Harvesting energy from vehicular vibrations using piezoelectric devices

• US 7,936,113 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Namuduri, Chandra S., McMahon, Nancy, Elliott, Robert B., Li, Yunjun, Talty, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dougherty; Thomas M
• Application Number:
  US12/394,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20100219721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 310/319, 310/339
• US Class Current: 310/339
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 13/14 having dampers accumulating utilisable energy, e.g. compressing air fluid springs with an accumulator B60G11/30
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/144 with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/60 Vehicles using regenerative power
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/08 recovering energy derived from swinging, rolling, pitching or like movements, e.g. from the vibrations of a machine
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/183 using impacting bodies high voltage generators in spark lighters F23Q

Abstract

An energy harvesting apparatus, for deployment on a vehicle, comprises a shock absorber, including a dust tube assembly, a jounce bumper assembly mounted within the dust tube assembly at a first end thereof, and a damper tube mounted for telescopic movement through a second end of the dust tube, the jounce bumper assembly configured for impact with the damper tube. A piezoelectric device is coupled to the jounce bumper assembly.

Claims

1. An energy harvesting apparatus, for deployment on a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a shock absorber, comprising;

a dust tube assembly;

a jounce bumper assembly mounted within the dust tube assembly at a first end thereof; and

a damper tube assembly mounted for telescopic movement within the dust tube assembly and through a second end thereof, the jounce bumper assembly configured to be impacted by the damper tube assembly; and

;

a piezoelectric device coupled to the jounce bumper assembly.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the piezoelectric device is a flexible piezoelectric material.

3. An apparatus according claim 2 wherein the flexible piezoelectric material is imbedded into the jounce bumper assembly.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the flexible piezoelectric material is mounted on a surface of the jounce bumper assembly.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the piezoelectric material is a flexible disk.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the shock absorber comprises a jounce bumper bracket configured for contact with the piezoelectric disk.

7. An apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising an energy converter coupled to the piezoelectric device.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the energy converter is a rectifier.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the energy rectifier is mounted on the shock absorber.

10. An apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising a sensor coupled to the energy converter.

11. An energy harvesting apparatus for use on a vehicle of the type that includes a sprung mass, an unsprung mass, and a shock absorber coupled between the sprung mass and the unsprung mass, the shock absorber comprising a first member coupled to the sprung mass and a second member coupled to the unsprung mass, the second member configured for reciprocating translational movement with respect to the first member through a first end thereof, the apparatus comprising:

a resilient bumper mounted within the first member at a second end thereof, the resilient bumper configured for compression by the second member;

a piezoelectric device coupled to the resilient bumper for generating electrical energy when strained by the second member.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the piezoelectric device is a flexible piezoelectric fiber material.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the piezoelectric device is a flexible disk.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the flexible disk is imbedded within the resilient bumper.

15. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the flexible disk is mounted on a surface of the resilient bumper.

16. An apparatus according to claim 13 further comprising a rectifier coupled to the flexible disk.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the rectifier is mounted on the shock absorber.

18. An energy harvesting apparatus, for use on a vehicle having a spring mass and an unsprung mass, the apparatus comprising:

a shock absorber, comprising;

a dust tube coupled to the sprung mass;

a damper tube mounted for telescopic movement within the dust tube and mounted to the unsprung mass; and

a jounce bumper mounted within the dust tube and configured for impact by the damper tube; and

a piezoelectric device coupled to the jounce bumper for generating electrical energy when strained due to impact by the damper tube.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the piezoelectric device is a flexible disk mounted on a surface of the jounce bumper.

20. An apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the piezoelectric device is a flexible disk imbedded in the jounce bumper.