US 20110031043A1

( 12) Patent Application Publication ( 10) Pub. N o. : US 2011/0031043 A1

( 19 ) United States
Armani et al. ( 43) Pub. D ate: Feb. 10, 2011
( 5 4) SELF-CHARGIN G ELECTRICAL CAR WITH
WIN D EN ERGY RECOVERY SYSTEM
Sara Armani, Richmond Hill ( CA) ;
Antonio Alv i Armani, Toronto
( CA) ; Fernando Armani,
Richmond Hill ( CA)
( 7 6 ) Inv entors :
Corres pondence Addres s :
BERESKIN AN D PARR LLP/S. E. N . C. R. L. , s . r. l.
40 KIN G STREET WEST, BOX 401
Publication Clas s i? cation
( 5 1) Int. Cl.
B6 0L 8 /00 ( 2006 . 01)
F 03D 9 /00 ( 2006 . 01)
H02] 7 /32 ( 2006 . 01)
F03B 1 7 /04 ( 2006 . 01)
( 5 2) U. S. Cl. . . . . . . . 18 0/2. 2; 29 0/5 5 ; 320/101; 7 4/D IG. 009
( 5 7 ) ABSTRACT
An energ y recov ery s y s tem f or a v ehicle compris es an elec
trical g enerator prov ided Within a hous ing . The hous ing is
rotatable relativ e to the v ehicle about a hous ing ax is . The
energ y recov ery s y s tem f urther compris es a Wind turbine
TORON TO 0N MSH 3Y2 ( CA) compris ing a s et of blades rotatable about a blade ax is ex tend
ing trans v ers e to the hous ing ax is . The Wind turbine is s up
( 21) App1_ N O; 125 3105 1 ported by the hous ing and is rotatable With the hous ing . The
electrical g enerator is coupled to the Wind turbine and con
? g ured to conv ert the rotational energ y of the s et of blades
( 22) Filed: Aug . 6 , 2009 into electrical energ y .
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US 2011/0031043 A1
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US 2011/0031043 A1
SELF-CHARGIN G ELECTRICAL CAR WITH
WIN D EN ERGY RECOVERY SYSTEM
FIELD
[ 0001] The dis clos ure relates to an energ y recov ery s y s tem
f or a v ehicle. More s peci? cally , the dis clos ure relates to an
energ y recov ery that conv erts Wind energ y into electrical
energ y .
IN TROD UCTION
[ 0002] The f ollow ing is not an admis s ion that any thing
dis cus s ed beloW is prior art or part of the common g eneral
know ledg e of pers ons s killed in the art.
[ 0003] Us . Pat. N o. 3, 8 7 6 , 9 25 dis clos es a mechanical
combination in a Wind turbine driv en g enerator f or the
recharg ing of batteries utiliZ ed as the poWer s ource f or v ari
ous v ehicles , and particularly an automotiv e electrically
driv en v ehicle. In the mechanical combination, Wind driv en
v anes of particular des ig n are mounted to rotate about a
v ertical s haf t dis pos ed in or on the roof of the v ehicle, s aid
v anes being completely enclos ed Within a s uitable hous ing of
either rectang ular or circular con? g uration. When of rectan
g ular s hape the hous ing has at leas t f our air current receiv ing
opening s , one on each s ide, each of Which do in turn s erv e as
ex haus t outlets depending on direction of predominant air
pres s ure, and, When of circular con? g uration, the hous ing has
but one air current receiv ing v ent, With that v ent rev olv ing to
f ace the direction of any Wind current by the impetus of a Wind
v ane on the top thereof . In either cas e the arrang ement is s uch
that the s aid Wind driv en v anes rotate While the v ehicle is
under Way , or, if air currents are prev alent, ev en While the
v ehicle is not in motion, thus to driv e a s uitably mounted
g enerator f or more or les s continuous recharg e of the battery
s y s tem. Said g enerator is mounted Within the hub around
Which s aid v anes rotate, and compris es a s tationary s tator, and
rotating rotor, the latter being Wind driv en by the rotating
v anes .
[ 0004] Us . Pat. N o. 5 , 28 0, 8 27 dis clos es an electric motor
driv en v ehicle Which has a larg e Wind turbine mounted at the
rear of the v ehicle that rotates about an ax is perpendicular to
the ax is of the v ehicle body . A long v enturi tube ex tends along
the upper portion of the v ehicle abov e the pas s eng er cab and
directs air ? oW f rom the f ront of the v ehicle and imping es it
upon an upper portion of the turbine blades . A pair of elon
g ated loWer s creW-ty pe turbines are contained in s eparate
loWer v enturi ef f ect tubes ex tending along the loWer s ide of
the v ehicle beloW the pas s eng er cab. Air f rom the loWer
v enturi ef f ect tubes is imping ed upon the larg e turbine in a
direction and at a location to increas e the f orce g enerated
f rom the upper v enturi tube. The turbines driv e one or more
electric poWer g enerators coupled to s torag e batteries f or
recharg ing the batteries .
[ 0005 ] Us . Pat. N o. 7 , 434, 6 36 dis clos es a poWer s y s tem
f or an electric v ehicle, the poWer s y s tem compris ing at leas t
one poWer g enerating dev ice s elected f rom a g roup cons is ting
of a s olar panel, a Wind turbine capable of producing electri
cal poWer, an aux iliary g enerator driv en by an internal com
bus tion eng ine, and a g enerator f or producing electrical
poWer mechanically connected to, and driv en by the rota
tional f orce of an ax le of a v ehicle. The poWer s y s tem being
f urther compris ed of a charg ing dev ice, a battery control
dev ice, at leas t one battery , a motor control dev ice, an electric
driv e motor electrically connected to the motor control
Feb. 10, 2011
dev ice, and a driv er interf ace connected to the motor control
dev ice. The electric driv e motor may be us ed to g enerate
poWer throug h reg enerativ e braking . The Wind turbine may
be rais ed outs ide the body of a v ehicle While the v ehicle is not
in motion. The s olar panel may be dis pos ed outs ide the
v ehicle While remaining electrically connected to the charg
ing dev ice.
SUMMARY
[ 0006 ] The f olloWing s ummary is prov ided to introduce the
reader to the more detailed dis cus s ion to f olloW. The intro
duction is not intended to limit or de? ne the claims .
[ 0007 ] According to one as pect, an energ y recov ery s y s tem
f or a v ehicle is prov ided. The energ y recov ery s y s tem com
pris es an electrical g enerator prov ided Within a hous ing , the
hous ing is rotatable relativ e to the v ehicle about a hous ing
ax is . The energ y recov ery s y s tem f urther compris es a Wind
turbine compris ing a s et of blades rotatable about a blade ax is
ex tending trans v ers e to the hous ing ax is . The Wind turbine is
s upported by the hous ing and is rotatable With the hous ing .
The electrical g enerator is coupled to the Wind turbine and
con? g ured to conv ert the rotational energ y of the s et of blades
into electrical energ y .
[ 0008 ] The energ y recov ery s y s tem may f urther compris e a
Wind v ane mounted to at leas t one of the Wind turbine and the
hous ing .
[ 0009 ] The energ y recov ery s y s tem may f urther compris e
one or more s tops limiting the rotation of the hous ing .
[ 0010] The hous ing ax is may be g enerally v ertical, and the
blade ax is may be g enerally horiZ ontal.
[ 0011] The energ y recov ery s y s tem may f urther compris e a
s econd electrical g enerator prov ided Within the hous ing and
coupled to the Wind turbine and con? g ured to conv ert the
rotational energ y of the s et of blades into electrical energ y .
[ 0012] The Wind turbine may f urther compris e a g ear
mounted around the s et of blades and rotatable With the s et of
blades . The electrical g enerator may be coupled to the s et of
blades v ia the g ear
[ 0013] The energ y recov ery s y s tem may f urther compris e
at leas t one battery electrically coupled to the electrical g en
erator. The battery may be non-rotatably mounted With
res pect to the v ehicle.
[ 0014] The energ y recov ery s y s tem may f urther compris e
an air? oW chamber mountable to the ex terior of the v ehicle.
The air? oW chamber may compris e an air inlet pos itionable to
receiv e an incoming s tream of air, and an air outlet pos ition
able to ex haus t the s tream of air. The Wind turbine may be
prov ided Within the air? oW chamber. The air? oW chamber
may hav e an inlet cros s s ectional area at the inlet, and a
reduced cros s -s ectional area at a pos ition doWns tream of the
inlet.
[ 0015 ] The air? oW chamber may be de? ned by a cas ing ,
Which may be remov ably mounted to the v ehicle. The cas ing
may f urther de? ne a s torag e chamber in Which the hous ing is
receiv ed. The air? oW chamber may hav e a bottom Wall, the
cas ing may hav e a loWer Wall beneath and s paced f rom the
bottom Wall, and the s torag e chamber may be betWeen the
bottom Wall and the loWer Wall. The hous ing may be mounted
to the loWer Wall. The bottom Wall may ex tend upWardly f rom
the air inlet toWards the air outlet.
[ 0016 ] The s et of blades may compris e more than 3 blades ,
f or ex ample at leas t 9 blades s paced eq ually about the blade
ax 1s .
US 2011/0031043 A1
[ 0017 ] According to another as pect, an energ y recov ery
s y s tem f or a v ehicle is prov ided. The energ y recov ery s y s tem
compris es an air? ow chamber mountable to an ex terior of the
v ehicle. The air? oW chamber compris es an air inlet pos ition
able to receiv e an incoming s tream of air, and an air outlet
pos itionable to ex haus t the s tream of air. The air? oW chamber
has an inlet cros s s ectional area at the inlet, and a reduced
cros s -s ectional area at a pos ition doWns tream of the inlet. One
or more Wind turbines are prov ided in the air? oW chamber.
Each Wind turbine compris es a s et of blades rotatable about a
blade ax is . The energ y recov ery s y s tem f urther compris es one
or more bas es . Each bas e s upports one or more of the Wind
turbines . Each bas e is rotatable With res pect to the air? oW
chamber about a bas e ax is ex tending trans v ers e to the blade
ax is . The energ y recov ery s y s tem f urther compris es one or
more electrical g enerators . Each electrical g enerator is
coupled to one or more of the Wind turbines , and is con? g ured
to conv ert the rotational energ y of the s et of blades of the one
or more Wind turbines into electrical energ y .
[ 0018 ] The bas e ax is of each bas e may be g enerally v erti
cal, and the blade ax is of each Wind turbine may be g enerally
horiz ontal. Each bas e may s erv e as a hous ing f or one or more
of the electrical g enerators . The one or more of the electrical
g enerators may be rotatable With the bas e. Each bas e may
compris e one or more s tops limiting the rotation of the bas e.
[ 0019 ] The energ y recov ery s y s tem may f urther compris e
one or more Wind v anes . Each Wind v ane may be mounted to
at leas t one of the Wind turbines and one of the bas es .
[ 0020] Each Wind turbine may f urther compris e a g ear
mounted around the s et of blades and rotatable With the s et of
blades , and the electrical g enerators are coupled to the s ets of
blades v ia the g ears .
[ 0021] The energ y recov ery s y s tem may f urther compris e
at leas t one battery coupled to the electrical g enerators . The
battery may be non-rotatably mounted With res pect to the
v ehicle.
[ 0022] The air? oW chamber may be de? ned by a cas ing .
The cas ing may be remov ably mountable to one of the roof of
the v ehicle and the unders ide of the cab of the v ehicle. The
cas ing may f urther de? ne a s torag e chamber in Which the
electrical g enerators are receiv ed. The air? oW chamber may
hav e a bottom Wall, the cas ing may hav e a loWer Wall beneath
and s paced f rom the bottom Wall, and the s torag e chamber
may be betWeen the bottom Wall and the loWer Wall. Each
bas e may be mounted to the loWer Wall. The bottom Wall may
ex tend upWardly f rom the air inlet toWards the air outlet.
[ 0023] The s et of blades may compris e more than 3 blades ,
f or ex ample the s et of blades may compris e at leas t 9 blades
s paced eq ually about the blade ax is .
[ 0024] According to another as pect, an energ y recov ery
s y s tem f or a v ehicle is prov ided. The energ y recov ery s y s tem
compris es a Wind turbine compris ing a s et of blades rotatable
about a blade ax is . A g ear is mounted around the s et of blades
and is rotatable With the s et of blades . A bas e s upports the
Wind turbine. The bas e is rotatably mounted With res pect to
the v ehicle about a bas e ax is ex tending trans v ers e to the blade
ax is . The energ y recov ery s y s tem f urther compris es an elec
trical g enerator coupled to the g ear and con? g ured to conv ert
the rotational energ y of the g ear into electrical energ y .
[ 0025 ] The Wind turbine may hav e a blade diameter de? ned
by a circumf erence of a radially outer edg e of the blades When
rotating about the blade ax is . The g ear may hav e a toothed
outer s urf ace hav ing pitch diameter g reater than blade diam
eter.
Feb. 10, 2011
[ 0026 ] The g ear may be annular and may de? ne a central
bore. A thicknes s of the g ear may be about 10-5 0%of the
pitch diameter.
[ 0027 ] The electrical g enerator may compris e a driv e s haf t
With a pinion a? ix ed to the driv e s haf t. The pinion may
eng ag e the g ear.
[ 0028 ] The bas e may s erv e as a hous ing f or the electrical
g enerator. The electrical g enerator may be rotatable With the
bas e. The energ y recov ery s y s tem may f urther compris e one
or more s tops limiting the rotation of the bas e. The bas e ax is
may be v ertical, and the blade ax is may be horiZ ontal.
[ 0029 ] The energ y recov ery s y s tem may f urther compris e a
Wind v ane mounted to at leas t one of the Wind turbine and the
bas e.
[ 0030] The energ y recov ery s y s tem may f urther compris e a
s econd electrical g enerator coupled to the g ear and con? g
ured to conv ert the rotational energ y of the s et of blades into
electrical energ y .
[ 0031] The energ y recov ery s y s tem may f urther compris e
at leas t one battery coupled to the electrical g enerator. The
battery may be non-rotatably mounted With res pect to the
v ehicle.
[ 0032] The energ y recov ery s y s tem may f urther compris e
an air? oW chamber mountable to the ex terior of the v ehicle.
The air? oW chamber may compris e an inlet pos itionable to
receiv e an incoming s tream of air, and an air outlet pos ition
able to ex haus t the s tream of air. The Wind turbine may be
prov ided Within the air? oW chamber.
[ 0033] The air? oW chamber may be de? ned by a cas ing .
The cas ing may f urther de? ne a s torag e chamber f or the
electrical g enerator. The air? oW chamber may hav e a bottom
Wall, and the s torag e chamber may be beloW the bottom Wall.
The cas ing may hav e a loWer Wall Which is mountable to the
v ehicle, and the s torag e reg ion may be betWeen the bottom
Wall and the loWer Wall. The bottom Wall may ex tend
upWardly f rom the air inlet toWards the air outlet.
[ 0034] The s et of blades may compris e more than three
blades , f or ex ample at leas t 9 blades s paced eq ually about the
blade ax is .
[ 0035 ] According to another as pect, an energ y recov ery
s y s tem f or a v ehicle is prov ided. The energ y recov ery s y s tem
compris es a cas ing mountable to an ex terior of the v ehicle.
The cas ing de? nes a s torag e chamber and an air? oW chamber.
The air? oW chamber compris es an air inlet pos itionable to
receiv e an incoming s tream of air, an air outlet pos itionable to
ex haus t the s tream of air, and an ax is ex tending therebetWeen.
One or more Wind turbines are prov ided in the air? oW cham
ber. Each Wind turbine compris es a s et of blades rotatable
about a blade ax is . One or more electrical g enerators are
prov ided in the s torag e chamber. Each electrical g enerator is
coupled to one or more of the Wind turbines and con? g ured to
conv ert the rotational energ y of the s et of blades into electrical
energ y . A Wall s eparates the s torag e chamber f rom the air? oW
chamber. At leas t a portion of the Wall ex tends toWards the
ax is s o that a cros s -s ectional area of the air? oW chamber at a
pos ition doWns tream of the inlet is les s than a cros s -s ectional
area of the air? oW chamber at the inlet.
[ 0036 ] The Wall may be a bottom Wall of the air? oW cham
ber, and the bottom Wall may ex tend upWardly f rom the inlet
toWards the outlet.
[ 0037 ] The cas ing may f urther compris e a loWer Wall
beneath and s paced f rom the bottom Wall. The loWer Wall and
the bottom Wall may de? ne the s torag e chamber.
US 2011/0031043 A1
[ 0038 ] Each electrical g enerator may be prov ided in a hous
ing , and each hous ing may s upport one or more of the Wind
turbines . Each hous ing may be mounted to the loWer Wall.
Each hous ing may be rotatable about a hous ing ax is ex tend
ing trans v ers e to the blade ax is . The blade ax is of each Wind
turbine may g enerally horiz ontal, and the hous ing ax is of
each hous ing may be g enerally v ertical. Each hous ing may
compris e one or more s tops limiting the rotation thereof .
[ 0039 ] The energ y recov ery s y s tem may f urther compris e
one or more Wind v anes . Each Wind v ane may be mounted to
one of the Wind turbines .
[ 0040] Each Wind turbine may f urther compris e a g ear
mounted around the s et of blades and rotatable With the s et of
blades . The electrical g enerators may be coupled to the s ets of
blades v ia the g ears .
[ 0041] The energ y recov ery s y s tem may f urther compris e
at leas t one battery coupled to the electrical g enerators . The
battery may be non-rotatably mounted With res pect to the
v ehicle.
[ 0042] The cas ing may be remov ably mountable to one of
the roof of the v ehicle and the unders ide of the cab of the
v ehicle.
[ 0043] The s et of blades may compris e more than 3 blades ,
f or ex ample at leas t 9 blades s paced eq ually about the blade
ax 1s .
D RAWIN GS
[ 0044] Ref erence is made in the des cription to the attached
draw ing s , in Which:
[ 0045 ] FIG. 1A is a f ront pers pectiv e v ieW of a v ehicle
compris ing an ex ample of a ? rs t and a s econd energ y recov ery
s y s tem;
[ 0046 ]
FIG. 1A;
[ 0047 ] FIG. 2A is a pers pectiv e v ieW of the ? rs t energ y
recov ery s y s tem of FIG. 1, s hoWing a top Wall in an open
con? g uration;
[ 0048 ] FIG. 2B is a pers pectiv e v ieW of the s econd energ y
recov ery s y s tem of FIG. 1, s hoWing a top Wall in an open
con? g uration;
[ 0049 ] FIG. 3 is a pers pectiv e illus tration of a Wind turbine
of the energ y recov ery s y s tem of FIG. 2;
FIG. 1B is a rear pers pectiv e v ieW of the v ehicle of
[ 005 0] FIG. 4 is a top plan v ieW of the Wind turbine of FIG.
3;
[ 005 1] FIG. 5 is a partial cros s s ection taken along line 5 -5
in FIG. 4;
[ 005 2] FIG. 6 is a partial cros s s ection taken along line 6 -6
in FIG. 4;
[ 005 3] FIG. 7 is a partial cros s s ection taken along line 7 -7
in FIG. 2; and
[ 005 4] FIG. 8 is a s chematic illus tration of the energ y
recov ery s y s tem of FIG. 2, s hoWing v arious ang ular pos itions
of Wind turbines .
D ESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBOD IMEN TS
[ 005 5 ] Various apparatus es or proces s es Will be des cribed
beloW to prov ide an ex ample of an embodiment of each
claimed inv ention. N o embodiment des cribed beloW limits
any claimed inv ention and any claimed inv ention may cov er
proces s es or apparatus es that are not des cribed beloW. The
claimed inv entions are not limited to apparatus es or proces s es
hav ing all of the f eatures of any one apparatus or proces s
des cribed beloW or to f eatures common to multiple or all of
Feb. 10, 2011
the apparatus es des cribed beloW. It is pos s ible that an appa
ratus or proces s des cribed beloW is not an embodiment of any
claimed inv ention. The applicants , inv entors or oWners
res erv e all rig hts that they may hav e in any inv ention dis
clos ed in an apparatus or proces s des cribed beloW that is not
claimed in this document, f or ex ample the rig ht to claim s uch
an inv ention in a continuing application and do not intend to
abandon, dis claim or dedicate to the public any s uch inv en
tion by its dis clos ure in this document.
[ 005 6 ] Ref erring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a v ehicle 100 is
s hoWn. As s hoWn, the v ehicle 100 is an automobile, and more
particularly , a pas s eng er car. In alternate ex amples , the
v ehicle may be a truck, an aircraf t, a boat, a motorcy cle, a
bicy cle, a s cooter, a truck, a train, a carriag e, a cart, a s noW
mobile, an amphibious v ehicle, an all terrain v ehicle, or any
other ty pe of s uitable v ehicle.
[ 005 7 ] The v ehicle 100 includes a ? rs t energ y recov ery
s y s tem 101 and a s econd energ y recov ery s y s tem 102. Each
energ y recov ery s y s tem 101, 102 captures kinetic energ y
f rom the mov ement of the air s urrounding the v ehicle 100
With res pect to the v ehicle 100. The mov ement of the air may
be created due to the mov ement of the v ehicle 100 throug h the
s urrounding air, and/ or due to the mov ement of the air s ur
rounding the v ehicle 1 00 ( i . e. ambient Wind) . The s peed of the
air pas s ing throug h the ? rs t and s econd energ y recov ery s y s
tems 101, 102 is related to the v ehicles s peed. If , f or ex ample,
the v ehicle 100 is a pas s eng er car driv ing on a hig hWay at 100
km/h, the air entering the ? rs t and s econd energ y recov ery
s y s tems 101, 102 Will be trav eling at approx imately 100 km/h
relativ e to the energ y recov ery s y s tems 101, 102 ( s ubj ect to
atmos pheric v ariations ii . e. headWind or tailWind) . The rela
tiv e Wind s peed of air eng ag ing the energ y recov ery s y s tems
101, 102 on a v ehicle trav eling at 100 km/h Will be approx i
mately 100 km/h ev en in the abs ence of ambient Wind ( i. e. on
a calm day ) .
[ 005 8 ] The ? rs t energ y recov ery s y s tem 101 is mounted to
the roof 103 of the v ehicle 100, and the s econd energ y recov
ery s y s tem 102 is mounted under the cab 104 of the v ehicle
100. In alternate ex amples , the v ehicle 100 may include only
one of the ? rs t energ y recov ery s y s tem 101 and the s econd
energ y recov ery s y s tem 102. In f urther alternate ex amples ,
more than tWo energ y recov ery s y s tems may be mounted to
the v ehicle 100. In f urther alternate ex amples , any energ y
recov ery s y s tems may be mounted els eWhere on the v ehicle
100, f or ex ample on a door of the v ehicle 100, or on a hood of
the v ehicle 100.
[ 005 9 ] Vehicles adapted to us e the s econd energ y recov ery
s y s tem 102 may include a f ront air opening 18 0 and a rear
ex haus t opening 18 2 as s hoWn in FIGS. 1A-1C. The f ront air
opening 18 0 f orms the entrance to an air pas s ag e Way or
conduit ( not s hoWn) that ex tends f rom the f ront of the v ehicle
100 to the inlet 118 of the s econd energ y recov ery s y s tem 102,
Which is des cribed in more detail beloW. The Walls of the air
pas s ag e Way may be curv ed, ang led or otherWis e s haped to
g uide, direct and compres s the air trav eling throug h the con
duit as it approaches the inlet 118 . The f ront air opening 18 0
may hav e a larg er area than the inlet 118 and may s erv e as a
s coop or f unnel f or directing a relativ ely larg e v olume of air
toWard the inlet 118 .
[ 006 0] Similarly , the rear ex haus t opening 18 2 may be con
nected to the outlet 119 by an enclos ed air pas s ag e Way 18 3 s o
that air leav ing the energ y recov ery s y s tem 102 v ia the outlet
119 is ducted and routed s o that it ex its the v ehicle v ia the rear
ex haus t opening 18 2. The Walls of the pas s ag eWay 18 4 con
US 2011/0031043 A1
necting the outlet 119 and the rear ex haus t opening 18 2 may
be curv ed, ang led or otherw is e s haped to achiev e des ired
air? ow characteris tics .
[ 006 1] Alternativ ely , the v ehicle 100 may not include ex ter
nal opening s s uch as the f ront air opening 18 0 and the rear
ex haus t opening 18 2. In the abs ence of opening s 18 0, 18 2, air
may ? oW beneath the v ehicle and enter the inlet 118 and ex it
the outlet 119 Without being ducted or routed.
[ 006 2] In the ex ample s hoWn, the ? rs t energ y recov ery
s y s tem 101 and the s econd energ y recov ery s y s tem 102 are
s imilar and as s uch, only the ? rs t energ y recov ery s y s tem 101
Will be des cribed in detail.
[ 006 3] Ref erring to FIGS. 1A to 2B, in the ex ample s hoWn,
the ? rs t energ y recov ery s y s tem 101 includes a cas ing 105 ,
Which is mountable to the ex terior of the v ehicle 100, f or
ex ample the roof 103 of the v ehicle 100. The cas ing 105 may
be mountable to the v ehicle 100 in any s uitable f as hion. For
ex ample, the cas ing 105 may include hooks Which eng ag e the
doorf rame of the automobile ( not s hoWn) , in a s imilar f as hion
to a roof rack. In alternate ex amples , the cas ing may be
integ ral With the v ehicle. In alternate ex amples , the v ehicle
may compris e an integ ral mount, to Which the energ y recov
ery s y s tem 101 may be remov ably mounted. For ex ample, the
roof 103 may compris e an integ ral mount, and the energ y
recov ery s y s tem 101 may be s lidably and lockably receiv ed in
the mount.
[ 006 4] The energ y recov ery s y s tem 101 may be con? g ured
as a s elf -contained cartridg e that can be ins talled or remov ed
f rom the v ehicle as a s ing le unit. The cas ing 105 may s erv e as
the hous ing or s hell of the cartridg e and may be eq uipped With
a q uick-dis connect ? tting f or prov iding electric communica
tion betWeen the energ y recov ery s y s tem 101 and other ele
ments of the v ehicle 100. Such a cartridg e con? g uration may
enable a us er or s erv ice technician to eas ily plug -in , remov e
or s Wap the complete energ y recov er s y s tem f or maintenance,
replacement, ins pection, trans f erring betWeen v ehicles or any
other purpos e.
[ 006 5 ] The cas ing 105 has a f ront end 106 , Which f aces the
f ront of the v ehicle 100, a rear end 107 , Which f aces the rear
of the v ehicle 100. The cas ing 105 f urther includes ? rs t 108
and s econd 109 oppos ed s ide Walls ex tending betWeen the
f ront end 106 and the rear end 107 , and an upper Wall 110 and
a loWer Wall 11 1 ex tending betWeen the f ront end and the rear
end. A long itudinal ax is 112 of the cas ing 105 ex tends
betWeen the f ront end 106 and the rear end 107 .
[ 006 6 ] In ex amples in Which the energ y recov ery s y s tems
101, 102 are remov able they may be s lidably receiv ed Within
corres ponding reg ions of the v ehicle 100. As s hoWn, the
cas ing 105 of the s econd energ y recov ery s y s tem 102
includes g roov es or channels 17 0 f ormed on its f ront and back
f aces that s liding ly receiv e corres ponding proj ections or ribs
17 2 on the v ehicle 100. The mating g roov es 17 0 and ribs 17 2
may s upport the Weig ht of the energ y recov ery s y s tem 102
and may be lubricated ( or eq uipped With rollers or s liders ) to
s erv e as a bearing or bus hing . Alternativ ely , or in addition to
the s upport of the g roov es 17 0 and ribs 17 2, the bottom of the
cas ing of the energ y recov ery s y s tem may include additional
bearing s , rollers or s liders ( not s hoWn) f or s upporting the
Weig ht of the energ y recov ery s y s tem and alloWing s ideWay s
mov ement thereof . In other ex amples , as s hoWn by the ? rs t
energ y recov ery s y s tem 101, the cas ing 105 may not include
g roov es and the v ehicle may not include corres ponding ribs .
In thes e ex amples , the energ y recov ery s y s tem may be s up
Feb. 10, 2011
ported by bearing s on the loWer s urf ace of the cas ing , or may
s imply res t ag ains t an ex pos ed s urf ace of the v ehicle, With or
Without lubrication.
[ 006 7 ] To s ecure remov able energ y recov ery s y s tems to the
v ehicle, each energ y recov ery s y s tem may include a locking
or attachment s y s tem. In the ex amples s hoWn, the locking
s y s tem compris es rotatable pins 17 4 in the cas ing 105 that can
be rotated f rom an unlocked pos ition ( in Which they do not
eng ag e the v ehicle) to a locked pos ition ( in Which a latch or
other locking f eature eng ag es a corres ponding receptacle or
other f eature on the v ehicle) . Alternativ ely , the locking s y s
tem may be any s uitable locking mechanis m, including clips ,
latches , mag nets , key s and pins .
[ 006 8 ] In s ome ex amples , the cas ing 105 may be openable.
For ex ample, as s hoWn in FIG. 2, the upper Wall 110 is
piv otally mounted, s o that the cas ing 105 can be opened. This
may alloW a us er to acces s to contents of the cas ing 105 , s o
that the contents may be replaced, repaired, or obs erv ed.
[ 006 9 ] Ref erring s till to FIG. 2, the cas ing 105 compris es
an air? oW chamber 113, Which is de? ned by a plurality of
s ideWalls . Speci? cally , in the ex ample s hoWn, the air? oW
chamber 113 is de? ned by ? rs t 114 and s econd 115 oppos ed
lateral Walls , a top Wall 116 , and a bottom Wall 117 . Further,
in the ex ample s hoWn, the top Wall 116 is prov ided by the
upper Wall 110 of the cas ing 105 . The ? rs t 114 and s econd 115
oppos ed lateral Walls and the bottom Wall 117 of the air? oW
chamber 113 are s eparate f rom the ? rs t 108 and s econd 109
oppos ed s ide Walls and the loWer Wall 111 of the cas ing 105 .
That is , the ? rs t 114 and s econd 115 oppos ed lateral Walls and
the bottom Wall 117 are interior to the cas ing 105 .
[ 007 0] In s ome ex amples , the bottom Wall 117 may hav e a
cros s -s ectional pro? le that res embles an inv erted airf oil ( i. e. a
Wing -like des ig n in Which the lif ting f orce g enerated by the
Wing is directed toWard the g round) . As air ? oWs ov er the
bottom Wall 117 , its inv erted airf oil or rev ers e Wing con
? g uration may g enerate a doWnWard f orce Which may help
keep the v ehicle in contact With the road or other s urf ace at
hig h s peeds .
[ 007 1] The air? oW chamber 113 f urther compris es an air
inlet 118 and an air outlet 119 . The inlet 118 is pos itioned to
receiv e an incoming s tream of air, and the outlet 119 is pos i
tioned to ex haus t the s tream of air. A chamber long itudinal
ax is 120 ex tends betWeen the inlet 118 and the outlet 119 . In
the ex ample s hoWn, the inlet 118 is at the f ront 106 of the
cas ing 105 , f acing the f ront of the v ehicle 100, and the outlet
119 is at the rear 107 of the cas ing 105 , f acing the rear of the
v ehicle 100, s o that as the car is driv en in a f orWard direction,
air enters the inlet 118 and ex its the outlet 119 .
[ 007 2] In the ex ample s hoWn, the air? oW chamber 113 has
a cros s s ectional area at the inlet 118 , and a reduced cros s
s ectional area at a pos ition doWns tream f rom the inlet 118 .
That is , the cros s s ectional area of the air? oW chamber 113
decreas es f rom the inlet 118 toWards the outlet 119 . This
reduction in cros s s ectional area s erv es to increas e the v eloc
ity of the air pas s ing throug h the air? oW chamber 113. The
ratio of the inlet area to the outlet area can be s elected bas ed
on the a v ariety of operating conditions including , ex pected
s peed of the air entering the energ y recov ery s y s tem 101, the
number, s iZ e and pos ition of Wind turbines 121 hous ed in the
energ y recov ery s y s tem 101 and the amount of aerody namic
drag g enerated as the air is compres s ed and/or accelerated
throug h the energ y recov ery s y s tem 101.
[ 007 3] In the ex ample s hoWn, the cros s s ectional area
decreas es g radually along the entire leng th of the air? oW
US 2011/0031043 A1
chamber 113. In alternate ex amples , the cros s s ectional area
may decreas e along only a portion of the leng th of the air? ow
chamber 113. In the ex ample s hoWn, the ? rs t 114 and s econd
115 oppos ed lateral Walls and the bottom Wall 117 conv erg e
toWards the chamber long itudinal ax is 120 to achiev e the
reduction in cros s s ectional area. Speci? cally , the ? rs t 114
and s econd 115 oppos ed lateral Walls ex tend inWardly f rom
the air inlet 118 toWards the air outlet 119 , and the bottom Wall
117 ex tends upWardly f rom the air inlet 118 toWards the air
outlet 119 . In alternate ex amples , only one of the s ideWalls , or
any other combination of the s ideWalls may conv erg e toWards
the long itudinal ax is 120.
[ 007 4] Ref erring s till to FIG. 2, the energ y recov ery s y s tem
100 f urther compris es one or more Wind turbines 121. In the
ex ample s hoWn, each Wind turbine 121 is prov ided Within the
air? oW chamber 113, and is con? g ured to conv ert the kinetic
energ y of the airpas s ing throug h the air? oW chamber 113 into
rotational energ y .
[ 007 5 ] In the ex ample s hoWn, the energ y recov ery s y s tem
100 compris es s ix Wind turbines 121. HoWev er, in alternate
ex amples , any s uitable number of Wind turbines 121 may be
prov ided, f or ex ample only one Wind turbine 121, or more
than s ix Wind turbines 121. In the ex ample s hoWn, each Wind
turbine is s ubs tantially identical. As s uch, only Wind turbine
121a Will be des cribed in detail.
[ 007 6 ] Ref erring to FIGS. 3 to 7 , Wind turbine 121a com
pris es a s et of blades 122, Which is rotatable about a blade ax is
123. The s et of blades 122 may be of any s uitable con? g ura
tion Which rotates in res pons e to air pas s ing throug h the
air? oW chamber 113. For ex ample, as s hoWn, the s et of blades
122 is pos itioned in a v ertical plane, and the blade ax is 123 is
g enerally horiz ontal. In alternate ex amples , the s et of blades
122 may be pos itioned in a plane that is at an ang le With
res pect to the v ertical plane, and the blade ax is 123 may be at
an ang le With res pect to the horiZ ontal.
[ 007 7 ] In the ex ample s hoWn, the s et of blades 122 com
pris es 9 blades 124. In alternate ex amples , another number of
blades 124 may be prov ided. For ex ample, the number of
blades may be betWeen 3 and about 18 blades , betWeen 3 and
about 9 blades , or more than 18 blades .
[ 007 8 ] In the ex ample s hoWn, each blade 124 of the s et of
blades 122 is mounted to a central s haf t 125 , Which ex tends
along the blade ax is 123. Each blade 124 is diag onally ori
ented With res pect to the central s haf t 125 . That is , the blades
124 are at an ang le 0 ( s hoWn in FIG. 5 ) of betWeen 0 and 9 0 ,
f or ex ample 45 , With res pect to the central s haf t 125 . Further,
each blade 124 is s lig htly curv ed. That is , each blade 124 has
an inner end 126 and an outer end 127 , and ? rs t 128 and
s econd 129 oppos ed s ides . Each blade 124 is curv ed betWeen
the ? rs t 128 and s econd 129 oppos ed s ides .
[ 007 9 ] The Wind turbine 12111 has a blade diameter D 1
de? ned by a circumf erence of the outer ends 127 of the blades
124 When rotating about the blade ax is 123.
[ 008 0] Ref erring s till to FIGS. 3-7 , the energ y recov ery
s y s tem 100 f urther compris es one or more electrical g enera
tors 130. Each electrical g enerator 130 is coupled to one or
more of the Wind turbines 121, and is con? g ured to conv ert
the rotational energ y of the s et of blades 122 of the one or
more Wind turbines 121 into electrical energ y . Speci? cally , in
the ex ample s hoWn, each s et of blades 122 is coupled to a ? rs t
electrical g enerator 130a and a s econd electrical g enerator
1301) . How ev er, in alternate ex amples , each s et of blades 122
may be coupled to only one electrical g enerator, or to more
than tWo electrical g enerators .
Feb. 10, 2011
[ 008 1] In the ex ample s hoWn, the Wind turbine 121 com
pris es a g ear 131 mounted around the s et of blades 122 and
rotatable With the s et of blades 122. The electrical g enerators
130a, 1301) are coupled to the s et of blades 122 v ia the g ear
131, and are con? g ured to conv ert rotational energ y of the
g ear 131 in to electrical energ y . Speci? cally , in the ex ample
s hoWn, the Wind turbine 121 compris es a rotating annular
bracket 132, Which is mounted around the s et of blades 122.
The rotating annular bracket 132 compris es a central bore, in
Which the s et of blades 122 is receiv ed. The outer end 127 of
the each blade 124 is ? x edly mounted to the rotating annular
bracket 132, s o that the rotating annular bracket 132 rotates
With the s et of blades 122.
[ 008 2] In the ex ample s hoWn, each Wind turbine 121 and
electrical g enerator 130 combination is s ubs tantially identi
cal. As s uch, the con? g uration of only Wind turbine 121a and
g enerators 130a and 1301) connected thereto Will be des cribed
in detail. In other ex amples there may be dif f erences among
plural Wind turbines in the air? oW chamber 113. For ex ample,
at leas t s ome of the Wind turbines may compris e dif f erent
numbers of blades . For ex ample, Wind turbines located at or
toWard the air inlet 118 may compris e f eWer blades than
turbines located toWard the air outlet 119 . In s ome ex amples ,
the plural Wind turbines can include a leas t one f ront turbine
hav ing 3 blades or betWeen 3 and 5 blades , at leas t one back
turbine hav ing 11 blades or betWeen 9 and 18 blades , and at
leas t one middle turbine hav ing 7 blades or betWeen 6 and
about 8 blades . Reducing the number of blades on the f orWard
mounted Wind turbines relativ e to rearWard mounted turbines
may help to eq ualiz e the amount of energ y harnes s ed by each
turbine.
[ 008 3] Ref erring s till to FIGS. 3 to 7 , the g ear 131 is annu
lar, and is ? x edly mounted around the rotating annular
bracket 132. Speci? cally , the g ear 131 compris es a central
bore, in Which the rotating annular bracket 132 is receiv ed.
The g ear 131 compris es an inner s urf ace, to Which the rotat
ing annular bracket 132 is mounted, s o that the g ear 131
rotates With the s et of blades 122 and the rotating annular
bracket 132. The g ear 131 f urther compris es an outer s urf ace
134, Which is toothed. The toothed outer s urf ace 134 has a
pitch diameter D 2. As the g ear 131 is mounted around the
rotating annular bracket 132 and s et of blades 122, the pitch
diameter D 2 is g reater than the blade diameter D 1.
[ 008 4] In order to reduce the Weig ht of the s y s tem 100, and
thereby increas e the amount of energ y trans f erred to the elec
trical g enerators 130, the rotating annular bracket 132 and
g ear 131 may be relativ ely thin. For ex ample, the thicknes s of
the g ear 131 ( i. e. the dis tance f rom the outer s urf ace 134 to the
inner s urf ace) may be betWeen about 5 %and 5 0%of the pitch
diameter D 2, and more s peci? cally , betWeen about 10%and
20%of the pitch diameter D 2.
[ 008 5 ] The rotating annular bracket 132 is mounted to a
? x ed annular bracket 135 . Speci? cally , the ? x ed annular
bracket 135 compris es a f ront bracket portion 136 , and a rear
bracket portion 137 , both of Which are annular and de? ne a
central bore. The rotating annular bracket 132 is s andWiched
betWeen the f ront bracket portion 136 and the rear bracket
portion 137 , s o that the s et of blades 122 is alig ned With the
central bore of the f ront bracket portion 136 and the rear
bracket portion 137 , and s o that the g ear 131 is pos itioned
betWeen the f ront bracket portion 136 and the rear bracket
portion 136 . The rotating annular bracket 132 is mounted to
the f ront 136 and rear 137 bracket portions by a plurality of
bearing s 138 , s o that the rotating annularbracket 132 and g ear
US 2011/0031043 A1
131 may rotate With res pect to the ? x ed annular bracket 135 .
The bearing s 138 s upport the Weig ht ( i. e. g rav ity load) of the
blades 122, g ear 131 and rotating annular bracket 132 and
abs orb the thrus t loads ex erted on the blades 122 by the Wind.
The bearing s 138 may be integ ral the rotating annular bracket
132 or may be s eparate elements ? t Within corres ponding
g roov es or opening s in the rotating annular bracket 132. In the
ex ample s hoWn, the bearing s 138 carry all of the loads placed
on the blades 122 and g ear 131 alloWing the Wind turbine 121
to be f ree f rom additional bearing s or s upports ( f or ex ample
on s haf t 125 ) . The bearing s 138 may be of any s uitable bear
ing ty pe that make the Wind turbine 121 eas ily rotatable by the
Wind, including ball bearing s , needle bearing s , bus hing s , and
roller bearing s .
[ 008 6 ] At the bottom portion 139 of the ? x ed annular
bracket 135 , the g ear 131 ex tends outWardly of the ? x ed
annular bracket 135 . That is , a heig ht H1 of the top portion
140 of the ? x ed annular bracket 135 is les s than a heig ht H2
of a bottom portion 139 of the ? x ed annular bracket 135 , s o
that the g ear 131 ex tends proud of the bottom portion 139 of
the ? x ed annular bracket 135 .
[ 008 7 ] The ? x ed annular bracket 135 may f urther compris e
a rear s trut 141, ex tending betWeen the top portion 140 of the
rear bracket portion 137 and the bottom portion 139 of the
rear bracket portion 137 . The rear s trut 141 may prov ide
s upport to the central s haf t 125 . More s peci? cally , the rear
s trut 141 may compris e an aperture, into Which the central
s haf t 125 ex tends . A plurality of bearing s ( not s hoWn) may be
prov ided in the aperture, to alloW the central s haf t 125 to
rotate With res pect to the rear s trut.
[ 008 8 ] The ? x ed annular bracket 135 is ? x edly mounted to
a bas e 142, s o that the Wind turbine 121 is s upported by the
bas e 142. Speci? cally , the ? x ed annular bracket 135 is
mounted to the top s urf ace 143 of the bas e 142, f or ex ample
v ia bolts or s creWs . The bas e 142 is mounted to the cas ing
105 .
[ 008 9 ] In the ex ample s hoWn, each bas e 142 s upports one
Wind turbine 121. In alternate ex amples , each bas e 142 may
s upport more than one Wind turbine 121.
[ 009 0] In the ex ample s hoWn, the bas e 142 s erv es as a
hous ing f or the ? rs t and s econd electrical g enerators 130a,
1301) . That is , the ? rs t 130a and s econd 130! ) g enerators are
prov ided Within the bas e 142. Speci? cally , the bas e 142
de? nes a cav ity 144, and the ? rs t 130a and s econd 130! )
g enerators are hous ed Within the cav ity 144.
[ 009 1] An aperture 145 is de? ned in the top s urf ace 143 of
the bas e 142. The portion of the annular g ear 131 that ex tends
proud of the bottom portion 139 of the ? x ed annular bracket
135 ex tends throug h the aperture 145 , and into the cav ity 144.
[ 009 2] The ? rs t g enerator 130a compris es a ? rs t driv es haf t
146 , and a ? rs t pinion 147 is af ? x ed to the ? rs t driv es haf t 146 .
The ? rs t pinion 147 eng ag es the g ear 131, and more s peci?
cally , the portion of the g ear 131 that ex tends throug h the
aperture 145 , s o that the rotational energ y of the g ear 131 is
trans f erred to the ? rs t pinion 147 , thereby inducing rotation of
the ? rs t driv es haf t 146 . The con? g uration of the g ear 131 and
bearing s 138 may enable the g ear to mes h directly With the
? rs t pinion 147 , Without the need f or connecting s haf ts , link
ag es , g earbox es , belts or other energ y trans f er means .
[ 009 3] The rotational energ y of the ? rs t driv es haf t 146 is
conv erted into electrical energ y in the ? rs t electrical g enerator
13011. The s econd g enerator 130! ) compris es a s econd driv e
s haf t 148 , and a s econd pinion 149 is a? ix ed to the s econd
driv es haf t 148 . The s econdpinion 149 eng ag es the ? rs t pinion
Feb. 10, 2011
147 , s o that a portion of rotational energ y of the ? rs t pinion
147 is trans f erred to the s econd pinion 149 , thereby inducing
rotation of the s econd driv es haf t 148 . The rotational energ y of
the s econd driv es haf t 148 is conv erted into electrical energ y
in the s econd electrical g enerator 130b.
[ 009 4] As can be s een in FIG. 7 , in the ex ample s hoWn, the
cas ing 105 de? nes a s torag e chamber 15 0, in Which each bas e
142, and theref ore each electrical g enerator 130, is pos i
tioned. Speci? cally , the loWer Wall 111 of the cas ing 105 is
beneath and s paced f rom the bottom Wall 117 of the air? oW
chamber 113. The s torag e chamber 15 0 is de? ned betWeen
the loWer Wall 111 and the bottom Wall 117 . Each Wind
turbine 121 is prov ided in the air? oW chamber 113, abov e the
bottom Wall 117 of the air? oW chamber 113, and each bas e
142 is prov ided beloW the bottom Wall 117 of the air? oW
chamber 113, in the s torag e chamber 15 0. The bottom Wall
117 of the air? oW chamber 113 compris es a plurality of
opening s , in Which the top s urf ace 143 of the bas e 142 is
pos itioned.
[ 009 5 ] By prov iding a s torag e chamber 15 0 f or the electri
cal g enerators 130 that is s eparate f rom the air? oW chamber
113, air pas s ing throug h the cas ing 105 is g enerally f orced to
eng ag e the s et of blades 122, and may not by pas s the s et of
blades 122 by ? oWing around the electrical g enerators 130.
Optionally , ev ery thing betWeen the upper and loWer Walls
110, 111, including the s torag e chamber 15 0 and electrical
g enerators 130, may be con? g ured as a s ing le cartridg e, as
des cribed abov e.
[ 009 6 ] Ref erring back to FIGS. 5 and 6 , the bas e 142 is
rotatably mounted to the loWer Wall 111 of the cas ing 105 .
Speci? cally , the bas e 142 is rotatable With res pect to the
cas ing 105 , the air? oW chamber 113, and v ehicle 100, about
a bas e ax is 15 1 ( als o ref erred to herein as a hous ing ax is ) ,
Which ex tends trans v ers e to the blade ax is 123. For ex ample,
the bas e ax is 15 1 may be perpendicular to the blade ax is 123.
In the ex ample s hoWn, the bas e ax is 15 1 is v ertical. HoWev er,
in alternate ex amples , the bas e ax is 15 1 may be at another
ang le, f or ex ample 100 of f of v ertical.
[ 009 7 ] As the Wind turbine 121 is mounted to and s up
ported by the bas e 142, the Wind turbine 121 is rotatable With
the bas e 142 about the bas e ax is 15 1. Further as the bas e 142
s erv es as a hous ing f or the g enerators 130a, 130b, the g en
erators 130a, 1301) are als o rotatable With the bas e 142 about
the bas e ax is 15 1.
[ 009 8 ] Ref erring to FIG. 8 , by rotatably mounting the bas e
142 to the loWer Wall 111 s o that the Wind turbines 121 are
rotatable, the Wind turbines 121 may rotate about the bas e 142
ax is in res pons e to any chang es in Wind direction. That is , the
Wind turbines 121 Will rotate s o that the blade ax is 123 is
parallel to the Wind direction pas s ing throug h the air? oW
chamber 113. The chang e in Wind direction may be due to a
s hif t in the ambient Wind conditions , or as a res ult or chang ing
the orientation of the v ehicle 100 relativ e to the Wind. This
alloWs the s et of blades 122 to max imiZ e the amount of kinetic
energ y that is trans f erred f rom the Wind to the s et of blades
122.
[ 009 9 ] In the ex ample s hoWn, the energ y recov ery s y s tem
100 f urther compris es a Wind v ane 15 2. The Wind v ane 15 2 is
mounted to the Wind turbine 121, and more s peci? cally , to the
s trut 141. In alternate ex amples , the Wind v ane 15 2 may be
mounted to the bas e 142, or to both the bas e 142 and the Wind
turbine 121. The Wind v ane 15 2 aids in alloWing the Wind
turbine 121 to rotate s o that the blade ax is 123 is parallel to the
Wind direction pas s ing throug h the air? oW chamber 113.
US 2011/0031043 A1
[ 0100] The bas e 142 may be rotatably mounted to the loWer
Wall 111 in any s uitable f as hion. In the ex ample s how n, a
mounting plate 15 3 is prov ided betWeen the loWer Wall and
the bottom Wall of the bas e 142. The mounting plate 15 3 is
? x edly mounted to the loWer Wall 111, and the bas e 142 is
rotatably mounted to the mounting plate 15 3. More s peci?
cally , a plurality of bearing s 15 4 are prov ided betWeen the
bas e 142 and the mounting plate 15 3.
[ 0101] In s ome ex amples , as s hoWn in FIGS. 3 and 4, the
energ y recov ery s y s tem 102 may f urther compris e one or
more s tops limiting the rotation of the bas e 142. This may be
us ef ul to prev ent the Wind turbines f rom s pinning about the
bas e ax is 15 1. For ex ample, the bottom Wall 117 may com
pris e tWo ? x ed pins 16 0 ex tending upWardly theref rom, and
pos itioned 35 apart f rom each other. The top s urf ace 143 of
the bas e 142 may compris e a bas e pin 16 1 ex tending out
Wardly theref rom and ? x edly mounted thereto, and pos i
tioned betWeen the plate pins 16 0. As the bas e 142 rotates , the
bas e pin 16 1 Will rotate, and Will contact the ? x ed pins 16 0.
The ? x ed pins 16 0 Will prev ent any rotation of the bas e 142
g reater than 35 .
[ 0102] Ref erring back to FIG. 2, the energ y recov ery s y s
tem 100 f urther compris es at leas t one battery coupled to the
electrical g enerators 130. In the ex ample s hoWn, the cas ing
105 de? nes a ? rs t 15 5 and a s econd 15 6 battery s torag e
compartment on oppos ed s ides of the air? oW chamber 113 . A
? rs t battery 15 7 is prov ided in the ? rs t battery s torag e com
partment 15 5 , and a s econd battery 15 8 is prov ided in the
s econd battery s torag e compartment 15 6 . The batteries 15 7 ,
15 8 may be coupled to the electrical g enerators 130 in any
s uitable f as hion.
[ 0103] In the ex ample s hoWn, the batteries 15 7 , 15 8 are
non-rotatably mounted With res pect to the v ehicle 100.
According ly , the electrical g enerators 130 rotate With res pect
to the batteries 15 7 , 15 8 . As s uch, a coupling Which can
accommodate the rotation of the g enerators 130 With res pect
to the batteries 15 7 , 15 8 may be us ed to couple the electrical
g enerators 130 to the batteries ( not s hoWn) .
[ 0104] The batteries 15 7 , 15 8 may be us ed to poWer v arious
s y s tems in the v ehicle 100. For ex ample, if the v ehicle 100 is
an electric automobile, the batteries 15 7 , 15 8 may poWer the
motor of the automobile. Altemately , the battery may poWer
any of the s tarter motor, the lig hts , or the ig nition s y s tem of
the v ehicle 100. Altemately , s ome or all of the energ y s tored
in the batteries 15 7 , 15 8 may be f ed to an ex ternal electrical
g rid.
[ 0105 ] The energ y recov ery s y s tem 102 may f urther com
pris e a heating s y s tem, f or ex ample to prev ent icing of the s et
of blades 122 during Winter conditions . For ex ample, as
s hoWn in FIG. 7 , one or more heating elements 15 9 may be
prov ided in the cas ing 105 . The heating s y s tem may be poW
ered by the batteries 15 7 , 15 8 .
[ 0106 ] In us e, the energ y recov ery s y s tem 102 may be
mounted to the v ehicle 100, f or ex ample by s ecuring the
cas ing 105 to the roof 103. The cas ing 105 may be mounted s o
that the inlet 118 of the air? oW chamber 113 f aces the f ront of
the v ehicle 100, and the outlet 119 of the air? oW chamber 113
f aces the rear of the v ehicle 100. The v ehicle 100 may then be
driv en. As the v ehicle 100 mov es f orWard, Wind Will pas s
throug h the air? oW chamber 1 13, and the kinetic energ y of the
Wind Will be conv erted to rotational energ y of the s ets of
blades 122 of the Wind turbines 121. The rotation of the s ets
of blades 122 Will be trans f erred to the g ears 131 v ia the
rotating annular brackets 132, and the rotation of the g ears
Feb. 10, 2011
131 Will be trans f erred to the ? rs t 147 and s econd 149 pinions
of the g enerators 130. The g enerators 130 Will conv ert the
rotational energ y of the ? rs t 147 and s econd 149 pinions into
electrical energ y , and the electrical energ y Will be s tored in
the batteries 15 7 , 15 8 . If the direction of Wind throug h the
air? oW chamber 113 chang es , f or ex ample When the v ehicle
100 is turning , the Wind turbines 121, Which are mounted to
the bas es 142, Which are in turn rotatably mounted to the
cas ing 105 , Will rotate to f ace the direction of the Wind.
[ 0107 ] In addition, the energ y recov ery s y s tems 101, 102
may g enerate energ y When the v ehicle 100 is parked. For
ex ample, any ambient Wind in the env ironment s urrounding
the car may pas s throug h the air? oW chamber 113, and caus e
the s ets of blades 122 to rotate. In addition to ex tracting Wind
energ y , the energ y recov ery s y s tems 101, 102 may include
additional energ y g enerating dev ices , including s olar panels .
[ 0108 ] While the abov e des cription prov ides ex amples of
one or more proces s es or apparatus es , it Will be appreciated
that other proces s es or apparatus es may be Within the s cope of
the accompany ing claims .
1. An energ y recov ery s y s tem f or a v ehicle compris ing :
a) an electrical g enerator prov ided Within a hous ing , the
hous ing rotatable relativ e to the v ehicle about a hous ing
ax is ; and
b) a Wind turbine compris ing a s et of blades rotatable about
a blade ax is ex tending trans v ers e to the hous ing ax is , the
Wind turbine s upported by the hous ing and rotatable
With the hous ing ;
Wherein the electrical g enerator is coupled to the Wind
turbine and con? g ured to conv ert the rotational energ y
of the s et of blades into electrical energ y .
2. The energ y recov ery s y s tem of claim 1, f urther compris
ing a Wind v ane mounted to at leas t one of the Wind turbine
and the hous ing .
3. The energ y recov ery s y s tem of claim 2, f urther compris
ing one or more s tops limiting the rotation of the hous ing .
4. The energ y recov ery s y s tem of claim 2, Wherein the
hous ing ax is is g enerally v ertical, and the blade ax is is g en
erally horiz ontal.
5 . The energ y recov ery s y s tem of claim 4, f urther compris
ing a s econd electrical g enerator prov ided Within the hous ing
and coupled to the Wind turbine and con? g ured to conv ert the
rotational energ y of the s et of blades into electrical energ y .
6 . The energ y recov ery s y s tem of claim 1, Wherein the Wind
turbine f urther compris es a g ear mounted around the s et of
blades and rotatable With the s et of blades , and the electrical
g enerator is coupled to the s et of blades v ia the g ear.
7 . The energ y recov ery s y s tem of claim 6 , f urther compris
ing at leas t one battery electrically coupled to the electrical
g enerator.
8 . The energ y recov ery s y s tem of claim 7 , Wherein the
battery is non-rotatably mounted With res pect to the v ehicle.
9 . The energ y recov ery s y s tem of claim 1, Wherein:
a) the energ y recov ery s y s tem f urther compris es an air? oW
chamber mountable to the ex terior of the v ehicle, the
air? oW chamber compris ing an air inlet pos itionable to
receiv e an incoming s tream of air, and an air outlet
pos itionable to ex haus t the s tream of air; and
b) the Wind turbine is prov ided Within the air? oW chamber.
10. The energ y recov ery s y s tem of claim 9 , Wherein the
air? oW chamber has an inlet cros s s ectional area at the inlet,
and a reduced cros s -s ectional area at a pos ition doWns tream
of the inlet.
US 2011/0031043 A1
11. The energ y recov ery s y s tem of claim 10, Wherein the
air? ow chamber is de? ned by a cas ing , Which is remov ably
mounted to the v ehicle.
12. The energ y recov ery s y s tem of claim 11, Wherein the
cas ing f urther de? nes a s torag e chamber in Which the hous ing
is receiv ed.
13. The energ y recov ery s y s tem of claim 12, Wherein the
air? oW chamber has a bottom Wall, the cas ing has a loWer Wall
beneath and s paced f rom the bottom Wall, and the s torag e
chamber is betWeen the bottom Wall and the loWer Wall.
14. The energ y recov ery s y s tem of claim 13, Wherein the
hous ing is mounted to the loWer Wall.
15 . The energ y recov ery s y s tem of claim 13, Wherein the
bottom Wall ex tends upWardly f rom the air inlet toWards the
air outlet.
16 . An energ y recov ery s y s tem f or a v ehicle compris ing :
a) an air? oW chamber mountable to an ex terior of the
v ehicle, the air? oW chamber compris ing an air inlet
pos itionable to receiv e an incoming s tream of air, and an
air outlet pos itionable to ex haus t the s tream of air, the
air? oW chamber hav ing an inlet cros s s ectional area at
the inlet, and a reduced cros s -s ectional area at a pos ition
doWns tream of the inlet;
b) one or more Wind turbines prov ided in the air? oW cham
ber, each Wind turbine compris ing a s et of blades rotat
able about a blade ax is ;
c) one or more bas es , each bas e s upporting one or more of
the Wind turbines , each bas e rotatable With res pect to the
air? oW chamber about a bas e ax is ex tending trans v ers e
to the blade ax is ;
d) one or more electrical g enerators , each electrical g en
erator coupled to one or more of the Wind turbines and
con? g ured to conv ert the rotational energ y of the s et of
blades of the one or more Wind turbines into electrical
energ y .
Feb. 10, 2011
17 . The energ y recov ery s y s tem of claim 16 , Wherein each
bas e s erv es as a hous ing f or one or more of the electrical
g enerators , the one or more of the electrical g enerators rotat
able With the bas e.
18 . The energ y recov ery s y s tem of claim 17 Wherein the
air? oW chamber is de? ned by a cas ing , and Wherein the
cas ing f urther de? nes a s torag e chamber in Which the electri
cal g enerators are receiv ed.
19 . The energ y recov ery s y s tem of claim 18 , Wherein the
air? oW chamber has a bottom Wall, the cas ing has a loWer Wall
beneath and s paced f rom the bottom Wall, and the s torag e
chamber is betWeen the bottom Wall and the loWer Wall.
20. An energ y recov ery s y s tem f or a v ehicle compris ing :
a) a cas ing mountable to an ex terior of the v ehicle, the
cas ing de? ning a s torag e chamber and an air? oW cham
ber, the air? oW chamber compris ing an air inlet pos i
tionable to receiv e an incoming s tream of air, an air
outlet pos itionable to ex haus t the s tream of air, and an
ax is ex tending therebetWeen;
b) one or more Wind turbines in the air? oW chamber, each
Wind turbine compris ing a s et of blades rotatable about a
blade ax is ;
c) one or more electrical g enerators in the s torag e chamber,
each electrical g enerator coupled to one or more of the
Wind turbines and con? g ured to conv ert the rotational
energ y of the s et of blades into electrical energ y ; and
d) a Wall s eparating the s torag e chamber f rom the air? oW
chamber, at leas t a portion of the Wall ex tends toWards
the ax is s o that a cros s -s ectional area of the air? oW
chamber at a pos ition doWns tream of the inlet is les s than
an cros s -s ectional area of the air? oW chamber at the
inlet.