REGENERATIVE SHOCK ABSORBER

Related Application

The present application claims priority to United States Patent Application No. 12/104,800, entitled "Regenerative Shock Absorber" and filed April 17, 2008, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Background of the Invention

This invention relates to shock absorbers and more particularly to shock absorbers that capture energy resulting from the relative motion of a vehicle's suspension system.

It is known that automobiles are inefficient, wasting over 80% of the energy stored in the fuel as heat. Thus eight of every ten gallons in the vehicle's tank don't help propel the vehicle.

Automobile manufacturers have made costly strides to improve fuel economy. For example, regenerative braking is standard on many hybrid automobiles. Car makers also spend a great deal of effort to reduce wind drag so as to improve fuel economy through streamlined, low drag automobile body designs. Manufacturers also use lighter, yet more expensive, materials to reduce vehicle weight to reduce fuel consumption.

Motor vehicles include a suspension system to control vertical motion of the wheel with respect to the vehicle. In addition to springs, shock absorbers are provided to provide damping. The energy removed from a conventional suspension system is lost as heat. There are known systems that attempt to recover suspension system energy. For example, U.S. Patent No. 7,261,171 teaches a mechanical arrangement in which reciprocating movements of a wheel relative to a vehicle body are converted to rotations of an armature of a generator to produce electricity for recharging the battery of the vehicle. Another electromechanical regenerative system is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,570,286 that utilizes a magnet moving in relation to conductive coils.

United States published pending Application No. U.S. 2007/0089924 Al discloses an hydraulic system for recovering energy from the relative motion between a vehicle body and its wheels. This published application, however, requires a conventional shock absorber to provide

the necessary damping function. Further, this application lacks a capacitive reservoir in the hydraulic circuit that is necessary for an operative system.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a regenerative shock absorber that not only recovers energy from the reciprocating motion of a vehicle's suspension system, but also provides the damping function so as to make unnecessary a separate shock absorber.

Summary of the Invention

In one aspect, the regenerative shock absorber of the invention includes a piston disposed for reciprocating motion within a cylinder as a vehicle's suspension system deflects. Hydraulic fluid is contained within the cylinder. A first fluid circuit is in fluid communication with (1) a first chamber in the cylinder on a first side of the piston, (2) in fluid communication with an hydraulic motor and (3) in fluid communication with a capacitive reservoir. Upon compression of the piston, hydraulic fluid passes through the hydraulic motor thereby turning a shaft thereof. A second fluid circuit is in fluid communication with a second chamber in the cylinder on a second side of the piston and also in fluid communication with the first chamber. Upon extension of the piston, hydraulic fluid passes from the second chamber to the first chamber. An electric generator is connected to the hydraulic motor shaft for generating electricity upon rotation of the shaft.

In yet another aspect, the regenerative shock absorber of the invention includes an hydraulic circuit arrangement so that energy may be harvested during both compression or relaxation of the shock absorber. In this embodiment, upon compression or relaxation of the shock absorber, the resulting pressure differential across the hydraulic motor will induce rotational motion of its output shaft. This output shaft is directly connected to a permanent magnet generator/DC electric motor. The wattage rating of the motor is selected entirely based on the vehicle's mass and spring stiffness.

The electric energy generated by the generator may be used by the vehicle as it is generated or stored in, for example, the vehicle's battery. It is preferred that the harvested electricity be used to power components on a vehicle that would otherwise strain the internal combustion engine, thereby increasing fuel efficiency.

Beyond the basic fluid losses in the hydraulic circuits, damping is provided mostly by the electric generator as the back-emf resists rotational motion of the armature relative to the stator. This resistance is transferred directly to the shock fluid by the hydraulic motor. The damping force provided by the motor is selected to be directly proportional to the velocity of the hydraulic fluid so that increased fluid velocity results in an increased damping force.

The capacitive reservoir accommodates the piston shaft volume that is introduced upon the compression stroke of the shock absorber of the invention.

Brief Description of the Drawing

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the invention disclosed herein.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 illustrating fluid flow upon compression of the piston.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 illustrating fluid flow through a hydraulic motor.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 illustrating fluid flow upon extension of the piston.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 illustrating fluid flow back into a top portion of the cylinder.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the invention that harvests power upon both compression and extension of the suspension system.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of power electronics for use with the invention.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

First of all, some of the theory on which the present invention is based will be discussed. It is important to note how much energy is typically lost in the vertical motion of a car or truck so as to be able to decide whether the energy is worth harvesting. The model the inventors chose

to use is a simple spring-based model in which the energy that is present in the vertical motion of a car can be observed in the compression and extension of its springs. The energy in a compressed spring is given by the equation E = \ Fdx = —be ² . Using an experimentally determined value for k of 1.2 x 10 ⁵ N/m, we find that for a 3500 pound automobile, vertical displacements store the amounts of energy in a single spring as shown below. We note that heavy truck springs are much stiffer.

1 cm displacement: 6 J 24 J

3 cm displacement: 54 J Summing over 216 J — ►

6 cm displacement: 216 J four wheels 864 J 9 cm displacement: 486 J 1994 J

We have approximated city driving by assuming that the springs undergo vibrations of magnitude 2 cm at a frequency 3 Hz, keeping in mind that work is done both compressing and extending the spring so that energy can be harvested from both of these motions. Based on these assumptions, a one hour drive generates 1.34 kilowatt-hours of energy available to harvest.

With reference now to the drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates the overall system in a first embodiment. Shock body 10 is a cylinder in which a piston 12 resides for reciprocating motion. Check valves 14, 16, and 18 control the flow of hydraulic fluid. The system also includes an hydraulic motor 20 and a capacitive reservoir 22.

Flow of hydraulic fluid upon compression of the piston 12 will now be described in conjunction with Fig. 2. As the piston 12 is compressed, pressurized hydraulic fluid builds in the top part of a chamber 24 and is passed through the check valve 16. Check valve 14 prevents the hydraulic fluid from flowing into a bottom chamber 26. After passing through the check valve 16, the fluid is directed into an hydraulic motor 20 and into a capacitive reservoir 22. The capacitive reservoir 22 acts to store any impulsive pressure surges and smooths out the pressure of the hydraulic fluid as it is fed into the hydraulic motor 20.

With reference now to Fig. 3, as hydraulic fluid passes through the hydraulic motor 20, it rotates the motor's shaft. The shaft of the motor 20 is coupled to a generator 50 such as a permanent magnet generator. The output of the generator may charge a battery or power an automobile's electric systems when the hydraulic motor turns. Power electronics is connected to the output of the generator 50 as will be described below.

Fig. 4 illustrates fluid flow as the piston 12 extends. When the piston 12 moves downwardly, pressurized hydraulic fluid is compressed in the bottom portion of the chamber 26 and passes through check valve 14. Check valve 18 prevents the fluid from flowing back into the hydraulic motor 20. The fluid passing through the check valve 14 flows into the top chamber 24.

Flow characteristics of at least one of the fluid flow circuits may be selected to provide an effective damping in addition to recovery of energy. In this way, the system of the invention not only provides for energy recovery, but also effective damping for wheel control, thereby eliminating the need for a conventional shock absorber.

Yet another embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 6. This embodiment allows energy to be recovered during both compression and extension of the piston. As the piston 12, supported by a shaft 40, is compressed hydraulic fluid will pass through a check valve 42 and into capacitive reservoir 22 and includes an emulsion diaphragm 44 that accommodates piston shaft 40 volume that is introduced upon compression stroke of the system. Hydraulic fluid also flows into hydraulic motor 20 and returns to the shock body 10 through check valves 46 and 48. The hydraulic motor 20 actuates an electric generator 50. A suitable electric generator 50 is a permanent magnet generator/DC electric motor.

Upon extension of the piston 12, hydraulic fluid passes through a check valve 52 and into the capacitive reservoir 22 and on through the hydraulic motor 20. As before, hydraulic fluid returns to the shock body 10 through check valves 46 and 48. Note that upon compression and extension of the piston 12, hydraulic fluid flows in the same direction through the motor 20 thereby turning its shaft in the same direction for actuating the electric generator 50.

The power electronics to implement the regenerative shock absorber of the invention will now be discussed in conjunction with Fig. 7. The output of the generator 50 is connected to a time-averaged resistance feedback controller 60 that switches the output from the DC generator 50 among a low resistance element 62, a voltage controlled output converter 64, and an open circuit connection 66. The output of the voltage controlled output converter 64 is always connected to an output load such as a car battery 68. A voltage controlled output converter is not necessarily a buck/boost converter, however, a buck/boost converter is one type of voltage- controlled output converter. We mention the buck/boost converter because it one common way of implementing a voltage controlled converter. The voltage controlled output converter 64, sometimes referred to as a buck/boost converter, and with a voltage-feedback circuit adjusted to a reference voltage maintain a given output voltage level. This arrangement allows several regenerative shock absorbers to be wired in parallel and setting the voltage reference insures safe voltage output. A diode (not shown) in the converter 64 insure that power can only flow out from the generator 50. A filtering capacitor (not shown) on the input of the converter maintains voltage to the input of the converter even while the time-averaged resistance feedback controller switches the generator between multiple elements. In order to control the rate of damping, the generator 50 output is switched between the resistive element 62, the buck/boost converter 64, and the open circuit connection 66. For a typical output load (such as an uncharged car battery), this mode results in heavy, moderate/heavy, and no damping (ignoring friction), respectively. Using pulse width modulation (PWM) to switch between these alternatives at a high rate allows very selective control over damping. Since output power is only derived while the generator 50 is connected to the buck/boost converter 64, the controller 60 is biased to use this connection over switching between the resistive and open connection. Typically a micro controller with appropriate sensors to determine the resistance seen by the generator is used for this controller 60. Switching speeds for both the resistance feedback controller 60 and the converter 64 are selected to ensure the converter 64 and its input capacitor are able to continuously conduct.

The controller 60 modifies the resistance across the generator 50 winding, thus affecting the damping characteristics of the shock absorber and adjusting the output voltage enabling the system to be safely connected to several types of loads. As mentioned above, resistance across the generator winding is achieved by switching the output leads of the generator 50 between the three sources: the low resistance element 62, the converter 64, and the open circuit 66. The low

resistance element 62 (such as a closed-circuit connection (a wire)) creates high damping force. The open circuit connection 66 provides very low damping. Depending on the load connected to the output of the converter 64, the converter provides differing damping force. The controller 60 preferably uses feedback to achieve a given time averaged effective resistance across the generator 50. This feedback may come from sensors such as a voltage and current sensor placed across the generator terminals. This resistance can be set by the manufacturer, the driver (to dynamically adjust the suspension dynamics based on road conditions, driving, or cargo), or even by sensors such as strain gauges that adjust damping based on cargo weight. Adjustment of output voltage is achieved solely by the converter 64. The converter 64 has its own feedback loop that maintains a constant voltage output, when powered. Since input power from the suspension is varying, the converter 64 holds the voltage steady while allowing current flow to fluctuate. The converter 64 circuitry is similar to a standard buck/boost converter with negative feedback based on output voltage. This arrangement insures power only flows out (the load is unable to drive the input, in this case, the generator). Capacitors (not shown) smooth the output voltage. It is noted that any type of efficient converter that is able to maintain a given voltage, ensure one-way current flow, and have sufficient input filtering to accommodate a PWM input, can be used. The buck/boost converter 64 is merely one such example.

Depending on switching duty cycle, this circuitry has the effect of either reducing the output voltage or increasing output voltage. Duty cycle is controlled via a feedback loop that maintains a given output voltage. Neglecting parasitics, the buck/boost converter 64 operation is perfectly efficient. Thus for the regenerative shock absorber disclosed herein connected to a conventional 12v car battery, the converter 64 will convert 6v at IA from the generator into 12v at 0.5A. Likewise it will convert 48v at IA into 12v at 4A. Note that the voltage stays constant regardless of the input, but the current changes. Power is conserved and all the energy from the generator is harvested for use.

The arrangement in Fig. 7 is able to dissipate energy as heat through the resistive element 62. If, for example, the regenerative shock absorber of the invention is connected to a fully charged battery, no more energy can safely go into the battery. Thus it is as if the system is disconnected from a load. With a naive implementation, this would result in the generator having near infinite resistance between its terminals, resulting in zero back-EMF. Without back-

EMF there is no damping in the suspension (other than from frictional sources), and the shock absorber does not serve its primary purpose of damping suspension movement. This error case is solved by selectively dissipating energy as heat through the resistive element 62. The circuitry can pulse- width-modulate a connection between the generator windings and a low resistance element. This low resistance connection will allow the generator to produce back-EMF proportional to the shaft velocity and inversely proportional to the connection resistance. No energy is harvested for use in this mode. When the generator 50 is connected to the open circuit connection 66, the generator winding is disconnected from the load. The generator output is effectively an open-circuit. Very little back-EMF is produced and no energy is harvested for use in this mode.

The power electronics discussed above in conjunction with Fig. 7 achieves four objectives. First, the circuitry provides generator isolation to insure that each shock operates independently of the output load it is connected to, i.e., battery voltage. Second, the system provides variable damping that is electronically modified either by the user or automatically via sensors such as a strain gauge sensor that adjusts performance based on vehicle weight. These sensors merely change the reference resistance that the resistance feedback controller adjusts for. The system also enables operation with multiple units by matching voltage between multiple units wired in parallel. Finally, the circuitry provides battery-safe charging by regulating output voltage to safe levels.

The regenerative shock absorber of the present invention is applicable to any wheeled vehicle; heavy trucks remain a compelling target because of their substantial weight and high suspension spring stiffness. This technology is also suitable for military vehicles.

It is recognized that modifications and variations of the invention disclosed herein will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. All such modifications and variations are included within the scope of the appended claims.