VEHICLE ENERGY HARVESTING ROADWAY

• US 20100283255A1
• Filed: 01/11/2010
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SolarWindow Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kinetic Energy Corporation (SolarWindow Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hendrickson, Brian S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,803,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/1A
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 2201/10 having build-in shock absorbing devices
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 9/00 Special pavings specially adapted for playgrounds or sports grounds E01C13/00, for footpaths, sidewalks or cycle tracks E01C15/00; Pavings for special parts of roads or airfields pavement lights E01C17/00; manholes or like covers or frames E02D29/14
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 9/007 Vehicle decelerating or arresting surfacings or surface arrangements, e.g. arrester beds road surface configuration or surface arrangements for enforcing reduced speed, e.g. speed-control humps E01F9/529; Escape roads, e.g. for steep descents, for sharp bends
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/04 using pressure differences or thermal differences occurring in nature F03G7/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 45/08 having peristaltic action
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1853 driven by intermittent forces
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/18 producing electrical output from mechanical input, e.g. generators for measurement devices G01

Abstract

A vehicle energy harvesting roadway is provided. The vehicle energy harvesting roadway includes a deformable driving surface that is longitudinally flexible and transversely stiff. The deformable driving surface is disposed between a passing vehicle and one or more transducers or one or more compressible hoses.

Claims

1. An energy harvesting roadway comprising:

an energy conversion device disposed lengthwise along a direction of vehicle travel along the energy harvesting roadway; and

a deformable surface disposed between the energy conversion device and the one or more wheels of a passing vehicle,

wherein the deformable surface is one of longitudinally flexible and transversely stiff.

2. The energy harvesting roadway of claim 1, wherein the energy conversion device is one of:

one or more compressible hoses; and

one or more transducers.

3. An energy harvesting roadway comprising:

one or more compressible hoses disposed lengthwise along a direction of vehicle travel along the energy harvesting roadway; and

a deformable surface disposed between the one or more compressible hoses and the one or more wheels of a passing vehicle,

wherein the deformable surface is one of longitudinally flexible and transversely stiff.

4. The energy harvesting roadway of claim 3, the deformable surface is longitudinally flexible and transversely stiff.

5. The energy harvesting roadway of claim 3, wherein the deformable surface transmits one of a force and a displacement between the passing vehicle and the one or more compressible hoses.

6. The energy harvesting roadway of claim 3, comprising:

one or more members interposing the deformable surface and the one or more compressible hoses,

wherein the one or more members transmit one of a force and a displacement between the deformable surface and the one or more compressible hoses.

7. The energy harvesting roadway of claim 6, wherein the one or more members includes one or more struts.

8. The energy harvesting roadway of claim 7, wherein the one or more struts are coupled to a surface of the deformable surface.

9. The energy harvesting roadway of claim 6, wherein the one or more members includes one or more rods.

10. The energy harvesting roadway of claim 9, comprising:

one or more supports that guide the rods to the one or more compressible hoses.

11. The energy harvesting roadway of claim 3, comprising:

a fluid energy converter in communication with the one or more compressible hoses.

12. An energy harvesting roadway comprising:

one or more compressible hoses disposed lengthwise along a direction of vehicle travel along the energy harvesting roadway; and

a deformable surface disposed between the one or more compressible hoses and the one or more wheels of a passing vehicle,

wherein the deformable surface is longitudinally flexible and transversely stiff, such that the one or more compressible hoses are compressed by a depression of the deformable surface.

13. An energy harvesting roadway comprising:

one or more compressible hoses disposed lengthwise along a direction of vehicle travel along the energy harvesting roadway; and

a deformable surface disposed between the one or more compressible hoses and the one or more wheels of a passing vehicle, the deformable surface having a length in the direction of vehicle travel and a width in a direction transverse to the direction of vehicle travel and substantially in a plane of the energy harvesting roadway,

wherein the deformable surface transmits compression forces to the one or more compressible hoses by one of bending along the length and bending along the width of the deformable surface.

14. The energy harvesting roadway of claim 13, wherein the deformable surface transmits compression forces to the one or more compressible hoses by bending along the length and bending along the width of the deformable surface.

15. An energy harvesting roadway comprising:

one or more transducers disposed lengthwise along a direction of vehicle travel along the roadway; and

a deformable surface disposed between the one or more transducers and one or more wheels of a passing vehicle,

wherein the deformable surface is one of longitudinally flexible and transversely stiff.

16. The energy harvesting roadway of claim 15, wherein the deformable surface is longitudinally flexible and transversely stiff.

17. The energy harvesting roadway of claim 15, wherein the deformable surface transmits one of a force and a displacement between the passing vehicle and the one or more transducers.

18. The energy harvesting roadway of claim 15, comprising:

one or more members interposing the deformable surface and the one or more transducers,

wherein the one or more members transmit one of a force and a displacement between the deformable surface and the one or more transducers.

19. The energy harvesting roadway of claim 18, wherein the one or more members includes one or more struts.

20. The energy harvesting roadway of claim 19, wherein the one or more struts are coupled to a surface of the deformable surface.

21. The energy harvesting roadway of claim 18, wherein the one or more members includes one or more rods.

22. The energy harvesting roadway of claim 21, comprising:

one or more supports that guide the rods to the one or more transducers.