Electrical system for gyroscopic stabilized vehicle

• US 8,918,239 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2010
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lit Motors Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lit Motors Corporation
• Inventors: Kim, Daniel Kee Young, Bretney, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIN, ABBY YEE
• Application Number:
  US12/875,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20110231041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/22, 701/36, 701/38, 701/41, 701 70- 72, 701/124, 180 651- 657, 180/252, 180/165, 318139-158, 318/161
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/46 Wheel motors, i.e. motor connected to only one wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/34 Stabilising upright position of vehicles, e.g. of single axle vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/30 using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 37/06 using gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 61/02 with two road wheels in tandem on the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 17/08 Hoods protecting the rider
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/00 Motorcycles, engine-assisted cycles or motor scooters with one or two wheels fairings or streamlining parts not forming part of the frame B62J; transmission of drive from engines to wheels B62M
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/007 Automatic balancing machines with single main ground engaging wheel or coaxial wheels supporting a rider
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2204/00 Adaptations for driving cycles by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 7/12 with the engine beside or within the driven wheel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention may transfer energy from a flywheel motor-generator to a capacitor bank in response to detecting an input to increase the speed of a vehicle, and transfer energy from a drive wheel motor-generator to a capacitor bank in response to detecting an input to decrease the speed of the vehicle. The flywheel motor-generator may function to transfer energy to and from a flywheel included in a gyroscope-stabilizer of the vehicle, while the capacitor bank, which includes a battery, may function to transfer energy to and from a drive wheel of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a drive wheel motor-generator to transfer energy to and from a drive wheel of a vehicle, the drive wheel comprising one of a front or a rear wheel of the vehicle having a first axis of rotation;

a gyroscope stabilizer comprising a flywheel having second axis of rotation different from the first axis of rotation, a flywheel motor-generator to transfer energy to and from the flywheel to increase and decrease a rotational speed of the flywheel, and a precession motor to generate an inertial moment for stabilizing the vehicle by precessing the flywheel from the second axis of rotation, the inertial moment further based on the rotational speed of the flywheel;

a power storage unit including a capacitor bank and a battery, the capacitor bank to store power from power surges exceeding a capacity of the battery; and

a power controller to transfer energy between the drive wheel motor-generator and the gyroscope stabilizer, comprising;

circuitry configured to, in response to detecting a user input to increase a speed of the vehicle, increase the speed of the vehicle and decrease the inertial moment generated by the precession motor of the gyroscope-stabilizer by transferring energy, via a switching circuitry, from the flywheel motor-generator of the gyroscope stabilizer to the drive wheel motor-generator, and transferring energy not required by the drive wheel motor-generator to the power storage unit; and

circuitry configured to, in response to detecting a user input to decrease the speed of the vehicle, decrease the speed of the vehicle and increase the inertial moment generated by the precession motor of the gyroscope-stabilizer by transferring energy, via the switching circuitry, from the drive wheel motor-generator to the flywheel motor-generator of the gyroscope-stabilizer, and transferring energy not required by the flywheel motor-generator to the power storage unit.

2. The system of claim 1, the power controller further comprising:

circuitry configured to transfer energy from the power storage unit to the drive wheel motor-generator in response to detecting the user input to increase the speed of the vehicle; and

circuitry configured to transfer energy from the power storage unit to the flywheel motor-generator of the gyroscope stabilizer in response to detecting the user input to decrease the speed of the vehicle;

wherein transferring energy from the power storage unit comprises;

transferring energy from the capacitor bank, and transferring energy from the battery in response to a charge of the capacitor bank dissipating.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user input to decrease the speed of the vehicle comprises an input to engage a braking system of the vehicle, wherein the braking system is to generate energy transferrable from the drive wheel motor-generator to the flywheel motor-generator of the gyroscope stabilizer and the power storage unit, and the capacitor bank of the power storage unit is to store power from power surges from the braking system exceeding the capacity of the battery of the power storage unit.

4. An apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to transfer, via a switching circuitry, energy from a flywheel motor-generator of gyroscope stabilizer to decrease an inertial moment generated by a precession motor of the gyroscope-stabilizer for stabilizing a vehicle to a drive wheel motor-generator to increase a speed of the vehicle in response to detecting a user input to increase the speed of the vehicle, and transfer energy not required by the drive wheel motor-generator to at least one of a capacitor bank or a battery of a power storage unit, wherein the flywheel motor-generator is to transfer energy to and from a flywheel included in the gyroscope-stabilizer of the vehicle to increase and decrease a rotational speed of the flywheel, and the precession motor is to precess the flywheel from a first axis of rotation to generate the inertial moment, wherein the inertial moment is further based on the rotational speed of the flywheel, wherein the drive wheel motor-generator is to transfer energy to and from a front or rear wheel of the vehicle rotating at a second axis of rotation different than the first, and wherein the capacitor bank of the power storage unit is to store power from power surges exceeding a capacity of the battery; and

circuitry configured to transfer, via the switching circuitry, energy from the drive wheel motor-generator to decrease the speed of the vehicle to the flywheel motor-generator to increase the inertial moment generated by the precession motor of the gyroscope-stabilizer to maintain vehicle stability at the decreased speed, in response to detecting a user input to decrease the speed of the vehicle, and transfer energy not required by the flywheel motor-generator to the power storage unit.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

circuitry configured to transfer energy from the power storage unit to the drive wheel motor-generator in response to detecting the user input to increase the speed of the vehicle; and

circuitry configured to transfer energy from the power storage unit to the flywheel motor-generator of the gyroscope stabilizer in response to detecting the user input to decrease the speed of the vehicle;

wherein transferring energy from the power storage unit comprises;

transferring energy from the capacitor bank, and transferring energy from the battery in response to a charge of the capacitor bank dissipating.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the user input to decrease the speed of the vehicle comprises an input to engage a braking system of the vehicle, the braking system to generate energy transferrable from the drive wheel motor-generator to the flywheel motor-generator of the gyroscope stabilizer and the power storage unit, the capacitor bank of the power storage unit to store power from power surges from the braking system exceeding a capacity of the battery of the power storage.

7. A method comprising:

transferring, via a switching circuitry, energy from a flywheel motor-generator of gyroscope stabilizer to decrease an inertial moment generated by a precession motor of the gyroscope-stabilizer for stabilizing a vehicle to a drive wheel motor-generator to increase a speed of the vehicle in response to detecting a user input to increase the speed of the vehicle, and transferring energy not required by the drive wheel motor-generator to at least one of a capacitor bank or a battery of a power storage unit, wherein the flywheel motor-generator is to transfer energy to and from a flywheel included in the gyroscope-stabilizer of the vehicle to increase and decrease a rotational speed of the flywheel, and the precession motor is to precess the flywheel from a first axis of rotation to generate the inertial moment, wherein the inertial moment is further based on the rotational speed of the flywheel, wherein the drive wheel motor-generator is to transfer energy to and from a front or rear wheel of the vehicle rotating at a second axis of rotation different than the first, and wherein the capacitor bank of the power storage unit is to store power from power surges exceeding a capacity of the battery; and

transferring, via the switching circuitry, energy from the drive wheel motor-generator to decrease the speed of the vehicle to the flywheel motor-generator to increase the inertial moment generated by the precession motor of the gyroscope-stabilizer to maintain vehicle stability at the decreased speed, in response to detecting a user input to decrease the speed of the vehicle, and transferring energy not required by the flywheel motor-generator to the power storage unit.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transferring, via the switching circuitry, energy from the power storage unit to the drive wheel motor-generator in response to detecting the user input to increase the speed of the vehicle; and

transferring, via the switching circuitry, energy from the power storage unit to the flywheel motor-generator of the gyroscope stabilizer in response to detecting the user input to decrease the speed of the vehicle;

wherein transferring energy from the power storage unit comprises;

transferring energy from the capacitor bank, and transferring energy from the battery in response to a charge of the capacitor bank dissipating.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the user input to decrease the speed of the vehicle comprises an input to engage a braking system of the vehicle, the braking system to generate energy transferrable from the drive wheel motor-generator to the flywheel motor-generator of the gyroscope stabilizer and the power storage unit, the capacitor bank of the power storage unit to store power from power surges from the braking system exceeding a capacity of the battery of the power storage.