Motor/generator

1. A method of assembling a drive train, which drive train includes a transmission with a transmission housing and a transmission input shaft, a prime mover with an output shaft, and a motor/generator with a motor/generator housing and a rotor mounted at least partially within the motor/generator housing, which rotor is rotatable about a rotor rotation axis, the method comprising:

connecting the rotor to the transmission input shaft;

connecting the rotor to the output shaft of the prime mover;

mounting the motor/generator housing to the transmission housing by mounting an adapter component to the motor/generator housing and mounting the adapter component to the transmission housing;

wherein the motor/generator includes a transmission-shaft coupler that is drivingly coupled to the rotor;

the transmission-shaft coupler including a clamp with a plurality of adjustable jaws; and

connecting the rotor to the transmission input shaft including clamping the transmission-shaft coupler to the transmission input shaft by:

position the transmission input shaft between the jaws of the clamp: and

adjusting the jaws of the clamp toward the transmission input shaft until the transmission input shaft is clamped between the jaws of the clamp.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein mounting the motor/generator housing to the transmission housing includes:

mounting the adapter component to a mounting surface of the motor/generator housing such that the adapter component extends across at least a portion of an opening in the motor/generator housing; and

inserting the transmission input shaft through a portion of the opening in the motor/generator housing that the adapter component leaves exposed.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein inserting the transmission input shaft through a portion of the opening in the motor/generator housing that the adapter component leaves exposed includes inserting the transmission input shaft through a transmission-shaft opening of the adapter component.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the adapter component is a plate.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmission-shaft coupler and a base of the clamp are fixedly attached to the rotor prior to clamping the transmission-shaft coupler to the transmission input shaft.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

a base of the clamp is fixedly attached to the rotor with the jaws of the clamp disposed at different angular positions about the rotor rotation axis; and

the method further includes:

adjusting the jaws of the clamp in such a manner to reduce the run-out of the rotor with respect to the rotor rotation axis.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the motor/generator includes a motor/generator input shaft that is drivingly coupled to the rotor; and

connecting the rotor to the output shaft of the prime mover includes engaging the motor/generator input shaft to an interior surface of a variable-slip drive-train coupler, such that the motor/generator input shaft is drivingly coupled to the variable-slip drive-train coupler.

8. The method of claim 1 , further including:

attaching the motor/generator housing to a prime-mover housing of the prime mover.

9. A drive train, comprising:

a prime mover;

a variable-slip drive-train coupler engaged to an output shaft of the prime mover;

a transmission with an input shaft;

a motor/generator, including:

a motor/generator housing;

a stator mounted to the motor/generator housing;

a rotor mounted to the motor/generator housing and rotatable about a rotor rotation axis;

a motor/generator input shaft that is drivingly coupled to the rotor and that is engaged to an interior surface of the variable-slip drive-train coupler in such a manner to drivingly couple the motor/generator input shaft and the variable-slip drive-train coupler; and

wherein the rotor is drivingly coupled to the transmission input shaft.

10. The drive train of claim 9 , wherein:

the motor/generator further includes a transmission-shaft coupler that is drivingly coupled to the rotor; and

the transmission-shaft coupler includes a transmission-shaft recess with a surface that engages the transmission input shaft, such that the transmission-shaft coupler is drivingly coupled to the transmission input shaft.

11. The drive train of claim 10 , wherein the surface of the transmission-shaft recess and the interior surface of the variable-slip drive-train coupler are configured such that each could drivingly engage the transmission input shaft.

12. The drive train of claim 11 , wherein the transmission-shaft recess extends along a transmission-shaft axis that is substantially aligned with the rotor rotation axis.

13. The drive train of claim 10 , wherein the transmission-shaft coupler is fixedly attached to the rotor and the transmission-shaft recess extends along a transmission-shaft axis that is substantially aligned with the rotor rotation axis.

14. The drive train of claim 10 , wherein a circumference of the surface of the transmission-shaft recess that engages the transmission input shaft has substantially the same shape and size as a circumference of the interior surface of the variable-slip drive-train coupler that engages the motor/generator input shaft.

15. The drive train of claim 9 , wherein the motor/generator input shaft and the transmission input shaft are configured such that each could drivingly engage the interior surface of the variable-slip drive-train coupler.

16. The drive train of claim 15 , wherein the motor/generator input shaft is fixedly engaged to the rotor and extends along the rotor rotation axis.

17. The drive train of claim 9 , wherein a circumference of the transmission input shaft has substantially the same shape and size as a circumference of the motor/generator input shaft that engages the interior surface of the variable-slip drive-train coupler.

18. The drive train of claim 9 , wherein:

the motor/generator housing includes prime-mover-mounting features, through which the motor/generator housing is attached to a prime-mover housing of the prime mover; and

the motor/generator housing includes transmission-mounting features through which the motor/generator is mounted to a transmission housing of the transmission.

19. The drive train of claim 9 , wherein:

the motor/generator housing includes prime-mover-mounting features, through which the motor/generator housing is mounted to a prime-mover housing of the prime mover; and

the prime-mover-mounting features are in accordance with at least one of SAE® standards and ISO standards for mounting transmissions to prime movers.

20. The drive train of claim 19 , wherein the prime-mover-mounting features are in accordance with at least one of SAE® standard J617, SAE® standard J1172, and ISO standard ISO 7649.

21. The drive train of claim 9 , wherein:

the motor/generator housing further includes transmission-mounting features, through which the motor/generator housing is mounted to a transmission housing of the transmission; and

the transmission-mounting features are in accordance with at least one of SAE® standards and ISO standards for mounting transmissions to prime movers.

22. The drive train of claim 9 , further including:

an adapter component connected between the motor/generator housing and a transmission housing of the transmission.

23. The drive train of claim 9 , wherein the interior surface of the variable-slip drive-train coupler that the motor/generator input shaft is engaged to is an interior surface of an output hub of the variable-slip drive-train coupler.

24. The drive train of claim 9 , wherein:

the motor/generator further includes a transmission-shaft coupler that is drivingly coupled to the rotor;

the transmission-shaft coupler includes a clamp with a plurality of jaws; and

the transmission input shaft is clamped between the jaws of the clamp.

25. The drive train of claim 9 , wherein the transmission-shaft coupler is fixedly engaged to the rotor and the transmission input shaft supports a substantial portion of the weight of the rotor.