Patent Application
20140265341
This disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for generating electricity using repeated application of natural laws and resources, such as gravity acceleration and buoyancy of an object.
Electricity is a necessity in modern society. Most people cannot imagine living a day without electricity because people are so used to enjoying benefits of modern technologies, such as computers, video games, smart TVs, radios, lights, etc. that require electricity. Nowadays, being without electricity for a couple of days or weeks can be a disaster to many people. Often times, power outages are characterized as disasters resulting in a great financial loss to on-going business concerns and individual homes.
Traditionally, electricity has been produced by natural and/or man-made resources such as coal, water, atomic energy, etc. Many different technologies are available for generating electricity for public use, but they often require large investments and costs in building generation facilities and infrastructures. More often than not, the conventional technologies for generating electricity suffer from low efficiencies and losses when generated electricity is delivered to industrial facilities and individual homes for use.
Also, various alternative technologies based on naturally abundant resources, such as solar power, wind power, sea water, etc. have been proposed and considered, but they have not resulted in widely accepted commercial success because of high investment costs and low efficiency reasons in connection with generating and delivering electricity to end users. For example, in recent years, solar, wind, sea water based electricity generation plants have been proposed and built in various locations throughout the countries. However, they suffer many disadvantages. For instance, a solar or wind power based facility does not generate and provide enough electricity, as needed by individual homes and industrial plants, because of often unpredictable environmental factors, such as weather and climate conditions. These natural resources based electricity generation facilities cost millions of dollars, even if not billions of dollars, at the beginning of set up and maintenance of the facilities, and often do not deliver purported benefits to customers.
The conventional electricity generation technologies tend to be highly inefficient in production and delivery of electricity to end users, i.e., losing a great deal of electricity generated before the generated electricity is used by end consumers (e.g., individual home users and industrial users alike) that are remotely located from the location of electricity generation plants. Thus, there is a need for more cost effective and energy efficient techniques for generating and delivering electricity to individual homes and industrial facilities alike.
The drawing figures depict one or more implementations in accord with the present teachings, by way of example only, not by way of limitation. In the figures, like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements.
It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale. In certain instances, details that are not necessary to the understanding of disclosed subject matter or render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It should be understood, of course, that the disclosed subject matter is not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein.
In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth by way of examples in order to provide a thorough understanding of the relevant teachings. However, it should be apparent that the present teachings may be practiced without such details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and/or circuitry have been described at a relatively high-level, without detail, in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the present teachings.
In physics, potential energy is the energy of an object due to a position of the object (i.e., raised to a height from a ground level). Potential energy is often associated with restoring forces, such as the force of gravity. Gravity is generally described as force pulling all matters. Gravity exerts a constant downward force on the center of mass of an object moving near the surface of the earth. The action of lifting an object having mass from an initial position is performed by an external force that works against a force field of the potential. Also, work is stored in the force field, which is often said to be stored as potential energy. If the external force is removed, the force field acts on the object to perform the work as it moves the object back to the initial position (i.e., a ground level), causing the object to fall. The potential energy due to an elevated position is called gravitational potential energy.
According to laws of physics, an amount of potential energy required to raise an object having mass to a height from the surface of the earth is equal to the product of the mass of the object times the acceleration due to gravity times the height. That is, an amount of the potential energy at an elevated position is directly proportional to the height of the elevated position. Further, when an object is submerged in a liquid, it rises to a surface of the liquid if a weight of the object is less than a weight of a volume of the liquid displaced by the object, that is, when the object is buoyant.
The present disclosure utilizes these natural laws and principles, such as gravity or gravity acceleration and buoyancy. That is, one or more buoyant weights can be raised to a certain height, building and storing up a significant amount of gravitational potential energy of the one or more weights in the raised position. When the one or more weights raised to the certain height are allowed to fall, the one or more weights translate the stored gravitational potential energy into kinetic energy as the one or more weights reach the ground. A significant advantage of the present disclosure is repeated use of raising the one or more weights to a height using buoyancy and allowing to fall and accelerate due to gravity, thereby converting the stored gravitational potential energy into the kinetic energy, which in turn converted into electricity.
The examples discussed herein provide methods and apparatuses for producing electricity by converting gravitational potential energy into kinetic energy using natural laws or phenomena, such as gravity, gravity acceleration and buoyancy of an object.
In one embodiment, an apparatus for generating electricity includes a weight, a gravity fall chamber, means for receiving the weight as the weight falls from a top of the gravity fall chamber, a buoyancy chamber, and a receiving portion. The gravity fall chamber includes a fall gate disposed at a bottom portion of the gravity fall chamber. The means for receiving the weight is configured to receive the weight as the weight falls from a height near a top of the gravity fall chamber and makes downward movement together with the received weight in the gravity fall chamber. As the weight falls from the height, it accelerates due to gravity of the earth exerted upon the weight. The buoyancy chamber includes a liquid inside the buoyancy chamber and a buoyancy gate disposed at a bottom portion of the buoyancy chamber. The receiving portion is configured to connect the gravity fall chamber and the buoyancy chamber, so as to create a passage for the weight to move from the gravity fall chamber into the buoyancy chamber. The fall gate of the gravity fall chamber is configured to open when the weight falls and exits the gravity fall chamber into the receiving portion, while the buoyancy gate is closed. The buoyancy gate of the buoyancy chamber is configured to open such that the weight can move into the buoyancy chamber from the receiving portion, while the fall gate of the gravity fall chamber is closed. The weight is configured to weigh less than a weight of a value of the liquid displaced by the weight when the weight is submerged within the liquid.
In another embodiment, a method for generating electricity using an apparatus based on gravity, gravity acceleration and buoyancy is provided. The apparatus includes one or more weights, a gravity fall chamber, a buoyancy chamber filled with a liquid, and a receiving portion, wherein the gravity fall chamber includes a fall gate and a chain including a support member, and the buoyancy chamber includes a buoyancy gate. The one or more weights are allowed to fall from a height in the gravity fall chamber. The one or more weights are received via the support member of the chain. A combined mass of the one or more weights and the support member causes to move the chain downward, as the combined mass of the one or more weights falls in the gravity fall chamber. The fall gate is operated to open such that the one or more weights move from the gravity fall chamber into the receiving portion, while the buoyancy gate is operated to remain closed. The receiving portion is configured to connect the gravity fall chamber and the buoyancy chamber so as to allow the one or more weights to move from the gravity fall chamber into the buoyancy chamber. The one or more weights are projected toward into the buoyancy chamber. The buoyancy gate is operated to open so that the one or more weights move from the receiving portion into the buoyancy chamber and subsequently rise in the liquid to a surface level of the liquid within the buoyancy chamber, while the fall gate remains closed. Each of the one or more weights is configured to weigh less than a weight of a volume of the liquid disposed by the weight when the weight is submerged within the liquid.
In another embodiment, an apparatus for generating electricity using gravity, gravity acceleration and buoyancy, includes a gravity fall chamber including a fall gate disposed at or near a bottom of the gravity fall chamber, a buoyancy chamber including a liquid and a buoyancy gate disposed at or near a bottom of the buoyancy chamber, a chain including a plurality of support members, and a receiving portion configured to connect the gravity fall chamber and the buoyancy chamber so as to create a passage for the one or more weights to move from the gravity fall chamber into the buoyancy chamber. The buoyancy chamber is disposed substantially vertically adjacent the gravity fall chamber. The chain is disposed inside the gravity fall chamber substantially along a longitudinal side of the gravity fall chamber. The plurality of support members is configured to receive one or more weights as the one or more weights fall and accelerate from a height in a predetermined position near a top of the gravity fall chamber and move the chain downward. Each of the one or more weights is configured to weigh less than a weight of a volume of the liquid displaced by the weight when the weight is submerged within the liquid. The fall gate of the gravity fall chamber is configured to open such that each weight moves from the gravity fall chamber into the receiving portion while the buoyancy gate of the buoyancy chamber is closed, and the buoyancy gate of the buoyancy chamber is configured to open such that the weight moves from the receiving portion into the buoyancy chamber for rise to a surface level of the liquid due to buoyancy inside the buoyancy chamber.
As a result, the disclosed techniques and apparatuses herein can lead to generation of electricity, using naturally abundant resources, such as gravity, gravity acceleration and buoyancy, without having complicated and costly equipment.
Reference now is made in detail to the examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings and discussed below.
As noted, the controller unit operates the weight stopper 265 by sending a control signal to the motor 261 to release the weight 213 (W1) into the gravity fall chamber 201. Upon receipt of the control signal, the motor 261 turns the link 269 and thus operates or moves the weight stopper 265 as follows. As the link 269 moves in one direction, the lower portion X of the weight stopper 265 moves in an upward direction N, thereby releasing the weight W1 into the gravity fall chamber 201 for a fall. At the same time, the upper portion Y of the weight stopper 265 moves in a downward direction D to prevent the weight W2 from moving into the predetermined position for a fall (or a drop position) into the gravity chamber 201. After the weight W1 is released from the drop position, the motor 261 moves the link in a reverse direction, engaging the weight stopper 265 to lift up the upper portion Y (i.e., move the lower portion X in the direction S) such that the weight W2 moves along a semi-circular top guide 263 into the predetermined drop position above the top portion of the gravity fall chamber 201.
As noted, the weight stopper 265 is configured to hold the weight 213 as the weight 213 moves from the buoyancy chamber 203 into the predetermined position before a fall into the gravity fall chamber 201. In the example shown in
In the example shown in
As noted earlier, as the weight 213 drops from a height in a predetermined position to the bottom of the gravity fall chamber 201, the fall gate 217 is controlled to open, while keeping the buoyancy gate 253 closed. After the weight 213 passes the fall gate 217, the fall gate 217 is controlled to close the gravity fall chamber 201. As the weight 213 continues to fall and reaches the bottom of the receiving portion 207, the weight 213 makes contact with the projecting device 231 (e.g., a spring like device, etc.), which projects the weight 213 towards the bottom of the buoyancy chamber 203. It is noted that the one or more bottom guides 241 are disposed inside the receiving portion 207 such that the weight 213 is guided towards the projecting device 231 as it moves from the gravity fall chamber 201 to the bottom portion of the receiving portion 207. While the fall gate 217 remains closed, the buoyancy gate 253 is operated to open and the weight 213 moves upward into the buoyancy chamber 203. After the weight 213 passes the buoyancy gate 253, the buoyancy gate 253 is controlled to close the buoyancy chamber 203. The opening and closing operations of both the fall gate 217 and the buoyancy gate 253 are controlled by the controller unit, for example, a micro-controller or computer with certain control logic or the like.
In other words, the fall gate 217 of the gravity fall chamber 201 is controlled by the controller unit to open or close the fall gate 217 in such a way that the weight 213 falls and moves from the bottom of the gravity fall chamber 201 into the receiving portion 207 before rising due to buoyancy in the buoyancy chamber 203. In one embodiment, the controller unit uses one or more sensors (not shown) located within the gravity fall chamber 201 and/or buoyancy chamber 203 to sense one or more positions of the weight 213 and send appropriate control signals to the fall gate 217 and buoyancy gate 253 for coordinated opening and closing operations. That is, based on sensing signals received from the one or more sensors, the controller unit sends a control signal to open the fall gate 217 while keeping the buoyancy gate 253 closed, and sends another control signal to open the buoyancy gate 253 while keeping the fall gate 217 closed, as the weight 213 moves from the receiving portion 207 into the buoyancy chamber 203. Further, the fall gate 217 is controlled to close after the weight 213 passes the position of the fall gate 217 into the receiving portion 207. The buoyancy gate 253 is configured to open such that the weight 213 moves from the receiving portion 207 into the buoyancy chamber 203 for a next round of a fall from the height in the predetermined position.
In the example, the buoyancy gate 253 is controlled by the controller unit such that the buoyancy gate 253 opens while the fall gate 217 remains closed, as the weight 213 moves from the receiving portion 207 into the buoyancy chamber 203. After the weight 213 passes the position of the buoyancy gate 253 and moved upward, the controller unit senses one or more positions of the weight 213 inside the buoyancy chamber 203 and sends a control signal to the buoyancy gate 253 to close. The timings of openings and closings operations of the fall gate 217 and buoyancy gate 253 are controlled and/or coordinated by the controller unit. Alternatively, the timings of the openings and closings of the fall gate 217 and buoyancy gate 253 can be controlled by predetermined timing information using conventional programming and techniques. For example, the fall gate 217 and buoyancy gate 253 can be opened or closed at a predetermined duration after the weight 213 drops from the predetermined drop position using other conventional technologies, such as a timer, etc. or the like.
Further, in the example shown in
Referring back to
As noted above, the receiving portion 207 is constructed so as to facilitate unobstructed downward movement of the weight 213 from the gravity fall chamber 201 to the bottom of the receiving portion 207. That is, the receiving portion 207 is shaped like a cone with a sloped bottom portion of the receiving portion 207 such that the weight 213 continues to move downward to make contact with the projecting device 231, which is disposed at a predetermined location of the bottom of the receiving portion 207. Also, the receiving portion 207 includes one or more bottom guides 241 disposed on the bottom surface of the receiving portion 207. The one or more bottom guides 241 provide passage guidance to the weight 213 such that the weight 213 continues to move from the gravity fall chamber 201 towards the projecting device 231. Thus, the one or more bottom guides 241 provide guidance on the downward movement of the weight 213 after the weight 213 is submerged in the liquid 223 in the receiving portion 207, after the fall gate 217 opens and the weight 213 continues to fall due to gravity or acceleration.
In the example shown in
The buoyancy gate 253 of buoyancy chamber 203 is disposed at or near a bottom of the buoyancy chamber 203. The buoyancy gate 253 is configured to open or close the bottom portion of the buoyancy chamber 203. As the weight 213 rises from the bottom of the receiving portion 207, the buoyancy gate 253 is operated to open so as to provide a rise passage for the weight 213 in the buoyancy chamber 203, while the fall gate 217 remains closed. As noted earlier, in operations of the fall gate 217 and buoyancy gates 253, it is noted that the buoyancy gate 253 is configured to remain closed as the weight 213 moves from the gravity fall chamber 201 into the receiving portion 207 (e.g., when the fall gate 217 is open) and is configured to open as the weight 213 moves from the receiving portion 207 into the buoyancy chamber 203 (e.g., when the fall gate 217 is closed). The opening and closing operations of the fall gate 217 and buoyancy gate 253 are controlled and coordinated by the controller unit such that the predetermined levels of the liquid 223 in both the buoyancy chamber 203 and gravity fall chamber 201 are maintained during the operation of the chamber unit 12.
In the example, the v-pulley 275 is a common industrial type v-pulley and the v-belt 293 has a 40 degree angle between its faces, which are widely used in industrial machinery. Alternatively, other types of pulleys and belts can be used instead.
In the example discussed herein, when the weight stopper 265 releases the weight 213 to fall from a height in a predetermined position in the gravity fall chamber 201, the support member 221 of the chain 219 receives the weight 213 and starts to move downward along with the weight 213 which is disposed on the top of the support member 221, as the gravity of the earth pulls downward the weight 213 and support member 221. As the weight 213 (and the support member 221) falls and accelerates, its gravitational potential energy stored at the height is converted into kinetic energy. At the same time, the fall of the weight 213 and support member 221 drives the chains 219 and sets it in motion in a downward direction, which in turn drives the sprocket 271 coupled to the shaft 273 in
It is appreciated that electricity produced using the disclosed techniques herein is proportional in part to the height of a fall of the weight 213. Further, it is noted that initially, a small amount of external power may be needed for operational purposes, e.g., operations of the controller unit, fall gate 217 and buoyancy gate 253, etc. However, after an exemplary apparatus utilizing the disclosed techniques herein is put into operation, a small amount of electricity that is generated can be used to supply electric power needed for continued operations of the devices, thereby making the exemplary apparatus a self-sufficient power apparatus. Alternatively, the small amount of the initial electricity can be provided to the exemplary apparatus by an external power source such as a battery (i.e., 12V automotive battery) or other manually operated power generating devices.
In another embodiment, a configuration of multiple exemplary apparatuses can be set up in parallel to produce a large amount of electricity for use by an industrial facility. For example, two or more exemplary apparatuses can be built and installed in parallel and electricity produced by each apparatus can be combined.
A controller unit, for example, includes a data communication interface for packet data communication. The controller unit also includes a central processing unit (CPU), in the form of one or more processors, for executing program instructions. The controller unit typically includes an internal communication bus, program storage and data storage for various data files to be processed and/or communicated by the controller unit, although the controller unit can receive programming and data via network communications. The network communications can be implemented either wirelessly over the air or wireline connections. The hardware elements, operating systems and programming languages of such controller units are conventional in nature, and are well known. Of course, functions for the controller unit may be implemented in a distributed fashion on a number of similar platforms, to distribute the processing load. The functions for the controller unit or programming instructions include instructions to control various components of the exemplary apparatus 10, such as the weight stopper 265, fall gate 217, buoyancy gate 253, fall chamber liquid level controller, buoyancy chamber liquid level controller, etc.
A computer type user terminal device, such as a PC or tablet computer, similarly includes a data communication interface CPU, main memory and one or more mass storage devices for storing user data and the various executable programs. The controller unit may include similar elements, but will typically use smaller components that also require less power, to facilitate implementation in a various industrial form factor. The various types of controller units will also include various user input and output elements. A computer, for example, may include a keyboard and a cursor control/selection device such as a mouse, trackball, joystick or touchpad, and a display for visual outputs. A microphone and speaker enable audio input and output. Some exemplary controller units may utilize touch sensitive display screens, instead of separate keyboard and cursor control elements. It is presumed that the hardware elements, operating systems and programming languages of such controller units also are conventional in nature and are well known.
Hence, aspects of the methods of sensing locations and/or positions of the weights in the gravity fall chamber 201, buoyancy chamber 203, and receiving portion of the exemplary apparatus 10 and controlling the weight stopper 265, fall gate 217 and buoyancy gate 253, etc. as outlined above, may be embodied in programming. Program aspects of the technology may be thought of as “products” or “articles of manufacture” typically in the form of executable code and/or associated data that is carried on or embodied in a type of machine readable medium. Storage type media include any or all of the tangible memory of the computers, processors or the like, or associated modules thereof, such as various semiconductor memories, tape drives, disk drives and the like, which may provide non-transitory storage at any time for the software programming. All or portions of the software may at times be communicated through the Internet or various other telecommunication networks. Such communications, for example, may enable loading of the software from one computer or processor into another, for example, from a management server into the computer platform. Thus, another type of media that may bear the software elements includes optical, electrical and electromagnetic waves, such as used across physical interfaces between local devices, through wired and optical landline networks and over various air-links. The physical elements that carry such waves, such as wired or wireless links, optical links or the like, also may be considered as media bearing the software. As used herein, unless restricted to non-transitory, tangible storage media, terms such as computer or machine “readable medium” refer to any medium that participates in providing instructions to a processor for execution.
Hence, a machine readable medium may take many forms, including but not limited to, a tangible storage medium, a carrier wave medium or physical transmission medium. Non-volatile storage media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as any of the storage devices in any computer(s) or the like, such as may be used to implement, for example, the techniques for controlling the weight stopper 265, fall gate 217, buoyancy gate 253, etc. shown in the drawings. Volatile storage media include dynamic memory, such as main memory of such a computer platform. Tangible transmission media include coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise a bus within a computer system. Carrier-wave transmission media can take the form of electric or electromagnetic signals, or acoustic or light waves such as those generated during radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) data communications. Common forms of computer-readable media therefore include for example: a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD or DVD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch cards paper tape, any other physical storage medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave transporting data or instructions, cables or links transporting such a carrier wave, or any other medium from which a computer can read programming code and/or data. Many of these forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to a processor for execution.
It is understood that various modifications may be made therein and that the subject matter disclosed herein may be implemented in various forms and examples, and that the teachings may be applied in numerous applications, only some of which have been described herein. It is intended by the following claims to claim any and all applications, modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the present teachings.
Unless otherwise stated, all measurements, values, ratings, positions, magnitudes, sizes, and other specifications that are set forth in this specification, including in the claims that follow, are approximate, not exact. They are intended to have a reasonable range that is consistent with the functions to which they relate and with what is customary in the art to which they pertain.
The scope of protection is limited solely by the claims that now follow. That scope is intended and should be interpreted to be as broad as is consistent with the ordinary meaning of the language that is used in the claims when interpreted in light of this specification and the prosecution history that follows and to encompass all structural and functional equivalents. Notwithstanding, none of the claims are intended to embrace subject matter that fails to satisfy the requirement of Sections 101, 102, or 103 of the Patent Act, nor should they be interpreted in such a way. Any unintended embracement of such subject matter is hereby disclaimed.
Except as stated immediately above, nothing that has been stated or illustrated is intended or should be interpreted to cause a dedication of any component, step, feature, object, benefit, advantage, or equivalent to the public, regardless of whether it is or is not recited in the claims.
It will be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein. Relational terms such as first and second and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “a” or “an” does not, without further constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.
As utilized herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,” and similar terms are intended to have a broad meaning in harmony with the common and accepted usage by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains. It should be noted that these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequential modifications or alterations of the subject matter described and claimed are considered to be within the scope of the invention, as recited in the appended claims.
For the purpose of this disclosure, the term “coupled” means the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or moveable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two members and the two members and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being attached to one another. Such joining may be permanent in nature or may be removable or releasable in nature. The term “coupling” includes creating a connection between two components.
The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
