Adaptive, low-impact vehicle energy harvester
First Claim
1. A system for converting energy of a moving vehicle into useful power, the system comprising:
- one or more compressible, elongated hollow bodies configured to be disposed longitudinally on or in a trafficway such that a movement of a vehicle along said trafficway causes contents in said elongated hollow bodies to be expelled from one end, the one or more compressible, elongated hollow bodies having a length in the direction of vehicle travel and a width in the direction transverse to the direction of vehicle travel;
a motor in communication with said hollow bodies such that said contents expelled from one end of said hollow bodies actuates said motor; and
a control unit programmed to control a deceleration of the vehicle as the vehicle travels over the one or more compressible, elongated hollow bodies by varying a resistance to a movement of said contents in said elongated hollow bodies based on at least one of a mass of the vehicle, a velocity of the vehicle, and a rate of change of velocity of the vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An adaptive, low-impact vehicle energy harvester system, and a method of harvesting vehicle energy, is provided. The system includes a plurality of channels disposed longitudinally in a trafficway, wherein each of the plurality of channels includes one or more compressible, elongated hollow bodies such that a movement of a vehicle along the trafficway causes contents in the elongated hollow bodies to be expelled from one end, a motor in communication with the hollow bodies such that the contents expelled from one end of the hollow bodies actuate the motor, and a control unit that varies a resistance to the movement of the contents in the elongated hollow bodies based on at least one of a mass of the vehicle, a velocity of the vehicle, and a rate of change of velocity of the vehicle.
83 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system for converting energy of a moving vehicle into useful power, the system comprising:
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one or more compressible, elongated hollow bodies configured to be disposed longitudinally on or in a trafficway such that a movement of a vehicle along said trafficway causes contents in said elongated hollow bodies to be expelled from one end, the one or more compressible, elongated hollow bodies having a length in the direction of vehicle travel and a width in the direction transverse to the direction of vehicle travel; a motor in communication with said hollow bodies such that said contents expelled from one end of said hollow bodies actuates said motor; and a control unit programmed to control a deceleration of the vehicle as the vehicle travels over the one or more compressible, elongated hollow bodies by varying a resistance to a movement of said contents in said elongated hollow bodies based on at least one of a mass of the vehicle, a velocity of the vehicle, and a rate of change of velocity of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13)
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11. A system for converting energy of a moving vehicle into a useful form, the system comprising:
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one or more compressible, elongated hollow bodies configured to be disposed longitudinally on or in a trafficway such that a movement of a vehicle along said trafficway causes contents in said elongated hollow bodies to be expelled from one end; a motor in communication with said hollow bodies such that said contents expelled from one end of said hollow bodies actuate said motor; and means for controlling a deceleration of the vehicle as the vehicle travels over the one or more compressible, elongated hollow bodies by varying a resistance to a movement of said contents in said elongated hollow bodies based on at least one of a mass of the vehicle, a velocity of the vehicle, and a rate of change of velocity of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for converting energy of a moving vehicle into a useful form, the system comprising:
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a plurality of channels disposed longitudinally on or in a trafficway, wherein each of the plurality of channels includes one or more compressible, elongated hollow bodies such that a movement of a vehicle along said trafficway causes contents in said elongated hollow bodies to be expelled from one end; a motor in communication with said hollow bodies such that said contents expelled from one end of said hollow bodies actuate said motor; a first unit that receives directly or indirectly a measure of at least one of a mass of the vehicle, a velocity of the vehicle, and a rate of change of velocity of the vehicle; and a second unit programmed to control a deceleration of the vehicle as the vehicle travels over the one or more compressible, elongated hollow bodies by varying a resistance to a movement of said contents in said elongated hollow bodies based on a signal by said first unit.
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18. A method of converting energy of a moving vehicle into a useful form, the method comprising:
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actuating a motor, which is in communication with a compressible, elongated hollow body disposed on or in a trafficway, using contents expelled from one end of the compressible, elongated hollow body by a movement of a vehicle along the trafficway; and controlling a deceleration of the vehicle as the vehicle travels over the compressible, elongated hollow body by varying a resistance to a movement of the contents in the compressible, elongated hollow body based on at least one of a mass of the vehicle, a velocity of the vehicle, and a rate of change of velocity of the vehicle.
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19. A method of converting energy of a moving vehicle into a useful form, the method comprising:
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actuating a motor, which is in communication with a compressible, elongated hollow body disposed on or in a trafficway, using contents expelled from one end of the compressible, elongated hollow body by a movement of a vehicle along the trafficway; measuring directly or indirectly at least one of a mass of the vehicle, a velocity of the vehicle, and a rate of change of velocity of the vehicle; and controlling a deceleration of the vehicle as the vehicle travels over the compressible, elongated hollow body by varying a resistance to a movement of the contents in the compressible, elongated hollow body based on the measuring.
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Specification