GB2088965A

GB2088965A - Wind Driven Marine Jet Propulsion Arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2088965A
Application number: GB8039584A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-12-10
Filing date: 1980-12-10
Publication date: 1982-06-16

Abstract

A vessel has wind-driven and/or solar powered electricity generating means for energizing one or more propulsion units each in the form of a fluid pumping apparatus, capable of use also in conventional pumping applications, and comprising a chamber 2 with a bimetallic wall 8 deformable with temperature variations to change the pumping chamber volume. The wall is continuously electrically heated and is cooled by incoming fluid. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Wind Driven Marine Jet Propulsion Arrangement The invention relates to fluid pumping arrangements applicable in particular to marine propulsion and to energy collecting devices, in particular, wind driven engines.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a fluid pumping device comprising a chamber having a tube connecting the chamber to a body fluid, the boundary of the chamber being at least in part defined by one or more bimetallic elements, the distortion of which under temperature changes draws fluid into and expels fluid from the chamber. In accordance with the invention heat is applied continuously, the arrangement being such that the fluid drawn into the chamber on outward bowing of the bimetallic element effects sufficient cooling to cause inward bowing to expel the fluid. Heating draws in the fluid relatively slowly but cooling occurs quickly enough for the fluid to be expelled under considerable pressure.In taking heat from the bimetallic element, an indrawn liquid can be vaporized, so that the pressure within the enclosure is increased to assist the expulsion of the fluid. The device of the invention can be employed as a marine propulsion unit, the tube being directed towards the stern of the vessel.

The heat can advantageously be supplied to the or each bimetallic element electrically.

In another aspect, the invention provides a wind-driven engine comprising a rotor having blades responsive to an air flow to rotate the rotor, and means for adjusting the degree of exposure of the blades. Such means can comprise a cowling selectively movable axially of the rotor, or auxiliary blades carried by the operative blades and movable in dependence on rotor speed, as under centrifugal force, to vary the effectiveness of the operative blades.

Such a wind powered engine can be employed on shipboard, to generate electricity for supplying heat to the marine propulsion unit of the invention, by way of appropriate electrical storage means, to which electricity can be supplied also from solar energy collecting panels carried by the vessel, and constituting for example part at least of the deck area.

The invention is further described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a pumping device embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic side view of a ship incorporating a modified form of pumping device embodying the invention as a propulsion unit, and provided with a wind-powered engine for generating electricity to operate the propulsion unit; Figure 3 is a schematic view resembling that of Figure 2 but schematically showing a modified propulsion unit; Figure 4 is a schematic side view of the windpowered engine of Figure 2, on a larger scale; Figure 5 is a sectional plan view of the engine of Figure 4; and Figure 6 is a schematic sectional plan view of a modified wind-powered engine.

The pumping device 1 of Figure 1 comprises a fluid-tight enclosure 2 provided with at least one tube 4 incorporating a valve 5 at one end and at least one tube 6 incorporating a valve 7 at the other end.

The enclosure 2 which can be circular, rectangular or any other desired in plan has its lower and side walls of substantially rigid material, but its upper wall 8 is of bimetallic material having an inwardly bowed condition in which it is designated by reference numeral 8A at ambient temperature, and arranged to take up an outwardly bowed condition designated by reference numeral 8A when its temperature has been raised to a certain level by the application of heat. Comparison of the two conditions of the bimetallic wall 8 will make it evident that the volume of the enclosure 2 is substantially less in the heated condition of the bimetallic wall than when this wall is an ambient temperature.

Supposing the device 1 to have been out of use, so that it is throughout at ambient temperature, and supposing the valve 7 to be closed, the device is set in operation by applying heat to the bimetallic wall 8 so that the volume-of the enclosure 2 is enlarged. Fluid at ambient temperature is consequently drawn relatively slowly into the enclosure 2 through the tube 4 from a body of the fluid to which the tube is connected. The incoming fluid causes the bimetallic wall to cool and to quickly resume its previous condition, thereby decreasing the volume of the enclosure, so that the fluid it contains is expelled. Heat continues to be applied to the wall 8, so the cycle is repeated.By alternate opening and closing of the valves 5, 7 or by constituting these as appropriately directed non-return valves, fluid can be conveyed through the device from a source to which the tube 4 is connected to a sink to which the tube 6 is connected.

The source of heat can be of any convenient kind. Preferably, an electric heating coil 10 is arranged as shown in close proximity to the outer surface of the wall 8 so as to be carried with the wall as it moves between its two conditions.

Although the indrawn fluid is relied upon for cooling, this can be enhanced by interruption of the heat supply if desired.

It will be evident that the pumping device 1 of Figure 1 can be attached to or made part of a ship, with one or more tubes extending from the chamber at least towards the stern, and communicating with the water in which the ship floats. Movement of the water into and out of the device will efect propulsion of the ship, because water is drawn into the enclosure relatively slowly, from the large body of water in which the vessel floats as the volume of the enclosure 2 increases, but is expelled as a jet under considerable pressure when the enclosure contracts by cooling due to the incoming water.

Such an arrangement is schematically shown in Figure 2. A vessel 10 has a marine propulsion unit 11 which differs from the pumping device 1 of Figure 1, in that it comprises an enclosure bounded by two bimetallic walls 12, 14 and in fact substantially completely constituted by these walls. The unit 11 is received within an outer casing 1 5 which has the shape of an aerofoil is iengthwise cross-section so as to generate lift for the vessel so that its hull 1 6 can glide over the surface of the water on which it moves when sufficient velocity is generated.

The casing 1 5 is suspended beneath the hull 1 6 by legs through which power is supplied to electric heating coiis 18 associated with the bimetallic walls 12, 14. The unit 11 can be generally oval in plan. Two inlet/outlet tubes 1 9 are provided at the stern end of the casing 1 5 for normal propulsion and two inlet/outlet tubes 20 are provided at the forward end of the casing for movement astern. Direction of movement is selected by shut-off valves (not shown) in the tubes.

The valves on the opposed sides of the unit can be independently controllable, so that the vessel can be steered, and the cross-sectional areas of the valves can selectively be adjustable for speed control. If preferred, the valves can be non-return valves so that water flows unidirectionally through the unit, as the pumping device 1.

A plurality of such propulsion units can be provided on a vessel, the units being arranged side-by-side or one above the other. One or more units can be incorporated within the hull structure of a vessel.

Figure 3 shows a propulsion unit 111 corresponding in essential particulars to the unit 11 of Figure 2 except for the shape of the casing 151, and like parts are indicated by like reference numerals. Instead of the aerofoil section of the casing 15, the casing 1 51 has a ski-like shape so as to glide on the water during movement of the vessel, the tubes 1 9 and 20 having their open ends projected downwardly so as to be below the water surface.

The propulsion unit 11 or 111 is powered electrically, and the vessel mounts a wind driven engine2 1 shown in greater detail in Figures 4 and 5, for supplying at least apart of the electrical energy required. One or more of the engines 21 can be mounted on the vessel at appropriately exposed positions.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the engine comprises a vertical shaft 22 journalled so as to project upwardly through the main deck, or the deck 24 of the superstructure of the vessel as shown, and carrying an appropriate number of vanes 25, of which four are shown in Figure 5.

The vanes 25 are curved so that wind caught in the vanes is applied efficiently to the rotation of the shaft 22. The degree of exposure of the vanes to the wind is controllable by means of a cowling 26 in the form of a circular cylinder with a closed top. The cowling is suspended from a support comprising a pair of uprights 28 providing tracks by which the cowling is guided vertically, and a cross-piece 29 journalling a pulley 30 for a chain 31 by which the cowling is suspended. The chain 31 extends upwardly from the cowling 26 to the pulley 30 and then transversely to a second pulley 32, from which it extends downwardly to its lower end, which can be secured beneath a selected one of a plurality of vertically spaced stops 34, which determine the height of the cowling above the deck 24.The engine can thus be put out of use by lowering the cowling 26 to the deck level, or its vanes 25 completely exposed by raising the cowling to its maximum extent.

Intermediate degrees of exposure are provided for by use of intermediate levels of the cowling.

The shaft 22 of the wind driven engine 21 is connected to an electrical generator 38, the electrical output of which is supplied to a battery 39 from which the propulsion unit 11 is powered.

The shaft or vane structure of the modified form of wind driven engine 41 shown in Figure 6 generally resembles that of Figures 4 and 5 but has a centrifugally operated regulating means which can replace the cowling 26. The engine 41 comprises a shaft 42 with vanes 45, of which four are shown, similar in shape to the vanes 25. Each vane 45 has associated with it a regulating vane 46 which is of similar shape although of lesser arcuate extent and of slightly greater diameter, so as to nest around the convex outer side of the associated vane 45. Each vane 46 is carried by the associated vane 45 by means (not shown) for sliding movement about the common axis around which the vanes extend.

When the engine is at rest or moving slowly, the vane 46 is held in the position shown at the left of Figure 6, in which the vertical free edges of the nested vanes are adjacent, by a spring 48 extending between the shaft 42 and the edge of the vane 46 remote from the free edge. A weight 49 in the form of a vertically extending rod is carried on each vane 46 at its inner edge, so that as the speed of rotation of the vanes increases, the action of centrifuged force on the weights will cause the vanes 46 to slide outwardly against the pull of the springs 48. At a predetermined maximum speed, the vane 46 engages the adjacent vane 46 as shown at the top of Figure 6 so the vanes can no longer effectively collect wind. At intermediate positions indicated below and to the right of Figure 6, the vanes 46 occupy outward positions between the extreme positions shown at the left and at the top in which wind collection is reduced to intermediate extents. In practice of course the vanes 46 will all move together. The vanes 46 thus tend to hold approximately constant, the speed of rotation of the shaft 42 regardless of wind speed.

Additional electrical energy for the battery 39 can be obtained, by means 50, from solar heat collected by panels such as the illustrated panel 51 carried on or forming at least a part of the deck of the vessel.

It will be evident that the invention can be embodied in a variety of ways other than as specifically described.

Claims

1. A fluid pumping apparatus comprising a pumping chamber defined at least in part by a wall deformable to change the volume of the pumping chamber in response to a change in temperature of the wall, tube means communicating the pumping chamber with a body of fluid to be pumped, and means for cyclically changing the temperature of the deformable wall.

2. A pumping apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the deformable pumping chamber wall comprises a bimetallic wall.

3. A pumping apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the means for cyclically changing the temperature of the deformable wall comprises an electric heater.

4. A pumping apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the tube means comprises two tubes extending in parallel between the pumping chamber and the body of fluid.

5. A pumping apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 comprising valves in the tubes means for selectively reversing the direction of fluid flow through the pumping chamber,

6. A fluid pumping apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A vessel movable through a body of liquid, the vessel carrying at least one pumping apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 with the tube means thereof communicating said pumping chamber thereof with said body of liquid, whereby said apparatus functions to propel the vessel through the body of liquid.

8. A vessel as claimed in claim 7 wherein the vessel has a hull and the at least one pumping apparatus is carried by the vessel so as to be spaced below the hull.

9. A vessel as claimed in claim 8 comprising a housing containing the at least one pumping apparatus, the housing being shaped to generate lift on movement thereof through the body of liquid.

10. A pumping apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the vessel has a hull and the at least one pumping apparatus is incorporated within the hull.

11. A vessel as claimed in claim 7, 8, 9 or 10 wherein the tube means comprises first and second tube means extending from the pumping chamber to respective open ends facing respectively forward and aft of the vessel, and valve means in the first and second tube means for selectively controlling the direction of liquid flow through the pumping chamber.

12. A vessel as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 11 wherein the temperature changing means comprises electric heater means.

13. A pumping apparatus as claimed in claim 1 2 comprising solar powered electrical power generating means,.and means supplying electrical generated by the generating means to the electric heating means.

14. A vessel as claimed in claim 12 or 13 comprising wind-driven electrical power generating means carried by the vessel, and means supplying electrical power generated by the generating means to the electric heating means.

1 5. A vessel as claimed in claim 14 wherein the wind-driven electrical power generating means comprises a rotatable shaft carrying a plurality of vanes, and a cover selectively movable relative to the vanes to adjust the exposed area thereof.

1 6. A vessel as claimed in claim 15 wherein the wind-driven electrical power generating means comprises a rotatable shaft, and a plurality of vanes carried by the shaft, each of the vanes comprising a fixed portion, a movable portion carried by the fixed portion for movement outwardly from the shaft under centrifugal force and resilient means opposing such outward movement.

1 7. A vessel substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 2 or Figure 3 in combination with Figures 4 and 5 or Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.

1 8. A method of pumping fluid comprising the steps of communicating a pumping chamber with a body of fluid to be pumped, the volume of the chamber being temperature dependent, and cyclically heating and cooling the chamber to cyclically change the volume thereof.

1 9. A method as claimed in claim 1 8 wherein the chamber is continuously heated, the cooling thereof being effected by flow of the fluid into the chamber consequent upon expansion of the chamber.