Electric heat engine for a vehicle

Abstract

A drivetrain system for a vehicle is disclosed. The drivetrain system may include an engine driven by a fluid, a heating element for heating the fluid, power sources for energizing the heating element, a switch electrically coupled to the power sources and the heating element, a secondary engine fluidly coupled to an outlet of the engine and electrically coupled to the switch, a controller configured to control the switch to selectively guide a flow of electricity from a desired power source to the heating element and / or from the secondary engine to a second power source of the power sources.

Description

ELECTRIC HEAT ENGINE FOR A VEHICLECROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 607,851, filed December 8, 2023, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF INVENTION

[0002] The present disclosure is directed toward a vehicle and, in particular, an electrically powered heat engine for powering the vehicle.BACKGROUND

[0003] Generally, a conventional drivetrain for an electric vehicle (EV) includes an electric motor and a battery pack. The range of the electric vehicles is impacted by the weight of the vehicle and the capacity (typically measured in kilowatt-hours or Ampere-hours) of the battery. The greater the weight of the vehicle, the less range it can travel for a given battery capacity. To increase the range of the vehicle, the battery capacity must be increased. However, increasing the capacity of the battery typically increases its overall weight, thus requiring a larger, heavier motor and, consequently, increases the weight of the vehicle thereby requiring more battery capacity. Accordingly, the range of the vehicle is negatively impacted by the increasing weight of the battery and motor.

[0004] Moreover, a conventional electric motor draws a large amount of power (e.g., about 200 kW, or more, at about 10 to about 600 amps and about 200 to about 400 volts) while it is engaged in driving the vehicle. That is, depending on the speed at which the vehicle is being driven by the motor, about 200kW is being discharged from the battery pack. Meanwhile, during regenerative braking (when the motor brakes the vehicle), about 80kW of electricity is produced and fed back to the battery pack, thereby recharging the battery pack. The constant high amperage discharging and charging cycles of the battery due to the motor demand negatively impacts the state of charge or total capacity and reduces the life of the battery.

[0005] Consequently, conventional electric motors and battery packs for electric vehicles may be unsuitable for heavy, long-haul (e.g., high milage) transport vehicles, such as tractor trailers.SUMMARY

[0006] The techniques presented herein provide a drivetrain for a vehicle whereby electricity from one or more power sources is used to heat a working fluid, the working fluid is then used todrive a heat engine which in turn propels the vehicle. Waste heat from the engine may be converted back into electricity by a secondary heat engine (or generator) to, at least partially, recharge a battery pack of the one or more power sources. By incorporating the heat engine into the drivetrain and operating the heat engine in a steady state, the above noted drawbacks of conventional EV drivetrains may be overcome. Accordingly, a desired range and power can be achieved for a long-haul transport vehicle, for example, a tractor trailer.

[0007] An example of the present disclosure is directed to a system comprising a vehicle engine driven by a fluid, a heating element for heating the fluid; power sources for energizing the heating element, a switch electrically coupled to the power sources and the heating element, a secondary engine fluidly coupled to an outlet of the engine and electrically coupled to the switch, and a controller configured to control the switch to selectively couple a desired power source of the power sources to the heating element and / or couple the secondary engine to a second power source of the power sources.

[0008] In another example of the present disclosure, the system according to any of the preceding or following examples further comprises at least one of a pump and a reservoir fluidly coupled to the engine and the heating element.

[0009] In another example of the present disclosure, in the system according to any of the preceding or following examples, a fluid outlet of the secondary engine is fluidly coupled to the reservoir.

[0010] In another example of the present disclosure, in the system according to any of the preceding or following examples, the power sources comprise a first battery and an array of photovoltaic cells.

[0011] In another example of the present disclosure, in the system according to any of the preceding or following examples, the controller is further configured to control the switch to electrically couple the photovoltaic cells with the heating element or the first battery.

[0012] In another example of the present disclosure, the system according to any of the preceding or following examples further comprises a second battery electrically coupled to the switch.

[0013] In another example of the present disclosure, in the system according to any of the preceding or following examples, the controller is further configured to control the switch to electrically couple the second battery with the array of photovoltaic cells, the heating element, or the secondary engine.

[0014] In another example of the present disclosure, in the system according to any of the preceding or following examples, the controller is further configured to receive a first signalindicative of a state of charge of the first battery, a second signal indicative of a state of charge the second battery, and a third signal indicative of a power output of the array of photovoltaic cells.

[0015] In another example of the present disclosure, in the system according to any of the preceding or following examples, the controller is further configured to electrically couple the secondary engine and / or the array photovoltaic cells to the first battery or the second battery based on at least one of the received first signal, the received second signal, and the received third signal.

[0016] In another example of the present disclosure, in the system according to any of the preceding or following examples, the controller is further configured to electrically couple the first battery, the second battery or the array of photovoltaic cells to the heating element based on the received first signal, the received second signal, and the received third signal.

[0017] Another example of the present disclosure is directed to a power management device comprising a processor configured to: compare criteria of a plurality of power sources to each another; identify a selected power source and an unselected power source of the plurality of power sources based on the comparison; and cause an output of the selected power source to electrically couple to a heating element for heating a fluid for driving an engine of a vehicle.

[0018] In another example of the present disclosure, the power management device according to any of the preceding or following examples further comprises a switch for electrically coupling the selected power source to the heating element.

[0019] In another example of the present disclosure, in the power management device according to any of the preceding or following examples, the switch electrically couples an output of a secondary engine to the unselected power source.

[0020] In another example of the present disclosure, in the power management device according to any of the preceding or following examples, the unselected power source is a battery, the processor is further configured to control the switch to couple the output of the secondary engine to the battery when a state of charge of the battery is below a threshold.

[0021] In another example of the present disclosure, in the power management device according to any of the preceding or following examples, the threshold is a state of charge of a second battery.

[0022] In another example of the present disclosure, in the power management device according to any of the preceding or following examples, the threshold is a maximum state of charge of the battery.

[0023] In another example of the present disclosure, in the power management device according to any of the preceding or following examples, the plurality of power sources comprises a first battery, a second battery, and an array of photovoltaic cells.

[0024] In another example of the present disclosure, in the power management device according to any of the preceding or following examples, the criteria comprises a minimum power output to for the heating element and / or a state of charge.

[0025] Another example of the present disclosure is directed to a method comprising: detecting, via a processor, a criteria for each of a plurality of power sources; identifying a selected power source based on the criteria; electrically coupling, via a switch, the selected power source with a heating element; heating a fluid with the heating element; flowing the fluid through a primary engine for driving a vehicle; flowing the fluid from the primary engine to a secondary engine; generating, via the secondary engine, an electrical current; and based on the detected criteria, conducting the electrical current to the heating element or an unselected power source of the plurality of power sources to charge the unselected power source.

[0026] In another example of the present disclosure, in the method according to any of the preceding or following examples, the plurality of power sources comprises a first battery, a second battery, and an array of photovoltaic cells.

[0027] In another example of the present disclosure, in the method according to any of the preceding or following examples, the criteria comprises a state of charge of each of the first battery and the second battery, and a power output of the array of photovoltaic cells.

[0028] In another example of the present disclosure, in the method according to any of the preceding or following examples, identifying the selected power source comprises selecting the array of photovoltaic cells in response to the power output meeting a threshold.

[0029] In another example of the present disclosure, in the method according to any of the preceding or following examples, the threshold corresponds to a minimum output to power the heating element to heat the fluid to cause the primary engine to drive the vehicle.

[0030] In another example of the present disclosure, in the method according to any of the preceding or following examples, identifying the selected power source comprises comparing a first state of charge of the first battery to a second state of charge of the second battery and selecting the first battery or the second battery based on the comparing.

[0031] In another example of the present disclosure, the method according to any of the preceding or following examples further comprises identifying the unselected power source as the first battery or the second battery based on the comparing.

[0032] In another example of the present disclosure, in the method according to any of the preceding or following examples, the first battery is the unselected power source when the second state of charge is greater than the first state of charge, and the second battery is the unselected power source when the first state of charge is greater than the second state of charge.

[0033] Another example of the present disclosure is directed to a system comprising: an induction boiler for heating water into steam; a steam engine driven by the steam; power sources for powering the induction boiler; a switch electrically coupled to the power sources and the induction boiler; a recharge piston fluidly coupled to a fluid outlet of the steam engine and electrically coupled to the switch; and a controller configured to control the switch to selectively couple a desired power source of the power sources to the induction boiler and / or the recharge piston to a second power source of the power sources.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] To complete the description and in order to provide for a better understanding of the techniques presented in this application, a set of drawings is provided. The drawings form an integral part of the description and illustrate an embodiment of the present application, which should not be interpreted as restricting the scope of the present application, but just as an example of how the techniques presented herein can be carried out. The drawings include the following figures:

[0035] FIG. 1 A is a schematic of a drivetrain system, according to an embodiment.

[0036] FIG. IB is a perspective view of a drivetrain system, according to an embodiment.

[0037] FIG. 1C is a perspective view of a boiler of the drivetrain system of FIG. IB with a portion of the boiler removed.

[0038] FIG. ID is a front view of the drivetrain system of FIG. IB with a portion of the boiler removed.

[0039] FIG. IE is a perspective view of a valve assembly of the drivetrain system of FIG. IB.

[0040] FIG. IF is a cross-sectional view of the valve assembly of FIG. IE.

[0041] FIG. 1G is a perspective view of a portion of the valve assembly of FIG. IE.

[0042] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling an output of one or more power sources of the drivetrain system of FIG. 1A, according to an embodiment.

[0043] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of charging one or more power sources of the drivetrain system of FIG. 1 A, according to an embodiment.

[0044] FIG. 4 is a schematic of a processor, according to an embodiment.

[0045] Like reference numerals have been used to identify like elements throughout this disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] The following description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is given solely for the purpose of describing the broad principles of the invention. Embodiments of the invention will be described by way of example, with reference to the above-mentioned drawings showing elements and results according to the present invention.

[0047] State of charge”, as used herein, indicates an amount of energy available for use in a battery at a specific point in time expressed as a percentage. For example, the state of charge for a battery may indicate a capacity of the battery as a percentage of the total capacity. The state of charge provides a user with information of how much longer the battery can perform before it needs to be charged or replaced. In some implementations, the state of charge may not be indicative of the actual capacity of the battery, but rather a subrange of the capacity of the battery limited by a preferred operating range of the battery. For example, it may be desirable to operate a battery between 80% total capacity and 20% total capacity. In this instance, a state of charge of 100% may correspond to 80% of the total capacity of the battery, while a state of charge of 0% may correspond to 20% of the total capacity of the battery. By operating a battery within the subrange, the life of the battery may be extended. In some instances, the state of charge may be indicated by a scale other than a percentage (e.g., estimated remaining time, estimated distance, estimated amount of Watt-hours, etc.).

[0048] Generally, the present application is directed to a drivetrain system for a vehicle. Referring to FIG. 1A, a schematic of a drivetrain system 100 is illustrated. The drivetrain system 100 includes a heat engine 110, a boiler 120, a reservoir 130 fluidly coupled to the boiler 120, a secondary or recharging engine 140, a vehicle drive assembly 150, a plurality of power sources 160, a switch 170, and a controller 180. The plurality of power sources 160 includes a first battery pack 162, a second battery pack 164, and solar cells 166 (e.g., an array of photovoltaic cells). The first battery pack 162 and the second battery pack 164 may include lithium ion batteries. The switch 170 selectively couples the plurality of power sources 160 to the boiler 120 and / or recharging engine 140 to conduct electricity therebetween. The controller 180 monitors the plurality of power sources 160 and controls the switch 170 based on the monitoring. In some implementations, the system 100 may include one battery pack 162, or more than two battery packs 162 and 164. Additionally, in some instances, the system 100may include more than one set of solar cells 166. Additionally, in some instances, the system 100 need not include solar cells 166.

[0049] During operation, the boiler 120 (e.g., an induction heater, inductive boiler, or microwave heater) heats a working fluid (e.g., water) received from the reservoir 130. The boiler 120 is powered by at least one of the first battery pack 162, the second battery pack 164, and / or the solar cells 166 of the plurality of power sources 160.

[0050] In some implementations, the boiler 120 is an induction boiler. The induction boiler includes an electric boiler that converts electricity into heat energy. There are no conventional resistance heaters in the induction boiler, heating of the medium occurs as a result of the conversion of electrical energy into eddy currents and the generation of an electromagnetic field in a primary winding or coil. The working fluid (e.g., water) located in a pipe inside the coil is subjected to strong heating. Circulating the working fluid through the boiler 120 transfers heat from the boiler 120, thus eliminating the possibility of overheating. The induction boiler heats the water very quickly, and has high efficiency reaching about 99% efficiency and consumes up to 30% less electricity compared to traditional heating devices (e.g., conventional resistance heaters).

[0051] Still referring to FIG. 1 A, the heated working fluid (e.g., steam) flows to and drives the heat engine 110 (e.g., a steam engine). The heat engine 110 converts the heat and pressure from the working fluid into mechanical energy to power the vehicle drive assembly 150, thereby propelling the vehicle. That is, the heat engine 110 outputs a torque and / or horsepower via a driveshaft and is ultimately transferred to wheels of the vehicle through the vehicle drive assembly 150. The vehicle drive assembly 150 may include a transmission / gearbox, driveshaft, differential, wheels, etc.

[0052] In some implementations, the heat engine 110 may be a steam engine based on the Doble steam engine models D through H. The 1924 model Doble Series E steam car could run for 1,500 miles (2,400 km) before its 24-gallon water tank needed to be refilled. Even in freezing weather, the steam car could be started from cold and be driven within 30 seconds of ignition. Once fully warmed, the Doble steam engine could be relied upon to reach speeds in excess of 90 miles per hour (140 km / h). In recent years, Doble cars have been run at speeds approaching 120 mph (190 km / h), this without the benefits of modern aerodynamics. Moreover, a stripped-down version of the Series E Doble accelerated from 0 - 75 mph (121 km / h) in 10 seconds. The instant disclosure replaces the conventional burning of fuel in the Doble engine with the boiler 120 to efficiently and quickly heat the working fluid while theheat engine 110 provides a sufficient torque and power to the vehicle drive assembly 150 to accelerate the vehicle.

[0053] After passing through the heat engine 110, the working fluid may have some residual energy (e.g., in the form of heat and pressure) that may be converted back into electricity via a recharging engine 140 (e.g., a steam piston, steam turbine, or other generator). For example, the heat engine 110 may be a high pressure heat engine and the recharging engine 140 may be a low pressure heat engine. The electricity generated from the recharging engine 140 may then be used to recharge at least one of the first battery pack 162 and the second battery pack 164 that was not selected to power the boiler 120. This provides a near constant supply of electricity to at least one of the first battery pack 162 or the second battery pack 164.

[0054] After passing through the recharging engine 140, the working fluid may be returned to the reservoir 130, or discharged to the ambient environment. That is, the heat engine 110, the boiler 120, the reservoir 130, and the recharging engine 140 may form a fluid circuit 102 (designated by a broken line box in FIG. 1A). The fluid circuit 102 may be a closed fluid circuit (returning working fluid back to the reservoir 130) or an open fluid circuit (discharging working fluid to the ambient environment). In some implementations, the fluid circuit 102 may include one or more pumps (not shown) between the recharging engine 140 and reservoir 130, and / or between the reservoir 130 and the boiler 120. The one or more pumps may be powered by one or more of the plurality of power sources 160.

[0055] In some implementations, the working fluid flowing through the fluid circuit 102 is water and steam. In some instances, the working fluid may be any fluid capable of being heated and flowing through the fluid circuit 102 to run the heat engine 110 and recharging engine 140. In some implementations, the recharging engine 140 may be an alternator mechanically coupled to the heat engine 110.

[0056] Still referring to FIG. 1 A, the switch 170 selectively couples one of the plurality of power sources 160 to the boiler 120 to heat the working fluid. Meanwhile, the switch 170 selectively couples the recharging engine 140 to either the first battery pack 162 or the second battery pack 164 for charging (e.g., when not powering the boiler 120). In some implementations, the switch 170 electrically couples the solar cells 166 to either the first battery pack 162 or the second battery pack 164 for charging. The switch 170 is controlled by the controller 180.

[0057] The controller 180 monitors the system 100 to control the switch 170 and thereby electrically couple at least one of the power sources 160 to the boiler 120. Additionally, the controller 180 controls the switch 170 to electrically couple the recharging engine 140 (or thesolar cells 166) to at least one of the first battery pack 162 and the second battery pack 164 for recharging based on the monitoring. For instance, the controller 180 may be electrically coupled to the plurality of power sources 160, the heat engine 110, the boiler 120, the reservoir 130, the recharging engine 140, the vehicle drive assembly 150, the switch 170, and / or one or more sensors coupled to said components of the drivetrain system 100. The controller 180 controls the switch according to the methods illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, and described in greater detail below.

[0058] Now referring to FIGS. 1B-1G, a diagram of a drivetrain system 1000 according to an embodiment is illustrated. The drivetrain system 1000 may be representative of the drivetrain system 100 of FIG. 1A. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. IB, the drivetrain system 1000 includes a heat engine 1100, a boiler 1200, a reservoir 1300, a vehicle drive assembly 1500, a power source 1600, and a pump assembly 1700. The heat engine 1100, boiler 1200, reservoir 1300, and pump assembly 1700 are fluidly coupled via a fluid circuit.

[0059] The heat engine 1100 includes an engine block 1102 having high pressure cylinders 1110 and low pressure cylinders 1120. Each cylinder 1110, 1120 includes an inlet port 1124, an outlet port 1126, a valve assembly 1130 (see FIG. ID) coupled to the inlet port 1124 and a piston 1104 (see FIG. ID). The high pressure cylinders 1110 are fluidly coupled to the boiler 1200 via one or more high pressure conduits 1112, and the low pressure cylinders 1120 are fluidly coupled to the low pressure cylinders 1120 via one or more low pressure conduits 1122. For example, in the depicted embodiment, the two high pressure conduits 1112 extend from the boiler 1200 to the valve assemblies 1130 of the high pressure cylinders 1110. The valve assemblies 1130 controls the supply of working fluid (e.g., steam) through the inlet port 1124 and into the high pressure cylinders 1110. After driving the piston 1104, the steam exits the high pressure cylinders 1110 via the outlet ports 1126, through the low pressure conduits 1122 and to the low pressure cylinders 1120. The valve assemblies 1130 of the low pressure cylinders 1120 controls the supply of the steam through the inlet port 1124 of the low pressure cylinders 1120 After driving a piston 1104 of the low pressure cylinders 1120, the working fluid flows through a reservoir conduit to the reservoir 1300 where the working fluid is stored. The pump assembly 1700 pumps the working fluid (e.g., water) through the fluid circuit to the boiler 1200 where working fluid is heated and heated working fluid (e.g. steam) repeats the cycle through the fluid circuit. In the depicted embodiment, the outlet port 1126 are disposed on a side of each cylinder 1110, 1120. In some implementations, the outlet port 1126 are disposed at a top of each cylinder 1110, 1120, and may include valve assembly 1130 to control exhaust of the flow of the working fluid from each cylinder 1110, 1120.

[0060] Still referring to FIG. IB, the pistons 1104 of the cylinders 1110, 1120 may be coupled to and drive a crank shaft (not shown). The crank shaft is mechanically coupled to the vehicle drive assembly 1500. The vehicle drive assembly 1500 may include a transmission, output shaft, and driven wheels. The crankshaft also drives a crank hub 1150 of the heat engine 1100. The crank hub 1150 drives a first alternator 1160, a second alternator 1162 and the pump assembly 1700. In the depicted embodiment, the first alternator 1160, the second alternator 1162, and a pump wheel 1710 are mounted to the engine block 1102 and are driven by the crank hub 1150. The pump wheel 1710 drives a pump 1702 of the pump assembly 1700. The second alternator 1162 may be representative of the recharging engine 140 of FIG. 1 A.

[0061] For example, the crank hub 1150 includes an alternator pulley 1150A and a pump pulley 1150B. An alternator belt 1152 is coupled to the alternator pulley 1150A, the first alternator 1160, and the second alternator 1162. The crank hub 1150 drives the alternator belt 1152 which in turn drives the first alternator 1160 and the second alternator 1162. Meanwhile, a pump belt 1154 couples the pump pulley 1150B of the crank hub 1150 to the pump wheel 1710. Accordingly, the crank hub 1150 drives the pump belt 1154 which in turn drives the pump wheel 1710 and the pump 1702. In the depicted embodiment, the pump wheel 1710 is mechanically coupled to the pump 1702 to drive the pump assembly 1700. In some implementations, the pump wheel 1710 may be coupled to a generator for generating electricity to power an electric motor of the pump 1702. Regardless of the specific arrangement, the crank hub 1150 provides mechanical energy to operate the first alternator 1160, the second alternator 1162, and the pump assembly 1700.

[0062] The first alternator 1160 may provide power for conventional vehicle systems (e.g., power windows, windshield wipers, air conditioning, etc.). Meanwhile the second alternator 1162 may provide electricity to the power source 1600. In some implementations, the second alternator 1162 may selectively engage the crank hub 1150 to selectively produce power (e.g., during a regenerative braking operation or when directed to produce power to charge a battery of the power source 1600. The power source 1600 includes a first battery 1620, a second battery 1640, a solar array 1660, and a power manager 1680. The power manager 1680 manages the input and output of the first battery 1620 and the second battery 1640. For example, the power manager 1680 controls the charging of the first battery 1620 and the second battery 1640 with power (e.g., electricity) from the solar array 1660 and the second alternator 1162. The power manager 1680 further controls the output of the first battery 1620, the second battery 1640, and the solar array 1660 to power the boiler 1200 to heat the working fluid (e.g., steam). In some implementations, the power manager 1680 may include the switch 170 and / or may becontrolled by the controller 180. Control of the power source 1600 is discussed further below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0063] Now referring to FIGS. 1C and ID, a cut away of the boiler 1200 is depicted. The boiler 1200 includes a tank 1202 (a portion of which is cut away in FIGS. 1C and ID to depict the interior of the boiler 1200), a heater 1220, and a fluid conduit 1226. The tank 1202 includes an inner wall 1204, an outer wall 1206, and an insulator 1208 disposed therebetween. The fluid conduit 1226 includes inlet conduits 1226 A and outlet conduits 1226B. The fluid conduit 1226 includes cylindrical tubes extending helically along and about a longitudinal axis of the heater 1220.

[0064] The heater 1220 includes a heating element 1222 and an inductor 1224 for heating the heating element 1222. The heating element in turn heats the fluid conduit 1226 and the working fluid flowing therethrough. The inductor 1224 is electrically coupled to the power source 1600 via inductor wires 1225. The heating element 1222 is a cylindrical bar and may be made from a metal such as steel, tungsten, nickel, copper, bronze, titanium, and / or alloys thereof. The heating element 1222 may be solid or hollow. The fluid conduit 1226 may be made from a metal such as steel, tungsten, nickel, copper, bronze, titanium, and / or alloys thereof.

[0065] During operation, working fluid (e.g., water) flows through the fluid conduit 1226 and electrical current from the power source 1600 is conducted through the inductor 1224. The current flowing through the inductor 1224 inductively heats the heating element 1222. The heat from heating element 1222 heats an interior of the tank 1202 and the fluid conduit 1226. The working fluid flowing through the fluid conduit 1226 is also heated and changes phase (e.g., liquid to gas or water to steam). The heated working fluid exits the fluid conduit 1226 via the outlet conduits 1226B and is conducted to the heat engine 1100 via the one or more high pressure conduits 1112 to drive the piston 1104, crank shaft, and ultimately, the vehicle drive assembly 1500. The flow of the working fluid into the heat engine 1100 may be controlled by the valve assemblies 1130.

[0066] FIG. IE is a perspective view of the valve assembly 1130. In the depicted embodiment, the valve assembly 1130 includes a valve body 1132, a valve cover 1134 having an inlet port 1134A, a valve conduit 1135 fluidly coupled to the inlet port 1134A, and a motor 1140. The motor 1140 includes a motor shaft 1142 for driving the valve assembly 1130. A motor mount 1144 mounts the motor 1140 to the valve cover 1134. The valve assembly 1130 is configured to operate under extremely high temperatures (e.g., about 450°C) and pressures (e.g., about 500-1000 kPa) as compared to internal combustion engines. That is, the valveassembly 1130 can remain closed and withstand the high temperature and pressure of the working fluid and actuate to an open state when desired. In some implementations, the motor 1140 is a stepper motor.

[0067] FIG. IF is a cross-sectional view of the valve assembly 1130 and FIG. 1G is a perspective view of the valve assembly 1130 with the motor 1140, the motor mount 1144, the valve conduit 1135, and the valve cover 1134 omitted for clarity. Referring to FIGS. IF and 1G, a valve core 1136 is operatively disposed of between the valve cover 1134 and the valve body 1132. The valve core 1136 is a round disk or circular plate having a valve hub 1138 at its center configured to receive the motor shaft 1142. A plurality of valve openings 1136A extend from a top surface to a bottom surface of the valve core 1136. The valve core 1136 is configured to rotate within the valve body 1132 and periodically align one of its plurality of valve openings 1136A with the inlet port 1134A and the outlet port 1132A of the valve assembly 1130 and, thus, open the valve assembly 1130. The rotational configuration of the valve assembly 1130 allows the valve core 1136 to control the flow of the working fluid without having to overcome the pressure of the working fluid to open. That is, the movement of the valve core 1136 is perpendicular to the pressure from the working fluid. Thus, the valve core 1136 does not have to apply an equal and opposite force from the pressure of the working fluid to open the valve assembly 1130. Consequently, a minimal amount of torque to rotationally translate the valve core 1136 actuates the valve assembly 1130 between an open state and a closed state.

[0068] In the depicted embodiment there are three valve openings 1136A. Thus, the plurality of valve openings 1136A are circumferentially arranged every 120 degrees. That is, when the valve core 1136 rotates 120 degrees, a valve opening 1136A is aligned with the inlet port 1134A and the outlet port 1132A to open the valve assembly 1130 and allow a working fluid to flow through the valve assembly 1130 and into a cylinder 1110, 1120.

[0069] In the depicted embodiment, the motor 1140 is configured to drive the valve core 1136, via the motor shaft 1142. When driven, the valve core 1136 rotates and periodically aligns one of the plurality of valve openings 1136A with the inlet port 1134A and the outlet port 1132A of the valve assembly 1130 and, thus, opens the valve assembly 1130. Consequently, the motor 1140 controls the flow of working fluid through the valve assembly 1130 to the corresponding cylinder 1110, 1120.

[0070] The speed of the motor 1140 and, thus, the valve core 1136 may be adjusted based on operation of the heat engine 1100. That is, the heat engine 1100 may be operated at different speeds and the valve assembly 1130 may be controlled by the motor 1140 to open the valveassembly 1130 (e.g., align a valve opening 1136A with the inlet port 1134A and the outlet port 1132A) during a power stroke of the piston 1104 and to close the valve assembly 1130 (e.g., misalign one of the plurality of valve openings 1136A with inlet port 1134A and the outlet port 1132A) thereby preventing a flow of working fluid to the cylinder 1110, 1120. Generally, a power stroke corresponds to a phase of a cycle of the heat engine 1100 in which the working fluid causes the piston 1104 to move away from top dead center towards the crankshaft until it reaches the bottom dead center. That is, the working fluid pushes on the piston 1104 as it enters the cylinder 1112, 1122 until the piston 1104 reaches bottom dead center and the working fluid is exhausted during an exhaust stroke. The reciprocating motion of the piston 1104 is translated into rotational motion via the crank shaft and, thus, drives the vehicle drive assembly 1500.

[0071] Generally, the peak torque and horsepower of the heat engine 1100 is achieved at 900 rotations per minute (RPM). In the depicted embodiment, the valve assemblies 1130 are operated at 300 RPM to maintain the 900 RPM of the heat engine 1100. However, the valve assemblies 1130 may be individually, or independently, controlled to match the operation of the engine (e.g., rotational speed of the crank shaft and corresponding piston 1104). That is, each valve assembly 1130 may be controlled to operate (e.g., rotate the valve core 1136) in a sync with a corresponding piston 1104 of the heat engine 1100. For example, as the heat engine 1100 is brought up to speed, the valve assembly 1130 is controlled to match that speed. That is, the valve assembly 1130 is operated such that the working fluid may flow through the inlet port 1134A, the valve opening 1136A, and the outlet port 1132A during a power stroke of a corresponding piston 1104. In some implementations, each valve assembly 1130 may be independently operated to open before or after top dead center (e.g., beginning of the power stroke or end of exhaust stroke) and / or close before or after bottom dead center (e.g., at the end of the power stroke or beginning of exhaust stroke). The independent control may be used to adjust force applied to the piston 1104 and thus the crankshaft.

[0072] In some implementations, the independent control may be used to independently open the valves 1130 to a corresponding the piston 1104 to brake or slow the heat engine 1100 and, thus, the vehicle drive assembly 1500 and ultimately the vehicle. For example, the valve assembly 1130 may open prior to the piston 1104 reaching top dead center, or remaining open after reaching bottom dead center. Accordingly, the working fluid will apply a pressure to resist the movement of the piston 1104. Consequently, the heat engine 1100 will brake the vehicle drive assembly 1500.

[0073] In some embodiments, the valve core 1136 may include any number of valve openings 1136A (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc.). In some implementations, the number of pluralityof valve openings 1136A may be based on a desired operating condition of the heat engine 1100. Moreover, a controller 180 may control the valve assembly 1130 and thus the heat engine 1100.

[0074] Now referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a method 200 for controlling (e.g., via the controller 180) an output of one or more power sources 160 and a method 300 of charging one or more batteries 162, 164, 1620, 1640 of the drivetrain system 100, 1000 of FIGS. 1A and IB are illustrated. For brevity, FIGS. 2 and 3 reference the solar cells 166, 1660 as “SA”, the first battery pack 162, 1620 as “Bl” and the second battery pack 164, 1640 as “B2”. The controller 180 may control the switch to cause the drivetrain system 100, 1000 of FIGS. 1A and IB to perform the method 200 of FIG. 2, and the method 300 of FIG. 3.

[0075] In FIG. 2, the method 200 is initiated in operation 201 and includes checking the potential outputs of the plurality of power sources 160 in operation 202, determining whether the output of the solar cells 166 is greater than a threshold in operation 204, and powering the boiler 120 with the solar cells 166 in operation 206. For example, the controller 180 may determine the power output of the solar cells 166, select the solar cells 166 as the desired power source in response to the determining, and control the switch 170 to electrically couple the solar cells 166 to the boiler 120 to thereby heat the working fluid. In some implementations, the threshold is a minimum power level, or electrical output from the solar cells 166 sufficient to power the boiler 120 to heat the working fluid to a desired temperature at a desired pressure.

[0076] Alternatively, if the output of the solar cells 166 is below the threshold in operation 204, the method 200 proceeds to comparing a first state of charge of the first battery pack 162 to a second state of charge of the second battery pack 164 in operation 208. In some implementations the controller 180 may determine and compare the first state of charge to the second state of charge. In response to the output of the solar cells 166 being below the threshold and the first state of charge being greater than the second state of charge, the first battery pack 162 is selected as the desired power source to power the boiler 120 in operation 210. For example, the controller 180 may control the switch 170 to electrically couple the first battery pack 162 to the boiler 120 to thereby heat the working fluid. Meanwhile, the unselected second battery pack 164 may be available for charging.

[0077] Alternatively, if the first state of charge of the first battery pack 162 is not greater than the second state of charge of the second battery pack 164 in operation 208, the method continues to operation 212. In operation 212, in response to the output of the solar cells 166 being below the threshold and the first state of charge not being greater than the second state of charge, the second battery pack 164 is selected as the desired power source to power orenergize the boiler 120. For example, the controller 180 may control the switch 170 to electrically couple the second battery pack 164 to the boiler 120 to thereby heat the working fluid. Meanwhile, the unselected first battery pack 162 may be available for charging.

[0078] Regardless of which of the plurality of power sources 160 is selected to power and electrically couple to the boiler 120, the method cycles back to operation 202 to recheck the potential outputs of the plurality of power sources 160. This cycle continues until the controller 180 receives a signal indicative of a termination command. Accordingly, each of the plurality of power sources 160 may be iteratively and intermittently connected to the boiler 120 allowing for the first battery pack 162 and / or the second battery pack 164 to be charged when not powering the boiler 120. In some implementations, at least two of the first battery pack 162, the second battery pack 164 and the solar cells 166 may be electrically coupled to the boiler 120 during periods of high demand for power from the drivetrain system 100.

[0079] Now referring to FIG. 3, in operation 301, the method 300 is initiated and includes checking one or more parameters and / or statuses of the plurality of power sources 160 in operation 302, determining whether one or more parameters of the first battery pack 162 meets a first criteria in operation 304, determining whether one or more parameters of the second battery pack 164 meets a second criteria in operation 308, and determining whether the output of the solar cells 166 is above a minimum power level in operation 312.

[0080] The first criteria includes a first state of charge of the first battery pack 162 being at full, or maximum, capacity and whether the first battery pack 162 is currently being used to power the boiler 120. The first criteria may optionally include determining that the first state of charge of the first battery pack 162 is greater than a second state of charge of the second battery pack 164. A first sensor may detect the first state of charge and a second sensor may detect the second state of charge. The controller 180 may determine the first state of charge and second state of charge based on signals from the first and second sensors. Alternatively, and / or additionally, the controller 180 may determine the first and second states of charge based on outputs (e.g., amperes, volts, etc.) of the first battery pack 162 and the second battery pack 164.

[0081] In response to determining that the first battery pack 162 does not meet the first criteria in operation 304, the method 300 includes charging the first battery pack 162 with an output from the recharging engine 140 in operation 306. That is, in response to the first battery pack 162 not currently being used to power the boiler 120 and the first state of charge being below full, or maximum, capacity, the controller 180 controls the switch 170 to electrically couple an output of the recharging engine 140 to the first battery pack 162 and thereby chargethe first battery pack 162. In some implementations, the first battery pack 162 may be charged further in response to the first state of charge being below the second state of charge in operation 306. The method 300 may then proceed back to operation 302 to recheck the parameters and / or statuses of the plurality of power sources 160.

[0082] Alternatively, in response to determining the first battery pack 162 meets the first criteria, the method 300 proceeds to operation 308 to determine whether one or more parameters of the second battery pack 164 meets a second criteria. The second criteria includes the second state of charge of the second battery pack 164 being at full capacity and whether the second battery pack 164 is currently being used to power the boiler 120. The second criteria may optionally include determining that the second state of charge of the second battery pack 164 is greater than the first state of charge of the first battery pack 162. As noted above, the first sensor may detect the first state of charge and the second sensor may detect the second state of charge. The controller 180 may determine the first state of charge and second state of charge based on signals from the first and second sensors. Alternatively, and / or additionally, the controller 180 may determine the first and second states of charge based on outputs (e.g., amperes, volts, etc.) of the first battery pack 162 and the second battery pack 164.

[0083] In response to determining that the second battery pack 164 does not meet the second criteria in operation 308, the method 300 includes charging the second battery pack 164 with an output from the recharging engine 140 in operation 310. That is, in response to the second battery pack 164 not currently being used to power the boiler 120 and the second state of charge being below full capacity, the controller 180 controls the switch 170 to electrically couple an output of the recharging engine 140 to the second battery pack 164 and thereby charge the second battery pack 164. In some implementations, the second battery pack 164 may be charged further in response to the second state of charge being below the first state of charge in operation 308. The method 300 may then proceed back to operation 302 to recheck the parameters and / or statuses of the plurality of power sources 160. Further, as used herein, the recharging engine 140 may be substituted by the alternator 1162 throughout this disclosure.

[0084] Alternatively, in response to determining the second battery pack 164 meets the second criteria, the method 300 proceeds to operation 312 to determine whether an output of the solar cells 166 is above a minimum power level. For example, the minimum power level may be a minimum power to power the boiler 120. In response to the solar cells 166 not meeting the criteria, the method 300 proceeds to operation 314 to charge the first battery or the second battery with the recharging engine 140. Because the output of the solar cells 166 is below the minimum power level, at least one of the first battery 162 and the second battery 164is powering the boiler 120. Accordingly, the battery that is powering the boiler 120 cannot be charged. However, the unused battery can be charged by the recharging engine 140 and, potentially, by the solar cells 166. That is, an output of solar cells 166 may not be enough to power the boiler 120 (e.g., due to weather conditions, or otherwise lack of adequate lighting conditions) but may be enough to charge one of the batteries 162, 164. Therefore, the controller 180 may control the switch 170 to electrically couple the solar cells 166 and, in some instances, the recharging engine 140 to charge the presently unused battery.

[0085] Alternatively, if an output of the solar cells 166 is above a minimum power level, the method proceeds to operation 316, and the output is directed to the boiler 120. In this instance, the first and second states of charge may be at 100%, or the capacity of the batteries may otherwise be full. Thus, there is no need to charge the batteries. Further, an output from the recharging engine 140 may be directed to and used by the boiler 120. Accordingly, the controller 180 may control the switch 170 to electrically couple outputs of the recharging engine 140 and the solar cells 166 to the first battery pack 162, the second battery pack 164 and / or the boiler 120. The method 300 may then proceed back to operation 302 to recheck the parameters and / or statuses of the plurality of power sources 160. The method 300 iteratively returns back to operation 302 until the controller 180 receives a signal indicative of a termination command.

[0086] The termination command may be generated in response to an input from a user, a fault signal from one of the plurality of power sources 160, the heat engine 110, the boiler 120, the reservoir 130, the recharging engine 140, the vehicle drive assembly 150, and / or the switch 170.

[0087] Further, the controller 180 may monitor an output of the heat engine 110 and adjust the amount of power provided to the boiler 120 from the plurality of power sources 160. For example, in response to an amount of power or torque provided by the heat engine 110 to the vehicle drive assembly 150, the controller 180 may increase or decrease the amount of power provided to the boiler 120 by the plurality of power sources 160. In some instances, the controller 180 may monitor a demand for power from the user (e.g., via an accelerator, a brake, and / or other throttle input) to determine an amount of electrical power supplied to the boiler 120 to drive the heat engine 110 and, in turn, vehicle drive assembly 150 and, ultimately, the vehicle.

[0088] In yet another implementation, the controller 180 may control the boiler 120 to run the heat engine 110 at a near steady state to minimize heat loss of the working fluid while maintaining a desired available power and torque for the vehicle drive assembly 150 and, thus,the vehicle. That is, the heat engine 110 may maintain a desired power output to the vehicle drive assembly 150 with a steady output from at least one of the plurality of power sources 160. Consequently, at least one of the plurality of power sources 160 provides a constant low- current (e.g., low ampere) output to the boiler 120 to power the heat engine 110 and at least a portion of the power may be recovered by the recharging engine 140. In some instances, the vehicle drive assembly 150 may also include regenerative brakes to charge the batteries 162 and 164 when braking.

[0089] Using the techniques presented herein, a drivetrain system 100, 1000 for a vehicle that may be used to power heavy vehicles with greater range than a conventional electric vehicle drivetrain. Further, because boiler 120, 1200 demands a lower current than an electric motor in a conventional electric vehicle drivetrain, the plurality of power sources 160, 1600 can provide a lower current for a longer time to the boiler 120, 1200 to power the heat engine 110, 1100. Meanwhile, the heat engine 110, 1100 delivers a high power and a high torque output to power the vehicle drive assembly 150, 1500 over a longer range than the conventional electric vehicle drivetrain. Moreover, the solar cells 166, 1660 further extend the range of the vehicle without sacrificing power / torque or adding weight due to an extended battery pack. Still further, constant high amp charging and discharging of the battery for powering an electric motor for a conventional electric vehicle may be avoided, thereby extending the life of the battery pack. Consequently, a drivetrain system 100, 1000 for a heavy, long haul vehicle (e.g., a tractor trailer) may be achieved using the techniques provided herein.

[0090] Referring to FIG. 4, a hardware block diagram of a computing device 400 that may perform functions associated with operations discussed herein in connection with the techniques depicted in FIGS. 1 A-3 is illustrated. In various embodiments, a computing device or apparatus, such as computing device 400 or any combination of computing devices 400, may be configured as any entity / entities as discussed for the techniques depicted in connection with FIGS. 1A-3 (e.g., controller 180, power manager 1680, etc.) in order to perform operations of the various techniques discussed herein.

[0091] In at least one embodiment, the computing device 400 may be any apparatus that may include one or more processor(s) 402, one or more memory element(s) 404, storage 406, a bus 408, one or more network processor unit(s) 410 interconnected with one or more network input / output (VO) interface(s) 412, one or more I / O interface(s) 414, and control logic 420. In various embodiments, instructions associated with logic for computing device 400 can overlap in any manner and are not limited to the specific allocation of instructions and / or operations described herein.

[0092] In at least one embodiment, processor(s) 402 is / are at least one hardware processor configured to execute various tasks, operations and / or functions for computing device 400 as described herein according to software and / or instructions configured for computing device 400. Processor(s) 402 (e.g., a hardware processor) can execute any type of instructions associated with data to achieve the operations detailed herein. In one example, processor(s) 402 can transform an element or an article (e.g., data, information) from one state or thing to another state or thing. Any of potential processing elements, microprocessors, digital signal processor, baseband signal processor, modem, PHY, controllers, systems, managers, logic, and / or machines described herein can be construed as being encompassed within the broad term 'processor'.

[0093] In at least one embodiment, memory element(s) 404 and / or storage 406 is / are configured to store data, information, software, and / or instructions associated with computing device 400, and / or logic configured for memory element(s) 404 and / or storage 406. For example, any logic described herein (e.g., control logic 420) can, in various embodiments, be stored for computing device 400 using any combination of memory element(s) 404 and / or storage 406. Note that in some embodiments, storage 406 can be consolidated with memory element(s) 404 (or vice versa), or can overlap / exist in any other suitable manner.

[0094] In at least one embodiment, bus 408 can be configured as an interface that enables one or more elements of computing device 400 to communicate in order to exchange information and / or data. Bus 408 can be implemented with any architecture designed for passing control, data and / or information between processors, memory elements / storage, peripheral devices, and / or any other hardware and / or software components that may be configured for computing device 400. In at least one embodiment, bus 408 may be implemented as a fast kernel-hosted interconnect, potentially using shared memory between processes (e.g., logic), which can enable efficient communication paths between the processes.

[0095] In various embodiments, network processor unit(s) 410 may enable communication between computing device 400 and other systems, entities, etc., via network I / O interface(s) 412 (wired and / or wireless) to facilitate operations discussed for various embodiments described herein. In various embodiments, network processor unit(s) 410 can be configured as a combination of hardware and / or software, such as one or more Ethernet driver(s) and / or controller(s) or interface cards, Fibre Channel (e.g., optical) driver(s) and / or controller(s), wireless receivers / transmitters / transceivers, baseband processor(s) / modem(s), and / or other similar network interface driver(s) and / or controller(s) now known or hereafter developed to enable communications between computing device 400 and other systems, entities, etc. tofacilitate operations for various embodiments described herein. In various embodiments, network I / O interface(s) 412 can be configured as one or more Ethernet port(s), Fibre Channel ports, any other VO port(s), and / or antenna(s) / antenna array (s) now known or hereafter developed. Thus, the network processor unit(s) 410 and / or network I / O interface(s) 412 may include suitable interfaces for receiving, transmitting, and / or otherwise communicating data and / or information in a network environment. For example, the network VO interface(s) 412 and Network Processor unit 410 may be used to communicate with a engine controller of the heat engine, and / or a drivetrain controller of the vehicle drivetrain.

[0096] VO interface(s) 414 allow for input and output of data and / or information with other entities that may be connected to computing device 400. For example, VO interface(s) 414 may provide a connection to external devices such as a keyboard, keypad, a touch screen, throttle, brake, one or more sensors, and / or any other suitable input and / or output device now known or hereafter developed. In some instances, external devices can also include portable computer readable (non-transitory) storage media such as database systems, thumb drives, portable optical or magnetic disks, and memory cards. In still some instances, external devices can be a mechanism to display data to a user, such as, for example, a computer monitor, a display screen, or the like.

[0097] In various embodiments, control logic 420 can include instructions that, when executed, cause processor(s) 402 to perform operations, which can include, but not be limited to, providing overall control operations of computing device; interacting with other entities, systems, etc. described herein; maintaining and / or interacting with stored data, information, parameters, etc. (e.g., memory element(s), storage, data structures, databases, tables, etc.); combinations thereof; and / or the like to facilitate various operations for embodiments described herein.

[0098] The programs described herein (e.g., control logic 420) may be identified based upon application(s) for which they are implemented in a specific embodiment. However, it should be appreciated that any particular program nomenclature herein is used merely for convenience; thus, embodiments herein should not be limited to use(s) solely described in any specific application(s) identified and / or implied by such nomenclature.

[0099] In various embodiments, any entity or apparatus as described herein may store data / information in any suitable volatile and / or non-volatile memory item (e.g., magnetic hard disk drive, solid state hard drive, semiconductor storage device, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.), software, logic (fixed logic, hardwarelogic, programmable logic, analog logic, digital logic), hardware, and / or in any other suitable component, device, element, and / or object as may be appropriate. Any of the memory items discussed herein should be construed as being encompassed within the broad term “memory element”. Data / information being tracked and / or sent to one or more entities as discussed herein could be provided in any database, table, register, list, cache, storage, and / or storage structure: all of which can be referenced at any suitable timeframe. Any such storage options may also be included within the broad term 'memory element' as used herein.

[0100] Note that in certain example implementations, operations as set forth herein may be implemented by logic encoded in one or more tangible media that is capable of storing instructions and / or digital information and may be inclusive of non-transitory tangible media and / or non-transitory computer readable storage media (e.g., embedded logic provided in: an ASIC, digital signal processing (DSP) instructions, software [potentially inclusive of object code and source code], etc.) for execution by one or more processor(s), and / or other similar machine, etc. Generally, memory element(s) 404 and / or storage 406 can store data, software, code, instructions (e.g., processor instructions), logic, parameters, combinations thereof, and / or the like used for operations described herein. This includes memory element(s) 404 and / or storage 406 being able to store data, software, code, instructions (e.g., processor instructions), logic, parameters, combinations thereof, or the like that are executed to carry out operations in accordance with teachings of the present disclosure.

[0101] In some instances, software of the present embodiments may be available via a non- transitory computer useable medium (e.g., magnetic or optical mediums, magneto-optic mediums, CD-ROM, DVD, memory devices, etc.) of a stationary or portable program product apparatus, downloadable file(s), file wrapper(s), object(s), package(s), container(s), and / or the like. In some instances, non-transitory computer readable storage media may also be removable. For example, a removable hard drive may be used for memory / storage in some implementations. Other examples may include optical and magnetic disks, thumb drives, and smart cards that can be inserted and / or otherwise connected to a computing device for transfer onto another computer readable storage medium.Variations and Implementations

[0102] Embodiments described herein may include one or more networks, which can represent a series of points and / or network elements of interconnected communication paths for receiving and / or transmitting messages (e.g., packets of information) that propagate through the one or more components of a vehicle. These network elements offer communicativeinterfaces that facilitate communications between the network elements. A network can include any number of hardware and / or software elements coupled to (and in communication with) each other through a communication medium.

[0103] Networks through which communications propagate can use any suitable technologies for communications including wireless communications (e.g., 4G / 5G / nG, IEEE 802.11 (e.g., Wi-Fi® / Wi-Fi6®), IEEE 802.16 (e.g., Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX)), Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID), Near Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth™, mm. wave, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), etc.), and / or wired communications (e.g., T1 lines, T3 lines, digital subscriber lines (DSL), Ethernet, Fibre Channel, etc.). Generally, any suitable means of communications may be used such as electric, sound, light, infrared, and / or radio to facilitate communications through one or more networks in accordance with embodiments herein. Communications, interactions, operations, etc. as discussed for various embodiments described herein may be performed among entities that may directly or indirectly connected utilizing any algorithms, communication protocols, interfaces, etc. (proprietary and / or non-proprietary) that allow for the exchange of data and / or information.

[0104] To the extent that embodiments presented herein relate to the storage of data, the embodiments may employ any number of any conventional or other databases, data stores or storage structures (e.g., files, databases, data structures, data or other repositories, etc.) to store information.EXAMPLES

[0105] Clause 1. A system comprising: a vehicle engine driven by a fluid; a heating element for heating the fluid; power sources for energizing the heating element; a switch electrically coupled to the power sources and the heating element; a secondary engine fluidly coupled to an outlet of the engine and electrically coupled to the switch; and a controller configured to control the switch to selectively couple a desired power source of the power sources to the heating element and / or couple the secondary engine to a second power source of the power sources.

[0106] Clause 2. The system of clause 1, further comprising at least one of a pump and a reservoir fluidly coupled to the engine and the heating element.

[0107] Clause 3. The system of clause 2, wherein a fluid outlet of the secondary engine is fluidly coupled to the reservoir.

[0108] Clause 4. The system of any one of clauses 1-3, wherein the power sources comprise a first battery and an array of photovoltaic cells.

[0109] Clause 5. The system of clause 4, wherein the controller is further configured to control the switch to electrically couple the photovoltaic cells with the heating element or the first battery.

[0110] Clause 6. The system of clause 4 or 5, further comprising a second battery electrically coupled to the switch.[OHl] Clause 7. The system of clause 6, wherein the controller is further configured to control the switch to electrically couple the second battery with the array of photovoltaic cells, the heating element, or the secondary engine.

[0112] Clause 8. The system of any one of clauses 1-7, wherein the controller is further configured to receive a first signal indicative of a state of charge of the first battery, a second signal indicative of a state of charge a second battery, and / or a third signal indicative of a power output of an array of photovoltaic cells.

[0113] Clause 9. The system of any one of clauses 1-8, wherein the controller is further configured to electrically couple the secondary engine and / or the array photovoltaic cells to a first battery or a second battery based on at least one of a received first signal, a received second signal, and a received third signal.

[0114] Clause 10. The system of clause 8, wherein the controller is further configured to electrically couple the first battery, the second battery or the array of photovoltaic cells to the heating element based on the received first signal, the received second signal, and the received third signal.

[0115] Clause 11. A power management device comprising: a processor configured to: compare criteria of a plurality of power sources to each another; identify a selected power source and an unselected power source of the plurality of power sources based on the comparison; and cause an output of the selected power source to electrically couple to a heating element for heating a fluid for driving an engine of a vehicle.

[0116] Clause 12. The power management device of clause 11, further comprising a switch for electrically coupling the selected power source to the heating element.

[0117] Clause 13. The power management device of clause 11 or 12, wherein the switch electrically couples an output of a secondary engine to the unselected power source.

[0118] Clause 14. The power management device of any one of clauses 11-13, wherein the unselected power source is a battery; and the processor is further configured to control the switch to couple the output of the secondary engine to the battery when a state of charge of the battery is below a threshold.

[0119] Clause 15. The power management device of clause 14, wherein the threshold is a state of charge of a second battery.

[0120] Clause 16. The power management device of clause 14, wherein the threshold is a maximum state of charge of the battery.

[0121] Clause 17. The power management device of any one of clauses 11-16, wherein the plurality of power sources comprises a first battery, a second battery, and an array of photovoltaic cells.

[0122] Clause 18. The power management device of any one of clauses 11-17, wherein the criteria comprises a minimum power output to for the heating element and / or a state of charge.

[0123] Clause 19. A method comprising: detecting, via a processor, a criteria for each of a plurality of power sources; identifying a selected power source based on the criteria; electrically coupling, via a switch, the selected power source with a heating element; heating a fluid with the heating element; flowing the fluid through a primary engine for driving a vehicle; flowing the fluid from the primary engine to a secondary engine; generating, via the secondary engine, an electrical current; and based on the detected criteria, conducting the electrical current to the heating element or an unselected power source of the plurality of power sources to charge the unselected power source.

[0124] Clause 20. The method of clause 19, wherein the plurality of power sources comprises a first battery, a second battery, and an array of photovoltaic cells.

[0125] Clause 21. The method of clause 19 or 20, wherein the criteria comprises a state of charge of each of the first battery and the second battery, and a power output of the array of photovoltaic cells.

[0126] Clause 22. The method of any one of clauses 19-21, wherein identifying the selected power source comprises selecting the array of photovoltaic cells in response to the power output meeting a threshold.

[0127] Clause 23. The method of clause 22, wherein the threshold corresponds to a minimum output to power the heating element to heat the fluid to cause the primary engine to drive the vehicle.

[0128] Clause 24. The method of any one of clauses 19-23, wherein identifying the selected power source comprises comparing a first state of charge of the first battery to a second state of charge of the second battery and selecting the first battery or the second battery based on the comparing.

[0129] Clause 25. The method of clause 24, further comprising identifying the unselected power source as the first battery or the second battery based on the comparing.

[0130] Clause 26. The method of clause 25, wherein the first battery is the unselected power source when the second state of charge is greater than the first state of charge, and the second battery is the unselected power source when the first state of charge is greater than the second state of charge.

[0131] Clause 27. A system comprising: an induction boiler for heating a working fluid into steam; a heat engine driven by the working fluid; power sources for powering the induction boiler; a switch electrically coupled to the power sources and the induction boiler; a recharge motor coupled to the heat engine and electrically coupled to the switch; and a controller configured to control the switch to selectively couple a desired power source of the power sources to the induction boiler and / or the recharge motor to a second power source of the power sources.

[0132] Clause 28. The system of clause 27, wherein the heat engine further comprises a valve assembly configured to control a flow of working fluid into a cylinder of the heat engine.

[0133] Clause 29. The system of clause 28, wherein the valve assembly includes a valve core comprising a circular plate having a plurality of valve openings therethrough, and in an open state, the valve core is configured to rotate to align a valve opening of the plurality of valve openings with a valve inlet and valve outlet.

[0134] Each example embodiment disclosed herein has been included to present one or more different features. However, all disclosed example embodiments are designed to work together as part of a single larger system or method. This disclosure explicitly envisions compound embodiments that combine multiple previously-discussed features in different example embodiments into a single system or method.

[0135] While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since it will be apparent that various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the inventions and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. In addition, various features from one of the embodiments may be incorporated into another of the embodiments. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the following claims.

[0136] Reference may be made to the spatial relationships between various components and to the spatial orientation of various aspects of components as depicted in the attached drawings. However, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art after a complete readingof the present disclosure, the devices, components, members, apparatuses, etc. described herein may be positioned in any desired orientation. Thus, the use of terms such as “above,” “below,” “upper,” “lower,” “top,” “bottom,” or other similar terms to describe a spatial relationship between various components or to describe the spatial orientation of aspects of such components, should be understood to describe a relative relationship between the components or a spatial orientation of aspects of such components, respectively, as the components described herein may be oriented in any desired direction. When used to describe a range of dimensions and / or other characteristics (e.g., time, pressure, temperature, distance, etc.) of an element, operations, conditions, etc., the phrase “between X and Y” represents a range that includes X and Y.

[0137] For example, it is to be understood that terms such as “left,” “right,” “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “rear,” “side,” “height,” “length,” “width,” “upper,” “lower,” “interior,” “exterior,” “inner,” “outer” and the like as may be used herein, merely describe points of reference and do not limit the present invention to any particular orientation or configuration. Further, the term “exemplary” is used herein to describe an example or illustration. Any embodiment described herein as exemplary is not to be construed as a preferred or advantageous embodiment, but rather as one example or illustration of a possible embodiment.

[0138] Further, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and / or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or configurations discussed.

[0139] Similarly, when used herein, the term “comprises” and its derivations (such as “comprising,” etc.) should not be understood in an excluding sense, that is, these terms should not be interpreted as excluding the possibility that what is described and defined may include further elements, steps, etc. Meanwhile, when used herein, the term “approximately” and terms of its family (such as “approximate,” etc.) should be understood as indicating values very near to those which accompany the aforementioned term. That is to say, a deviation within reasonable limits from an exact value should be accepted, because a skilled person in the art will understand that such a deviation from the values indicated is inevitable due to measurement inaccuracies, etc. The same applies to the terms “about” and “around” and “substantially”. Unless otherwise defined herein, the terms “about” and “around” and “substantially” are considered to be within to a 5%, 10%, and / or 15% deviation of the noted value.

[0140] As used herein, unless expressly stated to the contrary, use of the phrase “at least one of,” “one or more of,” “and / or,” variations thereof, or the like are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation for any and all possible combination of the associated listed items. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of X, Y and Z,” “at least one of X, Y or Z,” “one or more of X, Y and Z,” “one or more of X, Y or Z” and “X, Y and / or Z” can mean any of the following: 1) X, but not Y and not Z; 2) Y, but not X and not Z; 3) Z, but not X and not Y; 4) X and Y, but not Z; 5) X and Z, but not Y; 6) Y and Z, but not X; or 7) X, Y, and Z.

[0141] Additionally, unless expressly stated to the contrary, the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., are intended to distinguish the particular nouns they modify (e.g., element, condition, node, outlet, inlet, valve, module, activity, operation, etc.). Unless expressly stated to the contrary, the use of these terms is not intended to indicate any type of order, rank, importance, temporal sequence, or hierarchy of the modified noun. For example, “first X” and “second X” are intended to designate two “X” elements that are not necessarily limited by any order, rank, importance, temporal sequence, or hierarchy of the two elements. Further as referred to herein, “at least one of’ and “one or more of’ can be represented using the “(s)” nomenclature (e.g., one or more element(s)).

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A system comprising: a vehicle engine driven by a fluid; a heating element for heating the fluid; power sources for energizing the heating element; a switch electrically coupled to the power sources and the heating element; a secondary engine fluidly coupled to an outlet of the engine and electrically coupled to the switch; and a controller configured to control the switch to selectively couple a desired power source of the power sources to the heating element and / or couple the secondary engine to a second power source of the power sources.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a pump and a reservoir fluidly coupled to the engine and the heating element.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein a fluid outlet of the secondary engine is fluidly coupled to the reservoir.

4. The system of any one of claims 1-3, wherein the power sources comprise a first battery and an array of photovoltaic cells.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to control the switch to electrically couple the photovoltaic cells with the heating element or the first battery.

6. The system of claim 4 or 5, further comprising a second battery electrically coupled to the switch.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to control the switch to electrically couple the second battery with the array of photovoltaic cells, the heating element, or the secondary engine.

8. The system of any one of claims 1-8, wherein the controller is further configured to receive a first signal indicative of a state of charge of the first battery, a second signal indicative of a state of charge the second battery, and a third signal indicative of a power output of the array of photovoltaic cells.

9. The system of any one of claim 1-8, wherein the controller is further configured to electrically couple the secondary engine and / or the array photovoltaic cells to the first battery or the second battery based on at least one of the received first signal, the received second signal, and the received third signal.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to electrically couple the first battery, the second battery or the array of photovoltaic cells to the heating element based on the received first signal, the received second signal, and the received third signal.

11. A power management device comprising: a processor configured to: compare criteria of a plurality of power sources to each another; identify a selected power source and an unselected power source of the plurality of power sources based on the comparison; and cause an output of the selected power source to electrically couple to a heating element for heating a fluid for driving an engine of a vehicle.

12. The power management device of claim 11, further comprising a switch for electrically coupling the selected power source to the heating element.

13. The power management device of claim 11 or 12, wherein the switch electrically couples an output of a secondary engine to the unselected power source.

14. The power management device of any one of claims 11-13, wherein the unselected power source is a battery; and the processor is further configured to control the switch to couple the output of the secondary engine to the battery when a state of charge of the battery is below a threshold.

15. The power management device of claim 14, wherein the threshold is a state of charge of a second battery.

16. The power management device of claim 14, wherein the threshold is a maximum state of charge of the battery.

17. The power management device of any one of claims 11-16, wherein the plurality of power sources comprises a first battery, a second battery, and an array of photovoltaic cells.

18. The power management device of any one of claims 11-17, wherein the criteria comprises a minimum power output to for the heating element and / or a state of charge.

19. A method comprising: detecting, via a processor, a criteria for each of a plurality of power sources; identifying a selected power source based on the criteria; electrically coupling, via a switch, the selected power source with a heating element; heating a fluid with the heating element; flowing the fluid through a primary engine for driving a vehicle; flowing the fluid from the primary engine to a secondary engine; generating, via the secondary engine, an electrical current; and based on the detected criteria, conducting the electrical current to the heating element or an unselected power source of the plurality of power sources to charge the unselected power source.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of power sources comprises a first battery, a second battery, and an array of photovoltaic cells.

21. The method of claim 19 or 20, wherein the criteria comprises a state of charge of each of the first battery and the second battery, and a power output of the array of photovoltaic cells.

22. The method of any one of claims 19-21, wherein identifying the selected power source comprises selecting the array of photovoltaic cells in response to the power output meeting a threshold.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the threshold corresponds to a minimum output to power the heating element to heat the fluid to cause the primary engine to drive the vehicle.

24. The method of any one of claims 19-23, wherein identifying the selected power source comprises comparing a first state of charge of the first battery to a second state of charge of the second battery and selecting the first battery or the second battery based on the comparing.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising identifying the unselected power source as the first battery or the second battery based on the comparing.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first battery is the unselected power source when the second state of charge is greater than the first state of charge, and the second battery is the unselected power source when the first state of charge is greater than the second state of charge.

27. A system comprising: an induction boiler for heating a working fluid into steam; a heat engine driven by the working fluid; power sources for powering the induction boiler; a switch electrically coupled to the power sources and the induction boiler; a recharge motor coupled to the heat engine and electrically coupled to the switch; and a controller configured to control the switch to selectively couple a desired power source of the power sources to the induction boiler and / or the recharge motor to a second power source of the power sources.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the heat engine further comprises a valve assembly configured to control a flow of working fluid into a cylinder of the heat engine.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the valve assembly includes a valve core comprising a circular plate having a plurality of valve openings therethrough, and in an open state, thevalve core is configured to rotate to align a valve opening of the plurality of valve openings with a valve inlet and valve outlet.

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