energy required by the reluctance braking unit  321  may be only the recovery energy provided by the driving unit  322  partially constructed with brake energy source from the energy transformation flow. This embodiment plays the role to own the competence for providing the reverse reluctance force for auxiliary braking.  
         [0027]     In addition to the electric vehicle depicted in the embodiment mentioned above, the mechanical apparatus that uses internal combustion energy for a rotating source such as gasoline engines or diesel engines, may also adopt the reluctance force brake device of the present invention to replace the existing brake system, and to increase the electrification proportion.  
         [0028]     Refer to  FIG. 6  for a third embodiment of the invention. An internal combustion engine  411  transforms the thermal energy of fuel to mechanical energy and output through a rotation axle  412 . The reluctance force brake device provides the primary energy source for braking. The techniques is similar to the previous embodiments, a driving unit  422  uses the electric energy of an electric power supply  423  to drive a reluctance braking unit  421  to generate a reverse reluctance force. Depending on the coupling approach between the reluctance braking unit  421  and the internal combustion engine  411  or rotation axle  412 , the reverse reluctance force may be applied on the internal combustion engine  411  or the rotation axle  412 .  
         [0029]     Referring to  FIG. 7 , for existing vehicles installed with a gasoline or a diesel engine, though the brake mechanism  510  has already existed, the reluctance force brake device of the invention can still be added and installed to reduce the load and wearing of the existing brake mechanism  510 , and to increase electrification proportion and operation safety as well.  
         [0030]     While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments, which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.