WO2017130176A1

WO2017130176A1 - A method of using gravity and advantage of density difference to make lift (elevator) work and a system thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2017130176A1
Application number: PCT/IB2017/050502
Authority: WO
Inventors: Govind B JOSHI
Original assignee: Joshi Govind B
Priority date: 2016-01-31
Filing date: 2017-01-31
Publication date: 2017-08-03

Abstract

The invention is in the field of elevators. The system consisting of an elevator car (3) having relatively lesser density with respect to the fluid (2) used in the elevator shaft (1) having smooth inner surface. The elevator car (3) has plurality of rings (6) that facilitates contact between shaft and car and at least one aperture (4) with valve (5) provided inside the car (3) or flow control area (15) can be provided outside the car (3). It also has safety stoppers (9) provided to arrest the motion of the car at each level.

Description

A method of using gravity and advantage of density difference to make Lift (Elevator) work and a system thereof

Field of invention:

[0001] This invention has wide and versatile application in fields which require vertical or inclined transportation such as multi floor buildings, industries etc.

Background of invention with regard to the drawback associated with known art:

[0002] Existing prior arts have pumps and motors which require lot of energy, and they consume energy during both downward and upward movement. Such prior arts are prone to accidents during power outages, they don t have speed flexibility i.e. speed is constant once the elevator is installed, and it is difficult to change the speed while the elevator is in motion.

Object of invention:

[0003] To operate the relative downward movement of elevator without requiring external energy and the relative upward movement with relatively lesser energy than the conventional elevator system.

[0004]To operate elevator car in a fluid medium, so as to gain the advantage of gravity and density difference, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the elevator system.

[0005] Also electricity can be generated by providing a dynamo, located at the aperture, or provided on suitable place on the system. Electricity thus generated can be stored in batteries or can be used directly for elevator lighting and door movements. This is an innovative way to harvest potential energy associated with the passengers or goods by virtue of their mass and height.

[0006] It is a customizable system, where the speed of the car can be controlled in real time, depending on the need; this is attained by changing the program in the speed control circuit provided. [0007] The system operates using gravity, which is absolutely free from pollution hence it has a positive impact on the environment and also creates social and economic value.

Statement of Invention:

[0008] The flexible elevator system; operates in the fluid medium to get advantage of gravity and density difference, by making car s density less than that of the fluid. By providing a plurality of ring strips on the car, the system is designed to make it easy for loading and unloading of car. This system can also be automated and speed of the car can be varied to the required value at required point in time by employing program circuit which synchronizes mechatronically operated flow control valve and speed of the car.

A summary of the invention:

[0009] This system consists of elevator shaft which is filled with the fluid, elevator car slides inside either vertically or at an inclination. And this car consists of at least one aperture at the axis or at any other location on the car. The fluid in the shaft rushes through this aperture, when the car is moved relatively up or relatively down. When the car is in relatively downward motion, the fluid in the shaft below the car rushes through the aperture and collected at the top of the car and vice versa. Sliding motion of car inside the shaft is guided by a plurality of rings or circular strips, which are fixed at multiple locations on the periphery of the car, ideally one at the top of the car and other one at the bottom. Also sliding motion of car inside the shaft can be guided by various general means. A flow control valve is fitted at this aperture to control the speed of the car.

Elevator has motion in two directions, relatively downward and relatively upward:

[00010] The car is relatively at a higher position at start, at this position the car is empty and the density of the car is relatively less than that of the fluid.

[00011] Now, the shaft door opens followed by the car door which is aligned/designed in such a way that fluid doesn t enter the car, this facilitates the ingress and exit from the car. Later on loading the car, the door is closed.

[00012] The car is now loaded, which increases the density of the car to be more than that of the fluid. [00013] The car begins to slide relatively downwards slowly and thereby picking up speed; we can maintain the constant speed of car at around 1.5 m/s (above which humans experience free fall) or as required.

[00014] Here the amount of fluid flowing through the aperture is directly proportional to rate of descent of the car. Higher the rate of flow of the fluid through the aperture, higher will be the speed of the car. Therefore we can control the speed of car by controlling the flow rate which may be achieved by various means generally known.

[00015] The flow rate through the aperture can either be controlled by the passengers by a manually operated valve or an automated flow control valve.

[00016] The automated system is programmed such that, it intervenes to proportionately control the acceleration due to gravity and thereby achieves a constant required speed, or as programmed.

[00017] When the car descends, the passengers exit the car, or the goods are unloaded.

[00018] Once the car is empty, its density is lesser than that of the fluid, hence moves upward without consuming any energy from an external source. Also if the car is loaded to a limit whereby the density of the car is less than that of the fluid, it would still ascend upwards without consuming any energy from an external source.

[00019] If the car is loaded to full capacity, then conventional rope drives are used to bring the car up, but unlike conventional means this system would consume comparatively lesser energy owing to the inherent buoyancy because of the fluid contained in the shaft. Also volume of the loaded car shall be increased by pneumatic or spring arrangements or by various general means, when the car is in relatively downward position, so as to make the density of the car decrease than that of the fluid, which bring the car up without consuming any energy from the external source. Car shall be provided with some vent arrangements to compensate the pressure inside the car.

[00020] When the car is at rest, the valve is fully closed and additional safety mechanisms are employed to arrest the motion and stabilize the car so as to enable ease of entry and exit.

Scope of the invention:

[00021] The present invention can be used as an economical alternative in places where conventional elevators are being used.

[00022] It can be used in multi floor buildings, industries, etc.

[00023] It is best suited for places where more numbers of passengers use it at a given point of time. Description of drawings:

[00024] Figure 1 shows program circuit for maintaining required speed of the car. Figure 2 shows the vertical section of the system when door is open and shows corresponding stopper position, which arrest the motion of the car by stopper engaging with the shaft wall. Figure 3 shows Top view of the system when door is at open position. Figure 4 shows vertical section view of the system when door is closed and shows corresponding stopper position, which has no contact with the shaft wall. Figure 5 shows top view of the system when door is closed and respective stoppers position.

Alternative designs:

[00025] Figure 6 shows design of the system having aperture located not at the center and having safety wall, corresponding top view and vertical section view is shown.

[00026] Figure 7 shows the design of the system having no gap between the car door and the shaft door for the safety purpose, corresponding top view and vertical section view is shown.

[00027] Figure 8 shows the design of the system having no aperture on the car but flow control area is provided outside the car for controlling the speed. And this design has no gap between the car door and shaft door for the safety purpose, corresponding top view and vertical section is shown.

[00028] Figure 9 shows the design of the system having polygonal shape. And this design has no gap between the car door and the shaft door, corresponding top view and vertical section is shown.

[00029] Figure 10 shows the design of the system having polygonal shape and no aperture on the car but flow control area is made outside the car for controlling the speed and having no gap between the car door and the shaft door, corresponding top view and vertical section is shown.

Reference Numeral:

[00030] 1 is shaft, 2 is fluid, 3 is car, 4 is aperture, 5 is valve, 6 is ring, 7 is shaft door, 8 is car door, 9 is stopper, 10 is safety valve, 11 is platform, 12 is shaft door position slot, 13 is car door position slot, 14 is tank, 15 is flow control area, 16 is safety wall provided, 17 is door for safety wall. A brief description of the accompanying drawing:

[00031] This system consists of hallow shaft (1) which contains fluid (2) and is open at the top and is closed at the bottom. This elevator shaft (1) can be made of any such material which can withstand pressure of fluid (2) inside it, but inner surface of the shaft (1) is made very smooth to facilitate the easy movement of car (3) inside it.

[00032] This car (3) slides inside the shaft (1) relatively upward and relatively downward. The car (3) is enclosed cavity, provided with at least one pass through aperture (4) at the center of the car (3) or at any other location, to make the fluid pass through the car (3), while car (3) ascends or descends. This aperture (4) on the car (3) is shown in figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9.

[00033] Also flow control area (15) can be provided outside the car (3). This flow control area (15) functions as same as that of the aperture (4) on the car (3). This flow control area (15) outside the car (3) is shown in fig 8 and fig 10.

[00034] Valve (5) is fitted to the aperture (4) to control speed of the car (3), this valve

(5) may be simple flow control valve which may be operated by the passengers manually inside the car (3) to control the speed of the car.

[00035] Also valve (5) may be mechatronically operated flow control valve which has connection with the program circuit (fig 1) which controls the flow rate through the aperture (4) automatically by taking speed of the car (3) as the input and thereby bringing the speed of the car (3) automatically to a required value.

[00036] Flow controlling is done in the flow control area (15) by valve (5), or by plate arrangements or any other means commonly known.

[00037] A Ring (6) may be fixed on the outer surface of the car (3) and it is fixed at multiple points ideally near the top and at near the bottom. Ring (6) is strip just like a piston rings which serves as sliding contact with inside surface of the elevator shaft (1). And it serves as leak proof circumferential contact between car (3) and the elevator shaft

(1). Ring fixed on the car (3) is shown in figures 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. However in an alternate method the system may be designed without the use of such ring.

[00038] In alternative designs fig 7, fig8, fig9 and fig 10 the car door (8) and shaft door

(7) are placed such that there is no space in between them. In these cases rings or semi rings may be employed as there is no entry of fluid (2) between car door (8) and shaft door (7) as shown in these figures.

[00039] Leak proof doors are provided to the elevator shaft (1) known as shaft door (7) and to car wall known as car door (8) and these are of same height, they only open when they come in same alignment at the stop at different floors/platforms (11). The car door is provided between the rings (6) so that when the car door(8) and shaft door(7) come in same alignment there will be no fluid(2) between them. This car door position between the rings is shown in figures 2, 4 and 6.

[00040] And in alternative design fig 7, fig 8, fig 9, and fig 10 doors need not be between the rings.

[00041] Shaft (1) is provided with doors at each floor/platform (11). When car (3) comes to a stop the doors of shaft (1) and car (3) come in same alignment and then they open.

[00042] There is no fluid (2) between the car door (8) and shaft door(7), which facilitates ingress and exit of loads, this is achieved either by providing the car door(8) between the rings as shown in fig 2, fig4, fig6 or door surfaces in contact as in alternative designs fig 7, fig 8, fig 9, and fig 10.

[00043] Stoppers (9) are provided on outer car surface for the safety purpose, during loading and unloading period (at this period doors are open), these stoppers (9) extend and engage to the inner surface of the shaft (1), and when doors close stoppers (9) contract and disengage from the shaft (1).

[00044] Safety Valve (10) is provided below the elevator shaft (1), during unexpected breakages and accidents this safety valve (10) drains the entire fluid (2) while safety stoppers will lock in order to arrest the movement of the car (3), and later car (3) can be lifted by conventional rope or chain drives by unlocking the stoppers (9).

[00045] Aperture (4) need not necessarily be located at the center of the car (3), fig 6 shows the aperture (4) enclosed in the car wall. And at least one aperture (4) is necessary and plurality of apertures (4) can be provided. And also fig 6 shows safety wall (16) which is provided as backup safety for doors.

[00046] And if flow control area (15) is provided outside the car (3) as shown in fig 8 and figlO. Aperture (4) is need not necessary, since flow control area (15) has same function of the aperture (4).

[00047] Shape of the shaft (1) and car (3) may not necessarily be circular shape, it can be made any shape such as rectangular, square or any polygon or even irregular shape as required. Detailed description of the invention with reference to drawing/examples:

[00048] When the car (3) is at the top position, shaft door (7) opens followed by the car door (8), the position of door in open state is shown in fig (2 and 3), and car is loaded to increase the density to be greater than that of the fluid, else car is loaded with extra raw weight, and the doors close, this position of door in closed state is shown in figures 4 and 5. When door closes, the safety stoppers (9) contract and disengage from the shaft (1), and then car (3) slides down, and the speed of the car is controlled by the valve (5) incorporated. If valve (5) is simple flow control valve, passenger inside the car (3) may operate the valve (5) to control the speed. If Mechatronically operated flow control valve is used it maintains the required speed automatically, required speed can be obtained by changing circuit program (1).

[00049] And when car (3) comes downward at lower level or floor, car (3) comes to rest position by closing the valve fully and then stoppers (9) expand and engages with the shaft (1) wall which provides additional safety for rest position. Then doors open and car is unloaded.

[00050] If the car (3) is loaded such that density of the car (3) is not more than that of the fluid (2) then car (3) would still ascend up by itself without requiring extra energy, due to buoyancy force.

[00051] If the car (3) is loaded so as to increase the density of the car (3) to be more than that of the fluid (2), then conventional rope drives are used to bring the car up, this requires less energy than that of the conventional elevator system because of the inherent buoyancy in fluid (2) contained in the shaft (1). When lifting is done with the conventional rope drives, valve (5) is at fully open position.

[00052] In alternative designs fig 7, fig 8, fig 9 and fig 10 the car door (8) and the shaft door (7) are placed such that there is no space between them for the safety purpose. This can be done by using surface tension, magnetic force or by any other means generally known. And additional safety may be given for this purpose.

Claims

I Claim:

1. The system consisting of car (3) having relatively lesser density with respect to the fluid (2) used, elevator shaft (1) having smooth inner surface is filled with the fluid, and plurality of rings (6) that facilitates contact between shaft and car, at least one aperture (4) provided at either the center of the car (3), or any other place on the car (3), or flow control area (15) can be provided outside the car (3) which functions same as that of aperture (4). At least one valve (5) is fitted to the aperture (4), car door (8) and shaft door (7) used to facilitate loading and unloading of the car (3), Safety stoppers (9) provided to arrest the motion of the car during loading and unloading, safety valve (10) is present at the bottom of the shaft (1).

2. Mechanism of sliding movement of the car (3) inside the shaft (1) by employing the rings (6) on the car (3) to make multiple proximity line contacts, ideally two line approaching contacts as shown in fig 2, fig 4 and fig 6. Or mechanism of sliding moment as shown in fig 7, fig 8, fig 9 and fig 10 by making contact of car surface to the shaft surface such that there is no space in between car door (8) and shaft door (7), using surface tension or magnetic force or by rails or generally known means as shown in fig 7, fig 8, fig 9 and fig 10.

3. The provision for loading and unloading the car (3) either by employing rings by creating the no fluid area between the car door (8) and shaft door (7) as shown in fig 2, fig 4 and fig 6 or by providing no gap between the car door (8) and shaft door (7) as shown in fig 7, fig 8, fig 9 and fig 10.

4. Controlling the speed of the car (3) may be done manually by the passengers inside the car (3), by operating a manual flow control valve.

5. Also the feasibility of automating the speed control of car (3) by employing electro mechanical circuit programming fig (1), which controls the speed of the car (3) to a required value based on the program.

6. The car (3) speed controlling circuit comprises of:

• Circuit program which conveys the speed sensor output to required valve position to bring required speed in time.

• Speed sensor giving electrical output so that it can be read by the program.

• Valve (5) to control rate of flow based on the program. Figure (1) shows program circuit (flow chart) to regulate speed (At instant to maintain 1.5 m/s)

7. Generating electric power by fitting the dynamo to the aperture (4) so that fluid

(2) flowing in the opening rotates the dynamo or turbine to generate electricity.

8. Applying the raw weight to the car (3) from above, when the car (3) is not sufficiently loaded for its relative downward motion.

9. Lifting the car (3) by conventional rope or chain drive when car (3) is unable to make upward motion by itself (i.e. when car (3) with load has density greater than that of fluid (2)).

10. Volume of the loaded car (3) shall be increased by pneumatic or spring arrangements or by various general means, when the car (3) is in relatively downward position, so as to makes the density of the car (3) decrease than that of the fluid, thereby bringing the car (3) up without consuming any energy from the external source. Car (3) shall be provided with some vent arrangements to compensate the pressure inside the car

(3) .