POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A MOVABLE VEHICLE WITHIN A STRUCTURE

• US 20160229297A1
• Filed: 01/27/2016
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyperloop Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hyperloop Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: FINODEYEV, Filip, O'NEAL, George, HOSSEINI, Kaveh, GIEGEL, Joshua, BAMBROGAN, Brogan
• Granted Patent: US 9,764,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/53 in combination with an external power supply, e.g. from overhead contact lines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/90 using propulsion power supplied by specific means not covered by groups B60L50/10 - B60L50/50, e.g. by direct conversion of thermal nuclear energy into electricity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A power supply system and method for a vehicle movable within a structure is provided. The power supply system includes at least one energy source arranged at a fixed location within the structure to transmit energy within the structure, and a receiver, arranged on the vehicle to receive the energy transmitted from the energy source, being configured to convert the energy to electrical power and/or thrust.

Claims

1. A power supply system for a vehicle movable within a structure, comprising:

at least one energy source arranged at a fixed location within the structure to transmit energy within the structure; and

a receiver, arranged on the vehicle to receive the energy transmitted from the energy source, being configured to convert the energy to at least one of electrical power and thrust.

2. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein an interior of the structure is structured to act as a waveguide.

3. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the energy source is a microwave source.

4. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises a heat exchanger.

5. The power supply system according to claim 4, wherein the heat exchanger comprises an absorber configured to absorb the received energy to generate heat.

6. The power supply system according to claim 5, wherein the absorber comprises a plurality of air channels and the receiver further comprises a compressor configured for supplying pressurized air into the air channels and a turbine for receiving heated pressurized air from the absorber, which imparts rotational energy to the turbine.

7. The power supply system according to claim 6, wherein the turbine is configured to at least one of rotate the compressor and generate electricity.

8. The power supply system according to claim 6, wherein at least some of the heated pressurized air escapes from the turbine to impart thrust to the vehicle.

9. The power supply system according to claim 6, wherein the compressor is structured to receive air from outside of the vehicle.

10. The power supply system according to claim 6, further comprising a bypass fan for supplying air into the compressor.

11. The power supply system according to claim 6, further comprising a fluid supply coupled to supply a fluid to the absorber.

12. The power supply system according to claim 11, wherein the fluid in the fluid supply is one of nitrogen or air.

13. The power supply system according to claim 5, further comprising a ramjet engine having inlet and outlet nozzles configured as converging type, diverging type or any converging-diverging combination of nozzles,

wherein the absorber is positioned between the inlet and exit nozzles.

14. The power supply system according to claim 5, further comprising microwave lenses and an internal waveguide to receive and guide the energy transmitted from the energy source from an end of the vehicle to the absorber.

15. The power supply system according to claim 5, wherein the vehicle comprises a dielectric shell located on at least one end of the vehicle, the dielectric shell being structured to be invisible to the energy transmitted from the energy source.

16. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises a plurality of rectennae configured to receive the energy transmitted from the energy source and to convert the received energy into electrical power.

17. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the structure comprises a tubular structure maintained at a near vacuum pressure and a track over or on which the vehicle moves.

18. The power supply system according to claim 17, wherein the at least one energy source comprises a plurality of energy sources arranged along a length of the tubular structure.

19. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the tubular structure comprises at least one section having a reduced diameter, whereby, as the vehicle moves into the at least one reduced diameter section, a plug of air is created in front of the vehicle to impede forward motion of the vehicle.

20. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises at least one section having an increasable exterior height, whereby, as the exterior height of the at least one section is increased, a plug of air is created in front of the vehicle to impede forward motion of the vehicle.

21. The power supply system according to claim 6, further comprising a fluid supply structured and arranged to selectively supply a fluid under pressure into the air channels.

22. The power supply according to claim 1, wherein the movable vehicle is a capsule or pod.

23. A method of supplying power to a vehicle movable within a structure, the method comprising:

transmitting energy within the structure from a location fixed within the structure;

receiving the transmitted energy in the movable vehicle; and

converting the received energy into at least one of electrical power and thrust.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein an interior of the structure includes a waveguide.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the energy transmitted within the structure is microwave energy.

26. The method according to claim 23, wherein the received energy is converted into heat by an absorber.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the absorber comprises a plurality of air channels and the method further comprises pressurizing air from outside of the vehicle;

supplying the pressurized air into the air channels; and

transmitting the heated pressurized air to impart rotational energy to a turbine.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the turbine rotates the compressor and/or generates electricity.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein at least some of the heated pressurized air escapes from the turbine to impart thrust to the vehicle.

30. The method according to claim 27, wherein the air from outside of the vehicle that is pressurized is forced into the receiver by a bypass fan.

31-42. -42. (canceled)