WO2007141387A1 - A method and apparatus for producing electrical energy - Google Patents

A method and apparatus for producing electrical energy Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2007141387A1
WO2007141387A1 PCT/FI2007/050326 FI2007050326W WO2007141387A1 WO 2007141387 A1 WO2007141387 A1 WO 2007141387A1 FI 2007050326 W FI2007050326 W FI 2007050326W WO 2007141387 A1 WO2007141387 A1 WO 2007141387A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
vessel
inner vessel
outer vessel
electric generator
indirectly
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/FI2007/050326
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Matti HAUTAMÄKI
Original Assignee
Hautamaeki Matti
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Hautamaeki Matti filed Critical Hautamaeki Matti
Publication of WO2007141387A1 publication Critical patent/WO2007141387A1/en

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03B—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS
    • F03B17/00—Other machines or engines
    • F03B17/02—Other machines or engines using hydrostatic thrust
    • F03B17/025—Other machines or engines using hydrostatic thrust and reciprocating motion
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03B—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS
    • F03B17/00—Other machines or engines
    • F03B17/02—Other machines or engines using hydrostatic thrust
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03G—SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS; MECHANICAL-POWER PRODUCING DEVICES OR MECHANISMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR OR USING ENERGY SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03G3/00—Other motors, e.g. gravity or inertia motors
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/20—Hydro energy

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for producing electrical energy, by using in the apparatus and in the method a liquid, such as water, and movable vessels.
  • Prior art includes numerous different apparatuses for producing electrical energy by means of a liquid, such as water, that is flowing and/or under pressure.
  • a liquid such as water
  • the kinetic energy of flowing water is converted into the rotational energy of a rotor, which is further converted into electricity with a generator.
  • the purpose of the present invention is to disclose a method and an apparatus applicable to the method, with which electricity can be generated with a high efficiency ratio.
  • the apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that the apparatus contains an outer vessel that moves in an essentially vertical direction and an inner vessel, and in that the space between the outer vessel and the inner vessel, dividable with an isolating element, is filled fully or partially with a liquid, and in that a pretensioning element is connected directly or indirectly to the inner vessel and at least one hoisting element is connected to the outer vessel with a connecting element, and in that at least one electric generator for generating electric current is connected directly or indirectly to the outer vessel.
  • the apparatus according to the invention is also characterized by what is disclosed in claims 2 - 8.
  • the apparatus of the invention contains two vessels, one of which is inside the other.
  • the outer vessel 1 is open at its top and the inner vessel 2 inside it is smaller in volume than the outer vessel (smaller than the outer vessel by e.g. 2 cm in height and 2 cm in diameter).
  • the inner vessel is a closed reservoir, but it can if necessary also be open.
  • the bottom of the inner vessel is wider than its diameter such that the diameter of the bottom is of the same magnitude as the diameter of the outer vessel less e.g. 2 mm.
  • On the edges of the inner vessel are plate-like sealing pieces 3, which are provided with manually or electrically closable (motorized) shut-off valves 16 or similar isolating elements.
  • the edge of the bottom of the inner vessel is provided with sealing rings 15, which obstruct liquid, such as water, from passing through the valve 16 when the valve is in the closed position.
  • a piston pin 4 is installed in the centre point of the cover of the inner vessel, at the top end of which are sealing rings (piston rings not shown in the figure).
  • a pretensioning element 5 such as a spring or pressure hose or pressure line is installed above the vessels, the length of which allows movement of the vessel between the upper and the lower positions.
  • the piston cylinder is fixed to the upper edge of the outer vessel with a connecting element/connecting elements 11 , such as e.g. with tension bars or similar.
  • the connecting elements hold the lower end of the pressure hose in position with respect to the vessels.
  • the inner diameter of the pressure hose is the same as the inner diameter of the cylinder of the piston and the lower end of the hose is fixed to the cylinder of the piston.
  • the upper end 6 of the pressure hose is fixed in an airtight manner to unyielding ceiling 7 or a beam above the apparatus.
  • the outer vessel is suspended from a fixed ceiling 7 such that first the hoisting motors 8 are suspended from the ceiling with a cable and in connection with it the electric generators 9.
  • Hoisting motors 9 are fixed to the outer vessel with hoisting cables 10 such that in the hoisting phase of the apparatus, when the vessels are lifted, the vessels are raised with the hoisting motor and in the lowering phase said cables rotate electric generators.
  • the electricity produced by the electric generators is led onwards for use e.g. to the electricity network and in the hoisting phase of the hoisting motors the operating current is brought from outside the electricity network.
  • the space 12 between the outer vessel and the inner vessel is filled with water, in other words when the vessels are in the upper position, the shut-off (motorized) valves 16 on the edge of the bottom of the inner vessel are opened.
  • the water pressure between the bottoms of the vessels grows to the magnitude of the water column corresponding to the height of the vessel producing a force exerted downwards to the bottom of the outer vessel and a force of the same magnitude exerted upwards to the bottom of the inner vessel.
  • the upward force of the inner vessel is transmitted to the air space inside the pressure hose via the piston pin 4 in the cover of the vessel.
  • the tension bars 11 keep the lower end of the pressure hose 5 in its position.
  • the pressure inside the pressure hose grows to become as great as the force lifting the inner vessel. In this phase the force exerted on the piston and the downward force of the pressure hose cancel each other out, in which case the inner vessel remains in its position.
  • the vessels are hoisted to their upper positions with the hoisting motors 8 by means of an external electric current.
  • the usefulness of the apparatus according to the invention arises from the fact that the force exerted downwards as the vessels descend is many times more than the force needed to raise the vessels (without the weight of the vessels themselves), in which case electricity can be generated with a good efficiency ratio by means of an electric generator.
  • the hoisting motor can if necessary function also as an electric generator when the inner vessel and also the outer vessel descend.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Other Liquid Machine Or Engine Such As Wave Power Use (AREA)

Abstract

Method for producing electrical energy with an electric generator (9), in which method an outer vessel (1 ) that moves in an essentially vertical direction and an inner vessel (2) are used, and that the space (12) between the outer vessel and the inner vessel, dividable with an isolating element, is filled fully or partially with a liquid, and that a pretensioning element (5) is connected directly or indirectly to the inner vessel, and at least one hoisting element with which the outer and the inner vessel is raised is connected to the outer vessel with a connecting element (10), and that connected directly or indirectly to the outer vessel, is at least one electric generator capable of generating electricity for producing electric current, which produces electricity when the outer and inner vessel are lowered and/or raised. The invention also relates to an apparatus applicable to the method.

Description

A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ELECTRICAL ENERGY
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for producing electrical energy, by using in the apparatus and in the method a liquid, such as water, and movable vessels.
Prior art includes numerous different apparatuses for producing electrical energy by means of a liquid, such as water, that is flowing and/or under pressure. In water power plants the kinetic energy of flowing water is converted into the rotational energy of a rotor, which is further converted into electricity with a generator.
For example, in prior art pumping power station solutions, two water reservoirs at two different heights are connected with a pressure line. A functional pump is connected to the water turbine and to the generator by means of the same shaft. When there is little need for energy, water is pumped from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir. In this case the generator functions as the motor of the pump. Conversely, however, water can be led from the upper reservoir to the lower reservoir via turbines, in which case electricity can be generated by means of a generator connected to the turbine.
A weakness in prior art is the low efficiency ratio, because energy is consumed in pumping a large mass of water, and in other losses such as friction, etc.
The purpose of the present invention is to disclose a method and an apparatus applicable to the method, with which electricity can be generated with a high efficiency ratio.
The apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that the apparatus contains an outer vessel that moves in an essentially vertical direction and an inner vessel, and in that the space between the outer vessel and the inner vessel, dividable with an isolating element, is filled fully or partially with a liquid, and in that a pretensioning element is connected directly or indirectly to the inner vessel and at least one hoisting element is connected to the outer vessel with a connecting element, and in that at least one electric generator for generating electric current is connected directly or indirectly to the outer vessel.
The apparatus according to the invention is also characterized by what is disclosed in claims 2 - 8.
The method according to the invention is characterized by what is disclosed in claims 9 and 10, which describe the method.
In the following the invention will be described in more detail with the aid of the drawings 1 , 1 a and 1 b, in which Figs. 1a and 1 b are magnifications of the two points indicated in Fig. 1.
Thus the apparatus of the invention contains two vessels, one of which is inside the other.
The outer vessel 1 is open at its top and the inner vessel 2 inside it is smaller in volume than the outer vessel (smaller than the outer vessel by e.g. 2 cm in height and 2 cm in diameter). The inner vessel is a closed reservoir, but it can if necessary also be open.
The bottom of the inner vessel is wider than its diameter such that the diameter of the bottom is of the same magnitude as the diameter of the outer vessel less e.g. 2 mm. On the edges of the inner vessel are plate-like sealing pieces 3, which are provided with manually or electrically closable (motorized) shut-off valves 16 or similar isolating elements. The edge of the bottom of the inner vessel is provided with sealing rings 15, which obstruct liquid, such as water, from passing through the valve 16 when the valve is in the closed position.
A piston pin 4 is installed in the centre point of the cover of the inner vessel, at the top end of which are sealing rings (piston rings not shown in the figure).
A pretensioning element 5 such as a spring or pressure hose or pressure line is installed above the vessels, the length of which allows movement of the vessel between the upper and the lower positions. A piston cylinder 13, which with the pin in the inner vessel functions as a so- called "sliding piston appliance" maintaining pressure, is disposed on the lower end of the pressure hose or similar.
The piston cylinder is fixed to the upper edge of the outer vessel with a connecting element/connecting elements 11 , such as e.g. with tension bars or similar. The connecting elements hold the lower end of the pressure hose in position with respect to the vessels.
The inner diameter of the pressure hose is the same as the inner diameter of the cylinder of the piston and the lower end of the hose is fixed to the cylinder of the piston.
The upper end 6 of the pressure hose is fixed in an airtight manner to unyielding ceiling 7 or a beam above the apparatus.
The outer vessel is suspended from a fixed ceiling 7 such that first the hoisting motors 8 are suspended from the ceiling with a cable and in connection with it the electric generators 9.
Hoisting motors 9 are fixed to the outer vessel with hoisting cables 10 such that in the hoisting phase of the apparatus, when the vessels are lifted, the vessels are raised with the hoisting motor and in the lowering phase said cables rotate electric generators.
The electricity produced by the electric generators is led onwards for use e.g. to the electricity network and in the hoisting phase of the hoisting motors the operating current is brought from outside the electricity network.
In the method according to the invention, the space 12 between the outer vessel and the inner vessel is filled with water, in other words when the vessels are in the upper position, the shut-off (motorized) valves 16 on the edge of the bottom of the inner vessel are opened. In this stage the water pressure between the bottoms of the vessels grows to the magnitude of the water column corresponding to the height of the vessel producing a force exerted downwards to the bottom of the outer vessel and a force of the same magnitude exerted upwards to the bottom of the inner vessel.
The upward force of the inner vessel is transmitted to the air space inside the pressure hose via the piston pin 4 in the cover of the vessel. In the initial phase the tension bars 11 keep the lower end of the pressure hose 5 in its position.
The pressure inside the pressure hose grows to become as great as the force lifting the inner vessel. In this phase the force exerted on the piston and the downward force of the pressure hose cancel each other out, in which case the inner vessel remains in its position.
After this the vessels are allowed to descend under their own weight and under the influence of the force exerted on the bottom of the outer vessel for the distance permitted by the full length of the pressure hose.
As they descend the total force exerted downwards by the vessels rotates electric generators via the hoisting cables with the effect of the force, the distance and the time. The electrical energy thus produced is taken for practical application.
When the vessels have reached their lower position, the motorized valves 16 of the bottom flange of the inner vessel are closed.
In this case the pressure of the water column from the height of the side of the vessel is not exerted on the water mass between the bottoms of the vessels, but instead the force of the water mass exerted downwards is from the practical viewpoint only the weight of the water mass itself. Similarly the inner vessel no longer has lifting force.
As a consequence of this in this phase the force exerted downwards is in practice the mass of the vessels themselves plus the weight of the water mass.
After this the vessels are hoisted to their upper positions with the hoisting motors 8 by means of an external electric current. The usefulness of the apparatus according to the invention arises from the fact that the force exerted downwards as the vessels descend is many times more than the force needed to raise the vessels (without the weight of the vessels themselves), in which case electricity can be generated with a good efficiency ratio by means of an electric generator.
It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that the different embodiments of the invention are not either limited solely to the examples described above, and that they may for these reasons be varied within the scope of the claims presented below.
In the method according to the invention the hoisting motor can if necessary function also as an electric generator when the inner vessel and also the outer vessel descend.

Claims

1. Apparatus for producing electrical energy with an electric generator (9), characterized in that the apparatus contains an outer vessel (1) that moves in an essentially vertical direction and an inner vessel (2), and in that the space (12) between the outer vessel and the inner vessel, dividable with an isolating element (3), is filled fully or partially with a liquid, and in that a pretensioning element (5) is connected directly or indirectly to the inner vessel and at least one hoisting element (8), such as a hoisting motor, is connected to the outer vessel with a connecting element (10), and in that at least one electric generator (9) for generating electric current is connected directly or indirectly to the outer vessel.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that one or more pressure valves (14) are installed in the outer vessel.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the lifting element also functions as an electric generator.
4. Apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the outer vessel and the electric generator are connected with a cable or similar.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the outer vessel and the generator are connected with a rod, with a bar or with a piston.
6. Apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the isolating element is electrically operated or manually operated.
7. Apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the pretensioning element is a pressure hose or pressure line.
8. Apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the pretensioning element is a spring-like element.
9. Method for producing electrical energy with an electric generator (9) characterized in that in the method an outer vessel (1) that moves in an essentially vertical direction and an inner vessel (2) are used, and in that the space (12) between the outer vessel and the inner vessel, dividable with an isolating element, is filled fully or partially with a liquid, and in that a pretensioning element (5) is connected directly or indirectly to the inner vessel and at least one hoisting element with which the outer and the inner vessel is raised is connected to the outer vessel with a connecting element (10), and in that connected directly or indirectly to the outer vessel is at least one electric generator capable of generating electricity for producing electric current, which produces electricity when the outer and inner vessel is lowered and/or raised.
10. Method according to claim 9 for producing electrical energy with an electric generator, characterized in that the lifting element (8) also functions as an electric generator when the inner vessel and also the outer vessel descend.
PCT/FI2007/050326 2006-06-08 2007-06-05 A method and apparatus for producing electrical energy WO2007141387A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FI20060570 2006-06-08
FI20060570A FI120702B (en) 2006-06-08 2006-06-08 Method and apparatus for producing electric energy

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WO2007141387A1 true WO2007141387A1 (en) 2007-12-13

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Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2943101A1 (en) * 2009-03-11 2010-09-17 Eric Nollo Ecological system for producing energy, has float filling water when float is at high level while tank at high level vacuums contents in tank at low level so as to compensate weight of water in tank at low level at time of raising

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS55114884A (en) * 1979-02-26 1980-09-04 Kosaku Yamahashi Hydroelectric generating system with vertically movable tank
US4838025A (en) * 1988-01-20 1989-06-13 Marc Nelis Hydraulic motor with buoyant tubular members
WO1999058851A1 (en) * 1998-05-09 1999-11-18 Motoichi Suzuki Method of producing new energy, motive power apparatus for generating new energy and apparatus for producing new energy
US6803670B2 (en) * 2002-05-20 2004-10-12 Jean Victor Peloquin Method and apparatus for generating energy
WO2005073552A2 (en) * 2004-01-31 2005-08-11 Jong-In Kim Power generator using gravity and buoyancy

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS55114884A (en) * 1979-02-26 1980-09-04 Kosaku Yamahashi Hydroelectric generating system with vertically movable tank
US4838025A (en) * 1988-01-20 1989-06-13 Marc Nelis Hydraulic motor with buoyant tubular members
WO1999058851A1 (en) * 1998-05-09 1999-11-18 Motoichi Suzuki Method of producing new energy, motive power apparatus for generating new energy and apparatus for producing new energy
US6803670B2 (en) * 2002-05-20 2004-10-12 Jean Victor Peloquin Method and apparatus for generating energy
WO2005073552A2 (en) * 2004-01-31 2005-08-11 Jong-In Kim Power generator using gravity and buoyancy

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2943101A1 (en) * 2009-03-11 2010-09-17 Eric Nollo Ecological system for producing energy, has float filling water when float is at high level while tank at high level vacuums contents in tank at low level so as to compensate weight of water in tank at low level at time of raising

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FI20060570A (en) 2007-12-09
FI20060570A0 (en) 2006-06-08
FI120702B (en) 2010-01-29

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