Patent Application
20210253241
The present invention relates to electric vehicles requiring electricity for operation. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electric vehicle powered by a power line via an airborne link.
An electric vehicle (EV) typically uses one or more electric motors or traction motors for propulsion. Typically, there are two methods for providing electric power to EVs: electricity provided by off-vehicle sources, or an on-board battery, solar panel or electric generator.
Vehicles powered by off-vehicle electric power sources were introduced in the mid-19th century. However, except for trains, trams and some other public transport vehicles (such as trolleybuses that can be found in some eastern European countries, e.g., in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Serbia), modern vehicles are predominantly propelled by internal combustion engines. Trams, trains and trolleybuses are typically powered by an overhead power line, which is a part of a network of power lines covering the routes of these vehicles. A vehicle powered by an overhead power line is typically provided with a pantograph, which is a mechanical device mounted on top of the designated vehicle (e.g., train, tram, bus) that maintains physical contact with the power line, transmitting power to the electric motor of the vehicle. This need for a constant physical contact with the overhead powerline limits the maneuverability of the powered vehicle to routes with an overhead power line.
With the increased interest in renewable energy and growing concerns of the consequences of global warming, automobiles powered by electric batteries have been introduced, and demand for such automobiles is steadily growing. Some countries have even enacted laws setting deadlines to completely stopping the use of fossil fuel powered vehicles and moving to vehicles powered by renewable energy sources, such as electric automobiles.
To-date, one of the limiting factors of electric automobiles is the relatively short battery life, dictating short driving distances and frequent charging of the battery. The typical charging time of EV batteries is long, requiring elongated stop times. EV Batteries are also typically very heavy and may include various heavy pollutant metals which are hazardous to the environment.
Since automobiles are typically much smaller in height with respect to trains, trams, busses and trucks, a pantograph may be a bad choice to use for connecting to the power line, as it may mean placing a rather heavy metal construction that may be too much for an automobile to bear, as it has to bridge a rather large gap between the roof of the car and the catenary power line—a gap which is substantially larger than the gap between the roof of a train, tram or bus from the power line. The use of a pantograph on automobiles may also pose electrification hazards to the public and the automobile users.
Some experimental work was conducted in Europe and in the United States involving deploying catenary power lines over highways (the terms “eHighways” or “sRoads” were used to name such highways) and powering heavy trucks equipped with pantographs, while allowing other self-powered cars and lower vehicles to travel on the same highways.
In Sweden an experimental eHighway was introduced, having electricity conducting wires embedded in the asphalt road, and a movable arm underneath the EV used for connecting the EV's chargeable battery to the embedded wires for charging the battery.
In other countries (e.g., US, Sweden, Israel), experiments with wireless charging were introduced having inductive coils buried under the road surface.
In China, several patent publications (CN107215231, CN108189687, CN108263235) described the idea of an electric car that has a charging cable with a connector at its end, and a drone that is configured to connect the charging cable to a railcar that travels along an overhead conducting rail mounted on poles. The drone is used to pick-up the connector end of the charging cable from the roof of the car, fly up and connect the cable to the railcar. After performing this duty, the drone may dock on the railcar, or the car, or fly away to any other docking station.
It may be desirable to power electric vehicles by an electric power line, via an airborne link which may easily connect to and disconnect from the power line.
There is thus provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, an airborne linking device to electrically link an electric vehicle to a power line extending along a path. The airborne linking device includes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising: a controller to operate flight controls of the UAV; an electric current collector comprising one or more sliding plates for placing in contact with the power line; and a power cable to transmit electric current, the cable having a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end of the cable electrically linked to the electric current collector and the proximal end electrically linked to an electric battery of the electric vehicle or to an electric motor of the electric vehicle. The controller is configured to operate the flight controls to cause the UAV to ascend or descend so as to facilitate contact between the electric current collector and the power line and maintain that contact while being towed by the electric vehicle, when the electric vehicle is traveling along the path.
According to some embodiments of the invention, the UAV linking device further includes a docking station for docking the UAV on the electric vehicle.
According to some embodiments of the invention, the docking station further includes a rotatable drum for wrapping the electric cable around the drum, wherein when the drum is rotated in a first direction a distance between the UAV and the docking station is increased, and when the drum is rotated in a second opposite direction the distance between the UAV and the docking station is decreased. The drum may be used to wind excess cable to avoid unnecessary slack of the cable, or to unwind the cable when it is necessary to extend the cable reach.
According to some embodiments of the invention, the rotatable drum is on board the UAV.
According to some embodiments of the invention, the UAV includes one or a plurality of rotors operated by an electric motor powered by a UAV battery configured to be charged via the electric current collector.
According to some embodiments of the invention, the UAV comprises one or a plurality of rotors operated by an electric motor powered by a UAV battery configured to be charged via the electric cable.
According to some embodiments of the invention, the power line includes two substantially parallel electric lines, and the electric current collector includes at least one pair of sliding plates, a first sliding plate of the pair for contacting a first electric line of the two substantially parallel electric lines and a second sliding plate of the pair for contacting a second electric line of the two substantially parallel electric lines.
According to some embodiments of the invention, the controller is configured to operate the flight controls of the UAV so as to cause the UAV to ascend in order to bring the electric current collector to contact with the power line or to descend the UAV in order to disengage the electric current collector from the power line.
According to some embodiments of the invention, the controller is configured to operate the flight controls of the UAV so as to cause the UAV to descend in order to bring the electric current collector to contact with the power line or to ascend the UAV in order to disengage the electric current collector from the power line.
According to some embodiments of the invention, the UAV linking device includes one or a plurality of imaging devices, for imaging one or more fields of view to identify the power line, and wherein the controller is configured to obtain image data from said one or more imaging devices and operate the flight control to maneuver the UAV.
According to some embodiments of the invention, the controller is configured to receive a turning indication and operate the flight controls of the UAV so as to cause the UAV to maneuver the UAV in order to disengage the electric current collector from the overhead power line, to identify another power line and to maneuver in order to bring the electric current collector to contact with the other power line.
According to some embodiments of the invention, the UAV is selected from the group of unmanned aerial vehicles consisting of: a drone, a tethered drone, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, and a kite.
According to some embodiments of the invention, the flight controls are selected from the group of controls consisting of: rotor, rotors, airfoils, ailerons, elevators, and rudder.
According to some embodiments of the invention, the electric current collector further comprises an electromagnet, and wherein the controller is configured to activate the electromagnet to induce an attracting force between the electric current collector and a ferromagnetic element along the power line or to deactivate the electromagnet.
According to some embodiments of the invention, said one or more sliding plates of the electric current collector are top facing.
According to some embodiments of the invention, said one or more sliding plates of the electric current collector are down facing.
According to some embodiments of the invention, there is provided an EV that includes an electric motor to propel the EV; a battery to power an electric circuit of the EV; and an airborne linking device to electrically link the battery or the electric motor to a power line extending along a path, the device comprising: an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising: a controller for operating flight controls of the UAV; an electric current collector comprising one or more sliding plates for placing in contact with the power line; and a power cable to transmit electric current, the cable having a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end of the cable electrically linked to the electric current collector and the proximal end electrically linked to an electric battery of the electric vehicle or to an electric motor of the electric vehicle. The controller is configured to operate the flight controls to cause the UAV to ascend or descend so as to facilitate contact between the electric current collector and the power line and to maintain that contact while being towed by the electric vehicle, when the electric vehicle is traveling along the path.
According to some embodiments of the invention, there is provided an AV (Aerial Vehicle) that includes an electric motor to propel the AV; a battery to power an electric circuit of the AV; an electric current collector to electrically link the battery or the electric motor to a power line extending along a path, the electric current collector comprising one pair or more sliding plates for placing in contact with the power line; a controller that is configured to operate the flight controls to cause the AV to ascend or descend so as to facilitate contact between the electric current collector and the power line and maintain that contact while being driven the along the path.
In order for the present invention to be better understood and for its practical applications to be appreciated, the following Figures are provided and referenced hereafter. It should be noted that the Figures are given as examples only and in no way limit the scope of the invention. Like components are denoted by like reference numerals.
In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, modules, units and/or circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the invention.
Although some embodiments of the invention are not limited in this regard, discussions utilizing terms such as, for example, “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining,” “establishing”, “analyzing”, “checking”, or the like, may refer to operation(s) and/or process(es) of a computer, a computing platform, a computing system, or other electronic computing device, that manipulates and/or transforms data represented as physical (e.g., electronic) quantities within the computer's registers and/or memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer's registers and/or memories or other information non-transitory storage medium (e.g., a memory) that may store instructions to perform operations and/or processes. Although some embodiments of the invention are not limited in this regard, the terms “plurality” and “a plurality” as used herein may include, for example, “multiple” or “two or more”. The terms “plurality” or “a plurality” may be used throughout the specification to describe two or more components, devices, elements, units, parameters, or the like. Unless explicitly stated, the method embodiments described herein are not constrained to a particular order or sequence. Additionally, some of the described method embodiments or elements thereof can occur or be performed simultaneously, at the same point in time, or concurrently. Unless otherwise indicated, the conjunction “or” as used herein is to be understood as inclusive (any or all of the stated options).
Some embodiments of the invention may include an article such as a computer or processor readable medium, or a computer or processor non-transitory storage medium, such as for example a memory, a disk drive, or a USB flash memory, encoding, including or storing instructions, e.g., computer-executable instructions, which when executed by a processor or controller, carry out methods disclosed herein.
Some embodiments of the present invention are aimed at providing a solution for charging the battery or batteries of an electric vehicle and/or providing direct electrical power to power an electric vehicle using an overhead power line installed at a height above a road. “Electric vehicle” in the context of the present invention may refer to an electric vehicle and/or to a hybrid vehicle. An electric vehicle can be either ground vehicle (i.e., electric car, electric truck etc.), amphibious, water vehicle or an Aerial Vehicle—AV (i.e., Electric plane, electric helicopter or electric drone etc.). A tethered UAV, connected to the vehicle via electricity conducting cable, may fly under a transmission line, touching it with an electricity conducting apparatus, thus conveying electricity to the hybrid or electric vehicle.
According to some embodiments of the present invention, a novel UAV-operated electric link is provided aimed at connecting the battery and/or the electric circuit of an EV to an overhead power line (e.g., catenary power line). A UAV linked by an electric cable to the battery and/or electric circuitry of the EV is configured to fly along an overhead power line with a collecting device that includes one or a plurality of electrically conductive elements kept in contact with the power line, and transferring the electricity power via the cable to the EV's battery and/or electric circuitry.
EV 100 comprises a car 102 which is configured to receive electric power from an overhead power line 108. Power line 108 may be, for example current line 108 suspended from a catenary line 110 by auxiliary wires 112. Car 102 is provided with a docking station 104 on a top surface of the car 102, e.g., on the roof.
An UAV 106 is provided with an electric current collector 114 on top of the UAV, designed to be placed in contact with the power line and be electrically linked to a distal end of electric cable 109.
The electric current collector may include sliding plates that include metalized carbon or other electrically conducting material as a top layer, an insulation holding bracket and an insulated electric cable 109.
The proximal end of the electric cable 109 may be electrically linked to the battery of the EV, to charge the battery and/or linked to provide electric power to the electric motor of the EV when the electric current collector is in contact with the overhead power line. Typically, such power line is provided overhead along a road. A network of roads may be covered by a corresponding network of overhead power lines, with each road having at least one power line for each allowed traffic direction (e.g., one power line for a one-way road, two power lines for a two-way road, four power lines for four traffic lanes, etc.).
When operated, the UAV is configured to ascend and approach the power line until the electric current collector is placed in contact with the power line. As the EV travels along the road, the UAV is pulled by cable attached to the EV, and is configured to apply a lifting force to maintain the electric current collector 114 in contact with the power line, and, if necessary, to maneuver to remain under the power line or within a predetermined distance from the power line so as to keep the electric current collector in constant contact with the power line and follow the power line.
The docking station 104 may include a rotatable drum 111 for wrapping and unwrapping the electric cable 109 around the drum. When the drum 111 is rotated in one direction, the electric cable is wrapped around the drum, thereby decreasing the distance between the UAV and the docking station (on the EV), and, when the drum is rotated in an opposite direction, the electric cable is unwrapped, thereby increasing the distance between the UAV and the docking station.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the rotatable drum may be located on or inside the UAV (see 113 in
In some embodiments of the present invention, the UAV link device is used to provide electricity for charging the battery of the EV and/or to power the electric motor of the EV.
For battery charging purposes, in some embodiments of the invention, it is not necessary to keep the UAV in the air constantly in contact with the power line, so when there is no need to charge the battery, e.g., when the battery is full, or above a charge level that requires charging, or when the driver believes there is no need for charging, the UAV may be hauled back onto the docking stations 104 and remain docked until it is required to electrically link to the power line.
According to some embodiments of the present invention, a controller is configured to monitor the charge level of the battery and, when the battery charge level declines to a predetermined threshold charge level or drops below that threshold charge level, to operate the UAV link device to engage with the power line to charging. In some embodiments of the invention, a user (e.g., the driver of the EV) may voluntarily initiate the linking of the UAV link device to the power line.
As electric circuits require two conductors for electricity, an overhead power line may include two separate substantially parallel electrically conducting lines, e.g., one serving as a power line and the other as a return line.
In some embodiments of the invention, a return line may be embedded in the road.
A return line 120, for example a rail, may be embedded in the road. A road line collector, in the form of a bottom connecting arm 122 may be provided suspended from the chassis of the EV, which serves as a second electric port of the EV (the UAV link device acting as a first electric port), may be operated to extend to obtain a direct electrical contact with return line 120, when it is necessary to remain in contact with the return line, and may be retracted when idle. The operation of the road line collector may be governed by a vehicle computer.
The power line, whether both power and return lines are overhead or whether one line is overhead and the other line is not overhead (e.g., embedded in the road), may provide alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC). Typically, the supply voltage of the power line may be in a range of 110-750 Volts, so as to match the required charging voltage for EVs. According to the US-based society of automotive engineers (SAE), there may be several voltage levels for charging EV batteries. Voltage of 120 Volts (V) AC is considered as a first charging level, 240 V AC is a second charging level, and a third supercharging level may be 480 V AC or higher. Providing voltage for powering an EV motor may require high voltages (trams and trolleybuses typically require 500 to 750 Volts).
In some embodiments of the invention, the UAV may include a battery configured to be charged by electric current collected by the electric current collector. In some embodiments, the battery of the UAV may be charged electric current from the electric battery of the EV, via the electric cable.
UAV 106 may be a drone, for example a tethered drone, comprising a body 140 with a plurality of flight controls, e.g., rotors 132, which when operated may lift the UAV, ascend to engage the sliding plates 130, supported on arms 131, with the power line, to facilitate an electrical contact, descend to disengage the sliding plates from the power line, and maneuver the drone so as to keep tracking the power line and maintaining the electrical contact. In some embodiments of the present invention, the UAV may be selected from the group of UAVs consisting of a drone, quadcopter, a tethered drone, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, a kite.
While a single sliding plate 130 may suffice to establish electrical contact with a single power line, in some embodiments of the present invention two or more sliding plates may be provided for redundancy to ensure the electrical contact is maintained, even for a single power line.
An overhead imaging device (e.g., a video camera) 142 may be provided on the UAV, directed upwards overhead imaging device, for imaging a first field of view above the UAV to identify the overhead power line. Imaged data acquired by the overhead imaging device may be analyzed to determine the location of the power line over the UAV, and the controller may be configured to operate the flight controls to maneuver the UAV towards the overhead power line. The flight controls may include, for example, rotor, rotors, airfoils, ailerons, elevators, and rudder.
Another imaging device, a down-facing imaging device 144, may also be provided, located at a low position (e.g., the belly of the UAV) for imaging a second field of view below the UAV. For example, the road below and/or the road ahead of the UAV. The controller may be configured to analyze the image data acquired by the down-facing imaging device and maneuver the UAV based on the analyzed image data collected using the down facing imaging device.
The UAV may also include beside the imaging device/s other sensors (e.g., thermometer, altimeter, accelerometer, navigational sensor (e.g., GPS), etc., for monitoring external conditions. Sensed data may be analyzed by the controller and used for analyzing the traffic condition (e.g., traffic density), weather conditions, navigation of the UAV, billing data and billing counter, and more.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the EV may be provided with a user interface (UI) application (e.g., software or hardware based) for communicating with the UAV (e.g., using wireless communication, such as, for example, Bluetooth). In some embodiments, the UI is configured to allow the user (e.g., the driver) to send commands and/or data and receive data, for example, on electrical management of the EV.
In some embodiments, the overhead power line may include two electric lines—a first power line and a second return line. The electric current collector may include at least one pair of sliding plates, a first sliding plate of the pair for contacting the first power line and a second sliding plate of the pair for contacting the second return line.
Two pairs of sliding plates 160, 162 are provided, each pair configured to establish and keep electric contact with either of the two lines of the power line—sliding plate 160 for contacting one power line 166 and sliding plate 162 for contacting the other power line 168.
The sliding plates of the electric current collector may include one or a plurality of electromagnets 167, which, when activated, induce an attracting force between the electric current collector and a ferromagnetic element along the power line or to deactivate the electromagnet. The electromagnetic attracting force may reduce or even eliminate the lift power required for the UAV to maintain contact with the overhead power line, which may substantially save energy and may allow for the use of UAVs that have very limited payload weight allowance or are relatively weaker than large state-of the art strong UAVs.
Typically, a contact wire is made of solid copper, which is a good electric conductor. A catenary cable (sometimes also called “messenger cable”) typically needs to be both strong and made of good conducting material. Copper, aluminum, or steel may typically be used for the catenary cable.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the power line 108 may include a ferromagnetic metal core 162, encapsulated in a hollow copper contact wire 107. The ferromagnetic core may interact with the electromagnets of the UAV, ensuring the existence of electromagnetic attraction force between the electromagnets of the electric current collector of the UAV and the power line, and reducing the UAV lifting force required from the UAV to maintain electrical contact with the overhead power line.
AV 700 is an electrically powered aircraft, which is configured to obtain power from a dual power line (two electric lines to which the electric circuit of the AV 700 is electrically coupled to obtain the required voltage). AV 700 may include body 704, with electrically powered rotors 706 to provide lift force and other forces required to fly and maneuver the AV. AV 700 may be designed to transport loads, such as, for example, parcel 707, which may be held by arms 701, or a passengers cabin. AV 700 may be provided with one or a plurality of imaging devices, such as top facing camera 708, forward facing camera 710 and bottom facing camera 709 so as to allow the controller of the AV to obtain views of sectors above, below and in front of the AV. Obtained image data from such imaging devices may be used by a controller of the AV to track the power line and may be used for directing the AV to engage, disengage or maintain contact with the power line, as may be required.
Arms 705 extending from body 704 support one or more pairs of top facing sliding plates 702, which are made of electrically conductive material and are designed to attain physical contact with a dual power line to provide voltage from the dual power line to the electrical circuit of the AV 700. The AV, according to some embodiments of the invention, may be configured to periodically engage, via he sliding plates 702, with the dual power line to charge one or more rechargeable batteries for powering the AV, or may be configured to constantly engage with the dual power line via sliding plates 702 to power the rotors and other electric components of the AV.
UAV 900 may include body 902 equipped with rotors 910, for providing lift force and other forces required to fly and maneuver the UAV. Arms 914 extending from the body 902 are provided for supporting at least one pair of down facing sliding plates 912. UAV 900 may also include one or more imaging devices, such as top facing camera 908 and bottom facing camera 907, for providing image data that may be used by a controller of the UAV to navigate the UAV, e.g., for tracking the power line and/or the road, and for identifying a power line and for navigating the UAV to and away from the power line. Power cable 904 may extend form the airborne link device 900, some of which may be wound around drum 906. Drum 906 may be used to wind excess cable to avoid unnecessary slack of the cable, or to unwind the cable when it is necessary to extend the cable reach.
In general, the airborne link device, according to some embodiments of the invention may be configured to periodically engage with the power line to charge one or more rechargeable batteries for powering the electric vehicle, or may be configured to constantly engage with the power line to power the electric circuitry of the electric vehicle.
While some of the figures (
Controller 1700 may include a processor 1702 (e.g., single processor or a processing unit made that includes a plurality of processors, on a single machine or distributed on a plurality of machines) for controlling a UAV link device according to some embodiments of the present invention. Processing unit 1702 may be configured to perform a method according to some embodiments of the invention and to perform other actions and processing according to some embodiments of the present invention.
Processor 1702 may be linked with memory 1706 on which a program implementing a method according to some embodiments of the present invention and corresponding data may be loaded and from which it may be run, and storage device 1708, which includes a non-transitory computer readable medium (or mediums) such as, for example, one or a plurality of hard disks, flash memory devices, etc. on which a program implementing a method according to some embodiments of the present invention and corresponding data may be stored. Controller 1700 may further include an output device 1704 (e.g., display device such as CRT, LCD, LED etc.) on which one or a plurality user interfaces associated with a program implementing a method according to some embodiments of the present invention and corresponding data may be presented. Controller 1700 may also include input interface 1701, such as, for example, one or a plurality of keyboards, pointing devices, touch sensitive surfaces (e.g. touch sensitive screens), etc. for allowing a user to input commands and data.
Different embodiments are disclosed herein. Features of certain embodiments may be combined with features of other embodiments; thus, certain embodiments may be combinations of features of multiple embodiments. The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It should be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that many modifications, variations, substitutions, changes, and equivalents are possible in light of the above teaching. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.
While certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents will now occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.
