WO2012155970A1

WO2012155970A1 - Renewable energy self-charging system

Info

Publication number: WO2012155970A1
Application number: PCT/EP2011/058071
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pedro BERNARDES
Original assignee: Youniverse-Unip.Lda
Priority date: 2011-05-18
Filing date: 2011-05-18
Publication date: 2012-11-22

Abstract

The Renewable Energy Self-charging System converts kinetic energy into electric energy, which results in the increase of the vehicle's energy self-sufficiency. The energy product thus obtained is channelled to a unit of energy storage made up of several batteries or similar devices, thus powering the motor vehicle for the transportation of passengers or goods. It is made up of an upwind air flow inlet in which there is a grid with a hatch or shutter (automatically or manually controlled) and a channel optimised for directing the air flow, generated by the vehicle's motion, towards the turbine. It is also formed by two longitudinal concave blades and a transverse shaft rotor. The generators and/or flywheel are attached to both ends of the shaft.

Description

Renewable Energy Self-charging System

Description

Field of the invention

The present invention is an example of electric power generation, more particularly a self-charging system where energy is stored in units such as batteries or similar devices. It uses a renewable energy source and is intended for electric mobility, i.e., any kind of goods or passenger transportation which benefits from or uses electric energy to drive the motor. This can either be an electric motor or a hybrid motor such as is used in hybrid vehicles or other. The purpose is to obtain additional energy for the vehicle which increases its self-sufficiency and/or driving range.

Background of the invention

Given today's level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide (C02) , and the evidence that vehicles are responsible for a third of the total C02 emissions into the atmosphere, it is urgent to find solutions to not only minimise those emissions but also reduce dependence on fossil fuels. As is well known, this is a limited and increasingly scarce resource.

As such, the purpose of the invention here described is not only to address an important issue which requires immediate or short term action, namely the reduction of C02 emissions and their consequent environmental and climate impact, but also to deal with a medium to long term problem: the inevitable depletion of fossil fuel reserves, on which we today strongly depend.

Various solutions have been devised for that same purpose, but they have not been efficient enough. If we look at the existing solutions, they are vehicles powered by different types of fuel, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, gas or bio- fuel, all of them using a combustion engine which runs on limited and non-renewable resources. Some may present lower C02 emissions, mainly the vehicles powered by gas or bio- fuel, but they still do not completely eliminate the emissions of greenhouse gases. Furthermore, they are still dependent on limited resources; in the case of bio-fuel, its production leads to side effects such agricultural over-exploitation and soil depletion, resulting in shortage of food supplies.

Various electric mobility solutions have also emerged. Nevertheless, these do not guarantee complete elimination of emissions either, since their power sources come from various systems of energy production, namely hydro, thermal, coal and even nuclear power.

There has also been a positive evolution in the use of hydrogen cells. However, the required safety levels are not yet guaranteed and costs are very high for this technology.

The use of renewable energy sources is also a possibility. Nevertheless, we are forced to consider the constraints of using solar energy capture through photovoltaic panels. Due to their low energy yield (about 15%) , these would require large absorption surface areas in order to be able to power a vehicle.

Regarding wind power solutions, some ideas have also been put forward. Patent US20060213697A1 - US7434636B2 issued to Sutherland in March 15 of 2006 presents a horizontal axis fan supported by a vertical axis mounted on the vehicle's front hood, in front of the windshield. However, the use of a fan requires a large wind capture area since small areas do not harness enough energy. Besides being anti-aesthetic it would only produce results when exposed to specific conditions, such as an area with wind speed in excess of 8m/s . Moreover, it would have to be positioned within a clear area which requires the vehicle to be immobilized in a location with strong winds, for example at the top of a hill or a cliff.

There are other examples of turbine or windmill use: patent US7665554B1 issued to Walsh in April 21 of 2009 or patent WO1999044853A1 issued to Seo Yong in September 10 of 1999. These solutions resort to the use of several turbines in the front area of the vehicle with the result that blades are not secure against strong winds, and again to a fan^¬ like design of the turbines, requiring a very large area of wind capture. In terms of aerodynamics, this solution is counterproductive because it increases the vehicle's resistance and drag, requiring an extra input of energy. These facts had already been previously shown in the following solutions: patent US3556239 issued to Spahn in September 28 of 1968 and patent US3878913 issued to Lionts in December 15 of 1972.

Although the devices presented in the above mentioned patents might be appropriate for the purposes they were invented for, they would not serve the aims of the present invention, as described below.

Summary of the invention

In view of the aforementioned observations it seems urgent to find a balance between the energy gains and the vehicle's resistance, which would result in a solution favouring aerodynamics. To this effect, the present invention is a device comprising an air flow inlet in the form of a grid with a hatch or shutter system to guarantee the performance of the present invention by improving the energy gain versus vehicle resistance to the wind. It is optimised to maximise the Venturi effect so that it increases the speed of the air flow (generated by the moving vehicle) which is then directed towards the high yield "Savonius" type turbine. This turbine is designed to maximise the energy yield through the use of two longitudinal concave blades and a transverse shaft rotor. The "Savonius" type of turbine is better fitted to solve the problem of obtaining sufficient energy yields since a fan-like turbine requires a large diameter or a large circular surface. The operating principle of a machine like a "Savonius" or a "Vertical Axis Turbine" is based on the difference between the drag forces of the semi-circular blades, which extend to a rotor, where one semi-circular blade's orientation is concave and the adjacent blade's orientation is convex. In the presence of air flow, the difference of the drag effect between the concave blade and the convex blade makes the rotor start to rotate. The advantages of this type of machine are: better self- starting or low starting torque, low production costs, better reliability on the blades and an estimated life span superior to that of the fan-like turbines.

Although the present invention presents as reference a "Savonius" type turbine, it serves only as a comparative example. In fact, the said "Savonius" turbine only operates vertically, as its name in the common jargon suggests, i.e., "Vertical Axis Turbine" and does not have any chassis covering the rotor since its purpose is to harness wind coming from all directions. Thus, the present invention has advantages relatively to the traditional "Savonius" turbine. Furthermore, the "Savonius" turbine complies with a semi-circular turbine blade profile, whereas the present invention offers a computer fluid dynamics improved configuration of the blades, with an optimised profile in the shape of an ellipse arc segment. The purpose is to maximise the torque output and improve the self-starting thus making the device significantly more efficient .

What is achieved by the present invention is the optimisation of energy gain, through the production of a higher torque. The concave configuration of the blades and their asymmetric positioning allow the air flow to be directed through the gap so that it is carried towards the frontal surface of the adjacent blade, each blade having an external concave section and an internal convex section. When the design of the blade includes this characteristic the air flow impinging on the concave section is forced to run through the gap and impinge on the convex section of the adjacent blade. The result is a blade shape which produces a higher torque.

Another advantageous characteristic of the present invention which allows to maximise the torque and the output power, as well as to improve the self-start ability, is the chassis (200,200'), with an S-shaped profile configuration and its air flow circulation and direction channel (201) . This allows for a 25% gain relatively to the model (400), shown in Figure 8, in which the chassis presents a (Ω) profile shape and the channel of air flow direction through direct circulation is only 50% of the absorption surface of the turbine. This means that there is a nominal gain of 75% with the chosen profile, guaranteeing that the torque is sufficient even under conditions of low air flow.

A further advantage of the invention we here describe is achieved by using bearings in the rotor shaft, made of Teflon or Polytetrafluoroethilene (PTFE) due to its high resistance to friction.

In addition, it should be highlighted that the transverse axis rotor allows for the coupling of two generators instead of just one, located at the both ends of the axis.

It is also possible to couple a flywheel to the turbine axis. This allows the accumulation of mechanical energy which is later transferred to the generator where it is converted into electric energy, even when the vehicle has stopped or slowed down.

Furthermore, the configuration presented by the "longitudinal concave blades turbine and transverse axis rotor" solution allows the device to be installed either horizontally or vertically. More options are thus available to the skilled technicians when they need to decide the best place to affix the device, taking into consideration the vehicle's aesthetics and aerodynamic performance.

Still concerning possible configurations, two models are presented: an internal model to be installed inside the vehicle, allowing the individuals skilled in the technology and the design to adapt the various vehicle models or transportation objects, in a way that the device becomes imperceptible, resulting in a good aesthetic solution; an external model, autonomous to the vehicle, which can be adapted to existing vehicles and mounted in various places, for example on the roof or on the sides of all kinds of vehicles: road vehicles (automobiles, trucks), railway vehicles, nautical vehicles or airborne vehicles (such as airplanes) .

It should be understood that the models can be used alone or in combination and, in this case the devices can be as many as the individual skilled in the technology wishes to install, in order to maximise the system's energy yield or the energy gain for the vehicle.

In addition, the vehicle can be equipped with other self- charging systems, such as photovoltaic panels or regenerative breaking, to create an energy mix.

Experimental Model After experimental tests, we concluded that the device started working (i.e., the rotor axis started rotating) when the vehicle reached the speed of approximately 32 km/h. Energy production reached between 50 and 100 Amperes, at an average air flow speed of 10 to 12 m/s . We also observed an improvement in aerodynamics, due the combination of several factors: a maximization of the Venturi effect in the front grid (air flow inlet) ; the S- shaped configuration of the air flow movement channel (developed with the use of computer fluid dynamics); and an optimised blade profile. There was an increase of more than 30% in the torque output relatively to a linear blade turbine and without improvement in the direction or carrying of air flow.

Description of Drawings

Fig. 1- (Profile view) Turbine/Rotor (100), Rotor axis (101), Set of blades (102,103), Lateral flap (104)

Fig. 2- (Profile view) Turbine chassis (200), Air flow (201) and Lateral flap (dashed line) .

Fig. 2 ' - (Profile view) Variation of the turbine chassis (200), Air flow (201) and Lateral flap (dashed line).

Fig. 3- (Perspective view) Generator (300)

Fig. 4- (Perspective view) Turbine (100)

Fig. 5- (Perspective view) Chassis (200)

Fig. 6- (Perspective view) Chassis (200), Turbine (dashed line) (100) (interior), Generator (300) (exterior)

Fig. 7- (Perspective view) Frontal grid (400), Hatch (401)

Fig. 8- (Profile view) Variation of the turbine chassis (800), Air flow (201) and Lateral flap (dashed line).

Description of Drawings

To complement the drawings, which are a reference for the present invention, a more detailed description is presented, but it should be understood that the invention is not restricted to these specific embodiments. New alterations, modifications and improvements may be introduced. Such alterations, modifications and improvements should be made within the scope and spirit of this invention. Thus, the above description is only an example and is not meant to be a limiting factor; in fact, figures (2) and (8) present variations of the device.

As was shown before, the present invention has a distinguishing feature: the turbine/rotor (100), chosen for its high performance, with optimised longitudinal blades (102,103) and a transverse axis rotor (101).

(Fig. 1) is a profile view of the turbine/rotor (100), its blades (102, 103) and the rotor axis (101) .

(Fig. 2) is a schematic diagram of the turbine operation inside the chassis (200) and its air flow direction and circulation channel (201) . This air flow is created by the object or motor vehicle when it reaches a speed in excess of 32Km/h. It is then directed to the blades (102, 103), causing them to rotate around the rotor axis (101) . In this way, kinetic energy from the flow (201) is converted into mechanical energy, which in turn drives the generator (300) or generators positioned at the end of the axis (101) . This is where the mechanical energy is converted into electric energy, as shown in (Fig. 3), which is then carried to the batteries or energy storage units through the output cables

( + ) (-) . The batteries feed the vehicle's electric motor. There should also be a regulator/inverter to rectify the energy signal and convert it if necessary, as well as to regulate the battery capacity so as to prevent the battery from overcharging or excessive discharging.

In addition to the variation shown in (Fig. 2), a different chassis may be envisaged by inverting the profile in (Fig. 2' ) .

We should also consider that, once the air flow has been captured and the kinetic energy absorbed, the former can be reused for multiple applications. Although this isn't within the frame of the present description, we can contemplate recovering the air flow when it leaves the chassis outlet (200) and use it for ventilation, refrigeration, air conditioning or any other purpose.

(Fig. 4) is a more accurate view of the turbine/rotor, in perspective . (Fig. 5) is a more accurate view of the chassis, in perspective .

(Fig. 6) is the set with the three main elements; the turbine/rotor (100) on the chassis (200) and one of the generators (300) . The frontal grid is missing from this set

(400), but is described in (Fig. 7).

(Fig. 7) shows the air flow inlet through the front grid (400) . The blurred effect is an approximate solution to maximise the Venturi effect by increasing the speed of air flow and its density. There is a hatch or shutter (401) which can be automatically controlled in order to automatically regulate the charge stored in the batteries and avoid overcharging, or manually controlled, if the driver wants to close the air inlet to obtain less resistance to air or a reduction in the vehicle's drag. The result is increased speed to the detriment of self- charging. The automatic control, overriding the manual control or defined by default, assures a larger energy yield by actuating the renewable energy self-charging system whenever the vehicle slows down or breaks.

(Fig. 8) shows a possible variation for the chassis (800), in which the air flow circulates in a direct fashion through a Ω profile shaped channel, which absorbs only 50% of the air flow available.

However, if anyone masters this technology and invents a similar system, different either in appearance or in details, will be held legal responsible of trespassing the originality and patent of this invention. Although the present invention has been shown and described in detail, it should be understood that various changes and modifications might be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims, encompassing any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1- Renewable Energy Self-charging System adapted for any and all moving vehicles powered by electric energy, for the transportation of passengers or goods, comprising units for energy storage such as batteries or similar devices. The present invention includes an inlet (400) optimised for the recovery of air flow generated by the vehicle's motion, with a control system comprising a hatch or shutter (401) which can be actuated automatically, in a standard way, or manually, via remote control, i.e., by the driver. This allows the control of energy input and management so as to avoid overcharging or excessive discharging. Also, the improved (S) shaped configuration of the direction and circulation channel (200, 200' ) for the said flow air movement (201) maximises the device's capturing power, absorbing more than 75% of the kinetic energy mass, which is 25% more compared to a direct circulation profile configuration (800) . This results in an increase in torque. In addition, the optimised profile or improved configuration of the longitudinal concave blades (102,103), which creates a profile in the shape of an ellipse arc segment, also substantially increases the torque and improves the rotor's performance (100) by reducing the torque capacity necessary to operate the turbine.

2- Renewable Energy Self-charging System of claim 1 in an internal format, to be installed in the interior of any moving vehicle for the transportation of passengers or goods, referred to as "vehicle" and comprising units of energy storage such as batteries or similar devices.

3- Renewable Energy Self-charging System of claim 1 in an autonomous format to be affixed in the exterior of any moving vehicle for the transportation of passengers or goods, referred to as "vehicle" and comprising units of energy storage such as batteries or similar devices.

4- Renewable Energy Self-charging System of claim 1, placed horizontally.

5- Renewable Energy Self-charging System of claim 1, placed vertically .

6- Renewable Energy Self-charging System of claim 1, further comprising a flywheel. 7- Renewable Energy Self-charging System of claim 1, comprising one or two generators at both ends of the turbine shaft.

8- Renewable Energy Self-charging System of claim 1 comprising a regulator/ charge rectifier in the delivery of energy to the batteries.

9- Renewable Energy Self-charging System of claim 1 comprising an inverter in order to invert the direct current into alternating current (or the reverse) .

10- Renewable Energy Self-charging System of claim 1 comprising a hatch or shutter integrated into the air flow inlet grid, with automatic or manual control of air input. The manual control is used by the operator/driver; the automatic control is actuated when the vehicle slows down or breaks .

11- Renewable Energy Self-charging System of claim 1, allowing the use of as many devices as the skilled technician wishes, including a combination of various devices in one vehicle, either in the internal model version or in the external model version, or even a combination of the said devices with other energy sources.