VEHICLE ENERGY RECOVERY SYSTEM
First Claim
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1. A vehicle comprising:
- a thermoelectric unit adapted to generate electrical energy based upon differences in temperature, said thermoelectric unit being placed in a location on said vehicle having a temperature that is elevated relative to ambient air; and
an energy transfer device adapted to inductively transfer at least some of said electrical energy off of said vehicle to an energy collector.
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Abstract
A system and method for recovering heat energy from a vehicle, such as a car, truck, railroad, or airplane, is disclosed. The system and method include mounting a thermoelectric unit to the vehicle at one or more locations where a temperature gradient is expected. Due to the Seebeck effect, the thermoelectric unit generates a voltage and current, which may then be temporarily stored on the vehicle and/or transferred inductively to an off-vehicle location.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A vehicle comprising:
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a thermoelectric unit adapted to generate electrical energy based upon differences in temperature, said thermoelectric unit being placed in a location on said vehicle having a temperature that is elevated relative to ambient air; and an energy transfer device adapted to inductively transfer at least some of said electrical energy off of said vehicle to an energy collector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An energy recovery system comprising:
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a plurality of energy collectors positioned on or in a plurality of surfaces over which one or more vehicles are intended to move; and a vehicle adapted to move over said plurality of surfaces, said vehicle including; (a) an internal combustion engine; (b) a thermoelectric unit adapted to generate electrical energy based upon differences in temperature, said thermoelectric unit being placed in a location on said vehicle having a temperature that is elevated relative to ambient air; and (c) an energy transfer device adapted to inductively transfer at least some of said electrical energy off of said vehicle to one or more of said energy collectors. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of recovering energy from a vehicle comprising:
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providing a thermoelectric unit adapted to generate electrical energy based upon differences in temperature, said thermoelectric unit being placed in a location on said vehicle having a temperature that is elevated relative to ambient air; and inductively transferring at least some of said electrical energy off of said vehicle to an energy collector. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification