Patent ID: 8839618
Filing Date: 2014-09-23
Classification: B63B,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A buoyancy engine for use in a saltwater environment comprising: a housing having an interior filled with a gas; a buoyancy chamber positioned in said housing and having a buoyancy chamber interior, a first aperture in communication between said buoyancy chamber interior and said housing interior and a second aperture configured to be in communication with the saltwater environment, said buoyancy chamber interior being filled with saltwater; an elastomeric membrane covering said buoyancy chamber first aperture and sealing said buoyancy chamber interior from said housing interior, said elastomeric membrane configured to expand into said buoyancy chamber interior and thereby decrease the volume of said buoyancy chamber interior and expand into said housing interior and thereby increase the volume of said buoyancy chamber interior; a semi-permeable membrane covering said buoyancy chamber second aperture and sealing said buoyancy chamber interior from an external environment; a first electrode positioned in said buoyancy chamber interior; a second electrode positioned external to said buoyancy chamber and said housing; a controller joined to at least one of said first electrode and said second electrode and configured to control the electrical potential between said first electrode and said second electrode; and a power source joined to said controller.