Patent Application
20240426276
Energy dependence for oil, coal, and gas is tremendous and yet these sources of energy are depleting sources of energy. Further, electricity produced using these resources cause pollution. Thus, renewable sources of energy are advantageous for a number of reasons.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a power generation system includes a flotation assembly configured to float in water and a first harnessing assembly coupled to the flotation assembly and disposed in an airflow above the water. The first harnessing assembly is configured to harness the airflow to create a first rotational energy. The system also includes a second harnessing assembly coupled to the flotation assembly and disposed in the water. The second rotational assembly is configured to harness movement of the water to create a second rotational energy. The flotation assembly also includes a generating module to convert the first and second rotational energies into electrical energy.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a power generation system includes a flotation assembly configured to float in water and a first harnessing assembly extending from the flotation assembly into an airflow above the water. The first harnessing assembly harnesses the airflow to generate a first kinetic energy and is configured to orient itself corresponding to a direction of the airflow. The system also includes a second harnessing assembly extending from the flotation assembly into the water that harnesses movement of the water to generate a second kinetic energy. The second harnessing assembly is coupled to the flotation assembly to self-orient corresponding to a direction of the movement of the water. The flotation assembly also includes a generating module to convert the first and second kinetic energies into electrical energy.
According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a power generation system includes a flotation assembly configured to float in water and a first harnessing assembly extending from the flotation assembly into an airflow above the water. The first harnessing assembly has a first helical paddle to harness the airflow to generate a first rotational energy. The system also includes a second harnessing assembly extending from the flotation assembly into the water and having a second helical paddle to harness movement of the water to generate a second rotational energy. The flotation assembly also includes a generating module to convert the first and second rotational energies into electrical energy.
For a more complete understanding of the present application, the objects and advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a power generation system includes a flotation assembly configured to float in water and a first harnessing assembly coupled to the flotation assembly and disposed in an airflow above the water. The first harnessing assembly is configured to harness the airflow to create a first rotational energy. The system also includes a second harnessing assembly coupled to the flotation assembly and disposed in the water. The second rotational assembly is configured to harness movement of the water to create a second rotational energy. The flotation assembly also includes a generating module to convert the first and second rotational energies into electrical energy. According to one embodiment, the power generation system according to the present disclosure converts mechanical energy into electricity from the horizontal input energy of the wind and water, and the vertical, rise and fall, input energy of wave action. In some embodiments, the system includes helical shaped paddles such that wind and water currents that are forced into a sweeping blade (paddle) and, by the swirling cup affect, causes the blade to rotate in a single continuous direction. Thus, in some embodiments, the helix shape of the paddles or blades of the system captures input from any direction and creates a rotation in a specific direction even with oscillating input. Winds, water density, and tides all drive ocean currents. Coastal and sea floor features influence their location, direction, and speed. Earth's rotation results in the Coriolis effect which also influences ocean currents. Embodiments of the present disclosure use rotating paddles, both above and below the water surface, which are designed to maximize the energy input into the system while minimizing any drag or noncommon input. The blades rotate the same direction from wind and/or water action (movement) of any direction. The system will use wind movement (horizontal), wave action (vertical), and water movement (horizontal), to create electrical power from the transformation of motion energy into electrical energy. This is achieved through an electrical generator for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy.
With reference now to the Figures and in particular with reference to
In the illustrated embodiment, harnessing assembly 14 includes a support base 28 having coupled thereto support members 30, 32, and 34 and extending upwardly away from the surface 20 of the water 18 and into the airflow 24 above the surface 20 of the water 18. In this embodiment, harnessing assembly 14 also includes paddles 36 rotationally coupled to support members 30, 32, and 34 and positioned relative to support members 30, 32, and 34 to be disposed within the airflow 24. Paddles 36 are configured to harness the airflow 24 and create and/or otherwise generate rotational kinetic energy from the airflow 24. In the illustrated embodiment, paddles 36 are configured as helical paddles 36 (having a helical twist or helix configuration having helical blades or foils) such that paddles 36 unidirectionally rotate relative to support members 30, 32, and 34 regardless of a direction of the airflow 24 (e.g., able to accept an airflow from any direction). However, it should be understood that paddles 36 may be otherwise configured. In the illustrated embodiment, harnessing assembly is depicted having three support members 30, 32, and 34 rotationally supporting six axially supported paddles 36; however, it should be understood that the quantity and/or arrangement of support members 30, 32, and 34 and/or paddles 36 may vary (e.g., being greater or lesser in quantity). Thus, it should be understood that the lengths (or heights) of support members 30, 32, and 34 may be increased or decreased to accommodate different quantities of paddles 36. Further, it should be understood that additional support members and/or paddles 36 may be extended in a lateral direction.
In the illustrated embodiment, harnessing assembly 14 is configured having sets and/or pairs of paddles 36 where each set or pair of paddles 36 is spaced vertically apart from each other and located at different elevational levels relative to support members 30, 32, and 34. However, it should be understood that the quantity of paddles 36 may vary, and that paddles 36 may be disposed in non-pair configurations. In the illustrated embodiment, each set or pair of paddles 36 at a particular elevation is mounted on a respective axle 38 to transfer and/or otherwise transmit rotational energy harnessed via the airflow 24 by the respective set of paddles 36 to mechanism(s) of and/or within support member 34. For example, in some embodiments, support member 34 comprises a conduit housing shaft(s), gears, pulley(ies), linkage(s), etc., to mechanically transfer the rotational energy harnessed by paddles 36 to a generating module supported by and/or in flotation assembly 12 where the generating module generates electricity from the rotational energy harnessed by paddles 36. Further, in the illustrated embodiment, for each pair of paddles 36 at a particular elevation, the paddles 36 are mounted to axle 38 at a one hundred eighty degree (180°) rotational angle relative to each other (e.g., 180° out of phase relative to each other) to balance forces applied to the paddles 36 by the airflow 24 (e.g., the resulting in the forces applied to paddles 36 being congruent with a central axis of flotation assembly 12, thereby having a reduced tendency to create overturning or undue twisting effects). For example,
As illustrated in
In the illustrated embodiment, support base 28 is rotatably coupled to a lower section or bottom 46 of flotation assembly 12 to enable support base 28 to rotate relative to flotation assembly 12 in the directions 42 indicated in
In the embodiment illustrated in
As best illustrated in
Similar to the configuration of paddle 36 mounting described in connection with
As described above, support member 50 is coupled to flotation assembly 12 to enable rotational and/or pivotal movement of harnessing assembly 14 within the water 18 such that harnessing assembly 14 self-orients corresponding to a direction of a flow of the water 18. For example, by rotationally and/or pivotally coupling support member 50 to flotation assembly 12, forces applied by the movement of the water 18 against paddles 52 mounted on opposite sides of support member 50 cause support member 50 to rotate, thereby resulting in harnessing assembly 16 self-orienting to the movement direction of the flow of water 18 and efficiently aligning the harnessing assembly 14 perpendicular to the direction of the flow of the water 18 and maximizing the energy harnessing action of the paddles 52 to the flow of the water 18. Additionally, water 18 currents (e.g., in the ocean) and airflow 24 currents over the ocean generally travel in the same general direction. The above water 18 surface 20 of system 10 will be able to swivel/rotate for the difference in the airflow 24 verses the water 18 flow. The paddles 52 in the water 18 rotate and/or pivot on the under the surface 20 of the water 18 to resist overturning of the flotation assembly 12. In one embodiment, the support member may comprise two or more segments, said segments being attached, coupled, linked, or otherwise connected to one or more adjacent segments of said support member. In one embodiment, the segments may be rotationally coupled to one another with a hinge member or other coupling device (53) that allows the adjacent segments joined by the hinge member to rotate/pivot about the hinge member to allow for bending along the length of the support member. In some embodiments, only a portion of the length of the support member comprises coupled segments such that only a portion of the length of the support member is capable of bending. In some embodiments, the coupling device (53) is configured to allow for bending about an axis of the coupling device, and is also configured to allow for swiveling of the coupled segments respective to one another. In other alternate embodiments, one or more fins may be attached to one or more structures of the first harnessing assembly and/or second harnessing assembly such that said one or more fins above or below the water surface to act as a source guide for the assembly directional movement by the air flow movement above the water and/or the water current below the water surface.
In operation, referring to
The present invention may include computer program instructions at any possible technical detail level of integration (e.g., stored in a computer readable storage medium (or media) (e.g., memory 74) for causing a processor (e.g., processor unit 72) to carry out aspects of the present invention. Computer readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded to respective computing/processing devices (e.g., generating module 70 and/or storage module 78). Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations of the present invention may be assembler instructions, instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, configuration data for integrated circuitry, or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages. In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, in order to perform aspects of the present invention. Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods and/or apparatus according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the illustrations and/or block diagrams, may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, can be implemented by computer readable program instructions. These computer readable program instructions may be provided to a processor or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the illustrations and/or block diagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computing device, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an article of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects of the function/act specified in the illustrations and/or block diagram block or blocks. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a hardware embodiment, a software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.”
Thus, embodiments of system 10 of the present disclosure create energy from wind movement over a water surface, from the oscillating, rise and fall, action of ocean waves, and from the steady movement of ocean water current below the ocean surface, which occur primarily coincidental and in the same general direction. Embodiments of the present invention provides for a continuous supply of energy through work created from the wind, the wave and the water action and offsets the use of oil, coal, and gas with a safe, reliable, renewable solution source. System 10 takes advantage of the constant wind and water currents over and under the water surface, notably the ocean (e.g., a floating city), as well as the wave action of the ocean and other large bodies of water, to provide for a constant source of mechanical input conversion to power. Generally, the winds, whether generated by a coastal storm or an afternoon summer sea breeze, blow faster over the ocean than over the land because there is not as much friction over the water. The land has mountains, coastal barriers, trees, human-made structures, and sediments that cause a resistance to the wind flow. Therefore, system 10 will not need to project wind turbines high over the water to benefit from the wind speeds existing closer to the surface of a body of water. However, there is more energy to be gained from water movement even at a slower rate and less area because of its density of the ocean water relative to that of air. System 10 uses wind, wave, water, and even the earth, moon and sun for input energy. Winds and currents move the surface water causing waves. The gravitational attraction of the moon causes the oceans to bulge out in the direction of the moon. Another bulge occurs on the opposite side since the earth is also being pulled toward the moon (and away from the water on the far side). The use of wind, wave, and water as sources of energy by system 10 provides a highly dependable source of energy.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. Please note that for the purposes of the claims recited herein, that “A or B” covers embodiments having element A alone, element B alone, or elements A and B taken together.
The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosure in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the disclosure and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the disclosure for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63094249 | Oct 2020 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17451364 | Oct 2021 | US |
| Child | 18314666 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 18314666 | May 2023 | US |
| Child | 18828584 | US |
