System and method for creating a networked infrastructure distribution platform of small fixed and vehicle based wind energy gathering devices along roadways

• US 7,741,727 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2007
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Glouster Applications LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Genedics Clean Energy, LLC (Genedics, LLC)
• Inventors: Merritt, Edward, Fein, Gene S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ponomarenko; Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US11/627,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20080150289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 290/43, 290/44, 290/54, 290/55, 290/1.R, 307/149, 307/150, 307/156
• US Class Current: 290/43
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2016/003 solar power driven
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/51 Photovoltaic means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/52 Wind-driven generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/006 Converting flow of air into electric energy, e.g. by using wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/11 storing electrical energy
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/25 the apparatus being an electrical generator F03D9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/255 connected to electrical distribution networks; Arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/32 on moving objects, e.g. vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/61 for hydrogen and/or oxygen production
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/212 of the Darrieus type
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/9113 which is a roadway, rail track, or the like for recovering energy from moving vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/941 which is a land vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2250/25 helical
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2250/82 Micromachines
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/20 The dispersed energy generation being of renewable origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/28 The renewable source being wind energy wind motors F03D
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/40 wherein a plurality of decentralised, dispersed or local energy generation technologies are operated simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 : with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 10/12 : Hybrid wind-PV energy systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/30 : Wind power
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/10 : Geothermal energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 : Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• 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 10/76 : Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• 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: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/90 : Energy harvesting concepts as power supply for auxiliaries' energy consumption, e.g. photovoltaic sun-roof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]

Abstract

A roadway system for energy generation and distribution is presented. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the roadway system comprises a plurality of wind energy generating devices, and a roadway system electricity grid. The wind energy generating devices are electrically connected to the roadway system electricity grid and are positioned on part of or near to a road in a system of roads and are optionally fixed in a position such that a multi-form, wind energy gathering network can be formed.

Claims

1. A roadway system for energy generation and distribution, comprising;

a roadway system electricity grid; and

a plurality of wind energy generating devices that are configured to be electrically connected to the roadway system electricity grid, the plurality of wind energy generating devices being positioned on part of or near to a road in a system of roads and being optionally fixed in a position such that a multi-form, wind energy gathering network is formed, the multi-form, wind-energy gathering network including ground-based, vehicle-based and wheel-based wind energy generating devices.

2. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of wind energy generating devices are independently vehicle-based, ground-based or wheel-based.

3. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 1, wherein the roadway system electricity grid includes energy storage systems, systems for inverting energy, single power source changing units, electricity meters and backup power systems.

4. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 1, wherein the roadway system electricity grid includes an inverter for converting wind generated energy into electricity.

5. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 4, wherein the inverter is configured to apply power conditioning to the wind generated energy to enable connection of the wind generated power for public use.

6. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wind energy generating devices are connected together in parallel along with a device maintaining a continuous supply of electrical power.

7. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 6, wherein the continuous supply is a battery backup system or a backup power system.

8. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wind energy generating devices are capable of generating power from winds blowing in cross directions.

9. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 8, wherein the plurality of wind energy generating devices are positioned in the median or breakdown lane of the road.

10. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 8, wherein the plurality of wind energy generating devices are turbines.

11. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 10, wherein the turbines are small helix- or double helix-designed.

12. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wind energy generating devices are automated to feed the roadway system electricity grid.

13. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 12, wherein the plurality of wind energy generating devices are turbines networked together via a battery system or by being in parallel.

14. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 13, wherein the wind energy generated by the plurality of wind energy generating devices is passed to a next closest strip array parallel or to a battery storage facility or to a local power distribution user.

15. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of wind energy generating devices are mounted near the ground.

16. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 15, wherein the mounted wind energy generating devices are mounted 0 to 15 feet from the ground.

17. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 1, wherein a portion of the plurality of wind energy generating devices are affixed with clean power gathering devices.

18. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 17, wherein the clean power gathering devices are solar strip arrays.

19. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of wind energy generating devices are vehicle-based wind energy generating devices.

20. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 19, wherein the vehicle-based wind energy generating devices are removably affixed to a vehicle.

21. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 19, wherein the vehicle-based wind energy generating devices are turbines.

22. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 21, wherein the turbines are small helix- or double helix-designed.

23. The roadway system, for energy generation and distribution of claim 19, wherein the vehicle-based wind energy generating devices is a multiplicity of vehicle-based wind energy generating devices.

24. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 19, wherein the vehicle-based wind energy generating devices includes fleets of vehicles.

25. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 24, wherein the fleets of vehicles employ wind energy to power elements of respective vehicles.

26. The roadway system for energy generation and distribution of claim 24, wherein the fleets of vehicles employ wind energy grounded devices to gain credits for fuel, goods or currency.

27. A method of generating and distributing energy, comprising:

networking together a plurality of wind energy generating devices that are positioned on part of or near to a road in a system of roads, the plurality of wind energy generating devices being positioned on part of or near to a road in a system of roads and being optionally fixed in a position such that a multi-form, wind energy gathering network is formed, the multi-form, wind energy gathering network including ground-based, vehicle-based and wheel-based wind energy generating devices;

electrically connecting to a roadway system electricity grid for distribution, said connecting includes connecting wind energy generated by the plurality of wind energy generating devices to the road system electricity grid.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of wind energy generating devices are independently vehicle-based, ground-based, or wheel-based.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the plurality of wind energy generating devices are capable of generating power from winds blowing in cross directions.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the plurality of wind energy generating devices are positioned in the median or breakdown lane of the road.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the wind energy generating devices are turbines.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the turbines are small helix- or double helix-designed.

33. The method of claim 27 further including a step of storing the energy generated by the plurality of wind energy generating devices.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the wind energy is stored in a battery.

35. The method of claim 27, wherein the roadway system, electricity grid includes energy storage systems, systems for inverting energy, single power source changing units, electricity meters and backup power systems.

36. The method of claim 35 further including a step of using an inverter for converting wind energy into electricity.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the inverter is configured to apply power conditioning to the wind generated energy to enable connection of the wind generated power for public use.

38. The method of claim 36 further including steps of:

converting the energy into electricity; and

distributing the electricity for public use.

39. The method of claim 27 further including the steps of:

generating energy using one or more vehicle based wind energy generating devices affixed to a vehicle; and

storing the energy in a first vehicle-based energy storage system.

40. The method of claim 39 further including a step of exchanging the first vehicle-based energy storage system with, a second vehicle-based storage system at a service station.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the first vehicle-based energy storage system is a battery storing the energy.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the service station is electrically connected to a roadway system electricity grid.

43. The method of claim 42 further including steps of:

converting the energy into electricity; and

distributing the electricity for public use.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the step of distributing the electricity for public use includes commercial sale of the electricity for the public use.

45. A roadway system for energy generation and distribution, comprising;

a roadway system electricity grid;

a first plurality of wind energy generating devices that are ground-based, and a second plurality of wind energy generating devices that are relatively mobile, the first wind energy generating devices and the second wind energy generating devices are configured to;

a) electrically connect to the roadway system electricity grid; and

b) position on part of or near to a road in a system of roads, such that a multi-form wind energy gathering network is formed.