GB2568573A

GB2568573A - Improvements relating to vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2568573A
Application number: GB1814908.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dunmore Joseph
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2017-09-15
Filing date: 2018-09-13
Publication date: 2019-05-22
Anticipated expiration: 2038-09-13
Also published as: GB2566530A; GB2568573B; WO2019053434A1; GB201814908D0; GB201714997D0

Abstract

An onboard battery recharging system for road and rail vehicles driven by electric motors includes an onboard battery charging unit that recharges onboard batteries that power the electric motors. The system includes a housing in which a plurality of turbines with one or more blades are disposed. The turbines are coupled to one or more alternators for generating electrical energy to power the onboard battery charging unit. The housing has an inlet and outlet to permit the flow of air into, and out of, the housing respectively in order to move the one or more blades of the turbines. Associated with each turbine is a first air flow deflector 7, for guiding the flow of air towards the turbine. The first air flow deflector includes a first surface to deflect air towards the turbine. A second, arcuate surface of the first air flow deflector and a first surface of a second air flow deflector 18, each accommodate a swept area of the blade. A third deflector 19 may have a first surface to deflect air towards the turbine and a second surface accommodating a swept area of the blade. A closure member may selectively close the housing inlet during snow fall. A filter member (e.g. strong mesh) may be used to filter air entering the housing via the inlet and prevent debris entering the system.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO VEHICLES

The present invention relates to energy recovery and in particular, vehicles driven at least in part by electric motors powered by onboard rechargeable batteries. More particularly, this invention relates to means of recharging the onboard batteries on vehicles driven by electric motors that are powered by onboard batteries which are recharged by an onboard battery charging unit.

Presently, vehicles driven by electric motors powered by onboard batteries are in the main, limited in distance travelled according to the energy capacity of the onboard batteries. Batteries are recharged at permanent recharging stations or else via access sites connected to a national electricity grid.

It would be advantageous for road vehicles, trains and tramcars to travel with reduced cost for fuel, extended distance travel led between conventional refuelling, thus significantly reducing carbon emissions from such vehicles.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an onboard battery recharging charging system for road and rail vehicles driven by electric motors that are at least partially powered by onboard batteries, rechargeable via an onboard battery charging unit, recharging the onboard batteries by a power system capable of capturing air that the vehicle moves into, and to use the said captured air to enter each of two long boxes in order to rotate a number of turbines, positioned within each of the long boxes the said turbines being coupled to alternators thereby creating A.C electricity with which to power the onboard battery charging unit whilst the vehicle is in motion.

To address this problem the present invention proposes a means of generating electricity to be supplied to the onboard battery charging unit, thereby continually recharging the onboard batteries whilst the vehicle is in motion. Consequently vehicles using this system would have fewer restrictions in distance travelled.

The generating means is preferably provided with a housing case in which to contain the components of the system, the front section of the housing case is of a particular design in order to capture air that the vehicle moves into, the design of that section of the housing case may vary according to where the vehicle designer chooses to site the system on the vehicle. Sited at the front of the housing case, may be provided three channels connected together in order to provide a housing for a panel to be inserted into the channels during snow fall thereby preventing the system being blocked with snow. Behind these channels a strong mesh may be provided in order to prevent debris entering the system, two deflector panels are provided set behind the mesh to divide the captured air into two portions and to deflect each portion into each of two long boxes one long box is positioned inside the housing case on the left and one is positioned on the right, each long box has installed within a number of turbines, the centre shaft of each turbine is directly connected to the centre shaft of an alternator, said alternators to be positioned in the area between the long boxes, set inside each long box will be a number of deflectors in order to maximise the power being extracted from the captured air, the said long boxes are provided with an outlet at the rear in order to provide an exit for the captured air and rainwater by using this system of generating electricity with which to continually recharge the onboard batteries whilst the vehicle is in motion.

A housing case may contain the components of the system.

The system may have an open area at the front to capture air that the vehicle moves into.

The open area may have a means provided to house a panel with which to close off the open area during snow fall.

The open area may be provided with a filter, such as strong mesh, in order to prevent debris entering the system.

Two deflector panels may be provided, set behind the strong mesh and positioned in the centre of the open area, and set at an angle, one to the left, and one to the right, the purpose of these deflectors is firstly to divide the capture air into two portions, secondly to deflect the captured air into each of the two long boxes.

The system may have two long rectangular boxes, one set inside to the left of the housing case and one set inside to the right of the housing case each extending to the rear of the housing case, positioned inside the said long boxes are set certain components of the system.

The two long boxes may have a plurality of turbines the quantity of which will be related to the size of the system according to the size of the vehicle the system is being installed in, the said turbines will be rotated by the captured air.

One or more alternators may be provided. Preferably, the number of alternators equal the number of turbines, each of the said alternators will be directly connected to the centre shaft of a turbine, the rotation of the turbines and alternators by the captured air thereby producing A.C. electricity.

There may be provided inside the entrance of each of the two long boxes a deflector, the purpose of which is to deflect the incoming air onto the driving side of the turbines in order to rotate the alternators in the required clockwise direction, the deflector set in the long box on the left of the housing case will be position on the lower face of the long box, consequently the deflector set in the long box on the right side of the housing case will be positioned on the upper face of the long box.

The deflector may be positioned between each pair of turbines in order to prevent air escaping past the outer edges of the turbine blades thereby reducing the pressure of air onto the following turbine, this deflector will be set on the same side of the long boxes as deflector 7.

A plurality of deflectors are positioned in the two long boxes set on the opposite face of the long boxes to deflectors to be positioned in front of each turbine, the purpose of deflector is two fold firstly to deflect air onto the turbine blades, and secondly to prevent air escaping past the outer edges of the turbine blades.

The deflectors may be arranged with the turbines in series. There may be two rows of turbines and deflectors, the turbines and deflectors of each row arranged in series.

The alternators may be provided with electric cables whereby the electricity produced by the system will be conducted to the onboard battery recharging unit, thereby being available to recharge the onboard batteries as required.

The two long boxes may be provided to the rear of the long boxes an outlet for the captured air and rainwater that enters the system to exit the long boxes.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of an example only, in which:

Figure 1 shows a side view of the system housing case mounted above the passenger area of a car,

Figure 2 shows a plan view of the system housing case with the upper panel removed in order to illustrates the layout of some of the components of the system,

Figure 3 shows a sectional view of the system positioned in the front area of the car,

Figure 4 shows a view from the front of a car having the system set in the front of a car,

Figure 5 shows a sectional view of the housing case that houses the systems components,

Figure 6 shows the layout of components in the long boxes,

Figure 7 shows a deflector that is set inside the entrances of the long boxes,

Figure 8 shows a deflector that is set between each pair of turbines as illustrated in figure 6,

Figure 9 shows a deflector that is set between each pair of turbines to be positioned on the opposite side of the long boxes in relation to deflector 13,

Figure 10 shows the system mounted on a goods carrying vehicle,

Figure 11 shows the layout of the deflector panels in a system for large road vehicles,

Figure 12 shows a good vehicle with the casing containing the long boxes turbines, alternators, and deflectors 7,13 and 14 positioned below the load carrying area of the vehicle,

Figure 13 shows the system mounted on the top of an electrically driven railway engine,

Figure 14 shows the system mounted on the top of a tender for the electrically driven railway engine in the event that this tender would be required to house rechargeable batteries.

A housing casing figure 1 wherein is contained all of the components of the onboard battery recharging system can be mounted on the roof of a car or alternatively positioned in the bonnet area as shown in figure 3. The front portion of the housing case has a raised forward leaning section 2 in order to capture air that the vehicle moves into. The front area of the housing case is preferably provide with three interlinked channels 3 for which to provide a housing for a panel which would be positioned within the channels during snow fall, position behind the three channels is provided a strong mesh (not illustrated), in order to prevent debris entering the system, set behind the mesh is provided two deflector panels 5, the purpose of which is to firstly divide the incoming air into two portions, then to deflect the captured air into each of two long boxes 6, the said long boxes are positioned one to the left side of the housing case and one to the right side of the housing case as shown in figure 2, within each of the long boxes is provided a plurality of turbines 8, the number of which is dependant upon the size and weight of the vehicle that the system is being installed on. The turbines 8 are mounted in shafts received by bearing blocks 9. Each of the aforementioned turbines will be directly connected via the centre shaft to the centre shaft of an alternator 10, the said alternators will be positioned in the housing case in the area between the long boxes, at the entrance of the long box to the left side of the housing case is provided deflector 7, to be positioned on the lower side of that long box, the purpose of this deflector is to direct the incoming air upwards onto the driving side of the turbines blades, alternatively the deflector 7, set in the entrance of the long box set to the right of the housing case will be position on the upper side of the long box. The reason being that the alternators driven by the turbines face the opposite way to the alternators connected to the turbines on the left side of the housing case, in each of the long boxes and positioned between each pair of turbines and set on the same side of the long boxes as deflector 7, will be deflectors 18., In addition in each long box and position opposite deflector 18, is deflector 19.

First deflector 7 (Fig. 7) has a declined front wall 20 being the leading edge which first makes contact with air moving into the housing from the inlet, and a curved rear wall 22. Second deflector 18 (Fig. 8) has a first curved front wall 30 and a second curved rear wall 32 connected by a planar surface 34 disposed therebetween (Fig. 8). Third deflector 19 (Fig. 9) has an inclined front wall 24 and a declined rear wall 26 which meet at apex 28. Deflector 18 prevents air escaping past the outer edges of the turbine blade, in addition in each long box and position opposite deflector 18, is deflector 19, the purpose of which is to prevent air escaping past the outer edges of the turbine blades and in addition to deflect air onto the driving side of the turbines, at the rear end of the long boxes is provide an aperture in order to provide an exit for the captures air and rainwater which enters the system.

An alternative embodiment of the system when sited in the bonnet area of a case, requires additional deflectors in order to deflect the air captured by the lower section of the catchment aperture into the two long boxes, these deflectors would be positioned at the side of the air separator/deflector panels. When the system is applied to large goods carrying vehicles that carry goods on a platform, the air catchment means of the system could be sited above the driver cab, the housing case could be positioned above the load carrying area, with support means provided at the rear of the vehicles as shown in figure 10 an alternative embodiment of the system for goods vehicles, wherein the air catchment means is positioned above the driver cab and the section of housing case wherein is contained the turbines deflectors 7,18 and 19 and the alternators is separated and positioned below the load carrying platform as shown in figure 12, figures 13 and 14 illustrate that the system could be sited on the roof of an electronically driven railway engine and the probability that a tender would be required to house the required quantity of batteries.

Statements relating to embodiments of the present invention are set out hereinbelow:

1. An onboard battery recharging charging system for road and rail vehicles driven by electric motors that are powered by onboard batteries, rechargeable via an onboard batter charging unit, creates electricity with which to recharge the onboard batteries, by capturing air that the vehicle moves into, and to use the said captured air to enter each of two long boxes in order to rotate a number of turbines, positioned within each of the long boxes the said turbines being coupled to alternators thereby creating A.C electricity with which to power the onboard battery charging unit whilst the vehicle is in motion.

2. An onboard battery recharging system according to statement 1, has provided a housing case wherein to contain the components of the system.

3. An onboard battery recharging system according to statements 1 and 2 has provided at the front of the system an open area to capture air that the vehicle moves into.

4. An onboard battery recharging system according to statements 1, 2 and 3 in which the open area has a means provided to house a panel with which to close off the open area during snow fall.

5. An onboard battery recharging system according to statements 1, 2 and 3 in which the open area is provided with a strong mesh, in order to prevent debris entering the system.

6. An onboard battery recharging system according to statements 1, 2 and 3 in which two deflector panels are provided, set behind the strong mesh and positioned in the centre of the open area, and set at an angle, one to the left, and one to the right, the purpose of these deflectors is firstly to divide the capture air into two portions, secondly to deflect the captured air into each of the two long boxes.

7. An onboard battery recharging system according to statements 1, 2 and 6 in which are provided two long rectangular one set inside to the left of the housing case and one set inside to the right of the housing case each extending to the rear of the housing case, positioned inside the said long boxes are set certain components of the system.

8. An onboard battery recharging system according to statements 1, 3 and 7 is provided in each of the two long boxes a plurality of turbines the quantity of which will be related to the size of the system according to the size of the vehicle the system is being installed in, the said turbines will be rotated by the captured air as in statements 1 and 3.

9. An onboard battery recharging system according to statements 1, 2 and 8 wherein is provided in the housing case, a number of alternators equal to the number of turbines, each of the said alternators will be directly connected to the centre shaft of a turbine, the rotation of the turbines and alternators by the captured air thereby producing A.C. electricity.

10. An onboard battery recharging system according to statement 1, 2 and 7 has provided inside the entrance of each of the two long boxes a deflector 7, the purpose of which is to deflect the incoming air onto the driving side of the turbines in order to rotate the alternators in the required clockwise direction, the deflector 7 set in the long box on the left of the housing case will be position on the lower face of the long box, consequently the deflector 7 set in the long box on the right side of the housing case will be positioned on the upper face of the long box.

11. An onboard battery recharging system according to statements 1, 7 and 10 in which the deflector 19 will be positioned between each pair of turbines in order to prevent air escaping past the outer edges of the turbine blades thereby reducing the pressure of air onto the following turbine, this deflector will be set on the same side of the long boxes as deflector 7.

12. An onboard battery recharging system as claimed in statements 1, 7, 8 and 11 in which a plurality of deflectors 18 are positioned in the two long boxes set on the opposite face of the long boxes to deflectors 7 and 19 to be positioned in front of each turbine, the purpose of deflector 14 is two fold firstly to deflect air onto the turbine blades, and secondly to prevent air escaping past the outer edges of the turbine blades.

13. An onboard battery recharging systems according statements 1 and 9 wherein the said alternators will be provided with electric cables whereby the electric produced by the system will be conducted to the onboard battery recharging unit, thereby being available to recharge the onboard batteries as required.

14. An onboard battery recharging system according to statements 6 and 7, wherein the two long boxes are provided to the rear of the long boxes an outlet for the captured air and rainwater that enters the system to exit the long boxes.

Claims

1. An onboard battery recharging and/or charging system for road and rail vehicles at least partially driven by electric motors that are powered by onboard batteries, rechargeable via an onboard battery charging unit, said system comprising a plurality of turbines having one or more blades disposed in at least one housing, the turbines coupled to one or more alternators for creating electrical energy with which to power the onboard battery charging unit, wherein the movement of air into and out of the housing moves the one or more blades, said at least one housing comprises: an inlet and outlet to permit the flow of air into and out of the housing respectively; associated with each turbine, a first air flow deflector for deflecting the flow of air towards the turbine;

said first air flow deflector comprising a first surface to deflect air towards the turbine and a second surface accommodating the swept area of the blade; and a second air flow deflector having a first surface accommodating the swept area of the blade.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second surface of the first and second deflector is arcuate in shape.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the second surface of the second deflector is arcuate in shape to accommodate the swept area of the blade.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3 having a third deflector comprising a first surface to deflect air towards the turbine and a second surface accommodating the swept area of the blade.

5. A system as claimed in claim 3 or 4 wherein the interior of the housing has an upper and lower surface wherein the second deflectors are mounted on the upper surface and the third deflectors are mounted on the lower surface.

6. A system as claimed in claim 3 or 4 wherein the interior of the housing has an upper and lower surface wherein the second deflectors are mounted on the lower surface and the third deflectors are mounted on the upper surface.

7. A system as claimed in any one of the previous claims having a plurality of first, second and/or third deflectors.

8. A system as claimed in claim 7 having a plurality of second deflectors and a plurality of third deflectos.

9. A system as claimed in claim any one of the preceding claims comprising two housings, each having a plurality of turbines arranged in series, where each housing has an interior having an upper and lower surface wherein the first and second deflectors are mounted to the upper surface and the third deflectors mounted to the lower surface.

10. A system as claimed in any one of the previous claims wherein each turbine is coupled to an alternator.

11. A system as claimed in any one of the previous claims wherein the one or more blades are capable of rotational movement.

12. A system as claimed in any one of the previous claims wherein the inlet of the housing has a closure member for selectively closing the inlet to inhibit the movement of air into the housing.

13. A system as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims comprising a filter member to filter air entering the housing via the inlet.

14. A system as claimed in any one of the previous claims wherein the turbines are arranged into two parallel rows and in which one or more deflector panels are centrally disposed within the housing and the rows of turbines disposed either side.

15. A system as claimed in claim 8 comprising two deflector panels each angled with respect to the direction of movement of air through the inlet, each deflector panel associated with one row of turbines and deflecting air toward said row.

16. A system as claimed in any one of the previous claims wherein the number of alternators corresponds to the number of turbines, each of the said alternators being directly connected to the centre shaft of a turbine, the rotation of the turbines and alternators by the captured air thereby producing A.C. electrical energy.

17. A system as claimed in anyone of the previous claims wherein each air flow deflector is upstream of its associated turbine with respect to the flow of air through the housing.

18. A system as claimed in anyone of the previous claims wherein associated with each turbine is a shroud at least partially extending around the swept area of the turbine blade.

19. A system as claimed in claim 12 wherein each shroud extends around 50% of the swept area of the blade.

20. A system as claimed in any one of the previous claims wherein the deflector mitigates air escaping past the outer edges of the turbine blades thereby reducing the pressure of air onto the following turbine.

21. A system as claimed in any previous claim wherein each row of turbines is housed separately.

22. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the said alternators will be provided with electric cables whereby the electric produced by the system will be conducted to the onboard battery recharging unit, thereby being available to recharge the onboard batteries as required.