Air compressor based vehicle drive system
US5460239A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 2, 1994 |
| Grant date | Oct 24, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 2, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02T90/40
- WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A vehicle drive system fueled by a source of compressed air includes a main air motor connected with and adapted to drive a vehicle wheel, a combined rotatable flywheel-impeller assembly acting in turbine fashion during a charge-up phase to spin-up with compress air from the source, and acting in compressor fashion to alternately compress ambient air from the source and subsequently deliver the resulting compressed air to the air motor while being disposed in a substantial vacuum and an air tank connected to the main air motor and adapted to store compressed air from the flywheel-impeller assembly. A controller is connected to the flywheel-impeller assembly, air tank and main air motor to automatically and continuously control the flow of compressed air between the flywheel-impeller assembly and the air tank, and between the air tank and main air motor in response to the demand for compressed air required by the main air motor to drive the vehicle wheel.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.