Abstract: A modular cargo vehicle for transportation of cargo by a rider. The cargo vehicle includes a tow cycle, a front cargo module, and a trailer cargo module. The tow cycle has a rider seat, a front axle with a front wheel, a rear axle with one rear wheel, and a pedal crank to facilitate driving of the tow cycle by the rider via a pedal crank. A rear end of the front cargo module is coupled to a front end of the tow cycle. The front cargo module has a front axle with a front wheel, a cargo-receiving area, and no rear axle. A front end of the trailer cargo module is coupled to a rear end of the tow cycle. The trailer cargo module has a cargo-receiving area and an axially central axle with two wheels.

Abstract: An electromagnetic machine includes a stator that includes a back plate and a plurality of electrical conductors radially disposed on the back plate. The electromagnetic machine also includes a rotor that includes a body having an outer diameter corresponding to an inner diameter of the stator and at least one magnet having a first end disposed proximate the stator and a second end disposed opposite the first end. The electromagnetic machine also includes an engaging member disposed on a shaft that extends axially relative to the rotor, the engaging member being configured to engage at least one recessed portion of the rotor.

Abstract: An electrical control system for a vehicle includes: a plurality of zone controllers each associated with a corresponding physical region of the vehicle, and each having an identical hardware configuration: a high-speed digital communications network interconnecting the plurality of zone controllers; and a plurality of I/O controllers each including at least one of: an input circuit configured to receive a digital or analog signal from a sensor device, or an output circuit configured to produce and transmit a digital or analog signal to an output device.

Abstract: An impingement cooling system includes a porous heat spreader and a nozzle configured to direct a fluid as a jet and/or as a spray impinging upon the porous heat spreader. The porous heat spreader is made of a thermally-conductive material such as a metal, metal alloy, carbon/graphite, or ceramic, and is in thermal contact with a heat source. The nozzle may be configured to direct the fluid as a jet comprising a single component liquid or gas (including air) or a liquid mixture such as water-glycol or other coolants. The nozzle may be configured to direct the fluid as a spray comprising a single component liquid or gas (including air) or a liquid mixture such as water-glycol or other coolants. The cooling system may include one or more nozzles, which may direct the cooling fluid orthogonally or at an oblique angle to an impingement plate.

Abstract: An electromagnetic machine includes a stator that includes a back plate and a plurality of electrical conductors radially disposed on the back plate. The electromagnetic machine also includes a rotor that includes a body having an outer diameter corresponding to an inner diameter of the stator and at least one magnet having a first end disposed proximate the stator and a second end disposed opposite the first end. The electromagnetic machine also includes an engaging member disposed on a shaft that extends axially relative to the rotor, the engaging member being configured to engage at least one recessed portion of the rotor.

Abstract: An impingement cooling system includes a porous heat spreader and a nozzle configured to direct a fluid as a jet and/or as a spray impinging upon the porous heat spreader. The porous heat spreader is made of a thermally-conductive material such as a metal, metal alloy, carbon/graphite, or ceramic, and is in thermal contact with a heat source. The nozzle may be configured to direct the fluid as a jet comprising a single component liquid or gas (including air) or a liquid mixture such as water-glycol or other coolants. The nozzle may be configured to direct the fluid as a spray comprising a single component liquid or gas (including air) or a liquid mixture such as water-glycol or other coolants. The cooling system may include one or more nozzles, which may direct the cooling fluid orthogonally or at an oblique angle to an impingement plate.

Abstract: A vehicle system includes an electric motor that also operates as a generator. A torque transfer mechanism is attached to the electric motor and a second torque transfer mechanism is connected via a disconnect mechanism. An AC compressor is attached to the first torque transfer mechanism via a clutch, which has an open position and a closed position. During recuperation, the second torque transfer mechanism is connected to the first torque transfer mechanism and the clutch is closed, and the compressor is driven by the motor. During stand-still, the second torque transfer mechanism is disconnected from the first torque transfer mechanism, and the compressor is driven by the motor. During drive operation, the second torque transfer mechanism is connected to the first torque transfer mechanism, and the clutch is open such that the compressor is not driven, but the system continues to provide cool air to the vehicle cabin.

Abstract: A motor drive system and method for determining an optimized efficiency of the motor drive system are provided. The motor drive system includes a system controller, a motor drive having includes an inverter configured to generate the AC power upon one or more motor leads, and an electric motor, which is to convert the AC power from the motor leads to rotational energy. A dynamometer may include a load coupled to the shaft and sensors to measure to measure operating characteristics such as torque and speed of the electric motor. The system controller is configured to generate a lookup table, with an entry describing an output current command for operating the inverter and the motor at a maximum system efficiency for a given combination rotational speed and output torque. Motor temperature may also be measured and used as an additional index into the lookup table.

Abstract: A motor drive system for an electrified vehicle includes a DC source, such as a battery, and an inverter, which includes one or more phase drivers, each configured to switch current from the DC source to generate AC power upon one or more output terminals using a hybrid of two or more different solid-state switches, each having a corresponding voltage rating. A nine-switch inverter includes three phase drivers, each including high, low, and middle solid-state switches, with Si-MOSFET high and low switches having a first voltage rating of half of the rated voltage of the system, and with Gallium Nitride (GaN) transistors rated to block a full rated voltage of the system used for the middle switches. A delay driver synchronizes timing between two different solid-state switches by energizing control terminals at different rates. The inverter can be operated using near-state pulse-width modulation (NSPWM) to reduce switching losses.

Abstract: A cargo bicycle for transporting a load via a rider. The cargo bicycle includes a front wheel, a rear wheel, a load bed arranged between the front wheel and the rear wheel, a rider seat; and a crank to facilitate the driving of the cargo bicycle by the rider, the crank having, in a longitudinal direction of the cargo bicycle, a crank axis arranged in substantially a same longitudinal position as a rear wheel axis of the rear wheel and away from the load bed.

Abstract: A multi-phase LLC power converter comprises a plurality of LLC phases each including a resonant tank and a switching stage. The resonant tank includes a resonant inductor, a resonant capacitor, and a parallel inductance. The switching stage switches an input power at an operating frequency to apply a switched power to the resonant tank, with the switched power approximating an alternating current (AC) waveform having a switching frequency. A secondary-side controller varies the switching frequency to control an output voltage of the multi-phase LLC power converter. A primary-side controller measures primary-side currents, calculates an initial switch-controlled capacitor (SCC) conduction phase angle for each of the LLC phases, and operates an SCC switch in accordance with an SCC conduction phase angle to adjust the capacitance of the resonant capacitor of an LLC phase to cause each of the LLC phases to have equal resonant frequencies.

Abstract: A rotor for a wound-field synchronous machine (WFSM) comprises a core having a base with a ring-shaped cross-section extending between an outside surface and an inside surface defining a bore. The rotor also comprises a plurality of field windings spaced apart from one another at regular angular intervals and each extending around the base of the core, adjacent the outside surface and through the bore. Rotor field windings having radial, or spoke configurations are provided. Rotor field windings having V-shaped arrangements, in which two field windings each contribute to the production of each pole, are also provided. Rotors having permanent magnets in addition to field windings are also provided.

Abstract: A power converter includes an integrated multi-layer cooling structure. The power converter includes a plurality of printed circuit boards (PCBs) stacked together in a generally vertical arrangement. A liquid cooling mechanism is attached to a lower-most PCB, and high loss circuitry components are attached to an opposite side of the lower-most PCB. Low loss circuitry components are attached to further PCBs. Magnetic components may be attached to the further PCBs. The high loss components are actively cooled by the liquid cooling mechanism and the low loss components and magnetic components are passively cooled. The liquid cooling mechanism may be a cold plate heatsink. The power converter may include intermediate PCBs disposed between the upper-most PCB and the lower-most PCB, with low loss circuitry components attached to the intermediate PCBs.

Abstract: A system for transferring waste heat from a range extender module of an electric vehicle to a cabin module includes a cooling circuit in the range extender module and a heating circuit of the cabin module. The cooling circuit is thermally coupled to the heating circuit. The cooling circuit includes a thermal coupler and the heating circuit includes a corresponding thermal coupler. The thermal coupler of the cabin module heating circuit may be disposed at the rear of the cabin module, and the thermal coupler for the cooling circuit of the range extender module may be disposed at the front of the range extender module. The thermal coupler of the range extender module may be longitudinally adjustable.

Abstract: A method and system for characterizing a state of health of a winding of an electric machine are provided. The winding may include one or more stator windings in an electric machine, for example, a permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM). The method comprises: applying a voltage pulse to the winding; measuring a phase current signal of a current supplied to the winding; determining a high-frequency transient current based on the phase current signal. The state of health of the winding may be calculated as a function of change in frequency spectrum of the high-frequency transient current. The method may include calculating a plurality of packets using a wavelet packet decomposition of the high-frequency transient current; and determining one or both of: the state of health or a classification of degradation, using an indicator based upon at least one packet of the plurality of packets.

Abstract: Permanent magnet (PM) flux strength in a permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) can be affected by operating conditions including thermal, mechanical, environmental and electrical stresses. Reduced flux strength, also called demagnetization, can lead to the degradation of the efficiency, performance and reliability of the machine and the drive system. A reliable PM strength, PM flux linkage, PM SOH, PM demagnetization detection method using the same inverter (i.e. motor drive) used to operate the PMSM is provided. The method comprises applying phase voltages to each of a plurality of motor leads of the PMSM with the PMSM at a stand-still condition; measuring current in each of the plurality of motor leads of the PMSM while applying the phase voltages thereto; and determining at least one of flux linkage, PM strength, PM SoH, or PM demagnetization based on a value of the current in at least one of the motor leads.

Abstract: A cooling jacket for an electric motor comprises a fluid passage disposed adjacent to a stator and configured to convey a cooling fluid. The cooling jacket includes a flow mixing enhancer within the fluid passage adjacent an axial end of the stator. The flow mixing enhancer includes baffles, a porous fibrous structure, and/or an open-cell foam to provide greater thermal conductance at a region adjacent to the axial ends than it provides to a central region therebetween. A flow bridge directs the cooling fluid through circumferential flow paths adjacent to both of the axial ends before the cooling fluid is circulated in a central flow path around the central region of the stator. One or more nozzles direct a jet of cooling fluid upon the stator end winding, a rotor end winding, and/or printed circuit board. A ring-shaped coolant header may supply the cooling fluid to the nozzles.

Abstract: An electric drive module (e-drive module) for an electric motor vehicle and chain driven electric-drive (e-drive) gearbox therefor is provided. The e-drive gearbox has first and second chain members operably coupling an output shaft of an electric motor to a shaft of a driven output member. A first drive gear is rotatable with the output shaft of the electric motor. A first driven gear is coupled to the first drive gear via the first chain member. A second driven gear is coupled to the first driven gear via a common shaft and co-rotatable with the first driven gear. A second drive gear is coupled to the second driven gear via the second chain member. The respective rotational axes of the first and second drive gears and the first and second driven gears are parallel to each other.

Abstract: An impingement cooling system includes a porous heat spreader and a nozzle configured to direct a fluid as a jet and/or as a spray impinging upon the porous heat spreader. The porous heat spreader is made of a thermally-conductive material such as a metal, metal alloy, carbon/graphite, or ceramic, and is in thermal contact with a heat source. The nozzle may be configured to direct the fluid as a jet comprising a single component liquid or gas (including air) or a liquid mixture such as water-glycol or other coolants. The nozzle may be configured to direct the fluid as a spray comprising a single component liquid or gas (including air) or a liquid mixture such as water-glycol or other coolants. The cooling system may include one or more nozzles, which may direct the cooling fluid orthogonally or at an oblique angle to an impingement plate.

Abstract: A system for transferring waste heat from a range extender module of an electric vehicle to a cabin module includes a cooling circuit in the range extender module and a heating circuit of the cabin module. The cooling circuit is thermally coupled to the heating circuit. The cooling circuit includes a thermal coupler and the heating circuit includes a corresponding thermal coupler. The thermal coupler of the cabin module heating circuit may be disposed at the rear of the cabin module, and the thermal coupler for the cooling circuit of the range extender module may be disposed at the front of the range extender module. The thermal coupler of the range extender module may be longitudinally adjustable.