Motor vehicles – With fluid or mechanical means to accumulate energy to power...
Patent
1991-10-04
1993-09-14
Culbreth, Eric D.
Motor vehicles
With fluid or mechanical means to accumulate energy to power...
180 653, 476 38, B60K 104
Patent
active
052440540
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
A first aspect of this invention is concerned with improvements relating to vehicles, and in particular to transport vehicles. The invention has been devised primarily for vehicles used in urban transport systems: however it is to be appreciated that the invention may be utilised to other forms of transport vehicle.
Difficulties have been encountered over the years in providing urban transport systems, both in relation to the cost of the vehicles themselves, and in the provision of environmentally satisfactory motive power.
For example considerable advantages are to be gained by the use of electrical-powered vehicles: however laying power lines over the routes to be taken by the vehicles is extremely expensive.
According to this invention there is provided a transport system comprising: transmission means by which power may be transmitted from the fly-wheel to one or more driving wheels of the vehicle, and fly-wheel.
For example, the system may comprise means to provide energy to the fly-wheel at intervals along the route, or at a central location such as a terminus to which the vehicle periodically returns.
In this manner the vehicles may be devoid of any motive power source other than the fly-wheel, and the fly-wheel may be utilised to accelerate the vehicle from rest to a normal running speed: advantageously the vehicle comprises braking means which is operative to return energy to the fly-wheel.
Preferably the transmission means of each vehicle comprises a continously-variable transmission (CVT), by which power may be taken from the rotating fly-wheel, for application to the driving wheels of the vehicle at an appropriate speed, the CVT being capable of being utilised to retard the vehicle and to return energy of the vehicle to the fly-wheel.
According to this invention there is also provided a transport vehicle comprising a vehicle body, a plurality of wheels on the body including at least one driving wheel, a source of motive power on the vehicle, said source comprising fly-wheel means, and a continuously variable transmission mechanism operable between the fly-wheel means and said driving wheel.
Preferably the fly-wheel means provides substantially the whole of the motive power utilised by the vehicle, and may provide the entire source of motive power. If desired however the vehicle may comprise supplementary power means, such as in the form of an electric battery, operable to power the fly-wheel means for emergency use. Thus an electric motor may be connected to the fly-wheel means which may selectively be operable by the battery means in the event that an additional store of fly-wheel energy is required.
In this manner the fly-wheel may periodically be re-powered by the application of electrical energy to the electric motor at (for example) a way station or terminus. Alternatively or in addition the fly-wheel may be powered by mechanical means operative (for example) on the fly-wheel drive shaft at said way station or terminus.
According to this invention there is also provided a method of operating a transportation vehicle comprising a fly-wheel, in which all the energy required to accelerate the vehicle from rest is derived from the fly-wheel, and energy is transmitted from the fly-wheel to one or more driving wheels of the vehicle through the intermediary of a continuously-variable transmission mechanism.
Preferably the energy required to operate the vehicle over a plurality of cycles, each cyle commencing with the acceleration of the vehicle from rest and terminating with the deceleration of the vehicle to rest, is derived from the fly-wheel.
Preferably the continuously variable transmission means comprises twin drive members each mounted for rotation about a respective axis, said drive members each comprising a surface the radius of which increases with distance along the longitudinal axis.
Thus preferably the drive surface of each drive member is conical, conveniently in the form of a rectilinear cone (i.e. that body generated by the rotation of a straight line abou
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patent: 4471668 (1984-09-01), Elsner
patent: 4625823 (1986-12-01), Frank
"Electric Vehicle CVTs Evaluated", Automotive Engineering, Sep. 1981.
"Flywheel Propulsion System Lets Trolley Coaches Run Off-Wire" Machine Design, vol. 46, No. 12, May 16, 1974, U.S.
"Flywheel Buses Advance in Europe" by David Scott et al. Automotive Engineering, Dec. 1980, Dallas, Tex., USA.
Coleman Henry D.
Culbreth Eric D.
J. P. M. Parry & Associates Limited
Sudol R. Neil
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