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US 8,613,683 B2Granted
Pneumato-mechanical regenerative power source
OwnerSrinivas R. Bidareinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pneumato-mechanical regenerative power source converts mechanical rotational power at an input/output shaft to stored potential energy, and vice versa, by coupling the input/output shaft to a ball screw via a planetary gear system, which translates a ball nut in cooperation therewith, which in turn translates a piston that provides for either compressing or expanding an associated energy storage gas. A first roller-clutch mechanism provides for locking the carrier of the planetary gear system when storing energy, and releasing the carrier when releasing stored energy, wherein upon release, the ball screw is coupled to the input/output shaft via an overrunning clutch, and the carrier may be locked to limit the release of stored energy.
Claims53
A pneumato-mechanical regenerative power source, comprising:
- a. a first support structure;
- b. a planetary gear system, comprising:
- i. a sun gear rotatable relative to said first support structure about a first axis of rotation;
- ii. a ring gear concentrically surrounding said sun gear and rotatable about said first axis of rotation relative, to said first support structure and relative to said sun gear, wherein power is coupled into or out of said pneumato-mechanical regenerative power source through one of said sun gear or said ring gear;
- iii. a carrier rotatable about said first axis of rotation relative to said first support structure, relative to said sun gear and relative to said ring gear;
- iv. a plurality of planet gears, wherein each planet gear of said plurality of planet gears is located between and engaged with both said sun gear and said ring gear, and each planet gear of said plurality of planet gears is rotatable relative to said carrier;
- and
- v. a plurality of pivot shafts or pivot shaft portions, wherein each pivot shaft or pivot shaft portion is associated with a corresponding said planet gear and provides for each said corresponding said planet gear to rotate relative to said carrier;
- c. a first roller-clutch mechanism, comprising:
- i. a first outer race comprising a first continuous surface of revolution about said first axis of rotation, wherein said first outer race is operatively coupled to or a part of said carrier;
- ii. a first inner race comprising a plurality of first generalized facets, wherein said first inner race is operatively coupled to said first support structure;
- iii. a plurality of first rolling elements, wherein each first rolling element of said plurality of first rolling elements is located between said first outer race and one of said first plurality of generalized facets of said first inner race, a first gap between said first inner and outer races at a first range of locations along a first generalized facet of said plurality of first generalized facets is greater than a corresponding rolling diameter of said first rolling element, and a second gap between said first inner and outer races at at least one second range of locations along said first generalized facet is less than said corresponding rolling diameter of said first rolling element;
- iv. a first annular support structure, wherein said first annular support structure is rotatable about said first axis of rotation relative to said first inner and outer races;
- and
- v. a plurality of first fingers depending from said first annular support structure, wherein each first finger of said plurality of first fingers extends axially from said first annular support structure into a region between said first inner and outer races proximally adjacent to a corresponding one said first rolling element, said first annular support structure in a first rotational position provides for locating said plurality of first fingers so as to provide for moving said plurality of first rolling elements into said first range of locations along corresponding said first generalized facets of said plurality of first generalized facets so as to disengage said first inner and outer races relative to one another, and said first annular support structure in a second rotational position provides for locating said plurality of first fingers so as to provide for moving said plurality of first rolling elements into one of said at least one second range of locations along said corresponding said first generalized facets so as to engage said first inner and outer races to one another;
- d. a first actuator operatively associated with said first annular support structure so as to provide for positioning said first annular support structure in either said first rotational position or said second rotational position relative to said first support structure;
- e. a first overrunning clutch mechanism operative between said sun gear or a first element operatively coupled thereto and said ring gear or a second element operatively coupled thereto, wherein said first overrunning clutch mechanism provides for said one of said sun gear or said ring gear to rotate in a first rotational direction relative to the other of said sun gear or said ring gear, and said first overrunning clutch mechanism provides for said other of said sun gear or said ring gear to drive said one of said sun gear or said ring gear when said other of said sun gear or said ring gear is rotated in said first rotational direction;
- f. a ball-screw mechanism comprising a ball screw and a ball nut, wherein one of said ball screw or said ball nut is operatively coupled to said other of said sun gear or said ring gear so as to rotate therewith;
- g. a piston operatively coupled to the other of said ball screw or said ball nut, wherein a rotation of said one of said ball screw or said ball nut responsive to a rotation of said other of said sun gear or said ring gear causes a translation of said piston relative to said first support structure;
- h. a piston cylinder operatively coupled to or a part of said first support structure, wherein said piston is configured to translate within said piston cylinder, said piston is sealed to a cylinder bore of said piston cylinder, said piston and said piston cylinder define at least one region within said piston cylinder on a first axial side of said piston, said at least one region within said, piston cylinder is sealed relative to an environment thereof, and a rotation of said other of said sun gear or said ring gear in a second rotational direction opposite to said first rotational direction coupled to said ball-screw mechanism causes a translation of said piston within said piston cylinder to as to cause a reduction in a volume of said at least one region within said piston cylinder;
- and
- i. at least one anti-rotation pin operative between said piston cylinder and said other of said ball screw or said ball nut so as to prevent a rotation of said other of said ball screw or said ball nut relative to said piston cylinder.
19 more elements
A method of substantially converting between rotational power and stored potential energy, or substantially retaining said stored potential energy, comprising:
- a. in a first mode of operation that provides for converting rotational power to stored potential energy:
- i. causing a rotation in a first rotational direction of one of a sun gear or a ring gear of a planetary gear system with the rotational power from an external source;
- ii. releasably locking a carrier of said planetary gear system to a fixed frame of reference relative to said rotation of said one of said sun gear or said ring gear so as to cause the other of said sun gear or said ring gear of said planetary gear system to rotate in a second rotational direction that is opposite to said first rotational direction;
- iii. rotating a first portion of a ball-screw mechanism in said first rotational direction with said other of said sun gear or said ring gear operatively coupled thereto;
- iv. causing a translation of a piston in a bore of a piston cylinder with a second portion of said ball-screw mechanism responsive to a rotation of said other of said sun gear or said ring gear in said first rotational direction so as to reduce a volume in a first portion of said bore bounded by said piston, wherein said ball-screw mechanism provides for a translation of said second portion of said ball-screw mechanism responsive to a rotation of said first portion of said ball-screw mechanism;
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- v. compressing a gas within said first portion of said bore responsive to said translation of said piston within said bore, so as to increase a pressure of said gas and store the potential energy as a result of the pressurization of said gas;
- b. in a second mode of operation that provides for retaining said stored potential energy:
- i. releasably locking said carrier of said planetary gear system to said fixed frame of reference;
- ii. converting said pressure of said gas in said first portion of said bore acting on said piston to a torque in said first portion of said ball-screw mechanism by action of said piston on said second portion of said ball-screw mechanism and by action of said ball-screw mechanism responsive thereto, wherein said torque acts in said first rotational direction;
- and
- iii. coupling said torque in said first portion of said ball-screw mechanism acting in said first rotational direction to said one of said sun gear or said ring gear through an overrunning clutch, wherein said overrunning clutch operates in an overrunning condition during said first mode of operation;
- c. in a third mode of operation that provides for converting said stored potential energy to rotational power at said one of said sun gear or said ring gear:
- i. releasing said carrier of said planetary gear system to rotate relative to said fixed frame of reference;
- ii. converting said pressure of said gas in said first portion of said bore acting on said piston to a torque in said first portion of said ball-screw mechanism by action of said piston on said second portion of said ball-screw mechanism and by action of said ball-screw mechanism responsive thereto, wherein said torque acts in said first rotational direction;
- and
- iii. coupling said torque in said first portion of said ball-screw mechanism acting in said first rotational direction to said one of said sun gear or said ring gear through said overrunning clutch and rotating said one of said sun gear or said ring gear responsive thereto, thereby delivering rotational power to said one of said sun gear or said ring gear and causing a rotation thereof in said first rotational direction.
14 more elements
A roller-clutch system, comprising:
- a. a roller clutch mechanism, comprising:
- i. an outer race comprising a continuous surface of revolution about an axis of rotation;
- ii. an inner race comprising a plurality of first generalized facets, wherein said inner race is operatively coupled to a first support structure, and said inner race is rotatable relative to said first support structure;
- iii. a plurality of rolling elements, wherein each rolling element of said plurality of rolling elements is located between said outer race and one of said generalized facets of said inner race, a first gap between said inner and outer races at a first range of locations along a generalized facet of said plurality of generalized facets is greater than a corresponding rolling diameter of said rolling element, and a second gap between said inner and outer races at at least one second range of locations along said generalized facet is less than said corresponding rolling diameter of said rolling element;
- iv. an annular support structure, wherein said annular support structure is rotatable about said axis of rotation relative to said inner and outer races;
- and
- v. a plurality of fingers depending from said annular support structure, wherein each finger of said plurality of fingers extends axially from said annular support structure into a region between said inner and outer races proximally adjacent to a corresponding one said rolling element, said annular support structure in a rotational position provides for locating said plurality of fingers so as to provide for biasing said plurality of rolling elements into said first range of locations along corresponding said generalized facets of said plurality of generalized facets so as to disengage said inner and outer races relative to one another, and said annular support structure in a second rotational position provides for locating said plurality of fingers so as to provide for biasing said plurality of rolling elements into said second range of locations along said corresponding said generalized facets so as to engage said inner and outer races to one another;
- and
- b. an actuator operatively associated with said annular support structure so as to provide for positioning said annular support structure in either said rotational position or said second rotational position relative to said support structure, wherein either said actuator or another actuator provides for rotating said first inner race in said first rotational direction relative to said first support structure so as to provide for disengaging said roller-clutch mechanism.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.