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US 10,358,038 B1Granted
Wind turbine for electric car
OwnerPeter W. Ripleyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for harnessing wind energy to charge the electric storage battery of a vehicle, whether the vehicle is parked or in motion. While the vehicle is being driven, a roof-mounted, internal wind turbine harnesses wind energy and causes rotation of the shaft of an electric generator mounted to an interior surface of the roof. For charging the battery while the vehicle is parked, an external wind turbine is storable in the vehicle when not in use and attaches to the internal wind turbine. Cups of the kind used in cup anemometers are attached to radial arms that extend from an external shaft of the external wind turbine and catch ambient wind currents while the vehicle is parked, causing the external shaft and the generator shaft to rotate.
Claims13
A system for charging an electric storage battery of a motor vehicle, comprising:
- an internal wind turbine mountable to the roof of the vehicle and contained within a housing formed from a closeable lid and at least one of (a) a bottom panel and (b) a roof of a motor vehicle;
- an air flow corridor formed within the housing to communicate air between an air inlet opening in the front of the housing, through a central portion, and an air outlet opening in the rear of the housing, the air flow corridor having an entryway portion in communication with the air inlet opening, wherein the entryway portion is contoured to conduct air entering the inlet opening toward the central portion which is further contoured to conduct air rotationally around the internal wind turbine;
- a turbine blade assembly having turbine blades with weighted tips, the assembly disposed within the central portion of the air corridor and operative to rotate in response to air moving through the central portion;
- an electric generator coupled to the turbine blade assembly to generate electricity during rotation, the electric generator selected from one or more of:
- (a) a magneto assembly, (b) an alternator, and a dynamo;
- the turbine blade assembly including a hub that houses the electric generator that includes at least one of the alternator and dynamo, and which (a) extends axially along a turbine shaft axis from a first, lower end to a second, upper end thereof and (b) is rotatable about the axis;
- and
- the turbine blades being a plurality of turbine blades distributed about the periphery of the hub and extending radially away from the hub substantially normal to the axis, wherein each blade of the plurality has a weighted, blade tip;
- and
- wherein the electric generator is the one or more magneto assemblies each having an induction coil and core incorporated on interior walls of the central portion and one or more permanent magnetic portions arranged on the weighted, blade tips to move proximate the induction coil and core during rotation of the blade tips.
7 more elements
An electric storage battery charging system for a motor vehicle, comprising:
- an internal wind turbine mountable to a roof of the vehicle and contained within a housing formed from a closeable lid and bottom panel, wherein the bottom panel is releasably attachable to a roof of the motor vehicle;
- an air flow corridor formed within the housing to communicate air between an air inlet opening in the front of the housing and an air outlet opening in the rear of the housing, the air flow corridor having an entryway portion in communication with the air inlet opening, wherein the entryway portion is contoured to conduct air entering the inlet opening toward a central portion that is further contoured to conduct air rotationally around the internal wind turbine;
- a turbine blade assembly forming the internal wind turbine and having turbine blades with weighted tips, the assembly disposed within a central portion of the air corridor and operative to rotate in response to air moving through the central portion;
- wherein the lid in combination with the corridor and bottom panel forms a closed compartment substantially surrounding the turbine blade assembly;
- and
- an electric generator coupled to the turbine blade assembly to generate electricity during rotation, the electric generator selected from one or more of:
- (a) a magneto assembly, (b) an alternator, and a dynamo;
- and
- the turbine blade assembly including a hub that houses the electric generator being at least one of the alternator and dynamo, and which extends axially along a turbine shaft axis from a first, lower end to a second, upper end thereof and is rotatable about the axis;
- the turbine blades being a plurality of turbine blades distributed about the periphery of the hub and extending radially away from the hub substantially normal to the axis;
- and
- wherein the electric generator also includes the one or more magneto assemblies each having an induction coil and core incorporated on interior walls of the central portion and one or more permanent magnetic portions arranged on the weighted, blade tips to move proximate the induction coil and core during rotation of the blade tips.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.