POWER GENERATION AND DISTRIBUTION FOR LAND-BASED VEHICLE PROPULSION
A vehicle includes a wheel; a hybrid power generation system including an engine and a generator mechanically coupled to the engine; and a propulsion system including an electric motor electrically coupled to the generator and mechanically coupled to the wheel.
1 . An vehicle comprising:
a wheel;
a hybrid power generation system comprising:
an engine; and
a generator mechanically coupled to the engine; and
a propulsion system comprising:
an electric motor electrically coupled to the generator and mechanically coupled to the wheel.
2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises a bicycle.
3 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the generator is configured to convert mechanical energy from the engine into electrical energy.
4 . The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the electric motor is configured to convert the electrical energy from the generator into rotational mechanical energy.
5 . The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the wheel is configured to be driven by the rotational mechanical energy from the electric motor.
6 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the engine comprises a combustion engine.
7 . The vehicle of claim 1 , comprising a fuel tank configured to provide fuel to the engine.
8 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the propulsion system is located on the wheel and the hybrid power generation system is located on a body of the vehicle.
9 . The vehicle of claim 1 , comprising a battery electrically coupled to the generator and to the electric motor.
10 . The vehicle of claim 1 , comprising one or more of a sensing subsystem, a computing subsystem, and a communications subsystem electrically coupled to the generator.
11 . A method comprising:
in a hybrid power generation system of a vehicle:
generating mechanical energy in an engine; and
converting the generated mechanical energy into electrical energy in a generator mechanically coupled to the engine; and
converting the electrical energy into rotational mechanical energy to drive rotation of a wheel of the vehicle.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein driving rotation of a wheel of the vehicle comprises driving rotation of a wheel of a bicycle.
13 . The method of claim 11 , comprising storing at least some of the electrical energy in a battery.
14 . The method of claim 11 , comprising providing at least some of the electrical energy to one or more of a sensing subsystem, a computing subsystem, and a communications subsystem.