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US 7,443,083 B2Granted
Piezoelectric powered vehicles and motors
AssigneeDrexel University
InventorsVladimir Genis, Alexandre Soukhomlinoff
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One or more piezoelectric elements are employed to generate electrical energy from one or both of the mechanical energy of a moving part of a conventional engine or vehicle or the combustion energy of an internal combustion engine. The generated electrical energy can be stored and used to power an electric motor in order to supplement the power generated by the conventional engine.
Claims11
A hybrid piezoelectric motor, said device comprising:
- at least one moving part, wherein said moving part has a plate or hammer affixed to said moving part, and further wherein said plate or hammer contacts a first piezoelectric element as a result of movement of said moving part in a first direction and said plate or hammer contacts a second piezoelectric element as a result of movement of said moving part in a second direction,
- the first and second piezoelectric elements positioned to contact at least a portion of said at least one moving part to thereby generate electrical energy as a result of a force exerted on the first and second piezoelectric elements by contact with the portion of said moving part, and
- an electric motor operably connected to said first and second piezoelectric elements for conversion of electrical energy generated by said first and second piezoelectric elements to mechanical energy.
A hybrid piezoelectric vehicle, comprising:
- a first and second piezoelectric element positioned in said vehicle to generate electrical energy as a result of a force exerted on the first and second piezoelectric elements,
- a moving part, wherein said moving part has a plate or hammer affixed to said moving part, and further wherein said plate or hammer contacts the first piezoelectric element as a result of movement of said moving part in a first direction and said plate or hammer contacts the second piezoelectric element as a result of movement of said moving part in a second direction;
- an electric motor operably connected to said first and second piezoelectric elements for conversion of electrical energy generated by said first and second piezoelectric elements to mechanical energy;
- and
- a drive system for propelling said vehicle using said mechanical energy.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.