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Department of Engineering, ICT and Technologies for Energy and Transport Patent Title System for vehicle propulsion. Ref. CNR 10515 Assignee(s): CNR CNR Institute: IM Main inventor: Luigi De Simio Countries: IT Priority date: 28/02/2017 Abstract The invention concerns a system to transform a conventional power train layout, constituted by an internal combustion engine and a gearbox, into a power train, with additional features, which requires only a reversal of the rotational direction of the engine or of the gear box. The additional feature consists in the capability of recovering kinetic vehicle energy, in particular during deceleration and braking phases, and tapping mechanical energy during normal running. Background The internal combustion engines are characterized by high thermal efficiency values in limited areas of the operating plane. Therefore, the use of the engine in conditions of high efficiency may provide even more advantages, in terms of fuel consumption, than the development of the engine itself. To this end, manufacturers have developed complex propulsion systems that generally provide for the aid of two electric motors and require the complete redesign of the engine, the transmission and the vehicle itself. Technology The present invention uses a planetary gear train interposed between the internal combustion engine and the gearbox, which has a minimum impact on the current transmission architecture, thus allowing for a faster transfer of technology at low cost and without any significant distortions of driving style. Advantages and Applications The system allows for changes to the vehicle propulsion system, implementing the possibility to recover part of the energy dissipated by the entrainment of the internal combustion engine during deceleration phases and the tapping of energy during normal operation to be used for starting the engine or for traction, without a total redesign of the combustion engine and / or the transmission. Development stage A system prototype is under development in IM-CNR laboratories for benchmarking performance tests. 39