Energy harvesting apparatus incorporated into shock absorber
An energy harvesting apparatus, for deployment on a vehicle, comprises a vehicle shock absorber including a dust tube, and a damper tube telescopically mounted within the dust tube and configured for oscillating translational movement with respect thereto. A magnet is fixedly coupled to one of the dust tube or the damper tube, and a coil is fixedly coupled to the other of the dust tube or the damper tube to achieve relative translational movement between the magnet and the coil to induce a current in the coil.
1. An energy harvesting apparatus, for deployment on a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a vehicle shock absorber, comprising:
a dust tube;
a damper tube telescopically mounted within the dust tube and configured for oscillating translational movement within the dust tube;
a magnet fixedly coupled to the dust tube;
a coil fixedly coupled to the damper tube to achieve relative translational movement between the magnet and the coil inducing a current in the coil; and
an energy converter coupled to the coil and mounted on the damper tube, the energy converter comprising a rectifier mounted on the damper tube.
2. An apparatus according claim 1 further comprising an energy storage device coupled to the energy converter.
3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the energy storage device is a battery.
4. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the energy storage device is a capacitor.
5. An energy harvesting apparatus, for deployment on a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a vehicle shock absorber, comprising:
a dust tube, the dust tube configured as a cylinder with an inner surface and an opposite facing, outer surface;
a damper tube telescopically mounted within the dust tube and configured for oscillating translational movement within the dust tube;
a magnet fixedly coupled on the damper tube;
a coil fixedly coupled on the inner surface of the dust tube to achieve relative translational movement between the magnet and the coil; and
an energy converter coupled to the coil and mounted on the outer surface of the dust tube, the energy converter comprising a rectifier mounted on the outer surface of the dust tube.
6. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the magnet is fixedly coupled to an outer surface of the damper tube.
7. An apparatus according to claim 5 further comprising an energy storage device coupled to the energy converter.
8. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the energy storage device is a battery.
9. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the energy storage device is a capacitor.