Patent Publication Number: US-2022228573-A1

Title: Energy conversion apparatus

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an energy conversion apparatus using a pressure difference. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     A vacuum state or vacuum-like state (low vacuum) and a pneumatic state or compressed pneumatic state opposite thereto may be used as a means capable of generate kinetic energy and electrical power energy. That is, if a vacuum is artificially generated on one side and a high-pressure state is formed on the other side with a piston in a cylinder interposed therebetween, the reciprocating motion of the piston may be induced due to a pressure difference therebetween, and electric power is generated using this reciprocating motion. 
     As a similar invention to the prior art, there is Korean Patent Registration No. 0304863 “Energy storage and conversion apparatus” that generates hydraulic pressure through pneumatic pressure and stores and converts energy into the generated hydraulic pressure and pneumatic pressure. Korean Patent Registration No. 0304863 relates to a technology for generating hydraulic pressure by a hydraulic pressure converter using a compressed air tank and generating energy suitable for use by operating a pneumatic pressure using means and a hydraulic pressure using means. 
     However, the conventional inventions are focused on pneumatic/hydraulic pressure conversion using stored compressed air, but there is disclosed no configuration for maximizing a pressure difference generating a piston reciprocating motion or no efficient method for forming a pressure difference. 
     Therefore, there is a need for research on an energy conversion apparatus capable of easily configuring a pneumatic difference while configuring the reciprocating motion of the piston to be interlocked. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention has been derived based on the above necessity, and a first object of the present invention is to provide an energy conversion apparatus capable of generating and converting kinetic energy by bisecting a pressure space of a cylinder into a vacuum state and a pneumatic state to form alternately a pressure difference. 
     A second object of the present invention is to provide an energy conversion apparatus capable of efficiently forming a pressure difference in a bisected pressure space of a cylinder by inserting bellows into a bulky cylinder to occupy a volume. 
     A third object of the present invention is to provide an energy conversion apparatus capable of efficiently forming a vacuum in a cylinder space by inserting a pair of bellows into each of bisected spaces of a bulky cylinder so that compression of one bellows and expansion of the other bellows are interlocked with each other. 
     A fourth object of the present invention is to provide an energy conversion apparatus capable of generating a vacuum state by placing a pressing part on a pair of bellows inserted into bisected spaces of a cylinder. 
     An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides an energy conversion apparatus including an energy conversion module including a piston, a piston rod provided on one side of the center of the piston, a cylinder divided into a first pressure space and a second pressure space to be relatively varied with the piston interposed therebetween, and an external air opening/closing part selectively opening and closing the external air to the first pressure space and the second pressure space, respectively; a first bellows containing a fluid therein and provided in the first pressure space to be compressed and expanded; a second bellows containing a fluid therein and provided in the second pressure space to be compressed and expanded; a fluid movement pipe which is positioned outside the cylinder and connects the first bellows and the second bellows to each other to form a closed space, and through which the fluid accommodated therein moves by pressure; a first bellows pressing part for pressing one side of the first bellows; second bellows pressing part for pressing one side of the second bellows; a first motor transmitting a driving force to the first bellows pressing part; and a second motor transmitting a driving force to the second bellows pressing part. 
     The first bellows and the second bellows may be mounted inside both ends of the cylinder, respectively, have a hollow formed in an axial direction of the piston rod, and may be formed as a fluid accommodating part having elasticity. 
     In each of the first bellows and the second bellows, barriers may be formed so that two or more compartments are formed therein, and a fluid movement hole may be formed in the barrier. 
     The first bellows pressing part may include a first tension rod which is mounted to slide along an outer circumferential surface of the piston rod in the first pressure space and transmits the tension for pressing and a first pressure plate formed by bending at an end toward the piston of the first tension rod and pressing and compressing the first bellows in an axial direction of the piston rod. 
     The second bellows pressing part may include a second tension rod which is disposed in the axial direction of the piston rod in the second pressure space and transmits the tension for pressing and a second pressure plate formed by bending at an end toward the piston of the second tension rod and pressing the second bellows in the axial direction of the piston rod. 
     The energy conversion apparatus may further include a cylinder tank configured to accommodate the energy conversion module therein, and accommodate the external air as compressed air. 
     According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, since the pressure space of the cylinder is bisected into a vacuum state and a pneumatic state to alternately form a pressure difference, it is possible to generate the kinetic energy of the piston and convert the kinetic energy into other necessary energy. 
     In addition, in the energy conversion apparatus, since bellows are inserted into a bulky cylinder to occupy a volume, it is possible to efficiently form a pressure difference between bisected pressure spaces of the cylinder. 
     In addition, it is possible to efficiently form a vacuum in a cylinder space by inserting a pair of bellows into each of bisected spaces of a bulky cylinder so that compression of one bellows and expansion of the other bellows are interlocked with each other. 
     Meanwhile, it is possible to generate a vacuum state without a vacuum pump by placing a pressing part on a pair of bellows inserted in bisected spaces of the cylinder. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a structural diagram schematically illustrating a cross-sectional structure of an exemplary embodiment of an energy conversion apparatus according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cross section of bellows A of a configuration of an exemplary embodiment of an energy conversion apparatus of the present invention, 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating an operation state in one direction of an exemplary embodiment of an energy conversion apparatus of the present invention, and 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram illustrating an operation state in the other direction of an exemplary embodiment of an energy conversion apparatus of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and the contents disclosed in the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited or restricted to the exemplary embodiments. 
     Various modifications may be made to example exemplary embodiments to be described below. Example exemplary embodiments to be described below are not intended to be limited to aspects and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes thereof. 
     Meanwhile, in describing the present invention, detailed description of associated known function or constitutions will be omitted if it is determined that they unnecessarily make the gist of the present invention unclear. Terminologies used herein are a terminologies used to properly express exemplary embodiments of the present invention, which may vary according to a user, an operator&#39;s intention, or customs in the art to which the present invention pertains. Accordingly, definitions of the terminologies need to be described based on contents throughout this specification. 
     In addition, in the description with reference to the accompanying drawings, like components regardless of reference numerals designate like reference numerals and a duplicated description thereof will be omitted. In describing the example exemplary embodiments, a detailed description of related known technologies will be omitted if it is determined that they unnecessarily make the gist of the example exemplary embodiments unclear. 
     Energy Conversion Apparatus 
     In an exemplary embodiment of an energy conversion apparatus of the present invention, a cylinder pressure space in a vacuum state (a low vacuum state of 10 to 3 Torr or more) and a pneumatic state equal to atmospheric pressure or a compressed pneumatic state in which compressed air is filled are generated to implement a reciprocating motion of a piston disposed therebetween and generate kinetic energy according to a pressure difference and generate electric power energy using the same. 
       FIG. 1  is a structural diagram schematically illustrating a cross-sectional structure of an exemplary embodiment of an energy conversion apparatus according to the present invention and  FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cross section of bellows A of a configuration of an exemplary embodiment of an energy conversion apparatus of the present invention. Hereinafter, a configuration of the exemplary embodiment will be described in detail with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the exemplary embodiment is configured to include an energy conversion module  10  including a piston  100 , a piston rod  110 , a cylinder  120 , and an external air opening/closing part  130 , first and second bellows  20  and  30 , a fluid movement pipe  40 , first and second bellows pressing parts  50  and  60 , and first and second motors  70  and  80 . The exemplary embodiment may further include a tank  90  for accommodating the external air as compressed air in addition to the above-described configurations. Hereinafter, the configurations of the exemplary embodiment will be described in detail with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     The energy conversion module  10  may be configured to include a piston  100  reciprocates by a pressure difference, a piston rod  110  receiving a force from the piston  100  to transmit the force to a required energy generation means such as a generator G and the like, a cylinder  12  divided into a first pressure space  122  and a second pressure space  124  to be relatively varied with the piston  100  interposed therebetween, and an external air opening/closing part  130  selectively opening and closing the external air to the first pressure space  122  and the second pressure space  124 , respectively. 
     Here, when the first external air opening/closing part  130  is closed in the first pressure space  122  in a vacuum state and a second external air opening/closing part  132  connected to the second pressure space  124  is opened, while the piston  100  moves to the first pressure space  122 , kinetic energy is generated according to a pressure difference. 
     When the piston rod  110  moves in one direction, a vacuum pump (not illustrated) is connected through the first external air opening/closing part  130  to form a vacuum state in the first pressure space  122 , and the second external air opening/closing part  132  is opened to form an atmospheric state in the second pressure space  124 . Thereafter, when the piston rod  110  moves to an opposite direction, the vacuum pump (not illustrated) is connected through the second external air opening/closing part  132  to form a vacuum state in the second pressure space  124  and the first external air opening/closing part  130  is opened to form an atmospheric state in the first pressure space  122 , thereby forming repeatedly and alternately a pressure difference in the bisected pressure spaces  122  and  124  of the cylinder  120 . 
     However, when the compressed air is filled in the cylinder tank  90  and the external air is used as compressed air, the first and second external air opening/closing parts  130  and  132  are not opened and closed between the atmospheric pressures, but opened and closed inside the cylinder tank  90 , thereby more strongly inducing the reciprocating motion of the piston  100 . 
     If a vacuum state is completely formed in the first and second pressure spaces  122  and  124 , the overload, capacity and power problems of the vacuum pump may occur, so that it is preferred that the first and second bellows  20  and  30  are provided in the first and second pressure spaces  122  and  124  to form a vacuum state. 
     The first and second bellows  20  and  30  contain a fluid therein and are provided in the first pressure space  122  and the second pressure space  124 , respectively, to be compressed and expanded. In addition, the first bellows  20  and the second bellows  30  are mounted inside both ends of the cylinder  12 , respectively, have a hollow formed in an axial direction of the piston rod  110 , and are formed as a fluid accommodating part having elasticity. 
     Here, in the first bellows  20 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , hollow tube-shaped compartments  210 ,  211 ,  212 ,  213 , and  214  are partitioned by barriers  220 ,  221 ,  222 , and  223 , and the compartments  210 ,  211 ,  212 ,  213 , and  214  may be connected to each other through fluid movement holes  230 ,  231 ,  232 ,  233 , and  234  so that the fluid accommodated therein may move. In addition, the second bellows  30  may also be formed in the same shape as the first bellows  20 . 
     However, the shapes of the first and second bellows  20  and  30  of the exemplary embodiment are illustrative, and the first and second bellows  20  and  30  may be configured in a spirally stacked form using a hollow and long single body. In this case, the fluid movement hole corresponds to the cross-sectional area of the single body, thereby more easily implementing the movement of the internal fluid. 
     The first bellows  20  and the second bellows  30  are connected each other to form a closed space and a fluid movement pipe  40  is positioned outside the cylinder  120  to move the fluid accommodated therein by pressure. The fluid accommodated therein is not limited to a single type, but oil or water may be used. 
     The first and second bellows pressing parts  50  and  60  serve to press one side of the first and second bellows  20  and  30 , respectively, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The first and second bellows pressing parts  50  and  60  receive a driving force from first and second motors  70  and  80 , respectively. As such a motor, a low-speed motor such as a geared motor may be used. 
     In addition, the first bellows pressing part  50  may include a first tension rod  510  which is mounted to slide along an outer circumferential surface of the piston rod  110  in the first pressure space and transmits the tension for pressing and a first pressure plate  520  formed by bending at an end toward the piston  100  of the first tension rod  510  and pressing and compressing the first bellows  20  in an axial direction of the piston rod  110 . In addition, the second bellows pressing part  60  may include a second tension rod  610  which is disposed in the axial direction of the piston rod  110  in the second pressure space and transmits the tension for pressing and a second pressure plate  620  formed by bending at an end toward the piston  100  of the second tension rod  610  and pressing the second bellows  30  in the axial direction of the piston rod  110 . 
     As a modification, although not illustrated, in addition to the first and second bellows  20  and  30 , a third bellows may be interposed in the fluid movement pipe  40 . Since the fluid movement from one bellows may be moved to the opposite bellows after accommodated in the third bellows, alternating compression and expansion of the first and second bellows  20  and  30  are performed at intervals to make it possible to larger form the first and second bellows  20  and  30 . 
     Compression and Expansion of Bellows 
     The first and second bellows pressing parts  50  and  60  are alternately operated and an operating state will be described with reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 .  FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating an operation state in one direction of an exemplary embodiment of an energy conversion apparatus of the present invention, and  FIG. 4  is a diagram illustrating an operation state in the other direction of an exemplary embodiment of an energy conversion apparatus of the present invention. 
     In the alternating operation of the first and second bellows pressing parts  50  and  60 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , when the first bellows pressing part  50  presses and compresses the first bellows  20  while the first external air opening/closing part  130  is closed and the second external air opening/closing part  132  is opened, the piston  100  moves toward the first pressure space  122  in a vacuum state, and the fluid accommodated in the first bellows  20  is accommodated in the second bellows  30  through the fluid movement pipe  40 . 
     On the contrary, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , when the second bellows pressing part  60  presses and compresses the second bellows  30  while the second external air opening/closing part  132  is closed and the first external air opening/closing part  130  is opened, the piston  100  moves toward the second pressure space  124  in the vacuum state, and the fluid accommodated in the second bellows  30  is accommodated in the first bellows  20  through the fluid movement pipe  40 . 
     The alternating compression and expansion of the first and second bellows  20  and  30  at the same time as the alternating opening and closing of the first and second external air opening/closing part  130  and  132  enables the alternating formation of the first and second pressing spaces  122  and  124  in the vacuum state and the external air state, thereby inducing the reciprocating motion of the piston  100  and allowing a generator G to be used for producing required energy. Here, the alternating compression and expansion of the first and second bellows  20  and  30  may be used independently without a vacuum pump (not illustrated), but may also be operated in conjunction with the formation of the vacuum state of the vacuum pump through the first and second external air opening/closing parts  130  and  132 . 
     Hereinabove, the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described with the accompanying drawings, but it can be understood by those skilled in the art that technical configurations of the present invention can be executed in other detailed forms without changing the technical spirit or requisite features of the present invention. Therefore, it should be appreciated that the aforementioned exemplary embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and are not restricted. In addition, the scope of the present invention is indicated by the appended claims to be described below rather than the detailed description above. Further, it is to be understood that all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the appended claims and equivalent concepts thereof are included in the scope of the present invention. 
     EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS AND SYMBOLS 
     G: Generator 
       10 : Energy conversion module 
       100 : Piston 
       110 : Piston rod 
       120 : Cylinder 
       122 : First pressure space 
       124 : Second pressure space 
       130 ,  132 : External air opening/closing parts 
       20 : First bellows 
       210 ,  211 ,  212 ,  213 ,  214 : Bellows compartment 
       220 ,  221 ,  222 ,  223 : Bellows barrier 
       230 ,  231 ,  232 ,  233 : Bellows fluid movement hole 
       30 : Second bellows 
       40 : Fluid movement pipe 
       50 : First bellows pressing part 
       510 : First tension rod 
       520 : First pressing plate 
       60 : Second bellows pressing part 
       610 : Second tension rod 
       620 : Second pressing plate 
       70 : First motor 
       80 : Second motor 
       90 : Cylinder tank 
       910 : Pressure air input pipe