WO2020210883A1

WO2020210883A1 - Wind-up system

Info

Publication number: WO2020210883A1
Application number: PCT/BR2019/050136
Authority: WO
Inventors: Renato DE PAULA
Original assignee: De Paula Renato
Priority date: 2019-04-13
Filing date: 2019-04-13
Publication date: 2020-10-22

Abstract

The wind-up system is intended to reduce energy losses inherent in any motor vehicle, essentially working by creating a mechanical energy-accumulation device for storing a large part of the kinetic energy that is wasted when the vehicle decelerates, and applying said energy later to subsequent accelerations. The basic operating principle of the invention can be summarized as the mechanical energy coming from the drive wheels being transferred to a bank of springs and vice versa. The benefits of the wind-up system are the reductions in fuel consumption, gas emissions, mechanical wear and disposal of deactivated batteries. The wind-up system is an essentially mechanical system independent of the drive technology of the vehicle, and can therefore be used in electric, petrol, ethanol-fuel and hybrid cars, etc. Furthermore, use of the wind-up system is also beneficial in light of the existing limitations of the latest electric cars, such as charging times, limited range, infrastructure and environmental impact.

Description

description

Wind-up system

The Wind-up system aims to reduce the energy losses inherent in any car. Summing up its simple operating principle, in the Wind-up system, springs act as energy stores, absorbing much of the vehicle's kinetic energy when in motion.

Aiming at a good understanding of its working principle, here are some definitions:

1) Kinetic Energy: It is related to the movement of bodies. The result of kinetic energy is intrinsically linked to the value of the object's mass and its speed of movement.

Kinetic energy (EC) is calculated using the formula:

EC = 0.5 x m x v2. Where, "m" is the mass of the object and "v" is its speed.

In the International System (SI), the Kinetic Energy is given in joules (J), the mass in kilograms (Kg) and the speed in meters per second (m / s).

For example: Imagine a vehicle with a mass of 100,000 kg, traveling at a speed of 100k / m (converting to SI, equal to approximately 28m / s). In this case, applying the formula above, its potential energy will be 392,000 J.

2) Mechanical Work: It is the product of a force applied to a body that produces its displacement.

The work, in the SI indicated by the Greek letter t, is calculated using the formula: t = F x d. Where, "F" is the force applied to the object and "d" is the distance traveled.

In the international system, Labor is also given in joules (J), the force in Newton (N) and the distance in meters (m). For example: Imagine a vehicle with a mass of 100,000 kg, which moved from its absolute rest (completely stopped) by 100m. So, the applied work was 100,000 J.) Resulting Force: Newton's Second Law says that the resulting force acting on a body must be equal to the product of the body's mass by its acceleration.

The force (F), which in SI is indicated in Newtons (N), is calculated using the formula:

F = m x a. Where, "m" is the mass of the object and "a" is its acceleration.

In SI, mass is given in kilograms (kg) and acceleration in meters per second squared (m / s ^A 2).

Illustrating, when an object changes its speed of displacement, be it from absolute rest to a determined speed of movement or vice versa, an external force was applied for this purpose, being calculated by the product of its mass by acceleration. If the speed increases, it can be said that the acceleration of the applied force was positive. Otherwise, that is, if the object is slowing down (braking), the acceleration of the applied force was negative. ) Potential Elastic Energy:

It is the potential energy of a string that has elasticity or, in this case, a spring.

If we consider that a spring shows ideal behavior, that is, that all the energy it receives to deform it actually stores, we can write that the potential elastic energy (Eel) accumulated in that spring is worth:

Eel = 0.5 xkxc ^L 2. Where, "k" is the spring elastic constant, in SI expressed in Newton per meter (N / m), and "x" is the deformation that the spring undergoes by force F in relation to to its natural state, expressed in meter (m). It is important to emphasize that the type of spring applied in the Wind-up system is the classic helical, which conceptually works with deformations always in the linear direction, in a single plane. Imagine a spring of low elastic constant, being enough to be handled. It is known that it will be compressed if we apply similar forces at both ends. And it is also known that the same spring will return to its original shape after being released, releasing the energy "stored" in the spring, which was generated by the application of the force and the displacement suffered.

Cars, so well known and widely used anywhere on the planet, travel through different means of propulsion, be it electric, with combustion engines of fossil fuels, hybrids, nitrogen, etc., but necessarily respecting the laws of physics mentioned above . The Wind-up system basically works by creating a "reservoir" to store much of the kinetic energy that is wasted during vehicle decelerations (braking), especially in urban uses, where constant accelerations and decelerations consume a large amount of energy.

Imagine a vehicle that travels at 100km / h and needs to stop in a few meters. Currently, in vehicles with combustion engines, all kinetic energy is absorbed and wasted by the brakes applied by the driver to stop the vehicle. In the Wind-up system, a large part of the kinetic energy of the movement is stored in a helical spring bank, so that it is then always applied in subsequent accelerations. A similar effect occurs in current electric vehicles, which apply regenerative braking systems, which send electrical energy generated by braking to the battery.

In order to further enhance the understanding of this dynamic, it is worth adding the following concepts:

1) Circular movement and rectilinear movement:

Except in the very rare cases when vehicles move through turbines or elastic propellers, such as in a slingshot or in an archery, automobiles move through forces that generate rotations in their driving wheels. That said, since helical springs have the principle of operation with straight movements, it is necessary to convert the rotational movement of the wheels into a straight movement of the springs. Therefore, for the Wind-up system, we opted for the rack pinion, where a circular gear (pinion) transfers its rotation to a rack (type of toothed bar fitted to the pinion teeth):

2) Clutch:

It is a mechanism used to transmit the rotation from one set to another, when activated. In vehicles, as we know, the clutch serves to transmit the rotation of the engine to the gearbox and thus to the driving wheels. When activating the clutch (activating the pedal), the engine and wheels rotate independently. When you release it, the engine is directly connected to the drive wheels.

3) Rotation inverter: Simple device that aims to reverse the direction of rotation of an axis.

In a practical application, the well-known and applied reverse gear for motor vehicles, reverses the rotation direction of the automotive wheels in relation to the rotation direction of the engine, which invariably rotates in the same direction of rotation. Considering the aforementioned concepts described, a simplified diagram of the Wind-up system follows: a) Accelerating the vehicle (discharging the accumulated energy in the spring bank):

b) Braking the vehicle (loading energy in the spring bank):

c) Vehicle inertia of movement (stopped or at constant speed):

The following calculation memory, based on the aforementioned theories of physics, supports the principle of operation of the Wind-up system:

1) Assumptions

Vehicle mass (kg) = 1580

Driving wheel radius (m) = 0.31

Distance (m) = 20

Driving wheel revolutions (rev) = 10

2) Calculation of work on acceleration

F = m x a

m (kg) = 1.580

a (m / s ^A 2) = 1

F (N) = 1.580

T = F x d

d (m) = 20

T (Nm) = 31,600

0 - d (s) = 23

Speed in d (km / h) = 23

3) Spring bank energy

F (N) = 1.580

F = k x x

x (m) = 0.2

k (N / m) = 400,000

k (N / mm) = 400 k (kgf / mm) = 4.079

T = (kxc ^L 2) / 2

T (Nm) = 8,000

Number of springs = 3.95 To get an idea of the thrust corresponding to an acceleration of 1 m / s, disregarding friction losses, the isolated system would be able to accelerate the vehicle from 0- 100 km / h in 27.8 seconds.

Figure 1 illustrates the final configuration of the Wind-up System integrated with an exemplified vehicle, considering the calculation memory above. Figure 2 describes the system's operating logic when driving the vehicle.

In summary and in an ultimate didactic way, a similar principle of operation can be observed in the classic miniature friction carts, which move them in reverse direction, to load the internal spring, and then release them to move. move through stored energy. The continuous and eternal search for the highest performance of any equipment (applied resources vs. results achieved) has always accompanied the evolution of all types of technologies. In automobiles, with the scarcity of energy sources, whether fossil, electric, etc., together with the increasing demand for mobility and its representativeness in the global matrix, this phenomenon is even more intense. Much has been done to optimize the time vs. time equation as much as possible. displacement vs. energy and much still to come, always.

Therefore, the benefits of applying the Wind-up system are:

- Reduction of fuel and / or energy consumption, in the case of vehicles with hybrid or electric technology;

- Reduction of wear on the vehicle's brake, transmission and propulsion systems; - Reducing the emission of polluting gases to the atmosphere;

- Reduced disposal of deactivated batteries. Also, because it is an essentially mechanical system, durable and independent of the vehicle's propulsion technology, that is, if powered by combustion, electric, hybrid, hydrogen engines, among others, the applicability of the Wind-up system is practically unlimited. In fact, it can also work in conjunction with the current regenerative braking systems of hybrid and electric cars. Furthermore, as it is a durable system and reduces the natural wear and tear of the braking systems, in addition to reducing energy consumption, the car's sustainability is substantially enhanced.

Last but not least, the current limitations that still exist in electric cars, such as high charging time, low autonomy, the need for large investments in infrastructure and the environmental impact caused by battery discharges, tend to make the application of the Wind-up system.

Considerations to be verified and / or validated during laboratory tests

- Despite being the smallest gear reduction point in the driving system, it is valid to check if the differential output is the best connection point in the system. - A weight of 40kg was estimated for the entire system. Consider hollow gears and light material housings. It is also possible to review the number of springs depending on the dimensions, weight and performance of the system, according to the vehicle. Also, the applicability of different types of springs (spiral, twist, clamp, tape, traction) can also be verified. - It is necessary to define the ways of coupling and uncoupling the system, depending on the speed (except for maneuvers and high speeds), performance and smoothness when driving the vehicle. In this regard, it is also important to calibrate the clutch drives with pressure equalization on the brake pedal, in order to reduce the driver's perception as much as possible. - Define friction and heat losses, compensating them when dimensioning the set in order to maintain the performance premises (acceleration, speed and distances).

- Integrate occupied space and weight of the set in the vehicle design, considering mainly the weight distribution between the axles, height of the center of mass, maintenance of comfort in the passenger compartment and trunk space. Installations under the rear seat and / or at the bottom of the trunk must be strongly considered.

- Use helical gears to reduce system noise.

- During laboratory tests, the premises of distance and speed can be recalibrated according to the performance of the system.

- As it is an extremely complex calculation with numerous variables, fuel economy can only be assessed in practice, applying local automobile standards for different types of vehicles.

Claims

Wind-up system

The continuous and eternal search for the highest performance of any equipment has always accompanied the evolution of all types of technologies. In automobiles, with the scarcity of energy sources, whether fossil, electric, etc., together with the increasing demand for mobility and its representativeness in the global matrix, this phenomenon is even more intense. Much has been done to optimize the time vs. time equation as much as possible. displacement vs. energy and much still to come, always.

In this sense and in view of so many other technologies that aim to optimize energy consumption for urban mobility, I come to request:

1) patent of the technology of "accumulation" of energy in mechanical elastic systems, whether by helical, aspiration, torsion springs or any other that can be applied in the proper objective of accumulation of mechanical elastic energy.

Searches were carried out in the patent registrations of all countries belonging to the Geneva WIPO convention and nothing, at least similar, was found.

The benefits of applying the Wind-up system are:

- Reduced disposal of deactivated batteries.

Considering such precious factors, I have come to apply for the patent for such a fabulous invention.

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