Patent Application
20180201058
The invention relates in general to an improved wheel for energy recovery, particularly suitable for being used to recover energy in vehicles with electric propulsion.
The object of the invention is also a corresponding vehicle, in particular with electric propulsion, having the capacity to recover the energy relating to the use and the operation of the vehicle, so as to generate electrical energy intended to feed devices, and typically the electric propulsor, installed on board the same vehicle.
As is known, in many types of vehicles, in particular with electric propulsion or with hybrid propulsion, devices are currently installed suitable for recovering at least a part of the energy which is generated by the propulsor in order to make the vehicle operate and which, if not recovered, would inevitably be dispersed.
For example vehicles with electric propulsion are known, provided with devices which recover the energy which is produced during braking and transform it into electrical energy which is used to recharge the batteries which feed the electric propulsor of the vehicle.
Among the solutions known in this field, mention is made in particular of the apparatus, such as that described by the Chinese utility model CN 202 357 872 U, having the aim of recovering the pneumatic energy of pressure and the inertial energy which are generated in a wheel with tyre of a vehicle, when it turns, during the use of the same vehicle.
More particularly this known apparatus for the recovery of the energy in a vehicle is composed of a plurality of devices, configured as a piston, which are placed inside the tyre of the wheel of the vehicle in order to recover the energy associated with the use of the wheel, during its rotation, wherein each of these devices comprises in turn a rod apt to move axially, in contrast with the action of a spring, because of the deformation of the tyre while the wheel turns, wherein the energy recovered by these devices, housed inside the tyre, is transmitted to a device which receives and uses the energy, recovered in this way, during the operation of the vehicle.
This apparatus, for the recovery of the energy in a vehicle, is not however free from limits and disadvantages and in particular has a very complex structure and construction, including a plurality of single-direction ball valves, associated with the piston devices housed inside the tyre, and a plurality of free wheels, associated with a complex system of gears with couplings of the pinion-rack type, in order to transmit and use the energy recovered with this apparatus.
Therefore the object of the present invention is to provide an improved wheel for vehicles which allows the recovery of at least part of the energy which is dispersed during the running of the vehicle in the form of elastic deformation of the tyres.
Another object of the invention is that of providing a generating set of electric current which uses the energy recovered by this improved wheel.
Moreover a final object of the invention is that of creating an electric propulsion vehicle which uses the abovementioned generating set of electric current.
These objects are achieved by the improved wheel for energy recovery, in particular in vehicles with electric or hybrid propulsion, having the features disclosed by the first main independent claim.
Advantageously the energy which is recovered with the improved wheel of the invention can be used to produce electrical energy which can be used in the same vehicle, for example for the recharging of the batteries which feed the electric propulsor or for the feeding of other devices of the same vehicle.
Again advantageously this energy recovery entails a reduction in the consumption for the recharging of the batteries which feed the electric propulsor of the vehicle.
Moreover, advantageously, this energy recovery can entail, in hybrid vehicles, a saving in the consumption of fuel.
Finally and advantageously this energy recovery also allows the increase in range of charge of the batteries which feed the electric propulsor and therefore a greater operating autonomy of the vehicle.
The features, objects and advantages, as listed above, of the improved wheel of the present invention will be made clear and evident by the following description of some of its preferred embodiments, given purely by way of a non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
An improved wheel, for the recovery of the energy in a vehicle, object of the present invention and conforming to a respective first embodiment, is denoted overall by 1, and is shown in
More particularly the wheel 1 comprises a rim 2 provided with a hub 3, which defines the rotational axis of the wheel 1, and a tyre 4 associated circumferentially with the rim 2.
According to a feature of the invention the wheel 1 comprises moreover a plurality of hydraulic actuators 5, apt to operate by means of a hydraulic fluid or oil, which are placed inside the tyre 4 and extend radially between the rim 2 and the tyre 4, wherein each of these hydraulic actuators 5 in turn comprises a cylinder 6 which is constrained to the rim 2 and in which a piston 7 is slidably housed and associated with a rod or stem 8 projecting from the cylinder 6 and constrained, at an end opposite to the one associated with the piston 7, to the tyre 4.
It is any case clear that, in a different embodiment of the invention, the cylinder 6 can be constrained to the tyre 4 while the end of the rod 8 can be constrained to the rim 2.
The hub 3 defines internally a delivery path or way 11 and a return path or way 12 which communicate with the cylinders 6 of the hydraulic actuators 5 by means of a plurality of pipes 9, 10 in which a plurality of flow control valves 13, 14 are placed, configured to allow the circulation of the hydraulic oil or fluid between the cylinders 6 and the delivery 11 and return 12 ways.
Moreover the delivery way 11 communicates with a rotating delivery manifold 15 and similarly the return way 12 communicates with a rotating return manifold 16, wherein both these rotating manifolds 15, 16, schematically shown in the drawings, are preferably, even if not necessarily, of the commercial type and therefore already available on the market.
As regards the pipes 9, 10, they comprise:
In constructional terms, referring to
In detail, as shown in
Naturally different embodiments are also possible, not shown here for reasons of brevity, wherein a same delivery pipe and a same return pipe communicate with more than one cylinder 6.
As regards the hydraulic actuators 5, each of them is of the single-acting type with a return spring 5a of the rod 8 and of the associated piston 7, while, as regards the flow control valves 13, 14, each of them is a single-direction ball valve of the normally closed type.
As regards the flow control valves 13, 14 they, as shown in
In this way, when the return springs 5a of the hydraulic actuators 5 are normally at rest, there is no movement of the rods 8 of the hydraulic actuators 5 and therefore the delivery 13 and return 14 flow control valves are normally closed and consequently there is no flow of oil through the respective delivery 11 and return 12 ways.
When instead the hydraulic oil is compressed in the cylinders 6, the delivery flow control valves 13 open, as shown in
Finally, when the oil is aspirated in the cylinders 6, the delivery flow control valves 13 are kept closed by the vacuum generated by the return of the piston 7 in the cylinder 6, as shown in
As regards the rim 2 whereof the wheel 1 is composed, it comprises:
More particularly the internal structure 20, as can be seen in particular in
Moreover the rim 2 has an annular body 24, coaxial to the hub 3, in which this annular body 24 is associated with the outer profile of the central support 23 and supports the hydraulic actuators 5 and the respective cylinders 6.
Finally the delivery 9 and return 10 pipes are placed and configured in such a way that, as already mentioned previously, each of them connects a corresponding and specific cylinder 6 of a hydraulic actuator 5 respectively to the delivery way 11 and to the return way 12, common to all the pipes 9 and 10.
As regards the external structure 30 of the rim 2, it is noted instead that it comprises a pair of shaped flanges 31, 32, each of which is configured to be removably connected adjacent to the corresponding counter-flange 21, 22 by means of removable attachment means 33 which preferably but not necessarily are made up of screws.
As anticipated, the wheel 1 of the invention can be advantageously attached and mounted on a usual vehicle, in order to recover at least part of the energy which is required and consumed in order to deform the tyre 4 of the wheel 1 while it turns, during the movement of the vehicle.
In operational terms, referring to
More specifically, when the zone of the tyre 4 in which a generic hydraulic actuator 5 is placed comes into contact, and consequently deforms, with the road surface on which the vehicle is moving, and consequently the piston 7 of the hydraulic actuator 5 moves towards the interior of the cylinder 6 because of this deformation, the hydraulic oil which fills the same cylinder 6 is pressurised and flows from the cylinder 6 towards the delivery way 11.
Instead, when the same piston 7 of the hydraulic actuator 5 moves towards the exterior of the cylinder 6 because of the relaxation and return into the non-deformed configuration of the zone of the tyre 4 in which the hydraulic actuator 5 is placed, once this zone is no longer in contact with the road surface, the hydraulic oil flows from the return way 12 towards the cylinder 6.
In other words, referring to
Therefore in this situation the pistons 7 of the hydraulic actuators 5′ return into the respective cylinders 6, pressurise the oil and pump it towards the delivery way 11.
Simultaneously the hydraulic actuators 5″ which are placed in the zone B which, during the rotation of the wheel 1, comes out of contact with the ground S, are subject to expand because of the return of the tyre 4 into the non-deformed configuration under the action of the elastic recovery of the return spring 5a and which draw back the pistons 7 towards the exterior of the respective cylinders 6.
Therefore in this situation the pistons 7, of the hydraulic actuators 5″, exit and expand from the respective cylinders 6, so as to reduce the pressure in the oil, which consequently is aspirated by the return way 12 and flows towards the interior of the cylinders 6.
The action of aspiration of the oil continues until the zone B is no longer in contact with the ground S, i.e. until the return springs 5a of the hydraulic actuators 5″, having exhausted their elastic thrust, return into the condition of rest and end the action of drawing back of the pistons 7.
Consequently also no circulation of oil occurs through the delivery 11 and return 12 ways by the cylinders 6 of the actuators 5″ which are placed, during the rotation of the wheel 1, outside of zones A and B, when the return springs 5a of the respective pistons 7 are normally at rest.
It is also clear that during the rotation of the wheel 1, inside each of the hydraulic actuators 5 housed inside the tyre 4 of the wheel 1, a cyclical and continuous sequence occurs of states of compression and of aspiration which generates a continuous flow of oil which exits from the delivery way 11 and which returns via the return way 12.
The continuous return and delivery flow of hydraulic oil can be advantageously used in a generating set of electric current, shown in
In this application the delivery way 11 of each wheel 1 is connected to a feed way 55 of the hydraulic motor 51 via a delivery conduit 54 and the return way 12 of each wheel 1 is in turn connected to a discharge way 57 of the hydraulic motor 51 via a return conduit 56.
Moreover, preferably but not necessarily, the generating set 50 comprises also a pressure regulator 58 and a radiator 59 for cooling the hydraulic oil.
In this way, during the rotation of the wheels 1, a continuous circulation of pressurised oil is generated, via the hydraulic motor 51, which therefore is made to rotate and in turn drives the rotation of the generator 53, so as to generate electrical energy.
The electrical energy produced by the generator 53 can in turn be used in various ways, for example in order to recharge continuously the feed batteries of the electric propulsor or for feeding other devices of the vehicle.
An improved wheel, for the recovery of energy in a vehicle, the object of the present invention and in accordance with a second embodiment denoted overall by 101, with respect to the first embodiment 1, described previously, is shown in
For the sake of clarity the parts of the wheel 101, in accordance with this second embodiment, will be denoted where possible with reference numerals incremented by 100 with respect to those adopted to denote the corresponding parts included in the first embodiment 1.
This second embodiment 101 of the improved wheel of the invention is substantially similar, structurally and operationally, to the first embodiment 1, and therefore the description of this second embodiment 101 of the wheel of the invention has fundamentally the purpose of integrating the description of the first embodiment 1, specifying better some essential parts and the relative features of the improved wheel of the invention for the recovery of energy in a vehicle.
First of all it is reiterated that the wheel 101 was developed to be suitable for being mounted and attached on the usual vehicles circulating on the road with electric propulsors and the like and in fact, to this end, is configured so as to be able to mount a normal tyre already available commercially.
In detail, as shown in
More in detail, the rim 102, included in the wheel 101, comprises an annular body 124, corresponding to the annular body 24 of the wheel 1 and shown in section in
Moreover the wheel 101 comprises a system of pipes and channels, appropriately shaped, which extend in the rim 102 and which have the function of conveying towards the rotating valve 115 the oil which is pressed by the hydraulic actuators 105 and of conveying from the rotating valve 115 to the hydraulic actuators 105 the oil which is aspirated by the same hydraulic actuators 115.
In the wheel 101 the external flanges 131 and 132 are attached stably to the rim 102, for example by means of bolts, and have the dual function of constraining the tyre 104 laterally, along the edges, and of closing and sealing hermetically the system of channels and pipes 109 and 109 which place in communication each hydraulic actuator 105 with the common delivery way 111 and the common return way 112 and therefore convey the hydraulic oil from the hydraulic actuators 105 towards the delivery way 111 and from the return way 112 towards the hydraulic actuators 105.
Similarly to the wheel 1, also in the wheel 101 a rotating valve 115 allows transfer of the oil or the hydraulic liquid from the wheel 101, while it turns, to the hydraulic motor attached directly on the frame of the vehicle on which the wheel 101 is attached.
The hub 103 is attached to a central part of the rim 102 by means of a series of bolts 103a and both the rotating valve 115 and a flange with holes are attached thereon, so as to be able to attach the hub 103 on a usual hub of the wheel of any vehicle available commercially.
The operation of the wheel 101 in order to recover the energy which is consumed, during the rotation of the same wheel 101, in order to deform the respective tyre 104, for example to use the energy recovered in this way with the wheel 101 in order to produce electrical energy, is similar to that of the wheel 1, and therefore will not be described in detail.
It is only reiterated that the wheel 101, rotating in contact with the ground, is subject, due to the weight of the vehicle on which the wheel 101 is mounted, to deform cyclically, at each turn of the wheel 101, in the zone of the tyre 104 which comes into contact with the ground S.
Therefore these cyclical deformations of the various zones of the tyre 104 which, at each turn of the wheel 101, come into contact with the ground S, drive the hydraulic actuators 105, housed inside the tyre 104, so as to compress and pump and subsequently draw back, via the intervention of the single-direction valves 113 and 114, the liquid or the hydraulic oil contained in the hydraulic actuators 105.
In this way the wheel 101, turning in contact with the ground during the movement of the vehicle on which the same wheel 101 is mounted, creates a continuous flow of hydraulic oil which is conveyed by means of an appropriately shaped system of channels and pipes to the rotating valve 115, which in turn conveys it towards the hydraulic motor installed on board the vehicle.
The hydraulic motor in turn is coupled to a generator of current appropriately dimensioned proportionally, having the function of producing the electric current which serves to make the vehicle operate.
Therefore, in brief, it can be said that the wheel of the invention operates like a hydraulic pump actuated by the simple rolling of the same wheel.
It is therefore clear, on the basis of what has been described hitherto, that the wheel of the invention achieves in full all the aims set.
More particularly the application of the wheel of the invention to a vehicle with electric propulsor allows recovery of part of the energy of deformation of the tyres which would otherwise be lost and to transform it into electrical energy which can be used in the same vehicle.
Naturally changes, variations and improvements may be made to the wheel of the invention, for example in the phase of production, which, even if not described here and not shown in the drawings, are to be considered within the same invention and therefore protected by the present patent.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102015000040257 | Jul 2015 | IT | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2016/068081 | 7/28/2016 | WO | 00 |
