Hybrid Electric Vehicles Using a Stirling Engine

Abstract

A personal vehicle for transporting a user over a surface including an external combustion engine. The vehicle includes a generator for converting the mechanical energy produced by the external combustion engine to electrical energy and an energy storage device for storing power provided by the generator and for providing power to the external combustion engine and the assembly. The personal vehicle includes a controller for controlling a total power load placed on the external combustion engine providing short term regulation of external combustion engine parameters.

1 . A personal vehicle for transporting a user over a surface, the personal vehicle comprising:
 a. a support for supporting the user;   b. a ground contacting module having at least one ground contacting member to which the support is mounted, the ground contacting module for suspending the user in the support over the surface, the support and ground contacting module being components of an assembly;   c. a drive arrangement coupled to the assembly for causing locomotion of the assembly and the user over the surface, the drive arrangement including:
 i. an external combustion engine for generating mechanical energy and thermal energy, 
 ii. a generator having an output and coupled to the external combustion engine, the generator for converting the mechanical energy produced by the external combustion engine to electrical energy that is provided at the output to the assembly, and 
 iii. an energy storage device coupled to the output of the generator, for storing power provided by the generator and for providing power to the external combustion engine and the assembly; and 
   d. a power output coupled to the energy storage device, for providing power to an external load.   
     
     
         2 . A personal vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the power is AC power. 
     
     
         3 . A personal vehicle according to  claim 1 , the assembly having a projection onto the surface that is substantially the same dimensions as the user. 
     
     
         4 . A trickle charged battery system for a personal vehicle comprising:
 an energy storage device for storing electrical energy;   an external combustion engine for generating mechanical energy;   a generator coupled to the external combustion engine and the energy storage device, the generator for converting the mechanical energy generated by the external combustion engine to electrical energy that is provided to said energy storage device; and   a mechanism for accessing energy, said mechanism electrically connected to said energy storage device for accessing electrical energy from said energy storage device and communicating said electrical energy to at least one electrical device not part of the personal vehicle.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the energy storage device is a trickle charged battery charged electrical energy from the generator converting the mechanical energy from the external combustion engine to electrical energy. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the external combustion engine is a Stirling engine. 
     
     
         7 . A personal vehicle power system comprising:
 an energy storage device for storing energy;   an external combustion engine;   a generator electrically connected to said external combustion engine and said energy storage device wherein said generator converts mechanical energy provided by said external combustion engine into electrical energy, said electrical energy stored in said energy storage device; and   a drive mechanism driven only by electric energy from said energy storage device.   
     
     
         8 . The personal vehicle power system of  claim 7  wherein said external combustion engine is a Stirling engine. 
     
     
         9 . The personal vehicle power system of  claim 7  further comprising a mechanism for accessing energy from the energy storage device.