FR2864841A1 - Compressed air producing device for generating electricity, has pistons moving inside bodies of pressure sensor and pump without rubbing bodies, so that pistons react to pressure variations exerted by water at same speed - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has pistons (16, 17) moving inside bodies of a pressure sensor (1) and a pump (2) without rubbing bodies, so that pistons react to pressure variations exerted by water filled in a front chamber (61) of the sensor at same speed. The pistons return to a starting position due to constant air pressure in a rear chamber (62), when water pressure is minimal. The air is compressed in a front chamber of pump.

Description

2864841 1

  The invention which is described relates to a device for producing compressed air using the pressure variations generated by the swell.

  When a wave passes over a given point, the pressure at that point increases and then decreases. This pressure variation only lasts a few seconds. Any mechanism to exploit this source of energy must react at the same speed. Those that currently exist and that use a piston to compress a fluid, have a reaction time limited mainly by friction forces. The object of this patent is a device designed so that each piston opposes the lowest possible resistance to the movements imposed on it by successive variations of pressure.

  The invention is composed of two parts: the pressure sensor and the pump. Each of them consists of a body, a hollow element delimiting an interior space called a chamber and in which a piston moves. It is connected to the body by one or more moving joints.

  The bodies of the pump and the sensor consist of several elements.

    The envelope is a hollow cylinder. In that of the pump is fitted a shorter element having the shape of a hollow cylinder, the jacket, of outer diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of the casing. At each end of the sensor casing and one for the pump, is a set of three rings, a fixed framed two movable. The definition of these terms is indicated below. In the case of the pump these rings are in the extension of the shirt. Each set of rings is set back from the end of the envelope. A pipe is sealed in a hole drilled in the thickness of the sensor body, between the two sets of rings, and opens into the chamber. This pipe does not cross the inner surface of the body.

  The pistons consist of a hollow cylinder, the body, in which are nested on the one hand, two fixed rings separated by a space and on the other hand, a front disc and a rear disc. The front disc is introduced through one end of the piston body, the rear disc by the opposite end. Each disk abuts against the edge of one of the rings and locks against the inner wall of the piston body. The rear disc is pierced with several orifices, one of which is in the center. When it moves, each piston does not touch any of the elements of the sensor body or the pump. The front and rear discs are respectively at the front and rear of the piston and recessed relative to the ends of the piston body. The inner face of the discs is that directed towards the inside of the piston. In the case of the sensor, a hollow cylinder is fixed by one of its ends on the outer face of the front disc. At its other end is fixed a plate pierced with an orifice traversed by a rigid rod, the guide rod. This is fixed at one end, in the center of the outer face of the front disc. At the other end it is traversed perpendicularly to its axis by a smaller diameter rod. The two pistons are connected by a rigid rod, the connecting rod, each end passes through the rear disc through the central opening and is fixed in the center of the inner face of the front disc. The connecting rod and the guide rod are aligned.

  Removable rings are made to be installed or removed at will, unlike fixed ones. Each ring has a slot such that when the edges of each side are facing each other, they bear against each other to press the ring against the inner wall of the cylinder in which it is placed. When the edges are no longer facing each other, the diameter of the ring can be reduced thanks to its partial flexibility.

  The sensor and the pump are placed in the extension of one another. At each of their ends is a rigid plate. The separating plate interposed between them, is pierced with an orifice in which is fitted a tube called guide tube and in which passes the connecting rod. On the opposite side, the sensor side, the bumper plate and pump side, the valve plate that controls the air supply and the evacuation of the compressed air. The side of the body of the pump which is devoid of ring is facing the separating plate. The bumper plate is pierced with several orifices: one in which slides the guide rod of the piston of the sensor, surrounded by several others. The rear of the sensor and that of the pump correspond to the sides facing the separator plate, the opposite sides being the front. The front of the pistons is oriented, as the case may be, towards the front of the sensor or the pump.

  Each mobile joint is a flexible element, impermeable to air and water, non-elastic. It has the shape of a hollow cylinder of outside diameter at least equal to the inside diameter of the envelope in which it is housed. At one of its ends, the front seal of the sensor is fixed at the front and on the internal face of the envelope of the latter, then it lines the internal face, rolls up towards the interior of the chamber at the level of the folding area, lines the outside of the piston body in the direction of the front and rolls up the end of it inwards. At any time the folding zone is located in the space between the piston and the body of the sensor or the pump, and between the ends of the piston body. The description is identical for the front seal of the pump except that the seal lines the inner face of the jacket. The description of the rear seal of the sensor corresponds to that of the front seal except that it is attached to the rear of the piston body and to the rear of the sensor housing.

  To fix it to the body of the sensor or the pump, each mobile joint is clamped between the casing and a first removable ring, passes on the inner face of the fixed ring just next, is pinched again between the envelope and a second removable ring, then rolls up towards the inside of the room. A material is poured in the liquid state or in the form of gel or paste against the edge of the second ring, covered by the movable seal. It solidifies, adheres to the inner face of the casing and the movable seal to form a seal. The 2864841 3 attachment of the seal by the other end is performed by pinching between a removable ring and the inner face of the piston body. When this ring is in place, a space separates it from the disc that is next to it. The end of the mobile seal exceeds the level of the ring, opens into this space but does not touch the disc. A material is poured in the liquid state or in the form of gel or paste on the inner face of the piston body, between the ring and the disc, over the entire periphery of the piston. It solidifies, encompasses in its mass the end of the seal, adheres to the piston body as well as to the entire periphery of the outer face of the disc and forms a seal.

  The sensor chamber and the pump chamber are divided into several parts. Each rear chamber is turned towards the separator plate, the front chamber towards the valve plate in the case of the pump and towards the bumper plate in the case of the sensor, and an intermediate chamber between the front and rear seals of the sensor. . There is no physical contact between these joints. The rear chamber of the sensor and that of the pump communicate with the outside by separate channels pierced in the thickness of the separating plate.

  In the rear chamber of the sensor, a ring is fixed on the connecting rod, near the piston, and surrounds it. Another is attached to the guide tube and surrounds it without touching the separator plate. A sheath, flexible element and impervious to air and water, envelops a portion of the connecting rod, a portion of the guide tube and their respective rings. It is fixed on the connection rod by two son, one on each side of the ring, wound several times around the sheath and knotted at their ends. A material is poured in the liquid state or in the form of a gel or paste on the end of the sheath, which extends beyond the area surrounded by the wire. This material solidifies, encompasses the end of the sheath, adheres to the shaft and forms a seal. The same device is applied to make a seal between the sheath and the guide tube.

  The material used for all seals, for example can be liquid after heating and solidify under cooling.

  Figures 1 and 2 are longitudinal sections along a plane passing through both the axis of symmetry of the cylinder (11) and that of the cylinder (12). It represents the sensor for FIG. 1 and the pump for FIG. 2, when each piston has reached the limit of its displacement towards the separation plate (3).

  Figures 3 and 4 are simplified representations of longitudinal sections of the entire device in a plane passing through both the axis of symmetry of the cylinder (11) and that of the cylinder (12). Each figure represents the pistons after having reached the maximum limit of their displacement in the direction of the compression of the air by the pump for FIG. 4 and in that of the air intake for FIG.

  Figure 5 shows a longitudinal section of the attachment of the connecting rod (37) on the front disk (21) of the pump in a plane passing through the axis of the rod.

  The invention consists of several elements. A pressure sensor (1), a pump (2), the separator plate (3), the bumper plate (4), the valve plate (5). Threaded rods (9) pass through all the plates. The nuts (10) screwed at each end keep all the elements assembled rigidly and flat seals (6) seal between the sensor or the pump and the different plates.

  The sensor (1) and the pump (2) comprise a hollow cylinder (11) or (12), the envelope. An element (14) in the form of a hollow cylinder, the liner, is fitted into the cylinder (12). In the case of the sensor, a tube (15) is driven into a hole drilled in the thickness of the envelope and between the rings (47). The piston of the pump (16) and that of the sensor (17) consist of a hollow cylinder (18) or (19), the piston body. At each end is a disk. The front disc (20) or (21), and the rear disc (22) or (23), abut on the edge of a fixed ring (24) or (25). The rear disc is pierced with a central hole surrounded by peripheral holes (27). The cylinders (18) and (19) may be of different diameters. Similarly for the cylinders (11) and (12). The two pistons are connected by a tubular rod (37), the connecting rod, the channel of which is hermetically sealed by a plug (29). At each piston, it passes through the disc (22) or (23) through the central hole, the diameter of which is approximately equal to that of the outside of the rod (37), and penetrates at its end into a hole dug in the center of the inner face (30) or (31), the disc (20) or (21). This hole does not go through the entire thickness of the disc. A rod (32) engaged in a rectilinear channel (33), pierced in the thickness of each disk, parallel to its surface and passing through its central axis, passes through the rod (37) to fix it to the disk. A cylindrical ring (34) is attached to the rod (37) near the sensor piston. On the outer face of the disc (20) is fixed a hollow cylinder (35), on which is fixed a disc (36) pierced with an orifice through which a tubular rod (28), the guide rod. This is crossed at one end by another rod (38). The other end of the rod is attached to the disc (20) by the same device used with the rod (37) except that the channel (33) is sealed at each end. The housings of the two rods in the disk (20) do not communicate.

  The separating plate (3) is pierced by a cylindrical orifice in which is fitted a tube (40), the guide tube. It is surrounded by a cylindrical ring (41). The rod (37) passes into the tube (40) of inner diameter slightly greater than the outer diameter of the rod. The bumper plate (4) is pierced with three orifices: a central and two lateral (26). Each lateral hole has a curved edge, which follows the outline of a circle of diameter equal to the internal diameter of the cylinder (11), and another rectilinear parallel and of length less than the diameter of the circle.

  2864841 5 The straight edges of the two holes are parallel. The central orifice is cylindrical, of diameter slightly greater than the outer diameter of the rod (28) and less than the distance separating the straight edges. Its center is confused with that of the circle.

  Each mobile seal is made of a thin sheet like a membrane, plastic material, folded in half and welded along a line parallel to the fold to form a hollow cylinder. The constitution and the method of manufacture of the sheath (42) are identical to those of the joints. The front (43) and rear (44) movable joints of the sensor partly cover the inside of the cylinder (11). The front seal (45) of the pump partly covers the inside of the cylinder (14). Each seal rolls up at the folding area (46), covers a portion of the pistons (16) or (17), and rolls up inside thereof. At one end, each seal is clamped between a first ring (47) or (48) and the cylinder (11) or (12), passes on the inner face of the ring (49) or (50), is again pinched between a ring (51) or (52) and the cylinder (11) or (12), before bending inwardly of the chamber. At the other end each seal is pinched between the ring (53) or (54) and the inside of the cylinder (18) or (19).

  Each ring (24), (25), (47), (48), (49), (50), (51), (52), (53) or (54) is cut in a hollow cylinder and split. According to a variant of the invention, each ring may be a cut element in a partially flexible sheet, for example plastic material such as polystyrene or polyvinyl chloride, capable when it is introduced into a hollow cylinder to conform to the shape of the inner wall. The slot (55) is then materialized by the approximation of the edges. The rings (47), (48), (51), (52), (53) and (54) are removable and pierced with a hole, on one side of the slot (55), through which a wire passes. knotted at its ends to form a loop (56). It allows, by pulling on it, to remove them. The rings (24), (25), (49) and (50) are fixed and without a loop. Melted paraffin is poured, on the one hand on the edge of the rings (51) and (52) covered by a mobile joint, on the other hand in the space between the rings (53) or (54) and the disc just next to them (20) (21) or (22), to make the seals (57) and (58).

  The sheath (42), whose internal diameter is at least equal to the outer diameter of the ring (41), encloses a portion of the rod (37), the rings (34) and (41) and a portion of the tube (40). ). It is fixed at each end by two son (59), one on each side of the ring (34) or (41), wound several times around the sheath and knotted at their ends. Each seal (60), obtained by pouring melted paraffin, covers on one side one end of the sheath and the other a portion of the rod (37) or the tube (40).

  The interior space of the sensor is divided into three. The front chamber (61) is filled with water through the orifices (26) of the plate (4). The pressure varies according to the passage of the waves. The rear chamber (62) is filled with constant pressure air. The intermediate chamber (63) also contains constant pressure air always lower than that of the chambers (61) and (62), and controlled by the tube (15). The inner space of the pump is divided in two. The rear chamber (65) contains air whose constant pressure is always lower than that of the front chamber (64) also filled with air. Suitable devices which are not the subject of the patent, regulate the pressure in the chamber (63) by the tube (15), in the chamber (62) by the channels (66) and in the chamber (65) by the channels (67). These channels are drilled in the thickness of the plate (3).

  When everything is assembled, the axes of symmetry of the rolls (11) and (12), and that of the tube (40) are aligned and pass through the center of the central orifice of the plate (4).

  Under the effect of the increase of the pressure following the elevation of the height of water, the piston of the sensor moves towards the plate (3) driving that of the pump, which compresses the air of the chamber ( 64) which is evacuated by the valve (68). That (69) which controls the air supply is then closed. When the height of the water decreases, the pressure in the chamber (62), aided by the pressure difference between the chambers (64) and (65), moves the pistons in the opposite direction. Air is then sucked by the valve (69), the other (68) being closed. This movement is guided by the passage of the rod (37) in the tube (40) and that of the rod (28) in the central hole of the plate (4). It is limited in its amplitude by the rod (38) and the disc (36) which abut on the plate (4). The sheath (42) follows the movement by preventing any exchange of air between the chambers (62) and (65). Each movable joint retains the shape imposed on it by the pressure difference between the chambers which it separates, during all the movement of the pistons. According to the direction of this displacement, for each seal the membrane moves away from the jacket (14) or the casing (11) at the folding zone (46) and comes into contact with the piston or vice versa. The folding zone (46) is always engaged in the space between each piston and the body in which it is housed, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

  Thanks to this system, the friction forces are very low and allow all the two pistons to react quickly to pressure variations.

  The device, designed to float, is held under water and close to the surface by cables attached to a base placed on the seabed. These maintain it so that the axes of symmetry of the cylinders (11) and (12) are approximately vertical. The energy produced in the form of compressed air can be used to produce electricity.

Claims (2)

7 CLAIMS,   1) A device that uses the pressure variations generated by the swell to produce compressed air characterized by a hollow cylinder (11), by two sets of three rings (47) (49) and (51) each nested within the cylinder (11), at a different end and for fixing the movable joints (43) and (44), by a pipe (15) driven into a hole pierced in the wall of the cylinder (11) and between the rings (47) by a movable seal (43) attached to the front of the piston (17) and to the front of the cylinder (11) by another movable seal (44) attached to the rear of the cylinder (11) and to the rear of the piston (17), by a hollow cylinder (12) in which is fitted a shorter hollow cylinder-shaped element (14) extended at the front by a set of three rings (48) (50) and ( 52) for fixing the movable seal (45) at one end, the other being attached to the front of the piston (16) which is connected to the piston (17) by a rod (37) partially wrapped e of a sheath (42) fixed on this rod near the piston (17).   2) A device according to claim 1 consisting of a piston (16) characterized by a disc (23) pierced with several holes, one in the center and another disc (21), these discs being locked by rubbing against the wall internal of the hollow cylinder (19) in which they are nested from a different end, each disc abutting against the edge of one of the two rings (25) nested in the cylinder (19).   3) A device according to the preceding claims, consisting of a piston (17) characterized on the one hand by a disk (20) on the outer face of which is fixed a system for limiting the amplitude of the movement of the pistons (16). ) and (17), on the other hand, by a disc (23) pierced with several holes, one of which is in the center, each disc being fitted from one end, different for each disc, into a hollow cylinder (18) blocked by rubbing against the inner wall of this cylinder and abutting against the edge of one of the two rings (24).   4) A device according to the preceding claims, consisting of a system for limiting the amplitude of movement of the pistons characterized by a rod (28) traversed at one end by a rod (38) of smaller diameter, fixed by the other end in the center of the outer face of the disc (20), maintained in alignment with the rod (37) through the hole drilled in the disc (36) fixed to the end of the hollow cylinder (35) itself fixed by its other end on the outer face of the disc (20).   5) A device according to the preceding claims, characterized by movable joints (43) (44) and (45) consisting of a thin sheet like a membrane, plastic folded in two, welded in a parallel line at the bend to form a hollow cylinder of outer diameter at least equal to the inner diameter of the cylinder (11) for the seals (43) and (44), and that of the cylinder (12) for the seal (45).   6) A device according to the preceding claims, characterized by a sheath (42) consisting of a thin sheet like a membrane, of plastic material, folded in two, welded along a line parallel to the fold to form a cylinder hollow of inner diameter at least equal to the outer diameter of the ring (41).   7) A device according to the preceding claims, wherein the fixing of the sheath (42) on the rod (37) is characterized by a ring surrounding the rod (37), fixed on close to the piston (17), and by two son (59), one on each side of the ring, wound several times around the sheath and knotted at their ends.   8) A device according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the rings (24), (25), (47), (48), (49), (50), (51), (52), (53) ) and (54) have a slot (55) such that on the one hand, when the edges of each side are facing each other, while pressing against each other they press each ring against the inner wall of the cylinder in which it is placed and secondly, when the edges are no longer face to face, it is possible to reduce the diameter of the ring due to its partial flexibility.   9) A device; according to the preceding claims, wherein the rings (47) (48) (51) (52) (53) and (54) are characterized by a hole drilled on one side of the slot (55) and in which passes a wire knotted at its ends to form a loop (56).   10) A device according to the preceding claims, wherein the attachment of each movable seal (43) (44) or (45) to one or other of the cylinders (11) and (12), is characterized by the the seal is pinched between the ring (47) or (48) and the cylinder, covers the inside of the ring (49) or (50), is clamped between the ring (51) or (52) which it covers the wafer by bending towards the inside of the cylinder (11) or (12).   11) A device according to the preceding claims, wherein the attachment of each seal (43) (44) or (45) to one or other of the pistons (16) and (17) is characterized by the fact that the seal is clamped between the ring (53) or (54) and the cylinder (18) or (19).   12) A device; according to the preceding claims, characterized in that to make seals, a material, solid after cooling, is poured after melting by heating, firstly on the edge of the rings (51) and (52), each covered with a movable seal, secondly on the inner face of the cylinder (18) between the ring (53) and the disc (20) or (22) next to it, thirdly on the inner face of the cylinder (19). ), between the ring (54) and the disk (21), fourthly on the end of the sheath (42) between the ring, fixed on the rod (37), and the piston (17).