Linear Motor Charged Electric Vehicle
First Claim
1. An all-electric vehicle for movement along a roadway, wherein the roadway has at least one power segment with a three-phase winding imbedded therein, the vehicle comprising:
- an undercarriage;
an electric motor mounted on the undercarriage;
a battery mounted on the undercarriage for running the electric motor;
a magnet array mounted on the undercarriage for movement between a retracted configuration and a deployed configuration;
an electrical system mounted on the undercarriage for alternately operating in a motor mode to move the vehicle along the roadway with power from the motor, and in a generator mode to recharge the battery; and
a control system for operating the vehicle in the generator mode, to recharge the battery, by selectively moving the magnet array into its deployed configuration to establish a Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) between the magnet array and the three-phase winding in the power segment of the roadway for moving the vehicle along the roadway.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An all-electric, wheeled vehicle has a magnet array that can be selectively moved between a retracted position and a deployed position, to respectively operate in a motor mode or a generator mode. When in the motor mode, with its magnet array retracted, wheel rotation to move the vehicle is powered by an onboard battery. Alternately, in the generator mode with the magnet array deployed, the vehicle is powered by a Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM). Specifically, the deployed magnet array interacts with a multiple-phase winding (i.e. LSM) embedded into the roadway on which the vehicle travels. Further, rotation of the wheel during vehicle movement in the generator mode recharges the battery.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An all-electric vehicle for movement along a roadway, wherein the roadway has at least one power segment with a three-phase winding imbedded therein, the vehicle comprising:
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an undercarriage; an electric motor mounted on the undercarriage; a battery mounted on the undercarriage for running the electric motor; a magnet array mounted on the undercarriage for movement between a retracted configuration and a deployed configuration; an electrical system mounted on the undercarriage for alternately operating in a motor mode to move the vehicle along the roadway with power from the motor, and in a generator mode to recharge the battery; and a control system for operating the vehicle in the generator mode, to recharge the battery, by selectively moving the magnet array into its deployed configuration to establish a Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) between the magnet array and the three-phase winding in the power segment of the roadway for moving the vehicle along the roadway. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A dual-mode power unit for moving a wheeled vehicle which comprises:
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a generator assembly mounted on the vehicle to operate in a generator mode for charging a battery in response to a rotation of a wheel of the vehicle, wherein the wheel rotates as the vehicle moves in response to a Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM), and wherein the LSM is established by an interaction of a magnet array on the vehicle with a three-phase winding positioned external to the vehicle; a motor assembly mounted on the vehicle to operate in a motor mode for rotating the wheel to move the vehicle with an electric motor powered by the battery; and a control system mounted on the vehicle for alternately activating the generator mode and the motor mode. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for moving an all-electric wheeled vehicle along a roadway, wherein the roadway has at least one power segment with a three-phase winding imbedded therein, wherein the vehicle has a battery powered electric motor mounted on an undercarriage and includes a magnet array mounted on the undercarriage for movement of the magnet array between a retracted configuration and a deployed configuration, and further wherein the method comprises the steps of:
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operating the vehicle in a motor mode to rotate the wheel with power from the electric motor for movement of the vehicle along the roadway; and selectively moving the magnet array into its deployed configuration to establish a Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) between the magnet array and the three-phase winding in the power segment of the roadway for moving the vehicle along the roadway in a generator mode to rotate the wheel for recharging the battery. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification