Wind-powered battery charging system
First Claim
1. An electrically-powered vehicle having a front, rear, opposing longitudinal sides, and a battery for storing and providing electrical energy, comprising:
- (a) a duct assembly comprising;
(i) an air intake duct;
(ii) a turbine chamber having a turbine chamber inlet and exhaust outlet;
(iii) a discharge duct; and
(iv) a discharge outlet, wherein the intake duct is connected to the turbine chamber inlet, the discharge duct is interposed between the turbine chamber exhaust outlet and the discharge outlet, and, the discharge duct has a larger cross sectional area than the turbine chamber exhaust outlet;
(b) a turbine placed in the turbine chamber, said turbine adapted to operate by the air passing through the duct when the vehicle is in motion; and
(c) a generator operatively engaged with the turbine, said generator providing electrical energy and charging the battery with the generated electrical energy when the turbine is in operation.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
During forward motion of an electrically-powered vehicle, air is captured at the front of the vehicle and channeled to one or more turbines. The air from the turbines is discharged at low pressure regions on the sides and/or rear of the vehicle. The motive power of the air rotates the turbines, which are rotatably engaged with a generator to produce electrical energy that is used to recharge batteries that power the vehicle. The generator is rotatably engaged with a flywheel for storing mechanical energy while the vehicle is in forward motion. When the vehicle slows or stops, the flywheel releases its stored energy to the generators, thereby enabling the generator to continue recharging the batteries. The flywheel enables the generators to provide a more stable and continuous current flow for recharging the batteries.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. An electrically-powered vehicle having a front, rear, opposing longitudinal sides, and a battery for storing and providing electrical energy, comprising:
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(a) a duct assembly comprising; (i) an air intake duct; (ii) a turbine chamber having a turbine chamber inlet and exhaust outlet; (iii) a discharge duct; and (iv) a discharge outlet, wherein the intake duct is connected to the turbine chamber inlet, the discharge duct is interposed between the turbine chamber exhaust outlet and the discharge outlet, and, the discharge duct has a larger cross sectional area than the turbine chamber exhaust outlet; (b) a turbine placed in the turbine chamber, said turbine adapted to operate by the air passing through the duct when the vehicle is in motion; and (c) a generator operatively engaged with the turbine, said generator providing electrical energy and charging the battery with the generated electrical energy when the turbine is in operation.
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2. An electrically-powered vehicle having a front, rear, opposing longitudinal sides, and a battery for storing and providing electrical energy, comprising:
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(a) a duct assembly comprising; (I) an air intake duct having a forward opening; (ii) a turbine chamber having a turbine chamber inlet and exhaust outlet; (iii) a discharge duct; and (iv) a discharge outlet, wherein the intake duct is connected to the turbine chamber inlet, the discharge duct is interposed between the turbine chamber exhaust outlet and the discharge outlet, and, the discharge duct has a larger cross sectional area than the turbine chamber exhaust outlet; (b) a turbine placed in the turbine chamber, said turbine adapted to operate with the air passing through the duct when the vehicle is in motion; (c) a generator operatively engaged with the turbine, said generator providing electrical energy and charging the battery with the generated electrical energy when the turbine is in operation; and (d) a flywheel operatively engaged with the generator for storing mechanical energy when the turbine is in operation. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A wind-powered battery charging system for an electrically-powered vehicle having a front, opposing longitudinal sides, a rear, and at least one battery for storing and providing electrical energy, the battery charging system comprising:
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(a) a duct assembly, oriented generally longitudinally in the vehicle, comprising; (I) an air intake duct having a funnel shaped air intake with a forward opening in the front of the vehicle; (ii) a turbine chamber having a turbine chamber inlet and exhaust outlet; (iii) a discharge duct; and (iv) a discharge outlet, wherein the intake duct is connected to the turbine chamber inlet, the discharge duct is interposed between the turbine chamber exhaust outlet and the discharge outlet, and, the discharge duct has a larger cross sectional area than the turbine chamber exhaust outlet; (b) a turbine adapted to rotate about a vertical axis placed in the turbine chamber; (c) a generator operatively engaged with the turbine, said generator providing electrical energy when the turbine is in operation; (d) a flywheel operatively engaged with the generator for storing mechanical energy when excess energy is provided by the turbine to the generator and releasing energy when inadequate energy is provided by the turbine to the generator; and (e) electrical circuitry operatively connecting the generator to the battery for recharging the battery. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. In an electrically-powered vehicle having a front, opposing longitudinal sides, a rear, and at least one battery for storing and providing electrical energy, a method for charging the battery, comprising:
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(a) capturing air at the front of the vehicle as the vehicle moves in a forward direction; (b) passing the captured air rearward through a duct in the vehicle to a turbine chamber; (c) rotating a turbine in the turbine chamber having a turbine chamber exhaust outlet with the captured air; (d) exhausting the captured air through an air discharge duct having a larger cross sectional area than the turbine chamber exhaust outlet to an air outlet; (e) generating electricity in a generator operatively engaged with the turbine; (f) recharging the battery with the electricity generated in the previous step; (g) storing mechanical energy in a flywheel that is operatively engaged with the generator; and (h) releasing stored energy in the flywheel to the generator for generating electricity.
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28. A wind-powered battery charging system for an electrically-powered vehicle having a forward facing air intake duct, an air discharge duct, a turbine chamber having a turbine chamber exhaust outlet therebetween, the air discharge duct having a larger cross sectional area than the turbine chamber exhaust outlet, a generator operatively engaged with the turbine and means for the generator to recharge batteries that store energy and provide power to the vehicle, comprising:
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(a) a flywheel rotatively engaged with the generator for receiving and storing mechanical energy from the generator and for releasing stored energy to the generator, wherein the gear ratio between the turbine and the generator is between one and fifty and the gear ratio between the generator and the flywheel is between one and fifty; and (b) the air exhaust duct discharges air through an air outlet located in a region defined by the rear of the vehicle and a wave vortex that forms behind the vehicle when the vehicle moves forward, so that the air exhausts into a relatively low-pressure region. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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Specification