Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
This invention is in the field of power generation. More specifically, this invention captures lift energy due to buoyancy and transfers it to mechanical rotation. The mechanical rotation can be used to power various devices including electrical generators.
The buoyancy forces on objects submerged in liquids is significant and utilized in day to day events like sailing ships and flotation devices. However, to date, attempts to transform buoyancy forces to dynamic power generation has not been successfully demonstrated.
A common approach is typified in a 1929 U.S. Pat. No. 1,708,807 as well as in a more recent US Patent 2008/0028760. The approach described in these patents utilize a connected chain of flotation devices passing through a liquid column, with a sealing device at the bottom of the column to reduce liquid loss. Difficulties in these designs are due to high forces on floats entering at the bottom of liquid column that slowed the connected floats and effectively neutralized energy capture. Liquid loss at the seal also contributed to energy inefficiency, and the systems required liquid replenishment for continuous operation which negatively impacted commercial feasibility.
Another approach typified by a 1938 U.S. Pat. No. 2,135,110 and a more recent 1980 U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,132 utilize a connected chain of buckets submerged in liquid. A stream of air is injected into a bucket at the lowest point in the chain to provide lift. Difficulties in this approach is the cost of providing the compressed air and the rate at which air can injected into the buckets to obtain a net energy gain from the device.
The invention described in this application utilizes an innovative seal system to introduce floats at the bottom of a liquid column, but utilizes independent floats that drives a belt system to capture the buoyancy forces. This design captures the buoyancy forces from all the floats without losses incurred when introducing a new float into the liquid column. The seal system proposed, that is integrated with the floats, also ensures a high rate of float introduction that is essential for high power generation. This invention additionally includes a liquid recovery system that harnesses gravity to recycle liquid losses from the seal and significantly reduces the need for virgin liquid replenishment.
The present invention is a system that captures the buoyancy forces from rising floats in a liquid column and transfers it to mechanical motion of a continuous belt, which can be captured to drive other equipment, or for power generation.
In one aspect of the invention, a special seal system introduces floats into the bottom of a liquid column.
In another aspect of the invention, the floats rising in the liquid column are captured by a continuous belt system. The buoyancy forces of the rising floats cause the continuous belt to move, turning support Drive Wheels that retain the continuous belt. The movement of the rotating belt provides power that can be used to drive equipment or generators.
In another aspect of the invention, liquid losses through the seal system are recovered with the assistance of gravity.
The PLANKZ BUOYANCY ENGINE™ is a machine that captures buoyancy forces on floats submerged in a liquid column, to move a continuous belt. The motion of the continuous belt causes the Drive Wheels supporting the continuous belt to turn. The rotational motion of the supporting Drive Wheels can be used to power other devices and to generate electricity.
The Drive System consists of a continuous belt made up of a series of connected bridges 2, supported on Drive Wheel Assemblies 3. Floats 1 are spherical balls that fit on 2 and maintained in position by guides, not shown in the drawing. The path of the continuous belt is designed such that it picks up floats at the bottom of the Liquid Column 4. Floats exert an upward force on the bridges, causing the continuous belt to move in the direction D. In operation of the machine, the Floats will move along the Continuous Belt until it reaches the position E, where the Floats fall into the Float Return System.
The Float Return System is contained in the Overflow Tank 6. Floats leaving the Drive System, move along the Feed Tube 7, into the Float Return Valve 5.
At this stage, 5 is restored to the condition at the start of the above sequence and the process can be repeated.
The liquid lost in sequence V described above is recovered by C illustrated in
The machine will additionally be fitted with support, safety, esthetic and control elements as well as varying mechanisms to capture energy and transfer power.
The advantages of the present invention, without limitation, are:
While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention as claimed.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1708807 | Tatay | Apr 1929 | A |
2135110 | Platt | Nov 1938 | A |
4326132 | Bokel | Apr 1982 | A |
6249057 | Lehet | Jun 2001 | B1 |
8981582 | Grossman | Mar 2015 | B2 |
10584687 | Filloramo | Mar 2020 | B2 |
20080028760 | Bedwell | Feb 2008 | A1 |
20090309373 | O'Briant | Dec 2009 | A1 |
20100180587 | Manakkattupadeettathil | Jul 2010 | A1 |
20120159941 | Pirincci | Jun 2012 | A1 |
20120198833 | Francis | Aug 2012 | A1 |
20120312008 | Campos Alvarez | Dec 2012 | A1 |
20200191113 | Filloramo | Jun 2020 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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3231862 | Oct 2017 | EP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20200332760 A1 | Oct 2020 | US |