WO2016036233A1

WO2016036233A1 - Energy converter

Info

Publication number: WO2016036233A1
Application number: PCT/MY2015/050095
Authority: WO
Inventors: Manuel Vieira Barreiro
Original assignee: Manuel Vieira Barreiro
Priority date: 2014-09-01
Filing date: 2015-09-01
Publication date: 2016-03-10
Also published as: SG10201406368UA; AU2014218485A1

Abstract

An energy converter comprises a series of wheels, each of which includes a rubber strap arranged to stretch along a spiral path. The wheels can be simultaneously loaded by stretch of the rubber strap, and then load can be delivered over a long period by sequential unloading of each wheel.

Description

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

Invention title:

"ENERGY CONVERTER"

The following statement is a full description of the invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: "ENERGY CONVERTER"

Field of the Invention

[1 ] The present invention relates to the storage and conversion of energy, in particular the conversion of intermittent energy into a continuous supply of energy.

Background to the Invention

[2] Motors and engines typically require a reasonably steady energy source in order to provide a reasonably constant mechanical output. Energy may be supplied to the motor or engine in several ways, such as in chemical form, as fuel; in electrical form, as an applied voltage; or in mechanical form, such as hydraulic pressure.

[3] In some instances, it is possible to store energy for use within a motor. Energy can be stored electrically, using a capacitor; chemically, using a battery; or mechanically, using potential energy storage mechanisms such as springs.

[4] In general, the storage and retrieval of energy in motors is an inefficient process.

[5] In situations where energy supply may be intermittent, for instance where occasional excess energy may be available, it is highly desirable to have a means for efficiently storing intermittent energy and using this energy to produce a continuous mechanical output. One such system is disclosed in the International Patent Application Number WO2009/006704, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[6] The present invention seeks to improve on the operation of this prior art device. Summary of the Invention

[7] According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an energy converter including an energy input, an energy output, and an energy store, such that energy supplied via the energy input can be stored in the energy store, and the energy store can supply energy to the energy output, the energy store including at least one resilient member arranged to store potential energy, the energy store including a driving wheel having a central axis, the resilient member having a path about the central axis, the resilient member being arranged to stretch along the path through at least 360° about the central axis.

[8] It is preferred that the path be generally spiral.

[9] According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an energy converter including an energy input, an energy output, and at least a first and a second energy store, the energy input arranged to receive mechanical energy from a reciprocating energy source, the energy source having a forward direction and a reverse direction, each energy store including a driving wheel having a central axis, whereby the first energy store is arranged to store energy received during movement of the energy source in the forward direction and the second energy store is arranged to store energy received during movement of the energy source in the reverse direction, and the driving wheel of the first energy store and the driving wheel of the second energy store are both arranged to drive the energy output in the same direction.

[10] According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided an energy converter including an energy input, an energy output, and a plurality of energy stores, the energy input arranged to receive mechanical energy and supply it to the energy stores, at least two energy stores being arranged to receive energy from the energy input concurrently, the energy stores being arranged to supply energy to the energy output sequentially. [1 1 ] It will be understood that the term 'energy converter' is used in a broad sense. The present invention may be used to provide energy to a motor, to a pump, to a compressor or to indeed any device requiring energy to be supplied over a period of time.

[12] It will be appreciated that the energy converter does not require elaborate cooling or lubrication systems. It has no direct emissions, and is able to operate across a wide range of speed / torque settings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[13] It will be convenient to further describe the invention with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention. Other embodiments are possible, and consequently the particularity of the following discussion is not to be understood as superseding the generality of the preceding description of the invention. In the drawings:

[14] Figure 1 is a perspective of an energy converter in accordance with the present invention;

[15] Figure 2 is an exploded view of the energy converter of Figure 1 ;

[16] Figure 3 is a perspective of a reciprocating energy source from within the energy converter of Figure 1 ;

[17] Figure 4 is a perspective of a gearbox within the energy converter of Figure 1 ;

[18] Figure 5 is an exploded view of the gearbox of Figure 4;

[19] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view through the gearbox of Figure 4;

[20] Figure 7 is a perspective of an energy storage bank within the energy converter of Figure 1 ;

[21 ] Figure 8 is a cut-away view of the energy storage bank of Figure 7; [22] Figure 9 is a perspective of an energy storage wheel pair from within the energy storage bank of Figure 7;

[23] Figure 10 is a perspective of an energy storage wheel, being one of the pair of Figure 9;

[24] Figure 1 1 is a plan view of the energy storage wheel of Figure 10;

[25] Figure 12 is a schematic view of a selection of rubber strap profiles which can be used in the energy storage wheel of Figure 10;

[26] Figure 13 is a cross sectional view through the energy storage bank of Figure 8;

[27] Figure 14 is a perspective of a locking device within the energy storage bank of Figure 8;

[28] Figure 1 5 is a cross section through the locking device of Figure 14;

[29] Figure 16 is a plan cross section through the energy converter of Figure 1 ;

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

[30] Referring to the Figures, Figures 1 and 2 show an energy converter 10. The energy converter 1 0 includes a reciprocating energy source being a hydraulic ram arrangement 12, a gearbox 14, two energy storage banks 16, and a driven output wheel 18.

[31 ] Energy is supplied to the energy banks by means of the hydraulic ram arrangement 1 2, which can be seen in Figure 3. The hydraulic ram arrangement 1 2 as shown in Figure 3 includes a hydraulic fluid reservoir 20 containing hydraulic fluid, which is supplied by means of hydraulic pumps 22 and pipes 24 to two hydraulic cylinders 26. The hydraulic cylinders 26 are parallel to each other, and spaced apart so as to receive the gearbox 14. [32] Each hydraulic cylinder 26 has an associated reciprocating ram 28 arranged to reciprocate in a longitudinal direction.

[33] Each reciprocating ram 28 has an inner arm 30 attached to an outer end of the reciprocating ram 28. The inner arms 30 are parallel to the reciprocating rams 28, and located on an inside of the hydraulic ram arrangement 12. The inner arms 30 are longer than the reciprocating rams 28, and thus each extends over a portion of its associated hydraulic cylinder 26 when the reciprocating ram is extended, as shown in Figure 3.

[34] Figure 3 shows two electrical motors 32 arranged to provide energy to the hydraulic pumps 22. It will be appreciated that other energy sources may be utilised to provide energy to the hydraulic ram arrangement 1 2.

[35] The gearbox 14 is shown in Figures 4 to 6. The gearbox 14 includes two tracks 34, one located on each side, which are arranged to receive the inner arms 30 of the hydraulic ram arrangement 12. The tracks 34 each extend in the longitudinal direction.

[36] The gearbox 14 has two side walls 36 in which the respective tracks 34 are located. The side walls 36 are transversely spaced from each other, and each extends in a vertical direction, perpendicular to the transverse and elongate directions, from a lower end to an upper end. The tracks 34 are located midway between the lower and upper ends.

[37] Each side wall 36 includes a vertically aligned shaft 38 extending from the lower end to the upper end. Each vertically aligned shaft 38 is supported at upper and lower ends by bevel gear sets 40.

[38] Each of the bevel gear sets 40 has a hollow forward shaft portion 42 and a hollow rear shaft portion 44, with the forward shaft portion 42 extending in the elongate direction towards a front of the energy converter 10 and the rear shaft portion 44 extending in the elongate direction towards a rear of the energy converter 1 0. [39] The vertically aligned shaft 38 is connected to its associated inner arm 30 by means of a rack-and-pinion arrangement 45.

[40] The arrangement is such that movement of the inner arm 30 in the elongate direction causes rotation of the vertically aligned shaft 38 about a vertical axis. This, in turn, causes rotation of both forward shaft portions 42 and rear shaft portions 44 about their elongate axes.

[41 ] The four forward shaft portions 42 are associated with a forward energy storage bank 1 6, and the four rear shaft portions 44 are associated with a rearward energy storage bank 16. The rearward energy storage bank 16 will be henceforth described, with the understanding that the rearward energy storage bank 1 6 is a mirror-image thereof.

[42] The energy storage bank 1 6 can be considered as divided into four quadrants: a first quadrant 46, a second quadrant 48, a third quadrant 50 and a fourth quadrant 52. These are evenly spaced in clockwise order around a central axis 54, which is oriented in the elongate direction. Each quadrant has a driving axle 56 located centrally of the quadrant. The four driving axles 56 are arranged to be received within and coupled to the four rear shaft portions 44 of the gear box 14.

[43] Each driving axle 56 represents the central axle of an energy storage wheel pair 58, as shown in Figure 9. Each wheel pair 58 includes two toothed energy storage wheels 60 of equal diameter, located along a common shaft being the driving axle 56. Each wheel 60 is essentially identical, and will be described with reference to Figures 1 0 and 1 1 .

[44] Each wheel 60 has a first face 62 and a second face 64. A plurality of guide rollers 66 is located on each of the first face 62 and the second face 64. The guide rollers 66 extend from the face 62, 64, and are arranged to be able to freely rotate about an axis parallel to the driving axle 56. [45] The guide rollers 66 are arranged about face 62, 64 in a spiral fashion, with a first guide roller 66a located near an outer circumferential edge of the face 62, 64, and then successive guide rollers 66 spiralling in towards the driving axle 56, with a final guide roller 66b located about one third of the wheel 60 radius from the centre. The spiral created by the rollers 66 extends through about 630° in the embodiment shown. The spiral goes from out-to-in in an anti-clockwise direction on the first face 62, and a clockwise direction on the second face 64.

[46] A spool 68 is located centrally of the wheel face 62, 64, about the driving axle 56. The spool 68 includes an anchor point 70, which acts as an extension of the rollers 66 to extend the spiral to about 750°.

[47] Each wheel face 62, 64 includes a windable member which extends about the spiral. The windable member is formed of a substantially inextensible portion, made in this case from a spring steel strap 72, and a resiliently extendible portion such as a rubber strap 74.

[48] The spring steel strap 72 is mounted to the anchor point 70 of the spool 68, and extends around the spiral about 660°. The rubber strap 74 extends from an outer end of the spring steel strap 72 to the first guide roller 66a, to which it is affixed. In the unloaded state shown in Figures 10 and 1 1 , the rubber strap thus extends around the first 90° of the spiral, starting at the outermost point.

[49] The profile of the rubber strap 74 can be chosen to suit particular requirements. Suitable rubber strap 74 profiles can be seen in Figure 12.

[50] The energy storage wheel pair 58 is loaded by rotation of the driving axle 56 in the direction of the spiral (that is, anti-clockwise when viewed from the side of the first face 62). This causes the spring steel straps 72 to wind around their respective spools 68, and the rubber straps 74 to stretch by a corresponding amount to maintain their respective spirals. A fully loaded energy storage wheel pair 58 will have stretched the strap 74 nearly through 720° from its neutral position.

[51 ] The driving axle 56 is mounted to its associated rear shaft portion 44 by means of a one-way clutch arrangement, permitting the transfer of a driving force from the vertically aligned shaft 38 to the driving axle 56 only in a loading direction. It will be appreciated that this corresponds to movement of the associated reciprocating ram 28 in a single direction: either out from the cylinder 26 or into the cylinder 26.

[52] The energy storage wheel pairs 58 for the first quadrant 46 and the third quadrant 50 are arranged to load during outward movement of the reciprocating rams 28. The energy storage wheel pairs 58 of the second quadrant 48 and the fourth quadrant 52 are arranged to load during return movement of the reciprocating rams 28.

[53] This arrangement is reversed for the forward energy storage bank 16. In this way, rotation of a vertically aligned shaft 38 will load an energy storage wheel pair 58 of the forward energy storage bank 1 6 coupled to one end of the vertically aligned shaft 38, and will simultaneously load an energy storage wheel pair 58 of the rear energy storage bank 16 coupled to the other end of the vertically aligned shaft 38.

[54] Each of the two reciprocating rams 28 will thus load two wheel pairs 58 during outward movement, and two wheel pairs during return movement. A full stroke of both reciprocating rams 28 will load all eight wheel pairs of the two energy storage banks 1 6.

[55] Each wheel 60 is arranged to engage by means of its outer toothed circumference with a respective cog 76. The cogs 76 are paired along driven shafts 78, with a pair of cogs 76 being engaged with each wheel pair 58 to drive a single driven shaft 78. The driven shafts 78 are located inside the wheel pairs 58; that is, towards the central axis 54. [56] The energy storage bank 16 includes two locking devices 80, each of which having four locking pins 82. The arrangement is that a first locking device 80 has locking pins 82 arranged to selectively engage with the two cogs 76 of the first quadrant 46 and the two cogs 76 of the fourth quadrant 52, and a second locking device 80 has locking pins 82 arranged to selectively engage with the two cogs 76 of the second quadrant 48 and the two cogs 76 of the third quadrant 50. Each locking device 80 includes two electric switches 84, activation of which causes movement of the locking pins into or out of engagement with the cogs 76.

[57] The locking devices 80 are employed to hold the cogs 76 and thus the wheel 60 in a 'loaded' position; that is, it prevents retraction of the rubber straps 74.

[58] Each of the driven shafts 78 extend back into the gearbox 14, where each is mounted to an intermediate gear wheel 86 by means of a one-way clutch arrangement. The intermediate gear wheels 86 are spaced around, and in toothed engagement with, an output gear 88, which is mounted to a drive shaft 90.

[59] The arrangement is such that rotation of any one of the driven shafts 78 will cause rotation of its associated intermediate gear wheel. This, in turn, causes rotation of the output gear 88 and the drive shaft 90. The rotation of the output gear 88 will also cause rotation of the other intermediate gear wheels 86, however the operation of the one-way clutches will prevent rotation of their associated driven shafts 78.

[60] Figure 16 shows a plan cross section of the energy converter 1 0, taken through the level of one pair of driven shafts 78. In this view, the linkage from the cogs 76 back through to the gear box 14 and the drive shaft 90 can be seen.

[61 ] Each energy storage wheel pair 58 can be 'released' by virtue of its related switch 84 in order to provide impetus to the drive shaft 90. This can be done sequentially, so as to provide a reasonably constant torque to the drive shaft 90 over a prolonged period.

[62] The unloading of the energy storage wheel pair 58 preferably takes place in the sequence: first quadrant 46, third quadrant 50; second quadrant 48; fourth quadrant 52.

[63] The gearing arrangement shown in the drawings is arranged to drive the output shaft at a ratio of 10:1 .

[64] The present invention envisages electronic control, where more than one energy storage wheel pair 58 may be unloaded simultaneously in order to achieve a required torque on the drive shaft 90. Appropriate clutches may also be utilised to allow individual energy storage wheels 60 to be unloaded, in order to provide greater control over the resulting torque.

[65] Loading of all sixteen energy storage wheels 60 of the energy converter 10 may be achieved using the hydraulic ram arrangement 12 in a very short time, typically two or three seconds. This load, when unloaded using the mechanism described above, can typically drive the drive shaft at between 0 and 10 RPM for about 480 seconds before reloading is required.

[66] Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1 . An energy converter including an energy input, an energy output, and an energy store, such that energy supplied via the energy input can be stored in the energy store, and the energy store can supply energy to the energy output, the energy store including at least one resilient member arranged to store potential energy, the energy store including a driving wheel having a central axis, the resilient member having a path about the central axis, the resilient member being arranged to stretch along the path through at least 360° about the central axis.

2. An energy converter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the path is spiral in shape.

3. An energy converter as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the resilient member is arranged to stretch along the path through more than 540°

4. An energy converter as claimed in claim 3, wherein the resilient member is arranged to stretch along the path through nearly 720°.

5. An energy converter as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the path is defined by guide rollers.

6. An energy converted as claimed in claim 5, wherein the resilient member is mounted to a substantially inextensible windable portion.

7. An energy converter including an energy input, an energy output, and at least a first and a second energy store, the energy input arranged to receive mechanical energy from a reciprocating energy source, the energy source having a forward direction and a reverse direction, each energy store including a driving wheel having a central axis, whereby the first energy store is arranged to store energy received during movement of the energy source in the forward direction and the second energy store is arranged to store energy received during movement of the energy source in the reverse direction, and the driving wheel of the first energy store and the driving wheel of the second energy store are both arranged to drive the energy output in the same direction.

8. An energy converter as claimed in claim 7 wherein the reciprocating energy source is a hydraulic ram.

9. An energy converter as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8 wherein the energy converter includes at least two first energy stores and at least two second energy stores

10. An energy converter as claimed in claim 9 wherein two first energy stores are diametrically opposed about a central axis, and two second energy stores are diametrically opposed about the central axis, with each first energy store being disposed at 90° around the central axis relative to a second energy store.

1 1 . An energy converter as claims in claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the energy converter includes two banks of first and second energy stores, with a gear box located between the two banks.

1 2. An energy converter including an energy input, an energy output, and a plurality of energy stores, the energy input arranged to receive mechanical energy and supply it to the energy stores, at least two energy stores being arranged to receive energy from the energy input concurrently, the energy stores being arranged to supply energy to the energy output sequentially.

1 3. An energy converter as claimed in claim 1 2, wherein the energy converter includes at least four energy stores.

14. An energy converter as claimed in claim 1 3, wherein the energy converter includes at least eight energy stores.

1 5. An energy converter as claimed in claim 14, wherein the energy converter includes sixteen energy stores.

1 6. An energy converter as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 1 6, wherein selectively more than one energy store can supply energy to the energy output concurrently.