Power generation from vehicle wheel rotation
OwnerAnthony Macalusoinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An energy system can store and provide energy to power a vehicle. The energy system can comprise a generator configured to generate an electrical output, a capacitor configured to receive the electrical output from the generator and store the electrical output as a capacitor energy, a battery configured to receive the capacitor energy from the capacitor, a diode electrically positioned between the capacitor and the battery and configured to convey the capacitor energy from the capacitor to the battery, and a roller configured to contact a wheel of the vehicle and to rotate about an axis in response to a rotation of the wheel to cause the generator to generate the electrical output.
Claims22
An energy system for powering a vehicle, the energy system comprising:
- a generator configured to generate an electrical output;
- a capacitor configured to receive the electrical output from the generator and store the electrical output as a capacitor energy;
- a battery configured to receive the capacitor energy from the capacitor;
- a diode electrically positioned between the capacitor and the battery, the diode being electrically biased toward the battery and configured to convey the capacitor energy from the capacitor to the battery;
- and
- a roller configured to contact a wheel of the vehicle and to rotate about an axis in response to a rotation of the wheel, the roller being operably coupled to the generator to cause the generator to generate the electrical output, the roller being further configured to apply a force to the wheel to slow a rotation of the wheel.
A method for powering a vehicle, the method comprising:
- generating an electrical output at a generator;
- providing the electrical output to a capacitor to store as a capacitor energy;
- conveying, via a diode, the capacitor energy from the capacitor to a battery to store as a battery energy, the diode being electrically positioned between the capacitor and the battery and electrically biased toward the battery;
- providing the battery energy from the battery to the vehicle to power the vehicle;
- and
- rotating a roller about an axis in response to a rotation of a wheel of the vehicle, the roller being operably coupled to the generator to cause the generator to generate the electrical output, the roller being further configured to apply a force to the wheel to slow a rotation of the wheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.