Power generation system for transportation means

Abstract

The present invention relates to a power generation system for a transportation means. The present invention comprises: an axle; a brake disk having a space portion in the center thereof; a brake pad for applying a braking force to the brake disk; a rotor which is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the space portion so as to face the axle, and which has a plurality of permanent magnets; a stator which is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the axle so as to face the rotor, and which has a coil; and a dust-blocking means provided in a path between the brake pad and the rotor so as to block dust of the brake pad. The present invention greatly improves space utilization of a transportation means and does not require additional wiring work for receiving power from a different vehicle such as a tractor.

Description

Power generation systems for transportation

[0001] The present invention relates to a power generation system for a transportation vehicle, and more particularly, to a power generation system installed in a brake disc device for a vehicle.

[0002] Among transportation vehicles, trailers are vehicles that are hitched to a tractor (towing vehicle) and transport cargo or people without power. They are broadly categorized as commercial trailers and camping trailers. Commercial trailers require power (electricity) for interior lighting, tailgates, and refrigeration, while camping trailers require power to operate indoor and outdoor lighting, TVs, refrigerators, and other appliances.

[0003] Currently, the power used in trailers is either electricity from the tractor battery or electricity generated by a diesel generator installed separately in the trailer.

[0004] Meanwhile, when utilizing power from the tractor battery, some modifications to the tractor are required to install the power supply line. Using a diesel generator installed separately on the trailer not only requires frequent maintenance, such as refueling diesel fuel and lubricating oil, but also imposes numerous constraints on the installation and operation of the diesel generator due to the limited internal space within the trailer. Furthermore, the diesel generator generates noise and harmful gases during operation.

[0005] Accordingly, the present invention aims to provide a power generation system that generates electricity required for a transportation vehicle such as a trailer.

[0006] The present invention, proposed to achieve the above object, is characterized by comprising a power generation system for a means of transportation, comprising: an axle; a brake disc having a space in the center; a brake pad for applying braking force to the brake disc; a rotor installed on the inner surface of the space to face the axle and having a plurality of permanent magnets; a stator installed on the outer surface of the axle to face the rotor and having a coil; and a dust shielding means installed in a path between the brake pad and the rotor to shield dust from the brake pad.

[0007] Preferably, the dust shielding means prevents the pad dust from entering the gap between the rotor and the stator.

[0008] Preferably, the dust shielding means comprises a sleeve, an O-ring, and a seal, the sleeve has a groove and is installed in front of the rotor, the sleeve is directly or indirectly fixed to the stator so as not to rotate with the rotation of the brake disc, and the O-ring and the seal are installed in close contact with the groove of the sleeve, and the seal is in close contact with the brake disc and slides when the brake disc rotates.

[0009] The present invention has the effect of eliminating power-related problems of conventional trailers by adopting a self-generation method in which a generator is installed in a space provided in a brake disc device of a transportation means such as a trailer and directly supplies the necessary electric energy.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention not only significantly improves the space utilization of the vehicle, but also eliminates the need for separate wiring to receive power from other vehicles, such as tractors. Furthermore, since the present invention eliminates the need for a diesel generator, it eliminates the noise and harmful gases associated with diesel generator installation and operation, significantly reducing maintenance costs.

[0011] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a power generation system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 2 is a detailed cross-sectional view parallel to the longitudinal direction of the axle of the power generation system illustrated in Figure 1.

[0013] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the axle of the power generation system illustrated in Figure 2.

[0014] Figure 4 is a block diagram of an electric circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram of the generator and rectifier shown in Fig. 4.

[0016] Figure 6 is a graph illustrating the power output of the power generation system illustrated in Figure 2.

[0017] Figure 7 is a graph illustrating the phase voltage of the power generation system illustrated in Figure 2.

[0018] Fig. 8 is a graph illustrating the phase current of the power generation system illustrated in Fig. 2.

[0019] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the longitudinal direction of the axle of a power generation system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 10 is an enlarged view of part A shown in Figure 9.

[0021] Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of a portion of the power generation system illustrated in Fig. 9.

[0022] Figure 12 is a network configuration diagram illustrating system monitoring in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In describing the embodiments of the present invention, identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals, wherever possible. Detailed descriptions of the configuration or function of related known technologies are omitted to avoid obscuring the gist of the present invention. Furthermore, the details depicted in the accompanying drawings are schematically illustrated for the purpose of easily explaining the embodiments of the present invention and may differ from the actual implementation.

[0024] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a power generation system (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated, the power generation system (1) includes an axle (3), a brake disc (6), and a generator (10). Fig. 2 is a detailed cross-sectional view parallel to the longitudinal direction of the axle (3) of the power generation system (1) illustrated in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the axle (3) of the power generation system (1) illustrated in Fig. 2.

[0025] An axle (3) is fixed to a chassis (2) of a vehicle (e.g., a trailer). A wheel hub (5) and a brake disc (6) are installed on the outer surface of the axle (3) via a plurality of bearings (4) and rotate passively. A space (7) is formed in the center of the brake disc (6). The space (7) may be formed by recessing into one side of the brake disc (6).

[0026] The generator (10) has a rotor (8) and a stator (9). The rotor (8) is installed on the inner surface of the space (7) so as to face the axle (3) and has a plurality of permanent magnets (8a). The rotor (8) may be in the form of a ring in which a plurality of permanent magnets (8a) are arranged or arranged at equal intervals and are closely fixed to the inner surface of the space (7) of the brake disc (6). Since the permanent magnets (8a) are closely fixed to the inner surface of the space (7) of the brake disc (6), they rotate along the brake disc (6) (or wheel). The stator (9) is fixed to the outer surface of the axle (3) opposite to the rotor (8). The stator (9) is configured by winding a stator coil (9a) around a yoke (9b). The yoke (9b) is configured by laminating a plurality of thin iron plates, and three stator coils (9a) are wound around the yoke (9b). One phase of alternating current is induced in each of the three stator coils (9a), and a three-phase alternating current is induced overall. The stator coils (9a) may be Y-connected with a high line-to-line voltage. The stator coils (9a) may be routed into the interior of a vehicle (e.g., a trailer) through a hole formed in the longitudinal direction of the axle (3). A predetermined gap (11) is formed between the rotor (8) and the stator (9), so that the rotor (8) and the stator (9) are close to each other but do not touch each other.

[0027] A rotor (8) composed of a plurality of permanent magnets (8a) arranged in a ring shape is installed in a space (7) of a brake disc (6) and generates a rotating magnetic field when it rotates. When the rotating magnetic field generated by the rotor (8) is linked to the stator (9) composed of a stator coil (9a) and a yoke (9b), electric power is generated in the stator (9).

[0028] The generator (10) may be a permanent magnet synchronous generator. In addition, the generator (10) may be a brushless synchronous generator. The permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) has an efficiency that is approximately 90% higher than that of a general induction generator due to the use of permanent magnets, and has the advantage of being compact and lightweight, and being able to operate at low speeds due to the absence of gears.

[0029] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an electric circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of a generator (10) and a rectifier (20) shown in FIG. 4.

[0030] The three-phase AC power output from the generator (10) is converted into DC power by the rectifier (20). As illustrated in Fig. 5, the rectifier (20) is composed of diodes (D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6) and a smoothing capacitor (C). The three-phase AC power output from the three-phase stator coils (phA, phB, phC) of the generator (10) is rectified by a plurality of full-wave diodes (D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6) and then smoothed by the smoothing capacitor (C), thereby outputting a DC voltage (V+) to both terminals of the capacitor (C) to drive a DC load (LOAD).

[0031] The DC power can be charged to the battery (40) by the charging control unit (30) and then supplied to the DC load (50). The power of the battery (40) can be converted into AC power of 50 to 60 Hz by the inverter (60) and then supplied to the AC load (70).

[0032] The charge control unit (30) may include a constant voltage unit and / or a constant current unit. The constant voltage unit and / or the constant current unit stabilize the direct current power output to the rectifier unit (20). The inverter (60) may output three-phase AC power and single-phase AC power simultaneously or alternatively. Terminals or outlets capable of connecting two or more loads are provided at the outputs of the battery (40) and the inverter (60), respectively, so that two or more AC loads (50) and DC loads (50) can be connected.

[0033] The phase voltage, phase current, and output power of the generator (10) are determined by the rotational speed of the brake disc (6) (or the rotational speed of the permanent magnet (8a)), the magnetic force of the permanent magnet (8a), the number of turns of the stator coil (9a), etc.

[0034] Fig. 6 is a graph illustrating the output power of the power generation system (1) illustrated in Fig. 2. It shows that an average power of 1,291 W was obtained when the rotation speed of the brake disc (6) was 400 rpm. Fig. 7 shows that a phase voltage of 220 V was obtained from the power generation system (1). Fig. 8 shows that a phase current of 2.7 A was obtained from the power generation system (1).

[0035] For example, when a trailer is towed by a tractor, the wheels (or wheel hubs (5)) rotate, and the brake discs (6) fixed to the wheel hubs (5) rotate in conjunction. As the brake discs (6) rotate, the permanent magnets (8a) installed in the space (7) rotate to generate a rotating magnetic field, which induces a voltage in the stator coil (9a). The AC power generated from the generator (10) is converted into DC power by the rectifier (20) and then charged to the battery (40) by the charge control unit (30). The DC power charged to the battery (40) is supplied to multiple DC loads (50) of the trailer, or is converted into AC power by the inverter (60) and supplied to multiple AC loads (70).

[0036] It is preferable that the generator (19) be installed in each central space (11) of a plurality of brake discs (6) installed on the trailer, for example, to generate sufficient power.

[0037] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the longitudinal direction (L) of the axle (102) of a power generation system (100) according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of part A shown in Fig. 9, and Fig. 11 is a configuration diagram of a part of the power generation system (100) shown in Fig. 9. As shown in Fig. 9, the power generation system (100) includes an axle (102), a brake disc (104), a generator (105), and a tone wheel (110). The generator (105) includes a rotor (108) and a stator (106).

[0038] The brake disc (104) has a space (109) in the center. The rotor (108) is installed on the inner surface of the space (109) so as to face the axle (102) and has a plurality of permanent magnets. The stator (106) is installed on the outer surface of the axle (102) so as to face the rotor (108) and has a coil. A tone wheel (110) is installed on one side of the brake disc (104). The tone wheel (110) has exciter teeth and is installed so that the front face faces the longitudinal direction (L) of the axle (102). The tone wheel (110) may be formed integrally with the brake disc (104). The power generation system (100) further has a wheel speed sensor (112) so as to face the tone wheel (110). The wheel speed sensor (112) detects changes in the magnetic field according to the rotation of the wheel to sense the rotation speed of the wheel.

[0039] The power generation system (100) further includes a flux control means for suppressing the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet constituting the rotor (108) from being transmitted to the tone wheel (110). The power generation system (100) has the advantage of being able to be configured very compactly because the rotor (108) and the wheel speed sensor (112) are located inside the brake device or very close to the brake device. However, there is a concern that the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet constituting the rotor (108) may affect the wheel speed sensor (112) via the tone wheel (110), causing the wheel speed sensor (112) to malfunction. The flux control means suppresses the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet from being transmitted to the tone wheel (110), thereby allowing the wheel speed sensor (112) to operate normally.

[0040] In this embodiment, the magnetic flux control means is implemented as a groove formed in the brake disc (104) between the rotor (108) (or permanent magnet) and the tone wheel (110). However, an electromagnetic shield made of a magnetic material (iron, nickel, cobalt, etc.) or a conductive material (copper, aluminum, etc.) that can suppress the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet from being transmitted to the tone wheel (110) may be used as the magnetic flux control means.

[0041] When air pressure, hydraulic pressure, etc. are applied, the caliper assembly (114) presses the brake pad (116) against the brake disc (104) to generate braking force. In the process of generating braking force, the brake pad (116) is worn. Since the brake pad (116) contains a metal component that is attracted to a permanent magnet, the pad dust generated when the brake pad (116) is worn is attracted to the permanent magnet of the rotor (108). As a result, a small gap (203) provided between the rotor (108) and the stator (106) may be filled with pad dust. When the gap (203) is filled with pad dust, the power generation system (100) may experience a serious malfunction due to mechanical friction, electrical connection, etc. between the rotor (108) and the stator (106).

[0042] To solve this problem, the power generation system (100) may further include a dust shielding means (204). The dust shielding means (204) is installed in the path between the brake pad (116) and the rotor (108) to shield pad dust, thereby preventing pad dust from entering the gap (203). The dust shielding means (204) of the present embodiment includes a sleeve (205), an O-ring (206), and a seal (208). The sleeve (205) has a groove and is installed in front of the rotor (108). The sleeve (205) is directly or indirectly fixed to the stator (106), so that it does not rotate according to the rotation of the brake disc (104). An O-ring (206) and a seal (208) are installed in the groove of the sleeve (205). The seal (208) is installed in close contact with the O-ring (206). The seal (208) is in close contact with the brake disc (104) and slides when the brake disc (104) rotates. This configuration effectively prevents pad dust from entering the gap (203).

[0043] Figure 12 is a network configuration diagram illustrating system monitoring in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] The AC voltage generated in the power generation system (100) is provided to the rectifier (20). The rectifier (20) converts the AC voltage into a DC voltage and provides it to the battery (40). The charging control unit (30) receives status information of the power generation system (100) from various sensors. This status information includes the amount of power generated by the power generation system (100), the temperature of the generator (105), a fault signal, the status of the battery (40), etc. The charging control unit (30) controls the power generation system (100), the rectifier (20), the battery (40), etc. using the received status information. In addition, the charging control unit (30) transmits the status information to the in-house computer server (304) and / or the cloud server (306) via the wireless communication network (302). The wireless communication method is Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LTE, 5G, etc. The in-house computer server (304) and / or cloud server (306) generates a real-time monitoring signal using the transmitted status information and transmits it to the driver (308). The monitoring signal transmitted to the driver (308) is a dashboard, a smartphone app (APP), etc.

[0045] The present invention, as described above, is not limited to the embodiments and the attached drawings. Various substitutions, modifications, and changes are possible without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. This will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. Axle and, A brake disc having a space in the center, A brake pad that applies braking force to the above brake disc, A rotor having a plurality of permanent magnets and installed on the inner surface of the above space portion to face the axle, A stator having a coil and installed on the outer surface of the axle so as to face the rotor, A power generation system for a vehicle, characterized in that it includes a dust shielding means installed in a path between the brake pad and the rotor to shield dust from the brake pad.

2. In paragraph 1, A power generation system for a vehicle, characterized in that the dust shielding means prevents the pad dust from entering the gap between the rotor and the stator.

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