WO2006120645A2

WO2006120645A2 - Fluid-dynamic transducer device for exploiting the kinetic energy of land vehicles

Info

Publication number: WO2006120645A2
Application number: PCT/IB2006/051494
Authority: WO
Inventors: Roberto Marco Carlo Corpino
Original assignee: Sici S.R.L.
Priority date: 2005-05-13
Filing date: 2006-05-12
Publication date: 2006-11-16
Also published as: WO2006120645A3; ITTO20050330A1

Abstract

A fluid- dynamic transducer device for exploiting the kinetic energy of land vehicles comprises : a stationary support structure (2; 3, 4) in which a compression chamber with a variable cross-section (8) is defined between an inlet duct (9) and an outlet duct (11) for a fluid, a pumping element (16) being movably mounted inside said chamber; and a tread plate (20) movable with respect to the structure (2, 3,4) and coupled with the pumping element (16) . The support structure (2; 3, 4) has, defined inside it, a passage (14) separated from the compression chamber (8) , in a fluid- tight manner, by means of a resiliently deformable membrane (16) acting as a movable pumping element. A spherical piston (18) is mounted in this passage (14) , arranged between the membrane (16) and the tread plate (20) . The compression chamber (8) has a frustoconical surface against which, under the thrust of the spherical piston (18) , the membrane (16) bears at the end of a compression stroke .

Description

Fluid-dynamic transducer device for exploiting the kinetic energy of land vehicles

The present invention relates to a fluid-dynamic transducer device for exploiting the kinetic energy of land, road or rail vehicles.

More specifically, the invention relates to a fluid-dynamic transducer device of the type comprising: an operationally stationary support structure which is intended to be mounted underneath a road surface travelled along by vehicles and in which a compression chamber with a variable cross-section is defined between an inlet duct and an outlet duct for a hydraulic fluid, a pumping element being movably mounted inside said chamber; and a tread plate movable with respect^' to said structure ana operationally coupled with the pumping element; the tread plate being able to be surmounted and moved by a wheel of a motor vehicle passing over the transducer device and to cause a displacement of the pumping element and a corresponding compression of the hydraulic fluid contained inside the abovementioned chamber.

Fluid-dynamic transducer devices of this type are known in the art, for example from the international patent application WO05/005831.

One object of the present invention is to propose a fluid- dynamic transducer device of the improved type, with a simplified structure, which can be easily produced and assembled, as well as a reliable and optimum operating performance . This object, together with others, is achieved according to the invention by a fluid-dynamic transducer device of the type specified above, characterized in that a passage separated from the compression chamber, in a fluid-tight manner, by means of a resiliently deformable membrane acting as a pumping element movable between an intake position and a compression position, is defined in the abovementioned support structure; a spherical piston being mounted inside said passage, arranged between the membrane and the tread plate; the compression chamber having an essentially frustoconical surface against which, under the thrust of the piston, the membrane is able to bear at the end of the compression stroke.

Further characteristic features and advantages of the invention will emerge from the detailed description which follows, provided purely by way of a non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a fluid-dynamic transducer device according to the present invention, shown with the piston and the membrane in the top dead centre position;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view similar to that shown in Figure 1 and shows the transducer device with the piston and the membrane in the bottom dead centre position;

Figure 3 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the fluid-dynamic transducer device according to the previous figures;

Figures 3a and 3b are similar to .Figure 2 and show two variations of embodiment;

Figure 4 is a diagram of a possible fluid circuit associated with the device according to the present invention;

Figure 5 is a partial sectioned view which illustrates the ways of interconnecting the tread plates of adjacent fluid-dynamic transducer- devices; and

Figure 6 is a partial perspective view which shows a system comprising a two-dimensional array of fluid-dynamic transducer devices according to the present invention.

With reference to the drawings, and in particular Figures 1 to 3 , a fluid-dynamic transducer device 1 according to the present invention for exploiting the kinetic energy of land vehicles comprises an operationally stationary support structure denoted overall by 2.

In the embodiment shown by way of example, this support structure 2 comprises a single-piece lower body 3 , for example made of metallic material, to which an upper body or head-piece 4, which is also for example made of metallic material, is connected.

The lower body 3 has a flat, essentially quadrangular, upper surface 5 from the corners of which respective shaped lugs 6 extend upwards (see also Figure 6) .

An essentially cylindrical threaded p'assage 7 is formed in the central region of the upper side or surface 5 of the body 3. A frustoconical chamber, denoted by 8 in Figures 1 and 3, extends downwards from the bottom end of this passage 7. This chamber in the embodiment shown has an upper diameter, greater than the lower or outlet diameter, and communicates with an inlet duct 9 for a hydraulic fluid and, via a passage 10 with a reduced aperture, with an outlet duct 11. With reference to Figure 3, the inlet duct 9 and outlet duct 11 have, associated with them, respective non-return valve devices denoted by 12 and 13, respectively. These devices allow the passage of the hydraulic fluid solely in the directions of the arrows associated with them in Figure 3 , namely towards the chamber 8 in the case of the valve device 12, and from this chamber to the outlet duct 11 in the case of the valve device 13.

The upper body or head-piece 4 has an axial portion 4a with a smaller diameter, provided externally with a thread which allows screwing thereof inside the threaded passage 7 of the lower body 3. The upper body 4 has, in turn, an axial passage 14 with an essentially cylindrical shape.

As an alternative to the solution illustrated and described above, the lower body 3 and upper body 4 may be connected together in a sealed manner by means of stud bolts .

Preferably, although not necessarily, the top end 14a of the passage 14 has a slightly smaller cross-section (see in particular Figure 3) .

In Figures 1 to 3, 15 denotes an essentially frustoconical protection element, made of a resilient and preferably self- lubricating material, such as polytetrafluoroethylene, arranged so as to cover the surface of the chamber 8.

16 denotes a resiliently deformable membrane, the periphery of which is gripped in a fluid-tight manner between the bottom end 4a of the body 4 and an annular shoulder 7a defined in the single-piece lower body 3 between the passage 7 and the chamber 8 (see Figure 3 in particular) .

In order to prevent the accompanying movement of the membrane 16 when the upper body 4 is screwed into the threaded passage 7 of the lower body 3 , a washer 17 is conveniently arranged between the bottom end 4a of the body 4 and the membrane.

18 denotes a spherical piston or plunger which is mounted slidably inside the passage 14 of the upper body 4 and rests at the bottom on the membrane 16.

The smaller cross-section of the upper terminal portion 14a of the passage 14 acts as a means for limiting the stroke of the spherical piston 18 upwards.

The fluid-dynamic transducer device also comprises a tread plate which is denoted overall by 20 in Figures 1 to 3.

In the embodiment illustrated by way of example, this tread plate is made of rigid material, for example metallic material. Its upper side, intended to be surmounted by the wheels of a passing vehicle, may be conveniently provided with a coating of non-slip and wear-resistant material.

The tread plate 20 has at the bottom a central protuberance 21 facing downwards and resting on the spherical piston 18.

In the embodiment shown, the protuberance 21 has a convex surface, in the manner of a half-sphere or dome, and rests on the spherical piston 18 on a practically point-like surface.

Figure 3a shows a first variant where the protuberance 21 of the tread plate has a concave terminal surface forming a dome-shaped hollow 22 matching a corresponding portion of the surface of the piston 18.

Owing to this form, the tread plate is able to slide on the surface of the piston 18, oscillating about the centre of the latter.

In a further embodiment shown in Figure 3b, the protuberance 21 has a hollow 22 with a radius greater than the radius of the spherical piston 18 and rests on the top of this piston on a practically point-like surface.

As schematically illustrated in broken lines in Figure 1, a fluid-dynamic transducer device 1 according to the invention is intended to be mounted underneath a road surface P travelled along by vehicles, such as cars, lorries, etc., and the tread plate 20 is intended to be surmounted and moved by each wheel W passing over it .

When the tread plate 20 of a fluid-dynamic transducer device 1 is acted on by a wheel W, it oscillates about an instantaneous centre which, in the version shown in solid lines in Figures 1 to 3 , corresponds essentially to the centre of the spherical piston 18. At the same time, under the action of the weight force transmitted to it by means of the wheel which acts on it, the tread plate 20 "sinks" downwards, causing a corresponding lowering movement of the spherical piston 18 and a deformation of the membrane 16 from the configuration according to Figure l into the configuration according to Figure 2. It should be noted that, as will emerge more clearly below, conveniently with the membrane 16 in the rest condition, the spherical piston 18 and the tread plate 20 are kept in the raised position shown in Figure 1 as a result of a residual counter-pressure maintained inside the chamber underneath said membrane .

When the bottom dead centre is reached (Figure 2) , the compression stroke has finished: the membrane 16 bears against the protection element 15 which lines the frustoconical surface of the chamber 8.

As a result of the compression stroke described above, the membrane 16, which acts like a proper pumping element, causes a flow of pressurised fluid from the chamber 8 to the outlet duct 11, through the valve assembly 13, towards a user circuit, an example of which will be described below with reference to Figure 4. The backflow of the compressed hydraulic fluid through the inlet duct 9 is instead prevented by the one-way valve 12 (Figure 3) .

After a wheel has passed over the tread plate 20, as a result of a residual pressure inside the circuit to which the inlet duct 9 and outlet duct 11 are connected, the resilient membrane 16, the spherical piston 18 and the tread plate 20 are able to return into the position shown in Figure 1.

Conveniently, the membrane 16 is moulded with an upwardly convex form, as can be seen in Figure^' 1, so that its return into this configuration after a compression stroke is naturally aided. With reference to Figure 4, a fluid-dynamic transducer device 1 of the type described above, or a plurality of such devices connected together (as will be described below) , are connected to a fluid circuit including two branches 30 and 31 under high pressure and low pressure, respectively.

The high-pressure circuit branch 30 downstream of the nonreturn valve 13, via a gate valve 32 and a regulator 33, reaches the inlet of a mechanical energy to electrical energy converter, such as a turbo alternator 34 capable of supplying at its output an electrical voltage V which may be of the direct current and/or alternating current type.

Pressure storage tanks, such as those indicated by 35 in Figure 4, may be buffer-connected to the high-pressure circuit branch 30.

A high-pressure manometer 36 may be connected to the circuit branch 30, between the non-return valve 13 and the gate valve 32.

The low-pressure circuit branch 31 in the diagram according to Figure 4 comprises a meter 37 followed by a pump 38 with an associated gate valve 39 arranged in parallel, a low- pressure manometer 40 and a valve 41 for varied uses.

The fluid circuit shown in Figure 4 comprises a further circuit branch 42 in parallel with the regulator 33 / turbo alternator 34 assembly. This circuit branch comprises a high-pressure gate valve 43 followed by a low-pressure tank 44 and a gate valve 45 likewise for low pressure. As already mentioned above, a plurality of fluid-dynamic transducer devices of the type described above are conveniently installed along a section of the road surface intended to be travelled along by vehicles, arranged in a two-dimensional array, for example as partially shown in Figure 6.

The tread plates 20 of such a plurality of fluid-dynamic transducers 1 forming part of a row of transducers oriented parallel to the direction of travel of the vehicles are conveniently hinged together in the manner shown in Figure 5. In this figure the hinges between adjacent tread plates 20 are indicated by 50.

Conveniently, since the tread plates, when they are acted on by a motor-vehicle wheel, perform a certain oscillating movement, for example of ±10°, with respect to their horizontal plane of lie, their ends are also able to perform a corresponding horizontal displacement, for example of about 1-3 mm. Therefore, the hinges 50 between adjacent tread plates are conveniently of the resiliently yielding type or in any case of the type with play.

As can be seen in Figures 1 to 3 and 6, conveniently the inlet duct 9 and outlet duct 11 of the lower body 3 of each transducer device 1 emerge inside corresponding lateral recesses 24 and 25, in the form of lateral channels. When a plurality of transducer devices 1 of the type described above are connected together in an array, as shown in the embodiment according to Figure 6, these lateral recesses or grooves form intake and delivery headers to which the inlet ducts 9 and outlet ducts 11 of the various devices are connected .

Conveniently, in order to limit the vertical displacement of the tread plate 20 relative to the upper body 4, stoppage projections, indicated by 23 in Figures 1 to 3, extend upwards from the upper side of the latter.

Similarly, in order to limit the angular oscillation of the tread plates, respective projections 26, able to strike against the projections 6 of the single-piece lower body 3, extend from the bottom side thereof .

The operating principle of the fluid-dynamic transducer device according to the invention is based essentially on the pumping effect produced by means of the membrane 16 stressed alternately by a compressive and decompressive force.

The compressive action is produced by the actuation of the spherical piston 18 which, upon receiving a downwards thrust as a result of the load exerted by .a wheel of a vehicle passing over the tread plate 20, causes a lowering movement of the membrane 16 to the bottom dead centre (Figure 2) . The fluid may thus be compressed to pressure values equal, for example, to 70. bar or more. In order to optimise operation, the operating pressures of the fluid are instead conveniently in the range of between 20 and 40 bar.

The decompressive effect is instead produced partly by the resilient return movement of the said membrane 16, which tends to bring the piston 18 and the tread plate 20 back into the top dead centre position (Figure 1) , and partly by a counter-pressure induced in the low-pressure circuit (31 in Figure 4) as a result of hydraulic pressurisation which operationally exploits the residual pressure produced by the turbine of the turbo alternator unit 34 and, during start-up, makes use of a pressure produced by the pump 38 operating as a small autoclave (also having the function of a circuit recharging component) . The pressures in this case range, for example, between 1.5 and 2 bar.

The fluid compressed by the transducer via the high-pressure circuit branch 30 may be stored in static containers 35, the pre-charged condition of which is determined depending on the operating pressures which are to be maintained. The volume of stored fluid is established on the basis of the average energy production, recorded for example during peak traffic periods, so as to be able to ensure a^* certain uniformity of production. Once the capacity of the storage tanks 35 has been saturated, the excess energy produced may be directly released to a supply network.

Conveniently water may be used as the hydraulic conveying fluid, optionally added with anti-freeze agents and preferably enriched with a lubricating component .

Obviously, without modifying the principle of the invention, the embodiments and constructional details may be widely varied with respect to that described and illustrated purely by way of a non-limiting example, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention ^• as defined in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. Fluid-dynamic transducer device (1) for exploiting the kinetic energy of land vehicles, comprising: an operationally stationary support structure (2; 3, 4) which is intended to be mounted underneath a road surface (P) travelled along by vehicles and in which a compression chamber with a variable cross-section (8) is defined between an inlet duct (9) and an outlet duct (11) for a hydraulic fluid, a pumping element (16) being movably mounted inside said chamber; and a tread plate (20) movable with respect to said structure

(2; 3,4) and operationally coupled with the pumping element

(16) ; the tread plate (20) being able to be surmounted and moved by a wheel (W) of a passing motor vehicle and to cause a displacement of the pumping element (20) and a corresponding compression of the fluid contained inside said chamber (8) ; the device (1) being characterized in that a passage (14) separated from the compression chamber (8) , in a fluid-tight manner, by means of a resiliently deformable membrane (16) acting as a pumping element movable between an intake position and a compression position, is defined in said support structure (2; 3, 4) ; a spherical piston (18) being mounted inside said passage (14) , arranged between the membrane (16) and the tread plate (20) ; the compression chamber (8) having an essentially frustoconical surface against which, under the thrust of the spherical piston (18) , the membrane (16) bears at the end of a compression stroke.

2. Device according to Claim 1, in which said support structure (2) comprises: a lower body or base (3) in which an essentially cylindrical seat (7) with a vertical axis which joins at the bottom with said frustoconical compression chamber (8) is defined, and an upper body or head-piece (4) fixed in said seat (7) of the lower body (3) and defining a substantially cylindrical passage (14) with a vertical axis which faces the compression chamber (8) at the bottom; the membrane (16) being gripped between the upper body (4) and the lower body (3) .

3. Device according to Claim 2, in which the upper body (4) is screwed onto the lower body (3) and a member (17) is arranged between the upper body (4) and the membrane (16) , said member being able to prevent the rotational accompanying movement of the membrane (16) as a result of screwing of said upper and lower bodies (4, 3).

4. Device according to Claim 2, in which the lower body (3) and the upper body (4) are interconnected by means of stud bolts.

5. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the upper end portion (14a) of the passage (14) of the upper body (4) has a smaller cross-section, so as to form a means for limiting the upward stroke of the abovementioned spherical piston (18) .

6. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the tread plate (20) and the support structure have respective shaped parts (23, 26) able to limit the movements of the tread plate (20) with respect to said support structure (2) .

7. Device according to any one of the preceding claims , in which the membrane (16) is moulded so that in the rest condition it has a curved form, with the convexity directed upwards .

8. Device according to any one of the preceding claims , in which the frustoconical wall of the compression chamber (8) is provided with a resilient protective coating (15) preferably consisting of self-lubricating material.

9. Device according to any one of the preceding claims , in which the tread plate (20) has, at the bottom, a protuberance

(21) which rests on the surface of the spherical piston (18) .

10. Device according to Claim 9, in which the protuberance (21) of the tread plate (20) has a convex surface and is in contact with the spherical piston (18) on a practically point-like surface.

11. Device according to Claim 9, in which the protuberance (21) of the tread plate (20) has a hollow (22) with a shape matching a portion of the surface of the spherical piston (18) .

12. Device according to Claim 9, in which the protuberance (21) of the tread plate (20) has a hollow (22) with a radius of curvature greater than the radius of said spherical piston (18) , said hollow (22) making contact with the piston (18) on a practically point-like surface.

13. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said inlet duct (9) and said outlet duct (11) communicate with the bottom part of the compression chamber (8) .

14. Device according to any one of Claims 2 and the following claims, in which the abovementioned inlet duct (9) and outlet duct (11) communicate with respective lateral recesses in the form of horizontal grooves (24, 25) of the lower body (3) .

15. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said inlet duct (9) and outlet duct (11) have, associated with them respectively, non-return valve means

(12, 13) able to allow the flow of the fluid towards the compression chamber (8) and away from the compression chamber (8) , respectively.

16. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which a fluid circuit is connected between the outlet duct

(11) and the inlet duct (9) , said circuit including: a first high-pressure circuit branch (30) connected between the abovementioned outlet duct (11) and an apparatus (34) for converting the kinetic energy of the fluid into electrical energy, in particular a turbo alternator, pressurised fluid storage means (35) being connected to said first circuit branch (30) ; and a second low-pressure circuit branch (31) connected between the conversion apparatus (34) -and the abovementioned inlet duct (9) and comprising means for pumping the fluid (38) towards the inlet duct (9) ; the arrangement being such that, when a passing vehicle no longer exerts its action on the tread plate (20) , the membrane (16) and the piston (18) are able to return into a top dead centre position as a result of the resilient return movement of the membrane (16) and a counter-pressure induced in the low-pressure circuit branch (31) .

17. Device according to Claim 16, in which a gate valve (32) and a pressure regulator (33) and a first manometer (36) are connected in the high-pressure circuit branch (30) .

18. Device according to Claim 16 or 17,^" in which a (flowrate- measuring) meter (37) and a second manometer (40) arranged downstream of the abovementioned pumping means (38) are connected in the low-pressure circuit branch (31) .

19: Device according to any one of Claims 16 to 18, in which a third circuit branch (42) including a low-pressure tank (44) connected, respectively, to the first and the second circuit branch by means of a high-pressure gate valve (43) and low-pressure gate valve (45) , respectively, is connected in parallel with said conversion apparatus (34) .

20.. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the fluid is water, optionally -added with anti-freeze agents and preferably enriched with a lubricating component.

21. System for exploiting the kinetic energy of land vehicles, comprising a plurality of fluid-dynamic transducer devices (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, arranged essentially in a two-dimensional array.

22. System according to Claim 21, in which the tread plates (20) of fluid-dynamic transducer devices (1) forming part of a row directed parallel to the direction of travel of the vehicles are interconnected by hinging means (50) of the yielding type or with play.