Device for transmitting electrical energy

• US 8,499,910 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2009
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stemmann-Technik GmbH (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Stemmann-Technik GmbH (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Hbner, Burkhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano, S. Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): KUHFUSS, ZACHARY L
• Application Number:
  US13/129,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20110220446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• Field of Search: 191/6, 191/10, 191/14, 191/18, 191/22.C, 180/2.1, 320/109, 104/281, 104/284
• US Class Current: 191/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/005 without mechanical contact between the collector and the power supply line
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for inductively transmitting electrical energy to or from a mobile object (3) that is located on a roadway or rail, is at a standstill or in motion, and comprises a load and/or an energy store, comprising a floor inductor (5) that is associated with the roadway (1) and comprises a plurality of first induction coils (4) that are arranged along the roadway (1) or rail, are connected to a current source, and have a magnetically conductive iron core (6) for generating a magnetic field directed toward the moving object (3). An inductive wheel (8) attached to the moving object (3) comprises a stationary second induction coil (9) having a magnetically conductive iron core (10) and magnetically conductive wheel disks (11, 12) that are directed toward the roadway (1) or rail and connected to said magnetically conductive iron core on both sides. Elastic, magnetically conductive tires (13) rotating with the motion of the object (3) are associated with the wheel disks for contacting the roadway (1) and for ensuring a low-loss magnetic flux between the induction coils (4, 9), wherein in the flattened state, said tires securely bridge an air gap between the roadway and wheel disks. The device can be used advantageously in connection with electric vehicles for comfortably and quickly recharging the batteries during driving or parking.

Claims

1. A device for inductive transmission of electric energy to or from a mobile object which is at a standstill or in motion on a roadway or rail and includes a load and/or energy store, said device comprising:

a floor inductor associated to the roadway or rail and having a plurality of first induction coils which are arranged along the roadway or rail and connected to a power source and which have a magnetically conductive iron core for generating a magnetic field directed to the mobile object; and

an inductive wheel attached to the mobile object, said inductive wheel including

a fixed second induction coil with a magnetically conductive iron core,

magnetically conductive wheel disks connected on both sides to the iron core and directed toward the roadway or rail, and

elastic, magnetically conductive tires rotating with the motion of the object and associated to the wheel disks for contacting the roadway in the absence of an air gap and for ensuring a low-loss magnetic flux.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the wheel disks with the iron core are securely held on the moving object, and the magnetically conductive tires are attached to a rim rotating about the second induction coil.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the wheel disks with the iron core are held rotatably on the moving object, and the magnetically conductive tires are attached at an outer circumference of the wheel disks.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the tires are made of magnetically conductive elastomer.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising sensors operably connected to the first induction coils of the floor inductor in one-to-one correspondence for ascertaining the moving object and control of a connection of a respective one of the first induction coils with a power grid.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the floor inductor includes two or more longitudinal rails arranged in spaced-apart parallel relationship and made of magnetically conductive material, and crosspieces made of magnetically conductive material which connect longitudinal rails and which have mounted thereon the first induction coils.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the floor inductor is configured as twin rail inductor having a plurality of segments arranged in a row, each of the segments comprised of two longitudinal rails interconnected by a crosspiece which is provided with a pertaining one of the first induction coils, wherein the twin rail inductor is associated to a randomly aligned subsurface area.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the floor inductor is configured as flat grid inductor which is associated to a roadway zone or parking zone and includes a plurality of parallel longitudinal rails which are connected by crosspieces arranged offset between the longitudinal rails and having mounted thereon pertaining ones of the first induction coils.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the mobile object is an electric car which is operated by accumulators and on which the inductive wheel is temporarily fastened for lowering onto a low-speed or stoppage zone of the roadway, configured with a grid inductor, or a parking lot for recharging the accumulators.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the inductive wheel is associated to vehicle tires of the electric car and is lowerable by changing a tire pressure or an axle alignment.

11. The device of claim 9, further comprising a mounting plate to secure the inductive wheel upon the electric car, and a fold-out mechanism to lower the inductive wheel onto the roadway configured with a grid inductor.