EA020546B1 - Vehicles powered by a pneumatic engine - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to vehicles powered by a pneumatic engine, which uses compressed air produced by the compression during the vehicle movement. The invention can be used in land vehicles, underground, water vehicles and/or air vehicles for any purpose. The invention provides a vehicle powered by a pneumatic engine, which comprises a properly-assembled body, a propelling device, the control systems and mechanisms, an electrical power supply system, a pneumatic engine, designed to transfer energy via transmission to the propelling device and means for continuous and cycle accumulation and storage of pressure air. The vehicle further comprises means for generating the working medium in the form of a pressure maintaining air flow, the said medium comprising the interconnected turborotor(s) and compressor(s) and a reduction gear. A corresponding air intake device comprising the through hole(s) is provided in the turborotor area in the body. The compressor is connected to the means for continuous and cycle accumulation and storage of pressure air and to the reduction gear, and the reduction gear is connected to the means for continuous and cycle accumulation and storage of pressure air and to the pneumatic engine. The vehicle has an almost unlimited distance-to-empty at lower relative volume of the compressed air cylinders and lower compressed air pressure in the cylinders (which will allow to reduce the vehicle safety) while maintaining the high reliability.

Description

The invention relates to vehicles for various purposes, namely to vehicles driven by an air motor, in particular to vehicles driven by an air motor that uses compressed air obtained by compression during the movement of the vehicle. The invention can be used in land vehicles, subways, water vehicles and / or air vehicles of any purpose.

The idea of using compressed air energy as a driving force in transport was widely distributed in the mid-late 19th century. However, the designs of such vehicles were imperfect, and the issue of their sufficient and convenient refueling was not resolved. Therefore, with the growth of oil production, the main development was received by internal combustion engines, which forced almost all others, including pneumatic engines, and types of traction engines out of transport. For many years, a pneumatic drive in transport was preserved only as a drive of auxiliary mechanisms: brakes, opening doors and other components or devices where a large amount of energy is not required. At the same time, the pneumatic drive is much more convenient, safer, more environmentally friendly than other types of drive. With this in mind, recently, designers from various countries have resumed the development of modern pneumatic vehicles. The most famous modern developments in this direction, including those confirmed by real models of pneumatic cars, belong to the company Mo! 1p1egia1yuya1 (MI1), engaged in the development of cars on compressed air for more than ten years, the founder of which is the French inventor Guy Negre [1]. Construction details of the pneumatic vehicle Mi.S.L.T. This company is kept secret, however, it is known that this is a 800 cm ³ piston engine, in the mechanism of which the piston is connected to the crankshaft so that the piston stops at a dead point, allowing more air to fill the cylinder. After such a stop, the piston breaks down with acceleration. In this case, the output shaft itself rotates evenly. Air car refueling can be carried out at a special station and will take only 2-3 minutes. You can also connect the car to a power outlet, it is possible to operate the engine in compressor mode. Such refueling will take at least 3-4 hours. With the improvement of this design, it was necessary to solve problems with low power, excessive motor complexity and vibration during operation.

In the general case, in a pneumatic vehicle (air vehicle), energy is stored by forcing compressed air, using appropriate external devices, into cylinders located in the vehicle (in particular, in the underbody of the vehicle). From the cylinders through the air distribution system, the compressed air enters the air motor, which drives the car into motion. Along with the tangible advantages of pneumatic vehicles, specialists note a number of their disadvantages, among which are low power, low safety in emergency situations, the large relative volume occupied by compressed air cylinders, and their large relative mass, etc. The main disadvantage of existing pneumatic vehicles, which impedes their widespread use, is a small power reserve, determined by the restriction imposed on the volume of cylinders with compressed air. The main way to increase the stroke is to increase the pressure of compressed air, however, this is due to the complication and appreciation of both cylinders and air distribution systems. The analysis of the prior art also showed that the main developments related to the improvement of pneumatic vehicle designs are aimed at improving the distribution systems of compressed air, its supply to the air motor, as well as improving the design of the air motors themselves [2-6].

At the same time, in engineering there is a whole area that is improving the aerodynamic characteristics of vehicle bodies in order to reduce the resistance of oncoming air flows. In this case, the development is aimed only at changing oncoming air flows with a decrease in the resistance force and air flow pressure, in particular by choosing special forms of execution and locations of vehicle body parts [7].

Considering the significant values of the energy of air flows, in particular oncoming air flows during vehicle movement, which increase in proportion to the vehicle speed (air resistance forces increase in proportion to the square of the flow velocity), it seems logical from the point of view of the author not just to overcome the resistance of the oncoming air stream with the smallest loss of vehicle energy efficiency, and the possible beneficial use of at least a portion nergii oncoming airflow. In this regard, the author conducted a comprehensive study and study of the issue of the fundamental possibility of using the energy of the oncoming air stream (s) to charge the pneumatic vehicle during movement, created and tested a number of models (on a reduced scale) of pneumatic vehicles. Moreover, when analyzing the current level of technology, practically no information sources were found that mentioned technical solutions related to charging vehicles with a pneumatic drive (ground, underground, air, water) during their movement. Based on the totality of general technical features, a mechanical vehicle equipped with an air engine [8] is selected as a prototype for the claimed vehicle, which corresponds in its functions to the pneumatic engine component of the claimed vehicle. However, in such a motor vehicle, there are no separate means for forming a working fluid with predetermined characteristics (pressure) before feeding it to the air motor, which reduces its overall efficiency.

Thus, the object of the invention is to create a vehicle design driven by a pneumatic motor, which would have a significantly greater range with a smaller relative volume of compressed air cylinders and lower compressed air pressure in the cylinders (which will reduce vehicle safety) while maintaining high reliability.

The problem is solved by the claimed vehicle with a pneumatic motor drive selected from the group comprising a land vehicle, subway, watercraft and air vehicle, and containing a suitably arranged vehicle body, propulsion system, control systems and mechanisms, electrical supply system, air motor made with the possibility of transmission through transmission of energy to the propulsion device, and means for continuous cyclic storage pouring and storing air under pressure. The problem is solved due to the fact that the vehicle further comprises a means of forming a working fluid in the form of an air stream at a given pressure, including at least one turbo rotor and at least one compressor, as well as a gearbox, connected to each other. Moreover, in the housing in the area of placement of the turbo rotor, an appropriate means for intake of air is provided, comprising at least a through hole. The compressor is connected with means for continuously cyclic accumulation and storage of compressed air and with a reducer, and the reducer is connected with means for continuously cyclic accumulation and storage of air under pressure and with an air motor.

The modern development of technology makes it possible to provide any vehicle with turbo-rotors and compressors corresponding to it (in size, weight, power, etc. characteristics). The number of such turbo-rotors and / or compressors, as well as their location can be selected in each case, taking into account a number of factors, including the shape of the vehicle body (body), its dimensions, planned power and / or load capacity (i.e. planned consumption of energy of compressed air), type (land, underground, air, water) of a vehicle, etc. Thus, in the claimed vehicle design, the kinetic energy of the oncoming air stream is converted by means of turbo-rotors, compressors and an air motor into mechanical work transmitted to the propulsion device (wheels, etc.). Moreover, even a small speed of movement (depending on the specific design of the turborotor and means for air intake, their quantity and installation sites) is enough to initiate the process of air compression and its accumulation in an appropriate storage medium. Depending on the stage of movement, speed of movement and other conditions (for example, the current pressure of the compressed air in the means for storing compressed air), compressed air from each compressor can enter both the means for storing compressed air and the gearbox for direct supply to the air motor. Switching of the compressed air supply circuits can be carried out depending on the modification of the vehicle both in automatic mode (for example, by the value of the admissible minimum / maximum pressure in the means for storing compressed air), and in the manual control mode (in accordance with the indicators of instrumentation )

In various forms of implementation, the means for storing compressed air may have various forms of execution, including traditional for known pneumatic vehicles. In preferred forms of implementation, the means for storing compressed air can be made in the form of a cassette drive, consisting of at least two separate compartments located in the bottom of the housing, each of which is made with the possibility of independent communication with the compressor and the gearbox. In this case, the bottom itself can be made in the form of a cassette filler. As in the case described above, the selection of a particular cartridge for supplying compressed air to it from the compressor can be carried out either automatically or in manual mode.

From the practice of using air flows for the production of various types of energy, it is known that in stationary wind turbines, even in calm conditions, sufficient torque can be obtained on the turbo rotor shaft with proper organization of the collection and / or intake of air flow for rotation of the blades. With this in mind, in preferred forms of implementing the inventive vehicle, the air intake device is additionally equipped with an air guide and / or air trap, which allow to accumulate the largest possible flow of air through the through hole (s) in the housing in the installation area (s) of the turbo rotor (s) )

To increase the degree of reliability of the claimed vehicle can be additionally equipped with at least one electric compressor associated with a means for storing compressed air and made with the possibility of functioning from a stationary electrical network.

In preferred embodiments, the inventive vehicle may be further provided with a generator associated with a turbo rotor, and the electrical supply system is operable from said generator and is further provided with a battery.

- 2,020,546

Most of the pneumatic vehicles (vehicles) known in the art are hybrid vehicles, i.e. made with the possibility of another type of drive, such as electric, etc. In some embodiments, the inventive vehicle may further be provided with a drive that operates on at least one additional form of energy selected from the group comprising at least electric energy, hydraulic energy, natural hydrocarbon fuel energy, synthetic hydrocarbon fuel energy, solar energy. This design can further improve the characteristics of the vehicle (increase reliability, power, load capacity, etc.).

The above and other advantages and advantages of the inventive vehicle driven by an air motor will be considered in more detail in one of the possible preferred, but not limiting examples of implementation with reference to the positions of the figures of the drawings, which show:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a ground vehicle (side view);

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of air compression using the kinetic energy of the oncoming air stream (s), the accumulation and supply of compressed air to the air motor.

In FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a land vehicle in the form of a passenger car. The car contains an appropriately arranged case 1, an engine made in the form of wheels 2, an air motor 3 made with the possibility of transferring energy to the wheels 2 by means of a transmission (not shown). The car also contains control systems and mechanisms, an electrical supply system, which, due to immateriality forms of their implementation in the framework of this invention and the obviousness to specialists in this field of technology in the drawing are not presented. In the housing 1 in this form of implementation, there are four (in front in the roof area and in the intake area for the radiator and on both sides in the rear lower part of the housing) corresponding means 4 for air intake from the oncoming stream 5, containing a through hole provided with an air guide and / or air trap. The execution zones in the housing of the means 4 for intake of air from the oncoming flow 5 correspond to the installation zones of the turbo rotor and compressor, which for simplification are presented in the form of common blocks of turbine compressors

6. At the bottom of the vehicle there is a means for continuously cyclic accumulation and storage of air under pressure, made in the form of a cassette drive 7, consisting of at least two separate compartments. Arrows made in gray on the drawing show the directions of movement of compressed air between the main devices and systems of the car. Arrow 8 indicates the direction of movement of the car.

In FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of air compression using the kinetic energy of the oncoming air stream (s), the accumulation and supply of compressed air to the air motor (for one of the four turbine compressor units 6). The drawing, in particular, shows the oncoming air flow (indicated by arrows 5), means 4 for intake of air from the oncoming flow 5, containing a through hole provided with an air guide and / or air trap, interconnected turbo rotor 9 and compressor 10 from the turbine compressor unit 6 of FIG. 1, a cassette drive 7, in this example containing 9 separate compartments, each of which is configured to communicate with both compressor (s) 10 and gearbox 11, gearbox 11 and air motor 3. Gearbox 11, in turn, is configured to communicate , on the one hand, with each compressor 10 and each compartment of the cassette drive 7 and, on the other hand, with an air motor 3. The air motor, in turn, drives the propulsion device (in this example, wheels 2 on Fig. 1) and accordingly obes echivaet moving the entire vehicle as a whole.

As already mentioned above, the claimed vehicle may further comprise any of the following blocks / devices or any combination thereof:

an electric compressor configured to communicate with a cassette drive 7 and with the ability to work from a stationary electrical network;

a generator connected to the turbo rotor; rechargeable battery;

a drive using at least one additional type of energy selected from the group comprising at least electrical energy, hydraulic energy, natural hydrocarbon fuel energy, synthetic hydrocarbon fuel energy, solar energy.

At the same time, the engine itself can be in a hybrid version.

The inventive vehicle operates as follows.

The first filling of the car with compressed air can be carried out either from external compressors, or using its own electric compressor connected to the electrical network. Refueling is carried out to a predetermined pressure value of the compressed gas in the compartment (s) of the cassette drive 7. The level of refueling, as well as the distribution of compressed air in the compartments, is preferably automatically adjusted to avoid unsafe high pressure in the compartment (s).

- 3,020,546

At the beginning of the movement, compressed air from the compartment (s) of the cassette drive 7 enters the gearbox 11, which controls the pressure value of the compressed air (working fluid) at the inlet of the air motor 3 at a level specified for this engine 3.

Alternatively, if the vehicle has an additional drive other than a pneumatic drive, the primary charge may not be carried out. In such cases, the drive at the beginning of the movement is from another type of energy (electric, solar, hydrocarbon fuel, etc.).

In the general case, even with the stationary position of the vehicle as a whole and its body 1 in particular, due to the presence of natural air, air flows will be directed by means 4 for air intake into the area of the turbo-rotors 9, bringing them into rotation and thereby starting the compressor 10. When Oncoming air flows 5 are formed in the vehicle’s movement, which increase with increasing vehicle speed. The rotation of the turborotors 9 is accelerated, providing the operating mode of the respective compressors 10, sufficient to compress the air to a predetermined pressure value. Moreover, during the movement of the vehicle with a sufficient level of air compression, it enters directly into the gearbox 11, where the air pressure, if necessary, can be reduced and maintained at a given level. Excess compressed air can enter the compartment (s) of the cassette drive 7, made in the bottom of the vehicle body 1, for storage and further use. Compressed air with a given pressure value from the output of the gearbox 11 enters the air motor 3, where its energy is converted into a form suitable for driving the propulsion device (in the considered example of wheels 2).

Thus, in the process of moving the vehicle in direction 8 due to the conversion of the kinetic energy of the oncoming air flows 5, not only the energy of compressed air is consumed, but also its surplus accumulates in the cassette drive 7. This is due to the fact that in the inventive vehicle unlike vehicles with a pneumatic drive of the prior art, there is provided its own on-board means of forming a working fluid for an air motor in the form of an air stream under a given yes leniem comprising interconnected turborotor (s) and the compressor (s) and the gearbox. The scheme of connections between this means of forming a working fluid and the means for continuously cyclic accumulation and storage of air under pressure (cassette filler) allows for various and optimal for each specific case switching options for compressed air sources and an air motor, ensuring the possibility of uninterrupted operation of the air motor at any speed at virtually unlimited power reserve.

Features and advantages of the operation of the inventive vehicle described above for a land vehicle in the form of a car can be extended to all other types of vehicles that operate in the air, with the only difference being that for each particular vehicle the optimal the amount of air intake (respectively, of turbine compressors 6) and their location, taking into account the directions of oncoming air flows, the shape of the housing is 1 t vehicle and other conditions.

Information sources.

1. Online Journal of Environmental Cars. Article Lirob - car on compressed air dated October 3, 2010 [Electronic resource] - January 27, 2011. - Access mode: Yp: // esosopser1sat5.gi/2010/10/app. Yt1.

2. Application KI No. 2006113219 A, publ. 11/20/2007.

3. Patent of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 2936461 B1, publ. 04/02/2010.

4. Patent of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 2838769 B1, publ. 04/22/2005.

5. Application EP No. 1121742 A1, publ. 08/08/2001.

6. Application PCT / PK2004 / 002929, publ. 06/02/2005 under the number of AO 2005/049968.

7. Victor Slesarev. Article RIVER OF THE WIND. The electronic version of the magazine Behind the wheel, No. 1, 2004 [Electronic resource] - January 27, 2011. - Access mode: 1Wr: // \ y \ y \ y. / G.i / a / 10004 /

8. Patent EA No. 011063 B1, publ. 12/30/2008.

Claims (6)

1. A vehicle driven by an air motor selected from the group consisting of a land vehicle, subway, a water vehicle, and an air vehicle, and comprising an appropriately arranged vehicle body, propulsion system, control systems and mechanisms, an electrical supply system, an air motor made with the possibility of transmission through transmission of energy to the propulsion device and means for continuously cyclic accumulation and storage of air under pressure, about characterized in that it further comprises a means for forming a working fluid in the form of an air stream under a given pressure, including at least one turbo rotor and at least one compressor, as well as a gearbox, while in the case, a corresponding means is provided for the turbo rotor in the housing area an air intake containing at least a through hole, the compressor is connected to a means for continuously cyclic accumulation and storage of compressed air and to the gearbox, and the gearbox is connected to th continuously for cyclic accumulation and storage of air under pressure and with a pneumatic motor. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for storing compressed air is made in the form of a cassette drive, consisting of at least two separate compartments located in the bottom of the housing, each of which is made with the possibility of independent communication with the compressor and gearbox. 3. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the means for air intake is additionally equipped with an air guide and / or air trap. 4. A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is further provided with at least one electric compressor associated with a means for storing compressed air and configured to operate from a stationary electrical network. 5. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it is additionally equipped with a generator associated with a turbo rotor, and the electrical system is configured to operate from the specified generator and is additionally equipped with a battery. 6. A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it is additionally equipped with a drive that operates on at least one additional form of energy selected from the group comprising at least electric energy, hydraulic energy, natural hydrocarbon energy fuel, synthetic hydrocarbon fuel energy, solar energy.