GB2097062A - Apparatus for extracting energy from flowing water - Google Patents

Abstract

A hydraulic air compressor has a pipe or pipes immersed in a flow of water which acts on two or more interconnected sluice gates 1, 2 in the shape of revolving paddles which periodically check the flow to create water pressure and thereby compress air in chamber 5. Two such compressors may be arranged side by side and connected in parallel with respect to flow, and synchronised to avoid discontinuity in the total flow. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Hydraulic air compressor The subject of this invention is a hydraulic compressor which converts the energy of a flow of water by momentarily stopping or checking the flow thus creating pressure which is used to compress air to do useful work.

The device consists of a full pipe the bore section of which may be rectangular or oval so that the vertical dimension which determines the depth of water in the pipe is greater than the horizontal dimension.

The pipe may be anchored or otherwise fixed in a flow so that the flow level is at the top of the pipe.

Within the pipe are placed two or more sluice gates which revolve on horizontal shafts and sweep the pipe in such a way that when vertical the pipe is blocked at that part and when horizontal it offers a minimum of resistance to the flow. These gates which are in the form of paddles are connected in such a way that their revolution is synchronised. The weight of the paddles is concentrated at those parts furthest away form the central shaft on which they revolve. This assists revolution even when the flow is against them.

In this description paddles are named first, second etcetera in the order proceeding along the flow.

Means may be taken by gradually reducing the bore area of that part of the pipe upstream of the paddles to increase the flow velocity in those parts of the pipe just before the paddles hereinafter called the compression areas.

A succeeding paddle is placed at an angle to the preceding paddle which is slightly less than 1 800. That is to say when the preceding is vertical the succeeding is at an angle of say 300 to horizontal. Thus the full flow passing one when it is horizontal reaches the next when it is vertical.

In operation the paddles revolve because when the first is vertical the water pressure on the lower half is greater than on the upper half. Once movement has commenced it continues as when the first has reached horizontal it is assisted by the next which is then receiving maximum thrust from the flow. As a paddle reaches the vertical position it blocks the pipe thus checking the flow.

Pressure will rise and water will flow through an aperture above the paddle into an air chamber to compress air. This air is released through a nonreturn valve at a predetermined pressure into a reservoir where it is available to do useful work.

As the paddle continues to revolve pressure drops and water is evacuated from the air chamber by gravity assisted by air entering the chamber through a non-return valve. As flow continues to the next paddle a similar increase in pressure compresses air in a chamber above that paddle and so the cycle continues.

In a rapid flow more paddles may be used provided that allowance is made for a reduction in pressure from one paddle to the next.

The discontinuous flow which results from the counter action of the paddles may be avoided by having two compression areas side by side with discontinuance of pressure at the first paddles.

Thus a wide pipe would lead into two narrow pipes feeding back into a wide pipe. In such a case both sets of paddles are synchronised in such a way that when the first paddle in one narrow pipe is vertical that in the other is horizontal.

In this arrangement the first paddles may be tapered towards the centre of the wide pipe. Thus when one is vertical flow is directed towards the adjacent narrow pipe.

By way of clarificaiton only the following sketches are appended: A. Side view of narrow pipe indicating paddles and air chamber but not showing paddle shaft connection.

B. Direct view of one form of narrow pipe bore.

C. Direct view of bores of two adjacent narrow pipes with position of bore of wide pipe.

In these sketches the following numbers have been given to parts of the device: 1 and 2-Paddles 3 and 4-Paddle shafts 5-Air chamber 6-Air non-return inlet valve 7-Air non-return outlet valve 8-Shape of bore of narrow pipe 9-Shape and position of bore of wide pipe

Claims 1. A hydraulic air compressor as described which by the counter action of two rotating paddles placed in a flow of water in a pipe causes a pressure rise at the second paddle in the flow thus providing compressed air in an air chamber above the paddle which is available to do useful work.

2. A hydraulic air compressor according to Claim No. 1 in which discontinuous flow in that part of the device where air is compressed is rectified to allow continuous flow through the device as a whole.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (2)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Hydraulic air compressor The subject of this invention is a hydraulic compressor which converts the energy of a flow of water by momentarily stopping or checking the flow thus creating pressure which is used to compress air to do useful work. The device consists of a full pipe the bore section of which may be rectangular or oval so that the vertical dimension which determines the depth of water in the pipe is greater than the horizontal dimension. The pipe may be anchored or otherwise fixed in a flow so that the flow level is at the top of the pipe. Within the pipe are placed two or more sluice gates which revolve on horizontal shafts and sweep the pipe in such a way that when vertical the pipe is blocked at that part and when horizontal it offers a minimum of resistance to the flow. These gates which are in the form of paddles are connected in such a way that their revolution is synchronised. The weight of the paddles is concentrated at those parts furthest away form the central shaft on which they revolve. This assists revolution even when the flow is against them. In this description paddles are named first, second etcetera in the order proceeding along the flow. Means may be taken by gradually reducing the bore area of that part of the pipe upstream of the paddles to increase the flow velocity in those parts of the pipe just before the paddles hereinafter called the compression areas. A succeeding paddle is placed at an angle to the preceding paddle which is slightly less than 1 800. That is to say when the preceding is vertical the succeeding is at an angle of say 300 to horizontal. Thus the full flow passing one when it is horizontal reaches the next when it is vertical. In operation the paddles revolve because when the first is vertical the water pressure on the lower half is greater than on the upper half. Once movement has commenced it continues as when the first has reached horizontal it is assisted by the next which is then receiving maximum thrust from the flow. As a paddle reaches the vertical position it blocks the pipe thus checking the flow. Pressure will rise and water will flow through an aperture above the paddle into an air chamber to compress air. This air is released through a nonreturn valve at a predetermined pressure into a reservoir where it is available to do useful work. As the paddle continues to revolve pressure drops and water is evacuated from the air chamber by gravity assisted by air entering the chamber through a non-return valve. As flow continues to the next paddle a similar increase in pressure compresses air in a chamber above that paddle and so the cycle continues. In a rapid flow more paddles may be used provided that allowance is made for a reduction in pressure from one paddle to the next. The discontinuous flow which results from the counter action of the paddles may be avoided by having two compression areas side by side with discontinuance of pressure at the first paddles. Thus a wide pipe would lead into two narrow pipes feeding back into a wide pipe. In such a case both sets of paddles are synchronised in such a way that when the first paddle in one narrow pipe is vertical that in the other is horizontal. In this arrangement the first paddles may be tapered towards the centre of the wide pipe. Thus when one is vertical flow is directed towards the adjacent narrow pipe. By way of clarificaiton only the following sketches are appended: A. Side view of narrow pipe indicating paddles and air chamber but not showing paddle shaft connection. B. Direct view of one form of narrow pipe bore. C. Direct view of bores of two adjacent narrow pipes with position of bore of wide pipe. In these sketches the following numbers have been given to parts of the device:

1 and 2-Paddles

3 and 4-Paddle shafts 5-Air chamber 6-Air non-return inlet valve 7-Air non-return outlet valve 8-Shape of bore of narrow pipe 9-Shape and position of bore of wide pipe

Claims 1. A hydraulic air compressor as described which by the counter action of two rotating paddles placed in a flow of water in a pipe causes a pressure rise at the second paddle in the flow thus providing compressed air in an air chamber above the paddle which is available to do useful work.

2. A hydraulic air compressor according to Claim No. 1 in which discontinuous flow in that part of the device where air is compressed is rectified to allow continuous flow through the device as a whole.