Patent ID: 7588513

Claim:
A drive arrangement, comprising: a first drive system that includes an engine having a shaft, a gear set that includes differential gearing, the gear set also including a first shaft, a second shaft, and a third shaft, the first, second, and third shafts being rotatable, means for coupling the first shaft of the gear set to the shaft of the engine, a first dynamo-electric unit having a shaft; means for coupling the shaft of the first dynamo-electric unit to the second shaft of the gear set; a first brake that is selectively actuatable to immobilize the shaft of the first dynamo-electric unit, a second dynamo-electric unit having a shaft; means for coupling the third shaft of the gear set to the shaft of the second dynamo-electric unit, and a second brake that is selectively actuatable to immobilize the third shaft of the gear set; and a second drive system that includes a third dynamo-electric unit having a shaft, and transmission means for coupling the shaft of the second drive system to the shaft of the engine; a first clutch provided between and coupled to the engine and the second drive system; a second clutch provided between and coupled to the first dynamo-electric unit and the first load; a rechargeable device coupled to at least one of the first and second dynamo-electric units, the rechargeable device being rechargeable, when driven by the engine and at least one of a first and a second load is a light load that is less than a normal load, by power from either the first or the second dynamo-electric unit, the rechargeable device driving at least one of the first and second dynamo-electric units to function as a motor when driven by the engine and at least one of the first and second loads is a heavy load that is more than the normal load; and a drive control unit for controlling the first drive system, the second drive system, the first and second clutches, and the rechargeable device; wherein when the system operates as the series power drive system, the first clutch is disengaged so as to prevent a rotational kinetic energy from the engine from being transmitted to the second drive system, the second clutch is also disengaged, so that the engine runs at lower fuel consumption with higher fuel saving so as to reach brake specific fuel consumption, and meanwhile an electric power from the first dynamo-electric unit drives the second dynamo-electric unit via the control unit to drive the second load; and wherein when the system operates as the parallel power drive system, the first clutch is engaged so as to allow the rotational kinetic energy from the engine to be transmitted to the second drive system.