US 10,479,443 B2Granted

Energy harvesting power-assist system and method for light vehicles

OwnerFabian Lis, Gustavo Adrian Lisinventors

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Abstract

Disclosed is an energy harvesting power-assist system and method for human powered light vehicles. The power-assist system comprises a drive mechanism, one or more motor/generators and a high capacity storage device. The system continuously harvests and stores energy which is converted to motion by the motors, providing additional power to the user's pedaling. A controller determines the amount of pedal assist based on a user's preset value, and manages the charge and discharge of the high capacity storage device. As such, the system does not require any other external energy source, and the storage device never needs external charging under the described usage cases.

Claims26

Dependent claims

An energy harvesting power-assist system for a light vehicle having a required user energy input, the power-assist system comprising:

an energy splitter unit configured to split a user energy into a first split energy and a second split energy;
a high capacity energy storage unit configured to store and release electrical energy, the high capacity energy storage unit comprising:
a plurality of ultra-capacitors for providing energy for higher power demands of a short duration, and having multiple rapid charge/discharge cycles;
and,
a plurality of high capacity battery cells for providing energy for lower power demands of a long duration;
a motor/generator assembly configured to convert the first split energy to electrical energy for storage in the high capacity energy storage unit, and to produce a motor mechanical energy by drawing electrical energy from the high capacity energy storage unit;
a control unit;
an energy combiner assembly configured to provide a user power-assist by combining the second split energy and the motor mechanical energy thereby providing a driving energy for driving a driven wheel of the light vehicle, and further configured to harvest a harvested kinetic energy from the driven wheel for conversion to electrical energy by the motor/generator assembly and storage in the high capacity energy storage unit;
wherein the energy splitter unit, the motor/generator assembly, and the energy combiner assembly are integrated into a drive assembly having a drive assembly axis mounted coaxially with a pedal crank axle connected to pedals for input of the user energy;
and,
wherein the high capacity energy storage unit does not require re-charging by an external energy source.

8 more elements

A method of controlling power flow in a power-assist system for a light vehicle, wherein a user energy is applied to a pedal crank axle connected to a driven wheel, the power-assist system comprising a first motor/generator, a second motor/generator and a high capacity storage unit, the power-assist system providing a motor power to the driven wheel or receiving a generator power for storage in the high capacity storage unit, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a user data input of a maximum user torque threshold;
measuring a measured torque at the pedal crank axle;
measuring a measured cadence of the pedal crank axle;
entering a cold start power flow mode if the measured cadence is zero and the measured torque is greater than zero;
entering a kinetic energy harvesting power flow mode if the measured cadence is greater than zero and the measured torque is zero;
entering a soft coasting power flow mode if the measured cadence is greater than zero and the measured torque is greater than zero but less than a lower torque threshold;
entering a hard coasting power flow mode if the measured cadence is greater than zero and the measured torque is greater than the lower torque threshold but less than the maximum user torque threshold;
entering a soft cruising power flow mode if the measured cadence is greater than zero and the measured torque is greater than the maximum user torque threshold but less than an upper torque threshold;
and,
entering a hard cruising power flow mode if the measured cadence is greater than zero and the measured torque is greater than the upper torque threshold.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/572,530Filed 6 Nov 2016 · us provisional application
Priority: 8 Nov 2015
Published: US 2018/0154981 A17 Jun 2018
Granted: 19 Nov 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

B62M 6/50
Control or actuating devices therefor: characterised by detectors or sensors, or arrangement thereof
B60L 50/20
Electric propulsion with power supplied within the vehicle: using propulsion power generated by humans or animals
B62M 6/45
Rider propelled cycles with auxiliary electric motor: control or actuating devices therefor
B62M 6/55
Rider propelled cycles with auxiliary electric motor: power-driven at crank shafts parts

Family

Application62/252,568Us provisional application · filed 8 Nov 2015
US 2018/0154981 A1Pre-grant publication · published 7 Jun 2018
US 10,479,443 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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