FR2868361A1 - Power generator for recharging batteries of e.g. truck, has rotor mounted on shaft to transform kinetic energy into mechanical energy when vehicle moves, and carrier frame fixed on connection board using threaded rods and self-locking nut - Google Patents

Abstract

The generator has a rotor (10) mounted on a shaft to transform kinetic energy of air into mechanical energy when a vehicle is in movement. The shaft is arranged on a carrier frame (13) and connected to alternators (17) transforming the mechanical energy into electrical energy to supply batteries of the vehicle. The frame is fixed on a connection board arranged in front of the vehicle using threaded rods (30) and a self-locking nut.

Description

The subject of the present invention is an electric energy generator of

mobile type.

  It concerns the technical field of wind motors and more particularly the adaptation of this type of mechanism on transport vehicles to recharge electric batteries.

  Electric batteries are used on many transport vehicles as a source of power for the supply of the various circuits and in particular for starting the engine.

  In very cold weather or after long use, the electric batteries are discharged and the vehicle can not start. People who have their vehicle thus immobilized must, most of the time, call upon a repairman who must always have at his disposal charged batteries to restart the engine. However, after a certain number of interventions, the batteries of the convenience store are in turn discharged and must be recharged on a source of electrical energy, an expensive operation, which can take several hours and may be highly detrimental to the person. whose vehicle remains immobilized.

  Many people use so-called renewable energies, including wind energy, to produce electricity for free. Many wind motor mechanisms are known and used to recharge electric batteries.

  Wind generators are thus known to produce electrical energy from the kinetic energy of the wind. But these facilities are expensive and require major earthworks and although with many advantages, the production of electrical energy with these generators is usually dependent on the presence and strength of the wind. The charging of the electric batteries can then take several hours during which they are immobilized.

  It is also known to have wind motor mechanisms on electric traction transport vehicles in order to use the kinetic energy of said vehicle to produce electrical energy. However, the installation of such mechanisms disturbs the stability of the vehicle and involves modifying its design.

  The present invention aims to mitigate this state of affairs including the fact that it allows a repairman to have batteries charged regardless of the number of vehicles to troubleshoot and type of mechanical gear.

  The invention also aims to allow to recharge batteries for free thanks to a wind motor mechanism whose operation does not depend on the presence or strength of the wind.

  The invention also aims to allow to mount a wind motor mechanism on any type of vehicle, without fundamentally altering the design and while maintaining the stability of said vehicle.

  Another object of the invention is to allow easy assembly and disassembly of the wind motor mechanism on the vehicle so that the user can use his vehicle normally.

  These goals are achieved by an electric power generator mounted on a motor vehicle and having a propeller mounted on a shaft to convert the kinetic energy of the air into mechanical energy when the vehicle moves, the shaft being arranged on a carrier chassis and being connected to alternators transforming the mechanical energy into electrical energy to supply batteries arranged in said vehicle, characterized in that the carrier frame is fixed on a connection board positioned at the front of said vehicle .

  These goals are also achieved by the fact that the axis of rotation of the propeller is slightly inclined rearwardly to improve the stability of said vehicle.

  These goals are also achieved by the fact that the attachment of the carrier frame to the connection board is by means of threaded rods and self-locking nuts so as to easily dismount and reassemble the present device and be able to adjust the angle inclination of the axis of rotation of the propeller.

  Other features and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly on reading the following description, given by way of non-limiting indication, with reference to the appended drawings, in which: FIG. 1 represents a schematic side view of the generator of FIG. electrical energy object of the invention mounted on the transport vehicle; Figure 2 is a detailed view of the electrical energy generator object of the invention showing the various components and the method of attachment to a car, the protective grid is not shown; Figure 3 shows a schematic top view showing the fixing of the connection board on the upper frame of the vehicle; Figure 4 is a front view of the connection table for fixing the electrical energy generator object of the invention at the front of the vehicle.

  As shown in Figure 1, the electric power generator 1 is mounted at the front of a motor vehicle 2 to convert the kinetic energy of air into electrical energy when said vehicle moves. The electric current, produced by two alternators of 24 volts equipped with indicator lamps indicating their proper operation, is then conveyed by four cables 3 (a cable + and a cable - for each alternator) to four batteries 4, each capable of supplying a voltage 12 volts, arranged at the rear of the vehicle 2.

  The positioning of the batteries 4 at the rear of the motor vehicle 2 makes it possible to counterbalance the electrical energy generator 1 mounted at the front, so as not to modify the stability of said vehicle when it moves.

  The repairman traveling with his vehicle equipped with the generator object of the invention can thus recharge his batteries and restart a large number of vehicles or mechanical machinery immobilized.

  The installation of the electric power generator 1 is not limited to motor vehicles, but can be considered on any other type of transport vehicle (truck, van, train, plane, etc.).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the electric energy generator 1 comprises a propeller 10 provided with a plurality of blades 11.

  In a preferred embodiment, the propeller 10 comprises five blades of approximately 0.5 mm thick, reinforced at the rear by reinforcements 18 and at the front by metal tie rods 19, these two elements avoiding that said blades do not bend under the action of air.

  The number of blades 11, and their shapes and dimensions, may vary depending on the amount of energy that the user wants to recover and depending on the type of transport vehicle used.

  The propeller 10 is fixed on a shaft 12 pivotally mounted on a carrier frame 13 provided with two bearings 14 and stiffened by metal tubes arranged as a bracket (Figure 2).

  When the vehicle 2 advances, the force exerted by the air on the blades 11 rotates the shaft 12 in the bearings 14, the kinetic energy of the air being transformed into available mechanical energy on the shaft 12.

  When the propeller is in motion, the visibility of the driver is equivalent to that of single-engine type propeller aircraft pilots. To improve the visibility, the blades 11 may possibly be made of a transparent material.

  When the generator according to the invention is mounted on a motor vehicle, the blades 11 are preferably coated with an anti-reflective paint so that the driver is not hindered by the reflection of the headlights of a vehicle rolling behind him. For this purpose, two headlights 9 can be provided at the rear of the vehicle to warn other motorists.

  Referring to FIG. 2, a toothed wheel 15 is fixed on the shaft 12 to transmit the torque available on the shaft 12 to the rotors 16 of alternators 17. These alternators have the function of converting the mechanical energy into energy. electrical available as current routed through the cables 3 to the batteries 4.

  The number of alternators used will be determined according to the amount of energy and the voltage that the user wishes to recover.

  In a preferred embodiment, the alternators 17 are equipped with a regulator making it possible to stop the production of current when the batteries 4 are recharged.

  The undercarriage 13 is positioned on the vehicle 2 at a vertical connection panel 20 fixed to the front of said vehicle in three attachment levels 21, 22 and 23 located respectively at the upper frame (under the hood ), at the level of the bumper and at the lower frame of the vehicle 2. The attachment at the upper frame is made by three attachment points respectively arranged at the right wing 210, at the level of the wing left 211 and middle 212 (at the cap locking device), the attachment point of the medium being reinforced by two metal tie rods 213 in conjunction with the upper part of the dampers 214 of the vehicle 2 (Figure 3).

  The carrier frame 13 is fixed to the connection board 20 by means of threaded rods 30 and self-locking nuts, so that the user can easily dismantle the electrical energy generator according to the invention when he wants to use his vehicle normally.

  The fixing system by rods and nuts also makes it possible to adjust the inclination of the support frame 13 and thus the angle of inclination of the axis of rotation of the propeller towards the rear in order to improve the stability of the vehicle , any other system for tilting the propeller that can be used.

  The connection board 20 is designed so that when the electric power generator 1 is not positioned, it does not bother the driver and poses no risk to pedestrians or anyone else.

  As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the connection panel 20 is in the form of a vertical plate having substantially the same width and the same height of the hood as the vehicle 2. This connection board has four holes 24 for the passage of threaded rods 30.

  Two orifices 25 are arranged vis-à-vis the headlights and turn signals of the vehicle 2 so that when the user normally uses his vehicle without the generator object of the invention, these signals can be perceived. The connection board also comprises a central opening 26 guaranteeing the ventilation of the radiator of the vehicle 2 (FIG. 4).

  Electrical connections 27 are provided for connecting the cables 3 of the alternators 17 and the power supply cables 29 of the signal elements positioned in front of the electric power generator 1 (FIG. 2).

  The license plate 28 of the vehicle 2 will advantageously be reproduced on the front of the connection panel 20.

  In a preferred embodiment, a protective grid 6 reinforced at the bottom and dismountable in case of failure, will be positioned around and in front of the electric power generator 1, touching the body, to protect pedestrians or any other person.

  The signaling 7 of the vehicle 2, such as headlights, turn signals or the license plate, is moved to the front of the generator object of the invention (FIGS. 1 and 2) so that the rotation of the propeller 10 does not disturb the visualization of these signals. These signaling elements are supplied with current by the cables 29 connected to the connection board 20.

  When the electric power generator 1 is positioned on the connection board, a device is provided so that the headlights of the vehicle 2 are short-circuited so that they can not dazzle the driver by reflecting on the blades 11.

  The presence and positioning of the various constituent elements gives the object of the invention a maximum of useful effects that had not been obtained so far by similar generators.

Claims (10)

  An electric power generator mounted on a motor vehicle (2) and having a propeller (10) mounted on a shaft (12) for converting the kinetic energy of the air into mechanical energy as said vehicle moves, the shaft (12) being arranged on a carrier frame (13) and being connected to alternators (17) transforming the mechanical energy into electrical energy to supply batteries (4) arranged in said vehicle, characterized by the fact that the carrier frame (13) is fixed on a connection board (20) arranged at the front of said vehicle.   2. Electric power generator according to claim 1, characterized in that the connection board (20) is fixed to the front of the vehicle (2) in three attachment levels (21, 22 and 23) located at the upper frame, at the bumper and at the lower frame of said vehicle.   3. Electric power generator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connection board (20) has two orifices (25) arranged vis-à-vis the headlights and turn signals of the vehicle (2). ), a central opening (26) ensuring the ventilation of the radiator of said vehicle and the electrical connections (27) for the connection of the various cables (3, 29).   Electric power generator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fixing of the carrier frame (13) to the connection board (20) is effected by means of threaded rods (30) and nuts.   5. electric power generator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shaft (12) is slightly inclined rearwardly to improve the stability of said vehicle.   6. electric power generator according to claim 5, characterized in that the carrier frame (13) comprises means (30) for tilting the axis of rotation of the propeller (10).   7. Electric power generator according to claims 4 and 6, characterized in that the fixing system by rods (30) and nuts can adjust the angle of inclination of the axis of rotation of the propeller rearward.   8. Electric power generator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shaft (12) comprises a gear (15) transmitting the mechanical torque to the rotors (16) of alternators (17).   9. Electric power generator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the signaling (7) of the vehicle (2), such as headlights, turn signals or the license plate is arranged at the front said vehicle so that the rotation of the helix (10) does not disturb the visualization of these signals.   10. Electric power generator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the blades (11) are coated with an anti-reflective paint and two headlights (9) are positioned at the rear of the vehicle (2) to warn other motorists.