Motor vehicles – With fluid or mechanical means to accumulate energy to power...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-08
2004-07-06
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Motor vehicles
With fluid or mechanical means to accumulate energy to power...
C180S065310, C303S152000, C060S414000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06758295
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, in general, to braking systems and, more particularly, to regenerative braking systems for vehicles. This invention relates to a regenerative braking system that slows a vehicle by operatively connecting a hydraulic pump system to the vehicle's rotating wheels to pump fluid to a turbine for electric generation.
2. Related Art
The prior art is replete with approaches to extracting, storing and beneficially using the energy usually dissipated during vehicle braking. These approaches in part include many combinations and interconnections of flywheels, hydraulic and pneumatic accumulators, motors, pumps, and the like. None of the known prior art, however, incorporates a turbine generator for regenerative braking and electrical energy generation, as in the present invention. The following brief review of some of the prior art will be useful in establishing the novelty and utility of the present invention.
Bultmann (U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,734) has disclosed a braking system having a hydrodynamic coupling driven by the vehicle, wherein the operating fluid is conducted into an external circulatory system by way of a cooler or radiator. This hydrodynamic coupling also serves as a feed pump for the operating fluid and is operatively connected with a turbine to drive a separate cooling fan. In this manner, heat removal from the braking system may be facilitated.
Smitley (U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,371) also teaches a flywheel approach to storing and supplying energy for vehicles. The flywheel is selectively connected to the power train of a vehicle and absorbs energy from the vehicle's ground engaging wheels during the deceleration of the vehicle. This process provides at least a degree of vehicular braking. A clutch is also provided to selectively engage/disengage the flywheel connection to the wheels.
Chang (U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,053) employs a vehicle's engine to compress air when the vehicle decelerates and reuses the air thus-compressed to drive an air motor which assists in moving the vehicle when it is underway again.
Gray et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,527) provides a vehicular powertrain with regenerative braking having a pump/motor combination connected to the vehicle's drive wheels. In the vehicle's braking mode, the pump comes into play and charges an accumulator. When it is desired to accelerate the vehicle, the accumulator releases its stored energy by providing hydraulic power to the motor which, in turn, drives the vehicle's wheels. Controls and switches are provided to implement and coordinate the various functions of the components.
Ellis et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,249) disclose a kinetic energy storage system that uses a flywheel with a motor generator to store energy. The flywheel rotates at a high speed in a vacuum. The flywheel may also be used to power the vehicle.
Martin-Gerez (U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,351) teaches an axle-driven pumping mechanism used to pressurize a volume of hydraulic fluid in response to a braking command. The fluid thus-pressurized activates a turbine that is used to drive a cooling fan directed at a radiator used to dissipate heat in the hydraulic fluid.
As can readily seen from the above review, the prior art is silent with respect to extracting energy to affect vehicular braking by hydraulically turning a turbine generator with a fluid-jet powered by the rotation of the wheels. No prior art approach is known to anticipate the present invention's innovative incorporation of a turbine generator actuated by fluid-jet energy recovered during the braking phase of a vehicle's operation. The extraction of energy by the fluid-jet-powered turbine generator aids in braking the vehicle and the electrical energy the turbine generates is stored in the vehicle's electrical storage system, typically batteries. However, other electrical storage systems may also be used like, for example, ultra-capacitors (see “electriccomponents.com”).
Thus it is a primary objective of this invention to provide a braking system that generates electrical energy while facilitating braking of the vehicle. It is another object of this invention to include a turbine generator in such a system that is powered by a fluid-jet driven by the vehicle's wheels. It is a further object of this invention to store the generated electrical energy for the later use by the vehicle. It is yet another object of this invention to provide such a system that is robust and inexpensive to manufacture, install and operate. Another object of this invention is to provide a turbine generator regenerative braking system that is applicable to any apparatus requiring braking independent of the primary motive power.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is a turbine generator regenerative braking system for a vehicle having ground-engaging wheels and an electrical energy storage device. The braking system comprises an hydraulic fluid turbine generator having an electrical power output connected to the electrical energy storage device, one or more hydraulic fluid pumps, and an hydraulic fluid circuit operatively and cooperatively connecting the hydraulic pump(s) to the turbine generator. Further, the braking system comprises an actuator system adapted to operatively connect the fluid pump(s) to the wheel(s) and to actuate the pump operation, powered by the wheel(s), for pumping fluid through the hydraulic fluid circuit. An operator's foot pedal or other operator control means is adapted to signal the actuator system, preferably controlling application of the brakes in an incremental manner. Preferably, the hydraulic fluid circuit comprises outlet nozzles through which the hydraulic fluid is forced to jet against cups/blades of the turbine, for generation of electricity.
By slowing the vehicle, via a method that comprises operative connection of the wheels to fluid pumps that power a turbine, the invented system transfers some of the vehicle kinetic energy into electrical energy rather than dissipating the energy as heat during conventional frictional slowing by brake shoes. The system preferably has adjustment features for controlling/varying the amount of braking, so that the braking system may be used during travel for slowing or for slowing and stopping. Adjustment features preferably comprise the jet nozzles being adjustable to vary flow restriction in the hydraulic line(s). Further, another adjustment feature may comprise a variable pump rate such as with a variable positive-displacement pump. The preferred fluid turbine generator comprises a flywheel, a plurality of cup blades on the flywheel like a Pelton wheel, and an electrical generator section. The flywheel may have fan-like blades or other structure on which the fluid jets impinge. Optionally, power-take-off (PTO) may be provided mechanically from the flywheel shaft.
In most embodiments of this invention, each wheel may power, and, hence, may be slowed by, the fluid-jet-turbine system. Each wheel may be operatively connected/connectable to its own respective fluid hydraulic pump and its own respective fluid line-and nozzle, so that a pump and nozzle system is connected to and dedicated to each of the plurality of wheels.
The actuation system comprises a mechanism for starting and stopping pump operation in response to whether and how much the operator is applying the brakes. The actuation system comprises operative connection of the rotating wheel(s) to the pump(s), which may be accomplished in various ways comprising mechanical connection/coupling of a pump that automatically pumps when connected, start-up of the pump separate from mechanical connection, or start-up or speeding-up of a pump that is already connected to the wheel. For example, the pump device may be mechanically engaged with the wheel at all times, but with the pump adapted to not pump fluid until braking is actuated by the operator. Such a system, for example, could comprise a variable-positive-displacement pump that is adapted to be at a zero pumping rate durin
Johnson Brian L.
Pedersen Barbara S.
Pedersen Ken J.
Pedersen & Co. PLLC
Swenson Brian L
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