Abstract:
A power generating engine mount is provided for coupling an engine and a body of a vehicle. The engine mount includes, but is not limited to a mounting stud configured for coupling to the engine and a permanent magnet coupled to the mounting stud. A coil is also provided that at least partially surrounds the permanent magnet and another mounting stud is configured to couple to the coil and the body.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The technical field generally relates to power generation, and particularly relates to vibration power generation for a vehicle. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Fuel economy of vehicles is important. The automotive industry is working diligently to increase the fuel economy of vehicles by various means that include, but are not limited to: mass reduction, aerodynamics, active fuel management engines, direct injection engines, homogeneous charge compression ignition engines, and hybrid engines. However, other mechanisms and energy sources are continually sought to increase fuel economy. 
         [0003]    It is generally known that engines vibrate during operation. The engine vibrations have been typically considered to be undesirable and significant efforts have been made to dissipate and insulate such engine vibrations from the vehicle compartment. Therefore, any energy associated with the vibration produced by the engine is currently lost through absorption or dissipation of the energy into the air, vehicle structure, or other component attached to the engine. However, the ability to capture and utilize energy associated with engine vibrations would provide a valuable energy source that can be used to increase fuel economy and the ability to harness such energy while continuing to at least partially insulate such vibrations from the passenger compartment of the vehicle would greatly benefit the automotive industry and may other vehicle industries. 
         [0004]    Accordingly, it is desirable to provide methods for generating power for a vehicle with engine vibrations. In addition, it is desirable to provide an apparatus for generating power for a vehicle with engine vibrations. Furthermore, other desirable benefits, features, and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary, detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    In accordance with an embodiment, a power generating engine mount is provided for coupling an engine and a body of a vehicle. The mount has, among other components, a first mounting stud configured for coupling to the engine and a permanent magnet coupled to the first mounting stud. The mount also has a coil at least partially surrounding the permanent magnet and a second mounting stud coupled to the coil and configured for coupling to the body. 
         [0006]    In accordance with another embodiment, a power generating engine mount is provided for coupling an engine with vibration during operation and a body of a vehicle. The mount includes, but is not limited to, a first means for coupling to the engine, a means for electromechanically converting the vibration of the engine into energy, and a second means for coupling the means for electromechanically converting to the body. 
         [0007]    In yet another embodiment, a power generating system is provided for a vehicle. The system has a number of components that include, without limitation, an engine emitting a vibration during operation, engine mounts coupled to the engine, and a cradle coupled to the engine mounts. The system also includes, without limitation, a body of the vehicle coupled to the cradle. At least one the engine mounts includes, but is not limited to, a first mounting stud configured for coupling to the engine, a permanent magnet coupled to the first mounting stud, a coil at least partially surrounding the permanent magnet and a second mounting stud coupled to the coil and configured for coupling to the body. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The embodiments will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  illustrates a power generation system for a vehicle in accordance with an embodiment; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  illustrates the displacement converter of  FIG. 1  in accordance with an embodiment; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  illustrates the power conditioning electronics of  FIG. 1  in accordance with an embodiment; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  illustrates the full wave rectifier/low pass filter/differential input buffer circuit of  FIG. 3  in greater detail; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  illustrates an electrical waveform generated by the displacement converter of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  illustrates an output from the full wave rectifier with the electrical waveform of  FIG. 5  as an input; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  illustrates the rectified waveform of  FIG. 6  and a typical low pass waveform of the rectified waveform. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit application and uses. Moreover, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background and summary or the following detailed description of the invention. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an engine vibration power generating system  20  is illustrated in accordance with an embodiment. Generally, this system has an engine  22 , such as an internal combustion engine, active fuel management engine, direct injection engine, homogeneous charge compression ignition engine, and/or a hybrid engines, that is coupled (e.g., mounted) on engine mounts  24 ,  26  that are coupled (e.g., mounted) on a cradle  28 . The cradle  28  is coupled (e.g., mounted) on a body  30  of a vehicle (not shown) with cradle mounts  32 ,  34 . At least one of the engine mounts  24 ,  26 , and preferably both engine mounts  24 ,  26 , are coupled to a power conditioner  36  and the unconditioned power  38  generated by the engine mounts  24 ,  26  is preferably provided to a power conditioner  36 . The conditioned power  42  produced by the power conditioner  36  is utilized by one or more components or a system  44  of the vehicle. 
         [0018]    The one or more components or system  44  unconditioned power generated by the engine mounts  24 ,  26 , or the subsequently conditioned power  42  produced by the power conditioner  36 , can be any number of vehicle components, systems, or subsystems that utilize electrical power or the vehicle system can be an energy storage device  40 , such as one or more batteries, that other components or systems constantly or intermittently draw electricity for operation. The vehicle can be any number of land, water, air, and space vehicles having engines that vibrate. For example, the vehicle can be an automobile with internal combustion engine, an automobile with a hybrid engine (e.g., combination internal combustion engine and electric motor), an aircraft, ship, or spacecraft, and any one of numerous variations of these vehicle types. 
         [0019]    In addition to applicability of the engine vibration power generating system  20  to numerous vehicle types and variations, numerous variations are available for the system  20 . These variations include the addition of unlisted components, removal of listed components, and substitution of components briefly described and shown in  FIG. 1 . For example, additional engine mounts can be added to the system. However, at least one of the engine mounts  24 ,  26  is a power generating engine mount. 
         [0020]    A power generating engine mount  46  is illustrated in  FIG. 2  in accordance with an embodiment. The mount  46  has, without limitation, an engine side mounting stud  48 , a rubber structure  50  forming a housing with a chassis side structure  52 , and a chassis side mounting stud  54 . Additionally, the mount  46  has a permanent magnet  56  that is coupled to the engine side mounting stud  48  and adapted to move in relative sympathy with this stud  48 . The mount is also provided with a coil  58  that remains at least substantially fixed to the chassis side structure  52 . Electrical wires  60  electrically couple the coil  58  to the power conditioner  36  as shown in  FIG. 1  and/or to one or more components, systems, or subsystems of the vehicle, and carry current generated by the movement of the permanent magnet  56  relative to the coil  58 . 
         [0021]    More specifically, the movement of the permanent magnet  56  relative to the coil is produced with vibration created when operating the engine. As the engine operates and vibrates, the vibration is transmitted from the engine to the engine side mounting stud that is and adapted to move in relative sympathy with this stud  48 . This movement creates a displacement  62  such that the permanent magnet  56  moves with respect to the coil  58 . 
         [0022]    The movement of the permanent magnet  56  with respect to the coil  58  converts the mechanical energy provided by the engine vibration to an electrical form. This process, commonly referred to as electromechanical energy conversion, is based upon Faraday&#39;s law of electromagnetic induction that provides if a coil, which is also referred to as a winding, is linked to a varying magnetic field (i.e., the coil  58  is linked to the moving permanent magnet  56 ), an electromagnetic force, or voltage, electromagnetic field (emf), is induced across the coil. Therefore, the permanent magnet  56 , which is an electromagnet, provides the magnetic field, which can be adjusted and set with the field intensity of the magnet, and the coil  58 , which is also referred to as an armature winding or armature circuit, is where the emf induction occurs, and the associated current is carried from the coil  58  to with the electrical wires  60  for use or conditioning. 
         [0023]      FIG. 3  is the power conditioner  36  of  FIG. 1  in greater detail. This embodiment of the power conditioner  36  receives the current carried from the coil  58  by the electrical wires  60 , the waveform  63  of which is shown in  FIG. 5 . This sinusoidal waveform  63 , which is a sinusoidal waveform in this example, is presented to full-wave rectifiers  64 , and the full-wave rectifiers  64  generate the rectified waveform  68 . 
         [0024]    The rectified waveform  68  is preferably filtered by low pass filters  70  to produce the filtered waveform  72  of  FIG. 7 . The filtered waveform  72  from each of the low pass filters  70  is presented to differential input buffers  74 , and the signals  76  from the buffer  74  are summed by summer  78  to produce the conditioned power  42 . 
         [0025]    The summer  78 , differential input buffers  74 , low pass filters  70 , and full-wave-rectifiers circuits can be implemented with any number of circuits. For example, the circuits shown in  FIG. 4  can be used for each of these components of the power conditioner  36 . In addition, other circuits and corresponding power conditioning can be can be provided by the power conditioner  36  to provide the desired waveform for the one or more components or systems utilizing this electromechanically derived energy associated with the relative motion between the engine side of the mount and the chassis side of the mount with the power generating engine mounts. 
         [0026]    In addition to deriving energy from the vibration of the engine, the power generating engine mount  46  can be adapted to serve other purposes. For example, the mount can be adapted to at least partially reduce or dissipate transmission of vibrations from the engine to the body of the vehicle. Furthermore, the power generating engine mount  46  can be used with other mounts that do not generate power (e.g., additional mounts that do not have the permanent magnet  56 , coil  58 , and/or associated power conditioning. 
         [0027]    While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing summary and detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit scope, applicability, or configuration in any way. Rather, the foregoing summary and detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment or embodiments of the invention, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of described elements without departing from the scope as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents.