Patent ID: 8749081

Claim:
A moving fluid energy conversion device for converting mechanical energy contained in a moving fluid, to electrical energy, said energy conversion device wherein the improvement comprises: a. one or more transducers, each transducer comprising one or more pairs of electrodes and one or more polymer spacers with the one or more spacers sandwiched between said one or more pairs of electrodes in a configuration that causes a change in electric field in response to deflection of a portion of said one or more polymer spacers; and b. one or more charge elements designed or configured to transfer electrical energy to said one or more pairs of electrodes when said portion of the spacer is deflected to a first position; and c. one or more recovery elements designed or configured to transfer electrical energy from said one or more pair of electrodes when said portion of the spacer is deflected to a second position; and d. one or more means for impinging said one or more transducers with said moving fluid causing said one or more polymer spacers to stretch from a relaxed state to a stretched state; and e. one or more means for removing said impinging moving fluid from said transducer causing said one or more polymer spaces to relax from said stretched state to said relaxed state; and f. one or more charge exchange means designed or configured to form one or more electrical connections between said one or more charge elements and said one or more pairs of electrodes when said one or more said polymer spacers are deflected to said first position and to form electrical connections between said one or more recovery elements and said two more electrodes when one or more said polymer spaces are deflected to said second position; and g. one or more transducers disposed on a lift based moving fluid turbine in a configuration where said moving fluid impinges said one or more transducers wherein said transducer is in a first position and said moving fluid impingement is prevented on said one or more transducers when said lift based moving fluid turbine is in a second position.