Kinetic energy harvesting system
AssigneeR2E Enterprises Ltd.
InventorAntony Edmondson-Bennett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A road-based energy harvesting system that converts kinetic energy from passing traffic to electricity using a hydraulic motor, powered from a pressurised fluid in a closed circuit, which drives an alternator. The system may have two platforms, operating in a see-saw fashion to transfer torque to compress at least one piston in a cylinder. During a first half cycle the piston performs a high-pressure stroke with a first working hydraulic fluid and during the second half cycle the at least one piston performs a low-pressure stroke with a second working fluid, such as air. The system may include a vehicle recognition system for detecting the mass of an oncoming vehicle and varies the resistance of at least the first piston in a cylinder to optimise energy extraction.
Claims19
A kinetic energy harvesting system for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy, is adapted to be deployed in a trench in a road or track, the system comprises:
- at least a first and a second displaceable platform, over which a vehicle passes, the platforms are connected one to another by a rigid strut to form a see-saw which is supported by a pivot;
- during a first half cycle a tyre of the vehicle passes over the first platform to depress it below a road surface level, into a first void, thereby pivoting the second platform, from a second void to a position above the road surface level, and a crank, which is connected to the pivot, rotates in a first sense (clockwise) and transfers torque, from the pivot, to compress at least one piston in a cylinder which contains a working fluid which for driving an alternator;
- and during a second half cycle, the tyre of the vehicle passes over the second platform to depress it below a road surface level, into the second void, thereby pivoting the first platform, from the first void to a position above the road surface level, and the pivot rotates in an opposite sense (counterclockwise) and transfers torque from the pivot, to compress the at least one piston in a cylinder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.