GB2213535A

GB2213535A - Power generation using variable variable buoyancy device

Info

Publication number: GB2213535A
Application number: GB8829452A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Poderis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-12-17
Filing date: 1988-12-16
Publication date: 1989-08-16
Also published as: GB8729411D0; GB8829452D0

Abstract

A balloon 1 connected to a cord 3 and located in a tank 2, which in use is filled with water, may be filled with air by means of a pump 24 via a hose 23, thereby inflating the balloon enabling it to rise until a block 35 activates a valve rod 30 thereby releasing the air from the balloon, allowing the balloon to deflate and descend. Reciprocation of the balloon drives a generator 4 by means of the cord 3, pulley reels 8,8' shaft 9, and gear wheel 20. A counterweight 11 is suspended from a pulley reel 8'', and a slip cog arrangement (Fig 3) associated with the pulley reel 8 ensures undirectional rotation of the shaft 9. Details of the valve 27, 28, 30 are disclosed (Fig 2). <IMAGE>

Description

Power System This invention relates to a power system, in particular apparatus designed to harness and utilise the potential energy of an inflated balloon to rise in a medium more dense than that with which it is inflated.

According to the present invention there is provided a power system, the apparatus for which comprises a balloon fillable with a first fluid and submergible in a second fluid more dense than the fluid with which the balloon is fillable, said balloon being fillable at depth and deflatable at or around the surface of the second fluid and readily movable between a position at depth and a position at or around the surface, and depending from a flexible connector which connects with a generator via gear means.

According to the present invention there is provided a power system, the method for which comprises cycle of submerging a fluid-fillable balloon, which is suspended from a flexible connector that is connected with a generator via gear means, in a second fluid which is more dense than that with which the balloon is fillable; inflating the balloon at depth, such that as the balloon rises from a position at depth to a position at or near the surface of the second fluid, the consequent movement of the flexible connector driving the generator; deflating the balloon at or around the surface of the second fluid such that the balloon sinks.

The balloon drops back to the position at depth by removal of fluid in the balloon. Preferably, the balloon is provided with fluid release valve for deflation of the balloon at or around the surface of the second fluid, said valve comprising a perforate cylinder located within the balloon and having an aperturate plate outwith the balloon and means for sealing apertures of the aperturate plate to prevent release of fluid from said cylinder, which means is releasable by engagement with a stop at or around the surface of the second fluid.

Most preferably, the sealing means is the form of a piston biassed outwardly of the cylnder by biassing means and an imperforate base plate to the piston which base plate seals said apertures of the aperturate plate, the piston and base plate being depressed on engagement with the stop. On engagement with the stop in the form of a surface cover to or over the container, the piston is depressed and the imperforate plate moved inwardly such that the air of the balloon has a path through the perforations of the cylinder and the now-exposed apertures of the aperturate plate; accordingly, the balloon deflates and sinks.

Preferably, an air pump is connected to the base of the balloon by a flexible hose.

Preferably, the gear means includes a pulley system, associated with â drive shaft which is connected with the generator.

Preferably, the pulley system comprises an anchor bearing and a drive pulley which is coaxially mounted on the drive shaft with slipcogs to either side of the drive pulley, such that the slipcogs allow free rotation in one direction and engage and turn the drive shaft on counter-directional rotation.

Preferably, the drive shaft is connected with a drive belt, via a gear wheel, said drive belt driving the generator.

Preferably, the sinking of the balloon and the reeling-in of the flexible connector by means of a counterweight causes the drive pulley to freely rotate.

Preferably, the rising of the balloon and paying-out of the flexible connector causes counter-directional rotation of the drive pulley and rotation therefore of the drive shaft.

Preferably, the cycle comprising balloon inflation, rising, deflation and sinking is repeated.

Preferably, the second fluid is water, which is bounded by a container, and the first fluid is a gas, most preferably air.

Preferably, the air is pumped into the balloon at intervals by an air pump having a timing device, said intervals coinciding with the completion of the cycle of rising, deflation and subsequent sinking.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic front elevation of the apparatus of the power system of the present invention; Fig. 2 is an enlargement of the fluid-release valve of the apparatus of Fig. 1; and, Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the drive pulley of the apparatus of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, there is provided a power system comprising a balloon 1, submergible in a water-filled tank 2 and fillable at depth with air. The balloon 1 depends from a flexible connector in the form of a cord 3 which connects the balloon 1 to a generator 4 via gear means.

The gear means includes a pulley system 5 having anchor bearings 6 with pulley wheels 7 at the bottom of the tank 2, said bearings 6 acting as anchors to the cord 3 and the balloon 1, and having a drive pulley 8 coaxial with a drive shaft 9 outwith the tank 2. The drive pulley 8 has two reels 8',8" one 8' for the balloon cord 3 and the second 8" for the cord 10 of a counterweight 11, which is wound on the drive pulley 8 in the opposite direction to that of the balloon cord 3.

The drive pulley 8 is mounted on the drive shaft 9 by means of bearings and having slipcogs 13 that allow rotation freely in one direction and which engage the drive shaft 9 on counter-directional rotation. In more detail, the slipcogs 13 comprises a bar 14, fixed to the drive shaft 9, and a hingedly connected arm 15 which is held in position by a spring 16. When the drive pulley 8 rotates clockwise a pin 17 fixed to the side plate of the drive pulley 8 engages the end of the arm 15 such that the bar 14 and the drive shaft 9 are turned also. When the drive pulley 8 turns anticlockwise, the arm 15 of the slipcog 13 slips under the pin 17 and the pulley 8 freely rotates.

The drive shaft 9 is mounted on a base 18 between two fixed bearings 19 and is connected to a gear wheel 20 which, in turn, is connected to a drive belt 21 which drives the rotor 22 of the generator 4.

The balloon 1 is connected by a flexible hose 23 to an air pump 24 having a timing device 25. The device 25 is set to come on at user-selected intervals coinciding with the completion of a work cycle (which is explained in detail below).

The balloon 1 is provided with a fluid release valve 26 at the opposite end of the balloon 1 to the hose 23 attachment.

The valve 26 comprises a perforate cylinder 27 located inside the balloon 1 and a piston 28 biassed outwardly of the balloon by a spring 29 coaxial with the rod 30 of the piston 28. The piston 28 is retained in the cylinder 27 by a retaining plate 31. This plate 31 is perforate, the perforations being sealed when abutted with the imperforate base plate 33 of the piston 28. On depression of the piston 28, this seal is released since the imperforate base plate 33 is also depressed, such that the air is retained in the balloon 1 passes through the perforations 34 of the cylinder 27 and the perforations 32 of the retaining plate 31 to escape.

The working cycle is as follows: the air pump 24, controlled by the timing device 25, is set to come on when the balloon 1 is at the bottom of the water tank 2 and off when the balloon 1 is full. The pump's 24 on/off timing never varies because the work cycle is rigid. When the balloon 1 is full it rises, overcoming the resistance of the components 6, 8, 11, 19, 20, 21 whose combined weight and resistance will be less than that of the balloon's 1 upward thrust; this allows the balloon 1 to rise at the desired speed. As the inflated balloon 1 rises, the drive pulley 8 engages the drive shaft 9 by means of two the slipcogs 13; this in turn rotates the gear wheel 20 which actuates the flexible drive belt 21 to drive the rotor 22 of the electrical generator 4.When the balloon 1 reaches the top of the water tank 2, the fluid release valve 26 is depressed by a downwardly protruding block 35 on the base 18, which base 18 covers the tank 2, said depresssion allowing the air to escape and the balloon 1 to deflate.

When deflated, the balloon 1 is pulled down by the greater weight of the counterweight 11 until the balloon reaches near the bottom of the tank 2. Air is once more pumped into the balloon 1 and the cycle continues as above.

The output of a power system such as is described may be calculated as follows: A magnetic coil and diaphragm type electrical air pump 24, with a power consumption rating of 4 watts, has an air output of 3000cc per minute. 2093 cc of air is required to raise a lkg at lm depth, this being 100W energy consumption for 1 kg. As 1 kg/m = 10 Joules it would require the balloon 1 of 2093cc of air to travel through 16 meters to regenerate the input requirements but, as the pressure increases by 1000 kg/m2 for each metre's depth, this will raise the upthrust of the 2093 cc balloon 1 from 1 kg at lm depth to 10kg at 10m depth and proportionately per cubic meter.

There is no increase in the input energy requirements, other than that required to overcome the increased pressure which counteracts inflation of the balloon and increases the mass of the air filling the balloon, but the pumped in air has the proportionately increased pressure acting on it to displace the water from the balloon's 1 space. Modifications and improvements may be incorporated without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A power system, the apparatus for which comprises a balloon fillable with a first fluid and submergible in a second fluid more dense that the fluid with which the balloon is fillable, said balloon being fillable at depth and deflatable at or around the surface of the second fluid and readily movable between a position at depth and a position at or around the surface, and depending from a flexible connector which connects with a generator via gear means.

2. A power system according to Claim 1, wherein the balloon is provided with a fluid release valve for deflation of the balloon in the position at or around the surface of the second fluid.

3. A power system according to Claim 2, wherein said valve comprises a perforate cylinder located within the balloon and having an aperturate plate outwith the balloon and means for sealing apertures of the aperturate plate to prevent release of fluid from said cylinder, which means is releasable by engagement with a stop at or around the surface of the second fluid.

4. A power system according to Claim 3, wherein the sealing means is in the form of a piston biassed outwardly of the cylinder by biassing means and an imperforate base plate to the piston, which base plate seals said apertures of the aperturate plate, the piston and base plate being depressed on engagement with the stop.

5. A power system according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the balloon is fillable with the first fluid at depth by means of a fluid pump connected to the balloon by a flexible hose.

6. A power system according to Claim 5, wherein the balloon is fillable at intervals by the air pump having a timing device.

7. A power system according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the gear means includes a pulley system, around which the flexible connector moves and which is connected with a drive shaft which connects with the generator.

8. A power system according to Claim 7, wherein the pulley system comprises an anchor bearing at depth and a drive pulley coaxially mounted on a drive shaft with sligcogs to either side of the drive pulley, such that the slipcogs allow free rotation in one direction and engage and turn the drive shaft on counter-directional rotation.

9. A power system according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the movement of the balloon from the surface position to the position at depth is accompanied by the reeling-in of the flexible connector by means of a counterweight.

10. A power system according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the first fluid is water and the second fluid is air.

11. A power system, the method for which comprises a cycle of submerging a fluid-fillable balloon, which depends from a flexible connector which is connected with a generator via gear means, in a second fluid which is more dense than that with which the balloon is fillable; inflating the balloon at depth, such that as the balloon rises from a position at depth to a position at or near the surface of the second fluid, the consequent movement of the flexible connector driving the generator; deflating the balloon at or around the surface of the second fluid such that the balloon sinks.

12. The method of a power system according to Claim 11, wherein the cycle is repeated continuously.

13. A power system comprising the method of Claim 11 with the apparatus of any one of Claims 1 to 10.

14. A power system as substantially hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.