GB2501737A

GB2501737A - Tilting plate electrical generator

Info

Publication number: GB2501737A
Application number: GB1207736.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nicholas James Adkins
Original assignee: Nicholas James Adkins
Priority date: 2012-05-02
Filing date: 2012-05-02
Publication date: 2013-11-06
Also published as: GB201207736D0

Abstract

A tilting or gyrating plate or track electrical power generating mechanism receives cyclically varying mechanical forces Fl to F4, and drives electrical generator 6 via wheel 2 rolling around surface 1. Surface 1 is in the form of a circular track which may be supported on a pillar 17 via gimbals 18. A free wheel 14 may be used to determine the instantaneous lowest point or zero slope of surface 1. The point of instantaneous maximum slope will be 90 degrees behind the point of minimum slope and the generator wheel 2 can be maintained at this point by adjusting generator 6 output. Output may be controlled by varying current in the generator field windings, and connections to the generator may be made by slip-rings. There may be a second apparatus operated in anti-phase to improve balance (figure 9).

Description

Electrical Power Generating Mechanism This invention relates to an electrical power generating mechanism.

Conventional electrical power generators are poorly suited to the purpose of harnessing energy from low-grade energy sources and mechanical energy of long periodicity. This shortcoming means that by far the greater part of worldwide electrical power is obtained from high-grade energy sources principally fossil fuels and nuclear which provide the high temperatures required to drive high speed, short periodicity heat engines. The likelihood that the continued large-scale use of fossil fuels will result in severe environmental damage on a global scale is now beyond scientific doubt and events in the nuclear power industry continually reveal it's potential as a source of persistent pollution on a large scale.

Energy from renewable sources is invariably low-grade and mostly capable only of producing mechanical energy of a long periodicity which must be transformed before it can be used to drive an electrical generator with any degree of efficiency. This transformation is commonly accomplished by systems of gears, belts, hydraulics or pneumatics which add to the complexity of the overall system and decrease efficiency and reliability. Low-grade heat energy is also available as what is currently considered waste heat.

--Clearly there is a need for a mechanism which can convert low grade energy to electrical power reliably, simply, with an acceptable efficiency and at an acceptable cost per unit of electrical power.

It is to this end that the present invention proposes a wheel, referred to throughout the Figures as wheel 2, in rolling contact with a surface I and constrained by an arm 5 to rotate about a central point or region of the surface 1. The surface I is driven by one or more mechanical force inputs to move about the horizontal plane in a rocking or gyrating motion this movement combined with the accelerating force of gravity on the mass of the wheel causing the wheel 2 to rotate about it's own axis and also about the central point or region of the surface 1. The combination of the total cyclical mechanical force which rocks or gyrates the surface 1 and gravitational force produces the effect that the wheel 2 is continually rolling down an inclined plane.

The stator of an electrical generator 6 is mechanically connected to the arm 5 and the rotor of the generator 6 is mechanically connected to the wheel 2 thus enabling electrical energy to be extracted from the rotation of the wheel 2. By varying the amount of electrical energy extracted from the generator 6 and thereby the wheel 2's resistance to rotation the wheel 2's position relative to the cyclical slope of the surface 1 can be optimised.

Introduction to the drawings

Figure 1 shows an electrical generator set in motion by the cyclical application of four forces to the surface.

Figure 2 shows an alternative view of an electrical generator set in motion by the cyclical application of four forces to the surface.

Figure 3 shows an electrical generator set in motion by the cyclical application a single force to the surface.

Figure 4 shows an electrical generator set in motion around a circular track and a method of determining the optimum power output of the generator.

Figure 5 shows an alternative view of an electrical generator set in motion around a circular track.

Figure 6 shows some of the parameters which might be measured and used to determine the optimum power output of the generator.

---Figure 7 shows a representation of the equivalent slope as experienced by a ---generator on a surface acted on by four forces.

Figure 8 shows a representation of the equivalent slope as experienced by a generator on a surface acted on by a single force.

Figure 9 Shows a mechanism using two rotors.

Detailed Description

Consider the surface 1 shown in figure 1 acted on by the forces shown; F1,F2,F3,F4 and given by them a gyratory motion in which any point on the surface exhibits an approximately sinusoidally varying vertical displacement such as is shown in Figure 7 line a'; the generator wheel 2 will rotate about it's axis and be moved along by the surface 1 and will be constrained by the arm 5 to rotate about the pivot 3. The components; 2,4,5,6,7, of Figure 1 constitute the generator wheel rotor'. If the generator wheel 2 is free to rotate about it's axis and the whole rotor assembly is free to rotate about the pivot 3 then the generator wheel 2 will travel around the surface 1 at or near the lowest point. Assuming that the generator wheel maintains non-slipping rolling contact with the surface I the rate of rotation of the generator wheel about it's own axis will be-K x the cyclic rate of the gyratory motion r where R is the radius of rotation of the generator wheel about the pivot and r is the radius of the generator wheel. The generator wheel can thereby be rotated at a very much greater cyclic rate than the cyclic rate of the forces acting upon the surface 1.

Allowing the generator wheel 2 to rotate with the lowest point of the surface does not allow energy to be extracted from the generator 6.

Figure 7 line a' represents the vertical displacement of any chosen point on surface I over which the generator wheeL 2 passes. Figure 7 line b' represents the effective slope of the surface as experienced by the generator wheel and is maximum when the generator wheel is at point k' mid-way, that is 90 degrees of angle, in the gyratory cycle between the instantaneous highest H' and lowest Ii' points on the surface 1.

The gradient of the effective slope is given by-H-h 2xR or tan H-h degrees 2xR Where H is the highest instantaneous point on the surface, h is the lowest instantaneous point on the surface, R is the radius of rotation of the generator wheel about the pivot.

Where surface 1 is given a vertical sinusoidal gyratory motion the analogy of a mass comprised of wheel 2, generator 6, weight 7, rolling down an inclined plane of gradient (H-h) / (2xR) allows an approximation of the amount of mechanical energy derived from forces Fletc that can be converted into electrical power by the electrical generating mechanism.

A mass on an inclined plane can be prevented from moving down the plane under the influence of gravitational force by the application of an opposing force; in the electrical generating mechanism the opposing force is provided by the electrical generator 6 and transferred to the surface 1 by the wheel 2. The analogy further indicates that the electrical power available is dependent largely upon mass and gradient. The chief consideration in the determination of the minimum surface 1 gyratory rate is that of the rotational rate imparted to the generator 6 which needs to be high enough to allow a practically and economically viable generator to be utilised.

Weight 7 represents additional weight added to the assembly over and above that needed for its construction and enables more energy to be extracted from the applied forces Fl etc. The generator wheel's resistance to rolling can be increased and it's position in the gyratory cycle moved away from the lowest point by applying an electrical load to the generator, By controlling the electrical load the generator wheel can be maintained in the optimum position at point k', Figure 7 line a', the point of maximum effective slope. The effect is thus achieved of rolling the generator wheel 2 down a continuous slope, ie. line b' Figure 7.

Electrical energy taken from the generator 6 creates a mechanical force in opposition to the rotation of the generator wheel 2 and is the means of maintaining the generator wheel in the optimum position on the surface 1. The electrical energy taken from the generator 6 is at the same time the useful output of electrical power from the electrical power generating mechanism.

For clarity the Figures do not show the electrical connections to the generator 6; one method might be to pass insulated conductors along arm 5 to a graphite brush and slip-ring arrangement incorporated into bearing 4 and pivot 3 and thus connect to a non-rotating part of the mechanism such as the pivot 3 or surface I from where --flexible conductors would connect to the electrical load. Any other electric connections for example the generator 6 field current might be made in a similar manner.

Figure 3 shows the surface 1 with one edge connected to fixed supports 10 and 11 by pivots 12 and 13 the opposite free edge is acted upon by force Fl. Fl represents the energy input to the generating mechanism. Figure 8 line c' represents the sinusoidally varying vertical displacement of the free edge of the surface (1) resulting from the applied force Fl and the broken horizontal line d' through line c' represents the position of the opposite fixed edge of the surface 1. Figure 8 line e' represents the effective slope of the surface I as seen by the generator wheel 2 when it is being maintained in its optimum position on the surface 1 and Figure 8 line F is an approximate representation of the electrical power taken from the generator (6)10 maintain the wheel in its optimum position on the surface. Line F also represents the usefUl electrical power output of the generating mechanism. The broken vertical lines; g', i' and j' mark corresponding features on the lines; c', e' and f' such that g' and j' mark the maximum slope of the surface 1 and i' marks zero surface slope.

Figure 4 and Figure 5 show an embodiment of the present invention in which the surface I is in the form of a circular track supported on pillar 17 via gimbals 18 with two axes of freedom. The forces; Fl, F2, F3, F4 representing the energy input to the mechanism giving a vertical gyrator)' motion to the track 1. The freewheel 14, freewheel arm 15, bearing and position sensor 16 together comprise the freewheel assembly which provides a means of determining the instantaneous lowest point or zero slope of the surface 1. The point of instantaneous maximum slope will 90 degrees of phase or one quarter of a gyratory cycle behind the point of minimum slope. The point of instantaneous maximum slope being thus determined the generator wheel 2 position can be maintained at this point by means of the mechanical loading effect of the generator 6 electrical power output. Figure 4 and Figure 5 show the approximate relative radial displacements of the freewheel rotor axis and the generator wheel rotor axis.

The design of the freewheel assembly must consider the effects of angular momentum and frictional damping on its ability to accurately detemiine the position of surface 1 zero slope under all likely operational conditions.

In applications in which the mechanical energy applied the electrical generating mechanism is variable and subject to little or no control then other methods of determining the instantaneous optimum position of the generator wheel 2 on surface 1 might be used.

Figure 6 shows a general control arrangement such as might be used to measure various parameters of the electrical generating mechanism and relevant external parameters and from them compute the instantaneous electrical power to be extracted from the generator 6 to maintain the generator wheel 2 in its optimum position on the surface 1. Any specific implementation of the present invention might require either ---fewer or more parameters to be measured. The parameters shown in Figure 6 are; force measurements 20, surface attitude 21, generator wheel rotor angular position 22, generator power output 23, external parameters 24. The computing device 25 receives the parameter measurement signals and from them calculates the optimum position of the generator wheel 2 on surface I and generates a control signal 26. The electrical power output of generator 6 might be controlled by means of its magnetic field windings or by altering the impedance of the electrical load applied to the generator 6 the latter method being most appropriate in the case of a generator 6 with

a permanent magnet field.

The rotating mass of the generator wheel rotor will produce a centrifugal force on pivot 3. This force might in large part be counteracted by the arrangement shown in Figure 9 in which two systems are arranged around a central column 31 and operated in anti-phase. Electrical connections being made via the bearing, slip-ring, brush assembly 30. Figure 9 is numbered such that the anti-phase components are given the suffix a'.

Implementation of the present invention requires the application of established mechanical and electrical principles and techniques well known to those practiced in the relevant arts.

Claims

Claims I. An electricity generating mechanism comprising a surface 1, a wheel 2 coupled to a electrical generator 6 said wheel 2 and said electrical generator 6 being kept within the bounds of said surface 1 provision being made for the coupling of one or more forces to said surface 1 to effect a cyclical tilting or gyratory motion of said surface 1 about the horizontal plane.
2. An electricity generating mechanism according to claim I in which the instantaneous position for optimum power generation of wheel 2 on surface 1 is determined and wheel 2 is maintained in said position by adjusting the electrical power output of the electrical generator 6.
3. An electricity generating mechanism according to claim 2 in which the electrical power output of the electrical generator 6 is controlled by altering the current supplied to the field windings of generator 6.
4. An electricity generating mechanism according to claim 2 in which the electrical power output of generator 6 is controlled by altering the impedance of the electrical load presented to the electrical generator 6.
5. An electricity generating mechanism according to claim 2 in which the instantaneous position for optimum power generation of wheel 2 on surface I is determined with reference to the angular displacement between the rotational axis of a free-wheel 14 and the rotational axis of wheel 2.
6. An electricity generating mechanism according to claim 2 in which one or more parameters are measured and used to compute the instantaneous optimum position of wheel 2 on surface 1 and to generate a signal to control the electrical generator 6 power output and thus maintain the wheel at the instantaneous position on surface 1 for optimum power output.
7. An electricity generating mechanism according to any of the preceding claims in which the said wheel 2 is kept within the bounds of surface 1 by pivot 3, bearing 4 and arm 5.
8. An electricity generating mechanism according to any of the preceding claims in which the effective combined weight of wheel 2 and electrical generator 6 is increased by the addition of weight 7.
9. An electricity generating mechanism according to any of the preceding claims employing a plurality of wheels 2.