Vehicle system to recapture kinetic energy
First Claim
1. A fluid drive system having energy regeneration and storage capabilities for driving a vehicle comprising:
- an electrical energy supply source mounted on the vehicle;
at least one electrical motor electrically connected to said electrical supply source;
a hydraulic pump driven by said electrical motor;
a low pressure hydraulic fluid supply tank supplying fluid to said hydraulic pump;
a pneumatically charged accumulator tank for storing pressurized hydraulic fluid;
a combination hydraulic motor and pump being alternately driven by hydraulic fluid from said hydraulic pump and said pneumatically charged accumulator tank; and
an electrical regeneration system for regenerating said electrical energy supply, said electrical regeneration system powered by hydraulic fluid pumped by said combination hydraulic motor and pump.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A fluid drive system that can be used to drive a vehicle and has energy regeneration and storage capabilities. The fluid drive system includes an electrical energy supply source mounted on the vehicle, at least one electrical motor electrically connected to the electrical supply source, and a hydraulic pump driven that may be of the variable displacement type by the electrical motor. The fluid drive system may also include a low pressure hydraulic fluid supply tank supplying fluid to the hydraulic pump, at least one pneumatically charged accumulator tank for storing pressurized hydraulic fluid, a combination hydraulic motor and pump that may also be of the variable displacement type being alternately driven by the hydraulic pump and the pneumatically charged accumulator tank; and an electrical regeneration system for regenerating the electrical energy supply. The electrical regeneration system may be powered by hydraulic fluid from the combination electrical motor and pump. The combination hydraulic motor and pump propels the vehicle during acceleration and speed maintaining operations and may also serves as a braking mechanism during deceleration of the vehicle. The combination hydraulic motor and pump may also pump hydraulic fluid into the pneumatically charged accumulator tank during at least a portion of the time that the vehicle is decelerating. The combination hydraulic motor and pump may further pump hydraulic fluid for powering the electrical regeneration system when the pneumatically charged accumulator tank is fully pressurized. The electrical regeneration system also has the ability to recharge the electrical energy supply while the vehicle is stopped using stored recovered kinetic energy.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A fluid drive system having energy regeneration and storage capabilities for driving a vehicle comprising:
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an electrical energy supply source mounted on the vehicle;
at least one electrical motor electrically connected to said electrical supply source;
a hydraulic pump driven by said electrical motor;
a low pressure hydraulic fluid supply tank supplying fluid to said hydraulic pump;
a pneumatically charged accumulator tank for storing pressurized hydraulic fluid;
a combination hydraulic motor and pump being alternately driven by hydraulic fluid from said hydraulic pump and said pneumatically charged accumulator tank; and
an electrical regeneration system for regenerating said electrical energy supply, said electrical regeneration system powered by hydraulic fluid pumped by said combination hydraulic motor and pump. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A fluid drive system having energy regeneration and storage capabilities for driving a vehicle comprising:
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an electrical energy supply source mounted on the vehicle;
at least one electrical motor electrically connected to said electrical supply source;
a hydraulic pump driven by said electric motor;
at least one hydraulic fluid tank supplying fluid to said hydraulic pump;
a first hydraulic motor connected to and propelling the vehicle;
a second hydraulic motor; and
an electrical regeneration system for regenerating said electrical energy supply, said second hydraulic motor driving said electrical regeneration system. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A fluid drive system having energy regeneration and storage capabilities for driving a vehicle comprising:
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an electrical energy supply source mounted on the vehicle;
at least one electrical motor electrically connected to said electrical supply source;
a hydraulic pump driven by said electric motor;
at least one hydraulic fluid tank supplying fluid to said hydraulic pump;
a combination hydraulic motor and pump drivingly connected to and driving a wheel of the vehicle; and
an electrical regeneration system including an air motor for regenerating said electrical energy supply, said electrical regeneration system powered by hydraulic fluid from said combination electrical motor and pump, and said air motor cooling the hydraulic fluid before being returned to said hydraulic fluid tank. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A fluid drive system having energy regeneration and storage capabilities for driving a vehicle comprising:
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an electrical energy supply source mounted onto a vehicle;
at least one electrical motor electrically connected to said electrical energy supply source;
at least two combination hydraulic pump/motors, one of said hydraulic pump/motors connected to said electric motor and said other hydraulic pump/motor propelling the vehicle;
at least one hydraulic fluid tank supplying fluid to said hydraulic pump/motors; and
an electrical regeneration system for regenerating said electrical energy supply, said other hydraulic pump/motor pumping hydraulic fluid to power said electrical regeneration system during at least a portion of the time that the vehicle is decelerating. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification