Regenerative self propelled vehicles

Abstract

An electric motor powered vehicle includes an energy reservoir provided by a battery-mass flywheel having a diameter approximating the lateral spacing of the vehicle's wheels. A The flywheel may include a pair of counter rotating wheels mounted on concentric shafts and may be enclosed in a containment device. A shoe-rail electrical connection facilitates transfer of current to and from the batteries. The flywheel may include fuel cells charged from a remote hydrogen source. Flywheel, and friction braking may be controlled by pedal movement. Motive power is preferentially provided by flywheel energy then battery energy. Energy may be transferred to the batter mass flywheel independently of vehicle motor drive. The motor-flywheel drive connections are made through inputs to a differential gear drive. The fuel cells may charge the batteries, and a second alternator may recover flywheel energy at shut-down

1 . A self propelled vehicle comprising:
 electric motor means for powering motive operation of the vehicle;   a battery array for energizing motive operation of the vehicle;   a power demand pedal;   means, responsive to displacement of the demand pedal, for providing a power demand signal, which signal is proportionate to the extent to which the demand pedal is displaced;   a regenerative braking system, which recaptures energy that would otherwise be lost in decelerating the vehicle, said regenerative system including,
 operator actuated means for invoking deceleration of the vehicle, 
 means, including a rotatable flywheel on which the battery means are mounted, for storage of kinetic energy, 
 means, responsive to the invoking of vehicle deceleration, for transferring vehicle kinetic energy to the flywheel means, 
 alternator means for recharging the battery array when the flywheel exceeds a predetermined rate of rotation; 
 means, operative in response to initiation of vehicle operation, for utilizing flywheel energy to power motive operation; and 
 means operative upon the flywheel energy being insufficient to provide a desired rate of motive operation, for utilizing battery energy to power motive operation of the vehicle, 
   
     whereby the number of battery recharging cycles is minimized. 
   
   
       2 . A self propelled vehicle as in  claim 1  wherein
 the means for invoking deceleration comprise a pedal moveable through a range of motion to thereby create a deceleration signal proportionate to the degree of movement, the rate of deceleration is proportionate to the strength of the deceleration signal;