The present invention is based on the Spanish application for patent no. P200401236 of May 17, 2005 which is priority.
It is well known the hydroelectric energy which is obtained from pressure differences on a river by means of a dam which raises water level.
This invention produces methods and means for exploiting the pressure differences between the space or the sea bottom regarding the Earth surface.
In the space case, the pressión difference (1 at.) may be exploited on the Earth surface by means of a closed spatial container provided with a valve. When said container enters to the Earth, the container only has “vacuum”. By connecting an input of a turbine to the atmosphere and connecting an outlet of the turbine to the spatial container, by opening the container valve an air flux is generated, moving the turbine.
In the sea bottom case, the pressión difference may be exploited for example by means of compressed air contained into a immersion capsule or by means of product obtained by means of high pressures. Similarly the spatial case, the immersion capsule of compressed air may be connected to a turbine (the turbine input to the immersion capsule and the atmosphere to the turbine outlet). For obtaining the compressed air, the immersion capsule is submerged to the sea bottom by means of a removing ballast, allowing which sea water floods the immersion capsule, said water compresses the air of the immersion capsule. When the immersion capsule arrives to the sea bottom, a valve separates the compressed air and the sea water of the immersion capsule, then the removing ballast is removed and the immersion capsule returns to the sea surface. By previous the immersion capsule has less average density than the sea water density and the average density of the set of immersion capsule and removing ballast is bigger the sea water density.
Instead compressed air, the immersion capsule may produce air liquid by arranging several consecutive expansion chambers into the immersion capsule, said expansion chambers being provided with isolation valves and cooling devices. Each isolation valve is controlled by the pressure of the previous expansion chamber.
Because water solubility of oxygen and nitrogen are very different, it is possible to use the invention to separate both gases.
Summarizing, it is possible to use the immersion capsule as a high pressure reaction chamber, specially for the product having sea water or air as raw material. So, it is possible to obtaining pressured chloride, pressured hydrogen, ammonia, . . . .
In the space case, the spatial container acts as combustible because raising the spatial container for refilling is economically non-viable, so said spatial container would be a way for importing metals from the space, for example shaped as metal sheet, and said metal sheet shaped as empty cylinders. The metal sheet must tolerate at least 1 at. pressure. An accurate volume for said cylinder is one that the cylinder weight is compensated by the aerostatic vacuum of the cylinder, being:
In the sea bottom case, the ballast and the sea bottom surface act as combustible. Because the ballast would be stone, rubble, waste, ground, . . . , the combustible would be inexhautible.
Furthermore for avoiding air dissolving in sea water at high pressures, the immersion capsule is provided with a separating piston 17. Said separating piston activates the water level sensor 12. The separating piston can have one o several rail-shaft.
The ballast container 2 has a collapsible bottom 14 which is controlled or for the water level sensor or by a gap sensor which is programmed for acting to a prefixed distance 16. When the sea depth is known, the gap sensor may be the pressure gauge 13. Also the gap sensor may be a sonar 15.
Average density of the immersion capsule must be lower than sea water density for floating fullfilled of sea water and with the air compressed container.
The lower zone of the immersion capsule is heavier the upper zone for helping the sea water draining. For draining the immersion capsule, the levelling pressure valve 10a must be opened.
The emptied ballast container must float on sea water.
Also the set of immersion capsule and ballast container are provided with signalizing devices either for the sea surface or underwater and radiolocalization devices specially placed on the immersion capsule.
The valves, collapsible bottom, sensors, . . . they include control devices, control signals and circuits for emitting and receiving said control signals.
The collapsible bottom 14 is opened when sea water reaches the water level sensor 12 and the gap sensor is activated.
The flooding/draining valves 10 are opened when the pressure gauge 13 measures a fixed pressure (for example 1.1 at.).
Several electric wires 18 transports the control signals from the gap sensor, the water level sensor and pressure gauge to the isolation valve, the collapsible bottom and the flooding/draining valves.
The control devices may be electronic circuits (AND, OR or NOT doors) or electromechanical (relay).
The expansion valves start being closed.
Either the expansion valves and the movable anchorages are controlled by the expasion control sensors and the limit pressure gauge. So, being i=20 or 21 or 22, when piston i-1 reaches the sensor ib, the valve ia is opened until the limit pressure gauge id reaches a prefixed pressure, then the valve ia is closed, the movable anchorage ic is removed and the valve (i-1)a is opened for passing sea water.
Each fixed limit anchorage limits its linked piston motion, supporting the following piston until which this last piston must be moved.
The walls of the immersion capsule would be heat conductive for taking advantage of the low sea bottom temperature for cooling the compressed air.
At the time of submerging the immersion capsule, the expansion valves must be closed and the movable anchorage must be activated.
According the immersion capsule is submerged, the expasion control sensors are activated, then said expansion control sensors open they associated expansion valves, . . . , so the air is cooled and re-compressed.
Instead the compressed air container a liquid air container 23 is provided.
Functioning is as following:
Sea water is hydrolized for obtaining hydrogen for reacting with nitrogen and oxygen, then the hatches 24a and 24b are closed.
When the immersion capsule reaches the sea bottom, a detonator 29 which is controlled by means of the gap sensor is activate, detonating the mixing of air and hydrogen. Heat, pressure hydrogen and nitrogen produce ammonia.
Chlorine is recovered through the chlorine container 30 at high pressure, and ammonia is recovered at the atmospheric pressure through the isolation valve 9. Also the sea water of the immersion capsule must comprise ammonia and caustic soda.