Wind-powered battery charging system

Claim 2

An electrically-powered vehicle having a front, rear, opposing longitudinal sides, and a battery for storing and providing electrical energy, comprising: (a) a duct assembly comprising: (i) an air intake duct; (ii) a turbine chamber having a turbine chamber inlet and exhaust outlet; (iii) a discharge duct; and (iv) a discharge outlet, wherein the intake duct is connected to the turbine chamber inlet, the discharge duct is interposed between the turbine chamber exhaust outlet and the discharge outlet, and, the discharge duct has a larger cross sectional area than the turbine chamber exhaust outlet; (b) a turbine placed in the turbine chamber, said turbine adapted to operate by the air passing through the duct when the vehicle is in motion; and (c) a generator operatively engaged with the turbine, said generator providing electrical energy and charging the battery with the generated electrical energy when the turbine is in operation.

Claim 3

An electrically-powered vehicle having a front, rear, opposing longitudinal sides, and a battery for storing and providing electrical energy, comprising: (a) a duct assembly comprising: (I) an air intake duct having a forward opening; (ii) a turbine chamber having a turbine chamber inlet and exhaust outlet; (iii) a discharge duct; and (iv) a discharge outlet, wherein the intake duct is connected to the turbine chamber inlet, the discharge duct is interposed between the turbine chamber exhaust outlet and the discharge outlet, and, the discharge duct has a larger cross sectional area than the turbine chamber exhaust outlet; (b) a turbine placed in the turbine chamber, said turbine adapted to operate with the air passing through the duct when the vehicle is in motion; (c) a generator operatively engaged with the turbine, said generator providing electrical energy and charging the battery with the generated electrical energy when the turbine is in operation; and (d) a flywheel operatively engaged with the generator for storing mechanical energy when the turbine is in operation.

Claim 4

An electrically-powered vehicle having a front, rear, opposing longitudinal sides, and a battery for storing and providing electrical energy, comprising: (a) a duct assembly comprising: (I) an air intake duct having a forward opening; (ii) a turbine chamber having a turbine chamber inlet and exhaust outlet; (iii) a discharge duct; and (iv) a discharge outlet, wherein the intake duct is connected to the turbine chamber inlet, the discharge duct is interposed between the turbine chamber exhaust outlet and the discharge outlet, and, the discharge duct has a larger cross sectional area than the turbine chamber exhaust outlet; (b) a turbine placed in the turbine chamber, said turbine adapted to operate with the air passing through the duct when the vehicle is in motion; (c) a generator operatively engaged with the turbine, said generator providing electrical energy and charging the battery with the generated electrical energy when the turbine is in operation; and (d) a flywheel operatively engaged with the generator for storing mechanical energy when the turbine is in operation.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 2 further having a circuitry operatively connecting the generator to the battery for recharging the battery.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the turbine rotates in a horizontal plane.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the turbine is engaged with the generator by a gear arrangement.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the generator is engaged with the flywheel by a gear arrangement.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the flywheel is placed in an enclosure.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the enclosure is substantially sealed from the outside air.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the flywheel rotates in a horizontal plane.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the gear arrangement provides a gear ratio of at least ten between the turbine and the generator.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the gear arrangement provides a gear ratio of at least ten between the generator and the flywheel.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a catastrophe-containment device for safely containing the flywheel.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the discharge outlet is located in the rear of the vehicle.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the discharge outlet is adapted to discharge air on the opposing longitudinal sides of the vehicle.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the discharge duct is "Y" shaped with discharge outlets located on the opposing sides of the vehicle.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 14 further having an heating element for heating the air in the intake duct before it reaches the turbine.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the forward opening has a substantially greater cross-section than the discharge outlet.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the forward opening has an adjustable flap for adjusting air flow into the duct when the vehicle is in motion.

Claim 21

A wind-powered battery charging system for an electrically-powered vehicle having a front, opposing longitudinal sides, a rear, and at least one battery for storing and providing electrical energy, the battery charging system comprising: (a) a duct assembly, oriented generally longitudinally in the vehicle, comprising: (I) an air intake duct having a funnel shaped air intake with a forward opening in the front of the vehicle; (ii) a turbine chamber having a turbine chamber inlet and exhaust outlet; (iii) a discharge duct; and (iv) a discharge outlet, wherein the intake duct is connected to the turbine chamber inlet, the discharge duct is interposed between the turbine chamber exhaust outlet and the discharge outlet, and, the discharge duct has a larger cross sectional area than the turbine chamber exhaust outlet; (b) a turbine adapted to rotate about a vertical axis placed in the turbine chamber; (c) a generator operatively engaged with the turbine, said generator providing electrical energy when the turbine is in operation; (d) a flywheel operatively engaged with the generator for storing mechanical energy when excess energy is provided by the turbine to the generator and releasing energy when inadequate energy is provided by the turbine to the generator; and (e) electrical circuitry operatively connecting the generator to the battery for recharging the battery.

Claim 22

A wind-powered battery charging system for an electrically-powered vehicle having a front, opposing longitudinal sides, a rear, and at least one battery for storing and providing electrical energy, the battery charging system comprising: (a) a duct assembly, oriented generally longitudinally in the vehicle, comprising: (I) an air intake duct having a funnel shaped air intake with a forward opening in the front of the vehicle; (ii) a turbine chamber having a turbine chamber inlet and exhaust outlet; (iii) a discharge duct; and (iv) a discharge outlet, wherein the intake duct is connected to the turbine chamber inlet, the discharge duct is interposed between the turbine chamber exhaust outlet and the discharge outlet, and, the discharge duct has a larger cross sectional area than the turbine chamber exhaust outlet; (b) a turbine adapted to rotate about a vertical axis placed in the turbine chamber; (c) a generator operatively engaged with the turbine, said generator providing electrical energy when the turbine is in operation; (d) a flywheel operatively engaged with the generator for storing mechanical energy when excess energy is provided by the turbine to the generator and releasing energy when inadequate energy is provided by the turbine to the generator; and (e) electrical circuitry operatively connecting the generator to the battery for recharging the battery.

Claim 23

The battery charging system of claim 19 wherein: the turbine rotates about a turbine shaft having a turbine gear; the generator is operatively mounted on a generator shaft; the flywheel rotates about a flywheel shaft having a flywheel gear; a first generator gear is mounted on the generator shaft and operatively engaged with the turbine gear; and a second generator gear is mounted on the generator shaft and operatively engaged with the flywheel gear.

Claim 24

The battery charging system of claim 20, wherein the gear ratio between the turbine gear and the first generator gear is at least ten.

Claim 25

The battery charging system of claim 21, wherein the gear ratio between the second generator gear and the flywheel gear is at least ten.

Claim 26

The battery charging system of claim 19, further comprising a housing for the flywheel for sealing the flywheel, wherein the flywheel is contained in a reduced atmosphere.

Claim 27

The battery charging system of claim 19, wherein the air outlet is located in the rear of the vehicle.

Claim 28

The battery charging system of claim 19, wherein the air discharge duct is "Y" shaped with air outlets located on the opposing sides of the vehicle.

Claim 29

The battery charging system of claim 19, further comprising a heat transfer element for heating air passing through the turbines.

Claim 30

In an electrically-powered vehicle having a front, opposing longitudinal sides, a rear, and at least one battery for storing and providing electrical energy, a method for charging the battery, comprising: (a) capturing air at the front of the vehicle as the vehicle moves in a forward direction; (b) passing the captured air rearward through a duct in the vehicle to a turbine chamber; (c) rotating a turbine in the turbine chamber having a turbine chamber exhaust outlet with the captured air; (d) exhausting the captured air through an air discharge duct having a larger cross sectional area than the turbine chamber exhaust outlet to an air outlet; (e) generating electricity in a generator operatively engaged with the turbine; (f) recharging the battery with the electricity generated in the previous step; (g) storing mechanical energy in a flywheel that is operatively engaged with the generator; and (h) releasing stored energy in the flywheel to the generator for generating electricity.

Claim 31

In an electrically-powered vehicle having a front, opposing longitudinal sides, a rear, and at least one battery for storing and providing electrical energy, a method for charging the battery, comprising: (a) capturing air at the front of the vehicle as the vehicle moves in a forward direction; (b) passing the captured air rearward through a duct in the vehicle to a turbine chamber; (c) rotating a turbine in the turbine chamber having a turbine chamber exhaust outlet with the captured air; (d) exhausting the captured air through an air discharge duct having a larger cross sectional area than the turbine chamber exhaust outlet to an air outlet; (e) generating electricity in a generator operatively engaged with the turbine; (f) recharging the battery with the electricity generated in the previous step; (g) storing mechanical energy in a flywheel that is operatively engaged with the generator; and (h) releasing stored energy in the flywheel to the generator for generating electricity.

Claim 32

A wind-powered battery charging system for an electrically-powered vehicle having a forward facing air intake duct, an air discharge duct, a turbine chamber having a turbine chamber exhaust outlet therebetween, the air discharge duct having a larger cross sectional area than the turbine chamber exhaust outlet, a generator operatively engaged with the turbine and means for the generator to recharge batteries that store energy and provide power to the vehicle, comprising: (a) a flywheel rotatively engaged with the generator for receiving and storing mechanical energy from the generator and for releasing stored energy to the generator, wherein the gear ratio between the turbine and the generator is between one and fifty and the gear ratio between the generator and the flywheel is between one and fifty; and (b) the air exhaust duct discharges air through an air outlet located in a region defined by the rear of the vehicle and a wave vortex that forms behind the vehicle when the vehicle moves forward, so that the air exhausts into a relatively low-pressure region.

Claim 33

A wind-powered battery charging system for an electrically-powered vehicle having a forward facing air intake duct, an air discharge duct, a turbine chamber having a turbine chamber exhaust outlet therebetween, the air discharge duct having a larger cross sectional area than the turbine chamber exhaust outlet, a generator operatively engaged with the turbine and means for the generator to recharge batteries that store energy and provide power to the vehicle, comprising: (a) a flywheel rotatively engaged with the generator for receiving and storing mechanical energy from the generator and for releasing stored energy to the generator, wherein the gear ratio between the turbine and the generator is between one and fifty and the gear ratio between the generator and the flywheel is between one and fifty; and (b) the air exhaust duct discharges air through an air outlet located in a region defined by the rear of the vehicle and a wave vortex that forms behind the vehicle when the vehicle moves forward, so that the air exhausts into a relatively low-pressure region.

Claim 34

The battery charging system of claim 28, further comprising a heating element in the air intake duct.

Claim 35

The battery charging system of claim 28, wherein the air discharge duct is "Y" shaped and discharges air on opposing sides of the vehicle so as to take advantage of a Bernoulli effect.