Abstract:
A device for converting the varying pressure of wind and ocean current on a sail into electrical energy. The coefficient of drag on the sail and therefor the power input of the device is increased by constructing a box with one surface being the sail and the opposite surface left open to the oncoming wind or ocean current. Power conversion may be done with either a gear train or preferably hydraulically using a Bourdon tube.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    Many attempts have been made to “solve” our worldwide energy crisis. The only realistic permanent solution lies in the development inventions for extracting renewable energy. Regarding wind and ocean current energy Hope et al (U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,429) and Hassard et al (U.S. Pat. No. 6,568,181) show a scoop facing the oncoming air or water current and assume this current will be forced through a narrow hole rather than travel around their devices. Any scoop or nozzle used this way is inefficient. Nevertheless since the power in an air or water current is defined as the rate of flow multiplied by its kinetic energy it would be advantageous to somehow accelerate the velocity of the flow artificially The power output is increased by the cube of the velocity, ie. in a geometric progression, more than balancing a decrease in an arithmetic progression for the small end of a scoop. Regarding wind energy in particular, Mooring (U.S. Pat. No. 7,157,805) proposes to use a sail instead of a propeller turbine. This is an improvement over using a propeller. For a propeller The power output must be multiplied by the Betz number, which is 0.593, the theoretical maximum efficiency. This is because much of the wind energy is blown through the propeller without affecting the blade velocity. But with a sail the power output may be multiplied by the coefficient of drag instead, which is about 1.1 so the overall system efficiency is greater. The power takeoff in U.S. Pat. No. 7,157,805 is mechanical but there is no effort made to artificially accelerate the wind velocity. Regarding ocean wave energy my patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,781,253) as all other patents in the art, makes no attempt to artificially increase the frequency of ocean waves, but only their amplitude. The present invention also is concerned with converting wind energy into electrical energy using the force on a building, and converting ocean wave energy into electrical energy using the inherent elasticity of a hull of a ship. My patent (U.S. Pat. No. 7,043,904) addresses these methods. Yet in neither base is there an effort to increase artificially the kinetic energy input of wind or ocean waves. The present invention is presented to lessen the above difficulties. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The basic idea of the invention is to have two reservoirs of fluid arranged so natural forces are made to press on elastic walls of each reservoir alternately. There is a nozzle connecting the reservoirs filled with the same fluid. This pipe has a smaller cross-sectional area than that of each reservoir. So if each reservoir is half full of fluid and the pressed wall of the reservoir is movable then fluid will be made to move through the converging diverging nozzle into the other reservoir at a higher velocity than the velocity of the pressed wall. 
         [0003]    As applied to wind energy, there is a pole erected from the ground. Mounted on the pole is a structure appearing as shutters in an open box. When the shutters are closed this box increases the coefficient of drag. On each side of each shutter is a bag half full of air. Each bag is a reservoir of air. Pipes are led from each bag to ground level and connected to pipes from bags on the other side of a shutter. A reaction turbine is mounted in the connecting pipe and connected to a generator. As wind presses on one set of bags air in these bags is forced through the nozzles of the reaction turbine and fill the other bags on the opposite side of the shutters. When air is forced completely from the first set of bags the shutters are revolved and the operation is repeated. The invention is also applied to furnish auxiliary power to a ship. See also my U.S. Pat. No. 7,043,904. In the improved version of this invention a lever is laid near the keel along its whole length. The lever is made to pass through a hole in a bulwarks amid ship. As the hull is made to bend by wave action the lever is made to swing slightly up and down about a fulcrum. On each end of the ship the end of the lever is made to move a piston in a water-filled piston cylinder. A converging diverging nozzle is made to connect the two opposite ends of the piston cylinder, sending water through the throat of the nozzle at high velocity. Within the throat is an axial turbine which is shafted to a generator. Thus wave action is made to produce electric power for a ship. Applied to a building the invention is much the same in structure as on a ship but the lever is secured to a building framework so as the wind sways the building the attached lever is made to force the axial turbine to operate an electric generator. See further the second preferred embodiment of U.S. Pat. No. 7,043,904. 
         [0004]    To provide power at long distances such as from ocean bed to shore further adjustments of structure of the invention are needed. As applied to ocean wave energy there are two pipes of large diameter extended from the sea bed to a low waterline. These pipes are not in the same location and are joined near their bottoms by a converging diverging nozzle. The two large pipes are considered to be reservoirs. In a “T” form a second small pipe is led from the nozzle throat to the shore. At the end of this second pipe is a valve controlling flow into two Bourdon tubes. A third pipe full of water and open to the atmosphere terminates in another valve controlling flow into the same Bourdon tubes. The two Bourdon tubes are made to operate a single generator alternately. The generator is kept at sea level by auxiliary machinery. As the standpipes are not in the same location offshore pressure in each pipe is different and causes low pressure to exist in the pipe to shore. The third pipe, full of water to the level of the wave crests is made to supply high pressure water to the Bourdon tubes alternately with the low pressure from offshore. 
         [0005]    An alternative structure is shown where an axial turbine is placed in the throat of the nozzle offshore and shafted to a sealed generator. Wires transport electrical energy ashore. Since water is made to flow faster in the throat of the converging diverging nozzle the power output of the turbine is more than if it were placed in one of the larger diameter pipes. 
         [0006]    To convert ocean wave energy into electric energy there is shown structure on the sea bottom which looks like the structure described for wind energy conversion only the working fluid is sea water. A pipe is led from the frontside bage on front of the shutters to the rearside bags. From the throat of the converging diverging nozzle as a “T” there is led a third pipe to shore. Ashore there is the same arrangement of pipes, Bourdon tubes and valves as before but the onshore structures are located in a hole as deep as the offshore structures. 
         [0007]    As an alternative there is shown within the throat of the converging diverging nozzle offshore the same axial turbine shafted to a sealed generator outside the pipes and wire to shore as previously mentioned in regard to the wave energy structures. 
         [0008]    The main object of the invention is to increase power output in certain renewable energy machinery. 
         [0009]    The second object of the invention is to reduce the need for expensive gearing. 
         [0010]    Further objects of the invention will become apparent from the study of the following portion of the specification, the claims and the attached drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the invention configured to convert wind energy into electrical energy. 
           [0012]    FIG  1   a  is a perspective view of a bag of the invention showing its connections to other parts of the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the energy conversion machinery of the invention as configured to convert fluid energy impacting a building or a ship into electrical energy. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2   a  is a perspective view of the hull of a ship showing the location of the energy conversion machinery of the invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2   b  is a perspective view of a building showing the location of the energy conversion machinery of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a view of the invention as configured to convert ocean wave energy into electrical energy. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the invention as configured to convert the energy of ocean currents into electrical energy. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4   a  is a view of the invention integrated into U.S. Pat. No. 6,568,181 to better convert the energy of ocean currents into electrical energy. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of alternative energy conversion machinery to convert the energy of ocean waves or currents into electrical energy. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     First Preferred Embodiment 
       [0020]    Turning to  FIG. 1  we see a device to convert wind energy into electrical energy. On a base  1  fixedly attached to the earth there is erected a pole  2  upon which is fixedly attached a box  3  open at either end. My experience shows base  1  and pole  2  must be more strongly built that propeller type wind conversion machines. Mounted in box  3  are pipes  4  serving as pivots for shutters  6  which are operable by gears  22   a,b  and solenoid  21   a,b to turn shutter  6  Through 189 degrees at a time. Upon bar  21   c  is mounted gear rack  22   b  which is made to mesh with pinion gears  22   a  which are mounted on pipes  4 . Mounted on either side of shutters  6  are bags  5 , 5   a . These bags are made of a foldable, non-stretchable material. Each bag is made to open into a separated portion of pipe  4 . The pipe for bag  5  is led into pipe  7  through sliding seal  4   a  and the pipe for a bag  5   a  is led into common pipe  8 . Common pipe  7  is made to divide into pipes  7   a , 7   b . At the division is placed operatively a three-way valve  9   a  operated by a central processing unit  10 . Pipe  7   a  is led into the inlet pipe  7   c  of reaction turbine  12  in housing  11 . Common pipe  8  is made to divide into pipes  8   a , 8   b . At the division is placed three-way valve  9   b  operated also by central processing unit  10 . Pipe  8   a  is led into inlet pipe  7   c  and pipes  7   a  and  8   b  are led into a hole in housing  11 . Pipe  7   c  is made to serve as the axis about which reaction turbine his made to revolve and is supported by thrust bearings  18   a , 18   b . The portion of pipe  7   c  within housing  11  is connected to those portions of pipe  7   c  outside housing  11  by revolvable airtight couplings  20   a,b,c . Pipe  7   c  is closed beyond reaction turbine  12 . Transmission gear  14  is fixedly attached to pipe  7   c  between housing  11  and thrust bearings  18   b . Operatively connected to gear  14  are pinion gears  15  shaft  16  and electric generator  17 . Hinge  59  is made to run the entire length of each shutter  6  along the edge. Plates  60   a,b  form a roof for bags  5 , 5   a  and are fixedly attached to both hinge  59  and bags  5 , 5   a  so as hinge  59  is made to swing one plate is pressed upon a bag and the other plate pulls on the other bag. 
         [0021]    In operation bags  5 , 5   a  are half full of air at ambient air pressure. Bags  5  are made to face the oncoming wind. Impacted by the wind bags  5  are emptied of air which is made to travel down pipes  7 ,  7   b , 7   c  with valves  9   a , 9   c  adjusted to permit this flow, and operate reaction turbine  12  by rushing out the turbine nozzles. The exhaust air is made to travel through pipes  8   c , 8   b , and  8  through valve  9   b  to fill up bags  5   a . Reaction turbine  12  is operatively connected to generator  17  through gears  14 , 15 . When bags  5   a  are filled central processing unit  10  causes all 3-way valves to operate and solenoid  21  to flip over shutters  6  to present bags  5   a  to the wind and another power cycle is begun. 
         [0022]    It will be noted that the cross-sectional area of the turbine nozzles is very much smaller than the cross-sectional area of the shutters  6 . This increases the velocity of the air through the nozzles and the power of the turbine. Box  3  contains the air in such a way as to further increase the power input of the invention. 
       Second Preferred Embodiment 
       [0023]    The invention is applied to produce auxiliary power to operate a large ship. 
         [0024]    In  FIG. 2   a  we see the hull of a ship  30  with a central bulwark  31 . Lever  32  is laid along the keel. On either end of lever  32  is energy conversion machinery of the invention. Turning to  FIG. 2  we see this energy conversion machinery comprises a fulcrum  33 , a joint and an end of lever  32 . Affixed to joint  34  is piston rod  35 , piston  37  surrounded by piston cylinder and converging diverging nozzle  38 , one end of which is made to open through a piston cylinder wall on a first side of piston  37  and the second end made to open through a piston cylinder wall on a second side of piston  37 . Within converging diverging nozzle  38  is an axial turbine  39  operatively connected to an electric generator  17 . 
         [0025]    Piston cylinder  36  and converging diverging nozzle  38  are filled with water. The cross-sectional area of piston  37  is greater than the cross-sectional area of the throat of converging diverging nozzle  38  in which axial turbine  39  is located. In operation, as the ship hull  30  is made to hog due to wave action lever  32  is made to act as central bulwark  31  is made to press upon it. This forces piston  37  into reciprocal motion within piston cylinder  36 . Water through the throat of converging diverging nozzle  38  is made to move faster than water within piston cylinder  36  due to the difference in cross-sectional areas. Thus axial turbine  39  is more able to produce usable power. It is recommended that lever  32  be made rectangular in cross-section. In the case of a ship&#39;s hull slots in various bulwarks will serve as guides for lever  32 . In the case of a building frame (see infra) various floor joists will serve as guides for lever  32 . 
         [0026]    It should be stated that hull  30  is completely made of elastic materials. Naval Architects have succeeded in making hulls as rigid as they can, but this only means that a great deal of force is needed to hog the hull (ie. bend the hull) which always must occur to a small extent, which is all that is needed to operate the invention. 
         [0027]    This invention may also be applied to a building framework so lever  32  is made to be vertical in the building framework as in my U.S. Pat. No. 7.043,904 (Second Preferred Embodiment col. 5 line 60). 
       Third Preferred Embodiment 
       [0028]    Turning to  FIG. 3  we see two standpipes  22   a , 22   b  in the ocean extended from the ocean bottom to a low waterline and open at their tops. At the ocean bottom there is extended a converging diverging nozzle  22   c  joining pipes  22   a , 22   b . Joined also to nozzle  22   c  is pipe  24  extended to shore. The end of pipe  24  is ashore but no part of it may be over 33 ft. above any waterline. 
         [0029]    In  FIG. 4  we see pipe  24  terminated by valve  26  controlling flow into Two Bourdon tubes  27   a,b  through pipes  40 , 41 . Pipe  30  is a way of feeding water into the invention. Second valve  25  controls flow from pipe  30  into the same Bourdon tubes through pipes  31 ,  31   a . Bourdon tube  27   a  is operatively connected to shaft  42  and gear  43 . Bourdon tube  27   b  is operatively connected to shaft  42   a  and gear  43   a . Gears  43   a ,  43  are made to mesh with common gear  43   b  which in its turn is operatively connected to shaft  44  and electrical generator  45 . Clutches are affixed to shafts  42 , 42   a . In operation, standpipes  22   a  and  22   b  are large in diameter and spaced apart. The throat of converging diverging nozzle  22   c  is small in diameter. Wave action will cause the pressure heads in the standpipes to vary in height. this will cause water in the throat of the converging diverging nozzle  22   c  to be moved at high velocity. Thus the pressure in pipe  24  will be decreased. The theoretical limit of this velocity is the velocity of sound in sea water, 5020 ft./sec. The low pressure in pipe  24  is transferred at the speed of sound to either Bourdon tube  27  or  27   a . Higher pressure in Bourdon tubes will cause the tube to flex and extra water supplied through pipe  30  to enter Bourdon tubes  27   a  and  27   b  are made to do work on gears  43 , 43   a  alternately. As a Bourdon tube is made to relax water will be expelled from it and at the time it takes a pressure wave to be moved offshore excess water will be consequently expelled out the tops of standpipes  22   a , 22   b . Central processing unit  28 , through wires  60 , 61  regulate the operation of valves  25 , 26  so as one Bourdon tube is made to acquire energy the other Bourdon tube is made to spend its energy. Energy is acquired by the Bourdon tubes from the pressure head in pipe  30  which in this embodiment may only be as high as the wave crest. Energy is spent by a Bourdon tube in operating the electric generator and simultaneously evacuating water to the offshore structure. Motor  53 , through the agency of shaft  52 , sprocket  51  and gear rack  50  adjust the level of Bourdon tubes  27   a ,  27   b  rested on platform  56  to remain at sea level throughout the operation time for maximum efficiency of operation. 
         [0030]    The user may wish, as is shown in  FIG. 5  to install an axial turbine  46  which is shafted  47  to generator  17  in sealed housing  48 . The axial turbine  46  is located in the throat of converging diverging nozzle  22   c  and transfer energy to shore by wires  17   a . Access for maintenance is through standpipes  22   a , 22   b.    
       Fourth Preferred Embodiment 
       [0031]    This embodiment shows how the invention can convert ocean current energy into electrical energy.  FIG. 4  shows many of the same features as  FIGS. 1 and 3 . Similar functioning parts are numbered the same.  FIG. 4  shows the shutter arrangement as  FIG. 1  but the location is on an ocean bed. As in  FIG. 3  there is shown a converging diverging nozzle  23  with pipe to shore  24 . The machinery shore in  FIG. 4  is located in a hole ashore as deep below the waterline as converging diverging nozzle  23 . 
         [0032]    Ocean current energy is converted as wave energy in this invention. As sea water is about 900 times as dense as air at sea level then potentially there is more energy available, depending on where the invention is located. 
       Fifth Preferred Embodiment 
       [0033]    Here the conversion of ocean current energy is converted into electrical energy in a different way from the Fourth Preferred Embodiment. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,568,181 a venturi tube is used to accelerate ocean current. This accelerated flow is supposed to suck fluid through a second tube extended from the throat of the venturi tube through a turbine on the surface and opening just below the waterline. The water in the second tube is evacuated out the rear of the venturi tube, operating the turbine and associated electric generator. As mentioned supra a venturi tube is inefficient for this purpose, 
         [0034]    Turning to  FIG. 4   a  we see the offshore structure as in  FIG. 4  but instead of pipe  24  connected to Bourdon tubes there is placed within pipe  49  an axial turbine  54  and electric generator  57 , both above the waterline. The turbine inlet is connected to the higher terminal portion of pipe  49  and is ended just below the waterline. there are check valves  58 , 58   a  operatively connected to each bag  5 , 5   a  and which is opened at a predetermined pressure so that water moved down pipe  49  and into either bag  5  or  5   a  is expelled into the ocean. In operation water is moved rapidly enough down pipe  49  and through converging diverging nozzle  22   c  so that enough suction is created to operate turbine  54  and generator  57 . 
         [0035]    From the above description it is apparent that the preferred embodiments achieve the objects of the present invention. Alternative embodiments and various modifications of the depicted embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant arts. These and other alternatives are considered to be equivalent and within the spirit and scope of the present invention.