GB2465855A

GB2465855A - Water powered generator.

Info

Publication number: GB2465855A
Application number: GB0904880A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Campbell Mckay Taylor
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-10-18
Filing date: 2009-03-23
Publication date: 2010-06-09
Anticipated expiration: 2029-03-23
Also published as: GB2465855B; GB0819124D0; GB0822288D0; GB0904880D0; GB0902372D0

Abstract

An apparatus converts the flow of a head of water into electricity and uses the acceleration of water flow for the same end. Water power is used to drive a column or series of rotary apparatuses. The apparatus may be a water wheel having cup shaped attachments (fig 2), a water wheel with grooved blades (fig 7) or a turbine. Positioned between each apparatus is a funnelling arrangement to accelerate water to the next in the series of rotary apparatuses.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Forces of water power, gravity, rotation, compression, pressure and suction and wind power are all utilised in the apparatuses now advanced.

PHASE 1

DIRECT FRESH WATER POWER

Accelerating the residue from hydro electric systems, water catchments, reservoir, lake, loch or river a tapered pipe or tube, placed below the surface of, gravity drops the flow downwards to any means of rotary propulsion such as a water wheel, as described above an impeller, drogue or turbine etcetera for conversion to electrical power, however, in this concept, a unique water wheel with cup shaped drivers or an impeller with grooved blades are advanced combined with an apparatus to gather and accelerate the passage of water. The mouth of an entry pipe is fitted with a mesh to prevent damage to fresh water life; a stop cock is included in the system for safety and servicing.

WATER WHEEL

In one embodiment of the invention electricity is generated by the rotations of a water wheel, with a number of rounded cups, either complete or half cup with an upper entry wide open aperture and a smaller lower exit open aperture so that efficient filling and emptying of the cup is performed. In a further embodiment of the invention the complete cup has an open cross member or, in the case of the half cup an open crossing flange at right angle to a ridged perimeter (See Figure 2A) enabling the flow of water to add impetus to the motivation of the apparatus, receiving a flow of water rotates and turns a central spindle which drives a generator producing electricity. Driven by the weight of the filled cup, wheel turning is given further impetus by the emptying flow over the inner concavity of the cup; the Cup wheel need not be as large as a wind impeller but the cup size should be maximal.

In a still further embodiment of the invention a water wheel with grooved blades is also advanced (Figure 7), smaller in diameter than an air impeller since water is a heavier force than air; the shape of the outer edge of the concave blade is bent downwards slightly which aids thrust and accelerates water clearance.

Below the wheel, tapered filter funnel arrangements collect water in passage then pressurises and accelerates that passage for the motivation of lower placed wheels.

Water is not compressible like air but increases speed in a narrowing area like a river gorge or a tapered tube, the accelerated flow activates a plurality of further water wheels sited lower. Alternative methods of gathering and accelerating water are also advanced, such as a cone, a drogue shaped fitment, a tapered tube, a telescopic tube, or any form of narrowing as a means of pressurising and accelerating water flow.

However the level of flow through the initial tube is critical and is controlled by the diameter of that tube so that sufficient flow is passed to maximise pressure in the tapered filter without causing drought or overflow.

A series of wheels, placed vertically or sited to conform to the configuration of the terrain, each below its predecessor, are included in the system to generate a great deal of electricity from the same initiating column of water, eventually returning the used water to a river or processing the water for domestic purposes, providing considerable economy in usage.

Consistency of supply is provided by the system, unlike the variations of wind farming, being land based the apparatuses are easily maintained and cleaned without problems of barnacles and sea growth occurring with sea immersion.

Utilised in wind farming wind impellers generate variable amperes in one such apparatus it is claimed approximately 82 amperes in a 16 Knot wind, however, water, being heavier than air, gives a greater and more constant output at the higher range of the scale.

To prevent the effects of wind braking and to maintain the aesthetic beauty of nature, especially on a hillside, a camouflaged cowling covers each wheel and funnel arrangement. Connecting pipes, leading from one wheel to the next lower wheel, run underneath ground surface and are invisible to the eye.

The higher the head of down flowing water the better, providing a greater number of water wheels; water catchments sited on a hill provide an ideal source for the invention; also the building of useable banking water catchments go some way to flood control during heavy rain.

PHASE 2 INDIRECT FRESH OR SEA WATER POWER (Figure 4) Bringing water from a low point to a higher point is more complex, in this scenario water is sucked via a sealed conveyance such as an immersed tube or pipe, to a high point from water catchments, reservoir, lake, loch, river or the sea -each pipe fitted with a capped priming device at the apex, a stop cock for safety and servicing -having a filter or grid over the mouth to prevent damage to fresh water or marine life, drawn upwards by the aid of a pump or pumps sited on the land side just below the highest point of a tube sited on rising ground, hill or mountain; such a pump or pumps may be powered by wind impellers, with alternative booster power supply to counter wind variations or else direct electrical supply. An advantage, since salt water is heavier than fresh water it gives added power, therefore the diameter of the Cup wheel need not be as large but the cup size should be maximal; a blade wheel is also smaller in diameter for the same relative reason; a disadvantage with sea water, service difficulties occur due to marine growth.

PHASE 3

CONTINUOUS FLOW OF FRESH WATER

Straight forward gravity drop is not always possible due to the surrounding terrain, sometimes water must be sucked to a higher point before gravity dropping to an exit site lower than the level of entry in this context, historically, the simple method of draining rain water from a boat by immersing one end of a tube in the water filled vessel then blowing and sucking the other end until water flows through the tube, quickly placing that tube exit end below the boat keel on the beach until all the rain water is drained from the boat is the basis of this form of indirect gravity power. A regular flow of water, initiated by a starting suction pump, which may be wind or electrically driven, suck up fresh water via a sealed conveyance such as a tube or pipe, to a high point, gravity dropping to an exit lower than the entry with a suitable bi-pass, so that the starting pump can be superseded by gravity flow, activates rotary apparatuses, such as water wheels with lower, gathering tapered filter funnels, as described above, generate electrical power. An apical sited priming device and stop cock are required.

DRAWINGS

FIGURE 1 This figure illustrates water sourced directly, from hydro electric dams, water catchments, reservoirs, lakes or lochs to gravity drop to a single water wheel or a plurality of water wheels.

G represents safety gauze or grid to prevent damage to fresh water life; SC, is a stop cock, for safety and servicing purposes; CW, the cone wheel, arranged in a column but each lower than it's predecessor and sited to conform to the configuration of the terrain; TF, tapered funnel and P to DS, showing the pipe to lower wheels, to domestic services or passage to river or sea.

FIGURE 2 In this figure the cup wheel is enlarged, S represents the spindle which motivates the generator to produce electricity; Cl, is a cup facing the flow of water; C2 is the cup drain which allows the cup to keep refilling as it revolves past this position which allied with the concave inner shape, increases the thrust of the revolving wheel. C2, C3, and C4 show the various positions the cups take up as the wheel turns.

FIGURE 2A In this figure the crossing flange CF with a ridged perimeter RP is illustrated, these cross members add rotary impetus to the device.

FIGURE 3 Figure 3 illustrates cups in a column C, representing the cup with a large superior aperture and a small inferior aperture; S represents the spindle; TF tapered funnel; TN tapered nozzle; and TI the tapered tube to the next lower cone wheel or an exit from the system.

FIGURE 4 In figure 4 water is sucked from a catchments, lakes, lochs, rivers or sea; CLLRLS represents water level in catchments, lake, loch, or river, the entry to the induction pipe is covered by a grill, PG, for the protection of fresh water, or marine life; SC is a stop cock for safety and servicing purposes, CPP a capped priming device, WV, wind vane which drives a rotary pump, RP, directly or indirectly, CW is one of a series of cup wheels, IF tapered filter funnels and F to LW the feed by nozzle or pipe to lower wheels.

Water is drawn up by the immersed pipe at PG, from water catchments, lake, loch, or river.

FIGURE 5 In this figure CLLRL represents Ilydro-electric lakes, Catchments, Lake, Loch or River level; SC a stop cock; CPP a priming device; BP a bi-pass; BPD a Bi-pass door; SP starter pump; WV optional wind vane to directly or indirectly motivate the starter rotary pump, which is alternatively powered directly from the electricity grid; EP exit pipe to pass accelerated water flow to lower wheels.

Continuous flow operates since the land side of the exit induction tube is situated lower than the fresh water entry mouth so that water sucked through the system will gravity flow continuously.

The drawing shows tapering of the tube to add impetus to the pace of water flow. The starter pump, initiated by electrical or wind power, is bypassed once the flow commences.

FIGURE 6 In this figure BPD is the bypass door which closes on the starter pump SP when water. flow is induced; BP is the bypass. When the starter pump begins it draws water and the pressure of the inflowing water closes the door over the starter pump, water then flows through the bi-pass towards the cup wheel.

FIGURE 7 This figure illustrates an alternative wheel with grooved blades, 3 GB, the grooves acting like guttering, [concave] {triangular} in shape and widening towards the outer edges of each blade; such grooves fill and spill the inducted water flow causing the wheel to rotate. The wheel body is either solid or open skeletal; a skeletal wheel SW is shown in the illustration.