Method and device for recovering kinetic energy lost during the braking phase by a towed vehicle and for its use during the starting phase

Abstract

This invention relates to a device and a method by which the kinetic energy lost during the braking phase of a multi-axle vehicle R is efficiently and directly converted into elastic potential energy stored in the form of compressed air in a compressed air tank C, compressed air produced by an air compressor A whose crankshaft 10, located inside a sectional axle 3, is coupled to the ends of a pair of wheels 2 of the vehicle R, and during the starting phase, this quantity of elastic potential energy stored in the tank C is to be used to drive a pneumatic motor B whose crankshaft 11 is coupled to the ends of a pair of wheels 4 corresponding to another sectional axle 5 of the vehicle, in order to produce in this way useful mechanical work necessary to return this vehicle to a state of motion close to that of before the start of the braking stage.Figure for the abbreviation: Figure 2.

Description

Title of the invention: Method and device for recovering kinetic energy lost during the braking phase of a towed vehicle and for its use during the starting phase

[0001] The present invention relates to a device and a method for recovering kinetic energy lost during braking and for use during the starting phase of a vehicle. Unlike other similar solutions, this invention relates particularly to towed, trailered, or self-propelled vehicles, but can also be applied to motor vehicles whose platform allows for the adaptation of such a device. It is intended for use primarily in the rail transport industry, TIR transport, or trucks with trailers, but also in other types of vehicles whose weight and size exceed the usual values.

[0002] The device used for this purpose consists of three main interconnected components, each having different roles as follows:

[0003] i) a kinetic energy recovery system consisting of an air compressor with compressor cylinders interleaved by means of a sectioned axle engine block, inside which a crankshaft is mounted at its ends with a pair of wheels of the vehicle, from which it directly takes over their rotational movement and the transmitted engine torque, driving the pistons of the air compressor cylinders in order to produce a quantity of compressed air directly proportional to the value of the kinetic energy lost during the braking process;

[0004] ii) a torque and rotational motion generator comprising a specially constructed rotary pneumatic motor to be described in the content of the present invention, which is in turn intersected by another sectional axle and which is supplied during the starting stage with the quantity of compressed air produced during the braking stage by the air compressor, with the role of directly and completely transmitting the rotational motion and torque produced by the wheels to which its crankshaft is coupled

[0005] iii) the compressed air reservoir which stores the quantity of compressed air produced by the air compressor in the form of elastic potential energy and which will be used later by the rotary pneumatic motor.

[0006] The intercalation of the air compressor and the rotary pneumatic motor in the composition of the different axles of the same vehicle is strategic in order to obtain the Maximum efficiency is achieved by minimizing the length of the powertrain, which allows it to take over and transmit forces without loss.

[0007] With this device, all the kinetic energy of a moving vehicle is transmitted through the wheels and fully absorbed directly at the start of the braking process by a crankshaft permanently coupled to the wheels on which the vehicle travels. This crankshaft is part of an air compressor with cylinders, which converts the kinetic energy transmitted to the crankshaft into elastic potential energy in the form of compressed air produced by this compressor and stored in a dedicated reservoir.

[0008] This invention also describes how the elastic potential energy stored in the form of compressed air is used after the braking stage, i.e., during the start-up or acceleration phase, to drive a rotary pneumatic motor of a special design type, integrated into another axle of the vehicle and whose crankshaft is permanently coupled to the wheels of that axle, in order to produce an equivalent motor torque necessary to return this vehicle to the state of motion corresponding to the moment of the start of the braking phase.

[0009] This invention also relates to a method by which, by means of the air compressor integrated into an axle of a moving vehicle, during the period corresponding to an ordinary movement, it provides the compressed air necessary for supercharging the combustion engine, either of the locomotive in the case of a train, or of the tractor in the case of a truck or vehicles pulling trailers, for example.

[0010] The current state of the art contains numerous and varied solutions for recovering the kinetic energy produced during the braking process. Most of the solutions used for this purpose are hybrid systems that essentially use two types of engines in the same vehicle: a combustion engine with the primary role, and a reversible electric motor that generates electricity and provides propulsion for predetermined operating periods, depending on certain parameters. There are also solutions that recover the heat released by the combustion gases of a combustion engine, converting this thermal energy into steam using heat exchangers, which in turn drive a turbine that provides additional torque.

[0011] All these solutions involve complex technologies, numerous components, and are difficult to manage. Integrating all the components onto the same platform results in a considerable increase in the machine's weight, which practically negates the advantages of efficient energy recovery, thus resulting in low efficiency. Furthermore, the reliability of these recovery systems is relatively low. Thanks to these similar solutions which use the kinetic energy of a vehicle to convert it into electricity, the efficiency obtained is extremely low; existing technologies do not allow the efficient transformation of a huge amount of kinetic energy into a directly proportional amount of electricity obtained during the braking process, which is very short.

[0012] The present invention solves these problems in a much simpler and more efficient manner by enabling, through the device used, the conversion of the kinetic energy of a moving mass into a directly proportional amount of elastic potential energy. This transformation is carried out concretely and efficiently only during the braking process, that is, only during the stage where the kinetic energy accumulated by imparting a speed to the vehicle decreases due to the decrease in speed. For this reason, this invention also aims to correct an expression often used in the literature, namely, "kinetic energy produced during the braking process." During the braking process, kinetic energy is not produced, but lost or diminished. It goes without saying that it is not possible to recover what is produced, but rather what is lost.

[0013] A particularly important and common problem with existing technical solutions is the quantitative limitation of the efficient recovery of kinetic energy lost during the braking process. These solutions essentially refer to low-mass vehicles whose kinetic energy during movement does not reach values ​​comparable to those of large, characteristic masses, such as trains, heavy trucks with or without trailers, oversized multi-axle trailers, etc. This invention provides a solution to this problem primarily because the device used can be sized according to the vehicle's inertial mass and its own kinetic energy.Thus, in the case of a train composed of several wagons, the recovery of kinetic energy lost during braking will be done individually, each wagon being equipped with at least one kinetic energy recovery and reuse device. Similarly, this device is adaptable to any type of trailer or multi-axle platform.

[0014] The solution offered by this invention can be considered a practical application of a consequence of the first law of mechanics. The statement of this principle is well known, which tells us that a body maintains its state of motion as long as no other force acts upon it to change that state. In the case of a vehicle traveling on wheels on a road, the air resistance force acts on it in the direction opposite to the direction of travel, which is neutralized by the vehicle's powertrain. At the same time, the powertrain A motor consumes a certain amount of energy to give the object a certain speed of movement, this energy being directly proportional to its own speed and mass. Thus, this object, or vehicle in our case, is imbued with a quantity of kinetic energy which, in the absence of other factors, will tend to maintain this acquired state of motion. This equilibrium is maintained by the action of the corresponding inertial force acting on the object in the direction of its movement. The forces opposing this inertial force are air resistance and the braking force triggered by the braking process.

[0015] The air resistance force is quantitatively negligible compared to the braking force applied to the vehicle when the braking process is initiated. This means that the change in the inertial mass of this body (vehicle) is primarily due to the action of the braking force. Consequently, if the recovery of the kinetic energy lost during the braking process were to succeed, it would be necessary, in one way or another, to return this body (vehicle) to the state of motion it had before the braking process was initiated.

[0016] Based on these considerations, the following corollary of the first law of mechanics or inertia can be stated:

[0017] “The amount of energy used to change the state of motion or rest of a body is directly proportional or equal to the amount of energy required to return that body to its original state of motion.”

[0018] In the patent literature, as relevant prior art, we found invention numbers GB2591859 and RO135169B1, which present a solution for the efficient recovery of kinetic energy produced during the braking process and its reuse during the starting process. We are also shown a method for supplying compressed air to a heat engine in order to supercharge it.In the present invention, an air compressor driven by means of a crankshaft located in the extension of the crankshaft of a thermal or electric engine is used to drive simultaneously with the combustion cylinders of the thermal engine and certain cylinders of the air compressor, thus producing a quantity of compressed air which is directed and stored in a compressed air tank as elastic potential energy by means of solenoid valves selectively controlled by a controller; this potential energy will subsequently be used to drive a turbine integral part of the crankshaft during the starting process.

[0019] The main disadvantages of this solution are:

[0020] - decreased efficiency due to the length of the crankshaft transmission, clutch, gearbox, transmission system, wheels;

[0021] - major modifications made to the engine or its accessories;

[0022] - Constructive imitation of the quantity of kinetic energy recovered during the braking process;

[0023] - the turbine powered by compressed air produces low driving moments.

[0024] The present invention eliminates these drawbacks by using a much more efficient device consisting of 3 main components, namely an air compressor with compressor cylinders driven by a crankshaft permanently fixed to a pair of wheels on which the vehicle moves, the crankshaft being located coaxially inside a sectional axle fixed at the ends by the wheels on which the vehicle moves, a compressed air tank and a specially constructed rotary air engine, the crankshaft of which is located in the same way inside another sectional axle and which is permanently coupled to another pair of wheels of the same vehicle.

[0025] Each component is intended to be used differently depending on the three distinct operating stages of a vehicle, namely braking, starting, and normal driving. To precisely define these operating stages, we will specify the characteristic physical quantities, using the following notations:

[0026] 1. The braking stage is initiated by pressing the brake pedal or lever and lasts until it ceases to function. It manifests as a decrease in the vehicle's speed from the initial speed Vi at the start of braking, down to a final travel value Vf at the end of the braking process. Thus, the value of the vehicle's own kinetic energy corresponding to the moment of braking at startup is:

[0027] iz • _ mxVi2 , where m = the mass of the vehicle; — 2

[0028] The value of the vehicle's kinetic energy corresponding to the time at the end of the braking stage is:

[0029] mxVp;

[0030] It follows that the kinetic energy lost during the braking process will be:

[0031] Vf-Vf- ; Ecp = Eci - Ecf = mx —5—

[0032] This relationship shows us that the amount of kinetic energy lost will be greater the greater the difference between the speed of the vehicle at the time of the start of the braking stage and the speed of the vehicle at the time of the end of the braking stage.

[0033] 2. The starting phase must be initiated by pressing the pedal of the accelerator or the lever and must last for a period of time necessary to reset the vehicle in a state of motion from the moment the braking stage is triggered, that is to say during the period corresponding to the increase in the speed Vf of the vehicle from the moment of the end of the braking stage until a speed not exceeding the speed of movement Vi corresponding to the speed of movement of the vehicle at the time of the initiation of the braking phase.

[0034] 3. The normal movement stage is the operating stage of a vehicle which excludes the other two stages, namely braking and starting.

[0035] The solution offered by this invention shows how the main components of the device are each used with a well-defined role according to the braking, starting and usual movement stages described above, as follows:

[0036] - during the braking phase, only the air compressor coupled to a pair of wheels by means of a crankshaft which uses the inertial force of the vehicle acting on it during the entire braking phase as the driving force of the compressor cylinders, thus producing a quantity of compressed air directed and stored in the dedicated compressed air tank, thereby converting the quantity of kinetic energy lost during the braking phase into a directly proportional quantity of elastic potential energy;

[0037] - during the start-up phase, only the rotary pneumatic motor of a special construction will work actively, it will be powered with compressed air produced and stored in the dedicated tank, its crankshaft being permanently coupled to another pair of wheels of the same vehicle, with the role of driving and therefore transmitting to the wheels to which it is coupled, an engine torque necessary to bring the vehicle back to the state of movement appropriate to triggering the braking process;

[0038] - during the normal movement phase, the compressor and the air motor rotary engines operate passively or inertially, being self-supplied with atmospheric air through air intakes, the air compressor possibly supplying compressed air to the vehicle's combustion engine to ensure its supercharging through another air intake dedicated to this purpose, while the compressed air tank is blocked by the closure of solenoid valves EV2 and EV3.

[0039] From the brief description of these components and their role, it follows that the advantages offered by the present invention are in relation to the disadvantages of the solution described in patent GB2591859 and RO135169B1.

[0040] First, the amount of kinetic energy recovered is no longer limited by the mass of the vehicle, as the device that is the subject of this invention makes it possible to recover a virtually unlimited amount of kinetic energy lost during the braking phase, using multiple devices depending on the number of axles of vehicles, trailers, wagons, or towed platforms. This is a This application is particularly important because vehicles with a very high total usable mass lose a huge amount of kinetic energy when braking, the classic friction braking process in this situation being very difficult to achieve and with very high operating costs due to the wear of the components of this braking system.

[0041] Another objective technical problem that this invention solves is the maximum efficiency generated due to the minimization of the length of the kinematic chain for transmitting the forces and moments generated or supported.

[0042] Also, this presented solution does not involve structural modifications to the engine of a vehicle, only perfectly adaptable modifications relating to the axles of this vehicle, whether self-propelled or towed.

[0043] Another advantage of the presented solution is the use of precise and measurable physical quantities (Vi, Vf, Vd and Vr) which are used as algorithms by a microcontroller to efficiently manage through the solenoid valves which actuate all the components of the device used according to the different stages of operation: braking, starting, usual movement.

[0044] In conclusion, the main advantages of this invention compared to the current state of the art are as follows:

[0045] - recovery of a virtually unlimited amount of lost kinetic energy during the braking phase;

[0046] - maximum efficiency thanks to the handling and reuse or the direct and proportional transmission of forces and moments of forces generated and used during braking and starting processes;

[0047] - simplicity of construction and functionality;

[0048] - efficient and selective management of all device components using a microcontroller of the characteristic quantities of each process;

[0049] - using a specially constructed rotary pneumatic motor powered by With compressed air, very high torque values ​​are obtained which must be transmitted directly to the wheels of the vehicle.

[0050] According to [Fig. 1] and the notations, it can be seen that the air compressor A, which is fixed to the axle 3, directly takes from the wheels 2, by means of its own crankshaft 10, all the kinetic energy of the vehicle R moving at speed Vd on track 1, in order to produce, through the compressor cylinders, a quantity of compressed air directly proportional to the transmitted kinetic energy, and to direct it through the connecting pipes 6 and the solenoid valves EV1 and EV2 to be stored as elastic potential energy in the compressed air tank C. This process of compression and storage of the air drawn in by the air intake 7 is carried out only during the braking phase corresponding to the decrease in speed of displacement Vi up to the final value Vf. After this braking process, i.e. during the start-up phase corresponding to the increase in the displacement speed from the value Vf to almost the initial value Vi, the compressed air stored in the compressed air tank C passes through the connecting pipes 6 and the solenoid valves EV3, EV4 driven by the microcontroller MC, the rotary air motor B, which, in turn, transmits the rotational movement and the motor moment produced, directly to the wheels 4 fixed to the sectioned axle 5 by means of the crankshaft 11.

[0051] Fig. 2 presents an overview in longitudinal section of the device which is the subject of the present invention, in order to better represent and understand the role and arrangement of the constituent elements.

[0052] This figure shows the coaxial arrangement mode inside the sectioned axles 3 and 5 of the crankshafts 10 and 11, of the air compressor A and consequently of the rotary pneumatic motor B, respectively the sliding supports 12 of the composition of the engine blocks 15 and 16 on which the two crankshafts rest.

[0053] The integration of the two main components, the compressor A and the pneumatic motor B, into the engine blocks 15 and 16 has the following roles:

[0054] - to secure the fixing elements with the vehicle platform;

[0055] - to protect their mechanisms from potentially mechanical actions destructive during the movement of vehicle R on traffic lane 1;

[0056] - to ensure the necessary rigidity of these components with the axles and implicitly the wheels of the vehicle.

[0057] In [Fig.3], the components of the air compressor A are shown in detail, as well as its connections with the other components of the device for recovering and reusing the kinetic energy lost during the braking phase.

[0058] The active operation of the air compressor A must only occur during the braking phase, which corresponds to the phase of kinetic energy loss that must be recovered and converted into elastic potential energy by producing an equivalent quantity of compressed air. The pistons 14 of the compressor cylinders 13 are set in motion by means of a connecting rod-crank mechanism 17 of the crankshaft 10, which directly draws all its kinetic energy from the wheels 2 of the vehicle R, which is transmitted to them at the moment of activation, the braking phase.In this way, the intake-exhaust valves 18 are actuated, which alternately allow the intake of atmospheric air through the air inlet 7, directing the compressed air produced through the connecting pipes 6 and the solenoid valves EV1 and EV2 to the air tank C, where it is stored as elastic potential energy, to be used later during the starting phase by the rotary pneumatic motor B. The pressure of the compressed air accumulated in the tank C increases from the value Pi to the value Pf.

[0059] Fig. 4 shows the construction diagram of the rotary pneumatic motor B. The pneumatic motor used in this invention to produce and transmit the rotational motion, but especially the motor torque directly to the wheels on which the vehicle R moves, is a motor of particular construction, different from other similar motors.

[0060] This pneumatic engine is similar in principle to a two-stroke internal combustion engine, in that, in both types of engines, the operating cycle is completed during a single rotation of the crankshaft. The difference lies in the fact that, in the case of this rotary pneumatic engine, the pressure in the engine cylinders necessary to actuate its pistons is obtained by supplying them with compressed air from an external source, namely the compressed air reservoir C. In the case of internal combustion engines, this increase in pressure from inside the cylinders is achieved exclusively by the ignition of a fuel-air mixture.

[0061] In the case of this type of rotary pneumatic engine, the compressed air stored in the reservoir C enters the pneumatic cylinders 19, by the alternating opening of the intake-exhaust valves 22 actuated by the camshaft 23, pushing the piston 20 from the dead position during the external intake PME to the internal dead position PMI, thus completing the intake-compression cycle. During this cycle, the piston performs the stroke which produces useful mechanical work, acting via the connecting rod-crank mechanism 17 on the crankshaft 11, giving it a rotational movement and engine torque which are transmitted directly, without loss, to the wheels 4 on which the vehicle R moves. As can be seen in the drawing, the crankshaft 11 is coupled to the camshaft 23 by means of the timing belt 21, their simultaneous drive having the role of thus achieving the alternating closing and opening of the intake-exhaust valves 22.This is necessary to remove the pistons 20 from the pneumatic cylinders 19 from the dead centers PME and PME. After reaching the useful stroke generating mechanical work of a piston from PME to PMI, the intake valve closes and the air exhaust valve opens of the respective cylinder, which is then freely evacuated through the air outlet 8. This reverse stroke of the piston from internal dead center PMI to external dead center PME coincides with the expansion-exhaust cycle. The alternating actuation of the intake and exhaust valves of compressed air is achieved by the camshaft 23 which, depending on the number of cylinders in the pneumatic engine, or respectively the number of connecting rod-crank mechanisms, thus performs the distribution phases.

[0062] The active operation of this rotary pneumatic motor is achieved through the selective actuation of solenoid valves.

[0063] The need to use such a pneumatic motor arose from the requirement to transmit sufficiently strong motor torque to the vehicle's wheels, given that, in general, pneumatically controlled rotary motors do not generate significant motor torque. Due to the quantity and high pressure of the compressed air accumulated in the reservoir C that supplies this dedicated pneumatic motor, the motor, thanks to its design, can generate very high motor torques, sufficient to start, for example, certain vehicles with very high unladen weights, which is very difficult to achieve with known types of rotary pneumatic motors.

[0064] Next, with the description of the components completed, we will discuss their selective actuation during the 3 stages of operation of a vehicle.

[0065] As I have already shown in the content of this invention, each step corresponds to a specific operating phase of either the air compressor A or the rotary pneumatic motor B. Their active or passive (inertial) operation is conditioned by the actuation of the solenoid valves EV1, EV2, EV3 and EV4 by the microcontroller MC according to the parameters Vd, Vr, Vi with Pi and Vf with Pf.

[0066] Thus, during the braking phase, the microcontroller MC enables the active operation of only the air compressor A by actuating solenoid valves EV1 and EV3 in the closed position, while solenoid valves EV2 and EV4 are actuated in the open position. The rotary pneumatic motor B operates solely passively or inertially, self-powered by free suction of atmospheric air through the air intake 7. In this braking phase, the vehicle's speed Vi decreases until it reaches the speed Vf, while the pressure of the compressed air accumulated in the reservoir C increases from the value Pi to the final value Pf. These parameter values ​​are used as reference values ​​by the microcontroller MC for the selective actuation of solenoid valves EV1, EV2, EV3, and EV4 according to the vehicle's operating phases.For example, if during the braking period, following excessive braking, one of the wheels of vehicle R has locked, this means that Vr = 0, Vt 0 and consequently they must be unlocked by actuating solenoid valves EV1 and EV4 in the open position and solenoid valves EV2 and EV3 in the closed position.

[0067] The start-up phase is delimited by the microcontroller MC during a duration corresponding to the increase in the vehicle R's travel speed Vf up to the maximum displacement value Vi, and to the decrease in the compressed air pressure in the tank C from the value Pf down to the maximum value Pi. During this process, the microcontroller MC allows only the rotary pneumatic motor B to operate actively by actuating solenoid valves EV1 and EV3 in the open position, while solenoid valves EV2 and EV4 are actuated in the closed position.

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[0087] Compressor A operates passively or inertially; it is self-supplied with atmospheric air through the air intake 7. During normal movement, the MC microcontroller only allows the passive or inertial operation of the air compressor A and the pneumatic motor B by actuating solenoid valves EV1 and EV4 to the open position and solenoid valves EV2 and EV3 to the closed position. Optionally, during this movement phase, by selectively actuating the solenoid valves, compressed air can be supplied to the internal combustion engine for supercharging via air intake 9. All these actuation sequences are represented in the functional diagram of [Fig.5]. Notations and symbols: R = Towed, oversized, self-propelled vehicle; A = Air compressor with cylinders; B = Dedicated rotary pneumatic motor driven by cylinders supplied with compressed air stored in tank C; C = Compressed air tank; MC = Microcontroller; EV1, EV2, EV3 and EV4 = solenoid valves operated by the MC microcontroller; Vd = Vehicle travel speed; Vr = Tangential velocity of the wheels at the point of contact with the rolling track; Vi = The vehicle speed at the moment the braking phase is initiated by pressing the brake pedal or lever; Pi = Air pressure in tank C at the time the braking phase is triggered; Vf = Vehicle speed at the time of completion of the braking phase by interrupting the actuation of the brake pedal or lever; Pf = Air pressure in tank C at the moment when the braking phase is complete; The kinetic energy of the vehicle R corresponding to the triggering of the braking phase is: 2^ _ mxVi2 ,where m = mass of the vehicle; The kinetic energy of vehicle R corresponding to the completion of the braking stage is: Ecf = ^' The kinetic energy lost during braking is: Ecp - Ect-Ecf -mx —5—

[0088] 1 - Traffic lane;

[0089] 2 - Wheels corresponding to the sectioned axle 3;

[0090] 3 - Sectioned axle corresponding to the engine block 15 of compressor A;

[0091] 4 - Wheels corresponding to the sectioned axle 5;

[0092] 5 - Sectioned axle corresponding to the motor block 16 of the rotary pneumatic motor B;

[0093] 6 - Air direction ducts;

[0094] 7 - Atmospheric air intakes;

[0095] 8 - Air exhaust inlet;

[0096] 9 - Compressed air supply intake for the combustion engine to ensure its supercharging;

[0097] 10 - Crankshaft of air compressor A;

[0098] 11 - Crankshaft of the dedicated rotary pneumatic motor B;

[0099] 12 - Sliding supports for crankshafts 10 and 11;

[0100] 13 - Compressor cylinder A;

[0101] 14 - Compressor piston A;

[0102] 15 - Compressor motor block A;

[0103] 16 - Dedicated rotary pneumatic motor block B;

[0104] 17- Connecting rod-crank mechanism;

[0105] 18 - Compressor A inlet-exhaust valves;

[0106] 19 - Pneumatic cylinder;

[0107] 20 - Pneumatic cylinder piston;

[0108] 21 - Timing belt;

[0109] 22 - Inlet and outlet valves for rotary pneumatic motor B;

[0110] 23 - Camshaft.

Claims

1. Demands A device for recovering kinetic energy lost during the braking phase of a vehicle, for reuse during the starting phase and a rotary pneumatic motor, characterized in that it consists of a set of three main components A, B and C connected together by means of 6 connecting and air guide pipes, equipped with solenoid valves EV1, EV2, EV3 and EV4 selectively controlled by the microcontroller MC according to certain state parameters: Vd = vehicle speed, Vr = tangential speed of the wheels at the point of contact with the rolling track, Vi = vehicle speed at the time of initiation of the braking phase by pressing the brake pedal or lever, Pi = air pressure in the reservoir C at the time of the braking stage, Vf = vehicle speed at the time of the end of the braking stage by interrupting the actuation of the brake pedal or lever.Pf = air pressure in reservoir C at the end of the braking stage, each of these components having a well-defined functional role, as follows::, - Air compressor A consisting of one or more compressor cylinders 13 with piston 14 and intake-exhaust valves 18, integrated into an engine block 15, driven by the crankshaft 10 coupled directly to the wheels 2 of the vehicle R and positioned coaxially inside a sectional axle 3 supported on sliding supports 12, by means of a connecting rod-crank mechanism 17, for the purpose of compressing atmospheric air drawn in through an air intake 7 and directing it selectively, according to the operating stages of the vehicle, by actuating via a microcontroller MC solenoid valves EV1, EV2, EV3 and EV4, or to the compressed air reservoir C via the air guide ducts 6 where it is stored as elastic potential energy for later use, either to the internal combustion engine to supercharge it with compressed air via the intake 9, or directly into the atmosphere via the exhaust outlet 8; - dedicated rotary pneumatic motor B supplied with compressed air from reservoir C only during the braking stage via connecting pipes 6 and solenoid valves EV3, EV4 actuated by the microcontroller MC, motor composed of one or more pneumatic cylinders 19, piston 20 equipped with intake-exhaust valves 22 operated by a camshaft 23 driven in turn by the timing belt 21 and the crankshaft 11 positioned coaxially inside another sectional axle 5 resting on the sliding supports 12 of the engine block 16, a crankshaft which, by means of a connecting rod-crank mechanism 17, directly transmits the rotational movement and the engine torque produced to the wheels 4 of the vehicle R which is moving on track 1; - the compressed air tank C whose role is to store the quantity of compressed air produced by the air compressor A during the braking stage in the form of elastic potential energy and to supply this quantity of compressed air accumulated to the dedicated rotary pneumatic motor B only during the starting stage.

2. A method for recovering the kinetic energy lost during the braking stage and reusing it during the starting process by means of a device according to claim 1, characterized in that it consists of converting the kinetic energy ECp lost during the braking stage into elastic potential energy represented by the quantity of compressed air produced by the compressor A and accumulated in the compressed air tank C over a period of time corresponding to the decrease in the speed Vi of the vehicle R to the value Vf, i.e. the increase in the pressure of the compressed air accumulated in the tank C from the initial value Pi to the final value Pf.

3. A method for recovering the kinetic energy lost during the braking stage and reusing it during the starting process by means of a device according to claim 1, characterized in that during the starting phase the elastic potential energy accumulated in the reservoir C in the form of compressed air is converted by the rotary pneumatic motor B into useful mechanical work transmitted directly to the wheels 4 by its crankshaft 11, over a period of time corresponding to the increase in the speed of movement of the vehicle R from the value of Vf to the maximum value Vi, respectively to the decrease in the pressure of the compressed air accumulated in the reservoir C from the value of Pf to the maximum value Pi.

4. 4. A method for recovering the kinetic energy lost during the braking stage and reusing it during the starting process according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, during a normal run, excluding the braking and starting phases, the air compressor A and the rotary pneumatic motor B operate inertially by moving the vehicle R on track 1, the two components being supplied exclusively by atmospheric air drawn in through the air intake 7 and then freely discharged through the air intake 8, optionally during this stage, the compressor A being able to supply, through the air intake 9 and the selective operation of the solenoid valves EV1 and EV2, the compressed air necessary to supercharge the internal combustion engine, while the tank C is isolated from the rest of the assembly by the closing of the solenoid valves EV2 and EV3 by the microcontroller MC.

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