Out rotor drive electrical vane pump

Abstract

A variable displacement vane oil pump for use in a vehicle powertrain includes a mechanical drive coupled to a first portion of a rotor and an electrical drive coupled to a second portion of the rotor such that the variable displacement vane pump may be driven by either or both the mechanical and electrical drives to achieve greater efficiency and control while maintaining oil pressure under all circumstances including start/stop conditions. The oil pump, when being driven by the mechanical drive only, remains coupled to the electric drive such that it rotates the motor of the electric drive to generate electricity that may be used to recharge a source of electricity such as a battery. The electric drive further includes a four phase controller for controlling the motor of the electric drive to efficiently operate the variable displacement vane oil pump without the use of a pressure relief valve.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pump comprising:
 a housing having an inlet for receiving a supply of a fluid and an outlet for supplying the fluid at a pressure higher than the pressure of the fluid at the inlet;   a mechanical drive coupled to the pump for operating the pump; and   an electrical drive coupled to the pump for operating the pump wherein selectively the mechanical drive, the electrical drive or both mechanical and electrical drives may be used independently or in conjunction to operate the pump and control its fluid output.   
     
     
         2 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein the mechanical drive and the electrical drive are independently controllable. 
     
     
         3 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein the mechanical drive and electrical drive are independently operable at the same time. 
     
     
         4 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein the mechanical drive operates at a speed dependent upon the speed of an engine and the electrical drive operates at a speed independently of the speed of the engine. 
     
     
         5 . The pump of  claim 1  further comprising a variable displacement vane pump including a first inner rotor and a second outer rotor and wherein the mechanical drive comprises a shaft coupled to one of the inner rotor and outer rotor and the electrical drive includes an electric motor coupled to the other of the inner rotor and the outer rotor. 
     
     
         6 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein the mechanical drive is adapted to be coupled to a power takeoff from an engine. 
     
     
         7 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein the mechanical drive is a power takeoff from an engine. 
     
     
         8 . The pump of  claim 2  wherein the pump is a variable displacement pump is selected from a binary pump, vane pump, gerotor pump, axial piston pump, rotory valve and bent axis pump. 
     
     
         9 . A variable displacement oil pump for use in supplying oil to a powertrain of a vehicle, the pump comprising:
 a pump housing having an inlet for receiving a supply of a fluid and an outlet for supplying the fluid at a pressure higher than the pressure of the fluid at the inlet, the pump housing including a passage;   an inner rotor located in the pump housing;   an outer rotor located in the pump housing, the outer rotor including an engagement portion aligned with the passage in the pump housing, said inner rotor and said outer rotor being configured to pump fluid during relative rotational motion between said inner rotor and said outer rotor;   an electric motor including a drive member for coupling to the engagement portion of the outer rotor for providing selective rotation of said outer rotor; and   a mechanical drive coupled to the inner rotor for rotation of the inner rotor and operating of the pump.   
     
     
         10 . The variable displacement oil pump for use in supplying oil to a powertrain of a vehicle of  claim 9  wherein the movement of the inner rotor by way of the mechanical drive supplies torque to the electric motor for generating energy during preselected conditions. 
     
     
         11 . The variable displacement oil pump for use in supplying oil to a powertrain of a vehicle of  claim 10  further comprising an energy storing device for storing energy generated during said preselected conditions. 
     
     
         12 . The variable displacement oil pump for use in supplying oil to a powertrain of a vehicle of  claim 11  further comprising a controller including a four quadrant electrical motor driver capable of controlling speed and direction of motor rotation and direction of motor torque. 
     
     
         13 . The variable displacement oil pump for use in supplying oil to a powertrain of a vehicle of  claim 12  wherein the controller further comprises a first quadrant where motor rotation and torque are aligned in a first direction for pumping fluid and a second quadrant wherein motor rotation is in said first direction and torque is in an opposite second direction for generation of energy and supplying electrical energy to said storage device. 
     
     
         14 . The variable displacement oil pump for use in supplying oil to a powertrain of a vehicle of  claim 13  wherein the controller further comprises a third quadrant where motor direction and torque are aligned in said second opposite direction and a fourth quadrant of control wherein motor rotation is in a second direction and torque is in a first direction for generating and supplying energy to said electrical storage device. 
     
     
         15 . The variable displacement oil pump for use in supplying oil to a powertrain of a vehicle of  claim 14  wherein said energy storage device is selected from a battery, a capacitor or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The variable displacement oil pump for use in supplying oil to a powertrain of a vehicle of  claim 9  wherein said mechanical drive is a power takeoff of an engine. 
     
     
         17 . A pump, comprising:
 a housing having an inlet for receiving a supply of fluid and an outlet for supplying the fluid at a pressure higher than the pressure of the fluid at the inlet;   an outer rotor including an internal passage;   an inner rotor for being driven by a driveshaft, the inner rotor including a plurality of radially extending, outwardly biased vanes slidably disposed in the inner rotor;   an electrical drive coupled to the pump for operating the pump   wherein the inner rotor is located within the internal passage of the outer rotor and the inner and outer rotors my each be independently operated.   
     
     
         18 . The pump of  claim 17  wherein the inner passage of the outer rotor is shaped to move the biased pump fins toward a central axis of the pump as the inner rotor rotates relative the outer rotor. 
     
     
         19 . The pump of  claim 18  wherein the inner passage of the outer rotor has a generally elliptical shape. 
     
     
         20 . The pump of  claim 18  wherein the fins of the inner rotor are moved if the inner rotor is rotated. 
     
     
         21 . The pump of  claim 18  wherein the fins of the inner rotor are moved if the outer rotor is rotated. 
     
     
         22 . A method of pumping oil in a powertrain of a vehicle comprising the steps of:
 a. providing variable displacement oil pump for use in supplying oil to a powertrain of a vehicle, the pump which includes
 a pump housing having an inlet for receiving a supply of a fluid and an outlet for supplying the fluid at a pressure higher than the pressure of the fluid at the inlet, the pump housing including a passage; 
 a first pumping rotor located in the pump housing; 
 a second pumping rotor located in the pump housing such that relative rotation between the first pumping rotor and the second pumping rotor results in pumping of the fluid; and 
 an electric motor for driving one of said first rotor or second rotor and a separate mechanical drive for rotationally driving said second rotor, 
   b. providing a controller for selectively operating the electric motor for providing pumping action during preselected conditions.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the controller varies an output pressure that can be selected from a continuous range of pressures, independent of the operating speed of the mechanical drive of the pump and without the use of a pressure relief valve. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22  wherein said first rotor is an inner rotor rotational in the second rotor which is an outer rotor and the mechanical drive is operated to move the inner rotor of the pump to pump the oil from the inlet to the outlet. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the electrical drive is operated to move the rotor of the outer rotor of the pump to pump the oil from the inlet to the outlet. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the mechanical drive and the electrical drive are operated at the same time to move the inner and outer rotors of the pump to pump the oil from the inlet to the outlet. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the mechanical drive is operated to move a first rotor in a first direction and the electrical drive is operated to move a second rotor to pump the oil from the inlet to the outlet. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the electrical drive is operated using a four quadrant control strategy wherein said controller includes a four quadrant electrical motor driver capable of controlling speed and direction of motor rotation and direction of motor torque. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the controller further comprises a first quadrant where motor rotation and torque are aligned in a first direction for pumping of fluid and a second quadrant wherein motor rotation is in said first direction and torque is in an opposite second direction for generation of energy and supplying electrical energy to an energy storage device. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the controller further comprises a third quadrant where motor direction and torque are aligned in said second opposite direction and a fourth quadrant of control wherein motor rotation is in a second direction and torque is in a first direction for generating and supplying energy to said electrical storage device. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30  wherein said energy storage device is selected from a battery, a capacitor and a combination thereof.