Hydraulic energy transfer
AssigneeClearMotion, Inc.
InventorsZackary Martin Anderson, Zachary J. Jackowski, Ryan Bavetta
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A regenerative shock absorber that include a housing and a piston that moves at least partially through the housing when the shock is compressed or extended from a rest position. When the piston moves, hydraulic fluid is pressurized and drives a hydraulic motor. The hydraulic motor, in turn, drives an electric generator that produced electric energy. The electric enemy may be provided to a vehicle, among other things. The regenerative shock absorber may also provide ride performance that comparable to or exceeds that of conventional shock absorbers.
Claims28
A shock absorber system of a vehicle, comprising:
- a housing that includes a compression volume and an extension volume;
- a piston disposed in the housing that in a first mode moves through at least a portion of a compression stroke-and that in a second mode moves through at least a portion of an extension stroke;
- a hydraulic device which is one of a hydraulic motor and a hydraulic pump, wherein the hydraulic device includes a shaft, a first port and a second port, wherein the first port is in fluid communication with the compression volume and the second port is in fluid communication with the extension volume;
- a reservoir having a reservoir volume that receives fluid from at least one of the compression volume and the extension volume;
- a valve that controls at least a portion of fluid flow to or from at least one of the compression volume and the extension volume;
- and
- a controller associated with the hydraulic device, wherein the controller operates the hydraulic device at least at two different shaft velocities based on changes in driving conditions.
A vehicle suspension system, comprising:
- at least one shock absorber apparatus, which is part of the suspensions system of the vehicle, and includes:
- a housing that includes a first apparatus volume;
- a piston disposed in the housing and that moves through the first apparatus volume;
- a second apparatus volume;
- a hydraulic device, which is one of a hydraulic motor and a hydraulic pump, including a port in fluid communication with the first apparatus volume;
- an electrical machine operatively coupled to the hydraulic device;
- a controller associated with the electrical machine, wherein in at least one mode of operation the controller controls a speed of the electrical machine to operate the hydraulic device as a pump and vary a rotational velocity of the hydraulic device between a first velocity and a second velocity;
- and
- a valve that controls at least a portion of the fluid exchanged between at least one of the first apparatus volume and the hydraulic device and the first apparatus volume and the second apparatus volume.
A method of operating an active suspension system actuator in a vehicle, the method comprising:
- operating a hydraulic device, which is one of a hydraulic motor and a hydraulic pump, wherein the hydraulic device is in fluid communication with a first suspension system volume within the actuator, and is operatively coupled to an electrical machine;
- controlling the electrical machine to operate the hydraulic device as a pump at least at two different speeds;
- receiving, in a reservoir, fluid from the first suspension system volume;
- exchanging fluid between the first suspension system volume and the hydraulic device, wherein at least a portion of the fluid exchange is controlled by at least one valve at least at one operating point;
- and using the pressure
- in the first suspension system volume to modify a force on a piston in the actuator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.