Multiple layer solar energy harvesting composition and method, solar energy harvesting buckyball, inductive coupling device; vehicle chassis; atmospheric intake hydrogen motor; electrical energy generating tire; and mechanical energy harvesting device

Abstract

Provided is a multiple layer composition and method for deposition of a solar energy harvesting strip onto a driving surface that will allow electric cars to charge by an inductive coupling. The multiple layer composition includes at least one magnetic material for generating a magnetic field, wherein at least one of the multiple layers comprises the magnetic material. Further, the a multiple layer composition includes at least one solar energy harvesting material for converting at least one of thermal and photonic energy into electrical energy, wherein at least one of the multiple layers comprises the at least one solar energy harvesting material and wherein the at least one solar energy harvesting material is located within a magnetic field generated by the at least one magnetic material. An alternative multiple layer composition includes a thermal energy harvesting material for converting thermal energy into electrical energy, wherein at least one layer comprises the thermal energy harvesting material, and a photonic energy harvesting material for converting photonic energy into electrical energy, wherein at least one layer comprises the thermal energy harvesting material. Additionally provided is a solar energy harvesting buckyball, inductive coupling device, vehicle chassis for storing electrical energy, atmospheric intake hydrogen motor, electrical energy generating tire and mechanical energy harvesting device.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 705,484, filed Aug. 5, 2005, and Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 810,162, filed Jun. 2, 2006, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to the generation of electrical energy from solar energy for applications such as powering electric vehicles by inductive coupling. More particularly, the present invention relates to a multiple layer solar energy harvesting composition and method used to form a solar energy harvesting strip along a road surface that allows passing electric vehicles to be powered by an inductive coupling thereto. Further, the present invention relates to a solar energy harvesting buckyball. Still further, the present invention relates to an inductive coupling device. Even further, the present ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The invention is a method and composition for harvesting solar energy from a road surface and converting it into electrical energy for powering electric vehicles. The composition includes a multiple layer solar energy harvesting composition that includes at least one layer of thermal energy harvesting material and at least one layer of magnetic material. The method involves depositing the layers onto the surface area that is exposed to solar energy and converting the thermal and photonic energy into electrical energy using the solar energy harvesting materials. The invention also includes a solar energy harvesting buckyball and an inductive coupling device for vehicles. Additionally, the invention includes a mechanical energy harvesting device for converting mechanical motion into electrical current for powering electric vehicles."

Problems solved by technology

All of these technologies have significant hurdles to overcome.

A significant problem with solar cell technology is that large areas of land are needed to establish solar fields with a high enough yield to be practical.

Solar cells have been improved over the years to be more effective at converting sunlight into electricity, but even the best solar cells are only about 20% efficient at conversion.

Further, solar cells have limited wave length efficiency and on cloudy or rainy days, there is little or no generation of electricity.

It is very expensive to build these arrays and they require extensive amounts of land.

The disadvantages of wind generation are the amount of land required, costs of construction, and inconsistent nature of wind.

These disadvantages all add up to, as with solar cell technology, relying on natural processes that are undependable.

At night and on cloudy days they become ineffective.

Thus the generation of electricity during a rainstorm becomes substantially impossible.

As with solar energy and wind fields, solar furnaces are inefficient because they only generate energy for a part of a day.

Hydrogen's major drawbacks are production and storage.

Additionally, storing hydrogen for consumption on a vehicle is complicated due to the nature of hydrogen in its gaseous state.

Thus, liquefying hydrogen creates the problem of putting cold storage tanks in vehicles which would vastly increase the cost of the vehicle.

Also, a cold storage tank would occupy a significant amount of space within a vehicle so as to store enough hydrogen to get near the number of miles per tank the average car gets now.

Electric vehicles which rely solely on batteries to power them suffer from problems such as limited range, and this has forced most auto producers to abandon the purely electric car as an alternative to the internal combustion engine.

Even when electric vehicles are coupled with solar cell technology, most solar cells are inefficient because of a number of limiting factors, including wave refraction and reflection, weather problems, and so forth, and therefore fall short of delivering enough energy.

However, such cars still produce greenhouse gases, and other harmful pollutants.

However, the open loop system is inefficient as the energy consumer never generates and adds energy to the system.

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