Abstract:
A turbine apparatus includes a specially shaped fan, designed to be inserted into the wheel of an automobile. During movement of the vehicle, the fan captures the passing air, and a axel/shaft transfers rotational energy to a generator that accumulates the energy and converts it to electrical energy. This energy may subsequently be used to reduce or eliminate emissions in automobiles, trucks, boats, planes, and the like.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority to provisional patent application U.S. Ser. No. 61/084,347 filed Jul. 29, 2008, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a turbine apparatus for use with motors, generators, and the like. More specifically, the turbine apparatus is configured to gather energy from wind or water and convert the energy to electrical power. 
       BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
       [0003]    In the quest to find more energy-efficient vehicles, hybrid technology has exploded over the last 5 years. One area of hybrid technology involves the use of generator-assisted or charger-assisted mechanisms that gather renewable energy from the sun or wind, and utilize it to power or charge a vehicle. Examples of such vehicles are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,282, titled “Automotive Electric Generator” and U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,127, titled “Propeller Wind Charging System for Electrical Vehicle”, both of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein. 
         [0004]    While such designs provide some energy assistance to vehicles and the like, the fan design is typically bulky and requires awkward and/or conspicuous placement of a fan on top of a vehicle. Additionally, these designs do not take full advantage of other areas of a vehicle that may provide additional gravitational and/or inertial energy. Accordingly, there is a need for a generator/charger fan and apparatus that improves the design and placement of fans while maximizing the potential for energy capture from renewable sources. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    The present disclosure relates to a fan and generator/charger assembly that has a unique shape and placement that allows it to capture wind energy and assist in converting the wind energy into electrical energy. Also, the present invention provides the format for battery powered automotive vehicles. Power would come from the revolution of the wheels on the vehicle. Up to four or more wheels in trucks or other vehicles would have a fan in a wheel that would be in line with the wheel that the vehicle is being driven by. The inside wheel will contain a fan that would rotate as the vehicles wheels turn. That energy would be sent to a generator or alternator that would power electric storage batteries within the vehicle. This energy would be used to power the vehicle. 
         [0006]    As such, a fully electric motor would be able to drive itself without relying extensively on gasoline or other fuel. It could propel itself without any emissions that are normal to a gas driven vehicle. The cost to consumers will be significantly less to operate the vehicle and there will be no pollution. The United States would save countless dollars that are being spent by consumers on gasoline. The health of Americans would not be compromised by fumes from gasoline. 
         [0007]    Other objects, features, and advantages according to the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of certain advantageous embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which the same components are identified by the same reference numerals. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  discloses an exemplary air turbine fan under one exemplary embodiment. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  illustrates an automobile equipped with the air turbine fan disclosed in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary generator system utilizing the fan of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary vehicle system utilizing a DC motor system for powering a vehicle. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  illustrates an exemplary vehicle system utilizing a AC motor system for powering a vehicle. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    Under an exemplary embodiment, a motorized vehicle, such as an automobile, and even a truck, train or tractor, has a round housing or hub attached to the wheels. Inside the hub are fans that will turn from the rotation of the wheels. When the wheels turn the rotating fans inside the housing will produce electric energy. Under a preferred embodiment, a vehicle would have four sets of fans that collect energy that may subsequently be stored in tanks and/or set to alternators. Under an alternate embodiment, the fans may be coupled to a boat, where the energy would be collected from paddles (fans) that are in the water, where the paddles will push and create the energy that will be collected. 
         [0014]    The tanks used to collect energy may also be in the form of compressed air or steam to be used as a form of energy to propel an engine or used as a means of creating energy to be stored in batteries. The system may be used as a combination of both air and battery power, and may also include the use of propellants, such as gasoline, hydrogen, ethanol, biofuel, or any combination thereof. 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  discloses an exemplary wheel hub  110 , positioned within wheel  104  of an automobile (see  FIG. 2 ). Hub  110  comprises a plurality of fan blades  101  that extend radially from inner hub  102 . Each of the fan blades are preferably shaped so that an inner portion of the blade  105  has a convex shape that extends a portion of the blade past a planar area defined by the front of hub  103 . A back portion  106  of the fan blade preferably extends the blade to provide an elongated surface area that is particularly advantageous for capturing wind. 
         [0016]    As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , one end of each fan blade  101  is affixed to outer hub  103 . The other end of fan blade  101  is affixed to an inner hub  102 . Under a preferred embodiment, inner hub  102  comprises a hollow interior for facilitating air movement (shown as arrow “A” in  FIG. 1 ). 
         [0017]    During operation, when a vehicle is in motion and/or accelerating, wind energy is collectively captured by fans  101  of hub  103 . Additionally, the spinning of axel/shaft  300  (see  FIG. 3 ) during movement of the vehicle exerts additional force on hub  110  which adds momentum. As can be seen in the illustration of  FIG. 2 , an automobile  200  would preferably have hubs  110  on both the front and back wheels on each side of the vehicle, for a total of 4 hubs. 
         [0018]    Turning to  FIG. 3 , an exemplary system utilizing hub  110  is shown. To stabilize and allow independent rotation of hub  110 , a sleeve  120  is preferably attached to the end of axel/shaft  300  at the rear of hub  110 . Sleeve  120  is preferably equipped with bearings and slip gears (not shown) to allow the wheel to rotate in a given direction during movement of the vehicle, and after the vehicle has stopped. 
         [0019]    Axel/shaft  300  is attached to a gear box  301 , which serves to translate rotational energy from fan  110  to electrical generator  302 . The specific ratio for gear box  301  is selected in accordance with amount of appropriate power that is required for the system. Electrical generator accumulates energy and provides it to controller  303 , which then distributes the electrical energy to other areas of the system as needed. 
         [0020]    Turning to  FIG. 4 , an exemplary DC-based vehicle system is disclosed that utilizes hub  110 . DC controller  402  is arranged to take power from the batteries  401  and deliver it to the motor  403 . Accelerator  400  is preferably arranged to provide a variable-power signal (via potentiometers, or variable resistors) to DC controller  402 . This signal will determine for the DC controller how much power it is supposed to deliver for moving the vehicle. The controller may deliver zero power (when the vehicle is stopped), full power (when the accelerator is “floored”), or any power level in-between. Under an exemplary embodiment, when the accelerator is depressed by a user, the DC controller pulses the voltage ( 410 ) to create an average voltage that is subsequently passed to DC motor  403 . 
         [0021]    In  FIG. 4 , fan  110  may be arranged to provide energy to the DC controller  402  for distributing energy to motor  403 . Alternately, fan  110  may provide charge to batteries  401 , which in turn powers motor  403 . In another embodiment, certain fans from the system may be directed to power controller  402 , while other fans simultaneously provide charge to batteries  401 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 5  illustrates an alternate embodiment, where an AC-based vehicle system utilizes hub  110 . Just as in  FIG. 4 , accelerometer  500  signals AC controller  503  for establishing levels of power for moving a vehicle. In the exemplary embodiment, battery  501  and charger  502  provides energy to operate controller  503 . Battery array  504  would be responsible for providing overall energy to AC motor  505 , which would ultimately power the vehicle transmission. 
         [0023]    As controller  503  is based on AC power, the controller would preferably operate by producing three pseudo-sine waves by taking the DC voltage from battery array  504  and pulsing it on and off. In an AC controller, there is the additional need to reverse the polarity of the voltage multiple times a second (e.g., 60 times per second). Thus, in a preferred embodiment, multiple (e.g., 6) transistors would be needed in the AC controller  503 . For each phase, one set of transistors would be needed to pulse the voltage and another set to reverse the polarity. 
         [0024]    In  FIG. 5 , fan  110  may be arranged to provide energy to the AC controller  503  for distributing energy from battery array  504  to motor  505 . Alternately, fan  110  may provide charge to batteries  501  via charger  502 , which in turn provides supplementary power to motor  505 . In another embodiment, certain fans from the system may be directed to power controller  503 , while other fans simultaneously provide charge to batteries  501 . 
         [0025]    Although the invention has been described with reference to particular arrangements and embodiments, these are not intended to exhaust all possible arrangements or embodiments, and indeed many other modifications and variations will be ascertainable to those of skill in the art. For example, while the embodiments discussed above relate to vehicles, the same principles described above are equally applicable to boats, planes or any other means of transportation. Also, while specific materials are mentioned in this document, one skilled in the art would appreciate that other materials may be used or substituted. This application covers any adaptations or variations of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is limited only by the claims and all available equivalents.