Hydraulic energy transfer

• US 9,597,939 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2016
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ClearMotion, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ClearMotion, Inc.
• Inventors: Anderson, Zackary Martin, Jackowski, Zachary J., Bavetta, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): SAHNI, VISHAL R
• Application Number:
  US14/989,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20160114643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 17/08 Characteristics of fluid dampers adjusting fluid dampers in general F16F9/44 - F16F9/53
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/24 Fluid damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/416 using a pump, e.g. in the line connecting the lower chamber to the upper chamber of the actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/42 Electric actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/62 Adjustable continuously, e.g. during driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/41 Dampers
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/60 Vehicles using regenerative power
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/202 Piston speed; Relative velocity between vehicle body and wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/206 Body oscillation speed; Body vibration frequency
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/5182 Fluid damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/60 Load
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/91 Frequency
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/104 continuous
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/11 Damping valves
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/203 Distributor valve units comprising several elements, e.g. valves, pump or accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/30 Height or ground clearance
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/09 Feedback signal
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/18 Automatic control means
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/70 Computer memory; Data storage, e.g. maps for adaptive control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/73 : Electrical control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/91 : Suspension Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/916 : Body Vibration Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2025/103 : by electric means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 25/10 : directly from oscillating movements due to vehicle running motion, e.g. suspension movement resilient suspensions having dampers accumulating utilisable energy, e.g. compressing air, B60G13/14
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 5/125 : Telescopic supports, e.g. telescopic dampers B60K5/1275 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 3/00 : Other motors, e.g. gravity or inertia motors
• 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: F03G 7/081 : recovering energy from moving road or rail vehicles, e.g. collecting vehicle vibrations in the vehicle tyres or shock absorbers
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/02 : Suppression of vibrations of non-rotating, e.g. reciprocating systems; Suppression of vibrations of rotating systems by use of members not moving with the rotating systems F16F15/005 takes precedence ; layered products B32B; suppression of vibration in ships B63; relieving load on bearings, using magnetic means F16C39/06
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/18 : with a closed cylinder and a piston separating two or more working spaces therein
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1876 : with reciprocating, linearly oscillating or vibrating parts

Abstract

A regenerative shock absorber that include a housing and a piston that moves at least partially through the housing when the shock is compressed or extended from a rest position. When the piston moves, hydraulic fluid is pressurized and drives a hydraulic motor. The hydraulic motor, in turn, drives an electric generator that produced electric energy. The electric enemy may be provided to a vehicle, among other things. The regenerative shock absorber may also provide ride performance that comparable to or exceeds that of conventional shock absorbers.

Claims

1. A shock absorber system of a vehicle, comprising:

a housing that includes a compression volume and an extension volume;

a piston disposed in the housing that in a first mode moves through at least a portion of a compression stroke-and that in a second mode moves through at least a portion of an extension stroke;

a hydraulic device which is one of a hydraulic motor and a hydraulic pump, wherein the hydraulic device includes a shaft, a first port and a second port, wherein the first port is in fluid communication with the compression volume and the second port is in fluid communication with the extension volume;

a reservoir having a reservoir volume that receives fluid from at least one of the compression volume and the extension volume;

a valve that controls at least a portion of fluid flow to or from at least one of the compression volume and the extension volume; and

a controller associated with the hydraulic device, wherein the controller operates the hydraulic device at least at two different shaft velocities based on changes in driving conditions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the valve is a bypass valve that controls at least a portion of fluid exchange between the compression volume and the extension volume.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydraulic device is a hydraulic pump and the piston moves in sync with the hydraulic pump during at least a portion of at least one of the first mode and the second mode.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydraulic device operates as a hydraulic pump to apply an active force to the piston.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an electrical machine that is operatively coupled to the hydraulic device by the shaft.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the electrical machine is used as a generator to produce a damping force on the piston during at least one operating condition.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the hydraulic device is located in a motor/generator housing that includes at least a portion of the electrical machine.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the motor/generator housing is at least partially made of material that allows magnetic flux to pass therethrough.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is in electrical communication with at least one of a voltage sensor, a current sensor, and a strain gauge sensor.

10. A vehicle suspension system, comprising:

at least one shock absorber apparatus, which is part of the suspensions system of the vehicle, and includes;

a housing that includes a first apparatus volume;

a piston disposed in the housing and that moves through the first apparatus volume;

a second apparatus volume;

a hydraulic device, which is one of a hydraulic motor and a hydraulic pump, including a port in fluid communication with the first apparatus volume;

an electrical machine operatively coupled to the hydraulic device;

a controller associated with the electrical machine, wherein in at least one mode of operation the controller controls a speed of the electrical machine to operate the hydraulic device as a pump and vary a rotational velocity of the hydraulic device between a first velocity and a second velocity; and

a valve that controls at least a portion of the fluid exchanged between at least one of the first apparatus volume and the hydraulic device and the first apparatus volume and the second apparatus volume.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the electrical machine that at a given operating point operates as one of an electric motor and an electric generator.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the shock absorber system operation is controlled based on changes in driving conditions.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a reservoir having a reservoir volume that receives fluid from the first apparatus volume.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first apparatus volume is a compression volume and the second apparatus volume is an extension volume.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the valve is a bypass valve that controls the flow of at least a portion of the fluid exchanged between the compression volume and the extension volume at least at one operating point.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the hydraulic device operates as a pump to apply an active force on the piston.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the electrical machine includes a rotor and a stator, wherein the rotor is located in an enclosure and at least partially immersed in hydraulic fluid, and wherein the coils of the electrical machine are located outside of the enclosure.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the electrical machine is operated as a generator to generate electricity in order to produce a resistive force on the piston at least at one operating point.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is in electrical communication with at least one of a voltage sensor, a current sensor, and a strain gauge sensor.

20. A method of operating an active suspension system actuator in a vehicle, the method comprising:

operating a hydraulic device, which is one of a hydraulic motor and a hydraulic pump, wherein the hydraulic device is in fluid communication with a first suspension system volume within the actuator, and is operatively coupled to an electrical machine;

controlling the electrical machine to operate the hydraulic device as a pump at least at two different speeds;

receiving, in a reservoir, fluid from the first suspension system volume;

exchanging fluid between the first suspension system volume and the hydraulic device, wherein at least a portion of the fluid exchange is controlled by at least one valve at least at one operating point; and

using the pressure

in the first suspension system volume to modify a force on a piston in the actuator.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising adjusting operation of the shock absorber apparatus based on sensor information.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising adjusting operation of the shock absorber apparatus based on driving conditions on a road being travelled by the vehicle.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising operating the hydraulic device in fluid communication with a second suspensions system volume.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first suspension system volume is a compression volume and the second suspension system volume is an extension volume.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising providing a flow path between the compression volume and the extension volume that bypasses the hydraulic device.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising operating the hydraulic device as a hydraulic pump to apply an active force on the piston.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising driving the electrical machine with the hydraulic device to generate electricity in order to produce a resistive force to the piston at least at one operating point.

28. The method of claim 20, further comprising mimicking a conventional shock absorber force/velocity response by controlling the operation of the electrical machine.