Apparatus for generating power from passing vehicular traffic
First Claim
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1. A power capturing apparatus for placement in a roadway subject to vehicles passing thereover, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of hydraulic actuators, each hydraulic actuator including a fluid cavity, a piston, an actuator cap and at least one fluid port, the piston being at least partially and slidably mounted in the fluid cavity and the at least one fluid port extending into the fluid cavity the actuator cap being disposed on top of the hydraulic actuator;
a fluid source coupled with the at least one fluid port of each of the plurality of hydraulic actuators; and
a road surface engagable with the passing vehicles, the road surface being generally perpendicular relative to the plurality of hydraulic actuators and including the top surfaces of a plurality of the actuator caps; and
wherein as a passing vehicle of a predetermined weight engages the top surface of an actuator cap, an associated piston of an associated hydraulic actuator slides inwardly relative to the fluid cavity and causes fluid contained in the fluid cavity to flow out the at least one port.
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Abstract
An apparatus for generating power from over the road vehicular traffic and moving trains are disclosed. The apparatus include on or more hydraulic actuators, each of which has a piston at least partially slidably mounted in a fluid cavity contained therein. When a passing vehicle or train car engages the actuator, the weight of the vehicle pushes the piston into the fluid cavity and causes fluid to flow from the fluid cavity toward a turbine or other power conversion means. The flow causes the turbine to rotate, thereby producing useable energy.
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Citations
75 Claims
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1. A power capturing apparatus for placement in a roadway subject to vehicles passing thereover, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of hydraulic actuators, each hydraulic actuator including a fluid cavity, a piston, an actuator cap and at least one fluid port, the piston being at least partially and slidably mounted in the fluid cavity and the at least one fluid port extending into the fluid cavity the actuator cap being disposed on top of the hydraulic actuator;
a fluid source coupled with the at least one fluid port of each of the plurality of hydraulic actuators; and
a road surface engagable with the passing vehicles, the road surface being generally perpendicular relative to the plurality of hydraulic actuators and including the top surfaces of a plurality of the actuator caps; and
wherein as a passing vehicle of a predetermined weight engages the top surface of an actuator cap, an associated piston of an associated hydraulic actuator slides inwardly relative to the fluid cavity and causes fluid contained in the fluid cavity to flow out the at least one port. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An apparatus for capturing energy from vehicle with one or more wheels passing thereover, the apparatus comprising:
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an array of pads, each pad having one or more surfaces including a generally flat top surface, the top surface of each pad being (i) substantially coplanar with each adjacent pad of the array of pads, and (ii) spaced apart from each adjacent pad a small distance relative to a length of the top surface, wherein a surface of a wheel of the one or more wheels contacts substantially only the surfaces of the one or more pads when traversing across the apparatus; and
a plurality of hydraulic actuators, each hydraulic actuator including (a) a fluid cavity, (b) a piston slidably mounted within the fluid cavity, and (c) at least one fluid port extending into the fluid cavity;
wherein each pad is mounted to and over at least one hydraulic actuator of the plurality of hydraulic cylinders. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. An apparatus for capturing energy from a vehicle with one or more wheels passing thereover, the apparatus comprising:
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a road surface, the road surface substantially comprising an array of pads, each pad having a substantially flat top surface and a bottom side, each top surface being coplanar with each adjacent top surface; and
a plurality of hydraulic actuators, each actuator including a fluid cavity with at least one fluid port, and a piston at least partially disposed in the fluid cavity for slidable movement relative thereto, each hydraulic actuator being beneath the bottom side of a pad of the array of pads and substantially perpendicularly disposed relative to the top surface of the pad, wherein when a predetermined amount of weight is applied to the pad from vehicle traversing over the pad, the piston slides relative to the fluid cavity and causes fluid to flow out the at least one fluid port. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44)
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45. An apparatus for capturing energy from a train car as said train car travels along a set of train tracks, the apparatus comprising:
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one or more hydraulic actuators, each actuator including (i) a fluid cavity with at least one fluid port, and (ii) an impact area adapted for contact with at least a portion of the train car, the hydraulic actuator being stationary and proximate the set of train tracks;
wherein the train car contacts the impact area as the train car passes proximate the hydraulic actuator and the weight of the train car acting through the impact area causes hydraulic fluid to flow out of the at least one fluid port. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A method of generating power from a train having one or more train cars, the train being adapted for travel over a set of train tracks, the method comprising:
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propelling a train along the set of train tracks;
causing hydraulic fluid to flow from a hydraulic actuator by depressing a piston of the hydraulic actuator using the weight of the one or more train cars as the one or more train cars pass proximate the hydraulic actuator, the hydraulic actuator being stationary relative to the set of train tracks; and
turning a shaft of a hydraulic turbine relative to a body of the hydraulic turbine by directing the hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic actuator through the hydraulic turbine. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 73, 74)
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62. A system for capturing power from one or more train cars of a train moving along a set of train tracks, the system comprising:
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one or more power capture devices with at least a portion of the one or more power capture devices being located proximate the set of train tracks;
one or more power capture device activators, the one or more power capture device activators being fixedly mounted with the one or more train cars, the capture device activators being adapted for impacting at least one power capture device of the one or more power capture devices as the one or more train cars pass proximate the at least one power capture device. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 75)
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Specification