LOSSLESS SHORT-DURATION ELECTRICAL STORAGE MEANS FOR POWER GENERATION SYSTEM

• US 20110089762A1
• Filed: 01/27/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SolarWindow Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kinetic Energy Corporation (SolarWindow Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kennedy, Eugene J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,212,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/43
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/08 recovering energy derived from swinging, rolling, pitching or like movements, e.g. from the vibrations of a machine
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/025 for power storage
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/07 using pawls and ratchet wheels
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/116 with gears
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1853 driven by intermittent forces

Abstract

A vehicle energy harvester including a subunit having an upper surface forming a roadway surface; a vehicle activated treadle on the subunit, the vehicle activated treadle moveable between a first position in which an upper surface of the treadle is at an angle with respect to the upper surface of the roadway surface and a second position in which the upper surface of the treadle is flush with the upper surface of the roadway surface; a generator that generates power in response to movement of the vehicle activated treadle from the first position to the second position and from the second position to the first position; and a capacitor coupled to the generator, the capacitor storing power generated by the generator.

Claims

1. A vehicle energy harvester comprising:

a subunit having an upper surface forming a roadway surface;

a vehicle activated treadle on the subunit, the vehicle activated treadle moveable between a first position in which an upper surface of the treadle is at an angle with respect to the upper surface of the roadway surface and a second position in which the upper surface of the treadle is flush with the upper surface of the roadway surface;

a generator that generates power in response to movement of the vehicle activated treadle from the first position to the second position and from the second position to the first position; and

a capacitor coupled to the generator, the capacitor storing power generated by the generator.

2. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 1, wherein the capacity is a high capacity capacitor.

3. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 1, comprising:

a central harvesting unit coupled to the capacitor.

4. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 3, wherein the central harvesting unit is coupled to the capacitor via a cable assembly.

5. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 3, wherein the central harvesting unit is coupled to a second capacitor, and

wherein the central harvesting unit combines the output with the capacitor and the second capacitor.

6. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 1, wherein the generator is a permanent magnet alternator (PMA).

7. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 1, comprising:

a rectifier assembly coupled between the generator and the capacitor.

8. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 7, comprising:

a power conditioning circuit coupled to an output of the capacitor.

9. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 8, comprising:

an inverter unit coupled to an output of the power conditioning circuit.

10. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 9, comprising:

a power meter coupled to an output of the inverter unit.

11. A vehicle energy harvester comprising:

a plurality of subunits each having an upper surface forming a roadway surface;

a plurality of vehicle activated treadles on the plurality of subunits, each of the plurality of vehicle activated treadles moveable between a first position in which an upper surface of the treadle is at an angle with respect to the upper surface of the roadway surface and a second position in which the upper surface of the treadle is flush with the upper surface of the roadway surface;

a plurality of generators that generate power in response to movement of each of the plurality of vehicle activated treadles; and

a plurality of capacitors coupled to the plurality of generators, the plurality of capacitors storing power generated by the plurality of generators.

12. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 11, comprising:

a central harvesting unit coupled to the plurality of capacitors.

13. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 12, wherein the central harvesting unit is coupled to each of the plurality of capacitors via a cable assembly.

14. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 12, wherein the central harvesting unit combines the output with the plurality of capacitors.

15. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 11, comprising:

a rectifier assembly coupled between each of the plurality of generators and the plurality of capacitors.

16. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 15, comprising:

a power conditioning circuit coupled to an output of the plurality of capacitors.

17. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 16, comprising:

an inverter unit coupled to an output of the power conditioning circuit.

18. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 17, comprising:

a power meter coupled to an output of the inverter unit.

19. A vehicle energy harvester comprising:

a subunit having an upper surface forming a roadway surface;

a vehicle activated treadle on the subunit, the vehicle activated treadle moveable between a first position in which an upper surface of the treadle is at an angle with respect to the upper surface of the roadway surface and a second position in which the upper surface of the treadle is flush with the upper surface of the roadway surface;

a generator that generates power in response to movement of the vehicle activated treadle from the first position to the second position and from the second position to the first position; and

short-duration electrical storage means, coupled to the generator, for storing power generated by the generator.