Capacitor-based on-wheel energy storage for a wheel motor
OwnerKevin R. Williamsinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A wheel assembly for a vehicle has a rotor housing having a support structure with permanent magnets therein, a stator housing having windings therein, and an energy storage module affixed to the support structure of the stator housing. The energy storage module has a plurality of capacitor banks therein. The plurality of capacitor banks have a plurality of switches therebetween. The energy storage module is enclosed within a housing. The plurality of capacitor banks are switchably connected together such that at least some of the plurality of capacitor banks are in series as charge builds and voltage rises and in parallel as charge depletes and voltage drops.
Claims12
A wheel assembly for a vehicle comprising:
- a rotor housing having a support structure, the rotor housing having permanent magnets therein, said rotor housing adapted to rotate relative to a rotation of the wheel;
- a stator housing having windings therein, the windings of said stator housing and the permanent magnets of said rotor housing defining an air gap therein;
- and
- an energy storage module affixed to the support structure of said stator housing, said energy storage module being cooperative with the windings of said stator housing and with the permanent magnets of said rotor housing so as to receive and transmit energy from and to the windings relative to a motion of the vehicle, said energy storage module having a plurality of capacitor banks therein, the plurality of capacitor banks having switches therebetween, the plurality of capacitor banks comprising:
- a first capacitor bank;
- a second capacitor bank;
- a first switch and a second switch extending in parallel between the first capacitor bank and the second capacitor bank;
- a third capacitor bank;
- a fourth capacitor bank;
- a third switch and a fourth switch extending in parallel between the third capacitor bank and the fourth capacitor bank;
- a fifth switch extending between the first capacitor bank and the third capacitor bank;
- a sixth which extending between the second capacitor bank and the fourth capacitor bank;
- a seventh switch extending between the first switch and the second switch;
- an eighth switch extending between the third switch and the fourth switch;
- and
- a ninth switch extending between the fifth switch and the sixth switch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.