Re: System and method for electrical power generation utilizing vehicle traffic on roadways US Patent Issued on August 30, 2005

On Wed, 7 May 2008 08:10:04 -0700 (PDT), Shuurai
<Shuurai11@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


   Only to people who whose understanding of physics and engineering cannot
be expressed in the set of whole numbers or fractions thereof.

well gee, there seems to be an awful lot of people who actually have
jobs as engineers who are working fast and furiously on this very
concept.  Too bad they didn't check with you first.  You could have
saved them so much time.

Where is this development actually taking place? What company or
companies are behind it? You say there are an awful lot of people
working fast and furious on this concept - let's see you point to ONE
who actually is.

Energy sources useful for the generation of electricity include wind,
water, solar, nuclear and steam energy and various methods and systems
have been developed for harnessing such energy to generate
electricity, typically by performing useful work to drive an electric
generator.
With the continuing need for energy consumption efficiency and
conservation, many efforts have been made to exploit previously unused
energy sources. Many methods and systems have been proposed for the
harnessing of existing forces or mechanical work to generate
electrical power. In particular, several systems and methods have been
developed to use the energy and downward force of the wheels of
vehicles as they move along a roadway surface.
The systems can be categorized generally as mechanical systems, air
compression systems and hydraulic systems.
Mechanical Systems.
Mechanical systems for generating electric power from the downward
force of vehicles passing over a roadway typically involve gear
mechanisms and other moving parts and are prone to wear and tear from
the stress of forced downward movement in response to vehicles and
forced upward movement when being reset. One example is U.S. Pat. No.
4,238,687 to Martinez discloses a system for generating electric power
from the passage of motor vehicles over a roadway using turbines that
are driven by the downward rotational movement of arc-shaped arms
connected to rocker plates installed on a road surface when such
rocker plates are forced down by vehicles passing over them.
Air Compression Systems.
Air compression systems typically involve an air compression piston
being driven by an actuator of some sort that translates the downward
force of a vehicle passing over a roadway in which the actuator is
installed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,431 to Smith discloses a
road vehicle-actuated air compressor and system for using compressed
air to operate an electrical generator to generate electricity. The
road vehicle-actuated compressor includes an actuator that is pushed
downward by the weight of vehicle tires passing over it, driving a
reciprocating piston in a cylinder, compressing the air in the
cylinder. An electric generator is driven by compressed air from the
cylinder. Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,774 to Angel et al.
which discloses a road vehicle actuated air compressor which utilizes
flaps mounted in pairs in a road or pedestrian walkway surface. When
traffic moves over the flaps, the flaps move downward to activate a
piston which compresses air. The compressed air is stored and used as
needed to generate electricity. Air compression systems, while
generally somewhat more durable than mechanical systems, are not
efficient in maximizing the amount of energy translated from the
downward forces of moving vehicles to drive an electrical generator,
due to friction and other losses.
Hydraulic Systems.
Several systems utilize hydraulic pumps to absorb the downward force
of vehicles passing over a roadway and translate same into useful
work, such as to drive an electric generator. For example, U.S. Pat.
No. 4,004,422 to Le Van discloses a method and apparatus for producing
useful work utilizing the weight of moving traffic by incorporating in
a roadway or traffic-way a readily deformable chamber which is filled
with a fluid, arranged so that the weight of the vehicle is passing
over it causes displacement of the fluid contained therein. The energy
of the displaced fluid in turn is translated into mechanical or
electric energy. U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,064 to Bridwell discloses a
system for utilizing the weight and momentum of moving vehicles to
produce usable energy comprising a fluid displacement pump positioned
either under a moveable plate in a roadway or between the rail in a
railbed in a railway which compresses hydraulic fluid as the vehicle
passes over, a low pressure line for supplying fluid to the pump
chamber, a high pressure outlet line communicating with the chamber
and connected to a manifold which is supplied with high pressure fluid
from a number of other similar pumps and which directs the fluid to an
energy conversion device such as a fluid motor and electric generator.
The invention teaches use of a dual-stroke pump actuated depending on
the weight of the passing vehicles. The dual-stroke pump allows
greater volumes of hydraulic fluid to be pressurized depending on the
weight of the passing vehicle.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,078 to Bass is directed to a power
source comprising a cylinder arranged to pump hydraulic fluid into a
pressure accumulator. The stored hydraulic fluid operates a hydraulic
motor to drive an alternator to generate electric power. The cylinder
can be a single acting cylinder having a piston rod depressed by the
weight of passing traffic on a highway. The system uses an accumulator
and a hydraulic motor which drives an alternator to generate electric
power. U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,489 to Hayes discloses an apparatus which
pressurizes fluid and causes it to flow by capturing energy dissipated
by moving vehicles, comprising a network of collapsible bodies
containing hydraulic fluid attached to a turbine generator system. The
collapsible bodies are resilient tubes, preferably three-part
structures made of elastic inner tubes with projections and outer
sections of semi-rigid hose. The claimed improvement is in the use of
a network of numerous collapsible bodies to capture more weight from
passing vehicles.
More recent efforts include U.S. Pat. No. 6,172,426 to Galich
discloses an energy platform system for generating electrical energy
from the weight of a moving vehicle comprising a fluid bed containing
a volume of fluid which is compressible by the weight of a moving
vehicle driven over it. Fluid forced from within the bladder as a
result of such compression passes through a circulation system where
the moving fluid is used to drive a generator. The circulation
assembly comprises an accumulator in fluid communication with the
bladder, which receives the forced fluid and releases it at a
specified pressure level. A hydraulic pump and reservoir are also
used. The electrical generator is a linear generator, comprising an
elongate cylinder having a hollow interior. The exterior of the
cylinder has a coil around it. A rod is inserted within the cylinder
and has a magnet slidably coupled to it. As the rod in the cylinder is
moved by the hydraulic fluid, the magnet moves as well, causing an
electrical current within the coil. U.S. Pat. No. 6,204,568 to Runner
discloses a system for converting mechanical motion of vehicles into
electrical energy, comprising a plurality of motion converter
assemblies each including a rod which remains in communication with a
vertical motion delivery mechanism through a gearing mechanism for
rotating the rod in response to vehicle traffic passing over the
system, a plurality of fluid pumps each connected to the rotating rod
to generate pressurized fluid which in turn drives a turbine
generator. The motion converter assemblies have a rectangular base and
sides forming a box an are inserted in the road surface. The motion
converter assemblies also have a pair of rectangular top plates that
are pivotally connected at one end to one side of the motion
connection assembly base, with springs urging the plates upward. The
top plate has a vertical plate pivotally connected to its under side
which has teeth to engage a gear. When a vehicle passes over the top
plate of a motion converter assembly, the vertical plate is driven
downward and engages the gear, which rotates and drives the fluid
pumps.
These previously described systems, while in principle capable
generating electrical power from the downward force of vehicles as
they pass over a roadway, are inefficient in their ability to maximize
the electrical power generated from each passing vehicle. Vehicles
have varying weights; the downward force of a semi-truck is obviously
considerably more than that of a compact car. Prior systems do not
effectively harness the full force of each vehicle. Additionally,
because vehicle traffic is typically irregular, there is an increased
need in such a system to maximize the transfer of energy from each
vehicle and store energy to provide a steady supply of electric power.
An embodiment of the present invention is a system and method for
generating power, such as electrical power, from downward vehicle
forces on a roadway that effectively harnesses the energy of vehicles
of varying weights. Embodiments of the present invention may overcome
the shortcomings of prior efforts by employing multiple hydraulic
cylinders of different load bearing and hydraulic fluid compression
capacities that are selectively activated by a sensor system depending
on vehicle weight in a novel combination and configuration with a road
plate over which vehicles pass. Embodiments of the present invention
can effectively harness the downward force of both moving and
stationary vehicles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention includes methods and apparatuses for power generation
systems. According to an aspect of the invention a power generation
system comprises a hydraulic accumulator, a hydraulic reservoir;
electric hydraulic cylinders having various weight-handling capacities
and a vehicle weight sensor.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a method for power
generation comprises providing electric hydraulic cylinders, sensing a
weight, selecting cylinders and directing hydraulic fluid to them and
using the weight to force hydraulic fluid.
According to a still further aspect of the invention a power
generation system is disclosed. It may comprise a hydraulic fluid
accumulator and a two level road plate.
.

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