Patent Publication Number: US-2005132700-A1

Title: Converting energy from flowing fluids into electrical energy

Description:
Prior application Ser. No. 10/742,983 filed Dec. 23, 2003 abandoned. This application is a continuation-in-part. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to the conversion of the pressure energy of flowing fluids into electrical energy. In particular the invention relates to the conversion of pressure energy from the wind, subsurface ocean currents into electrical energy and the recovery of some of the energy used to rotate shafts.  
      2. The Prior Art  
      Wind and subsurface ocean currents are fluids possessing mechanical energy. The two relevant components of mechanical energy are pressure energy and kinetic energy. Up to now only some few efforts hve been made to convert the pressure energy of these fluids into electricity. Yet the pressure energy of these two fluids as they naturally occur is far greater than their kinetic energy.  
      Hydroelectric turbine generators are a prime example of devices which convert pressure energy into electrical energy. A pressure head is artificially built up in differentiation with the pressure of the surrounding atmosphere. Theoretical power output is calculated as this pressure difference multiplied by the rate of flow.  
      The relevant technology for converting the pressure energy of the wind into electrical energy is U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,419 to Roskey. Pressure energy is converted to kinetic energy by using a Venturi flume with the kinetic energy compounded with the use of a manifold. The manifold lies outside the Venturi flume so the advantage of using a manifold is also minimized since pipe friction can be very great.  
      For converting the pressure energy of subsurface ocean currents into electricity the U.S. Patent most relevant to this invention is U.S. Pat. No. 6,568,181 B1 to Hassard et al. Here an airflow is drawn through an air turbine ashore through a pipe to an offshore Venturi tube&#39;s throat, as may sometimes be observed with a manometer. The speed of the current as it is accellerated through the throat determines the speed of the airflow. But to avoid large energy losses through the airpipe due to friction a large and expensive pipe is needed.  
      Energy used to rotate shafts is partly recovered by so-called cogeneration schemes by recycling exhausted energy. This involves complicated and expensive equipment.  
      These problems are overcome by the present invention.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      There is first of all a teardrop-shaped object elevated into the wind. The object is oriented so its blunt end is made to face the oncoming current. The object is in two separate portions the division being on a plane through the object&#39;s widest diameter called an anterior dome and a posterior cone. There is sufficient structure to unite the separated parts of the object together. Through the center of the anterior dome shped portion is a hole and by this hole is a tube leading to an apparatus elsewhere. As wind flows past this teardrop shaped object wind tends to be drawn through this hole at high velocity and out between the rims of the anterior and posterior portions of the object at the prevailing current velocity due to the lifting force.  
      This object is a form of a diverging nozzle arranged to reduce pressure in the tube to make an energy sink. The energy used to make the sink is converted into electrical energy by a Bourdon tube geared to operate an electric generator. The object is modified for use of subsurface ocean currents as a working fluid by making the posterior portion like the anterior portion. The invention need need not be revolved to face an oppositely flowing current and has no moving parts below the waterline. Ashore the tube is made to conduct pressure away from a Bourdon tube so as to operate a Bourdon tube. The Bourdon tube is placed at the same depth as the diverging nozzle offshore to maximize pressure differences.  
      The invention is also used to recover energy used to revolve discs mounted on shafts such as turbines, gears, pumps and fans. If a tube is led from one of these devices through the shaft then as the disc is made to turn air will be drawn through the tube and this flow can be used to drive a secondary turbine.  
      The first object of this invention is to overcome the stated problems of the prior art.  
      The second object is to provide inexpensive and effective electric power from wind and subsurface ocean currents.  
      The third object of the invention is to provide a mechanism to recover energy needed to rotate a shaft by using the lifting force near the rim of a wheel mounted on the shaft.  
      The attainment of the foregoing and related objects, features and advantages should be more readily apparent to those skilled in the relevant arts after a review of the following more detailed description of the invention, taken together with the drawings in which: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a side view of the diverging nozzle partly cut away,  
       FIG. 1   a  is a cross-sectional view of the diverging nozzle as used to convert the energy of subsurface ocean currents into electricity  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing how the invention is applied to convert ocean current energy into electrical energy, with references to other Figures,  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing how the invention is applied to convert wind energy into electrical energy, with references to other Figures,  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing how the present invention converts wind energy into electrical energy using a Bourdon tube.  
       FIG. 5  shows a perspective view without supporting structure of how the invention converts ocean current energy into electrical energy using pistons and a Bourdon tube.  
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view without supporting structure showing how energy used to rotate a shaft may be partly recovered by using this invention to operate a secondary turbine. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     First Preferred Embodiment  
      Turning to  FIG. 1  there is shown a cut-away section of a hollow dome  1  fixed to a hollow cone  2  by intermittent spacers  5  making space  4 . There is shown hole  6  and a tube  7  whose open end lies near hole  6 . A second hollow dome  3  is affixed to hollow dome  1  at its rim.  
      In operation, as working fluid, which is wind, passes around the teardrop shape  1 , 2  this working fluid is pulled through hole  6  and out space  4  with dome  3  serving as a further guide to the working fluid.  
      In  FIG. 3  we see the apparatus of  FIG. 1  mounted on base  16 , tube  15  and telescoped tube  14 . Thrust bearings  19   a,b  allow the apparatus to be rotated according to wind direction by rudder  13 .  
       FIG. 4  shows how varying pressure in tube  7  may be converted into electrical energy. Valve  36  is a three way valve admitting either reduced pressure from hole  6  or atmospheric pressure from tube  21  which is open to the atmosphere. Mounted on supports  19 , 20  are three shafts,  32 , 33 , 34 . On shaft  32  are mounted spur gear  30  which is made to mesh with gear  31  on shaft  33  and gear  25  meshing with pinion gear  23  on shaft  34 . Also on shaft  33  is mounted gear  24  which is also made to mesh with gear  23 . Ratchet  27  is mounted with gear  25  and ratchet  28  is mounted with gear  24 . Pawl  26  is made to engage ratchet  27  in one direction and pawl  29  is made to engage ratchet  28  in the opposite direction. Shaft  33  is the driveshaft which is made to drive generator  35 . Twist-type Bourdon tube is affixed to support  19  and a face of gear  23 .  
      In operation as Bourdon tube  22  is pressurized and depressurized gear  23  is made to be rotated in one direction or the other. Due to the arrangement of gears  23 , 24 , 25 , 30 , 31  and ratchets  27 , 28  and pawls  26 , 29  driveshaft  33  will always be made to drive generator  35  in one direction.  
     Second Preferred Embodiment  
      In  FIG. 1   a  there is shown how to apply the apparatus of  FIG. 1  to convert the energy of subsurface ocean energy to electrical energy ashore. Support  9  supports the apparatus of  FIG. 1   a  on the bottom of the ocean so holes  6 , 6   a  are made to face an oncoming current which may change direction 180 degrees. Pressure energy in pipe  7  is correspondingly reduced at the end of pipe  7  at the bottom of excavation  12  when 3-way valve  36  is opened. Pipe  7   a  is led to near hole  6   a  for use when the current reverses direction. Valve  37  is made to alternately open and close pipes  7 , 7   a  according to the prevailing direction of the current.  
      In  FIG. 5  we see an alternative way to convert varying pressure in tube  7  into electricity as the invention is applied to the conversion of the energy of subsurface ocean currents. Tube  7  is led into an onshore excavation  12  and is made to end horizontally as a Bourdon tube  22 . Three way valve  36  is revolved and pressure from tube  21  alternates with the lower pressure in tube  7 . This operates rack  39  and piston  10 . U-tube  41  is full of water. Piston  38  operates the racks of mechanical converter  40  as described in U.S. Pat. No. 25,550 thus operating generator  35  in a single direction. At this point it should be pointed out that the structure of  FIG. 4  is parallel to the structure disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 25,550 in that there will be output regardless of the pressure difference involved. A cam needs a minimum pressure difference to operate. To continue, in  FIG. 5  we see one leg of U-tube  41  is longer than the other. This is to counterweight piston  38  and structure  40  with the water in the higher leg.  
     Third Preferred Embodiment  
      Turning to  FIG. 6  we see a wheel and axle device as a disc  11  mounted on shaft  15 . Tube  17  is located radially within disc  11  with openings near the rim. Tube  17  is bent at disc  11  axis and laid through the axis of shaft  15  which is operatedly connected to turbine  42 , shaft  43  and generator  35 . Rotateable seal  46  is mounted on tube  17  so only a portion of tube  17  revolves with disc  11 .  
      In operation as disc  11 , possibly a waterwheel, vehicle tire, or a gear is made to rotate then air is thrown out of tube  17  through openings  17 , a - g.  which each are of the same diameter as tube  17 . These openings are near disc  11  rim. This is accomplished by inertia and a lifting force on the air in tube  17 . The lowered pressure in tube  17  provides an energy sink to operate turbine  42  and electric generator  35 .  
      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.