Patent Application
20130270836
This invention relates to the field of harnessing gravitational force and to the conversion of the work done by gravitational force into other forms of energy and/or work. More particularly this invention relates to generation of electrical energy by harnessing gravitational force either solely or in combination with other forms of energy (renewable or non-renewable), with special focus on resource-economy, minimal pollution and externalities.
The industrial revolution radically influenced almost every aspect of human life and in pursuit of sophistication and advancement, man's dependencies not only shifted, but also increased exponentially. Today machines created by man govern his life—his households, businesses, transport, agricultural output, food processing, warfare, economy, as well as dictate the quality of his future. Since all machines need power (energy) to process their input, demand for power too has exponentially increased and today the ability to generate enough power is among the key factors that decide a country's stature in the international economic and political arena. Focus until recent decades had been on conventional non-renewable resources (Fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas, and later, types of nuclear power such as from radioactive uranium, and certain aquifers) to meet power demands. But our power plants and heating-cooling-cooking-burning practices are now producing more greenhouse gases than we can tolerate to maintain a stable climate. The international climate science community cautions us to drastically cut our carbon emissions. Further, we are now approaching peak oil and gas production, in which half the amount of total known global supply has already been used, with steadily increasing prices to come; and “clean coal”, “sustainable biomass”, “safe nuclear” and other such clichés seem mere illusions. The only remaining choices quoted by the international scientific community for our energy future are the ‘Renewables’—hydropower, geothermal, biomass, solar thermal, solar electric, wind, tides, waves, ocean-thermal-gradients, and new, unconventional technologies such as vacuum (zero-point) energy, low-temperature nonradioactive nuclear reactions (“cold” fusion), and advanced hydrogen and water chemistries.
Existing nonrenewable and renewable energy generation technologies and their contribution to the global energy is approximately thus; NONRENEWABLES (93%);—1. Combustion of petroleum-based fuels (39%), 2. Combustion of natural gas (24%), 3. Combustion of coal and its derivatives (24%), 4. Hydrogen derived from petroleum, natural gas, or coal, 5. Uranium and plutonium fission-based nuclear reactors that are highly radioactive. (5%), 6. “Hot fusion”: RENEWABLES (7%);—7. Wind-based generation systems (0.2%), 8. Solar-based heating and power generation systems (0.1%), 9. Geothermal-based heating and power generation systems (0.4%), 10. Biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel) (1%), 11. Biomass combustion (mostly wood chips) (2%), 12. Fuel cells, 13. Anaerobic digestion of waste to biogas, 14. Conventional hydroelectric generators (3%).
Another renewable resource that remains largely untapped is gravity, which is clean, free and ubiquitous. Several experiments and inventions using gravity form part of literature relevant to the power sector. However, one common approach taken by many an inventor is to build a self sustaining machine using gravity, to generate power—which may seem feasible in theory, but isn't so practice—especially in the context of producing substantial amounts of power that can be harvested to run other machines/appliances. This is primarily due to the fact that the work done by gravity on a given (self sustaining) machine is barely enough to sustain itself, and the prospects of additional power generation are therefore unrealistic. For instance US20090115195, a gravity power generation mechanism seeks to run the power generation unit by running a series of single-directional-swing arms that tend to stretch outward on only one side, as they circle the said unit, so as to produce a larger positive torque (purportedly due to the outstretched arms on one side), that would impel and sustain continuous rotational motion of that unit. This however is not true in practice since a greater number of collapsed arms collect on the opposite side and cancel out the positive torque created by the fewer outstretched ones. In Indian Patent No. 207600 (649/MUM/2004), the claimed apparatus seeks to use gravitational force exerted on a falling object suspended by a rope and pulley, to rotate a fly wheel which is said to store the rotational kinetic energy, and which in turn is said to lift the (fallen) object upward; and this cycle of alternate upward-downward movement of the said weight is claimed to be used to rotate a dynamo shaft to generate electricity. This is again not a sustainable design for efficient power generation since it contradicts the 2nd law of thermodynamics that states that some energy in a system is always lost (including during transmission), and therefore a machine cannot make more energy than it uses or even enough to keep itself operating indefinitely.
It is therefore imperative that an external force be employed to sustain additional work done by a machine, especially one that uses gravity. Therefore in U.S. Pat. No. 6,445,078, an elevated water reservoir fills a plurality of containers that travel downward under the weight of the water and this ‘controlled’ gravity influenced movement is made to drive a generator, while the said containers after reaching down, are emptied and carried back up by an ad hoc powered mechanism. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,312 too, a similar concept is applied wherein water or other fluid from an elevated reservoir feeds secondary tanks that glide under the influence of gravity along a controlled downward path and are emptied into another floor reservoir. This downward gravity induced motion is harnessed to rotate a generator shaft with the help of gears. Water emptied by the said secondary tanks is pumped back into the elevated tank by an ad hoc powered pump. In these systems however, since the downward movement is ‘controlled’ and is not a free fall, the entire work done by gravity on the load is not available to be harnessed, which directly affects the efficiency of the said systems. Besides, factors including the time taken to fill water into each container/tank, the rate at which water/fluid is fed back into the reservoir, and the maximum feasible size of each container/tank etc., limit the scalability of the set-up and are not ideal for very high power generation requirements such as those that power a township or even a reasonably large industrial installation. In U.S. Pat. No. 8,011,182, US20110179784 and in US20110162356, gravity acts on a series of buckets fastened to a chain or belt, that descend downward in a liquid medium due to their mass/weight (gravity). Once they reach the bottom, they are filled with gas or other lighter fluid/medium, that renders them buoyant thereby causing their ascent (upward), and upon reaching the top the gas is released out of the buckets. This cyclic upward-downward movement is used to run a generator shaft to produce electricity. Here again, the velocity of descent, and the rate at which gas is refilled into each bucket, the largest feasible size of a bucket, and the torque that can be so created etc., limit the scalability of the invention which cannot be used for high power generation requirements.
It is therefore apparent from prior art (inventions) that gravity based models thus far have not been able to cater to large or even medium scale power requirements. Gravity being free, perennial, ubiquitous, ecologically safe and above all—directly proportional to product of the mass of the object in question (—promising remarkable efficiency), and independent of climate, season, weather, wind, sunshine, tide, rain, geography or other resources etc., presents an avenue to an urgent as well as long felt need for a viable solution that is safe and sustainable, and that effectively harnesses gravitational force and efficiently converts the work done by gravity into other forms of energy, particularly electrical energy, especially at a very large scale.
This inventor has developed an apparatus, system and method/s that effectively harnesses gravitational force and efficiently convert work done by gravity into other forms of energy, especially electrical energy, and that is versatile and almost illimitable as to its scalability.
It is therefore the main object of this invention to effectively harness work done by gravitational force, and to efficiently convert the same to other forms of energy and/or work, more particularly electrical energy, in an economical, eco-friendly and safe manner.
It is another main object of this invention to design and implement an apparatus, system and method/s that harness and convert gravitational force so as to generate large, medium and small scale electric power, whereby the aspect of scalability is almost illimitable, applicable anywhere and around the year.
It is another main object of this invention to enhance the effectiveness of harnessing gravitational energy.
It is another main object of this invention to enhance the efficiency of conversion of gravitational energy to other forms of energy, especially electrical energy.
It is another main object of this invention to allow for a heavy mass to fall freely under the influence of gravity, so as to increase the total work done, for harnessing and conversion; and to provide for controlling its fall and for lifting the said heavy mass back up, by a counterbalancing means such that the net weight that is lifted is the difference between the two, thereby increasing efficiency of the system.
It is another object of this invention to optimise the number of units employed, with the distance and speed of the free fall of the object/s with heavy mass, whereby upward or downward movement of either the Main weight or the Counterweight in any given unit is passive and entirely driven by gravity alone, so as to achieve minimal input of power, and superlative efficiency.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide for auxiliary power generation mechanisms in the gravity power generation system to enhance overall out put of power generated and thereby enhance the efficiency of the system.
According to this invention, there is therefore provided an apparatus, system/s and method/s that on the one hand, maximise work done by gravity, by allowing free fall of a an object with a heavy mass to harness energy and output therefrom, and on the other, maximises efficiency by counterbalancing this heavy mass by another similar mass such that only the net difference of the said two masses needs to be worked upon by input power mechanisms in order to lift the fallen object back up to its original position, along the direction of gravity or otherwise, to repeat the cycle. A plurality of such units are used in synchronised tandem to maintain a steady RPM of the gear/flywheel/shaft connecting a high output generator. Besides, this invention also envisages auxiliary energy generation mechanisms known in the art to further augment efficiency of the system; each such unit comprising; (i) A hollow vertical channel, erected above ground level, provided with at least two guide rails along its inner walls through which (ii) a Main-weight comprising (ii)(a) an upper component called the ‘Head’ made of a material of suitable mass and density, preferably Titanium, shaped preferably corresponding to the cross section of the channel and provided with means at its periphery, that conform with and slide through and along the said guide rails of the said vertical channel, and (ii)(b) a lower component being a vertical shaft made of a material of suitable mass and density, preferably Titanium, which bears teeth at least on one side of its length that engage a (iii) Main gear that in turn directly or through a flywheel and/or secondary gear/s, to rotate the (iv) Horizontal shaft of a generator, as the said vertical shaft moves downward with the falling Main weight due to the gravitational force. The said main gear is constructed like a free wheel so as to permit bi-directional engagement, and uni-directional rotation of the said Horizontal shaft of the generator, when the said vertical shaft moves downward.
The said weight is suspended by (vii) ropes from a (viii) system of pulleys wherein the other ends of the said ropes are attached to (ix) a Counterweight, which is mounted on a (x) lift such that the said lift (along with the said counterweight) is suspended to slide upward and downward in (xi) a vertical frame erected parallel to the said hollow vertical channel, such that the direction of movement of the Main weight is opposite that of the counterweight which is as heavy as or marginally heavier or lighter than the main weight, depending upon the design of a given embodiment/version/variant of this invention.
The Counterweight that counter-balances the Main weight, is mounted on a powered Lift system to carry it upwards and downwards at predetermined speeds to synchronize the falling Main weight such that revolution of the horizontal shaft of the generator is kept constant. The said ropes in each unit run over a system of pulleys; each system comprising a plurality of rows of pulleys, designed to provide for auxiliary power generation so as to allow for mounting coils/magnets to produce electricity.
The synchronisation of upward-downward movements of the main weight and counterweight is executed with the help of (xii) sensors and signalling means to synchronize and control the velocity of the counterweight and hence that of the main weight of one or more units, so as to maintain a steady RPM of the generator shaft.
It is pertinent to mention that the description herein is meant to explain the design, construction and method/s by which the invention can be worked, more particularly and especially in a manner that applies to (but is not limited to) high capacity power generation plants, without limitation as to obvious alterations, modifications and adaptations of the parts, construction and method/s described; and that the diagrams/drawings herein are not drawn to scale but only serve to schematically explain the construction, working concept of the invention and represent the broad dimensions, shapes, spatial arrangement and inter-relationships of the parts, without limitation to their interchangeable or other obvious modifications and/or adaptations.
This invention anticipates material/s other than those specifically mentioned to describe the working embodiments, their various forms, adaptations and versions and various other metallic alloys and other combinations commonly used in the art for manufacture of power generation equipment.
Obvious and rather trivial details that do not warrant specific mention and which are known and obvious to a person skilled in the art are not mentioned and/or explained and/or drawn, while they are very much a part of this invention.
The description herein therefore shall not be construed to unduly limit the intended scope, spirit and extent of the invention.
According to the preferred embodiment the apparatus, system/s that effectively harness and efficiently convert gravitational force/energy so as to generate large scale electric power comprising (without limitation and more particularly, to provide a simplistic example and explanation) three identical units wherein; each single unit comprises; (i) A first hollow vertical cylindrical channel, 48 meters in height, inner diameter of 1 meters 30 cms, and wall thickness of 50 cm, erected above ground level, provided with at least two guide rails along its inner walls through which (ii) a Main-weight comprising (ii)(a) an upper component called the Head made of preferably (but not limited to) Titanium 30 cm in height, weighing 500 kg, diameter 1 m, cylindrical in shape, corresponding to the cross section of the channel and provided with rollers at its periphery, that conform with and slide through and along the said guide rails of the said vertical channel, and (ii)(b) a lower component being a vertical shaft preferably made of (but not limited to) Titanium 45 meters in length, and weighing 100 kg per meter of height,=4500 kgs in weight, and which bears teeth on one side along 40 meters, i.e., from top 5th to bottom 44th meter of its length that engage a main gear with a perimeter of 1 meter, that in turn directly rotates the Horizontal shaft of 0.96 meter radius of a generator, as the said vertical shaft moves downward with the falling Main weight due to the gravitational force at a velocity of 3 mtrs/sec=13.3 seconds for a fall of 40 meters, i.e., having due regard to the atmospheric air resistance, and the impedance offered by the gear on the Horizontal shaft that it is meshed with and rotates. The upper said component or Head (ii)(a) of the main weight is preferably (but not limited to) cylindrical, or cylindrical-oval, square-prism or such other shape corresponding to the said first hollow vertical channel and depending on specific requirements of a project. For instance, where the project caters to large scale electricity generation wherein very heavy and large weight is used, it is preferable to use cylindrical, oval or square prism shape in order to accommodate a larger number of ropes to suspend the said weight. The said Main gear acts as a free wheel so as to permit bi-directional engagement and uni-directional rotation i.e., when the said vertical shaft moves downward.
The said weight is suspended by heavy duty: 24 mm traction ropes made up of (but not limited to) self lubricated fibre synthetic traction ropes, from a system of pulleys wherein the other ends of the said ropes are attached to (iii) a Counterweight, which is mounted on a lift such that the said lift (along with the said counterweight) is suspended to slide upward and downward in a vertical frame erected parallel to the said hollow vertical channel, such that the direction of movement of the Main weight is opposite that of the counterweight which according to this embodiment is marginally heavier than the main weight, i.e, 5100 Kg.
The Counterweight that more or less balances the main weight is mounted on a powered Lift system to carry it upwards and downwards at predetermined speeds to synchronize the falling weight such that revolution of the horizontal shaft of the generator is kept constant. The said lift is powered by a 20 HP motor which lifts the counterweight at 45 meters in 15 seconds, whereby the energy required is 12 KW in 15 seconds. Hence in this embodiment comprising 3 units, the total power consumed by the 3 lifts is (12 kw×4×60×24)=69 MW in a day. The main weight and counterweight of each unit are suspended by a set of 9 heavy duty 24 mm traction ropes.
The said ropes in each unit run along a system of Pulleys; each system comprising 12 rows of pulleys and hence a total of 36 pulleys are employed in this embodiment comprising 3 units. Each pulley is made of manganese bronze and has a diameter of 50 cm. Each system of Pulleys is designed to provide for auxiliary power generation so as to allow for mounting coils/magnets to produce electricity.
The synchronisation of upward-downward movements of the main weight and counterweight is executed with the help of Magnetic sensor/s which is placed at a distance of 40 meters from the apex of the first vertical channel, to control the velocity of the counterweight and hence that of the main weight.
When the Head of the said Main-weight reaches the bottom of the first hollow Vertical channel at 40 meters depth, the Magnetic Sensor in Unit I will activate an Electronic Signal in the Lift of Unit I to exert necessary retarding effect by means of brakes or motion in the same direction as the Main weight of Unit I, thereby first controlling/retarding the fall of the said Main weight, and subsequently setting it in motion in the opposite direction to travel back upwards to its original position.
The said Sensor in Unit I, will also activate an Electronic signal in the Lift in Unit II to commence the free falling phase of the Main weight in Unit II. This cycle is repeated by the Magnetic Sensor in Unit II, in tandem, in order to signal to activate the Lift in Unit III to commence the free falling phase of the Main weight in Unit III, and likewise the cycle repeats for the Magnetic Sensor in Unit III, in tandem, in order to signal to activate the Lift in Unit I to commence the free falling phase of the Main weight in Unit I, thereby ensuring that at least one vertical shaft (of one of the 3 Units) will be in its descending/dropping phase at any given time.
In another embodiment, the input power requirements can be further minimised wherein all other conditions, parameters being the same as in the preferred embodiment I detailed above, the distinguishing features are;
In another embodiment, the input power requirements can be further minimised wherein all other conditions, parameters being the same as in the preferred embodiment I detailed above, the only distinguishing features are;
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3952/CHE/2010 | Dec 2010 | IN | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IN2011/000887 | 12/23/2011 | WO | 00 | 6/20/2013 |
