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US 2008/0277174 A1Published application
High-grade ethanol vehicle with fuel-cell motors and optional flexible-fuel engine
OwnerCrockett L. Grabbeinventor
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OwnerCrockett L. Grabbeinventor
Estimating the term…
This invention is for a hybrid vehicle operated by fuel with a high-ethanol content, which synergistically combines independent sources of ethanol power to move toward renewable and environmental-friendly fuel to replace gasoline. The vehicle combines one or more electric motors powered by Direct-Ethanol Fuel-Cells (DEFCs) using either HYPERMEC™ or a similar-type catalyst, with 2 of the 4 Preferred Embodiments provided for the ethanol hybrid also including a flexible-fuel engine. The electric motors powered by DEFCs in all the Preferred Embodiments are coupled with energy-storage systems which can independently operate the motors. For 4-wheel vehicles, all of these embodiments can be operated either in 2 or 4-wheel mode for engagement of the transmission, for either the electric motor or for the engine in Preferred-Embodiments 1 and 2, and for either of the electric motors in Preferred-Embodiments 3 and 4.
The benefits of the provisional patent application No. 60/808,230 mailed to the USPTO on May 23, 2006 (filing date indicated as May 25, 2006) under like title, including the specification and drawings contained therein, which serves as a placeholder for this non-provisional utility patent application.
A hybrid vehicle designed to use high-grades of ethanol fuel for sizably reducing the atmospheric pollution created relative to similar gasoline-fueled vehicles, comprising a synergistic combination of either a flexible-fueled internal combustion engine along with 1-or-more electric motor(s) powered by a stack of Direct-Ethanol Fuel-Cells (DEFCs), or else 1-or-more electric motor(s) which are powered by a stack of DEFCs or independently with the energy-storage systems coupled with the DEFCs, with the entities (engines and motors) for either case fully capable of operating on high-grade ethanol fuel, and with the electric motors including both AC motors and DC motors that are developed with adequate power capabilities to operate the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.