Abstract: A pneumatic regenerative system for a railway vehicle equipped with a plurality of axles includes a plurality of pneumatic drive mechanisms coupled to each of the plurality of axles. Each pneumatic drive mechanism includes an accumulator and a pneumatic device. The pneumatic device may in some examples be a reversible air motor device. The accumulator is operable to receive and store pressurized air. The reversible air motor device is coupled to the accumulator and one of the plurality of axles of the vehicle. The reversible air motor device is operable in a first configuration and a second configuration. During a braking operation of the railway vehicle, the reversible air motor device in the first configuration is driven by rotation of the one of the plurality of axles to generate and store pressurized air in the accumulator.

Abstract: A pneumatic regenerative system for a railway vehicle equipped with a plurality of axles includes a plurality of pneumatic drive mechanisms coupled to each of the plurality of axles. Each pneumatic drive mechanism includes an accumulator and a pneumatic device. The pneumatic device may in some examples be a reversible air motor device. The accumulator is operable to receive and store pressurized air. The reversible air motor device is coupled to the accumulator and one of the plurality of axles of the vehicle. The reversible air motor device is operable in a first configuration and a second configuration. During a braking operation of the railway vehicle, the reversible air motor device in the first configuration is driven by rotation of the one of the plurality of axles to generate and store pressurized air in the accumulator.

Abstract: A pneumatic drive system for a motorized vehicle includes an air compressor that is operable to couple with a main drive shaft of the motorized vehicle so as to activate the air compressor and generate pressurized air during a braking operation of the motorized vehicle, an accumulator that is operable to receive and store pressurized air from the air compressor during the braking operation, and a pneumatic motor that receives the pressurized air from the accumulator to activate the pneumatic motor. During activation, the pneumatic motor provides energy to the main drive shaft during an acceleration operation of the motorized vehicle.

Abstract: A compressor/motor has fluid processing stages, each having ports through which a fluid is accepted in one volume and expelled in another volume. A system of valves selectively couples the ports to define, for a first process of a cycle, a unidirectional fluid path through the fluid processing stages that expels the fluid from path-adjacent fluid processing stages in incrementally smaller volumes. In a second process of the cycle, a reverse unidirectional fluid path is defined by the valves where the fluid expelled from path-adjacent fluid processing stages is in incrementally larger volumes. A mechanical interface coupled to the fluid processing stages conveys a force to the fluid processing stages to compel the fluid through the fluid path in the first process or conveys the force from the fluid processing stages that is compelled by the fluid traversing the reverse fluid path.

Abstract: Towards recovering thermal energy, an accumulator buffers a working fluid over an energy recovery cycle that includes two processes: one in which working fluid is accumulated in the accumulator at increasing pressure and the other that draws working fluid from the accumulator at decreasing pressure. Heat storage fluid is displaced in a storage fluid conduit towards a heat storage region in response to increasing pressure in the accumulator and towards a reservoir region in response to decreasing pressure in the accumulator. One or more heat exchange conduits traverse the storage fluid conduit to come in thermal contact with the heat storage fluid where they transfer heat to the heat storage fluid during the first process of the energy recovery cycle and transfer heat from the heat storage fluid during the other process.