Power generation from vehicle wheel rotation
View Patent ↗An apparatus may generate energy in response to a vehicle wheel rotation. The apparatus may include a roller, a shaft, and a generator. The roller may rotate in response to a movement or motion of the wheel and may apply a friction to the wheel to decrease a rotational velocity of the wheel. The shaft may rotate in response to a rotation of the roller. The generator may generate an electrical output based on rotation of the shaft and convey the electrical output to an energy storage device or to a motor of the vehicle.
1. A system for generating energy in response to a vehicle kinetic energy, the system comprising:
a roller physically coupled to a vehicle and configured to rotate in response to a movement or motion of the vehicle while the vehicle is mobile;
a shaft configured to rotate in response to a rotation of the roller, wherein the shaft is configured to transition between rotating at a same angular velocity as the roller and a different angular velocity than the roller; and
a generator housed within the vehicle and operably coupled to the shaft and configured to:
generate an electrical output based on a rotation of the shaft; and
convey the electrical output to an energy storage device or to a motor of the vehicle that converts electrical energy to kinetic energy to cause the vehicle to move.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the shaft is configured to transition between rotating at the same angular velocity as the roller and a faster angular velocity than the roller.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the shaft is configured to rotate in response to a rotational inertia of the shaft when an angular velocity of the roller is less than an angular velocity of the shaft.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the shaft is configured to rotate in response to a rotational inertia of the shaft and a rotational force applied by the roller on the shaft.
5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a one-way ratchet configured to rotatably couple the shaft to the roller in a first angular direction to cause the shaft to rotate in response to a rotation of the roller in the first angular direction.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the shaft is configured to transition between rotating at a same angular velocity as the roller and a slower angular velocity than the roller.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the roller is configured to rotate in response to a rotation of a wheel of the vehicle.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the roller is configured to contact a sidewall surface of a wheel of the vehicle.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the roller is configured to contact a curved surface of a wheel of the vehicle.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the roller is substantially cylindrical.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the roller comprises a non-uniform diameter.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the roller decreases along a length of the roller.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the generator is configured to convey the electrical output to the energy storage device via a diode.
14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device comprises a capacitor or a battery.
15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device comprises a diode positioned between a capacitor and a battery.
16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device comprises a capacitor configured to receive the electrical output from the generator and convey the electrical output to a battery.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the capacitor is configured to convey the electrical output to the battery via a diode.
18. A system for generating energy in response to a vehicle kinetic energy, the system comprising:
a roller physically coupled to a vehicle and configured to rotate in response to a movement or motion of the vehicle;
a shaft positioned within the vehicle and configured to rotate in response to a rotation of the roller, wherein the shaft is configured to transition between rotating at a same angular velocity as the roller and a different angular velocity than the roller; and
a generator housed within the vehicle and configured to:
generate an electrical output based on a rotation of the shaft; and
convey the electrical output to an energy storage device or to a motor of the vehicle configured to convert the electrical output to a kinetic energy to cause the vehicle to move.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the shaft is configured to rotate in response to a rotational inertia of the shaft when an angular velocity of the roller is less than an angular velocity of the shaft.
20. The system of claim 18 , further comprising a one-way ratchet configured to rotatably couple the shaft to the roller in a first angular direction to cause the shaft to rotate in response to a rotation of the roller in the first angular direction.
21. The system of claim 18 , wherein the generator is configured to convey the electrical output to the energy storage device via a diode.
22. The system of claim 18 , wherein the energy storage device comprises a capacitor configured to receive the electrical output from the generator and convey the electrical output to a battery via a diode.
23. A method for generating energy in response to a vehicle kinetic energy, the method comprising:
rotating a roller in response to a movement or motion of a vehicle while the vehicle is mobile, the roller being housed within the vehicle;
rotating a shaft in response to a rotation of the roller;
transitioning the shaft between rotating at a same angular velocity as the roller and a different angular velocity than the roller;
generating an electrical energy based on converting a mechanical energy from a rotation of the shaft to the electrical energy; and
conveying the electrical energy to an energy storage device or to a motor of the vehicle configured to convert the electrical energy to a kinetic energy to cause the vehicle to move.
24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising rotating the shaft in response to a rotational inertia of the shaft when an angular velocity of the roller is less than an angular velocity of the shaft.
25. The method of claim 23 , further comprising rotatably coupling the shaft to the roller with a one-way ratchet in a first angular direction to cause the shaft to rotate in response to a rotation of the roller in the first angular direction.
26. The method of claim 23 , further comprising conveying the electrical energy to the energy storage device via a diode.
27. The method of claim 23 , further comprising receiving the electrical energy at a capacitor of the energy storage device and conveying the electrical energy from the capacitor to a battery via a diode.