Patent Publication Number: US-2015069757-A1

Title: Pneumatic roadway energy recovery system

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to electrical power generation, and particularly to a pneumatic roadway energy recovery system. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     With the present focus on development of alternative energy sources and conservation of energy and natural resources, many avenues are being explored to tap unused energy sources. In this vein, attempts have been made to harness the large amount of energy dissipated every day by the wheels of vehicles as they move along roadway surfaces. Efforts to utilize the force developed between vehicle wheels and roadway surfaces in the generation of compressed air (or other compressed gas) have been made. 
     Such systems, however, are known to suffer from a number of design flaws. Known systems are typically mechanical in nature, making use of elastic elements and the like, which are easily broken, worn out or become misaligned under the stress and strain of passing traffic. Further, many such systems are integrated with the roadway so that they cannot be readily removed for replacement or repair. Additionally, it is common in such systems to further protrude appreciably from the roadway surface so as to impede traffic and interfere with motor vehicle safety. 
     Thus, a pneumatic roadway energy recovery system solving the aforementioned problems is desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The pneumatic roadway energy recovery system is a system for generating electrical power from the weight of vehicles, pedestrians and the like traveling on a roadway surface. The pneumatic roadway energy recovery system includes a plurality of pneumatic pumps in fluid communication with one another that are arrayed beneath a roadway surface. The plurality of pneumatic pumps are further in fluid communication with a storage tank. The vehicles, pedestrians and the like traveling on the roadway surface compress the plurality of pneumatic pumps as they pass over the pumps, generating pressurized air, which is received by, and stored in, the storage tank. 
     Preferably, a turbine, such as a Pelton wheel or the like, is in fluid communication with the storage tank. Selective release of the pressurized air in the storage tank drives the turbine, which, in turn, is connected to an electrical generator for generating usable electrical power. 
     These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic environmental, perspective view of a pneumatic roadway energy recovery system according to the present invention, the roadway being broken away to show the pneumatic system. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a pneumatic pump of the pneumatic roadway energy recovery system of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating airflow through the pneumatic roadway energy recovery system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a turbine and electrical generator for an alternative embodiment of a pneumatic roadway energy recovery system according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As best shown in  FIG. 1 , the pneumatic roadway energy recovery system  10  is a system for generating electrical power from the weight of vehicles, pedestrians and the like traveling on a roadway surface. It should be understood that the roadway surface R in  FIG. 1  is shown for exemplary purposes only, and that the system  10  may be used in combination with any suitable type of road, sidewalk, path or the like. The pneumatic roadway energy recovery system  10  includes a plurality of pneumatic pumps  12  in fluid communication with one another that are arrayed beneath the roadway surface R. The plurality of pneumatic pumps  12  are further in fluid communication with a storage tank  14 . In operation, vehicles, pedestrians and the like traveling on the roadway surface R compress the plurality of pneumatic pumps  12  as they pass over the pumps  12 , generating pressurized air, which is received by and stored in the storage tank  14 . It should be understood that the plurality of pneumatic pumps  12  may be buried or embedded in or under the roadway surface R at any suitable depth, preferably at a depth that allows the pneumatic pumps  12  to be readily compressed by vehicle weight, but without detracting from the mechanical integrity of the roadway surface R. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a single of one of the pneumatic pumps  12 . Preferably, each of the pneumatic pumps  12  is substantially identical. As shown, each pneumatic pump may be in the form of a flexible bladder  16  having an air inlet  18  and an air outlet  20 . It should be understood that any suitable type of pneumatic pump may be utilized, and that the pneumatic pump  12  shown in  FIG. 2  is shown for exemplary purposes only. Preferably, the air inlet  18  is selectively sealed by a one-way valve  22 . Similarly, the air outlet  20  is also preferably sealed by a one-way valve  24 . 
     In  FIG. 2 , the pneumatic pump  12  is shown as having a substantially elliptical cross-section. It should be understood that the bladder  16  of the pneumatic pump  12  may have any desired dimensions or configuration. Exemplary dimensions for the elliptical pump  12  of  FIG. 2  are a length of about 300 cm along the major elliptical axis, a length of about 200 cm along the minor elliptical axis, and a height of about 0.5 cm. As shown, the pneumatic pump may include a pair of orthogonal spring steel frames  50 ,  52 , each having a substantially elliptical configuration, and which are covered by rubber or the like. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the plurality of pneumatic pumps  12  are preferably arrayed in rows, such that the air outlet  20  of each pneumatic pump  12  is in fluid communication with the air inlet  18  of an adjacent one of the pneumatic pumps  12 , being attached directly to each other or connected by pipes or other conduit. The pneumatic pumps  12  on the open end of the system  10  (on the right-hand side in the exemplary orientation of  FIG. 3 ) are positioned with no corresponding pumps  12  on their inlet sides, thus allowing environmental air A to enter through their air inlets  18 . Similarly, pneumatic pumps  12  on the closed end of system  10  (on the left-hand side in the exemplary orientation of  FIG. 3 ) are positioned with no corresponding pumps  12  on their outlet sides. The outlets  20  on the closed side feed into a pipe or tube manifold  26 , which feeds into the storage tank  14 . It should be understood that the storage tank  14  is shown for exemplary purposes only. The storage tank  14  may have any desired dimensions or configuration, and the singular exemplary tank  14  may be replaced by a plurality of storage tanks. Further, the storage tank  14  may be removable and replaceable. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an alternative embodiment in which a valved pipe  34  or the like is used to selectively release pressurized air PA from within storage tank  14 . The pressurized air PA is used to drive a turbine  30  (shown in  FIG. 4  as a Pelton wheel, although it should be understood that any suitable type of turbine may be utilized). Selective release of the pressurized air PA from the storage tank  14  drives the turbine  30 , which, in turn, is connected to an electrical generator  32  for generating usable electrical power. It should be understood that the electrical generator  32  may be any suitable type of generator, such as a conventional rotor-stator electromagnetic generator or the like. It should be understood that the valved pipe  34  is shown for exemplary purposes only, and that any suitable type of conduit may be utilized. Similarly, any suitable type of attachment for pipe or conduit  34  may be further utilized, such as a convergent-divergent nozzle or the like. 
     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.