Device for recovering energy, vehicle and fairground ride comprising such a device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (3) for a fairground ride (1), in particular for a rollercoaster, for recovering energy, having a component (10) which is to be cooled, a cooling apparatus (20) and at least one heat transmission means (30), wherein the cooling apparatus is arranged on a surface of the component which is to be cooled and comprises at least one first Peltier element (21), wherein the at least one first Peltier element (21) is arranged between the surface (11) of the component (10) and the at least one heat transmission means (30), wherein the first Peltier element (21) is operated by generator and is connected electrically to a consumer (40), and wherein the at least one first Peltier element (21) energizes the consumer (40). The invention also relates to a fairground ride (1) comprising such a device (3).

Description

[0001] Device for recovering energy, vehicle and ride with such a device

[0002] The present invention relates to a device for an amusement ride, in particular for a roller coaster, for energy recovery. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a ride vehicle having such a device with the features of patent claim 8 and to an amusement ride having the features of patent claim 10.

[0003] Rides are known from the prior art in various designs and are provided as stationary or semi-stationary facilities or attractions, particularly in amusement parks, for the leisure entertainment of passengers. Examples of rides of this type include water rides, roller coasters, dark rides, carousels, circular rides, or similar, which have at least one passenger seat in which at least one passenger can travel along a route. The at least one passenger seat can be arranged, for example, on a vehicle or a movable frame.

[0004] Generic rides have proven successful in the past, but it has been shown that during a ride on the ride large amounts of heat energy are dissipated unused at the brakes and stators.

[0005] In addition, it has been shown that supplying vehicles with electrical energy is a complex process. Firstly, power storage units have to be carried on board, which places considerable weight on the vehicles. Secondly, the power storage units have to be charged regularly, which means that the vehicles have to be taken to a maintenance area, for example. Based on this prior art, the present invention is dedicated to the object of providing a device for recovering energy which expediently eliminates the disadvantages known from the prior art. In addition, the proposed device should be able to ensure a self-sufficient energy supply, in particular for a vehicle on an amusement ride.

[0006] These objects are achieved by a device having the features of patent claim 1.

[0007] Further advantageous embodiments of the present invention are specified in the subclaims.

[0008] The device according to the invention with the features of patent claim 1 for an amusement ride, in particular for a roller coaster, for recovering energy comprises a component to be cooled, a cooling device, and at least one heat transfer medium. The cooling device is thermally coupled to a surface of the component to be cooled and comprises at least one first Peltier element, wherein the at least one first Peltier element is arranged between the surface of the component to be cooled and the at least one heat transfer medium.

[0009] According to the invention, the first Peltier element is operated as a generator and is electrically connected to a consumer. The at least one first Peltier element supplies the consumer with current.

[0010] The present invention is based on the idea of ​​using the high thermal energy, particularly in the brakes and stators of amusement rides, especially roller coasters, to power at least one consumer. This is intended to recover the energy that would otherwise be lost to the environment. This recovered energy can then be used to power at least one consumer.

[0011] It has been shown that a device according to the invention can recover sufficient energy to, for example, provide a ride vehicle with sufficient power during the ride. As a result, roller coaster vehicles according to the invention can be operated in a simple and cost-effective manner, particularly with low maintenance, and can supply themselves with energy independently.

[0012] To this end, the present invention provides that the at least one first Peltier element is operated as a generator using the Seebeck effect. The at least one first Peltier element is arranged on the component to be cooled, preferably on the surface, in such a way that a hot side is thermally coupled to the surface of the component to be cooled and a cold side is coupled to the at least one heat transfer medium. The at least one heat transfer medium preferably has an enlarged surface and is preferably convection-cooled.

[0013] A preferred development of the present invention provides that the consumer comprises a power storage device, in particular a power storage device of the vehicle. The power storage device can, for example, temporarily store the power generated by the cooling device and can, for example, in turn be used to power sensors and / or safety devices of the at least one vehicle of the amusement ride, in particular the roller coaster. Furthermore, it has proven advantageous if the consumer comprises at least one second Peltier element. The at least one second Peltier element can, for example, be used to cool an object or any component, for example the component to be cooled.

[0014] In the simplest case, the at least one first Peltier element can supply current to the at least one second Peltier element, with the second Peltier element being used to cool the component to be cooled. In this case, both the first Peltier element and the second Peltier element are thermally coupled or connected to the component to be cooled.

[0015] According to an advantageous embodiment, the at least one second Peltier element can be thermally coupled to the component to be cooled. In particular, it is preferred if the at least one second Peltier element is arranged on the surface of the component to be cooled, adjacent to the first Peltier element.

[0016] Furthermore, it has proven advantageous if a cooling side of the at least one second Peltier element is thermally coupled to the component. In this way, the at least one second Peltier element can contribute to increasing the cooling performance of the component to be cooled using the energy recovered from the first Peltier element.

[0017] Furthermore, a preferred further training of the present

[0018] The invention provides that a heating side of the at least one second Peltier element is thermally coupled to the at least one heat transfer medium. The heating side of the at least one second Peltier element can be thermally coupled either to its own, i.e., to at least one second heat transfer medium, or to the at least one heat transfer medium that is thermally coupled to the first Peltier element.

[0019] The thermal coupling of the at least one first Peltier element and / or the at least one second Peltier element with the component(s) to be cooled and / or with the at least one heat transfer medium can be achieved by a direct or indirect connection. Preferably, the thermal coupling can be achieved by a connecting layer, which can be formed, for example, from a thermally conductive paste or a thermally conductive connecting medium.

[0020] A further development of the present invention provides that the at least one heat transfer means comprises cooling ribs and / or cooling fins. Furthermore, it can be provided that the at least one heat transfer means comprises one or more heat pipes, through which a large amount of heat can be transferred, for example, to a heat sink with an enlarged surface for improved convection cooling.

[0021] A further aspect of the present invention relates to a vehicle of an amusement ride, in particular a vehicle of a roller coaster, having a previously described device for recovering energy. According to a preferred development, it can be advantageous if the at least one device is arranged on a brake and / or a stator of the vehicle. Brakes and / or stators in particular have a very high temperature development when braking and accelerating a vehicle, in particular a vehicle of a roller coaster. The resulting thermal energy can be at least partially recovered and used in particular to supply power to the at least one consumer.

[0022] A third and final aspect of the present invention relates to a ride comprising a vehicle and at least one device for recovering energy as described above.

[0023] An exemplary embodiment is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying figure.

[0024] Figure 1 shows a highly simplified and schematically illustrated device 3 for recovering energy on a vehicle 2 of a ride 1. Such a ride 1 may, for example, be a roller coaster, wherein the vehicle 2 can travel along a track (not shown).

[0025] The at least one vehicle 2 of the ride 1 preferably does not have its own drive device. The ride 1 comprises at least one lift hill (not shown) and / or one launch section (not shown), whereby the at least one vehicle 2 can travel the track without active acceleration.

[0026] Figure 1 shows a section of the vehicle 2 with the energy recovery device 3. It depicts a component 10 of at least one vehicle 2, which component 10 can experience very high temperatures, for example, during braking and / or acceleration of the vehicle 3.

[0027] The device 3 comprises the component 10 to be cooled, a cooling device 20 and heat transfer means 30.

[0028] The cooling device 20 is arranged on a surface 11 of the component 10 to be cooled and comprises at least one first Peltier element 21 which is arranged between the surface 11 of the component 10 to be cooled and the at least one heat transfer means 30.

[0029] The first Peltier element 21 has a cold side 22 and a hot side 23, wherein the hot side 23 faces the component 10 to be cooled and the cold side 22 faces the heat transfer medium 30.

[0030] The first Peltier element 21 can be operated as a generator using the Seebeck effect, so that in the event of a temperature difference, the first Peltier element 21 can output an electrical voltage that can enable an autonomous voltage supply to the vehicle 2.

[0031] In the illustrated embodiment, the first Peltier element 21 is electrically connected to a consumer 40 via an electrical line 25, wherein the consumer 40 can be, for example, a power storage device or the power supply network of the vehicle 3. For example, the power storage device can supply power to electrical monitoring systems of the vehicle 2, wherein the power storage device can be charged by the at least one first Peltier element 21 during ongoing operation of the ride 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the consumer 40 is a second Peltier element 42, which is electrically connected to the first Peltier element 21. The first Peltier element 21 supplies power to the second Peltier element 42.

[0032] The second Peltier element 42 has a cooling side 43 and a heating side 44, wherein when energized by the Peltier effect, the cooling side 43 experiences a temperature reduction and the heating side 44 experiences a temperature increase.

[0033] In the illustrated embodiment, the second Peltier element 42 is also thermally coupled to the component 10 to be cooled. It should be noted at this point that the second Peltier element 42 can be thermally coupled or connected to any component of the vehicle 3.

[0034] The second Peltier element 42 is arranged on the surface 11 of the component 10 to be cooled, spaced apart from the first Peltier element 21. The cooling side 43 faces the component 10 to be cooled, and the heating side 44 faces a second heat transfer medium 30, which is designated by reference numeral 30' in the accompanying figure for clarity. The second Peltier element can locally increase the cooling performance on the component 10.

[0035] The heat transfer medium 30 can be any desired heat exchanger, also colloquially referred to as a heat exchanger. In the illustrated embodiment, the heat transfer medium 30 comprises a plurality of cooling fins or cooling ribs that can be convection cooled. List of reference symbols

[0036] 1 ride

[0037] 2 vehicles

[0038] 3 Device

[0039] 10 components

[0040] 11 Surface

[0041] 20 Cooling equipment

[0042] 21 first Peltier element

[0043] 22 Cold side

[0044] 23 Hot side

[0045] 25 electrical cables

[0046] 30 heat transfer media

[0047] 40 customers

[0048] 42 second Peltier element

[0049] 43 Cooling side

[0050] 44 Heating side

Claims

Patent claims 1. Device (3) for a ride (1), in particular for a roller coaster, for recovering energy, comprising - a component to be cooled (10) , - a cooling device (20) and - at least one heat transfer medium (30), - wherein the cooling device is arranged on a surface of the component to be cooled and comprises at least a first Peltier element (21), - wherein the at least one first Peltier element (21) is arranged between the surface (11) of the component (10) and the at least one heat transfer means (30), and - wherein the first Peltier element (21) is operated as a generator and is electrically connected to a consumer (40) and - wherein the at least one first Peltier element (21) supplies current to the consumer (40).

2. Device (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that the consumer comprises a power storage device, in particular a power storage device of the vehicle.

3. Device (3) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the collector (40) comprises at least one second Peltier element (42).

4. Device (3) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one second Peltier element (42) is thermally coupled to the component (10) to be cooled, in particular that the at least one second Peltier element (42) is arranged on the surface (11) of the component to be cooled.

5. Device (3) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a cooling side (43) of the at least one second Peltier element (42) is thermally coupled to the component (10).

6. Device (3) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a heating side (44) of the at least one second Peltier element (42) is thermally coupled to the at least one heat transfer means (30).

7. Device (3) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one heat transfer means (30) comprises cooling ribs and / or cooling fins.

8. Vehicle (2) of a ride (1), in particular a roller coaster, comprising a device (3) according to one of the preceding claims.

9. Vehicle (2) according to claim 8, characterized in that the device (3) is mounted on at least one brake and / or at least one stator.

10. Amusement ride (1) with a vehicle (2) and at least one device (3) according to one of claims 1 to 8.

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