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
• • 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 invention relates to a method, as defined in the preamble of claim 1, and, to an apparatus as defined in the preamble of claim 7, for producing energy.
• the method and apparatus according to the invention will also be commonly referred to as the solution according to the invention.
• the invention utilizes a change of the volume of gas/air and the resulting difference of buoyancy in a liquid/water .
• US 2006/017292 A1 discloses a solution for producing energy by means of two floating bodies positioned in a liquid, by ad- justing the buoyancy of the floating bodies.
• this solution is much more complicated than the solution according to the present invention.
• the objective of the invention is to provide a method and an apparatus allowing clean and renewable energy to be produced, independently of conditions, such as weather conditions, space limitations, sunlight, hour of day, or other variables.
• the method according to the invention is characterized in what is set forth in the preamble of claim 1.
• the apparatus according to the invention is characterized in what is set forth in the preamble of claim 7.
• Other embodiments of the invention are characterized in what is set forth in the rest of the claims .
• the method according to the invention produces energy by means of two interconnected underwater movable bodies acting verti cally in a liquid, such as in water in a sea area.
• the movable bodies are connected to each other by some sort of transmission means, such as a braid similar to a wire rope, a rope, a strap or some other means suitable for the purpose.
• the transmission means serves for transmitting the kinetic energy of the movable bodies to an energy production apparatus connected between the movable bodies.
• the movable bodies mainly move in phase oppo sition to each other, restricted by the transmission means, and, therefore, are moved alternately up and down by buoyancy and gravity.
• the movement of up and down of the movable bodies is controlled by altering the buoyancy of the movable bodies, by adjusting the amount of a gas and liquid, such as air and water, flowing through valves provided therein.
• An advantage of the solution according to the invention is it allows energy to be produced in an environmentally friendly way. Another advantage is that the solution is not dependent on weather conditions, such as wind or sunlight. Another ad vantage is that the energy production apparatus can be placed underwater, such as undersea, far offshore, where it does not take up ground area or disturb the water area close to the shore. Neither does the apparatus cause disturbing noise, or any other, such as visual, disturbance to people. Another ad vantage is that the apparatus according to the invention can also be placed on dry land, in an old mine filled with water, or the like.
• Figure 1 is a schematic view of the apparatus according to the invention, in a direction change state
• FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the apparatus according to the invention, in an energy production state.
• FIG. 1 shows the apparatus according to the invention in a direction change state.
• the apparatus comprises two movable bodies 2, connected to each other by a transmission means 12, such as a rope, braid, strap or some other means suitable for the purpose.
• the transmission means 12 is adapted to transmit the kinetic energy of the movable bodies 2 to an energy pro duction apparatus 3, such as an electric generator.
• a compres sor 4 and a reverse pressure tank 4A are connected to the energy production apparatus 3.
• the reserve pressure tank 4A is adapted to be filled by the compressor 4 which is driven by the energy production apparatus 3.
• the compressor 4 can also be driven, or partly driven, by some other source of energy.
• the compressor 4 is also adapted to fill the reserve pressure tank 4A when the movable bodies 2 are not at their top dead centers.
• the compressor 4 is adapted to work as continuously as possible, filling the reserve pressure tank 4A.
• the movable bodies 2 are cu boid-shaped containers made out of standard sea containers, for example.
• the movable bodies 2 comprise pressure tanks 5 provided with pressure adjusting valves 10, internal spaces, i.e. buoyancy adjusting spaces 8 of the movable bodies, and buoyancy adjusting valves 6, 7 connected thereto.
• the movable bodies 2 are attached to a support structure 11 comprising vertical guides 11A adapted to guide the movable bodies as they move vertically up and down.
• the movable bodies alternate between a direction change state and an energy production state.
• the movable bodies are in the direction change state, the first and the second movable body being at their bottom and top dead centers, respectively.
• the buoyancy adjusting space 8 of the first movable body is filled with water and the pressure adjusting valve 10 is closed.
• the movable bodies 2 are substantially stationary for the du ration of the filling of the pressure tank of the movable body that is at its top dead center.
• the first movable body shifts from the direction change state to the energy production state when gas discharged through the pressure adjusting valve 10 displaces the liquid in the buoyancy adjusting space 8, inducing a sufficient buoyancy, and thereby, an upward movement, of the movable body.
• the valves 6, 7 of the second movable body are closed and the reserve pressure tank 4A is connected to the pressure tank 5 which is adapted to be filled with pressurized gas, such pressurized air, from the reserve pressure tank 4A.
• the pressure tank 5 is adapted to be filled with an amount of gas sufficient to lift the movable body 2 from its bottom dead center to its top dead center.
• the apparatus comprises measuring and controlling means for measuring the pressure of the gas contained in the pressure tank 5 and for controlling the amount filled therein.
• the apparatus is adapted to shift to the energy production state where the valves 6, 7 of the movable body 2 are adapted to open, and, thereby, to decrease the buoyancy of the movable body 2 by letting gas out of the buoyancy adjusting space 8, through the valve 7, and liquid for replacing it, into the buoyancy adjusting space 8 through the valve 6.
• the first movable body 2 is shifted, at its bottom dead center, into the energy production state by arranging the buoyancy adjusting space 8 to increase the buoy ancy of the movable body by letting gas out of the pressure tank into buoyancy adjusting space 8, through the pressure adjusting valve 10, and liquid out of the buoyancy adjusting space 8, through the valve 6.
• FIG 2 shows the apparatus according to the invention in the energy production state.
• the first movable body moves upwards while the second movable body moves downwards.
• the buoyancy of the movable bodies 2 is adapted to be adjustable by means of the amount of gas and water contained in the buoyancy adjusting spaces 8.
• liguid is discharged through the valve 6 provided at the bottom of the first movable body as the pressure tank 5 supplies gas into the buoyancy adjusting space 8 through the opened pressure tank valve 10. This increases the gas volume in the buoyancy adjusting space 8, resulting in an increase in the buoyancy as well.
• the second movable body loses its buoyancy, with the valves 6 and 7 provided therein opened and with liquid flowing into the buoyancy adjusting space 8 through the valve 6 and with gas flowing out of the buoyancy adjusting space through the valve 7.
• the transmission means 12 trans- mits the kinetic energy of the movable bodies to the energy production apparatus 3 which is an electric generator, a hy draulic pump, a compressor or some other apparatus suitable for the purpose, for example.
• the buoyancy adjusting space 8 of the second movable body which starts to move downwards, is adapted to be filled with liquid as rapidly as possible.
• the method according to the invention produces energy by al tering the buoyancy of the movable bodies 2 by means of the amount of gas and liquid contained in the buoyancy adjusting space, with the result that the movable bodies move vertically within the liquid, the kinetic energy generated by this movement then being recovered by the energy production apparatus.
• the method has two continuously alternating operating states, the direction change state where the movable body can be at its top dead center or its bottom dead center, and the energy production state where the movable body is moving either up or down. How ever, the movable bodies can stop while the direction change state and the energy production state are shifted.
• the movable body 2 As the movable body 2 is at its top dead center in the direction change state, its pressure tank 5 is supplied an amount of gas sufficient to fill the buoyancy adjusting space 8 with gas, with the movable body 2 at its top dead center.
• the gas is fed into the pressure tank 5 by the compressor 4 or from the reserve pressure tank 4A.
• shifting into the energy production state is carried out by opening the valves 6 and 7 in order to decrease the buoyancy of the movable body 2, and, thereafter, by filling the buoyancy adjusting space 8 with a liquid, such as water.
• the buoyancy of the movable body decreases and the movable body 2 sinks downwards and the transmission means 12 connected thereto transmits the kinetic energy gener ated by the sinking down of the movable body 2 to the energy production apparatus 3.
• the movable body 2 is shifted back into the direction change state where the valve 7 is closed.
• the movable body 2 is shifted from the direction change state back to the energy production state by increasing the buoyancy of the movable body 2 by means of a discharge of liquid from the buoyancy adjusting space 8.
• the liquid is discharged from the buoyancy adjusting space 8 through the valve 6 while the pressure tank 5 supplies gas, through the valve 10, to replace the discharged liquid.
• the increased gas volume in the buoyancy adjusting space 8 increases the buoyancy of the movable body 2 and causes the movable body 2 to move upwards, towards its top dead center. At the top dead center, the process of the movable body 2 restarts from the beginning and the pressure tank 5 is filled again with a suf ficient amount of gas, by the compressor 4 or from the reserve pressure tank 4A.
• the movable bodies 2 act independently but within limits set by the transmission means.
• the apparatus according to the invention may also com prise tensioning means for keeping the transmission means ten sioned enough.
• the tensioning means may be based on some sort of weight solution or spring solution.
• the liquid and gas used in the solution are water and gas, respectively, the apparatus being placed in the sea or some other body of water .
• the energy production apparatus 3 allows the speed of the downward movement of the movable body 2 to be controlled. For example, as the movable body 2 approaches its bottom dead center, its speed is lowered to stop the movable body at its dead center in a controlled manner, and thereby, to avoid stressing or damaging the structures of the apparatus.
• the movable body may have an open bottom, not requiring the disclosed valve, or the reserve pressure tank can be replaced by periodic use of the compressor.
• the movable body may be other than the disclosed cuboid shaped container.
• the movable body can be recti linear in shape in order not to create adverse currents in the liquid .
• the apparatus can be constructed elsewhere than in a body of water. The apparatus can be constructed on the ground or in a mine, for example, provided that the structures and requirements of the invention are met.

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• 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)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Citations (3)

• 2018
  • 2018-11-21 FI FI20185983A patent/FI128179B/fi active IP Right Grant
• 2019
  • 2019-11-15 WO PCT/FI2019/050815 patent/WO2020104725A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (3)

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