ENERGY HARVESTING SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE

摘要

An energy harvesting system includes a heat engine and a component. The heat engine includes a belt, a first member, and a second member. The belt includes a strip of material and at least one wire at least partially embedded longitudinally in the strip of material. The wire includes a shape memory alloy material. A localized region of the at least one wire is configured to change crystallographic phase between martensite and austenite and either contract or expand longitudinally in response to exposure to a first temperature or a second temperature such that the strip of material corresponding to the localized region also contracts or expands. The first member is operatively connected to the belt and moves with the belt in response to the expansion or contraction of the belt. The component is operatively connected to the first member such that movement of the first member drives the component.