Power harvesting system for battery operated appliances
View Patent ↗A system of harvesting electrical power for use within a battery operated device includes a battery and a motor driven by the battery to impart rotational energy to a first shaft. The first shaft drives a multi-phase generator and produces output voltage signals with respectively untimed phase responses. A rectification circuit combines the voltage signals into a combined DC voltage output, and an inverter connected to the rectification circuit converts the DC voltage output to an AC voltage output. A battery charger connected to the inverter receives the AC voltage output for charging the battery. The harvested power includes power from voltage sources with unregulated, or untimed, phase responses.
1. A system for powering a lawn mower with harvested energy sources, the system comprising:
a bank of batteries;
a motor driven by said bank of batteries and imparting rotational energy to a shaft;
a multi-phase generator driven by said rotating shaft and producing generator voltage signals with respectively untimed phase responses;
a generator rectification circuit combining said generator voltage signals into a combined DC voltage generator output;
a solar cell panel producing solar voltage signals;
a solar rectification circuit creating a solar DC voltage signal;
an inverter receiving said generator voltage signals and said solar DC voltage signal and producing an AC voltage output;
a battery charger connected to said inverter and receiving said AC voltage output for charging said battery.
2. A system according to claim 1 , wherein said motor is a brushless DC motor.
3. A system according to claim 1 , wherein said generator is a brushless generator.
4. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising a thermoelectric generator providing additional power to said battery charger.
5. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising a piezoelectric generate providing additional power to said battery charger.
6. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional multi-phase generator driven by rotational forces provided from outside the system by a user turning an additional shaft connected to the additional generator, said additional generator providing additional power to said battery charger.
7. A lawn mower having reduced forces of friction therein and zing momentum in a rotating blade to cut grass with power from harvested sources within the lawn mower, the lawn mower comprising:
a bank of batteries;
a first brushless DC electric motor driven by said bank of batteries and imparting rotational energy to a first shaft;
a multi-phase generator driven by said first shaft and producing generator voltage signals;
winding leads from said generator terminating as multi-phase voltage sources;
a generator rectification circuit connected directly to said winding leads, receiving untimed multi-phase voltage sources and combining said generator voltage signals into a combined DC voltage generator output;
an inverter receiving said generator voltage signals and producing an AC voltage output;
a battery charger connected to said inverter and receiving said AC voltage output for charging said battery; and
a blade comprising an interior portion connected to a second shaft driven by said motor and a gull wing portion connected to said interior portion, wherein said inner portion lies in a plane between said motor and said gull wing portion, and said gull wing portion engages grass for cutting.
8. A lawn mower according to claim 7 , wherein said blade comprises aluminum, and said blade has a weight that is less than 5 ounces.
9. A lawn mower according to claim 7 , wherein said generator is a second brushless motor configured with coils generating said voltage signals.
10. A system according to claim 7 , further comprising a solar cell providing additional power to said battery charger.
11. A system according to claim 7 , further comprising a thermoelectric generator providing additional power to said battery charger.
12. A system according to claim 7 , further comprising a piezoelectric generator providing additional power to said battery charger.
13. A system according to claim 7 , further comprising at least one additional multi-phase generator driven by rotational forces provided from outside the system by a user turning an additional shaft connected to the additional generator, said additional generator providing additional power to said battery charger.