REDUCING AND/OR HARVESTING DRAG ENERGY FROM TRANSPORT VEHICLES, INCLUDING FOR CHEMICAL REACTORS, AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20150128636A1
• Filed: 12/15/2014
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Advanced Green Innovations, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAlister Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: McAlister, Roy Edward
• Application Number:
  US14/571,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20150128636A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/440
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/16 using chemical substances
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/20 Gaseous substances, e.g. vapours
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/20 in the form of helices, e.g. screw reactors
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/24 Stationary reactors without moving elements inside B01J19/08, B01J19/26 take precedence; with stationary particles B01J8/02
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00085 Plates; Jackets; Cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00135 Electric resistance heaters
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00139 using electromagnetic heating
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00144 Sunlight; Visible light
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00155 using insulating materials or refractories
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00157 by means of a burner
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00159 controlling multiple zones along the direction of flow, e.g. pre-heating and after-cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/24 Stationary reactors without moving elements inside
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 4/002 Nozzle-type elements nozzle-type reactors B01J19/26
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/12 by means of a chargeable fluidic accumulator
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/36 Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/30 using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 : by heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/08 : Controlling the braking effect B60L7/04, B60L7/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/006 : Converting flow of air into electric energy, e.g. by using wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 1/10 : by utilising wheel movement for accumulating energy, e.g. driving air compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 : including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/196 : acting within the driveline, e.g. retarders
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/15 : Pneumatic energy storages, e.g. pressure air tanks
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0233 : the reforming step being a steam reforming step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0238 : the reforming step being a carbon dioxide reforming step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/025 : containing a partial oxidation step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0266 : containing a decomposition step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1205 : Composition of the feed
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1235 : Hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1241 : Natural gas or methane
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/04 : by decomposition of inorganic compounds, e.g. ammonia C01B3/0005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/22 : by decomposition of gaseous or liquid organic compounds C01B3/0005 takes precedence ; coking liquid carbonaceous materials C10B55/00
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/24 : of hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/34 : by reaction of hydrocarbons with gasifying agents
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/36 : using oxygen or mixtures containing oxygen as gasifying agents
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/20 : Arrangements for mounting or supporting wind motors; Masts or towers for wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/00 : Adaptations of wind motors for special use; Combinations of wind motors with apparatus driven thereby; Wind motors specially adapted for installation in particular locations hybrid wind-photovoltaic energy systems for the generation of electric power H02S10/12
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/17 : storing energy in pressurised fluids
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/32 : on moving objects, e.g. vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/941 : which is a land vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/04 : Control effected upon non-electric prime mover and dependent upon electric output value of the generator
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 : Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/728 : Onshore wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/16 : Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/36 : Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 : Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/141 : Feedstock
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for reducing and/or harvesting drag energy from transport vehicles. A system in accordance with a particular embodiment includes a mobile transport platform, a donor substance source carried by the platform, and a thermochemical reactor carried by the platform and coupled to the donor substance. The reactor is configured to carry out a non-combustion dissociation process that dissociates the donor substance into a first constituent and a second constituent. An energy extraction system carried by the transport platform and positioned to extract energy from an airstream passing the transport platform is coupled to the reactor to provide energy for the dissociation process.

Claims

1. A reactor system, comprising:

a mobile transport platform;

a source of a donor substance carried by the transport platform;

a thermochemical reactor carried by the transport platform and coupled to the source of donor substance, the thermochemical reactor being configured to carry out a non-combustion dissociation process that dissociates the donor substance into a first constituent and second constituent; and

a conduit operatively coupled between the thermochemical reactor and a payload volume of the mobile transport platform to preserve cargo in the payload volume via at least one of the first and second constituents.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a refrigerator carried by the transport platform, the refrigerator being in thermal communication with the payload volume, and wherein the conduit is operatively coupled to the refrigerator to provide at least one of the first and second constituents to the refrigerator in the form of a refrigerant.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the conduit is coupled to the payload volume to direct at least one of the first and second constituents into the payload volume.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one constituent includes carbon monoxide.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one constituent includes carbon dioxide.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one constituent includes nitrogen.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the donor substance includes a hydrogen-bearing compound, and wherein the second constituent includes gaseous hydrogen.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an energy extraction system carried by the transport platform and positioned to extract energy from an airstream passing the transport platform, the energy extraction system being operatively coupled to the thermochemical reactor to provide energy for the dissociation process.

9. A method for braking a vehicle, comprising:

in a first mode of operation;

propelling the vehicle with an internal combustion engine;

in a second mode of operation;

compressing gas with the internal combustion engine to place a braking force on the vehicle;

storing the compressed gas onboard the vehicle; and

releasing the compressed gas to perform work via a device carried by the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein performing work includes deploying a fairing.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein performing work includes blowing snow away from a region adjacent to the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein performing work includes powering an alternator.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein performing work includes deploying a jack.

14. A transport system, comprising:

a vehicle;

an internal combustion engine carried by the vehicle;

a compressed gas storage tank carried by the vehicle and coupled to the internal combustion engine;

a pneumatically-driven device carried by the vehicle and coupled to the compressed gas storage tank;

a control system carried by the vehicle and programmed with instruction that, when executed;

direct the internal combustion engine to provide a propulsive force to the vehicle, in response to an acceleration signal;

direct the internal combustion engine to provide a braking force to the vehicle by compressing gas and directing the compressed gas to the compressed gas storage tank; and

direct compressed gas from the compressed gas storage tank to the pneumatically-driven device to actuate the pneumatically-driven device.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the vehicle includes an over-the-road truck.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the pneumatically-driven device includes a deployable fairing.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the pneumatically-driven device includes a deployable jack.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the pneumatically-driven device includes a turbine-driven alternator.