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US 2012/0168242 A1Published application
Regenerative braking method
AssigneePurdue Research Foundation
InventorN. Athula Kulatunga
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A neighborhood electrical vehicle (NEV), including provisions for improved deceleration during regenerative braking, in which the vehicle momentum is converted to electrical energy stored in a capacitor bank. The capacitor bank includes alternate configurations for charging or discharging of the capacitors.
Claims20
A vehicle, comprising:
- three wheels arranged as a tricycle and supporting a seat by a frame;
- a brushless DC motor mechanically coupled to at least one of the wheels;
- a rechargeable battery;
- an capacitor;
- and
- an electronic controller in electrical communication with said capacitor, said battery, said motor, and said sensor, said electronic controller being operable in at least two modes;
- wherein in a first mode of operation said controller receives alternating electrical power generated by said motor, rectifies the power, chops the rectified power, and provides the rectified power to said capacitor, and in a second mode of operation said controller provides power from said capacitor to said battery.
4 more elements
A method for operating an electric vehicle, comprising:
- providing a tricycle, a braking lever movable over a range of positions, a plurality of ultracapacitors, and a seat, at least one of the wheels being coupled to an electric motor capable driving the wheel and capable of generating electricity;
- generating alternating current electricity by the motor in response to placement of the lever within the range;
- slowing the vehicle by said generating;
- rectifying the alternating current electricity;
- chopping the rectified voltage at a predetermined frequency;
- and
- charging the ultracapacitors with the chopped voltage.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.