CPC F02B 61/06 (2013.01) [F02B 63/04 (2013.01); B02C 13/30 (2013.01)] | 22 Claims |
1. A machine comprising:
a mechanical transmission system coupled to a mechanical load;
an internal combustion engine coupled to the mechanical transmission system;
an electrical system;
at least one motor-generator coupled to the electrical system and to the mechanical transmission system,
wherein, in at least one mode of operation, said electrical system is configured to deliver electrical power to said at least one motor-generator, said at least one motor-generator being configured to generate mechanical power from said electrical power and to deliver said mechanical power to the mechanical transmission system to drive said mechanical load,
and wherein said internal combustion engine has a rotatable output shaft that is coupled to said mechanical transmission system by a coupling that is configured to, or is configurable to, allow transmission of rotational movement from the output shaft to the transmission system and to prevent transmission of rotational movement from the transmission system to the internal combustion engine,
and wherein, in at least one other mode of operation, said internal combustion engine is configured to deliver mechanical power to said mechanical load via said mechanical transmission system, said coupling being configured to allow transmission of rotational movement from the output shaft to the transmission system,
and wherein in at least one of said at least one mode of operation said at least one motor-generator delivers said mechanical power to the mechanical transmission system to drive said mechanical load, said coupling being configured to prevent transmission of rotational movement from the transmission system to the internal combustion engine.
|