Self rechargeable synergy drive for a motor vehicle

• US 8,646,550 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2012
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Krassimire Mihaylov Penev
• Original Assignee: Krassimire Mihaylov Penev
• Inventors: Penev, Krassimire Mihaylov
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II, J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): CLEMMONS, STEVE M
• Application Number:
  US13/476,192
• Publication Number:
  US 20130306389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 180/165, 180/2.1, 180/2.2, 180/65.31, 188/161, 188/162, 188/164, 188/166, 188/266, 188/267, 301/6.3
• US Class Current: 180/2.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2016/003 solar power driven
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2016/006 wind power driven
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 25/08 from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/46 Wheel motors, i.e. motor connected to only one wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/10 Dynamic electric regenerative braking B60L7/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/006 Converting flow of air into electric energy, e.g. by using wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/04 having stationary wind-guiding means, e.g. with shrouds or channels F03D9/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/32 on moving objects, e.g. vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 10/12 Hybrid wind-PV energy systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• 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: 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

Abstract

Vehicle wheels may be equipped with a stator and rotor to induce current to generate electricity as the vehicle wheels rotate or to slow down the vehicle wheels in response to the application of a brake of the vehicle. Air may be sucked through the vehicle wheels through mesh screens to create air flow that passes through ductwork to reach a turbine generator, which generates electricity in response to blade rotation from air flow. A roof mounted solar energy conversion system may generate electricity. A vehicle power supply boosts its energy from all the electricity generated.

Claims

1. A self rechargeable synergy drive apparatus, comprising a plurality of vehicle wheels each having a tire, each of the vehicle wheels being equipped with recovery means for providing a synergy energy boost to a power supply by recovering energy that arises in response to rotation of associated ones of the vehicle wheels that move the vehicle and for converting the recovered energy into electricity to provide the synergy energy boost, said recovery means being selected from a group consisting of means for recovering kinetic energy from rotation of associated ones of the vehicle wheels and means for recovering wind energy from airflow passing through associated ones of the vehicle wheels each equipped with respective fan blades that turn in unison with respective vehicle wheel rotation to suck air through the vehicle wheels to create the airflow;

and ductwork arranged to guide the airflow from the vehicle wheels accordingly to reach a turbine generator, the ductwork including a main duct and branch ducts, the branch ducts being in communication with the main duct and each of the branch ducts being associated with a respective one of the vehicle wheels, the ductwork guiding the airflow to pass from each of the vehicle wheels through associated ones of the branch ducts to reach the main duct and thereafter reach the turbine generator.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said recovery means include conductive elements within confines of at least one of the vehicle wheels and induction means for generating a magnetic field in proximity of the conductive elements during the rotation of the at least one of the vehicle wheels, said recovery means further including the at least one of the vehicle wheels being equipped with conversion means for converting kinetic energy recovered from rotation of the at least one of the vehicle wheels into electricity to provide the synergy energy boost to a vehicle power supply, retardant means for slowing rotation of the at least one of the vehicle wheels, said retardant means slowing the rotation of the at least one of the vehicle wheels via said induction means in response to said retardant means undergoing activation and said conversion means carrying out the converting via the induction means in response to said conversion means undergoing activation;

switch means for selectively deactivating said conversion means and activating said retardant means and for selectively activating said conversion means and deactivating said retardant means; and

cooling means for cooling the conductive elements with airflow passing through the at least one vehicle wheel, said cooling means including blades of a fan that rotate in unison with rotation of the vehicle wheel to suck in air and thereby create the airflow.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said switch means is responsive to actuation of a vehicle brake to deactivate said conversion means in favor of activating said retardant means, said switch means being responsive to release from actuation of the vehicle brake to actuate said conversion means.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said induction means effects electromagnetic induction.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the power supply being selected from a group consisting of a battery, a capacitor and a power line.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising means for providing a further synergy energy boost to the power supply via a vehicle roof mounted means for converting insolation into electricity to charge the power supply and thereby provide the further synergy energy boost.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the wind turbine generator converts energy from the airflow through the at least one vehicle wheel into electricity to charge the power supply as the at least one of the vehicle wheels rotates.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the turbine generator includes air suction components and blade components, at least some of the components being arranged to rotate in unison with rotation of the at least one of the vehicle wheels.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising regenerative braking means for regenerative braking while converting energy from the regenerative braking into electricity to charge the power supply.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising sensors and a controller, the sensors sensing vehicle speed and effectiveness of the retardant means in slowing down the vehicle, the controller receiving inputs from the sensors to initiate the regenerative braking means to brake the vehicle if warranted based on the vehicle speed and the effectiveness of the retardant means in slowing down the vehicle.

11. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a mesh screen situated in a path that the air flow traverses through the ductwork between the fan blades and the turbine generator.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising means for providing a further synergy energy boost to the power supply via a vehicle roof mounted means for converting insolation into electricity to charge the power supply and thereby provide the further synergy energy boost.

13. A self rechargeable synergy drive apparatus, comprising a plurality of vehicle wheels each having a tire, each of the vehicle wheels being equipped with recovery means for providing a synergy energy boost to a power supply by recovering energy that arises in response to rotation of the vehicle wheel that moves the vehicle and for converting the recovered energy into electricity to provide the synergy energy boost, said recovery means being selected from a group consisting of means for recovering kinetic energy from rotation of associated ones of vehicle wheels and means for recovering wind energy from airflow passing through the associated ones of the vehicle wheels, conductive elements within confines of associated ones of the vehicle wheels;

induction means for generating a magnetic field in proximity to the conductive elements as associated ones of the vehicle wheels rotate;

said means for providing the energy boost to the power supply including conversion means for converting the kinetic energy from the rotation of associated ones of the vehicle wheels into electricity via the induction means to charge the power supply and thereby provide the synergy energy boost;

retardant means for slowing rotation of the associated ones of the vehicle wheels via the induction means;

switch means for selectively deactivating said conversion means and for activating said retardant means and for selectively activating said conversion means and for deactivating said retardant means;

ductwork including a main duct and branch ducts, the branch ducts being in communication with the main duct and each of the branch ducts being associated with a respective one of the vehicle wheels, the ductwork guiding the airflow to pass from each of the vehicle wheels through associated ones of the branch ducts to reach the main duct and thereafter reach a turbine generator.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said switch means is responsive to actuation of a vehicle brake to deactivate said conversion means in favor of activating said retardant means, said switch means being responsive to release from actuation of the vehicle brake to actuate said conversion means.