This invention refers to a device which collects mechanical energy generated by an automobile in motion and converts it into electrical energy.

Technical domain for possible utilisations of the mechanism is hat of the electricity producing industry, in particular of the automotive industry, having an immediate applicability.

There are known several solutions which are collecting mechanical energy of a vehicle (car, train, vessel etc.) and transform it into electrical energy. The general tendency is to reduce, on the one hand, fuel consumption and, on the other hand, to reduce the pollution generated by the classical fuels.

In the patent US522463, it is described a mechanism which regenerates the energy of the automobile by utilizing its kinetic energy, when the engine is not supplied with electrical energy, converting the kinetic energy of the automobile into electrical energy and storing it in a battery adapted for being utilised in electrical auto vehicle.

The disadvantage of this invention is that it requires several generators fitted on the driving shaft for suppling enough electrical energy.

Within US3904883 patent it is described a solution which refers to a hybrid energy of the propulsion systems, which imply a main engine, such as petrol engine, a diesel engine, a steam engine, etc, which cooperates with an electrical generator, together with special adapted batteries for powering the motor and for being recharged by the generator. The purpose is to provide an improved power conversion unit, which allows the use of electrical or mechanical energy, individual or simultaneously in variable proportions, for being powered by a reversible configuration, any load such as the car (any load in movement), pumping installation (static load), with or without tank etc. and for suppling a much better yield of the motor. The assembly is forming a unitary dynamic electric car, constituted so as to operate both as an electric drive motor of the vehicle and as a generator for recharging the vehicle's electric batteries and in addition as an electric dynamic transmission.

The disadvantage of this known solution is that the operation of the vehicle requires a significant amount of fuel, recharging of the batteries, used by electrical engine, being done through internal combustion engine.

Into patent US2009223725, it is illustrated a solution to transform mechanical energy collected from the driving shaft, with the help of a special kit. The assembly includes a generator, a coupling connected to the driving shaft, an electrical module and control unit.

The main disadvantage of this innovation consist in that it needs to be connected to a driving shaft to collect mechanical energy. In the patent GB2481197 is presented a system which is using a part of the mechanical energy generated by a car and it transforms it into electrical energy, which is used to recharge the batteries, without the need for external power.

The disadvantage of this invention is that the energy collected by the movement of the wheels and the engine for recharging the batteries is limited.

The technical problem wished to be resolved by this invention is to realise a device which collects mechanical energy from a moving vehicle and converts it into electrical energy in enough quantity, ascertained, without cost, electrical energy which directed to a classical electrical equipment of an electrical car, to ensure the self-propelling of the automobile.

The Device for collecting mechanical energy and converting it into electrical energy, according in the invention claimed, is solving the technical problem with the help of the effects, phenomenon which appeal's when different corps interact, according to the Π-nd and ΠΙ-rd mechanical laws (Newton’s laws), the device collects the energy from a generator source, before it is vitiated and it is sent to the shaft of the generator.

The generator source is represented by the two corps/bodies which interact: the collector part fig.3, fig.4, fig.5 and part B fig.l, fig.2, fig.3 fig.4, fig.5. This energy brought to the shaft of the generator as an action force in report with the reaction force, represented by the collector part, represents a big discrepancy. The discrepancy thus created generates a power at an appropriate rotation of the generator’s shaft which, by rotating the core, produces sufficient electrical power to supply an electrical motor. The big difference between the effect of the interaction of the corps and the necessary for the action of the generator makes it possible to operate it very ease without diminishing the energy destined to drive the vehicle.

It is known that at the interaction between two corps the effects that appear are:

- dynamic effects respectively change of movement state, the change of speed and trajectory; static effects respectively deformation of the corps;

- the force which is the measure of the interaction of the corps.

The Il-nd Newton law: A force which acts on a body is equal to the product between body mass and the given acceleration, and the force vector has the same orientation as the acceleration vector.

The lll-rd Newton law: If a corpus acts on another corpus with a force, called action force, the second corpus also acts on the first corpus with a force, called reaction force, of the same magnitude and opposite in direction.

By observing the negative static effect resulting from the impact of a vehicle with an obstacle (fig. 1), the interest to use this force in a positive sense (to benefit from this force) appeared. At the moment of impact with an obstacle of a vehicle with a weight of 1500 kg, it acts on the obstacle with a force of 15 kN. For the use of this force for a positive purpose, in the present invention, the obstacle E mounted on a shaft on bearings, which is positioned on the chassis G of the vehicle (fig. 2), which generates the transition from a static effect to a dynamic effect. The obstacle E, in the present case consists of two wheels coupled to a shaft with bearings H, is transforming from the obstacle into a collector part of the force, force which is the measure of the interaction of the corps, the corps are the double wheels collector A and the running path B and through a classic transmission mechanism transmits it to a generator.

The transmission mechanism operates in gearbox mode but in opposite direction, for controlling the rotation speed of the generator (from a high speed to a lower speed), so when the vehicle exceeds the driving speed of 65 km / h the generator not to produce more powerful electricity than is necessary. In this way, the transmission mechanism also acts as a power multiplier by reducing the rotation speed toward generator.

The device for collecting mechanical energy and converting it into electricity, according to the claimed invention, has the following advantages: cancellation of fuel costs due to the use of self-produced electricity; the permanent charging of the batteries during the running of the vehicle determines its independent functioning without the need to build an infrastructure by constructing electric charging stations the vehicles equipped with this device require very small car batteries, batteries used only to start the vehicles and to help them to reach the speed required by the generator to generate electricity, those determine the reduction of the prices of the vehicles and reduction of the pollution, the pollution produced in the process of manufacture of the batteries being known as a problem; the greater the weight of a vehicle, the more it will develop a higher coefficient of mechanical energy, as a result the weight of the vehicle is not an impediment; the electrical energy obtained with the help of this device is sufficient for both the propulsion of the vehicle on which it is mounted regardless of the speed and distance travelled, as well as for the auxiliary consumers; in the case of trailers towed by vehicles, the installation of the device together with an electric motor ensures the self propulsion of the trailers, the vehicle having only its driving role; elimination of pollution due to the use of newly created electricity to move the vehicle instead of the traditional fuel; - flexibility related to mounting the device - it can be mounted on vehicles and as well as on other moving objects - with the condition the object to be big enough to support the device's mounting;

- a low manufacturing price of the device.

Next it is presented an example of a practical embodiment of the device for collecting mechanical energy and converting it into electrical energy, figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, which represent:

Fig. 1 - Schematic representation of the interaction between two bodies-vehicle and the obstacle Fig. 2 - Positioning of the obstacle on the chassis

Fig. 3 - The device for collecting mechanical energy in the monobloc version

Fig. 4 - Device for collecting mechanical energy in the optimal use of vehicle's spaces

Fig. 5 - Collector wheel

Fig. 6 - Comparative scheme with a hydropower system

In a practical embodiment example, the mechanical energy collection device consists of a double wheel collector A, a classic transmission mechanism and a generator D and operates based on the mechanics principles listed above.

The double wheel collector A has the function of collecting the force (which is the measure of the interaction of the corps), which is resulted from the interaction between the double wheel collector A with the road surface B. The transmission mechanism has the role of taking the energy collected by the double wheel collector A and transmitting it to generator D, and generator D transforms the collected mechanical energy into electricity, the generator used in the example of realization has a power of 6KVA-220V. The big difference between the force of action that is represented by the road surface B and the reaction force which is represented by the generator D by means of the double wheel collector A makes it possible to operate the generator D very ease and without diminishing the energy destined to drive the vehicle.

In the practical embodiment example a vehicle with a weight of 1500 kg is used, in which the force of impact derived from the coefficient of mechanical energy, which is highlighted in the contact point of the double wheel collector A with the road surface B, at the moment of impact the released force is 15 kN.

The collector wheel A is made from a double piece mounted on a shaft H, shaft which is on bearings, and it fulfils two roles, namely: it represents the reaction force of the generator D and it collects the force resulting from the interaction with the road surface B. A double wheel has been chosen for increased efficiency of force collection and for a good interaction with the road. Double wheel collector A, unlike the classic wheels of the vehicles, collects unvitiated mechanical energy, mainly because it has no other tasks to perform and it is not burdened by the forces and moments that act on the classic wheels of the vehicle such as: directly applied forces - weight, resistance, aerodynamic force; connecting forces - normal reaction, tangential reaction, longitudinal reaction and the rolling resistance; inertia forces - inertia of the vehicle in the movement of translation, inertia of the wheels or other moving parts.

It is mandatory for attaching the double wheel A to the vehicle for making possible at the interaction moment with the road surface B to collect the force resulting from the interaction of the corps, the double wheels collector A representing the reaction force of the generator and the road surface B representing the driving force.

The weight of the vehicle and the present speed at the time of the interaction of the double wheel collector A, which represents the reaction force of the generator D, with the road surface B, which represents the force of action, make the difference between the action force and the reaction force to be discrepant. This difference makes it possible for the transfer of force produced at the time of the interaction between the double wheel collector A and the road surface B to generator D to be made very easily, so that generator D to produce electricity, in order to provide the vehicle with sufficient energy for propulsion as well as for auxiliary consumers. In this way it is obtained electricity of good quality and enough, which is directed to a classic electrical installation of an electric vehicle, it allows the operation of the vehicle, without having to use the combustion engine.

In order to test the quality of the obtained electricity, several consumers totalling a consumption of 6 kW were assembled and it was found that they work simultaneously without affecting the continuous production of energy.

In this practical embodiment example, the device for collecting mechanical energy and converting it into electrical energy is mounted in the spare wheel cavity, it is fixed by the body of the vehicle with the help of a screw system with elastic bushings, but it can also be mounted in other areas of the vehicle depending on the specific construction configuration of each vehicle.

The device for collecting mechanical energy and converting it into electrical energy can be made in two variants: the monobloc version fig. 3, which comprises in a whole unit the double wheel collector A, the generator D and the transmission mechanism, or the variant in which each component is separated fig. 4. The variant of making the device in which the transmission mechanism and the double wheel collector A are separated by the generator D has the advantage that the interior space of the vehicle can be more judiciously distributed, mounting the generator instead of the internal combustion engine.

The invention is customized for the collection of mechanical energy from a vehicle but it is not limited to it, and it can be applied to other moving bodies.

In order to understand how the proposed device is working and it is used, I compare it with an electricity production system very well known, it is about that a hydroelectric plant transforms the mechanical energy produced by water into electricity, and the proposed device uses the energy created from the interaction between the collector wheel A and the road surface B, which is shown schematically in Fig. 6.