Supplemental propulsion system for a vehicle

Abstract

A supplemental propulsion system for a vehicle may include a Frets rotor. The Frettner rotor includes a rotatable cylinder mounted (e.g., horizontally or vertically) on the vehicle. An airflow deflector is located on the vehicle adjacent the Frets rotor, and the airflow deflector is configured to redirect the vehicle headwind to generate an airflow through the cylinder in a direction transverse to the headwind. The electronic controller may be configured to control the motor to rotate the cylinder. In some examples, the rotational speed of the cylinder is maintained at a selected multiple of the velocity of the airflow through the cylinder.

Description

[0001] cross reference [0002] The following applications and materials are incorporated herein in their entirety for all purposes: US Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 947,176 and US Patent No. 10,859,065. technical field [0003] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for supplementing the propulsion of land vehicles, marine vessels, and other forms of transportation. More specifically, the disclosed embodiments relate to supplemental Flettner rotor-based propulsion systems for vehicles. Background technique [0004] Natural winds caused by atmospheric circulation have long been a source of renewable energy solutions for human civilization. The use of wind to propel sailboats in maritime transport dates back thousands of years. Despite the extreme variability of wind conditions, wind propulsion was the norm for many centuries until thruster-based propulsion replaced sails. [0005] In the 1920s, attempts were made to use electrically driven vertical ...

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