On-Board Vehicle Battery Charging System and Method

Abstract

An on-board vehicle battery charging system and method. The system includes a vehicle with a wind turbine operably attached thereto and configured to charge a battery of the vehicle. The wind turbine is configured to rotate with a wind or an airflow, for example, when the vehicle is in motion. A shaft of the wind turbine is operably connected to an electric generator configured to generate an electrical charge upon a rotation of the shaft, thereby charging the battery of the vehicle and extending an operating range of the vehicle.

Claims

1) An on-board vehicle battery charging system, comprising: a wind turbine attached to a rearward portion of a vehicle; an electric generator disposed within the vehicle and operably connected to a shaft of the wind turbine and a battery of the vehicle; whereupon a rotation of a plurality of blades of the wind turbine, the shaft of the wind turbine rotates to generate electricity via the electric generator, wherein the electricity is stored in the battery of the vehicle.

2) The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is powered by the battery and does not include an internal combustion engine.

3) The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is selected from a group consisting of: a truck, a bus, and a tractor trailer.

4) The system of claim 1, wherein an outer portion of the blades of the plurality of blades extends beyond an outer edge of the vehicle.

5) The system of claim 1, wherein the rotation of the plurality of blades of the wind turbine occurs as a result of a forward motion of the vehicle.

6) The system of claim 5, wherein the forward motion includes a coasting operation of the vehicle.

7) A method for charging a battery of a vehicle, comprising: attaching a wind turbine to a rearward portion of a vehicle; operably connecting a shaft of the wind turbine and the battery of the vehicle to an electric generator disposed within the vehicle; rotating a plurality of blades of the wind turbine to rotate the shaft of the wind turbine and generate electricity via the electric generator, wherein the electricity is stored in the battery of the vehicle.

8) The method of claim 7, wherein the vehicle is powered by the battery and does not include an internal combustion engine.

9) The method of claim 7, wherein the vehicle is selected from a group consisting of: a truck, a bus, and a tractor trailer.

10) The method of claim 7, wherein an outer portion of the blades of the plurality of blades extends beyond an outer edge of the vehicle.

11) The method of claim 7, wherein the rotation of the plurality of blades of the wind turbine occurs as a result of a forward motion of the vehicle.

12) The method of claim 11, wherein the forward motion includes a coasting operation of the vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Although the characteristic features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manners in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

[0018] FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of an exemplary on-board vehicle battery charging system, installed to a rearward portion of a tractor trailer.

[0019] FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary motion of a plurality of blades of a wind turbine of the exemplary system.

[0020] FIG. 3 depicts a close-up perspective view of the plurality of blades and an operative connection between the wind turbine and a generator of the tractor trailer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the invention. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered limiting in any respect.

[0022] Reference is now made to the drawings, which depict one or more exemplary embodiments of the invention.

[0023] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there are depicted a perspective view of an exemplary on-board vehicle battery charging system, installed to a rearward portion of a tractor trailer (FIG. 1), and an exemplary motion of a plurality of blades of a wind turbine of the exemplary system (FIG. 2). The on-board vehicle battery charging system 1 includes a wind turbine 2 attached to a rearward portion 8 of a vehicle 7. An electric generator may be disposed within the vehicle 7 and is operably connected, by way of an operable connection 5, to a shaft 4 of the wind turbine 2 and a battery 6 of the vehicle 7.

[0024] Upon a rotation of a plurality of blades 3 of the wind turbine 2 (see FIG. 2), the shaft 4 of the wind turbine 2 rotates to generate electricity via the electric generator, such that the electricity is stored in the battery 6 of the vehicle 7. In various embodiments, the plurality of blades 3 is configured to rotate either clockwise or counterclockwise and generate and store electricity based on the rotation in either direction. In this manner, the system 1 may be configured to generate and store electricity if the vehicle 7 is at rest and/or if the vehicle 7 is in motion. If the vehicle 7 is at rest, a wind of an environment containing the system may cause the plurality of blades 3 to rotate. If the vehicle 7 is in motion, the wind of the environment and/or an airflow caused by the motion of the vehicle 7 may cause the plurality of blades 3 to rotate. In this manner, one or more sources of wind and/or airflow may be utilized when the vehicle is at rest or in motion to generate and store electricity via the system 1.

[0025] In some embodiments, the vehicle 7 is powered by the battery 6 and does not include an internal combustion engine. Accordingly, the vehicle 7 may be an electric vehicle. In such embodiments, the system and method of the present invention may be utilized to continuously or intermittently recharge one or more batteries 6 of the vehicle, and effectively extend an operative range of the vehicle 7. The system 1 may be utilized as part of a method comprising a coasting operation, a braking operation, or both the coasting operation and the braking operation. In some embodiments, the system 1 may be utilized as part of a method comprising another vehicle operation that can generate electricity via the wind turbine 2. In some embodiments, a motion of the vehicle 7 is active and requires energy from an energy source of the vehicle 7 to propel the vehicle 7 forward or rearward. In other embodiments, the motion of the vehicle 7 is passive and does not require energy from the energy source of the vehicle 7 to propel the vehicle 7 forward or rearward.

[0026] Generally, the method of the present invention may comprise attaching a wind turbine 2 to a rearward portion 8 of a vehicle 7, operably connecting a shaft 4 of the wind turbine 2 and a battery 6 of the vehicle 7 to an electric generator of the vehicle 7, and rotating a plurality of blades 3 of the wind turbine 2 to rotate the shaft 4 of the wind turbine 2 and generate electricity via the electric generator, such that the electricity is stored in the battery 6 of the vehicle 7. The method may be utilized to charge and/or recharge the battery 6 of the vehicle 7. In some embodiments, the method comprises a coasting operation. In some embodiments, the method comprises a braking operation. In some embodiments, the method comprises both the coasting operation and the braking operation. In various embodiments, a portion of the energy expended to accelerate the vehicle 7 from rest to a cruising speed may be recaptured and stored in one or more batteries 6 upon performing the coasting operation and/or the braking operation. In this manner, it is generally envisioned that the systems and methods of the present invention produce a net positive energy output, whereby the energy produced is stored within the one or more batteries 6 of the vehicle 7.

[0027] Referring now to FIG. 3, there is depicted a close-up perspective view of the plurality of blades and an operative connection between the wind turbine and a generator of the tractor trailer. The wind turbine 2 includes the plurality of blades 3 that extend radially outward from the shaft 4 of the wind turbine 2. In the shown embodiment, an outer portion 9 of the blades of the plurality of blades 3 may extend beyond an outer edge of the vehicle. In this manner, a diameter of a circle encompassed by the plurality of blades may be larger than a width, a height, or another measurement of the rearward portion 8 of the vehicle.

[0028] In the shown embodiment, the wind turbine 2 is operably connected to the battery of the vehicle by way of the operable connection 5. Operable connection 5 may include any suitable connection configured to transmit electricity from the generator to the battery. In this manner, the electricity may be transmitted to and stored within the one or more batteries of the vehicle, so as to charge and/or recharge the one or more batteries of the vehicle using the system. In this manner, the one or more batteries may be continued to be utilized for an activity, such as propelling the vehicle in a forward direction and/or a rearward direction.

[0029] The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teaching. The exemplary embodiment was chosen and described to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and its embodiments with modifications as suited to the use contemplated.

[0030] It is therefore submitted that the present invention has been shown and described in the most practical and exemplary embodiments. It should be recognized that departures may be made which fall within the scope of the invention. With respect to the description provided herein, it is submitted that the optimal features of the invention include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly, and use. All structures, functions, and relationships equivalent or essentially equivalent to those disclosed are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.