Affordable Hybrid Drive System for Small to Medium Sized Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV)

There has been a recent increase in efforts to develop small/medium robots for military use. These robots, or UGVs (Unmanned Ground Vehicles), are sophisticated pieces of equipment that are beginning to represent many of the technological advancementsfound in future/prototype vehicles. One such technology that offers many benefits, but not yet implemented, is the HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) drive system. These drive systems have proven to be effective for lowering fuel consumption, emissions, andacoustic signatures in other applications. UQM Technologies, Inc. is proposing to design an HE drive system for the UGV applications that offers the mentioned benefits and is affordable as compared to a conventional drive system. The Phase I work willconclude with the delivery of a final report that shows the system design concept with the feasibility of manufacturing the design. The design will consist of an IC engine, a modular permanent magnet motor/generator design, a patented phase advancecontrol scheme, and a battery pack/management unit. The system design will meet all of the minimum threshold parameters, while achieving many of the objective parameters, for overall operation effectiveness. The Phase I Option will concentrate onpurchasing, characterizing, and detail integration of the heavy fuel IC engine. Although the drive system is directly related to military UGVs, there is an anticipated use in the commercial sector. Several types of vehicles can benefit from the reducedemissions and battery operation mode offered by the HEV drive system. Some examples of these applications include warehouse vehicles, man-lifts, and general utility vehicles. In addition, the intended motor/generator design will be modular in nature andwill be configurable for many applications outside this HEV drive. This will increase part production quantity and lower unit cost for all applications.