US 5,669,470 A · Roadway-powered electric vehicle system

Abstract

A roadway-powered electric vehicle system includes: (1) an all-electric vehicle; and (2) a roadway network over which the vehicle travels. The all-electric vehicle has one or more onboard energy storage elements or devices that can be rapidly charged or energized with energy obtained from an electrical current, such as a network of electromechanical batteries. The electric vehicle further includes an on-board controller that extracts energy from the energy storage elements, as needed, and converts such extracted energy to electrical energy used to propel the electric vehicle. The energy storage elements may be charged while the vehicle is in operation. The charging occurs through a network of power coupling elements, e.g., coils, embedded in the roadway. As the vehicle passes over such power coupling elements as it is driven on the roadway network, electrical current is inductively coupled to corresponding onboard power coupling elements, e.g., coils, and used to charge the onboard energy storage devices. The roadway network need only be energized with the power coupling elements at strategic locations. The roadway network may comprise existing roadways and highways that have been modified to include the embedded power coupling elements, e.g., coils.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A roadway-powered electric vehicle (EV) comprising:

a vehicle frame supported by front and rear suspension systems, including front and rear wheels;
an onboard power receiving module mounted on an underneath side of said vehicle frame that receives electrical power coupled thereto from a roadway power transmitting module embedded in a roadway over which the EV travels, wherein a first ac electrical current passing through the roadway power transmitting module has a frequency of from between 1 and 10 khz;
an onboard energy storage means for storing and delivering electrical energy;
an electric drive means coupled to at least one of said front or rear suspension systems for driving a least one of said front and rear wheels;
and
an onboard power controller means for receiving electrical power from said onboard power receiving module and directing it to said onboard energy storage means, and for selectively delivering electrical energy from said energy storage means to said electric drive means in order to provide operating power for said EV.

3 more elements

A roadway-powered electric vehicle (RPEV) system comprising:

a network of highways and roadways that have been electrified with a multiplicity of roadway power transmitting modules embedded in the highways and roadways at select locations, each of said roadway power transmitting modules being connected to receive power from an electrical utility;
and
at least one RPEV that traverses said network of highways and roadways using electrical power coupled to said at least one RPEV from the electrified highways and roadways as said RPEV travels over the locations of the highways and roadways that have been electrified, said RPEV including:
a vehicle frame supported by front and rear suspension systems, including front and rear wheels,
an onboard power receiving module mounted on an underneath side of the vehicle frame that receives electrical power coupled thereto from a roadway power transmitting module embedded in a roadway at the select locations that have been electrified, wherein a first ac electrical current passing through the roadway power transmitting module has a frequency of from between 1 and 10 khz,
an onboard energy storage means for storing and delivering electrical energy,
an electric drive means coupled to at least one of said front or rear suspension systems for driving at least one of said front and rear wheels, and
an onboard power controller means for receiving electrical power from said onboard power receiving module and directing it to said onboard energy storage means, and for selectively delivering electrical energy from said onboard energy storage means to said electric drive means in order to provide operating power for said EV.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Roadway-powered electric vehicle system

Life of this patent

Roadway-powered electric vehicle system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26