WO2023237720A1 - Methods and devices for producing electricity by the action of liquid pistons in electricity-generating tanks - Google Patents

Abstract

Liquid pistons are currently used for compressed gas energy storage, not for energy production. According to the invention, the penetration or withdrawal, due to hydraulic pressure, of the liquid pistons of tanks descending and rising in the marine environment from upper and lower levels where the submerged weight of the tanks is made zero increases at an accelerated speed: the greater the absolute value of the submerged weight, the faster the tanks either descend or rise. This phenomenon generates electrical energy obtained by braking the acceleration of the movement of the tanks, which are thus qualified as electricity generators. These tanks are filled with lighter air at the top and are naturally held in a vertical position to form chain links. Marine power plants are made up of these chains, which form vertical cages that can, in a horizontal position, be built and moved to their production site. The production of electricity by these marine power plants should make it possible to increase the share of renewable, green and steady energy sources in global energy production.

Description

ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION PROCESSES AND DEVICES

BY THE ACTION OF THE LIQUID PISTONS OF ELECTROGEN TANKS

We tried to use Archimedes' thrust to create energy in immersion.

US patent 3,934,964 A, filed in 1976, describes tanks equipped with rigid, non-liquid pistons, which allow air to be stored to cause half of them to rise and less air in the piston. the other half to cause their descent.

In patent GB 2,430,471 A, filed in 2007, closed tanks have their volumes modified by hydraulic means; in the lower part their volumes are increased to make them rise under the action of Archimedes' thrust and drive a cable which turns a generator

Patent WO 2011/061391 Al describes three closed tanks whose oscillation or rotation movement around a horizontal axis produced by a difference in weight and lever arm obtained by rigid, and not liquid, pistons in movement.

Patent 2014/170723 Al describes gravitational energy created by closed tanks divided into two parts by a membrane, one of which is filled with light gas, the other with heavy liquid, so as to make them alternately heavier and less heavy than the liquid in which they are immersed and to make them alternately go down and up.

None of these patents has to date had an industrial application.

In fact the main source of energy which can be envisaged with this type of device lies in the property of the liquid pistons imprisoned in tanks, qualified as electrogenic, which accelerate them in descent as well as in ascent with increases and decreases in submerged weight in descent and ascent.

This patent exploits this phenomenon.

A general process for producing electricity by an submerged compressed gas tank, called an electrogenerator, whose closed upper part contains said gas and the lower part is open to the liquid in which it is immersed is based on the variation of the submerged weight of this compressed gas tank directly by the liquid in which it is immersed, the part of the liquid inside the tank being qualified as a liquid piston and the compression at a depth between two upper and lower levels being equal to the hydraulic pressure existing at this depth.The volume of gas, measured by a device of the level sensor type of the surface of the liquid piston, practically determines the submerged volume of the generator tank, the walls of which have a very small thickness due to the fact that said hydraulic pressure also reigns inside them. than on their exterior.

An electrogenerating tank containing a liquid piston, whose volume of gas compressed at the hydraulic pressure which prevails at these upper and lower levels is the same, experiences at these depths the same Archimedean thrust,

Thus the difference in mass of this same volume of differently compressed gas has no significant impact on the submerged weight of the tank at these upper and lower levels due to the fact that the density of the gas, even compressed, is very low compared to to that of the liquid in which the reservoir is submerged and the submerged weight of said tank containing a liquid piston is practically the same at the upper and lower levels when the liquid piston compresses the same volume of gas

This results in a mode of producing energy by an electrogenerating tank, containing a liquid piston in these action positions, this same volume of gas being obtained by a position of the liquid piston, called flotation, making it possible to cancel the submerged weight of the generator tank at said upper and lower depths, and two volumes of gas, one at the upper depth corresponding to a depression of the liquid piston greater than that of the flotation, the other at the lower depth corresponding to a sinking lower than that of the flotation respectively makes the reservoir heavier than the liquid at the upper depth and lighter than the liquid at the lower depth. The submerged weights thus made either positive or negative drive the tanks either downward or upward thus making them active,

The more a said generator tank goes down and the more it rises, the more the level of the liquid piston rises and falls, leading to an increase and a decrease in the submerged weight of the generator tank: these growth and decreases cause an increase in the speed in descent as well as in climb and the maintenance of these descent and ascent speeds at a fixed speed, called cruising speed, results in a net engine braking which takes into account the opposing forces necessary to overcome the drag forces of the tanks in their cruising speed and is exerted by an electricity generator, of the power modulation motor-generator type, whose rotation is driven by the translation of the tanks like a pinion is driven by a rack.

To make the generator tank active when descending, its low level must be raised by evacuating gas and raising the piston to the level corresponding to its depression, which is higher than the waterline, while to make the generator tank active when rising, its level top must be lowered by injection of compressed gas and descent of the piston to the level corresponding to its depth below the waterline.

Only the gas injection requires an energy input, which means that the generator produces electrical energy on the descent as well as on the rise of the generator tank and consumes the electrical energy necessary to carry out the injection of compressed gas to make it active. up the generator tank. But if the injection of gas consumes energy, its evacuation can produce energy by driving a gas turbine.

This is provided for in the patent which claims a process for producing electricity by a generator tank conforming to the general process which is characterized by the production of energy by the evacuation of compressed gas making it possible to make the generator tank active in descent. .

The reduction in the volume of compressed gas caused by this evacuation represents for the reservoirs a loss of energy in compressed gas and this energy is recovered in the form of kinetic energy by devices of the gas turbine type which gas turbines produce electrical energy which makes it possible to increase the production of electrical energy by the generator.

To return to liquid pistons, always having a certain volume of compressed gas in its upper part, this has a lower submerged weight than its lower part and thus the submerged tanks containing Liquid pistons are easily held in vertical positions essential for proper operation of the liquid pistons.

Thus the generator tanks are intended to constitute chains in which they maintain a vertical position both in the vertical parts and in the horizontal and oblique parts.

Hence the following methods and devices which are claimed by the present patent in accordance with the two preceding methods.

A method of producing electricity by electrogenerating tanks, using the two previous processes, provides for a continuous movement in a determined direction in the cruising speed of electrogenerating reservoirs is characterized by, beyond the upper and lower levels the electrogenerating reservoirs which have reached these levels in ascent and descent drive pulleys by axes which guide the continuation of their movements at constant rotational speeds determined by the cruising speed.

During these pursuits, gas is evacuated and injected into the liquid pistons, causing them to rise and fall, and at the end of said pursuits, the generator tanks, guided by the pulleys, reach the upper and lower levels from which they begin their descent. and rise and thus the movements are made continuous.

These pulleys are permanently driven by at least one of the axes and have on their periphery either two diametrically opposite locations reserved for the axes or more than two locations regularly distributed around the periphery and at least one of the pulleys is braked by a generator. electricity whose production is generated by all the net engine brakes of the reservoirs in action between the upper and lower levels.

The axes of the generator tanks are connected by links of the same length allowing them to occupy regularly distributed locations on the pulleys, links of reduced length reduced to allow a maximum number of tanks between the upper and lower levels while reserving, between tanks , sufficient space to allow the passage of the liquid which fills and empties the pistons.

The pulleys, fitted with N locations, have their diameter imposed by a circumference of N times the connection length.

And, as for the axes of the generator tanks, they have, in the height of the tanks, a position greater than that of their center of gravity empty of gas which allows the upper part of the tanks to have a submerged weight lower than that of their lower part, a difference accentuated by the Archimedean thrust after introduction of gas. Thus, free rotation around their axes of the generator tanks makes it possible to permanently restore their vertical orientation, an essential condition for the proper functioning of their liquid pistons.

For these processes to be easily implemented it was necessary to find simple ways to fill and empty the generator tanks with gas.

This is what is obtained by the patent with electricity production devices allowing both the driving of high and low twin pulleys and the evacuation and injection of gas from the tanks electrogeners, the drive axes of the pulleys being made up of cylindrical rings qualified as drive.

These drive rings are connected to each other by chain type connections called connections, the ends of which are provided with rings for fixing to the drive rings which do not hinder their rotation and that of the tanks.

This driving of the pulleys by the rings is achieved by blocking them in drive notches cut in the pulleys in the locations reserved for the axes of the generator tanks.

The gas compressed by the liquid pistons is evacuated from above the level of said liquid pistons and is injected there through at least one chimney conduit internal to the generator tanks.

After passing through at least one of the drive rings, the gas circulates inside conduits described as branches equipping at least one high and low pulley, one of the two high twin pulleys not being equipped with said branches and having a solid axis, in place of a ring, which is braked by a device driven in rotation by the electricity generator. and the connection between the tanks and the upper and lower pulley branches being made watertight by the movement of a sealing device of the sealing ring type which ensures sealing during the relative tank-pulley movement.

Valves of the motorized valve type, connection driven by electromagnets, which equip some of the drive rings, others the upper and lower pulley branches, and ensure the closure of the gas outlet and inlet, are plated together against the others by a piston effect while maintaining tightness.

Special arrangements of the preceding devices allow the circulation of gas by ensuring a connection between the sealing rings and the connection valves.

This connection consists in that, before connection, a sealing ring ensures both the seal between a first connection valve and either a tank drive ring or a pulley branch with which the connection is made, in that, before connection, a second connection valve, pressed against the first, and the sealing ring, ensures sealing with either a pulley branch or a drive ring, its diameter thus being greater than that of the first valve of the thickness of the sealing ring, in that, when connected, the first valve drives the sealing ring using hook-type devices until the latter ensures the sealing between the drive rings and pulley branches, in that the connection valves then move away from the ring to allow the circulation of the gas, and in that, at the end of connection, the second connection valve drives by push the sealing ring until the valves and rings return to their positions occupied before connection, the second connection valve ensuring the sealing of either a pulley branch or a drive ring in place of the ring sealing... Particular devices, described in this patent, allow the implementation of the preceding devices to ensure the circulation of gas.

The first are pressure contacts which equip all the drive slots of the high and low pulleys; they are made active by the locking of the drive rings in these notches. These contacts control the removal of water from the tank-pulley branch connection by the sealing rings followed by the initiation of gas circulation.

The second devices, allowing the implementation of the previous devices to ensure the circulation of gas, are level sensors with which the upper parts of the interiors of said generator tanks are equipped.

These sensors control the interruption of the gas circulation, which begins with its initiation, continues and ends with the return to the initial position of the connection valves, when the liquid piston levels corresponding to the depressions above and below the waterline.

The gas circulation is interrupted after a period which depends on the gas flow and before the removal of the sealing rings allowing the immersion of the tank connecting walls and pulley ring; this gas circulation rate makes it possible to maintain, after its interruption, a margin of time before the fixing rings leave their notches.

The circulation of gas being thus ensured, started and stopped by these devices, it is necessary to provide devices allowing their electrical supply.

Knowing that this is done by electrical cables from the surface electrical installations, these are dry connected to the equipment of the pulley branches by sliding circular contacts which ensure sliding contacts throughout the relative movements tank-pulley contacts dried out by the circulation of gas.

Furthermore, the electrical connection between tank and pulley can only be easily maintained if the pressure is low, which is not the case in the lower pulley branches which, connected to the hydraulic pressure tanks at the lower level, require very important equipment. Also the following choice was made: supply of the tanks by electrical connections with only the upper pulleys and permanent electrical connection of the electrogenerating tanks with each other. The electrical connection devices are provided for by said patent taking this choice into account. To take into account the first part of this choice, the electrical supply by a high pulley of the tanks to which it is connected is done from the surface electrical installations by electrical cables connected dry to the pulley branches by sliding circular contacts which ensure sliding contacts throughout the relative tank-pulley movements, contacts dried out by the circulation of gas.

The electrical supply to the connected generator tank is carried out dry by electrical connection mechanisms, which equip each of the said branches with the single upper pulley, consisting of telescopic circular arms driven by an electric motor which move a male plug of electric cable supply through the passages left free by the opening of said valves connection and bring them into contact with the female sockets arranged in the drive rings of the connected tanks, the female sockets being made up of conductive half-crowns which also ensure sliding contacts throughout the relative tank-pulley movements, contacts also dried by gas circulation.

The electrical supply is established in a tank at the end of an initial period, including those of removing the water and starting the gas circulation to which is added that of the electrical connection.

During the duration of gas circulation; a previous tank, preceding in its movement the electrically connected tank must be located at the same time at a distance during which it is electrically connected, at which distance is the previous tank which is not yet disconnected due to the fact that this distance is less than the electrical connection limit distance.

This electrical connection limit distance is limited by the position of the electrical disconnection from the tank at the limit of gas circulation; a distance less than the limit distance, allowing a continuous electrical supply, is obtained when blocking the previous tank blocked in a notch of a pulley having at least four notches, the position of the previous tank on a pulley having three and two notches exceeding the limit position.

In summary, the continuous electrical supply is ensured first by the tank preceding the connected tank as long as the latter is electrically connected, then by the connected tank and its previous tank as long as the latter does not exceed the limit position, then by the only connected tank until the next tank, which follows it in its movement, is electrically connected by the next tank once electrically connected and by the connected tank until it reaches the limit position and finally, during its electrical connection, by the next tank alone after the connected tank has exceeded the limit position.

And, to take into account the second part of the choice mentioned above, the electrical supply to all the tanks is obtained by connecting the generator tanks to each other by electrical cables following the connection chains.

And thus the connection valves, sockets and level sensors are permanently electrically supplied not only to said connected tanks but also to all the others.

Some of the preceding devices, intended for the production of energy, are also well suited to their maintenance during shutdowns of this production.

From a freight elevator which serves the upper and lower common volumes to the branches of the upper and lower pulleys dry inside a sealed cage resistant to hydraulic pressure, the connection with these common volumes is carried out by volumes constituting landings, of which said cage is isolated by motorized sealed landing doors;

The gas evacuation and injection ducts open onto these bearings through motorized aeraulic valves and the bearings are isolated from the common volumes by motorized access valves.

The connection between the fixed bearings and the common rotating volumes with said pulleys which they equip is obtained by circular conduits, which extend them beyond the access valves, fitted with circular seals ensuring the tightness of the connection. Thus, from two bearings, dry maintenance of the equipment of the generator tanks and the pulleys that they drive is ensured using the freight elevator, its equipment and that of the branches of the pulleys inside the bearings.

The use of the freight elevator and its equipment in operation and during maintenance is defined as follows.

The freight elevator and its equipment are permanently supplied with electrical energy from the surface electrical installations by electrical cables.

In addition to the power supplies for the branch and tank equipment, those, in the upper and lower part, are the access doors, the aeraulic valves and the access valves.

During the movement of the tanks and the production of the cage of electrogenerating tanks, the landing doors are closed while the aeraulic valves and the access valves are open, the bearings are constantly in connection with at least one connected tank and are respectively to the hydraulic pressures prevailing at the upper and lower levels.

To allow maintenance at low pressure, during this the connection valves of the drive rings of the generator tanks connected to said lower pulley remain pressed against their sealing rings, thus placing the branches of the lower pulley at the same time. Sheltered from hydraulic pressure at the lower level, maintenance of the generator tanks being ensured only from the branches of the high pulley.

Maintenance is carried out during shutdowns when the connected tanks occupy the positions on the pulleys corresponding to the excess connection and disconnection duration during which the maximum number of tanks are connected and the number of these stops is equal to the number total generator tanks divided by the number of tanks connected and disconnected simultaneously.

Thus the maintenance of all said generator tanks and their electrical supply is carried out during all of these shutdowns, that of the upper and lower pulley equipment and their electrical supply during two of them and that of the bearings of the freight elevator, their equipment and their power supply during one of them.

It is also provided in the previous patent a process conforming to the previous ones and using the devices previously described which makes it possible to standardize the electricity production of the cages of electrogenerating tanks during the movement of these.

Even if the simultaneous operation of several power plant cages makes it possible to smooth their electricity production, it is good to research the composition of the cages allowing smoothing at the level of each power plant cage.

It can be seen that stopping the electricity production of a generator tank at the end of the rise causes a variation in the production of all the tanks in the cage concerned and that, when this stoppage occurs simultaneously with a stoppage of the electricity production of a generator tank at the end of the descent an additional variation in the production of all the tanks of a power plant cage is recorded, whereas, conversely, if no said simultaneous shutdown n intervenes, the downhill production on the contrary records a reduction in this variation. The second solution therefore promotes constant production, the conditions of this second solution being that the number, greater than two, of drive notches of said high and low pulleys of a power station cage as well as the number of its called reservoirs.

Other solutions are possible with offset of the rotations of said high and low pulleys, in particular a third, with an even number, greater than two, of drive notches per pulley and an odd number of generator tanks and, a fourth, with a odd number, greater than two, of pulley drive notches and odd number of generator tanks, but, among these other solutions, only the third favors constant production

The liquid pistons, naturally maintained in a vertical position, constitute, when filled with gas close to the surface of the waves, floats useful for the flotation of power plant cages during their launching, their movement towards their location and implementation.

A method of producing electricity using the preceding methods and devices provides that the construction of the power plant cages in a horizontal position is done with the generator tanks which constitute them are in vertical positions, perpendicular to the horizontal position of their cages.

The immersion of the power plant cages is done in their horizontal positions, the air trapped in the generator tanks in vertical positions causing the flotation of the power plant cages which allow their movement, either individually or grouped after connection to other cages intended for constitute the same submerged power station, up to the place fixed for their immersions.

The implementation at their location of the power plant cages, either isolated or grouped together, is done by emptying the gas and filling with water the tanks which are placed on the side of the bases of the power plant cages; the reduction of the Archimedean thrust in reservoirs where the water rises causes a sinking of the bases causing a tilting of the cages from the horizontal position to a vertical floating position.

This tilting is followed by vertical immersion of the power plant cages by draining gas and filling with water from the generator tanks constituting these power plant cages.

And this vertical immersion continues either until reaching bottoms allowing the seating of these cages and the power plant that they form, or, on shallow waters, until resting on a floating structure allowing the seating of a submerged power plant.

A process complementing the previous one allows both the vertical drive of the generating tanks in action and the resumption of the forces which they transmit to the main structures of the power plant cages when they are under construction and in movement.

To do this, guide type devices keep the tanks plumb thanks to their drive rings which remain in contact with them and secondary structures of the three-dimensional lattice type transfer the buoyancy and immersion caused by the tanks during their flotation and immersion.

The following description is given with reference to the appended drawings in which:

- Figures 1 and 2 represent sections on generator tanks and their liquid piston at the start of the descent and ascent action; - Figure 3 shows two parts of generator tank assemblies;

- Figures 4 and 5 are the front and profile views of two sections of a generator tank cage;

- Figure 6 is a partial enlarged image of the previous front view;

- in Figures 7, 7a and 7b a so-called sealing ring is shown outside and during a said connection;

- Figures 8 and 9 show a schematic view of a half-pulley;

- Figures 10, 10a and 10b are a partial view of a cage equipped with a maintenance lift and horizontal sections at the levels served;

- Figures 11 and 12 schematize the production of two types of power plant cages;

- in Figures 13 and 14 we see a power plant cage floating horizontally and submerged vertically.

In Figures 1 and 2 there is shown a compressed gas tank in immersion, called electrogenerating, the closed upper part (1) of which contains this gas and the lower part (2) is open to the liquid in which it is immersed; the submerged weight of a gas tank compressed directly by the liquid in which it is immersed, the part of this liquid interior to the generator tank being qualified as a liquid piston (3) and this compression at a depth between two upper levels (4 ) and lower (5) being equal to the hydraulic pressure existing at this depth; measuring the volume of gas (6) practically determines the immersed volume of the generator tank whose walls have a very small thickness due to the fact that said hydraulic pressure reigns both inside and outside.

A generator tank containing a liquid piston, whose volume of gas compressed to the hydraulic pressure at the upper and lower levels is the same, experiences at these depths the same Archimedean thrust and the difference in mass of this same volume of differently compressed gas has no significant impact on the submerged weight of the generator tank at these levels due to the fact that the density of the gas, even compressed, is very low compared to that of the liquid; thus the submerged weight of the generator tank containing a liquid piston is practically the same at the upper and lower levels when its liquid piston compresses the same volume of gas.

And we define as follows a mode of energy production by a generator tank containing a liquid piston in these action positions.

The same volume of gas, obtained by the floating position of the liquid piston (7), makes it possible to cancel the submerged weight of the generator tank at the upper and lower depths and two volumes of gas, one at the upper depth corresponding to a depression of the liquid piston (8) greater than that of flotation, the other at the lower depth corresponding to a depression (9) less than that of flotation respectively make the generator tank heavier than the liquid at the upper depth and lighter than the liquid to the lower depth.

Thus the submerged weights thus rendered either positive or negative drive the electrogenerating tanks either down (10) or up (11), thus making them active and the more the electrogenerating tank descends and the more it rises, the more the level of the liquid piston rises (12 ) and descends (13), causing growth and a decrease in the submerged weight of the generator tank, these increases and decreases causing an increase in the speed on both descent and ascent, maintaining the descent and ascent speeds at a fixed cruising speed, resulting in a net engine braking.

The engine brake is described as net because it takes into account the opposing forces necessary to overcome the drag forces of the tanks at cruising speed and is exerted by an electricity generator (14) of the modulation motor-generator type. power, the rotation of which is driven by the translation of the tanks like a pinion (15) is driven by a rack (16).

To make the generator tank active when descending, its low level (17) must be raised by evacuating gas and raising the piston to the level corresponding to its depth above the waterline and, to make the generator tank active when ascending, its high level (18) must be lowered by injection of compressed gas and descent of the piston to the level corresponding to its depth below the waterline.

To summarize, the generator produces electrical energy when descending as well as when ascending the generator tank and consumes the electrical energy necessary to inject compressed gas to make the generator tank active when rising.

In Figure 3, the two parts of generator tank assemblies have a continuous movement in a determined direction (19) at cruising speed.

Beyond upper (20) and lower (21) levels, the generator tanks which have reached these levels in ascent and descent drive by axes (22) and (23) pulleys (24) and (25) which guide continuation of their movements at constant rotation speeds determined by the cruising speed.

During these pursuits, the evacuation and injection of gas from the liquid pistons takes place, causing them to rise and fall while, at the end of these pursuits, said electrogenerating tanks guided by said pulleys reach said upper and lower levels from which they undertake their descents and ascents and thus said movements are made continuous

The pulleys are permanently driven by at least one axis of the generator tank and have on their periphery either two diametrically opposite locations (26) reserved for these axes or more than two locations (27) regularly distributed over this periphery.

At least one of the pulleys is braked by the electricity generator (28) whose production is generated by all of the net engine brakes of the tanks in action between the upper and lower levels, the axes of the electrogenerating tanks being connected together by connections of the same length (29) allowing them to occupy locations regularly distributed on the pulleys.

This length of the connections between tanks is reduced to allow a maximum number of tanks between the upper and lower levels while reserving between tanks a space (30) sufficient to allow the passage of the liquid which fills and empties the pistons, said pulleys filled with N said locations having their diameter imposed by a circumference of N times the connection length. The position (31) of the axes in the height of the generator tanks, greater than that of their center of gravity (32) empty of gas, allows the upper part of these to have a lower submerged weight than the lower part, difference accentuated by the Archimedes thrust when gas is introduced and a free rotation around their axes allows the generator tanks to permanently make their orientation in the vertical direction essential for the proper functioning of their liquid pistons.

The front and profile views of two sections of a cage of generator tanks shown in Figures 4 and 5 show the devices allowing both the driving of high (34) and (35) and low (36) twin pulleys and (37) and the evacuation (38) and injection (39) of gas from the generator tanks. The axes of the generator tanks which drive the pulleys are made up of drive rings (40) and (41) which are interconnected by connecting chains (42) and (43) whose ends are provided with rings (44). ) and (45) for fixing to the rings not hindering their rotation.

The pulleys are driven by the rings by blocking them in notches (46) and (47) cut out in the pulleys in the locations reserved for the axes of the generator tanks.

The gas is evacuated from above the level of said liquid pistons and is injected there by at least one chimney (48) inside the generator tanks.

After passing through at least one of these rings, the gas circulates inside conduits called branches (49) and (50) equipping at least one high and low pulley, one of the two high twin pulleys not being equipped with said branches and having a solid axis, in place of a ring, which is braked by a device (51) driven in rotation by the electricity generator. Figures 6 is a partial enlarged image of the previous front view on which is shown said connection between tanks and upper and lower pulley branches made watertight by the movement of a sealing device of the sealing ring type (52) and (53) which ensures sealing during relative tank-pulley movement,

There are also shown said motorized connection valves which equip some (54) and (55) of said drive rings, the others (56) and (57 of said upper and lower pulley branches, ensure the closure of the outlet and inlet of gas and are pressed against each other while maintaining the seal by a piston effect.

The contacts of the upper (65) and lower (66) pulley branches provide electrical power to said generator tanks as soon as their drive rings drive said upper and lower pulleys. The action of said sealing rings is, for its part, controlled by said level sensors (67) and (68) as soon as said levels of the pistons are reached, making it possible to activate said electrogenic tanks.

Starting from the surface electrical installations, the electrical cables (75) and (76) reach said pulley branches dry by sliding circular contacts (77) and (78) which ensure sliding contacts throughout the relative tank-pulley movements. , contacts dried out by the circulation of gas.

The electrical supply to the upper pulley is carried out dry by electrical connection mechanisms (79), which equip each of its said branches consisting of telescopic circular arms driven by an electric motor which move a male plug of electric cable from supply through the passages left free (80) by the opening of said sealing valves and bring them into contact with the female sockets (81) arranged in said drive rings of the connected tanks, contact also dried by the circulation of gas. The electrical supply to all of the tanks is ensured by electrical cables (87) and (88) following said connecting chains which connect all of said electrogenerating tanks to each other. In Figures 7 are shown before connection a said sealing ring (58) surrounding a first said connection valve (59) ensuring sealing with either a said tank drive ring or with a said pulley branch with which said connection is made and a said second connection valve (60), before being pressed against said first connection valve, and said sealing ring, which ensures sealing with either a said pulley branch or a said ring training.

The diameter (61) of said second branch valve is greater than that (62) of said first valve by the thickness (63) of said sealing ring.

In Figure 7a we have said first valve which has driven said second as well as said sealing ring using said hooks (64).

In its position shown, said sealing ring ensures the watertight connection between a said tank drive ring and a said pulley branch, which makes it possible to space said valves to allow the circulation of the gas,

In Figure 7b said connection soups disappear, leaving the space (80) free to allow the circulation of gas and the dry electrical supply of the connected tank by electrical connection mechanisms (79), which equip each of said branches of the single high pulley and the female sockets (81) arranged in said drive rings of the connected tanks, these mechanisms and female sockets being represented in the three Figures 7, 7a and 7b.

Figure 8 represents a schematic view of a half upper pulley and a half lower part of a lower pulley.

A generator tank, represented by one of its drive rings, travels a distance (67) during its removal from water a sealing rings, then the distance (68) during the initiation of the gas circulation.

The start of the gas circulation follows automatically while its interruption is controlled by level sensors (69) and (70), with which the upper parts of the interiors of the generator tanks are equipped, when the levels of liquid pistons corresponding to the depressions above and below the waterline.

The gas circulation (71) begins with its launch, continues and ends with the return to the initial position (72) of said connection valves, the duration of the circulation being a function of the gas flow. The gas circulation is interrupted before the removal (73) of the sealing rings which allows the immersion of the tank connecting walls and the pulley ring and the flow rate of the gas circulation makes it possible to maintain, after its interruption, a time margin (74) before the fixing rings leave their notches.

Figure 9 shows a schematic view of a single high half-pulley.

The electrical supply is established in a tank at the end of the initial duration (82) including those of said removal of water (67) and launch of the gas circulation (68) to which is added that of the electrical connection ( 83). During this duration; a tank preceding in its movement said electrically connected tank, called previous, must be located at the same instant at a distance (84) during which it is electrically connected.

At said distance at which said previous tank is located, the latter is not yet disconnected due to the fact that said distance is less than the electrical connection limit distance (85), which is limited by the position ((86) of the disconnection electric of said tank at the limit of gas circulation.

In Figures 10, 10a and 10b, partial view of a cage equipped with a maintenance elevator and horizontal sections at the levels served, a freight elevator (89) is shown which serves the upper common volumes (90) and lower (91) 1 to the branches of the upper and lower pulleys, said services are carried out dry inside a sealed cage (92) resistant to hydraulic pressure, the connection with the common volumes is carried out by means of bearings (93) and (94) whose cage is isolated by motorized sealed landing doors (95) and (96).

The gas evacuation (97) and injection (98) ducts open onto the bearings through the aeraulic valves (99) and (100), which bearings being isolated from said common volumes by so-called motorized access valves ( 101) and (102) and the connection between the fixed bearings and the common rotating volumes with the pulleys they equip being obtained by circular conduits (103) and (104) which extend them beyond the access valves lined with circular seals ensuring the watertightness of the connection.

Thus, from the two landings, dry maintenance of the equipment of the generator tanks and the pulleys that they drive is ensured by the freight elevator, its equipment and that of the landings.

The use of the freight elevator and its equipment in operation and during maintenance is conditional on a permanent supply of electrical energy from the surface electrical installations by the electrical cables (105) and (106), thus adding to the power supplies of the equipment of the branches and tanks those in the upper part (107) and in the lower part (108) of the access doors, the aeraulic valves and the access valves. Figures 11 and 12 schematize the production of two types of power plant cages (109) forming submerged power plant units.

We are looking for the composition of the power plant cage whose production is as constant as possible. In Figure 11, stopping the electricity production of a generator tank (110) at the end of the rise (111) causes a variation (112) in the production of all the tanks of the power plant cage and, when this stop occurs simultaneously with a stop in the production of electricity of a generator tank (113) at the end of descent (114), an additional variation (115) in the production of all tanks of a cage of central is recorded.

Conversely, if no simultaneous stop occurs as in Figure 12, the downhill production on the contrary records a reduction (116) in the variation, this second solution favoring constant production.

The conditions of said second solution are that the number (117), greater than two, of the notches of the upper and lower pulleys of a power plant cage and the number (118) of the tanks be odd. Thus production as constant as possible is obtained by a set of cages constituting a submerged power plant and respecting the conditions of the second solution whose operation is offset, in the travel time by their tanks, by the distance between two of them. them in order to smooth out variations in production during the course of the reservoirs.

We have seen that other solutions are possible with offset of the rotations of the upper and lower pulleys, in particular a third, with an even number, greater than two, of drive notches per pulley and odd of said generator tanks and, a fourth, with an odd number, greater than two, of said pulley drive notches and an odd number of said electrogenerating tanks, but only, among said other solutions, the third favors constant production.

A power plant cage is shown floating horizontally in Figure 13 and submerged vertically in Figure 14.

The construction of the power plant cage is carried out in a horizontal position (119) with its generator tanks (120) in vertical positions perpendicular to the horizontal position of their cages. The immersion of the power plant cage is always done in a horizontal position, the gas trapped in the generator tanks in vertical positions causing the power plant cage to float, allowing it to be moved, either individually or grouped after connection to other cages intended to constitute the same submerged power plant, to the location set for their immersions .

The execution of this immersion on the fixed location is obtained by emptying of gas and filling with water the tanks (121) which are placed on the side of the base (122) of power plant lacing, the reduction of the Archimedean thrust in the tanks where the water rises causing a sinking of the power plant base which causes a tilt (123) from the horizontal position to the vertical position (124) of flotation.

This tilting is followed by vertical immersion (125) of the power plant cages by draining gas and filling with water from the generator tanks constituting said power plant cages and this vertical immersion continues either until reaching funds allowing the the base of the cages and the power plant that they form, or, on shoals, to rest on a floating structure allowing the base of a submerged power plant.

Devices allow both the vertical drive of the generator tanks in action and support the forces that they transmit to the structure of the power plant cage when it is horizontal during construction and in movement. These devices (126) are of the guide type keeping the tanks plumb thanks to their tank drive rings which remain in contact with them.

Secondary structures of the three-dimensional lattice type (127) transfer onto the main structure of the power plant cage the flotation (128) and immersion (129) forces caused by the tanks during their flotation and immersion.

The first three processes are even more easily implemented by even simpler devices making it possible to fill and empty said electrogenerating tanks with gas.

In fact, the electrogenerating tanks of the invention have in their lower parts closed by their liquid pistons simple paths for the gas avoiding the crossing of the walls, in particular through the orifices of the axes, and to eliminate all the devices intended to ensure the sealing as those previously provided. A first method of producing electricity, simplifying that using a set of generator tanks, implemented by the gas circulation and electrical supply devices, consists, in the upper part of the movement of the tanks, in tilting them and to let the gas escape. This tilting is obtained, when the tanks reach their high levels of active displacement, by making them integral with the high pulleys at second points of contact; from a certain value of the angle of rotation of the upper pulleys the level of its liquid piston is such that said compressed gas begins to escape and, the compressed gas continuing to escape with the increase of said angle, it reaches a volume corresponding to that of the gas compressed by the liquid piston to the level allowing the start of diving.

Thus, by this first process, the desired volume of gas is reached when a maximum liquid piston level is reached at the end of the angle rotation from which said blockage is interrupted to allow the generator tank to regain its vertical position.

It is also simpler to equip pulleys than all of the tanks.

To this end, a device for blocking the tanks at a second point on the upper pulleys consists of equipping said points with devices of the motorized lock type, the male parts of which are electromechanical mechanisms, are arranged on said upper pulleys. Thus the electrical power supply for the motorization of said locks is obtained by only the two said twin pulleys, no electrical power supply for the female parts of the locks arranged on the tanks being necessary.

A second method of producing electricity which simplifies that using a set of generator tanks and which can complement the previous first process, implemented by the gas circulation devices, electrical power supply and possibly by the tank blocking locks, consists, in the lower part of the movement of the tanks and in the absence of possibility of gas circulation inside the axes of the tanks, in that these, guided by the lower pulleys, are directly above the devices allowing gas injection,

This injection is thus carried out through the liquid pistons inside the tanks and the volume of the gas thus injected is that which allows the liquid piston to reach the level from which the rise is activated.

This second process is implemented by devices allowing injection through the liquid pistons following the guidance of the tanks by the lower pulleys; these devices are of the turnstile type, rotate at the same speed as the pulleys and have their axes offset downwards relative to those of the lower pulleys by a height corresponding to that of the tanks below their axes.

These turnstiles have branches equipped with injector-type devices propelling the gas through the liquid pistons and, depending on their positions, either two injectors or only one injector can supply gas to said reservoirs.

Limits at the beginning and end of the gas supply to the tanks are imposed by the presence of the lower pulleys and determine part of the rotation of the turnstiles during which the injectors are prevented by said pulleys from positioning themselves at the right position. plumbness of the tanks.

In this rotation part, pulleys are avoided by equipping each branch with a retractable part. On the other hand, electricity production devices complement those for gas circulation, electrical power supply and possibly by tank blocking locks and gas injection turnstiles consisting of connecting rings to said drive rings which are ovalized in such a way that the drive rings act on the drive chains only through the rear parts of the front chains and the front parts of the rear chains in the direction of rotation of said chains so that the chains are stressed only traction, thus avoiding any buckling which could be caused by compressive stresses.

Electricity production devices complementing those comprising said tanks whose connections between them are the subject of the process relating to their continuous movement, also complementing those for gas circulation, electrical supply and possibly by blocking locks tanks, gas injection turnstiles and ovalized connecting rings and are made up of connecting rod type elements replacing the chains constituting the devices allowing said continuous movement.

These connecting rods form, during their movements guided by the pulleys, bowstrings between two notches. Furthermore, the pulleys no longer guide, as with chains, the axes of the guide reservoirs allow them to continue their vertical movements up to their low and high limits. A process for producing electricity by electrogenerating reservoir chains in which the gas compressed by the liquid pistons either circulates in the axes, or is evacuated by their tilting in the upper part, or is injected in the lower part through the liquid pistons, is characterized by an arrangement of submerged power plant cages containing the chains.

This arrangement consists of juxtaposing pairs of cages forming structural elements; these structural elements are composed of at least one said pair of cages whose chains of tanks rotate around axes in the same direction.

The two chains of a couple rotate in opposite directions, thus counteracting the support reactions of each structural element due to the braking torques of their chains and the central ones, composed of a certain number of coupled cages constituting said structural elements , operate in pairs of cages, the stopping and replacement of one of them leading to the stopping of the one associated with it within a structural element.

A method of producing electricity by chains of electrogenerating tanks according to the previous one, concerning the position of the reservoirs of submerged power plant chains of a pair of cages, is characterized by fixing the relative level of the tanks of a pair of cages .

This level is common to these reservoirs and thus the braking torques of a pair of reservoirs, acting in opposite directions, are equal in absolute values due to the fact that the Archimedean thrusts are equal at equal levels.

As for the support reactions of the elements of structures composed of the pairs of cages due to the braking torques, they cancel each other out, thus limiting the constraints to which the structure of a submerged power plant is subjected.

A process for producing electricity by chains of electrogenerating tanks according to any of the two preceding processes and also relating to the relative position of the tanks of the various chains is characterized by the existence of a shift between the positions of the tanks of the cages of a power plant

All of these cages are divided into subsets composed of a number of cages whose position of the reservoirs of their chains is shifted by equal values.

The sum of these offsets is equal to the distance between two reservoirs so as to cover all the possibilities of electricity production by the cage reservoirs and the value of each offset is obtained by adding to one of them the value of the previous sum divided by the number of cages in a subset.

The generalization of these offsets to all the cages of the sub-assemblies makes it possible to obtain the smoothing of the electricity production of all the cages of a submerged power plant.

The following additional description is given with reference to the appended drawings in which: Figure 15 illustrates the rotation of the tanks in high positions; Figures 16 and 17 show gas injection turnstiles in tanks in low positions; Figure 19 relates to links connected to ovalized rings and Figure 20 represents the tank axle guides in the upper part connected by connecting rods.

In Figure 15 the locks which equip the upper pulleys are marked by crosses (130) before rotation and at the various rotation positions of the pulleys: the first (131) where the level of the surface of the liquid piston (132) traps a volume of gas greater than that which allows the tank to be submerged; the second (135) where the tank lock is released, the level (134) retaining a volume of gas which corresponds to the position (133) of the liquid piston at the start of the dive allowing this.

In Figure 16 the turnstile (136) rotates around an axis offset downwards relative to that of the lower pulleys by the distance (137) corresponding to the height of the tank below its axis so as to allow injection of gas in two tanks by the two branches (140) of the turnstile as soon as the second of these two tanks drives the lower pulleys.

On the bb section the injector (138) placed at the end of the movable part of a branch is in the position of injecting gas into the tank (139) while on the cc section the presence of a low pulley requires the removal of the moving part and the interruption of the gas injection.

In Figure 17 the branch (141) supplies a single tank, the movable parts (145) of the two other branches being in the folded position of the section aa imposed by the presence of a low pulley.

Over the entire part (144) of the rotation of the turnstiles, the gas injection is interrupted from position (143) after having started from position (142).

In Figure 19 and its section aa are shown the ovalized rings (146) for fixing to the drive ring (147) the links (149) of an upstream chain and (1 1) of a downstream chain in the direction of the ascent.

Only parts (148) of the ring of the upstream chain and (150) of the ring of the upstream chain are in contact with the drive ring causing the two chains to work under traction and the voids obtained thanks to the The ovalization of the rings avoids any compressive stress which could lead to buckling of the chains. Figure 20 represents three connecting rods (152) used in place of drive chains which would be guided by the pulley (153) of which they constitute bowstrings (154). As a result, beyond the upper (158) and lower limits, the axes (155) of the tanks are no longer guided vertically (157) from the ends of the pulley, which requires guides (156). It is quite obvious that the present invention has been described for purely explanatory purposes and in no way limiting and that any modification could be made to it, particularly in terms of technical equivalents, without departing from its scope.

Claims

1. Method of producing electricity by an immersed compressed gas tank, qualified as an electrogenerator, the closed upper part (1) of which contains said gas and the lower part (2) is open to the liquid in which it is immersed, characterized in that :

- the submerged weight of a said gas tank compressed directly by the liquid in which it is immersed is defined, the part of said liquid inside said tank being qualified as a liquid piston (3) and said compression at a depth between two so-called levels upper (4) and lower (5) being equal to the hydraulic pressure existing at said depth

- in that the measurement of the volume of gas (6) practically determines the submerged volume of said tank whose walls have a very small thickness due to the fact that said hydraulic pressure reigns both inside and outside,

- in that a said electrogenerating tank containing a liquid piston, whose volume of compressed gas at said hydraulic pressure at said upper and lower levels is the same, undergoes the same Archimedean thrust at these depths,

- in that the difference in mass of said same volume of differently compressed gas has no significant impact on the submerged weight of the tank at said levels due to the fact that the density of the gas, even compressed, is very low compared to that of said liquid -and in that said immersed weight of said electrogenerating tank containing a liquid piston is practically the same at said upper and lower levels when the liquid piston compresses the same volume of gas and a mode of energy production by said tank is defined , containing a liquid piston in said action positions, in that said same volume of gas obtained by a position of the liquid piston (7), called flotation, makes it possible to cancel said submerged weight of the generator tank at said upper depths and lower, in that two volumes of gas, one at said upper depth corresponding to a depression of the liquid piston (8) greater than that of said flotation, the other at said lower depth corresponding to a depression (9) lower to that of said flotation respectively make said electrogenerating tank heavier than the liquid at said upper depth and lighter than the liquid at said lower depth, in that said submerged weights thus made either positive or negative cause said electrogenerating tanks to descend ( 10) or up (11), thus making them active, in that the more a said electrogenerating tank descends and the more it rises, the more the level of the liquid piston rises (12) and falls (13), causing an increase and a decrease of said submerged weight of the generator tank in that this growth and decrease causes an increase in the speed in descent as well as in ascent, in that maintaining said descent and ascent speeds at a fixed speed, called cruising speed, is translated by a so-called net engine brake, in that said net engine brake takes into account the opposing forces necessary to overcome the drag forces of said tanks at cruising speed, in that said net engine brake is exerted by an electricity generator (14), of the power modulation motor-generator type, the rotation of which is driven by the translation of the tanks like a pinion (15) is driven by a rack (16), in that to make the descent active the generator tank its low level (17) must be raised by evacuating gas and raising the piston to the level corresponding to said depression above the waterline, in that to make the generator tank active when rising its high level (18) must be lowered by injection of compressed gas and descent of the piston to the level corresponding to said depression below the waterline, and in that said generator produces electrical energy on the descent as well as on the rise of said generator tank and consumes the electrical energy necessary to carry out said injection of compressed gas to make said generator tank active when rising.

2. Method of producing electricity by a generator tank according to claim

1, characterized in that:

- we define a production of energy by said evacuation of compressed gas making it possible to make said generator tank active in descent in that the reduction in the volume of compressed gas caused by said evacuation represents for said tanks a loss of energy in compressed gas, in that this energy is recovered in the form of kinetic energy by devices of the gas turbine type and in that said gas turbines produce electrical energy which makes it possible to increase said production of electrical energy by the generator.

3. Process for producing electricity by generating tanks according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that:

- we define a continuous movement in a determined direction (19) at said cruising speed of said electrogenerating tanks in that beyond said upper (20) and lower (21) levels the electrogenerating reservoirs which have reached these rising levels and in descent drive by axes (22) and (23) pulleys (24) and (25) which guide continuations of their movements at constant rotational speeds determined by said cruising speed, in that, during said continuations , there are said evacuation and injection of gas from the liquid pistons causing them to rise and fall, in that, at the end of said pursuits, said electrogenerating tanks, guided by said pulleys, reach said upper and lower levels from which they undertake their descent and rise and thus said movements are made continuous, in that said pulleys are permanently driven by at least one said axis and have on their periphery either of two diametrically opposed locations (26) reserved for said axes or of more than two locations (27) regularly distributed over said periphery, in that at least one said pulley is braked by a said electricity generator (28) whose production is generated by all of said engine brakes net of the tanks in action between said upper and lower levels, in that said axes of the electrogenerating tanks are interconnected by links of the same length

(29) allowing them to occupy said locations regularly distributed on said pulleys, in that said length of the connections between tanks is reduced to allow a maximum number of tanks between said upper and lower levels while reserving, between tanks, a space

(30) sufficient to allow the passage of the liquid which fills and empties the pistons, in that said pulleys filled with N said locations have their diameter imposed by a circumference of N times said connection length, in that the position (31) of said axes in the height of said electrogenerating tanks, greater than that of their center of gravity (32) empty of gas, allows the upper part of these to have a lower submerged weight than their lower part, a difference accentuated by the thrust of Archimedes following the introduction of said gas and in that free rotation around their said axes allows said electrogenerating tanks to permanently return their orientation in the vertical direction, an essential condition for the proper functioning of their said liquid pistons. . Devices for producing electricity by the application of the processes which are the subject of any claim 1 to 3, characterized in that: - the devices are defined allowing both the driving of so-called high twin pulleys (34) and (35 ) and low (36) and (37) and said evacuations (38) and injection (39) of the gas from said electrogenerating tanks in that said axes of the electrogenerating tanks driving the pulleys consist of cylindrical rings (40) and (41 ), called drive rings, in that said drive rings are interconnected by chain type connections (42) and (43), called connecting chains, the ends of which are provided with rings (44) and (45) for fixing to said drive rings not hindering their rotation and that of said reservoirs, in that said driving of the pulleys by the rings is achieved by blocking them in notches (46) and (47). ), called drive, cut out in said pulleys at said locations reserved for the axes of the tanks, in that said gas is evacuated from above the level of said liquid pistons and is injected there by at least one chimney conduit (48) interiors to the generator tanks, in that, after passing at least one of said drive rings, said gas circulates inside conduits (49) and (50), called branches, equipping at least one said high and low pulley , in that one of the two high twin pulleys is not equipped with said branches and has its solid axis and braked by a device (51) which rotates said electricity generator, in that said connection between tanks and upper and lower pulley branches is made waterproof by the movement of a sealing device of the sealing ring type (52) and (53), which ensures sealing during the relative tank-pulley movement and in that valves of the motorized valve type, called connection valves, moved by electromagnets, which equip some (54) and (55) of said drive rings, the others (56) and (57) of said upper and lower pulley branches, and ensure the closure of the gas outlet and inlet , are pressed against each other by a piston effect while maintaining tightness.

5. Electricity production devices according to claim 4, allowing said action of the sealing rings and connection valves, characterized in that:

- the connection between said sealing rings and connection valves is defined in that, before connection, a said sealing ring (58) ensures both sealing between a first said connection valve (59) and either a said tank drive ring is a said pulley branch with which said connection is made, in that, before connection, a said second connection valve (60), pressed against said first connection valve, and said ring d sealing, ensures sealing with either a said pulley branch or a said drive ring, its diameter (61) thus being greater than that (62) of said first valve by the thickness (63) of said ring sealing, in that, during said connection, said first valve drives said sealing ring using hook-type devices (64) until the latter ensures sealing between said drive rings and pulley branches, in that said connection valves then move away from said ring to allow the circulation of the gas, and in that, at the end of said connection, said second connection valve pushes said sealing ring until the valves and rings return to their positions occupied before said connection, said second connection valve ensuring said sealing of either a said pulley branch or a said drive ring in place of said sealing ring.

6. Electricity production devices according to any one of claims 4 and 5 making said sealed connections active and inactive and allowing said gas circulation, characterized in that: pressure contacts (65) and (66) are defined ) in that they equip all of said drive notches of said high and low pulleys in that they are made active by said blocking of the drive rings in said notches in that they control the removal of water ( 67) of the tank-pulley branch connection by said sealing rings and in that the start of the gas circulation (68) follows automatically,

- and we define the means of interrupting the gas circulation which follows said launch in that said interruption is controlled by level sensors (69) and (70), with which the upper parts of the interiors of said generator tanks are equipped, when said levels of liquid pistons corresponding to said depressions above and below the waterline are reached, in that the circulation of gas (71) begins with said launch, continues and ends with the return to initial position (72) of said connection valves in that the duration of said circulation is a function of the gas flow, in that said gas circulation is interrupted before removal (73) of the sealing rings allowing immersion of the walls tank connection and pulley ring and in that the flow rate of said gas circulation makes it possible to maintain, after its said interruption, a margin of time (74) before said fixing rings leave their notches.

7. Electricity production devices according to any one of claims 4 to 6 allowing the electrical supply of said generator tanks and pulleys through which the gas circulates, characterized in that:

- the electrical supply is defined by said upper pulley of the tanks to which it is connected in that it is done from the surface electrical installations by said electrical cables (75) and (76) which are dry connected to said branch equipment of pulleys by sliding circular contacts (77) and (78) which ensure sliding contacts throughout the relative tank-pulley movements, contacts dried by said gas circulation, in that the electrical supply of a connected generator tank is carried out dry by electrical connection mechanisms (79), which equip each of the said branches of the single upper pulley, consisting of telescopic circular arms driven by an electric motor which move a male plug of the electric power cable through passages left free (80) by the opening of said connection valves and bring them into contact with the female sockets (81) arranged in said drive rings of the connected tanks, contact also dried by said gas circulation, in that said female sockets are made up of conductive half-crowns which also ensure sliding contacts throughout said tank-pulley relative movements, in that the electrical supply is established in a tank at the end of a duration (82), called initial, comprising those of said removal of water and launch of the gas circulation to which is added that of the electrical connection (83), in that, during said duration, a tank preceding in its movement said electrically connected tank, called previous , must be located at the same time at a distance (84) during which it is electrically connected, in that, at said distance at which said previous tank is located, the latter is not yet disconnected due to the fact that said distance is less than the electrical connection limit distance (85), in that said electrical connection limit distance is limited by the position ((86) of the electrical disconnection of said tank at the limit of gas circulation, in that a said distance lower, allowing a said continuous electrical supply, is obtained with said previous tank blocked in a notch of a pulley having at least four notches, said position of the previous tank on a pulley having three and two notches exceeding said limit position and in that said continuous electrical supply is ensured first by said previous reservoir said connected tank until it is electrically connected, then by said connected tank and its said previous tank as long as the latter does not exceed said limit position, then by only said connected tank until the tank which connects it follows in its movement, called next, is electrically connected, by said next tank once electrically connected and by said connected tank until it reaches said limit position and finally, during its electrical connection, by the only said next tank after said connected tank has exceeded said limit position and the electrical power supply to all of the tanks is defined in that all of said electrogenerating tanks are connected to each other by electrical cables (87) and (88) following said connecting chains and in that said connection valves, sockets and level sensors are permanently electrically supplied not only to said connected tanks but also to all others.

8. Electricity production devices according to any one of claims 4 to 7, allowing dry maintenance of the equipment of said electrogenerating tanks and of said pulleys which they drive, characterized in that:

- we define a freight elevator (89) which serves the so-called upper (90) and lower (91) common volumes, common to said branches of the upper and lower pulleys,

- in that said services are carried out dry inside a sealed cage (92) resistant to hydraulic pressure, the connection with said common volumes is carried out by volumes (93) and (94), constituting bearings, from which said cage is isolated by sealed motorized doors (95) and (96), called bearings, in that said gas evacuation (97) and injection ducts (98) open onto said bearings at through so-called aeraulic motorized valves (99) and (100), in that said bearings are isolated from said common volumes by so-called motorized access valves (101) and (102), in that the connection between said fixed bearings and said common volumes in rotation with said pulleys which they equip is obtained by circular conduits (103) and (104), which extend them beyond said access valves, furnished with circular seals ensuring the sealing of said connection and in that, from the two said bearings, said dry maintenance of the equipment of said generator tanks and of the said pulleys which they drive is ensured using said freight elevator, its equipment and that of said bearings

- and we define the use of said freight elevator and its equipment in said operation and during said maintenance in that they are permanently supplied with electrical energy from the surface electrical installations by said electrical cables (105) and ( 106), in that in addition to the supplies of said equipment of the branches and reservoirs are added those, in the upper part (107) and in the lower part (108), of said access doors, of said aeraulic valves and of said access valves, in that, during said movement of the tanks and the production of said cage of electrogenerating tanks, said landing doors are closed while said aeraulic valves and said access valves are open, the bearings are constantly in connection with at least one said connected tank and are respectively at the hydraulic pressures prevailing at the upper and lower levels, in that, to allow maintenance at low pressure, during said connection valves of the drive rings of the electrogenerating tanks connected to said pulley low remain pressed against their said sealing rings, thus protecting the branches of said lower pulley from the hydraulic pressure at said lower level, in that the maintenance of the generator tanks is ensured only from said branches of the high pulley , in that maintenance is carried out during shutdowns when the connected tanks occupy the positions on the pulleys corresponding to said excess connection and disconnection duration during which the maximum number of tanks are connected in that the number of said stops is equal to the total number of generator tanks divided by the number of tanks connected and disconnected simultaneously and in that the maintenance of all said generator tanks and their electrical supply is carried out during said shutdowns, the maintenance of the equipment of said high and low pulleys and their electrical supply during two of them and the maintenance of said bearings of the freight elevator, their equipment and their electrical supply during only one of them.

9. Method of producing electricity by electrogenerating tanks according to any one of claims 1 to 3, being able to use devices referred to in any one of claims 4 to 8, said electrogenerating tanks forming submerged power plant units, called power plant cages (109), characterized in that: - we define the composition of a said power plant cage whose production is as constant as possible in that the cessation of said electricity production from a reservoir generator (110) at the end of the rise (111) causes a variation (112) in the production of all the reservoirs of said power plant cage, in that, when said stoppage occurs simultaneously with a stoppage of said production of electricity from an electrogenerating tank (113) at the end of the descent (114), an additional variation (115) of said production of all the tanks of a said power plant cage is recorded, in that, at the Conversely, if no said simultaneous stop occurs, said downhill production on the contrary records a reduction (H6) of said variation, in that the second solution favors said constant production, in that the conditions of said second solution are that the number (117), greater than two, of said drive notches of said upper and lower pulleys of a said power plant cage and the number (118) of its said reservoirs are odd, in that other solutions are possible with offset of the rotations of said upper and lower pulleys, in particular a so-called third, with an even number, greater than two, of said notches drive by pulley and odd of said generator tanks and, a so-called fourth, with an odd number, greater than two, of said drive notches by pulley and odd of said generator tanks, in that alone, among said other solutions , said third solution favors said constant production and in that said production as constant as possible is obtained by a set of said cages constituting a submerged power plant, respecting the conditions of one of said second and third solutions, the operation of which is offset, in the travel time by their tanks, by said distance between two of them so as to smooth out the variations in production of the electrogenerating tanks during said journeys.

10. Method of producing electricity according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 9, being able to use devices referred to in any one of claims 4 to 8, by said electrogenerating tanks forming said power plant cages, characterized in that that :

- we define the construction of said power plant cages in a horizontal position (119) in that said generator tanks which constitute them (120) are in vertical positions perpendicular to said horizontal position of their cages, in that the immersion of said power plant cages is done in their said horizontal positions and in that the air trapped in said generator tanks in vertical positions causes the flotation of said power plant cages allowing their movement, either individually or grouped after connection to other cages intended to constitute the same power plant electric submerged, to the place fixed for their immersions

- and we define the execution of said immersion of said power plant cages either isolated or grouped together in that the tanks (121) which are placed on the side of the bases (122) of said power plant cages are emptied of air and filled with water, in that the reduction of the Archimedean thrust in the reservoirs where the water rises causes a sinking of said bases causing a tilting (123) of said cages from said horizontal position to the vertical position (124) of flotation in this that said tilting is followed by a vertical immersion (125) of said power plant cages by draining gas and filling with water from the generator tanks constituting said power plant cages and in that said vertical immersion continues either until reaching funds allowing the base of said cages and said power plant that they form, or, on shallow waters, to rest on a floating structure allowing the base of a submerged power plant.

1 1. Devices for producing electricity by applying the process which is the subject of claim 10, characterized in that:

- we define the devices allowing both the vertical drive of the generator tanks in action and supporting the forces that they transmit to said main structures of the power plant cages when they are in said construction and in said movement

RECTIFIED SHEET (RULE 91) ISA/EP Tl in that guide type devices (126) maintain said tanks plumb thanks to their said drive rings which remain in contact with them and in that secondary structures of the three-dimensional lattice type (127) relate to said main structures of the power plant cages the flotation (128) and immersion (129) forces caused by the tanks during their said flotation and immersion.

12. Method of producing electricity by chains of electrogenerating tanks according to claim 3 and being able to use devices referred to in any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that

- a blocking of said rotation of the tanks around their axes is defined in that, when the tanks reach said high levels of active displacements, they are made integral with said high pulleys at second points of contact (130), in that, from an angle of rotation (131) of said high pulleys, the level (132) of its liquid piston is such that said compressed gas begins to escape, in that, the compressed gas continuing to escape with the increasing said angle, it reaches a volume corresponding to that of the gas compressed by the liquid piston at the level (133) allowing the start of diving and in that said volume reached is obtained by a maximum liquid piston level (134) reached at the end of the angle rotation (135) from which said blocking is interrupted to allow said tank to regain its vertical position.

13. Tank rotation blocking devices in accordance with the process which is the subject of claim 12 characterized in that:

- devices of the motorized lock type are defined allowing said blocking of the tank on each of the two upper pulleys in that the male part of said lock equips each of said pulleys and in that the electrical supply of said male part of said locks is obtained by the only two said twin pulleys, no electrical supply of the female part of said locks equipping said tanks of said tank being necessary.

14. Method of producing electricity by chains of electrogenerating tanks according to any one of claims 3 and 12 and being able to use devices referred to in any one of claims 4 to 7 and 13, characterized in that

- said gas injections are defined in said lower positions of the tanks without requiring equipment ensuring the sealing of said tanks in that none of the said axes of the tanks allows the circulation of gas, in that said tanks, in said lower positions and guided by said lower pulleys, are directly above devices allowing said gas injection, in that the injected gas passes through the liquid pistons of said tanks and in that the volume of said injected gas is that which allows said liquid piston to 'reach said level from which the ascent is activated.

15. Devices for injecting gas into said tanks in the lower part in accordance with the process which is the subject of claim 14, characterized in that:

- said devices allowing said injection through the liquid pistons are defined by following said guidance of the tanks by the lower pulleys in that turnstile type devices (136), rotating at the same speed as said pulleys have their axes offset downwards compared to those of said lower pulleys of the height (137) corresponding to that of the tanks below their axes, in that each branch of said turnstile is equipped with an injector type device (138) propelling the gas through the piston liquid (139) and in that, depending on the position of said branches, either two injectors (140) or only one injector (141) can supply gas to said reservoirs

- and limits are defined at the beginning (142) and at the end (143) of said gas supply to the tanks in that on part (144) of the rotation of a said turnstile, said injectors are prevented by said pulleys from position themselves at said level of the tanks and in that said turnstile branches include a retractable part (145) which makes it possible to avoid said pulleys in said parts of their rotation.

16. Electricity production devices according to any one of claims 4 to 7 and 13 to 15, comprising said chains of reservoirs which are the subject of claim 4 characterized in that:

- said rings (146) for fixing to said drive rings (147) are defined in that they are ovalized such that said drive rings act on said drive chains only through the rear parts (148) of the front chains (149) and the front parts (150) of the rear chains (151) in the direction of rotation of said chains, and in that said chains are stressed by traction alone, thus avoiding any buckling which could be caused by stresses to compression.

17. Electricity production devices according to any one of claims 4 to 7 and 13 to 16, comprising said reservoirs whose connections between them, are the subject of claim 3, are characterized in that:

- elements of the connecting rod type (152) are defined to replace said chains which are the subject of claim 4 in that said connecting rods form, during their movements guided by said pulleys (153), bowstrings (154) between two said notches and in that said pulleys no longer guide, as with chains, said axes of the reservoirs (155) of the guides (156) allow them to continue their vertical movements (157) up to their low and high limits (158).

18. Method of producing electricity by chains of electrogenerating tanks according to any one of claims 3, 12 and 14, concerning the arrangement of said submerged power plant cages, characterized in that

- we define the juxtaposition of pairs of said cages to form structural elements, in that said structural elements are composed of at least one said pair of cages whose chains of reservoirs rotate around axes in the same direction, in that the two chains of said couple rotate in opposite directions, thus counteracting the reactions of support of each structural element due to the torques of said braking of their chains and in that said central units, composed of a certain number of coupled cages constituting said structural elements, operate by pair of said cages, stopping and replacing of one of them leading to the stopping of that associated with it within a said structural element.

19. Method of producing electricity by chains of electrogenerating tanks according to claim 18, concerning the position of said reservoirs of submerged power plant chains of a said pair of cages, characterized in that a relative level of said reservoirs is defined. a pair of cages in that it is common to said reservoirs, in that said braking torques of a said pair of reservoirs, acting in opposite directions, are equal in absolute values and in that said reactions of support of the structural elements constituted by said pairs of cages due to said braking torques cancel each other out, thus limiting the constraints to which the structure of a submerged power plant is subjected

20. Method of producing electricity by chains of electrogenerating tanks according to any one of claims 18 and 19, concerning the relative position of the tanks of the various chains, characterized in that

- we define an offset between the positions of the tanks of said cages of a power plant in that all of said cages are divided into subsets composed of a number of cages whose position of the tanks of their chains is offset by equal values , in that the sum of said offsets is equal to said distance between two reservoirs so as to cover all the possibilities of electricity production by the reservoirs of said cages, in that the value of each said offset is obtained by adding to the one of them the value of said sum divided by said number of cages of a subset and in that the generalization of these offsets to all the cages of said subsets makes it possible to obtain the smoothing of the electricity production of all the cages of a submerged power plant.