Patent Application
20120104770
The present invention relates generally to electricity generation systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to regenerative power charging for electricity generation systems.
As shown in
The present invention provides systems and methods for regenerative power charging in an electricity generation system. An electricity generation system includes a generator. The generator comprises a rotor and a stator. Rotation of the rotor relative to the stator causes the generator to generate electricity. The rotational speed of the rotor is proportional to the power of the generated electricity. The inventive system includes an excess power monitor for determining when the power of the electricity generated by the generator exceeds a power demand. The system also includes an energy regenerator coupled to the excess power monitor. The excess power monitor diverts excess power to the energy regenerator when the power of the electricity generated by the generator exceeds the power demand. The energy regenerator converts the excess power into potential energy. The potential energy is stored in an energy storage coupled to the energy regenerator.
The system also includes an engine coupled to the generator for causing the rotor of the generator to rotate. An actuator coupled to the engine supplies input energy to the engine. Furthermore, a demand controller may be included for controlling the actuator to increase or decrease the supply of input energy to the engine depending on the power demand. In certain embodiments, the energy regenerator may be an air compressor, the energy storage may be one or more compressed air canister and the actuator may be a compressed air actuator. In other embodiments, the energy regenerator may be a battery charger, the energy storage may be one or more battery and the actuator may be an electric actuator.
One or more additional flywheel may be coupled to the rotor of the generator to increase the rotational momentum of the rotor. In this manner, the momentum of the rotor is increased and additional excess power can be produced during times of decreased power demand.
The present invention provides systems and methods for regenerative power charging in an electricity generation system. As is know in the art, a typical generator 102 has a rotor (rotating part) and a stator (stationary party). In some generators 102, the speed of the rotor is directly proportional to the power output of the generator 102. Thus, as the rotor speed increases, the power output of the generator 102 increases. As the rotor speed decreases, the power output of the generator 102 decreases. However, in many generators 102, changes in rotor speed cannot be effected instantaneously; increases and decreases in rotor speed occur gradually. In particular, a decrease in rotor speed may be achieved simply by removing or decreasing the mechanical energy that causes the rotor to rotate. When the mechanical energy is removed or decreased, the rotor will gradually lose rotational speed due to friction, gravity, etc. While rotor speed gradually decreases, the generator 102 may be generating excess power. This principle is illustrated in
In the example of
The energy regenerator 304 may be a battery charger, an air compressor or any other device for generating potential energy from electrical power. The potential energy produced by the energy regenerator 304 is stored in a regenerated energy source 306, which accordingly may be a battery array, compressed air canisters or any other mechanism or medium capable of storing potential energy. The system 300 also include a demand controller 110. When the demand controller 110 detects or is otherwise informed of an increase in the output power demand, it causes the actuator 106 to supply energy from the regenerated energy storage 306 and/or another energy source 108 to the engine 104. In some embodiments, the demand controller 110 may also control the switching mechanism associated with the excess power monitor 302 in order to start/stop the diversion of excess power to the energy regenerator 304.
The additional flywheel(s) 402 will increase the energy input requirements of the system 400. In other words, more input energy will be needed to put the engine 104 and additional flywheel(s) 402 into motion and to increase their rotational speeds when power demand increases, as compared to the energy needed to actuate the engine 104 alone. The additional input energy may be obtained from the regenerated energy storage 306 and/or another energy source 108. However, in a properly designed system 400, the excess power generated Will exceed the increased input energy requirement.
The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and describing embodiments of the present invention. Further modifications and adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The features and aspects of the present invention have been described or depicted by way of example only and are therefore not intended to be interpreted as required or essential elements of the invention unless otherwise so stated. It should be understood, therefore, that the foregoing relates only to certain exemplary embodiments of the invention, and that numerous changes and additions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by any appended claims.
