Methods, systems, and apparatus for generating and storing electrical energy for a partially or fully electric vehicle having a motor/generator, the system includes an auxiliary power device configured to generate electrical energy by converting non-electrical energy into electrical energy. The system includes a transmitter connected to the auxiliary power device and configured to wirelessly transmit the electrical energy generated by the auxiliary power device. The system includes a battery configured to store electrical energy and power the motor/generator to propel the vehicle. The system includes a receiver connected to the battery and configured to receive electrical energy and charge the battery. The system includes a power bus configured to wirelessly receive the generated electrical energy from the transmitter and transmit the generated electrical energy to the receiver.

A harvester may include a reciprocating member to engage a crop, an electrical generator to convert reciprocating motion of the reciprocating member into electrical energy and an electrical storage unit storing the electrical energy. The harvester may include a first movable member to engage a crop, an electrical generator at least partially carried by the first movable member to generate electrical energy from movement of the first movable member, a second movable member carried by the first movable member and an actuator to drive movement of the second movable member using the electrical energy.

A device for recovering energy from a rotating vehicle wheel, comprising: a hub assembly coupled to the wheel and having spaced apart and interlocked outer and inner discs between which a static magnetic field is created; and a stator coil disposed coaxial to the hub assembly and extending within the air gap between the outer and inner discs, the stator coil being fixed relative to the hub, wherein rotation of the hub generates an electrical current in the coil.

When a charging rate of a high-voltage battery (32) becomes equal to or lower than a preset lower limit value, a control device (80) is configured to execute control of obtaining a power consumption of a DC/DC converter (33) and causing a motor generator (31) to start power generation operation by an engine (10) by which power equal to or greater than the power consumption is generated to charge the high-voltage battery (32).

An apparatus includes a controlled field alternator or utility source of electrical power, a segmented waveform converter, and a controller. The source of electrical power is configured to generate a polyphase signal. The synchronous inverter includes multiple switches connected between the polyphase signal of the source of electrical power and an output filter. The controller is configured to provide a control signal for the switches based on measured electrical quantities associated with the output filter and may provide a field control signal to the controlled field alternator. The apparatus may be applied to a vehicle, a lawnmower, a zero turn radius lawnmower, or another type of machine.

A heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system for an electrically-powered vehicle (EV) having an electric motor powered by at least one battery is described. The HVAC system may comprise a blower, a conduit configured to carry air from the blower to vents leading to a passenger cabin of the EV, and an electric heater positioned in the conduit and configured to heat the air. The HVAC system may further comprise a thermal reservoir heater positioned in the conduit and including a thermal storage component configured to heat the air without using power from the battery.

The fuel cell system of a motor vehicle has a fuel cell, comprising an anode side and a cathode side, a compressor, which is rotationally connected to a motor and connected by a feed line to the cathode side of the fuel cell, and a turbine, which is connected by an exhaust air line to the cathode side and which furthermore is rotationally connected only to a generator, which is connected at the output side to a second inverter and a low-voltage battery.

A work vehicle is configured to perform an activity in a work area. The work vehicle includes a chassis, a plurality of ground engaging members coupled to the chassis for movement of the chassis in the work area, a generator configured to generate energy from performance of the activity of the work vehicle in the work area, an energy storage device connected to the generator to store energy generated by the generator and configured to be charged to an initial charge, a work member, and a controller configured to establish an initial charge setting corresponding to the initial charge of the energy storage device based on at least one anticipated activity input of the work vehicle.

A system for increasing the output of electrical motors by enhancing the life of batteries powering the electrical motors, including routing regenerative energy through a supplemental inverter before returning it to the battery, or possibly also routing the regenerative energy through a junction box and/or an auxiliary battery before returning it to the primary battery.

In a permanent magnet synchronous motor drive system, phase currents can be used to calculate a current that produces no shaft torque and only motor losses and a current that only produces shaft torque. These currents can be controlled to be resupplied into the motor drive system to a desired amount on a continuous basis to maintain a DC energy storage device voltage at a desired safe level. The calculated currents are resupplied to the motor drive system such that voltage levels within the DC energy storage device that approach a voltage maximum limit are transferred to the motor in the form of current that is dissipated by the motor without losing efficiency and control of driving a load with the motor.