The “Thoreole” System

Abstract

Device for channeling aerodynamic flow and recovering wind energy generated by the car. Project description: Moving freely and quickly wherever you want in the world is man's greatest innovation. But how can you move around on a dead planet? Without a major revolution in the automotive sector, our earth is increasingly in danger. The electrification of vehicles has started this revolution, but it is not enough. The use of immense quantities of rare earths greatly mitigates the true ecological goal of the electric car. My patent aims to respond to a real challenge of decarbonizing the car in an efficient and sustainable manner. It is therefore based on a 100% electric vehicle base with a profound modification of the front space (under the hood). Indeed, instead of the air coming into contact with the grille frontally, it is channeled through a tunnel.It is designed to disturb the aerodynamic flow as little as possible and to lower the overall drag of the car as much as possible. In the middle of the hood, the two openings will converge to form a large central passage. These openings are not there by chance, their purpose is to house the blower-generators on the one hand and secondly to reduce drag as much as possible. To return to the blowers, they constitute the basis of my invention and are inspired by the aeronautical industry. They were designed to be as compact as possible but also as efficient as possible by integrating the alternator within it. Their purpose is to recharge the car with only the force of the wind it produces while driving.Thanks to this technology, our cars of tomorrow equipped with this system could therefore travel hundreds of kilometers without recharging, but the real feat is that this is done with a very small battery and a cost of use per 100 km of the symbolic order. Despite this, the blowers do not work at all speeds and start to become effective from 50 km / h and become truly active above 100 km / h, in short where the EV is currently in the most difficulty. The system can be deployed in two different ways, the first via the retrofit of already existing electric cars and the second with the design of a car designed around Thoréole. In short, we can easily define my innovation as a wind range extender.

Description

Title of the invention: The “Thoreole” System

[0001] My invention is intended for all electric vehicles, with the aim of extending their autonomy while reducing their environmental impact, from manufacturing to their end of life.

[0002] *All the following statements are purely theoretical. Although simple estimates, the results presented are nevertheless demonstrable, resulting from rigorous research combining observation, experiments and calculations entirely carried out by me* Origin of the idea:

[0003] Opening the car window and reaching over the door is something we've all done. Feeling the speed of the air is a very familiar sensation.

[0004] So one day I thought to myself: "But what is this airflow?"

[0005] I quickly found my answer: it is simply the “wind” created by the movement of the car. Couldn’t we use this to produce electricity?

[0006] This is the second thought that came to me, and that I wanted to put into practice: generating an electric current from this energy to power a car. This idea is not new, but is presented here in a new form. While it has many advantages, it nevertheless has some limitations, and this is what we will detail.

[0007] By carefully studying the aerodynamic flow that the car undergoes, we observe that the most exposed part is the grille (the front face). Why not integrate a wind energy recovery system into this almost empty location on an electric vehicle? At first glance, it may seem absurd, but such a system nevertheless has several advantages: air that is said to be clean and disturbed by any part of the car, an easily modular and accessible space, and finally, sufficient space to accommodate wind generators and associated electronic systems.

[0008] Moreover, this phenomenon has been used for years by skippers under the name of "wind-speed" in order to make their giant of the sea fly. The usefulness:

[0009] Today we can easily travel hundreds of kilometers with an electric vehicle. But at what price? Without a doubt, that of a large battery. But what else? Behind an electric vehicle lies a heavy carbon footprint, due in particular to its production requiring the use of rare metals to increase the density of the battery. This size, even, induces a very high price. It is therefore necessary to bring real innovation over the long term term both ecological and economic to these vehicles. Indeed, by reducing the size of the battery by 3 to 4 times for certain EVs, the system allows a reduction of rare materials used and the financial share that the battery represents in the price of an electrified vehicle. Today a battery costs between 10,000 and 25,000€ for the largest. By reducing this dependency item by 3, we arrive at less than 5000€. Taking into account the total cost of the supercapacitor pack + that of the main battery (details of the technical aspect present in the section: "The Technical Solution") + the Thoréole system, we would reach the price of batteries with lower capacities while offering at least 2 times more autonomy, but above all a cost of use 3 times lower, especially on fast roads.

[0010] In addition, linked to the basic operation of the innovation, the system will produce the most energy where the electric car is the most energy-intensive: that is to say on the highway. It is in fact where the speed and consumption of the car are the highest that the system will be the most productive (high wind speed). We therefore end up with a particularly interesting balance. Unlike, in town, we never travel more than 60 km without exceeding 50 km / h or even more than 200 km in town without recharging. On secondary roads, the speed being lower, the production will be lower but the consumption will also be, we therefore find this famous balance. To operate the Thoréole system in fact needs a sufficient quantity of air, which it finds at around 50 km / h and after it balances more or less with the consumption; becoming more efficient at high speeds.

[0011] Another key point is the integration of the tunnels at the front in the shape of an inverted airplane wing.

[0012] This provides more purely aerodynamic support. This support therefore provides better efficiency at high speed without adding anything superfluous (drawings No. 2-3).

[0013] My system thus brings a real innovation on the ecological level, because it reduces the share of raw materials, but also economically, by reducing the theoretical purchase cost as well as the cost of use while removing the main preconception before buying an electric car: the lack of autonomy. Finally, my invention also brings an evolution on the aerodynamic level for a simple production car. The Technical Solution:

[0014] By taking up the idea of disturbing the air flow as little as possible and reducing drag as much as possible, the system therefore aims to create a real tunnel which leads the air from the front of the car to below the windscreen as described in drawing (No. 1). It is strongly inspired by the S-DUCT technology present and very effective in motorsport.

[0015] The air intake of this tunnel is therefore done via two openings, separated by a horizontal bar. The latter ensures the rigidity of the front and safety general of the car.

[0016] This tunnel is positioned in a strategic location. It has two entrances arranged one above the other as shown in the front and side diagrams. They join at the wheel to form more than one (as shown in the side view, drawings no. 2 and 3).

[0017] Above all, it houses the real innovation: 20cm diameter blower-alternators, arranged along the entire flow (drawings No. 4-9).

[0018] Once the passage is one, larger blowers will be installed to recover as much wind energy as possible. The tunnel's trajectory will be as taut as possible in order to guide the so-called secondary air flow as much as possible towards the main one; the one that runs along the bodywork.

[0019] In order to achieve this phenomenon, flaps will be placed at the end in order to best guide the flow exiting the Thoréole system and reduce the overall drag of the car as much as possible.

[0020] In short, for the mechanical part, the goal is to significantly reduce aerodynamic drag thanks to the tunnel. However, with the addition of blowers, the gain will be practically cancelled. However, instead of a "wall" slowing down the air, it will be wind turbines that produce electricity.

[0021] Concerning the blowers, these will be placed in the tunnels, in order to maximize the electrical production while reducing as much as possible the possible disturbances generated by the blowers on the air. The latter are also optimized to have no intermediary, that is to say that the generator is integrated within the blower itself (as described on the sectional plan). The rotor (magnet) is therefore on the outside, forming only one piece with the blower and the blades. The stator (copper winding) forms only one arm, that is to say an assembly composed of the attachment to the wall, the electrical sheath and therefore finally the stator.

[0022] The blowers would be 12-15 in number, distributed across the entire width and length of the tunnels (see various photos). In total, there would be a maximum of 2-3 rows, avoiding any excessive disturbance of the air flow to maintain the advantages described upstream.

[0023] From a purely aerodynamic point of view, the fan is inspired by aeronautical technology, giving it a blade shape that has largely proven its aerodynamic efficiency, as well as its energy transfer. It is therefore the technology most suited to the system.

[0024] The blower-generator / tunnel association therefore forms the entire system: “Thoréole” aimed at recovering the wind energy generated by the movement of the car (drawing No. 10).

[0025] Finally, from an electrical point of view, the system is based on: a battery system high voltage (preferably sodium-ion allowing a lower ecological impact, immersed in order to extend its lifespan and ensure better thermal management of it and 800V allowing better input and output power) of small capacity (i.e. ~25 kWh), coupled with a pack of supercapacitors (~lkWh) better accepting charge / discharge in all circumstances. The space taken up by the assembly will therefore be equivalent to that occupied by a larger battery (assembly = battery + supercapacitors), while reducing the use of rare materials. This battery will in fact be powered on the one hand by a conventional on-board charger (AC / DC) of an electric car, and on the other hand by the blowers.

[0026] The alternating current from the blowers will be transformed into direct current via a diode bridge and a rectifier in order to provide a linear direct current voltage despite the obvious fluctuations in that of the alternators.

[0027] A new generation BMS (Battery Management System) will manage the different electrical flows within the battery and the supercapacitors. Above all, it will best distribute the current arriving from the front generators which must go to the wheels with 3 possible energy sources (drawing n°1 1): Thoréole. the battery or the supercapacitors,

[0028] After detailing the architecture of the system, I can do a simulation of a trip with numerical values to better understand.

[0029] Let's say I have a car equipped with the "Thoréole" system. I want to travel from Paris to Marseille with my family (graph -> fig 14). I charge my car to 100% at night, i.e. to 25kWh (€6.25) in the battery; while pre-conditioning it.

[0030] Before taking the motorway, I travel 20km on the congested Paris ring road at an average speed of 30km / h. On this journey, I have a very pessimistic theoretical consumption of 14 kWh per 100km, so I have consumed 2.8 kWh assuming that the blowers have not been running. When I arrive on the motorway, I am therefore at 88% (22 kWh remaining) of battery.

[0031] When my speed increases I switch to a consumption at 130km / h of 21 kWh per 100 km, but the Thoréole system recharges the battery to 24kWh / h (2 kWh per generator). In 1h I would therefore have consumed a total of 28 kWh while regenerating 24 kWh thanks to the blowers. The real consumption of the car is therefore 4 kWh per hour (-3.07 kWh / 100). This gives me sufficient autonomy to reach Lyon, i.e. 450 km of motorway and with a margin. Arriving in Lyon, I will therefore stop to recharge the car in -10 min, achievable thanks to the small size and all the technologies that the battery has. Then, following the same reasoning, I will have enough autonomy to reach Marseille. The journey was therefore made in a single recharge stop. But is it really the short break that makes the system better than an electric vehicle or its cost per 100km less than €1 (on the motorway) and its ecological impact as low as possible?

[0032] In conclusion, my invention is a system for recovering wind energy directly produced by the car via the use of blower-generators. The drag generated by the rotation of the blades will be compensated by the absence of a grille via a tunnel housing these same turbines. The electrical flows will be entirely managed by the computer, guaranteeing maximum autonomy by maximizing the efficiency of the car. Finally, its real goal is to further reduce the carbon footprint of the electric car while improving its efficiency. The disadvantages:

[0033] My invention provides at first sight a solid answer to a serious problem. However, it is not free from defects and constraints that can be largely overcome.

[0034] The system only works when the speed is high >50 km / h

[0035] At high speed, turbines can rotate at extremely high speeds in placing significant stress on the materials; however, this can be controlled by using high-quality materials with the appropriate properties

[0036] The risks of breakdowns and breakages of the system must be taken into account in relation to the location of the blowers and its exposure to various projections. Nevertheless, this risk remains low and always lower than with any thermal car,

[0037] Part of the available space is reduced; in fact the frunk (front trunk) is completely blocked.

[0038] It is not excluded that the blowers generate a slight overconsumption but which will in any case be compensated by their electrical production.

[0039] A quantity of copper and magnetic metals must be used to produce the alternators, but compared to a battery, these metals can be recycled and therefore have a lower ecological impact. (Drawings No. 4-9). Applications:

[0040] First of all, it is important to remember that my innovation is only viable and usable for a 100% electric vehicle (in accordance with the description given above).

[0041] Initially, the system can be integrated into a car with a retrofit system. Indeed, in the hood of some electric cars, a large space is available at the front allowing the first tests of the innovation to be easily accommodated without starting from 0. The system will not be optimized and may even only have a central entrance, but this will allow us to get an idea of the feasibility technique. This technique could even lead to a commercialization phase in order to compensate for battery wear. Retrofitting can therefore be one of the possible applications and a way to test the system in real conditions in order to collect valuable data for the design of a built model based on Thoréole.

[0042] Indeed, after the retrofit phase, a series model is to be considered as shown in the drawings (these also reflect my current vision of the car of the future with Thoréole). This would be built entirely around Thoréole, integrating as much as possible each part, whether mechanical or electrical, in order to make the car as efficient as possible and exploit all the possibilities offered by my invention.

[0043] The ultimate goal is to be able to drive at high speed almost indefinitely. The main constraint:

[0044] Won't the blowers brake the car?

[0045] I think it is interesting to express my point of view on this question, because it is the main defect that has been raised in my circle, and the biggest question mark concerning my invention.

[0046] Indeed, it is impossible to predict in reality and in real conditions, the impact that the whole system has on the consumption of the car even with models, and by CFD, it is difficult to simulate so many complex parameters. Nevertheless these are known systems and widely used in aviation. I therefore carried out research on aeronautical fans and their impact on the general drag of the aircraft. The research is hard but leads to one and the same conclusion: there is an impact but it is not significant compared to everything else. In addition, aircraft manufacturers continually increase the size of it to suck in more air because its impact is low on general aerodynamics but important for the efficiency of the reactor. This is why I came to the conclusion that: the gain of the tunnel cancels the theoretical effects of the fans.However, assuming that this still reduces efficiency, I believe the system should more than compensate for the losses through electricity production. Brief description of the drawings.

[0047] [Fig.l]: Front view of the Thoréole system. The air enters through the opening located in front, with all the blowers and comes out in the middle of the hood.

[0048] [Fig.2]: Side view no. 1 with representation of the tunnel and the two openings

[0049] [Fig.3]: Side view n°2 with representation of the tunnel as well as the integration of the engine and heat pump.

[0050] [Fig.4]: Drawing of the blowers with corresponding hatching

[0051] [Fig.5]: Blower-alternator cross-sectional view, modeled in 3D + captioned. The parts pink corresponding to the Stator assembly, salmon and yellow to the Rotor / Blower assembly

[0052] [Fig.6]: 3D overview of the alternator blower

[0053] [Fig.7]: 3D sectional view (back) of the alternator blower

[0054] [Fig.8]: 3D representation of the stator (the copper winding is not modeled)

[0055] [Fig.9]: Rotor / Fan assembly modeled in 3D

[0056] [Fig. 10]: Cross-section of the Rotor. The pink corresponds to the rotor and the magnets, the salmon to the fan blades.

[0057] [Fig. 11]: Overview of a car equipped with the Thoréole system. The tunnel is deliberately visible, allowing the entire system to be seen.

[0058] [Fig. 12]: Thoréole technical assembly

[0059] [Fig. 13]: Energy diagram showing the different energy consumptions and detailing the very principle of recovering a car equipped with Thoréole.

[0060] fig 14: Graph showing the evolution of the battery percentage on a Paris-> Marseille journey; the values are theorized but show the efficiency and usefulness of Thoréole. This graph should be compared with the explanation of the journey described above.

Claims

Claims

1. Electric car comprising at least one electric motor, a rechargeable battery (in alternating or direct current), equipped with at least one air intake at the front and at least one front wind-electric energy converter, whether at the origin of the vehicle or after its purchase.

2. The first tunnel system with at least one frontal air inlet, and at least one vertical wind collector placed in the hood of an electric car according to claim 1.

3. Electric car according to claim 1 which, after reaching a sufficient speed, is partially (not negligible) recharged by the electricity generated by the force of the wind exerted on the blades of the rotors of the blowers, itself (the wind) created by the speed of the car.

4. In accordance with claim 2, I claim exclusivity of the channeling of the frontal aerodynamic flow via at least one tunnel for the purpose of producing energy useful for moving the car.

5. I claim the exclusive property right concerning the blowers which include an alternator within them, thus forming the integral BLOWER-ALTERNATOR pair.

6. In accordance with claim No. 5, I claim that the rotor is the same part as the fan blades as well as the block where these same blades rest.

7. According to claim No. 6, I claim that the stator and the blower arm are one (integral parts).

8. I claim that the rotation system of the blower is provided by the alternator in direct connection with the blower assembly.

9. Finally, I claim that the transformation of wind energy, into mechanical and then electrical energy, is done exclusively using the assembly described in the preceding claims.

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