GB2178488A

GB2178488A - Liquid powered motor

Info

Publication number: GB2178488A
Application number: GB08519159A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Hinton Thumwood
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-07-30
Filing date: 1985-07-30
Publication date: 1987-02-11
Also published as: GB2178488B; GB8519159D0

Abstract

A liquid powered motor is provided comprising a pipe or conduit or like passage (1) having a liquid flow therethrough, a rotary valve (2) for intermittently interrupting the liquid flow through the passage (1) and at least one piston and cylinder assembly (3) having a cylinder (6) in communication with the passage (1) and a piston (7) reciprocable in the cylinder (6). The arrangement is such that when the liquid flow through the passage (1) is interrupted by the valve 2 the resultant drag causes the piston(s) (7) to move inwardly towards the passage (1) to provide the power stroke of the piston. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Liquid powered motor This invention relates to liquid powered motors.

The invention has as its object to provide a motor which derives its power from the energy inherent in a moving body of liquid.

The present invention provides a liquid powered motor comprising a passage having a liquid flow therethrough, means for intermittently interrupting the liquid flow, and reciprocating means in communication with the said passage and being driven by the intermittently interrupted liquid flow.

The said passage may comprise a pipe, conduit or the like through which said fluid flow is conducted. The pipe or conduit may have a diameter of from 4" (102mm) or less up to 18" (457mm) or even more. The liquid flow through said pipe or conduit may be of the order of 0.5m or more. Generally, the higher the rate of flow of the liquid through the pipe or conduit then the smaller can be the diameter of the pipes or conduit to provide a similar power output from the motor.

The means for intermittently interrupting the liquid flow may be suitable valve means, for example a rotary valve. Such rotary valve may comprise a valve plate which is rotatable about an axis extending parallel to the axis of said pipe or conduit and having an aperture therein whereby as the valve plate is continuously rotated the liquid flow through said pipe or conduit will be continuously intermittently interrupted. Said aperture may be of substantially the same diameter as the internal diameter of the pipe or conduit. The valve plate may be driven continuously by any suitable means, such as a suitable electric motor.

Said reciprocating means may comprise at least one piston reciprocable in a cylinder which communicates with the pipe or conduit.

Said cylinder may be arranged with its axis extending at right angles with respect to the axis of the pipe or conduit. Preferably two or more piston and cylinder assemblies are spaced about the diameter of the pipe or conduit, e.g., two piston and cylinder assemblies in diametrically opposed relationship. The pistons are connected to suitable driven means such as a crank shaft.

The at least one piston and cylinder assembly may be arranged downstream of said interrupting means so that when the liquid flow is interrupted the resultant drag will cause the piston to move inwardly towards the pipe or conduit and so provide the power stroke of the piston. The return stroke of the piston may be under the influence of a flywheel to which the piston is connected as by means of a crankshaft. Thus, by continuously intermittently interrupting the liquid flow the piston is caused to reciprocate. The speed of reciprocation of the piston can be controlled by controlling the rapidity with which the liquid flow is intermittently interrupted.

In a preferred arrangement a plurality of parallel pipes or conduits each provided with reciprocating means as aforesaid are arranged around the axis of a said rotary valve whereby as the valve plate is rotated the liquid flow in the plurality of pipes or conduits will be intermittently interrupted in turn. For example, three parallel pipes or conduits may be evenly spaced about the axis of a single rotary valve.

This arrangement enables considerable power to be derived from a single liquid flow by dividing the single liquid flow through the plurality of pipes or conduits upstream of said rotary valve and by recombining the liquid flows through said plurality of pipes or conduits downstream of said reciprocating means.

The liquid flow may be a flow of water, e.g.

derived from a river or stream as by diverting at least part of the flow through one or more pipes or conduits as aforesaid, from a body of water such as a dam or reservoir or even from a large water main. Alternatively, the liquid flow may be a flow of any suitable liquid such as a flow of oil through a pipe line.

The present invention will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing which illustrates one embodiment of a liquid powered motor according to this invention.

Referring to the drawing it will be seen that the liquid motor illustrated therein comprises a pipe or conduit 1 having a liquid flow therethrough, a rotary valve 2 comprising a valve plate 3 rotatable about an axis 4 parallel with the axis of the pipe or conduit 1, the valve plate 3 having an aperture (not shown) therein of a diameter substantially according with the internal diameter of the pipe or conduit 1 whereby as the valve plate 3 is rotated about its axis 4 the liquid flow through the pipe or conduit 1 will be intermittently interrupted.

Downstream of the rotary valve 2 is reciprocating means in the form of a pair of diametrically opposed piston and cylinder assemblies 5 each comprising a cylinder 6 in communication with the pipe or conduit 1 and having its axis extending at right angles to the axis of the pipe or conduit 1 and a piston 7 reciprocable in the cylinder 6. Each of the pistons 7 is connected by means of a piston rod 8 to suitable driven means (not shown) in the form of a crank shaft and flywheel assembly.

The arrangement is such that as the liquid flow through the pipe or conduit 1 is intermittently interrupted by the rotary valve 2, the pistons 7 are caused to move inwards towards the axis of the pipe or conduit 1 by the drag created when the liquid flow is interrupted, thereby providing the power stroke of the pistons 7. The pistons 7 are caused to move outwards in the opposite direction by the energy stored in the flywheel.

The motor of the present invention enables power to be derived from a liquid flow without materially altering the rate of the liquid flow.

Claims

1. A liquid powered motor comprising a passage having a liquid flow therethrough, means for intermittently interrupting the liquid flow and reciprocating means in communication with the said passage and being driven by the intermittently interrupted liquid flow.

2. A motor according to claim 1, wherein said passage comprises a pipe or conduit through which said liquid flow is conducted.

3. A motor according to claim 2, wherein said pipe or conduit has a diameter of from 4" (102mm) to 18" (457mm).

4. A motor according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the liquid flow through said pipe or conduit is at least 0.5m per minute.

5. A motor according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said means for intermittently interrupting the liquid flow comprises valve means.

6. A motor according to claim 5, wherein said valve means comprises a rotary valve.

7. A motor according to claim 6, wherein said rotary valve comprises a valve plate which is rotatable about an axis extending parallel to the axis of said passage and which has an aperture therein whereby as the valve plate is continuously rotated the liquid flow through the passage will be continuously intermittently interrupted.

8. A motor according to claim 7, wherein said aperture is of substantially the same size as said passage.

9. A motor according to claims 7 or 8, wherein said valve plate is driven by an electric motor.

10. A motor according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said reciprocating means comprises at least one piston and cylinder assembly comprises a cylinder which communicates with said passage and a piston reciprocatable in said cylinder.

11. A motor according to claim 10, wherein said cylinder is arranged with its axis at right angles with respect to the axis of said passage.

12. A motor according to claim 10 or 11, wherein two or more piston and cylinder assemblies are spaced around said passage.

13. A motor according to claim 12, comprising two piston and cylinder assemblies in diametrically opposed relationship.

14. A motor according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the piston of the or each piston and cylinder assembly is connected to driven means.

15. A motor according to claim 14, wherein said driven means comprises a crankshaft.

16. A motor according to claim 14 or 15, wherein said driven means includes a flywheel.

17. A motor according to any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein the at least one piston and cylinder assembly is arranged downstream of said interrupting means so that when the liquid flow is interrupted the resultant drag will cause the piston to move inwardly towards said passage and so provide the power stroke of the piston.

18. A motor according to any one of claims 10 to 17 when dependent upon claim 7 or 8, comprising a plurality of parallel passages each provided with at least one said piston and cylinder assembly, said passages being arranged around the axis of said rotary valve whereby as the valve plate is rotated the liquid flow in the plurality of passages will be intermittently interrupted in turn.

19. A motor according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said liquid flow is a flow of water.

20. A motor according to claim 19, wherein said flow of water is derived from a river or stream, from a dam, reservoir or other body of water or from a water main.

21. A liquid powered motor substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

CLAIMS Amendments to the claims have been filed, and have the following effect: Claims 1 and 17 to 21 above have been deleted or textually amended.

New or textually amended claims have been filed as follows: Original claim 17 deleted, appendent claims and appendancies correspondingly re-numbered.

1. A liquid powered motor comprising a passage having a liquid flow therethrough, means for intermittently interrupting the liquid flow and reciprocating means in communication with the said passage downstream of said interrupting means, the reciprocating means being driven by the drag created when said liquid flow is interrupted.