The present invention relates to energy storage and conservation and more particularly, to a system and method to re-use or recycle clean electricity from an electrical motor.
Currently, steps have been made to develop electric vehicles, such as electric cars and the like. However, these vehicles often use more power than they could generate during use. Moreover, these vehicles often have an internal combustion engine for additional power and/or electricity generation. With conventional vehicles, the electricity is used and has to be regenerated with fossil fuel power plants.
As can be seen, there is a need for a system and method for reusing or recycling clean electricity from an electrical motor in a vehicle.
In one aspect of the present invention, a energy system for a vehicle comprises an electric motor adapted to drive the vehicle via at least one of a drive shaft and a wheel axle; at least one transfer case receiving rotation input from at least one of the drive shaft and the wheel axle; at least one generator receiving rotation output from the at least one transfer case; and at least one energy storage device receiving power output from the generator.
In another aspect of the present invention, an energy system comprises an electric motor adapted to drive the vehicle via at least one of a drive shaft and a wheel axle; at least one transfer case receiving rotation input from at least one of the drive shaft and the wheel axle; at least one generator receiving rotation output from the at least one transfer case; at least one energy storage device receiving power output from the generator; and an inverter to convert power generated by the at least one generator to power usable to power the electric motor, wherein the at least one energy storage device includes one or more batteries, the at least one energy storage device includes an electric flywheel storage, and at least two generators are connected to receive rotation output from the same transfer case.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.
The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a system and method of generating electricity from a vehicle having an electrically operable drive and motor. The vehicle could be designed to restore all the electricity it used. By connecting the vehicle's drive shaft to a transfer case and/or a torque converter with smart, two-way generators or single generators, the vehicle can produce electricity and store it in batteries. An inverter can be used to send that power to the motor when needed. In some embodiments, excess power can be output from the vehicle for utilities. No known machine uses the mechanical energy of a vehicle to generate its own electricity as is done with the present invention.
The system and method of the present invention can reduce or eliminate the use of fossil fuels in vehicles and for electricity generation, freeing people of the need to pay for petroleum and/or foreign oil. The vehicles of the present invention can be designed to create a vehicle that can create the power they need for use. The vehicle using the system and method of the present invention can be a car, truck, bike, locomotive, aircraft, and the like.
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For a locomotive, overhead power lines, or power connectors at various stops, for example, may be used to receive excess power generated by the locomotive. This energy release system may minimize the size needed for energy storage devices.
While the above describes the use of batteries and electric flywheels for storing power, other mechanism may be employed within the scope of the present invention to store power. For example, capacitors may be used to store energy.
While the above refers to specific vehicles (cars, trucks, bikes, aircraft, locomotives), other vehicles that may have an electric motor turning a drive shaft or powering a wheel axle could benefit from the system and methods of the present invention.
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.