Energy Harvesting Scheme

• US 20140203643A1
• Filed: 01/22/2013
• Published: 07/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ryuji Maeda
• Original Assignee: Ryuji Maeda
• Inventors: Maeda, Ryuji
• Application Number:
  US13/747,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20140203643A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/43
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/001 Energy harvesting or scavenging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/27 characterised by the type of receiving antennas, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas

Abstract

A system adapted to generate, collect and store electrical energy is described. The system includes: a set of sources; each source in the set adapted to generate heat energy, convert the generated heat energy into electrical energy, and store the electrical energy; and a set of reservoirs, each reservoir in the set adapted to receive the stored electrical energy from at least one source in the set of sources and store the received energy. A device adapted to convert heat from a source into electrical energy is also described. The device includes: a connection to at least two elements of the source, wherein the at least two elements provide a temperature differential; a thermo-electric generator (TEG) adapted to convert the temperature differential into electrical energy; and an energy storage module adapted to receive electrical energy from the TEG and store the received energy.

Claims

1. A system adapted to generate, collect and store electrical energy, the system comprising:

a set of sources;

each source in the set adapted to generate heat energy, convert the generated energy into electrical energy, and store the electrical energy; and

a set of reservoirs, each reservoir in the set adapted to receive the stored electrical energy from at least one source in the set of sources and store the received energy.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a server adapted to monitor and control each source in the set of sources and each reservoir in the set of reservoirs.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each source in the set of sources generates heat energy and converts the generated heat energy, using a temperature difference across elements of the source, into electrical energy.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the heat energy is converted into electrical energy using a thermo-electric generator.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each source in the set of sources is adapted to transmit the stored electrical energy to at least one reservoir in the form of a microwave signal.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein each reservoir in the set of reservoirs is adapted to receive the microwave signal and convert the received microwave signal into electrical energy.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of sources includes at least one of a motor vehicle, an airplane, a vessel, and an appliance.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each reservoir in the set of reservoirs is able to provide the received energy to at least one load.

9. A device adapted to convert heat from a source into electrical energy, the device comprising:

a connection to at least two elements of the source, wherein the at least two elements provide a temperature differential;

a thermo-electric generator (TEG) adapted to convert the temperature differential into electrical energy; and

an energy storage module adapted to receive electrical energy from the TEG and store the received energy.

10. The device of claim 9 further comprising an energy transmission module adapted to receive the stored energy from the energy storage module and provide the energy to a reservoir.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the energy transmission module comprises:

an oscillator adapted to receive the stored energy and generate a periodic output; and

an antenna adapted to receive the periodic output and propagate a transmitted signal.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the transmitted signal is a microwave signal.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the energy transmission module comprises a wired connector adapted to be directly coupled to the reservoir.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the energy transmission module comprises an inductive coupler.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the energy transmission module comprises a resonant coupling interface.

16. The device of claim 9 further comprising a communication module adapted to communicate among a set of reservoirs and at least one server.

17. A device adapted to receive transmitted electrical energy from a set of sources, the device comprising:

a receiver array adapted to receive the transmitted electrical energy from at least one source in the set of sources; and

an energy storage element adapted to store the electrical energy received by the receiver array.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the receiver array comprises a set of receivers, each receiver in the set comprising:

an antenna adapted to receive the transmitted energy and convert the energy into an electrical signal; and

a rectifier adapted to rectify the electrical signal.

19. The device of claim 17 further comprising a low-pass filter adapted to filter the rectified electrical signal.

20. The device of claim 17 further comprising:

at least one of a voltage regulator, converter, and inverter; and

a communication module adapted to communicate among the set of sources and at least one server.