The invention provides an alternative electrical charging system for a vehicle which is at least partially powered by electricity. The system employs a wind driven generator which produces electricity in response to air motion. When the generator is operating, electricity is communicated the battery of the vehicle. Operation of the generator involves a controller that monitors the electrical status of the battery and selectively activates a fan or opens a ducting system communicating with the generator. The controller also, in some embodiments, monitors the motion and the attitude of the vehicle.

A wheel and wind power electric generator for a motor, comprising: an alternator that rotates with a wheel of a motor vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine, by an electric motor, or by other mean; an armature of an alternator that rotates with windvanes that rotate in an opposite direction from the wheel when the wheel is in motion, wherein the windvanes are spirally curved, so that they are concave in the direction that the wheel turns when the vehicle is going forward, causing the rotor and armature in the alternator to rotate in an opposite direction from the alternator to generate electricity, and the wheel and the windvanes are covered by a hubcap having slots through which air can move in when the vehicle is moving, causing the windvanes to rotate. The electricity generated may be stored in a capacitor or battery, and/or transferred to a power grid.

An air powered battery charger uses a large object's weight to drive one or more pistons that are configured to pass air through at least one air motor, which in turn drives one or more generators that supplies electrical power sufficient to recharge at least one battery.

A computer-implemented method includes: monitoring, by a computer device, a charge level of a battery of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); determining, by the computer device and based on the monitoring, the charge level is less than a threshold level; docking the UAV on a host vehicle; charging the battery using wind-induced rotation of a rotor of the UAV while the UAV is docked on the host vehicle; determining, by the computer device, the UAV is moving away from a destination while the UAV is docked on the host vehicle; and undocking the UAV from the host vehicle based on the determining the UAV is moving away from the destination.

Systems and methods for cleaning and/or removal of ocean garbage are provided. The system includes a cleanup autonomous vessel (CAV) for collecting garbage, an autonomous tugboat (AT) for moving a large ocean container (LC), and a sorting machine (SM) and for sorting garbage. The system may also include an autonomous boat (AB) for transferring garbage from the CAV to the SM and for supplying fuel from the AT to the CAV. The system further includes regular ocean vessels (ROV) for moving the LC to different location. The CAV, AT, AB, LC, and ROV may operate in conjunction with a bidding process.

The present disclosure relates to the field of power electronics and provides a power generating system and method for a vehicle. The present disclosure provides an alternative system for charging an energy storage device that is used to drive a vehicle and also to reduce dependency of the vehicle on the energy storage device.

An air conditioning system is provided. The system includes an air compressor configured to pull in ambient air and generate pressurized air from the ambient air, a blower, a generator, and a turboexpander. The turboexpander is coupled to the air compressor, the blower, and the generator. The turboexpander includes a turbine wheel configured to generate boosted air from the pressurized air from the air compressor, and an expander wheel coupled to the turbine wheel and configured to: a) generate expanded and cooled air from the boosted air, and b) create mechanical work in the generator in order to generate electricity for powering the air compressor and/or an electrical apparatus. The blower is configured to receive the expanded and cooled air from the turboexpander and deliver the expanded and cooled air to an environment.

A transportation vehicle may be equipped with electrical energy harvesting systems to harvest electrical energy for use. By way of example, the transportation vehicle includes a Venturi system and a plurality of energy harvesting systems. The Venturi system is configured to receive and accelerate the speed of an incoming air flow and based on the incoming air flow, each of the energy harvesting systems is configured to receive the accelerated incoming air flow and to generate electrical energy from the accelerated incoming air flow. The generated electrical energy is stored into onboard batteries in the transportation vehicle.

A method of charging a battery includes coupling an electricity network or subnetwork to the battery using inductive power transfer, transferring electrical energy to the battery from the electricity network or subnetwork and varying the inductive power transfer using a controller of the electricity network or subnetwork according to at least one predetermined criteria of the electricity network or subnetwork.

A power generation device for a mobile body includes power generating units and a holding member. Each power generating unit includes an elastically deformable base member and a piezoelectric film, which are laminated alternately. The holding member holds the power generating units. Each power generating unit has an elongated flat-plate shape. Opposite ends of the power generating unit in a longitudinal direction are held by the holding member such that the power generating unit is in an orientation in which a longitudinal axis is substantially perpendicular to the flow direction of the external fluid. A fixing member is provided at each of the opposite ends in the longitudinal direction of each power generating unit. The power generating units are arranged in the holding member via the fixing members to pivot in accordance with the flow of the external fluid.