Circuit for generating electrical energy

Abstract

A circuit for generating electrical energy is disclosed. The circuit uses a pulse generator in combination with a tube having a cavity. The tube can have a material in it, such as a solid material or a fluid passing through it. A thyristor or other negative resistance is connected in series with the tube to increase the rate of change of voltage with time. The resultant energy applied to a load is greater than the energy supplied by the pulse generator due to the absorption of external energy by the tube.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 889,506, filed August 20, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0003] Generating electricity is a fundamental technology for meeting our society's energy needs. The conversion of thermal energy contained in plasma flames, such as in the cylinders of an internal combustion engine, is an example of utilizing thermal energy to provide its conversion into mechanical energy. A convenient and direct method for converting thermal energy into electrical energy is a much-needed and ideal approach for generating electricity. Attached Figure Description

[0004] Figure 1 This is an example circuit used to generate electrical energy.

[0005] Figure 2 The illustration shows a general implementation of a circuit for generating electrical energy.

[0006] Figure 3 Another embodiment of a circuit for generating electrical energy is shown.

[0007] Figure 4 An example etalon is shown, which has fluid pumped through a cavity therein.

[0008] Figure 5 It is a circuit for generating electrical energy according to another embodiment.

[0009] Figure 6 This is a flowchart for generating electrical energy according to another embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0010] A method and system for generating electrical energy for a variety of applications are disclosed. This method is versatile in its applications and can be applied to many electrically powered devices, such as portable tools, sensors, optical devices, lighting, heating, cooling, respiratory equipment, medical devices, timing devices, portable computers, mobile phones, powered cooling or heating devices, and other similar and larger stationary applications requiring convenient and powerful electrical power supplies. The need for such devices and methods is well-documented.

[0011] The Carver-Volta effect (CVE) is a kinetic physics effect that can be used to provide significant electrical power. A CVE can be described as a tiny transient increase in power during a single power transfer transient in a material moving through space or in an electrical conductor. The term "kinetic" is used to describe the transient nature of this effect. It can be detected during transient events such as rapid voltage changes and other phase and state changes in the material. Embodiments of the device described herein are configured to utilize this phenomenon (i.e., the CVE) through the apparent conversion of thermal energy to electrical energy. The magnitude of the CVE is associated with large dV / dt values ​​(the change in voltage over time).

[0012] The understanding of the operation and manufacture of the device includes identifying the presence of a etalon in the output circuit and disclosing methods for realizing and manufacturing the etalon.

[0013] exist Figure 1 The circuit 100 is used to convert heat energy into electrical energy. A square wave generator 105 generates a train of square wave pulses (continuous pulses) that enters the primary side of the coupled inductor 110. The secondary side of the coupled inductor is connected to a nonlinear resistive device, or sometimes referred to as a negative resistance device 112, such as a thyristor. The negative resistance device 112 serves as a device that limits the current from the secondary side to a specific value determined by its internal structure based on the input voltage. Meaningful current is conducted only when the voltage exceeds a certain amount in the positive direction, and only as a negative voltage when the voltage is more negative than the certain amount. For example, these two voltages could be +25V and –25V. Due to this voltage characteristic, the output on the secondary side of the coupled inductor will always and certainly exceed +25V and –25V, provided there is sufficient power to overcome parasitic losses.

[0014] A negative resistance device can be any device capable of providing this type of effect. Example devices include, but are not limited to, the following:

[0015] 1. Gas discharge lamp

[0016] 2. Spark Gap

[0017] 3. Zener diode

[0018] 4. Thyristor

[0019] 5. Bidirectional thyristor

[0020] 6. Gunn diode

[0021] 7. Diodes (various types)

[0022] 8. Silicon Controlled Rectifier (SCR)

[0023] 9. Switching devices controlled by logic circuits

[0024] Because the driving electronics used in the transformer (or coupled inductor) cause the secondary output to swing from positive to negative, a very rapid transition occurs from >25V to a value more negative than –25V. These high dV / dt transients are then utilized to generate the rapid voltage swings desired for the CVE to be exploited. Therefore, the larger the dV / dt (the higher the voltage, the shorter the time), the more pronounced the CVE. The combination of a square wave and a negative resistance device 112 helps achieve this. In this example, capacitor C1 114 and inductor 116 form an oscillating circuit that further amplifies the effects of the current and its voltage swings to produce a useful output at C2 118. Capacitor C2 118 is then connected to one or more rectifier diodes, typically shown at 120, to produce a positive voltage output V+ and a negative voltage output V-, respectively. The oscillating circuit formed by capacitor 114 and inductor 116 can generate a signal that oscillates at a frequency greater than the frequency of the square wave input signal.

[0025] Heat exchanger 130 provides a heat conduction path for the material to allow a continuous flow of heat energy to be converted into electrical energy. The heat exchanger can be any device used to inject heat into a circuit. In one example, a tube (e.g., a conductive or non-conductive tube) filled with a material having a desired permittivity and permeability is used. Potential materials include air, water, methanol, ethanol, and acetamide (or solutions in liquids such as water or ethanol). Ferrite slurries can also be used. The material can be pumped or circulated through the tube using an external pump (not shown). Alternatively, a solid material can be fixed within the resonant cavity. A liquid can then be pumped through the tube to provide heat exchange for the material and the tube itself. The tube can be of any desired length. For example, the tube length can be from 1 foot to 5 feet. The cross-section of the tube can be of any desired shape, such as circular, square, rectangular, elliptical, planar oval, or custom-designed. Any geometry can be used (e.g., an N-sided polygon or a folded shape). Regardless of the cross-section, the tube can be elongated with a cavity through which fluid can pass. The tube can be a etalon as described herein.

[0026] Figure 2 A general version of circuit 200 is shown. Optional driver 210 can be a continuous pulse generator that supplies a continuous pulse current with a high dV / dt. This provides a start-up pulse for the device. It can act as an on / off switch to operate the device, and it can help control the frequency of device operation.

[0027] The dV / dt device 220 is shown. Figure 1The diagram illustrates a dV / dt device shown as a transformer or coupled inductor 110 to indicate at least one manner of generating high dV / dt pulses or a series of pulses. Alternatives to this could be capacitors or capacitor arrays, mechanical switches, or other rotating or rotating devices that bring an electric field (charge) or magnetic field (magnet) into the vicinity of another coil, capacitor, inductor, or another magnet or magnetic field. A CVE device may have one or more significant active devices contained therein. Examples are negative resistance devices such as thyristors or Zener diodes.

[0028] CVE transmitter 230 is shown coupled to heat exchanger 240. The heat exchanger can then be coupled to CVE receiver 250. The rapid formation of dV / dt charge on transmitter 230 results in a “wave” of energy emanating from the transmitter. In this antenna-like configuration, the transmitter can be in contact with a material other than a vacuum or air. This material can have properties such as a different permittivity or permeability characterized by its relative permittivity or permeability. It can also be in contact with a conductive material. Transmitter 230 and receiver 250 can be various materials that produce an impedance change at the ends of the etalon chamber (e.g., copper, brass, bronze, stainless steel, graphene). In fact, any object can be used, as long as it alters the permittivity, permeability, or both for the material between the transmitter and receiver. Thus, transmitter 230 couples the circuitry to heat exchanger 240 (which can be an etalon) and transmits the signal to the heat exchanger. Once the signal has passed through the heat exchanger, receiver 250 receives the signal.

[0029] Heat exchanger 240 is shown between the CVE transmitter and the CVE receiver. In practice, it may surround the transmitter and receiver. For example, in the case where the heat exchanger is a tube having a cavity, the transmitter 230 and receiver 250 may be mounted in the respective ends of the tube. The heat exchanger provides the desired heat conduction path for the materials to allow a continuous flow of heat energy to be converted into electrical energy. These materials may also be electrically conductive. The heat exchanger can be any device used to inject heat into the circuit. In one example, a tube (e.g., a conductive or non-conductive tube) filled with a material having the desired permittivity and permeability is used. Potential materials include air, water, methanol, ethanol, and acetamide (or solutions in liquids such as water or ethanol). Ferrite slurries may also be used. The material can be pumped or circulated through the heat exchanger using an external pump (not shown). Alternatively, a solid material can be fixed within the resonant cavity. A liquid can then be pumped through the cavity to provide heat exchange between the material and the cavity itself. Therefore, this material can serve a dual purpose: acting as a medium between the CVE transmitter and the CVE receiver, and also as a heat exchanger for an external source circulating through a heat exchanger. Electron waves can propagate between the CVE transmitter and the CVE receiver, and the permittivity and permeability of the material contained within it affect the resonant frequency.

[0030] CVE receiver 250 is shown coupled to a heat exchanger. It may be in contact with or not in contact with the heat exchanger 240 (e.g., with an air gap or spaced apart). Receiver 250 has the increased energy provided by the CVE through induction from the wave, electrical contact with the heat exchanger, or electrical contact with the transmitter 230. The receiver collects the converted heat in an electrical conduction path for direct use by load 260 or regulation by regulating circuit 270. Load 260 can be any desired load and may have resistive components (e.g., a light bulb). Regulating circuit 270 is shown connected to CVE receiver 250. This circuit 270 is typically a circuit that converts an AC signal (or pulsed DC) to another frequency range or to one or more DC voltages. An example regulating circuit could be a full-bridge rectifier and capacitor.

[0031] Electrical load 280 receives the output of regulating circuit 270. The load can be any object that uses electrical energy. It is similar to load 260 that directly uses electrical energy, but it may require regulation from module 270.

[0032] Module 260 directly uses the output of CVE receiver 250. This output has typical AC signal characteristics. For this type of electrical characteristic, resistive loads, such as square waves or sine waves, are acceptable.

[0033] Figure 3Circuit 300 is used in conjunction with the emission of a dV / dt wave, as shown by its connection to component 320. A pulse generator 310 is coupled to an inductor or transformer 312. The output of the secondary winding of the coupled inductor or transformer 312 is referenced to a voltage represented by V 340. A negative resistance device 345 is coupled to the inductor. The emission of the wave from component 320 can be coupled to receiving component 350. Receiving component 350 can also be connected to a load 360. The connection between receiving component 320 and receiving component 350 is shown by a dashed double-headed arrow and can be a vacuum, air, or other homogeneous or heterogeneous dielectric material. Conductive materials can also be used.

[0034] Figure 4 Circuit 400 uses a standard etalon for amplification. The dV / dT device 410 can be any pulse generator. Alternatively, as shown above, the dV / dT device can be a transformer coupled to a negative resistance device, such as... Figure 3 As shown.

[0035] The combination of elements 420 and 430 includes a resonant cavity similar to an etalon or a Fabry-Perot interferometer. It can be similar to the description of heat exchanger 130. It is shown as having no load. It can be used without an attached load by emitting an inductively induced wave or simply as a higher voltage source reference for reference applications. Specifically, but not limited to, when resonance occurs, with a load (e.g., resistive), the etalon can generate amplified power from the dV / dt device by capturing the heat energy between the transmitter and receiver and the coupling components themselves.

[0036] Activation frequencies much lower than the optical frequency can be used. In most cases, the lowest fundamental wavelength in the resonant cavity is very long compared to the relative size of other components. To reduce the size of the resonant cavity, materials with higher relative permittivity or permeability can be used to significantly reduce the length of the etalon involved. This region of the device is indicated by the dashed double-headed arrow between components 420 and 430.

[0037] In the case of high-permeability capacitors, relative permittivity in the range of 3 to ≥20,000 is not uncommon. Materials with higher permittivity are known. These materials provide significantly reduced etalon lengths through factors such as the square root of the product of the reciprocal of the relative permittivity and the relative permeability.

[0038] A etalon 440 is shown between components 420 and 430. (etalon) wave resonatorThe etalon can be considered one (or more) of the oscillator components. This etalon differs from purely electrically conductive elements in that it involves the oscillation of emitted electromagnetic waves rather than current in a conductor. Hollow etalons also provide the ability to fill the resonant cavity with a material having a permittivity (and / or permeability) greater than that of a vacuum or air. This increased permittivity / permeability reduces the fundamental oscillation length. Folding (or winding) the length helps reduce the overall size. The etalon cavity is likely where most of the heat conversion into electrical energy occurs. Fluid can move through the etalon cavity. The fluid will be continuously cooled by the resonance of the dV / dt wave, and the movement of the fluid in the etalon provides a way to efficiently bring heat into the resonant volume by carrying heat from an external source. Alternatively, heat from an external heat source can be provided using simple heat conduction / convection into the resonant cavity volume, which can be achieved using a second fluid (e.g., water) or a heat pipe.

[0039] In this embodiment, the etalon 440 is shown as a cylindrical tube with a cavity extending therethrough. A pump 450 is used to pump fluid through the etalon 440. A radiator 460 is used to extract heat from the surrounding environment and transfer it to the fluid. The etalon can then convert the heat into electrical energy. The etalon can be filled with materials having different permittivity and permeability, such as air, water, methanol, ethanol, and acetamide (e.g., in a solution of water or ethanol). Materials with higher permittivity allow for the use of lower drive frequencies while still being in a resonant state. The etalon can serve a dual purpose, acting as an electrical coupler between components 420 and 430 and also as a heat exchanger.

[0040] The transmitter 420 and receiver 430 can be made of various materials that produce an impedance change at the ends of the etalon chamber (e.g., copper, brass, bronze, stainless steel, graphene). Different electrical components can also be used as the transmitter 420 and receiver 430, such as inductors and capacitors. In fact, any object can be used, as long as it changes the permittivity, permeability, or both for the materials between the transmitter and receiver. The load should be selected to have appropriate impedance matching with the source, as is well known in the fields of lasers, transmission, and antennas.

[0041] Figure 5 Circuit 500 is an additional schematic representation of material 510 between reflective surfaces 520 and 530 of the etalon. Thermal material 510 is located in the transmission and / or reflection paths of waves from the transmitter or reflected from the receiver. Due to the CVE, the power in the wave is amplified with each traversal of the wave between the surfaces. Material 510 is cooled in this way because, due to the law of conservation of energy, the energy required for the increase in energy in the wave is obtained from the thermal energy contained within the material itself.

[0042] To achieve resonance in a given cavity, the cavity's shape must be considered. Square, circular, oval, elliptical, polygonal, and other geometric shapes can be used. Furthermore, the material filling the resonant cavity also plays a role in determining the resonant frequency. It is known that increasing the permittivity or permeability of the material filling a given cavity will change its resonance to a lower frequency. In the case of radio wave frequencies, the cavity's resonant frequency is related to the square root of the product of the reciprocal of the relative permittivity and the material's relative permeability relative to pure vacuum. Therefore, higher permeability and higher permittivity materials can lead to a reduction in the physical dimensions of the etalon cavity.

[0043] A high-capacitance material (thermal energy material) can be used to provide the etalon cavity, which is much shorter (and thus smaller) than a vacuum or gas-filled cavity. Furthermore, material 510 can be thermally conductive to facilitate heat transfer from the environment or a heat source into the cavity. Liquid materials are attractive because they can circulate to facilitate heat transfer. Materials that are transmissive to waves themselves can be used. Some materials (or mixtures, suspensions, or slurries thereof) can be used, but are not limited to, the following:

[0044] 1. Barium titanate

[0045] 2. Other perovskite mixed metal titanates

[0046] 3. Ferrite

[0047] 4. Inorganic oxides

[0048] 5. Air

[0049] 6. Organic alcohols

[0050] 7. Wave-transparent organic materials

[0051] 8. Conductive metals

[0052] 9. Semiconductor materials

[0053] 10. Carbon-based materials (e.g., graphite, graphene, fullerene)

[0054] 11. Materials that resonate at other frequencies through harmonic generation (e.g., phosphors, rhodamine).

[0055] 12. Water or water containing dissolved salts, liquids or other suspended or homogeneous substances.

[0056] The material can be used to partially or completely fill the cavity to provide a path for heat conduction to the standard etalon cavity. Load 540 can be any desired electrical load, such as a load with resistive components. The dV / dt device 550 is similar to that described above.

[0057] As an example of this device, the following set of components can be used.

[0058] 1. Transformer (coupled inductor), 10:1 ratio, 2A rated current, 700uH secondary inductance.

[0059] 2. 0.01uF, 1000V ceramic capacitor

[0060] 3. 254uH ferrite single inductor, 10A inductor

[0061] 4. Copper tubing (5 / 8” OD x 1 / 2” ID x 24 inches long)

[0062] 5. Powdered ferrite (125 mesh)

[0063] 6. Resistive load (110 ohms, 100W metal film resistor)

[0064] 7. 2 pieces of copper wire (10AWG x 1” long)

[0065] 8. Zener diode (1N5388)

[0066] use Figure 1 The schematic diagram shows a copper tube initially coated with ferrite powder. Each copper wire is inserted into each end of the tube and used to connect to the rest of the circuit. The transformer is driven by a pulsed current source with a frequency ranging from 1 Hz to several gigahertz. The exact desired frequency can be tuned by maximizing the ratio of the generated power to the power required to drive the primary winding of the transformer. The secondary winding of the transformer is attached to one of the copper wires in the tube. The other end of the tube, with its remaining wire, is attached to a negative resistance device, such as a Zener diode. The other end of the diode is attached to an inductor. The remaining connections are led back to the secondary winding of the transformer's output. Electrical energy can be obtained by attaching a capacitor to almost any part of the aforementioned secondary circuit as a tap of the voltage generated in the resonant circuit. The remaining leads on the capacitor can optionally be connected to a rectifier circuit for further conversion to AC, pulsed DC, or smoothed DC output by conventional means.

[0067] Figure 6This is a flowchart of a power generation process according to an embodiment. In process block 610, a continuous pulse stream is generated, such as by a pulse generator. The pulse generator can produce pulses with dV / dt values ​​of 100V / μs or even 10,000V / μs to 100,000V / μs or higher. For specific use cases, pulses between 3V / μs and 10V / μs are used. In some cases, 1V / μs may be used. In process block 620, a continuous pulse stream is applied to a tube having a cavity extending through it. This tube may be conductive and have fluid continuously pumped through the cavity (process block 630). The fluid may be heated by a radiator or other heating element. Due to the CVE, the fluid may be cooled as it passes through the tube. At process block 640, an electrical signal is output from the tube having power greater than the output power of the pulse generator due to the conversion of the fluid's thermal energy to electrical energy. In some embodiments, an oscillator may be used to generate pulses at a frequency higher than that of the pulse generator.

[0068] Given the many possible implementations to which the principles of the disclosed invention can be applied, it should be recognized that the illustrated embodiments are merely preferred examples of the invention and should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention. Rather, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims. Therefore, we declare all that falls within the scope of these claims as our invention.

Claims

1. A circuit for generating electrical energy, the circuit comprising: A pulse generator for generating a continuous pulse stream at a first frequency; A negative resistance device, the negative resistance device being coupled to the pulse generator; A tube having a cavity coupled to the negative resistance device; The output terminal is used to receive electrical output emitted from the tube; as well as At least one oscillator assembly coupled to the tube, wherein the oscillator assembly includes: an inductor coupled to one end of the tube; and a capacitor coupled to the opposite end of the tube, the oscillator assembly generating pulses at a second frequency greater than the first frequency.

2. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein, The tube is filled with a material having a predetermined permittivity or permeability greater than that of a vacuum.

3. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising a pump for pumping fluid through the pipe.

4. The circuit according to claim 3, wherein, The fluid exchanges heat with the tube.

5. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein, The cavity of the tube has a semiconductor or metal that at least partially fills the cavity.

6. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein, The cross-section of the tube is one of the following: circular, rectangular, elliptical, or oval.

7. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein, The tube is electrically conductive.

8. A method for generating electrical energy, the method comprising: A continuous pulse input stream is generated, the continuous pulse input stream being at a first frequency; The pulse input stream is applied to a tube having a cavity; Fluid is pumped through the cavity; An electrical signal is output from the tube; as well as An oscillator circuit coupled to the tube is used to generate a signal at a second frequency greater than the first frequency. The oscillator circuit includes an inductor coupled to one end of the tube and a capacitor coupled to the opposite end of the tube.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising applying thermal energy to the fluid.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising passing the continuous pulse input stream through a negative resistor.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The cross-section of the tube is one of the following: an N-sided polygon, a circle, an ellipse, or an egg.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The tube is a long, thin cylindrical component.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The tube forms a wave resonant cavity located between a transmitter and a receiver, the transmitter and the receiver generating impedance at the ends of the wave resonant cavity, and wherein the wave resonant cavity is configured to contain a material through which electronic waves are transmitted.

14. An apparatus for generating electrical energy, the apparatus comprising: A pulse generator for generating an electrical pulse stream with a first power and the electrical pulse stream being at a first frequency; A negative resistor, which is coupled in series with the pulse generator; and a load, which is coupled to the negative resistor; A tube having a cavity, the tube being coupled in series with the negative resistor and the load, the tube being used to provide electrical energy to the load; as well as An oscillator coupled in series with the tube, wherein the oscillator generates pulses at a second frequency greater than the first frequency, and the oscillator includes an inductor coupled to one end of the tube and a capacitor coupled to the opposite end of the tube.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein, The tube is configured to receive heat, which is converted into electrical energy having a second power to the load, the second power being greater than the first power.

16. The device according to claim 14, wherein, The cavity is filled with a material having a permittivity and permeability greater than those of a vacuum or air.

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