Posted on 01/02/2009 7:50:43 AM PST by Reaganesque
January 2, 2008 Recent developments in regeneration technology are almost ready for prime time. Both Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicles http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_vehicle and Power Generating Shock Absorbers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_absorber are both being field tested and may be soon headed for mass production. Transport company UPS
has committed to purchasing seven "series" hydraulic hybrid delivery vehicles while Electric Truck, LLC has exclusively optioned commercial rights to a technology from Tufts University that uses Regenerative Shock Absorbers to recharge the batteries of any hybrid electric and electric-powered vehicle while it is driven.
Regenerative shock absorbers
The regenerative electromagnetic shock absorber uses an electromagnetic linear generator to convert variable frequency, repetitive intermittent linear displacement motion to useful electrical power. The regenerative electromagnetic shock absorber technology was developed by Tufts University http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tufts_University engineering professor emeritus Ronald Goldner and colleague Peter Zerigian within the School of Engineering and received additional support in subsequent years from Argonne National Laboratory. While Goldner and Zerigian have patented the idea, it also appears that an almost identical concept was developed in the same period by David Oxenreider of Boiling Springs, PA, a design which took out Second Prize in the 2005 Emhart "Create the Future" Design Contest.
How it works
A conventional automotive shock absorber dampens suspension movement to produce a controlled action that keeps the tire firmly on the road. This is done by converting the kinetic energy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_energy into heat energy, which is then absorbed by the shock’s oil. The Power-Generating Shock Absorber converts this kinetic energy into electricity instead of heat through the use of a linear electric motor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_motor . The electricity generated by each PGSA can then be combined with electricity from other power generation systems (e.g. regenerative braking) and stored in the vehicle’s batteries.
The motor is usually a cylindrical 3-phase brushless permanent magnet linear electric motor that is sometimes referred to as a ServoRam. Early ServoRams were developed in the 1990s to replace hydraulic rams in entertainment motion simulators. Bose have also developed an Active Suspension System that uses linear stepper motors http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stepper_motor to replace standard shocks/springs. Bose claim they have been working on the software (algorithm as they call it) for 24 years (since 1980). The difference between the Bose system and power generating or regenerative shock absorbers is that the later retain standard coil springs to suspend the static load of the vehicle while Bose have deleted springs altogether.
Linear motors as replacement ‘shock absorbers’ are a much cheaper solution with more regenerative potential and have enormous potential in motorsport, where shock absorbers could be constantly variable. An electromagnetic shock absorber could be tuned to respond to virtually any input. With regenerative shock absorbers connected to a microprocessor system with any number of inputs such as on-chip gyro, accelerometer, ride height and steering angle a 4-shock system can actively control a vehicles pitch, roll and yaw.
Since the technology actively uses the weight of a vehicle for energy recovery, it could help speed the expansion of the hybrid and battery electric vehicle market from cars to vehicles of greater size, weight and payloads, such as SUVs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport_utility_vehicle , pickup and delivery trucks, mail trucks, school and city buses and other light and medium duty trucks
Hydraulic hybrid regeneration
The UPS "series" hydraulic hybrid delivery vehicles have a diesel engine combined with a unique hydraulic propulsion system, replacing the conventional drivetrain and transmission. The vehicle uses hydraulic pumps and hydraulic storage tanks to capture and store energy, similar to what is done with electric motors and batteries in a hybrid electric vehicle. In this case, the diesel engine is used to periodically recharge pressure in the hydraulic propulsion system. Fuel economy is increased in three ways: vehicle braking energy is recovered that normally is wasted; the engine is operated more efficiently, and the engine can be shut off when stopped or decelerating. The hydraulic series hybrid, originally developed in a laboratory of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), uses a diesel engine/pump to pressurize and transfer hydraulic fluid to the rear drive pump/motor and/or high pressure accumulator. The hydraulic drivetrain replaces the conventional drivetrain and eliminates the need for a conventional transmission. UPS and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said the prototype vehicle had achieved a 45-50% improvement in fuel economy compared to conventional diesel delivery trucks.
Eaton Corporation began working with the EPA in October 2001 under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement involving hydraulic hybrid systems and components. As part of Eaton’s role in designing and developing hybrid technologies, the company’s engineers were co-located at the EPA’s Ann Arbor facility. Eaton also earned a number of hybrid power system patents and continues to work on a number of other hybrid vehicles initiatives with UPS and others.
The EPA believes the technology can perform equally well in other applications such as shuttle and transit buses and refuse pick-up trucks. In 2007, the agency launched a project to develop hydraulic series hybrid systems for Class 6 port yard hostlers—the heavy-duty diesels that move goods and products from ships to trucks at ports.
Paul Evans
That was my first thought, too.
If you thought replacing struts was expensive...
Next, there will be regenerative springs on the bus seats, regenerative shirt collars to make electricity from turning your head or flappin’ your jaw. Armpit regenerators, Pants regenerators, etc., etc..
With all these discoveries of sources of power, a truly zero emission vehicle may still be doable in the near future. This past summer, I rode in a Prius taxi in Vancouver, BC. I could see no reason why these types of vehicles wouldn’t be perfect for urban use.
Makes sense to me. Combine these shocks with regenerative brakes, solar cells on the exposed surfaces of the vehicle, fuel cells and what have you and we might have something that could compete with a gas fueled car. We'll see. It is getting interesting out there, though.
Capital cost, weight, and reliability/maintenance are always the tradeoff for regenerative systems or any fuel-saving technologies. My own instinct is that a regenerative shock absorber cries out for some hard numbers on how much energy actually is dissipated in a shock absorber in normal smooth pavement operation. In terms of, say, the power consumption of the typical vehicle's electrical system. Perhaps it would be more practical in a truck than in a light car - and perhaps the actual motive is to give a sports car a tunable suspension with superior handling characteristics.
Sure, big windmill on top of the car creating a drag that offsets any gain in electrical energy. I don't know if they would work or not but seems to me it would use more energy than it produced. This would be on the lines of a perpetual motion machine, as long as the car moved it would have power! Don't think it is feasible.
ping
and athletic bras that charge cell phones and ipods
Yup, that's were the rubber meets the road, (no pun intended) new technology at some point will have to be affordable or at least be comparable in cost or at least transfer costs to replace old technology unless forced upon us by legislation as I'm sure will be coming very soon
Hydraulid hybrid ping. No mention of an F150 in the offing, though...
Hydraulid / hydraulic.
I have seen proposals for shoes that generate energy for your cell phones/pda and so on. And there is also talk of smart clothing that can generate electricity for the same purposes.
and hydro-electric condoms for charging cell phones and ipods during sexual activity.
“smart clothing that can generate electricity”
Hope no polarity problems arise! How about regenerative condoms?
Haven’t heard of that one but, I’m sure someone’s working on it. LOL! Question would then be: regenerate what?
Well,,,, Won’t touch that one with a ten foot electrode. But a common nickname for electricity is “juice.”
Yeah, but Pennsylvania doesn't need excuses. It's the pothole capital of the world.
Now this is cool stuff, instead of the sappy enviro weenie make believe things we read about.
I see the day coming when the britches of ADD boys will be fitted with similar devices and all the excess figiting energy will be converted into electricity and stored in hip pocket capacitors.
American boys will be pretty much carbon neutral and will go a long way in solving the fossil fuel snergy crisis.
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