Deployable Turbine Wheel for Low-Wear Aerodynamic Braking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle wheels with mechanical braking devices experience significant wear, necessitating a solution to reduce wear while maintaining effective and safe braking.
Innovation Solution
A wheel design incorporating an annular member and a deployment mechanism that adjusts the position of blades to either compress air for braking or minimize drag, reducing mechanical wear and enhancing braking efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mechanical braking devices with contacting parts are used, then effective braking is achieved, but wear of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical contact-based braking systems with an aerodynamic braking system that uses air resistance generated by adjustable blades to slow the wheel, eliminating direct mechanical contact and associated wear between braking components
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes aerodynamic forces (a subset of pneumatic principles) by directing air flow through adjustable blades to create drag and braking torque, substituting fluid dynamics for mechanical friction in the braking process
2Reliability
If aerodynamic drag is increased for braking, then braking performance is enhanced, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamically adjustable blades that can change their angle and position based on braking requirements, allowing the system to optimize aerodynamic drag generation and minimize energy waste by only creating necessary resistance during braking events
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes aerodynamic parameters (blade angle, blade position) dynamically during operation to control the amount of drag generated, enabling precise control over braking force while minimizing unnecessary energy consumption
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The wheel design effectively reduces mechanical wear on braking components while providing adjustable aerodynamic drag for enhanced braking performance and reduced energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
blades (12) and a deployment mechanism (15) configured to conduct the blades (12) at least between a deployed configuration and a rest or closing configuration
Implementation Method 2
The blades (12) in the deployed configuration compress an air flow along the axis H during the use of the motor vehicle (1)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
A wheel (4) for a vehicle (1) includes a wheel hub unit (9) comprising, in turn, a stator portion (9a) to be coupled to a body (2) of the vehicle (1) by means of suspensions, a rotor portion (9b) and supporting means (9c) supporting the rotor portion (9b) on the stator portion (9a) in a rotatable manner about a rotation axis (H), characterized in that it comprises a plurality of blades (12) for a power absorbing turbomachine and a deployment mechanism (15) carried by a portion between the rotor portion (9b) and the stator portion (9a) and configured to conduct the blades (12) at least between a deployed configuration, in which the blades (12) are arranged so as to form an array of compressor blades adapted to compress an air flow along the rotation axis (H) during the use of the vehicle (1), thereby resulting in a drag on the vehicle (1), and a rest configuration, in which the blades (12) result in less drag on the vehicle (1) than the deployed configuration.