Methods and devices for producing electricity by the action of liquid pistons in electricity-generating tanks

Abstract

Liquid pistons are currently used for compressed gas energy storage, not for energy production. According to the invention, the penetration or withdrawal, due to hydraulic pressure, of the liquid pistons of tanks descending and rising in the marine environment from upper and lower levels where the submerged weight of the tanks is made zero increases at an accelerated speed: the greater the absolute value of the submerged weight, the faster the tanks either descend or rise. This phenomenon generates electrical energy obtained by braking the acceleration of the movement of the tanks, which are thus qualified as electricity generators. These tanks are filled with lighter air at the top and are naturally held in a vertical position to form chain links. Marine power plants are made up of these chains, which form vertical cages that can, in a horizontal position, be built and moved to their production site. The production of electricity by these marine power plants should make it possible to increase the share of renewable, green and steady energy sources in global energy production.

Description

[0001] METHODS AND DEVICES FOR PRODUCING ELECTRICITY

[0002] BY THE ACTION OF LIQUID PISTONS OF ELECTROGEN TANKS

[0003] Attempts have been made to use Archimedes' thrust to create energy while submerged.

[0004] US Patent 3,934,964 A, filed in 1976, describes reservoirs with rigid, non-liquid, pistons that store air to cause half of them to rise and less air in the other half to cause them to fall.

[0005] In patent GB 2 430 471 A, filed in 2007, closed tanks have their volumes modified by hydraulic means; in the lower part their volumes are increased to make them rise under the action of Archimedes' thrust and drive a cable which turns a generator

[0006] Patent WO 2011 / 061391 A1 describes three closed tanks whose oscillating or rotating movement around a horizontal axis is produced by a difference in weight and lever arms obtained by rigid, not liquid, moving pistons.

[0007] Patent 2014 / 170723 Al describes gravitational energy created by closed tanks divided into two parts by a membrane, one of which is filled with light gas, the other with heavy liquid, so as to make them alternately heavier and lighter than the liquid in which they are immersed and to make them alternately descend and rise.

[0008] None of these patents have had an industrial application to date.

[0009] In fact, the main source of energy that can be considered with this type of device lies in the property of liquid pistons trapped in tanks, called electrogens, which accelerate them both downhill and uphill with increases and decreases in submerged weight when descending and climbing.

[0010] This patent exploits this phenomenon.

[0011] A general method for producing electricity by an immersed compressed gas tank, called an electrogen tank, the closed upper part of which contains said gas and the lower part of which is open to the liquid in which it is immersed, is based on the variation of the submerged weight of this compressed gas tank directly by the liquid in which it is immersed, the part of the liquid inside the tank being called the liquid piston and the compression at a depth between two upper and lower levels being equal to the hydraulic pressure existing at this depth. The volume of gas, measured by a device of the level sensor type of the surface of the liquid piston, practically determines the submerged volume of the electrogen tank, the walls of which have a very small thickness due to the fact that said hydraulic pressure prevails both inside and outside them.

[0012] An electrogenic tank containing a liquid piston, whose volume of compressed gas at the hydraulic pressure prevailing at these upper and lower levels is the same, undergoes the same Archimedes' thrust at these depths,

[0013] Thus the difference in mass of this same volume of differently compressed gas has no significant impact on the submerged weight of the tank at these upper and lower levels because the density of the gas, even compressed, is very low compared to that of the liquid in which the tank is submerged and the submerged weight of said tank containing a liquid piston is practically the same at the upper and lower levels when the liquid piston compresses the same volume of gas.

[0014] This results in a mode of energy production by an electrogenic tank, containing a liquid piston in these action positions, this same volume of gas being obtained by a position of the liquid piston, called flotation, making it possible to cancel the submerged weight of the electrogenic tank at the said upper and lower depths, and two volumes of gas, one at the upper depth corresponding to a depression of the liquid piston greater than that of flotation, the other at the lower depth corresponding to a depression less than that of flotation respectively make the tank heavier than the liquid at the upper depth and lighter than the liquid at the lower depth. The submerged weights thus made either positive or negative drive the tanks either down or up, thus making them active,

[0015] The more a said electric generator tank descends and the more it rises, the more the level of the liquid piston rises and falls, causing an increase and a decrease in the submerged weight of the electric generator tank: this increase and decrease cause an increase in the speed in descent as in ascent and the maintenance of these speeds of descent and ascent at a fixed speed, called cruising speed, results in a net engine brake which takes into account the opposing forces necessary to overcome the drag forces of the tanks at their cruising speed and is exerted by an electricity generator, of the power modulation motor-generator type, the rotation of which is driven by the translation of the tanks like a pinion is by a rack.

[0016] To make the generator tank active in descent, its low level must be raised by evacuating gas and raising the piston to the level corresponding to its depression, which is higher than the waterline, while to make the generator tank active in ascent, its high level must be lowered by injecting compressed gas and lowering the piston to the level corresponding to its depression below the waterline.

[0017] Only the gas injection requires an energy input, which means that the generator produces electrical energy both when descending and when ascending the generator tank and consumes the electrical energy necessary to carry out the injection of compressed gas to activate the generator tank when ascending. But if the gas injection consumes energy, its evacuation can produce it by driving a gas turbine.

[0018] This is provided for in the patent where a method of producing electricity by an electric generator tank is claimed, in accordance with the general method which is characterized by the production of energy by the evacuation of compressed gas allowing the electric generator tank to be activated when descending.

[0019] The reduction in the volume of compressed gas caused by this evacuation represents a loss of energy in compressed gas for the reservoirs and this energy is recovered in the form of kinetic energy by devices such as gas turbines, which produce electrical energy which makes it possible to increase the production of electrical energy by the generator.

[0020] Returning to liquid pistons, always having a certain volume of compressed gas in its upper part, this has a lower submerged weight than its lower part and thus the submerged tanks containing liquid pistons are easily maintained in vertical positions essential for the proper functioning of the liquid pistons.

[0021] Thus, the generator tanks are intended to constitute chains in which they maintain a vertical position both in the vertical parts and in the horizontal and oblique parts.

[0022] Hence the following methods and devices which are claimed by the present patent in accordance with the two preceding methods.

[0023] A method of producing electricity by means of electric generator tanks, using the two preceding methods, provides for a continuous movement in a determined direction in the cruising speed of electric generator tanks is characterized by, beyond the upper and lower levels, the electric generator tanks which have reached these levels in ascent and descent drive by axes pulleys which guide the continuation of their movements at constant rotation speeds determined by the cruising speed.

[0024] During these movements, the evacuation and injection of gas from the liquid pistons takes place, driving them up and down, and at the end of said movements, the electrogenic tanks, guided by the pulleys, reach the upper and lower levels from which they begin their descent and ascent, and thus the movements are made continuous.

[0025] These pulleys are permanently driven by at least one of the axles and have on their periphery either two diametrically opposed locations reserved for the axles or more than two locations regularly distributed on the periphery and at least one of the pulleys is braked by an electricity generator whose production is generated by all the engine brakes net of the reservoirs in action between the upper and lower levels.

[0026] The axes of the generator tanks are connected by links of the same length allowing them to occupy locations regularly distributed on the pulleys, links of reduced lengths to allow a maximum number of tanks between the upper and lower levels while reserving, between tanks, sufficient space to allow the passage of the liquid which fills and empties the pistons.

[0027] The pulleys, fitted with N locations, have their diameter imposed by a circumference of N times the connection length.

[0028] And, as for the axes of the generator tanks, they have, in the height of the tanks, a position higher than that of their center of gravity empty of gas which allows the upper part of the tanks to have a lower submerged weight than that of their lower part, a difference accentuated by the Archimedes thrust after introduction of gas. Thus a free rotation around their axes of the generator tanks allows to permanently make their orientation vertical, an essential condition for the proper functioning of their liquid pistons.

[0029] In order for these processes to be easily implemented, it was necessary to find simple ways to fill and empty the generator tanks with gas.

[0030] This is what is obtained by the patent with electricity production devices allowing both the driving of high and low twin pulleys and the evacuations and injection of gas from the generator tanks, the drive axes of the pulleys being made up of cylindrical rings qualified as drive.

[0031] These drive rings are connected to each other by chain-type links called links, the ends of which are provided with rings for fixing to the drive rings, not hindering their rotation and that of the tanks.

[0032] This drive of the pulleys by the rings is achieved by locking them in drive notches cut into the pulleys at the locations reserved for the axes of the generator tanks.

[0033] The gas compressed by the liquid pistons is evacuated from above the level of said liquid pistons and is injected there through at least one chimney conduit inside the generator tanks.

[0034] After passing through at least one of the drive rings, the gas circulates inside conduits called branches fitted with at least one upper and one lower pulley, one of the two upper twin pulleys not being fitted with said branches and having a solid shaft, instead of a ring, which is braked by a device driven in rotation by the electricity generator. and the connection between tanks and upper and lower pulley branches being made watertight by the movement of a sealing device of the sealing ring type which ensures the seal during the relative movement of the tank and the pulley.

[0035] Motorized valve type valves, with electromagnet-driven connections, which equip some of the drive rings, others of the upper and lower pulley branches, and ensure the closure of the gas outlet and inlet, are pressed against each other by a piston effect while maintaining the seal.

[0036] Special arrangements of the previous devices allow the circulation of gas by ensuring a connection between the sealing rings and the connection valves.

[0037] This connection consists in that, before connection, a sealing ring ensures both the seal between a first connection valve and either a tank drive ring or a pulley branch with which the connection is made, in that, before connection, a second connection valve, pressed against the first, and the sealing ring, ensures the seal with either a pulley branch or a drive ring, its diameter thus being greater than that of the first valve by the thickness of the sealing ring, in that, during connection, the first valve drives the sealing ring using hook-type devices until it ensures the seal between the drive rings and pulley branches, in that the connection valves then move away from the ring to allow the gas to circulate, and in that, at the end of connection,the second branch valve drives the sealing ring by pushing until the valves and rings return to their positions occupied before the branch, the second branch valve ensuring the sealing of either a pulley branch or a drive ring in place of the sealing ring. Special devices, described in this patent, allow the implementation of the preceding devices to ensure the circulation of gas.,

[0038] The first are pressure contacts which equip all the drive notches of the upper and lower pulleys; they are made active by the blocking of the drive rings in these notches. These contacts control the watertightness of the tank-pulley branch connection by the sealing rings followed by the start of the gas circulation.

[0039] The second devices, allowing the implementation of the previous devices to ensure the circulation of gas, are level sensors with which the upper parts of the interiors of said generator tanks are equipped.

[0040] These sensors control the interruption of the gas circulation, which begins with its launch, continues and ends with the return to the initial position of the connection valves, when the liquid piston levels corresponding to the upper and lower depressions at the waterline are reached.

[0041] The gas circulation is interrupted after a period of time which depends on the gas flow rate and before the removal of the sealing rings allowing the immersion of the tank and pulley ring connecting walls; this gas circulation flow rate allows, after its interruption, a margin of time to be maintained before the fixing rings leave their notches.

[0042] Since the circulation of gas is thus ensured, started and stopped by these devices, it is necessary to provide devices allowing their electrical supply.

[0043] Knowing that this is done by electric cables from the surface electrical installations, these are dry connected to the equipment of the pulley branches by sliding circular contacts which ensure sliding contacts throughout the relative tank-pulley movements, contacts dried by the circulation of gas.

[0044] Furthermore, the electrical connection between the tank and the pulley can only be easily maintained if the pressure is low, which is not the case in the lower pulley branches which, connected to the tanks at the hydraulic pressure at the lower level, require very significant equipment. Also the following choice was made: supplying the tanks by electrical connections with only the upper pulleys and permanently connecting the electric tanks to each other. The electrical connection devices are provided by the said patent taking this choice into account.To take into account the first part of this choice, the electrical supply by a high pulley of the tanks to which it is connected is done from the surface electrical installations by electric cables connected dry to the pulley branches by sliding circular contacts which ensure sliding contacts throughout the relative tank-pulley movements, contacts dried by the circulation of gas.

[0045] The electrical supply of the connected generator tank is carried out dry by electrical connection mechanisms, which equip each of the said branches with the single high pulley, consisting of telescopic circular arms driven by an electric motor which move a male plug of the electrical supply cable through the passages left free by the opening of the said connection valves and put them in contact with the female sockets arranged in the drive rings of the connected tanks, the female sockets being made up of conductive half-crowns which also ensure sliding contacts throughout the relative tank-pulley movements, contacts also dried by the circulation of gas.

[0046] The power supply is established in a tank after an initial period, including the time required to turn off the water and start the gas circulation, to which is added the time required to connect the electricity.

[0047] During the gas circulation period; a preceding tank, preceding in its movement the electrically connected tank, must be located at the same time at a distance during which it is electrically connected, at which distance is the preceding tank which is not yet disconnected because this distance is less than the electrical connection limit distance.

[0048] This electrical connection limit distance is limited by the position of the electrical disconnection of the tank at the limit of gas circulation; a distance less than the limit distance, allowing a continuous electrical supply, is obtained when blocking the previous tank blocked in a notch of a pulley having at least four notches, the position of the previous tank on a pulley having three and two notches exceeding the limit position.

[0049] In summary, the continuous electrical supply is ensured first by the tank preceding the connected tank while the latter is electrically connected, then by the connected tank and its preceding tank as long as the latter does not exceed the limit position, then by the connected tank alone until the next tank, which follows it in its movement, is electrically connected by the next tank once electrically connected and by the connected tank until it reaches the limit position and finally, during its electrical connection, by the next tank alone after the connected tank has exceeded the limit position.

[0050] And, to take into account the second part of the choice mentioned above, the electrical power supply for all the tanks is obtained by connecting the electric tanks to each other by electric cables following the connecting chains.

[0051] And thus the connection valves, sockets and level sensors are permanently supplied with electricity not only for the connected tanks but also for all the others.

[0052] Some of the above devices, intended for energy production, are also well suited to their maintenance during shutdowns of this production.

[0053] From a goods lift which serves the upper and lower common volumes to the branches of the high and low pulleys dry inside a watertight cage resistant to hydraulic pressure, the connection of which with these common volumes is made by volumes constituting landings, from which said cage is isolated by watertight motorized landing doors;

[0054] The gas evacuation and injection ducts open onto these bearings through motorized air valves and the bearings are isolated from the common volumes by motorized access valves.

[0055] The connection between the fixed bearings and the common rotating volumes with the said pulleys which they equip is obtained by circular conduits, which extend them beyond the access valves, fitted with circular joints ensuring the watertightness of the connection. Thus, from two bearings, the dry maintenance of the equipment of the generator tanks and the pulleys which they drive is ensured by using the freight elevator, its equipment and those of the branches of the pulleys inside the bearings.

[0056] The use of the freight elevator and its equipment in operation and during maintenance is defined as follows.

[0057] The freight elevator and its equipment are permanently supplied with electrical energy from the surface electrical installations by electric cables.

[0058] In addition to the power supplies for the equipment in the branches and reservoirs, there are those, in the upper and lower parts, for the access doors, the air valves and the access valves.

[0059] During the movement of the tanks and the production of the electrogenic tank cage, the landing doors are closed while the air valves and the access valves are open, the bearings are constantly in connection with at least one connected tank and are respectively at the hydraulic pressures prevailing at the upper and lower levels.

[0060] To allow low pressure maintenance, during this the connection valves of the drive rings of the generator tanks connected to said low pulley remain pressed to their sealing rings, thus protecting the branches of the low pulley from the hydraulic pressure at the lower level, the maintenance of the generator tanks being carried out solely from the branches of the high pulley.

[0061] Maintenance is carried out during shutdowns when the connected tanks occupy the positions on the pulleys corresponding to the excess connection and disconnection duration during which the maximum number of tanks are connected and the number of these shutdowns is equal to the total number of generator tanks divided by the number of tanks connected and disconnected simultaneously.

[0062] Thus, the maintenance of all said generator tanks and their power supply is carried out during all of these shutdowns, that of the upper and lower pulley equipment and their power supply during two of them and that of the freight elevator landings, their equipment and their power supply during one of them.

[0063] Furthermore, the previous patent provides a method in accordance with the previous ones and using the devices previously described which makes it possible to standardize the production of electricity from the cages of electric generator tanks during their movement.

[0064] Even if the simultaneous operation of several power plant cages allows their electricity production to be smoothed, it is good to research the composition of the cages allowing smoothing at the level of each power plant cage.

[0065] It is noted that stopping the production of electricity from an electric generator tank at the end of the ascent causes a variation in the production of all the tanks in the cage concerned and that, when this stop occurs simultaneously with a stop in the production of electricity from an electric generator tank at the end of the descent, an additional variation in the production of all the tanks in a power plant cage is recorded, whereas, conversely, if no said simultaneous stop occurs, the production in descent records, on the contrary, a reduction in this variation. The second solution therefore favors constant production, the conditions of this second solution being that the number, greater than two, of drive notches of said upper and lower pulleys of a power plant cage as well as the number of its said tanks are odd.

[0066] Other solutions are possible with offsetting of the rotations of said upper and lower pulleys, in particular a third, with an even number, greater than two, of drive notches per pulley and an odd number of generator tanks and, a fourth, with an odd number, greater than two, of drive notches per pulley and an odd number of generator tanks, but, among these other solutions, only the third promotes constant production

[0067] Liquid pistons, naturally held in a vertical position, constitute, when filled with gas near the surface of the waves, floats useful for the flotation of power plant cages during their launching, their movement to their location and their implementation.

[0068] A method of producing electricity using the preceding methods and devices provides that the construction of the power station cages in a horizontal position is done with the generator tanks which constitute them in vertical positions, perpendicular to the horizontal position of their cages.

[0069] The immersion of the power station cages is done in their horizontal positions, the air trapped in the generator tanks in vertical positions causing the flotation of the power station cages which allows their movement, either individually or grouped after connection to other cages intended to constitute the same submerged power station, to the place fixed for their immersions.

[0070] The implementation at their location of the power plant cages, either isolated or grouped together, is done by emptying the gas and filling the tanks placed on the side of the bases of the power plant cages with water; the reduction of the Archimedes thrust in the tanks where the water rises causes the bases to sink, causing the cages to tilt from the horizontal position to a vertical floating position.

[0071] This tilting is followed by a vertical immersion of the power station cages by draining gas and filling with water the generator tanks constituting these power station cages.

[0072] And this vertical immersion continues either until reaching depths allowing the foundation of these cages and the power station they form, or, on shallows, until resting on a floating structure allowing the foundation of a submerged power station.

[0073] A process complementing the previous one allows both the vertical driving of the generator tanks in action and the absorption of the forces that they transmit to the main structures of the power station cages when they are under construction and in movement.

[0074] To do this, guide-type devices keep the tanks upright thanks to their drive rings which remain in contact with them and secondary structures of the three-dimensional lattice type transfer the flotation and immersion forces caused by the tanks during their flotation and immersion onto the main structures of the power plant cages.

[0075] The following description is given with reference to the attached drawings in which:

[0076] - figures 1 and 2 represent sections on generator tanks and their liquid piston at the start of the descent and ascent action; - figure 3 represents two parts of generator tank assemblies;

[0077] - figures 4 and 5 are front and side views of two sections of a cage of electrogenic tanks;

[0078] - Figure 6 is a partial enlarged image of the previous front view;

[0079] - in figures 7, 7a and 7b is shown a said sealing ring outside and during a said connection;

[0080] - figures 8 and 9 represent a schematic view of a half-pulley;

[0081] - figures 10, 10a and 10b are a partial view of a cage equipped with a maintenance lift and horizontal sections at the levels served;

[0082] - figures 11 and 12 show the production of two types of power plant cages;

[0083] - in figures 13 and 14 we see a power plant cage floating horizontally and submerged vertically.

[0084] In figures 1 and 2 is shown an immersed compressed gas tank, qualified as electrogenic, the closed upper part (1) of which contains this gas and the lower part (2) is open to the liquid in which it is immersed; the immersed weight of a compressed gas tank directly by the liquid in which it is immersed, the part of this liquid inside the electrogenic tank being qualified as liquid piston (3) and this compression at a depth between two upper (4) and lower (5) levels being equal to the hydraulic pressure existing at this depth; the measurement of the volume of gas (6) practically determines the immersed volume of the electrogenic tank whose walls have a very small thickness due to the fact that said hydraulic pressure prevails both inside and outside them.

[0085] An electric generating tank containing a liquid piston, whose volume of gas compressed to hydraulic pressure at the upper and lower levels is the same, undergoes the same Archimedes' thrust at these depths and the difference in mass of this same volume of differently compressed gas has no significant impact on the submerged weight of the electric generating tank at these levels because the density of the gas, even compressed, is very low compared to that of the liquid; thus the submerged weight of the electric generating tank containing a liquid piston is practically the same at the upper and lower levels when its liquid piston compresses the same volume of gas.

[0086] And we define as follows a mode of energy production by an electrogenic reservoir containing a liquid piston in these action positions.

[0087] The same volume of gas, obtained by the floating position of the liquid piston (7), makes it possible to cancel the submerged weight of the generator tank at the upper and lower depths and two volumes of gas, one at the upper depth corresponding to a depression of the liquid piston (8) greater than that of flotation, the other at the lower depth corresponding to a depression (9) less than that of flotation respectively make the generator tank heavier than the liquid at the upper depth and lighter than the liquid at the lower depth.

[0088] Thus the submerged weights made either positive or negative drive the generator tanks either downhill (10) or uphill (11), thus making them active and the more the generator tank descends and the more it rises the more the level of the liquid piston rises (12) and descends (13), causing an increase and a decrease in the submerged weight of the generator tank, these increases and decreases causing an increase in the speed downhill as well as uphill, maintaining the speeds of descent and ascent at a fixed cruising speed, resulting in a net engine brake.

[0089] The engine brake is called net because it takes into account the opposing forces necessary to overcome the drag forces of the tanks at cruising speed and is exerted by an electricity generator (14) of the power modulation motor-generator type, the rotation of which is driven by the translation of the tanks like a pinion (15) is by a rack (16).

[0090] To make the generator tank active when descending, its low level (17) must be raised by evacuating gas and raising the piston to the level corresponding to its depression above the waterline and, to make the generator tank active when ascending, its high level (18) must be lowered by injecting compressed gas and lowering the piston to the level corresponding to its depression below the waterline.

[0091] To summarize, the generator produces electrical energy both when descending and ascending the generator tank and consumes the electrical energy necessary to carry out the injection of compressed gas to activate the generator tank when ascending.

[0092] In Figure 3, the two parts of the generator tank assemblies have a continuous movement in a determined direction (19) at cruising speed.

[0093] Beyond the upper (20) and lower (21) levels, the generator tanks which have reached these levels in ascent and descent drive, by axes (22) and (23), pulleys (24) and (25) which guide the continuation of their movements at constant rotation speeds determined by the cruising speed.

[0094] During these movements, the evacuation and injection of gas from the liquid pistons takes place, driving them up and down, while at the end of these movements, the said electrogenic tanks guided by the said pulleys reach the said upper and lower levels from which they begin their descents and ascents, and thus the said movements are made continuous.

[0095] The pulleys are permanently driven by at least one generator tank axle and have on their periphery either two diametrically opposed locations (26) reserved for these axles or more than two locations (27) regularly distributed on this periphery.

[0096] At least one of the pulleys is braked by the electricity generator (28) whose production is generated by all the net engine brakes of the tanks in action between the upper and lower levels, the axes of the electric tanks being connected to each other by links of the same length (29) allowing them to occupy the locations regularly distributed on the pulleys.

[0097] This length of the connections between tanks is reduced to allow a maximum number of tanks between the upper and lower levels while reserving between tanks a space (30) sufficient to allow the passage of the liquid which fills and empties the pistons, said pulleys fitted with N said locations having their diameter imposed by a circumference of N times the connection length. The position (31) of the axes in the height of the electric tanks, greater than that of their center of gravity (32) empty of gas, allows the upper part of these to have a lower submerged weight than the lower part, a difference accentuated by the Archimedes thrust when gas is introduced and a free rotation around their axes allows the electric tanks to permanently make their orientation in the vertical direction essential for the proper functioning of their liquid pistons.

[0098] The front and side views of two sections of a cage of generator tanks shown in Figures 4 and 5 show the devices allowing both the driving of twin pulleys, high (34) and (35) and low (36) and (37), and the evacuation (38) and injection (39) of gas from the generator tanks. The axes of the generator tanks which drive the pulleys consist of drive rings (40) and (41) which are connected to each other by connecting chains (42) and (43) whose ends are provided with rings (44) and (45) for fixing to the rings, not hindering their rotation.

[0099] The pulleys are driven by the rings by locking them in notches (46) and (47) cut into the pulleys at the locations reserved for the axes of the generator tanks.

[0100] The gas is evacuated from above the level of said liquid pistons and is injected there through at least one chimney conduit (48) inside the generator tanks.

[0101] After passing through at least one of these rings, the gas circulates inside conduits called branches (49) and (50) equipping at least one high and low pulley, one of the two high twin pulleys not being equipped with said branches and having a solid axis, instead of a ring, which is braked by a device (51) driven in rotation by the electricity generator. Figure 6 is a partial enlarged image of the previous front view on which is shown said connection between tanks and high and low pulley branches made watertight by the movement of a sealing device of the type sealing rings (52) and (53) which ensures the seal during the relative movement of tank-pulley,

[0102] Also shown are said motorized connection valves which equip some (54) and (55) said drive rings, the others (56) and (57) said upper and lower pulley branches, ensure the closure of the gas outlet and inlet and are pressed against each other while maintaining the seal by a piston effect.

[0103] The contacts of the upper (65) and lower (66) pulley branches ensure the electrical supply of said generator tanks as soon as their drive rings drive said upper and lower pulleys. The action of said sealing rings is, for its part, controlled by said level sensors (67) and (68) as soon as said piston levels are reached, enabling said generator tanks to be activated.

[0104] Starting from the surface electrical installations, the electric cables (75) and (76) reach the said pulley branches dry by sliding circular contacts (77) and (78) which ensure sliding contacts throughout the relative tank-pulley movements, contacts dried by the circulation of gas.

[0105] The electrical supply of the high pulley is carried out dry by electrical connection mechanisms (79), which equip each of its said branches consisting of telescopic circular arms driven by an electric motor which move a male plug of the electrical supply cable through the passages left free (80) by the opening of said sealing valves and put them in contact with the female sockets (81) arranged in said drive rings of the connected tanks, contact also dried by the circulation of gas. The electrical supply of all the tanks is ensured by electric cables (87) and (88) following said connecting chains which connect all said electric tanks to each other.In Figure 7 are shown before connection a said sealing ring (58) surrounding a first said connection valve (59) ensuring the seal with either a said tank drive ring or with a said pulley branch with which said connection is carried out and a said second connection valve (60), before being pressed against said first connection valve, and said sealing ring, which ensures the seal with either a said pulley branch or a said drive ring.

[0106] The diameter (61) of said second branch valve is greater than that (62) of said first valve by the thickness (63) of said sealing ring.

[0107] In Figure 7a we have said first valve which has driven said second as well as said sealing ring using said hooks (64).

[0108] In its position shown, said sealing ring ensures the sealed connection between a said tank drive ring and a said pulley branch, which makes it possible to separate said valves to allow the circulation of gas,

[0109] In Figure 7b, said connection soups disappear, leaving free the space (80) to allow the circulation of gas and the dry electrical supply of the connected tank by electrical connection mechanisms (79), which equip each of said branches with the single high pulley and female sockets (81) arranged in said drive rings of the connected tanks, these mechanisms and female sockets being represented in the three Figures 7, 7a and 7b.

[0110] Figure 8 represents a schematic view of a high half-pulley and a low half-part of a low pulley.

[0111] An electric generator tank, represented by one of its drive rings, travels a distance (67) during its water removal, then the distance (68) during the start of the gas circulation.

[0112] The start of the gas circulation follows automatically while its interruption is controlled by level sensors (69) and (70), with which the upper parts of the interiors of the generator tanks are equipped, when the liquid piston levels corresponding to the upper and lower depressions at the waterline are reached.

[0113] The gas circulation (71) begins with its launch, continues and ends with the return to the initial position (72) of said connection valves, the duration of the circulation being a function of the gas flow rate. The gas circulation is interrupted before the removal (73) of the sealing rings which allows the immersion of the tank and pulley ring connecting walls and the flow rate of the gas circulation makes it possible to maintain, after its interruption, a time margin (74) before the fixing rings leave their notches.

[0114] Figure 9 represents a schematic view of a single high half-pulley.

[0115] The electrical supply is established in a tank at the end of the initial duration (82) comprising those of said water removal (67) and start of gas circulation (68) to which is added that of the electrical connection (83). During this duration; a tank preceding in its movement said electrically connected tank, called preceding, must be located at the same time at a distance (84) during which it is electrically connected.

[0116] At the said distance at which the said previous tank is located, the latter is not yet disconnected because the said distance is less than the electrical connection limit distance (85), which is limited by the position (86) of the electrical disconnection of the said tank at the limit of gas circulation.

[0117] In figures 10, 10a and 10b, partial view of a cage equipped with a maintenance lift and horizontal sections at the levels served, is shown a lift (89) which serves the upper (90) and lower (91) common volumes 1 to the branches of the upper and lower pulleys, said services are carried out dry inside a sealed cage (92) resistant to hydraulic pressure, the connection of which with the common volumes is made by bearings (93) and (94) whose cage is isolated by sealed motorized landing doors (95) and (96).

[0118] The gas evacuation (97) and injection (98) ducts open onto the bearings through the air valves (99) and (100), which bearings are isolated from said common volumes by motorized valves called access valves (101) and (102) and the connection between the fixed bearings and the common volumes in rotation with the pulleys which they equip being obtained by circular conduits (103) and (104) which extend them beyond the access valves fitted with circular seals ensuring the sealing of the connection.

[0119] Thus, from the two landings, dry maintenance of the equipment of the generator tanks and the pulleys which they drive is ensured by the freight elevator, its equipment and that of the landings.

[0120] The use of the hoist and its equipment in operation and during maintenance is conditional on a permanent supply of electrical energy from the surface electrical installations by the electric cables (105) and (106), thus adding to the supplies of the equipment of the branches and reservoirs those in the upper part (107) and in the lower part (108) of the access doors, the air valves and the access valves. Figures 11 and 12 show schematically the production of two types of power station cages (109) forming submerged power station units.

[0121] The composition of the power plant cage is sought whose production is as constant as possible. In Figure 11, the stopping of the production of electricity from an electric generator tank (110) at the end of the rise (111) causes a variation (112) in the production of all the tanks in the power plant cage and, when this stop occurs simultaneously with a stopping of the production of electricity from an electric generator tank (113) at the end of the descent (114), an additional variation (115) in the production of all the tanks in a power plant cage is recorded.

[0122] Conversely, if no simultaneous stop occurs as in figure 12, the downhill production on the contrary records a decrease (116) in the variation, this second solution favoring constant production.

[0123] The conditions of the said second solution are that the number (117), greater than two, of the notches of the upper and lower pulleys of a power station cage and the number (118) of the reservoirs are odd. Thus, the production as constant as possible is obtained by a set of cages constituting a submerged power station and respecting the conditions of the second solution, the operation of which is offset, in the travel time by their reservoirs, by the distance between two of them so as to smooth out the variations in production during the travel of the reservoirs.

[0124] We have seen that other solutions are possible with offsetting of the rotations of the upper and lower pulleys, in particular a third, with an even number, greater than two, of drive notches per pulley and an odd number of said generator reservoirs and, a fourth, with an odd number, greater than two, of said drive notches per pulley and an odd number of said generator reservoirs, but that only, among said other solutions, the third favors constant production.

[0125] A power plant cage is shown floating horizontally in Figure 13 and submerged vertically in Figure 14.

[0126] The construction of the power station cage is carried out in a horizontal position (119) with its generator tanks (120) in vertical positions perpendicular to the horizontal position of their cages. The immersion of the power station cage is always carried out in a horizontal position, the gas trapped in the generator tanks in vertical positions causing the flotation of the power station cage, allowing its movement, either individually or grouped after connection to other cages intended to constitute the same submerged power station, to the place fixed for their immersions.

[0127] The execution of this immersion on the fixed place is obtained by emptying of gas and filling with water the tanks (121) which are placed on the side of the base (122) of the power station, the reduction of the Archimedes thrust in the tanks where the water rises causing a sinking of the power station base which causes a tilting (123) from the horizontal position to the vertical position (124) of flotation.

[0128] This tilting is followed by a vertical immersion (125) of the power station cages by emptying gas and filling with water the generator tanks constituting said power station cages and this vertical immersion continues either until reaching bottoms allowing the cages and the power station which they form to be seated, or, on shallows, until resting on a floating structure allowing the seated position of a submerged power station.

[0129] Devices allow both the vertical driving of the generator tanks in action and support the forces that they transmit to the structure of the power station cage when it is horizontal during construction and during movement. These devices (126) are of the guide type keeping the tanks vertical thanks to their tank drive rings which remain in contact with them.

[0130] Secondary structures of the three-dimensional lattice type (127) transfer to the main structure of the power plant cage the flotation (128) and immersion (129) forces caused by the tanks during their flotation and immersion.

[0131] The first three processes are even more easily implemented by even simpler devices for filling and emptying said generator tanks with gas.

[0132] Indeed, the electrogenic tanks of the invention have in their lower parts closed by their liquid pistons simple gas paths avoiding the crossing of the walls, in particular through the orifices of the axes, and to eliminate all the devices intended to ensure sealing like those provided previously. A first method of producing electricity simplifying that using a set of electrogenic tanks, implemented by the gas circulation and electrical supply devices, consists, in the upper part of the movement of the tanks, in tilting them and letting the gas escape.This tilting is obtained, when the tanks reach their high levels of active displacements, by making them integral with the high pulleys at second points of contact; from a certain value of the angle of rotation of the high pulleys the level of its liquid piston is such that said compressed gas begins to escape and, the compressed gas continuing to escape with the increase of said angle, it reaches a volume corresponding to that of the gas compressed by the liquid piston at the level allowing the start of diving.

[0133] Thus, by this first method, the desired gas volume is reached when a maximum liquid piston level is reached at the end of the angle rotation from which said blocking is interrupted to allow the generator tank to return to its vertical position.

[0134] It is also easier to equip pulleys than the entire tanks.

[0135] To this end, a device for locking the tanks at a second point on the high pulleys consists of equipping them at said points with devices of the motorized lock type, the male parts of which are electromechanical mechanisms, arranged on said high pulleys. Thus, the electrical power supply for the motorization of said locks is obtained by only the two said twin pulleys, no electrical power supply for the female parts of the locks arranged on the tanks being necessary.

[0136] A second method of producing electricity, simplifying that using a set of electric tanks and capable of supplementing the previous first method, implemented by the gas circulation devices, the electrical supply and possibly by the tank locking locks, consists, in the lower part of the movement of the tanks and in the absence of the possibility of gas circulation inside the tank axes, in that these, guided by the lower pulleys, are directly above devices allowing the injection of gas,

[0137] This injection is carried out through the liquid pistons inside the tanks and the volume of gas thus injected is that which allows the liquid piston to reach the level from which the rise is activated.

[0138] This second process is implemented by devices allowing injection through the liquid pistons following the guidance of the reservoirs by the low pulleys; these devices are of the turnstile type, rotate at the same speed as the pulleys and have their axes offset downwards in relation to those of the low pulleys by a height corresponding to that of the reservoirs below their axes.

[0139] These turnstiles have branches equipped with injector-type devices propelling the gas through the liquid pistons and, depending on their positions, either two injectors or only one injector can supply gas to said tanks.

[0140] Limits at the start and end of the gas supply to the tanks are imposed by the presence of the low pulleys and determine a part of the rotation of the turnstiles during which the injectors are prevented by said pulleys from positioning themselves directly above the tanks.

[0141] In this rotation part, the pulleys are avoided thanks to the equipment of each branch with a retractable part. On the other hand, electricity production devices complement those for gas circulation, electrical supply and possibly by the tank locking locks and gas injection turnstiles consisting of connecting rings to said drive rings which are ovalized in such a way that the drive rings act on the drive chains only by the rear parts of the front chains and the front parts of the rear chains in the direction of rotation of said chains so that the chains are stressed by traction only, thus avoiding any buckling which could be caused by compressive stresses.

[0142] Electricity production devices supplementing those comprising said reservoirs, the connections between which are the subject of the process relating to their continuous movement, also supplement those for gas circulation, electrical supply and possibly by reservoir blocking locks, gas injection turnstiles and ovalized connecting rings and are made up of elements of the connecting rod type replacing the chains constituting the devices allowing said continuous movement.

[0143] These connecting rods form, during their movements guided by the pulleys, bowstrings between two notches. Furthermore, since the pulleys no longer guide, as with chains, the axes of the guide reservoirs allow them to continue their vertical movements up to their lower and upper limits. A process for producing electricity by generator reservoir chains whose gas compressed by the liquid pistons either circulates in the axes, or is evacuated by their tilting in the upper part, or is injected in the lower part through the liquid pistons, is characterized by an arrangement of the submerged power plant cages containing the chains.

[0144] This arrangement consists of juxtaposing pairs of cages forming structural elements; these structural elements are composed of at least one said pair of cages whose tank chains rotate around axes in the same direction.

[0145] The two chains of a pair rotate in opposite directions, thus counteracting the support reactions of each structural element due to the braking torques of their chains and the power units, composed of a certain number of coupled cages constituting said structural elements, operate by pair of cages, the stopping and replacement of one of them causing the stopping of the one associated with it within a structural element.

[0146] A method of producing electricity by chains of generator tanks according to the preceding, concerning the position of the tanks of chains of submerged power station of a pair of cages, is characterized by fixing the relative level of the tanks of a pair of cages.

[0147] This level is common to these reservoirs and thus the braking torques of a pair of reservoirs, acting in opposite directions, are equal in absolute values ​​because the Archimedes' thrusts are equal at equal levels.

[0148] As for the support reactions of the structural elements composed of cage couples due to the braking couples, they cancel each other out, thus limiting the constraints to which the structure of a submerged power plant is subjected.

[0149] A method of producing electricity by chains of generator tanks according to either of the two preceding methods and also concerning the relative position of the tanks of the various chains is characterized by the existence of a shift between the positions of the tanks of the cages of a power station

[0150] The set of these cages is divided into subsets composed of a number of cages whose position of the reservoirs of their chains is offset by equal values.

[0151] The sum of these offsets is equal to the distance between two reservoirs so as to cover all the possibilities of electricity production by the cage reservoirs and the value of each offset is obtained by adding to one of them the value of the previous sum divided by the number of cages in a subset.

[0152] Generalizing these offsets to all the cages of the sub-assemblies makes it possible to obtain the smoothing of the electricity production of all the cages of a submerged power plant.

[0153] The following additional description is given with reference to the attached drawings in which: figure 15 illustrates the rotation of the tanks in the high positions; figures 16 and 17 represent gas injection turnstiles in the tanks in the low positions; figure 19 relates to links connected to oval rings and figure 20 represents the tank axis guides in the upper part connected by connecting rods.

[0154] In figure 15 the locks which equip the high pulleys are identified by crosses (130) before rotation and at the various rotation positions of the pulleys: the first (131) where the level of the surface of the liquid piston (132) traps a volume of gas greater than that which allows the tank to dive; the second (135) where the tank lock is released, the level (134) retaining a volume of gas which corresponds to the position (133) of the liquid piston at the start of the dive allowing it.

[0155] In figure 16 the turnstile (136) rotates around an axis offset downwards relative to that of the lower pulleys by the distance (137) corresponding to the height of the tank below its axis so as to allow the injection of gas into two tanks by the two branches (140) of the turnstile as soon as the second of these two tanks drives the lower pulleys.

[0156] On section bb the injector (138) placed at the end of the mobile part of a branch is in position for injecting gas into the tank (139) while on section cc the presence of a low pulley requires the removal of the mobile part and the interruption of the gas injection.

[0157] In figure 17 the branch (141) supplies a single reservoir, the moving parts (145) of the other two branches being in the folded position of the section aa imposed by the presence of a low pulley.

[0158] Throughout the entire part (144) of the turnstiles rotation the gas injection is interrupted from position (143) after having started from position (142).

[0159] In Figure 19 and its section aa are shown the ovalized rings (146) for fixing to the drive ring (147) the links (149) of an upstream chain and (11) of a downstream chain in the direction of ascent.

[0160] Only the parts (148) of the upstream chain ring and (150) of the upstream chain ring are in contact with the drive ring making the two chains work in traction and the gaps obtained thanks to the ovalization of the rings avoid any compressive stress which could cause buckling of the chains. Figure 20 shows three connecting rods (152) used in place of drive chains which would be guided by the pulley (153) of which they constitute arc strings (154). Therefore beyond the upper limits (158) as well as the lower limits the axes (155) of the reservoirs are no longer guided vertically (157) of the ends of the pulley, which requires guides (156). It is obvious that the present invention has been described for purely explanatory purposes and in no way limiting and that any modification may be made to it, in particular at the level of technical equivalents, without departing from its scope.

Claims

DEMANDS 1. A method for producing electricity by means of an immersed compressed gas tank, referred to as a generator, the closed upper part (1) of which contains said gas and the lower part (2) is open to the liquid in which it is immersed, characterized in that: - the submerged weight of a said compressed gas reservoir is defined as being directly compressed by the liquid in which it is immersed, the part of said liquid inside said reservoir being called the liquid piston (3) and said compression at a depth between two levels called upper (4) and lower (5) being equal to the hydraulic pressure existing at said depth - in that the measurement of the gas volume (6) practically determines the submerged volume of said reservoir, the walls of which have a very small thickness due to the fact that said hydraulic pressure exists both inside and outside them, - in that a said generating reservoir containing a liquid piston, the volume of which is compressed to said hydraulic pressure at said upper and lower levels and is the same, experiences the same Archimedes' thrust at these depths, - in that the difference in mass of the said same volume of gas compressed differently does not have a significant impact on the submerged weight of the tank at said levels because the density of the gas, even when compressed, is very low compared to that of the said liquid - and in that the said submerged weight of the said generating tank containing a liquid piston is practically the same at the said upper and lower levels when the liquid piston compresses the same volume of gas and a mode of energy production is defined by a said tank, containing a liquid piston in said operating positions, in that the said same volume of gas obtained by a position of the liquid piston (7), called the flotation position, makes it possible to cancel the said submerged weight of the generating tank at the said upper and lower depths, in that two volumes of gas, one at the said upper depth corresponding to a sinking of the liquid piston (8) greater than that of the said flotation position,the other at said lower depth corresponding to a submersion (9) less than that of said buoyancy makes said generating tank respectively heavier than the liquid at said upper depth and lighter than the liquid at said lower depth, in that said submerged weights thus made either positive or negative cause said generating tanks either downward (10) or upward (11), thus making them active, in that the more a said generating tank descends and the more it rises, the more the level of the liquid piston rises (12) and falls (13), causing an increase and decrease in said submerged weight of the generating tank, in that these increases and decreases cause an increase in speed both downward and upward, in that maintaining said speeds of descent and ascent at a fixed speed, called cruising speed, is, translated by a so-called net engine brake, in that said net engine brake takes into account the opposing forces necessary to overcome the drag forces of said tanks at cruising speed, in that said net engine brake is exerted by an electricity generator (14), of the power-modulated motor-generator type, the rotation of which is driven by the translation of the tanks as a pinion (15) is driven by a rack (16), in that in order to make the generator tank active on descent its lower level (17) must be raised by evacuation of gas and raising of the piston to the level corresponding to said indentation above the waterline, in that in order to make the generator tank active on ascent its upper level (18) must be lowered by injection of compressed gas and lowering of the piston to the level corresponding to said indentation below the waterline,and in that said generator produces electrical energy both downhill and uphill, and consumes the electrical energy necessary to perform said injection of compressed gas to activate said generator during uphill operation.

2. Method for producing electricity by a generator tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: - we define energy production by said evacuation of compressed gas allowing to activate said generator tank in descent in that the decrease in volume of compressed gas caused by said evacuation represents for said tanks a loss of energy in compressed gas, in that this energy is recovered in the form of kinetic energy by devices of the type gas turbines and in that said gas turbines produce electrical energy which allows to increase said production of electrical energy by the generator.

3. A method for producing electricity using generating tanks according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that: - a continuous displacement in a determined direction (19) at said cruising speed of said generating tanks is defined in that beyond said upper (20) and lower (21) levels, the generating tanks, having reached these levels by ascending and descending, drive by means of shafts (22) and (23) pulleys (24) and (25) which guide the continuation of their displacements at constant rotational speeds determined by said cruising speed, in that, during said continuations, said evacuation and injection of gas from the liquid pistons are carried out, driving them upwards and downwards, in that, at the end of said continuations, said generating tanks, guided by said pulleys, reach said upper and lower levels from which they begin their descent and ascent, and thus said displacements are made continuous, in that said pulleys are continuously driven by at least one of said shafts and have on their periphery of either two diametrically opposed locations (26) reserved for said shafts or more than two locations (27) regularly distributed on said periphery, in that at least one said pulley is braked by said electricity generator (28) the production of which is generated by all said net motor brakes of the tanks in operation between said upper and lower levels, in that said shafts of the generating tanks are connected to each other by links of the same length (29) enabling them to occupy said locations regularly distributed on said pulleys, in that said length of the connections between tanks is reduced to permit a maximum number of tanks between said upper and lower levels while reserving, between tanks, a space (30) sufficient to allow the passage of the liquid that fills and empties the pistons, in that said pulleys, fitted with N said locations, have their diameter imposed by a circumference of N times said link length, in that the position (31) of said axes in the height of said generating tanks, greater than that of their center of gravity (32) empty of gas, allows the upper part of these tanks to have a submerged weight less than their lower part, a difference accentuated by the Archimedes' principle following the introduction of said gas, and in that free rotation around their said axes allows said generating tanks to permanently maintain their orientation in the vertical direction, a condition indispensable to the proper functioning of their said liquid pistons. Devices for producing electricity by applying the methods that are the subject of any claim 1 to 3,characterized in that: - the devices are defined as enabling both the drive of twin pulleys, referred to as high pulleys (34) and (35) and low pulleys (36) and (37), and the venting (38) and injection (39) of gas from said generating tanks, in that said shafts of the generating tanks for driving the pulleys are made of cylindrical rings (40) and (41), referred to as drive rings, in that said drive rings are connected to each other by chain-type links (42) and (43), referred to as connecting chains, the ends of which are provided with rings (44) and (45) for fixing to said drive rings, which do not impede their rotation or that of said tanks, in that said drive of the pulleys by the rings is achieved by locking the latter in notches (46) and (47), referred to as drive notches, cut into said pulleys at the aforementioned locations reserved for the tank axles,in that said gas is evacuated from above the level of said liquid pistons and injected into them through at least one chimney-duct (48) inside the generating tanks, in that, after passing through at least one of said drive rings, said gas circulates inside conduits (49) and (50), said branches, equipping at least one of said upper and lower pulleys, in that one of the two upper twin pulleys is not equipped with said branches and has its shaft solid and braked by a device (51) which drives said electricity generator in rotation, in that said connection between tanks and upper and lower pulley branches is sealed by, the movement of a sealing device of the type of sealing rings (52) and (53), which ensures sealing during the relative movement of the tank-pulley and in that motorized valve type valves, called branch valves, driven by electromagnets, which equip some (54) and (55) the said drive rings, others (56) and (57) the said upper and lower pulley branches, and ensure the closure of the gas outlet and inlet, are pressed against each other by a piston effect while maintaining sealing.

5. Electricity production devices according to claim 4, enabling said action of sealing rings and branch valves, characterized in that: - the connection between said sealing rings and branch valves is defined in that, before branching, said sealing ring (58) ensures both the seal between a first said branch valve (59) and either a said tank drive ring or a said pulley arm with which said branching is carried out, in that, before branching, said second branch valve (60), pressed against said first branch valve, and said sealing ring, ensures the seal with either a said pulley arm or a said drive ring, its diameter (61) being thus greater than that (62) of said first valve by the thickness (63) of said sealing ring, in that, during said branching, said first valve drives said sealing ring by means of hook-type devices (64) until it ensures the seal between said drive rings and pulley arms,in that said branch valves then move away from said ring to allow gas circulation, and in that, at the end of said branch, said second branch valve pushes said sealing ring until valves and rings return to their positions occupied before said branch, said second branch valve ensuring said sealing of either said pulley arm or said drive ring in place of said sealing ring.

6. Electricity production devices according to any one of claims 4 and 5 making said sealed connections active and inactive and allowing said gas circulation, characterized in that: pressure contacts (65) and (66) are defined, in that they equip all said drive slots of said upper and lower pulleys, in that they are made active by said locking of the drive rings in said slots, in that they control the dewatering (67) of the tank-pulley arm connection by said sealing rings, and in that the start of the gas circulation (68) follows automatically, - and the means for interrupting the gas circulation following said launch are defined in that said interruption is controlled by level sensors (69) and (70), with which the upper parts of the interiors of said generating tanks are equipped, when said liquid piston levels corresponding to said indentations above and below the waterline are reached, in that the gas circulation (71) begins with said launch, continues and ends with the return to initial position (72) of said branch valves in that the duration of said circulation is a function of the gas flow, in that said gas circulation is interrupted before the removal (73) of the sealing rings allowing the immersion of the connecting walls of the tank and the pulley ring and in that the flow of said gas circulation allows a margin of time (74) to be maintained after its interruption before said fixing rings leave their notches.

7. Electricity production devices according to any one of claims 4 to 6 enabling the electrical supply of said generating tanks and pulleys through which the gas flows, characterized in that: - the electrical supply by said high pulley of the tanks to which it is connected is defined as being made from the surface electrical installations by said electrical cables (75) and (76) which are connected dry to said pulley branch equipment by sliding circular contacts (77) and (78) which ensure sliding contacts throughout the relative tank-pulley movements, contacts dried by said gas circulation, in that the electrical supply of a connected generator tank is made dry by electrical connection mechanisms (79), which equip each of said branches of the single high pulley,consisting of telescopic circular arms driven by an electric motor which move a male plug of an electrical power cable through the passages left free (80) by the opening of said connection valves and bring them into contact with female plugs (81) disposed in said drive rings of the connected tanks, contact also dried by said gas circulation, in that said female plugs are made of conductive half-rings which also ensure sliding contacts throughout said relative tank-pulley movements, in that the electrical supply is established in a tank after a duration (82), referred to as initial, comprising those of said dewatering and start-up of gas circulation plus that of the electrical connection (83), in that, during said duration, a tank preceding in its movement said electrically connected tank, referred to as preceding,must be located at the same instant at a distance (84) during which it is electrically connected, in that, at said distance at which said previous tank is located, the latter is not yet disconnected because said distance is less than the limit distance of electrical connection (85), in that said limit distance of electrical connection is limited by the position (86) of the electrical disconnection of said tank at the limit of gas circulation, in that said lower distance, allowing said continuous electrical supply, is obtained with said previous tank locked in a notch of a pulley having at least four notches, said position of the previous tank on a pulley having three and two notches exceeding said limit position and in that said continuous electrical supply is ensured first by said previous tank, said connected tank while it is being electrically connected, then by said connected tank and its preceding tank as long as the latter does not exceed said limit position, then by said connected tank alone until the tank following it in its movement, said next, is electrically connected, by said next tank once electrically connected and by said connected tank until it reaches said limit position and finally, during its electrical connection, by said next tank alone after said connected tank has exceeded said limit position and the electrical supply of all the tanks is defined in that all said generating tanks are connected to each other by electrical cables (87) and (88) according to said connecting chains and in that said connecting valves are permanently electrically supplied,female sockets and level sensors not only for the aforementioned connected tanks but also for all others.

8. Electricity production devices according to any one of claims 4 to 7, enabling dry maintenance of the equipment of said generating tanks and of said pulleys which they drive, characterized in that: - a freight elevator (89) is defined which serves the so-called upper (90) and lower (91) common volumes, common to the said branches of the upper and lower pulleys, - in that said services are carried out dry within a watertight cage (92) resistant to hydraulic pressure, the connection to said common volumes being made by volumes (93) and (94), constituting landings, of which said cage is isolated by watertight motorized doors (95) and (96), called landing doors, in that said gas exhaust ducts (97) and injection ducts (98) open onto said landings through motorized valves called air valves (99) and (100), in that said landings are isolated from said common volumes by motorized access valves (101) and (102), in that the connection between said fixed landings and said rotating common volumes with said pulleys which they equip is obtained by circular conduits (103) and (104), which extend them beyond said access valves, fitted with circular seals ensuring the watertightness of said connection, and in that, from the two said bearings,said dry maintenance of the equipment of said generating tanks and of said pulleys which they drive is ensured by using said freight elevator, its equipment and that of said bearings, - and the use of said freight elevator and its equipment is defined in said operation and during said maintenance in that they are continuously supplied with electrical energy from the surface electrical installations by said electrical cables (105) and (106), in that in addition to the supplies of said equipment of branches and tanks are those, in the upper part (107) and in the lower part (108), of said access doors, of said air valves and of said access valves, in that, during the said movement of the tanks and the production of the said generator tank cage, the said landing doors are closed while the said air valves and the said access valves are open, the bearings are constantly connected to at least one of the said connected tanks and are respectively at the hydraulic pressures prevailing at the upper and lower levels, in that, to allow maintenance at low pressure, during this maintenance the said connection valves of the drive rings of the generator tanks connected to the said lower pulley remain pressed against their said sealing rings, thus protecting the arms of the said lower pulley from the hydraulic pressure at the said lower level, in that the maintenance of the generator tanks is carried out solely from the said arms of the upper pulley,in that maintenance is carried out during shutdowns when the connected tanks occupy the positions on the pulleys corresponding to said excess connection and disconnection time during which the maximum number of tanks are connected, in that the number of said shutdowns is equal to the total number of generating tanks divided by the number of tanks connected and disconnected simultaneously, and in that maintenance is carried out on all said generating tanks and their power supply during said shutdowns, maintenance of the equipment of said upper and lower pulleys and their power supply during two of them, and maintenance of said hoist bearings, their equipment and their power supply during only one of them.

9. A method for producing electricity by generating tanks according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which may use devices referred to in any one of claims 4 to 8, said generating tanks forming submerged power plant units, referred to as power plant cages (109), characterized in that: - the composition of said power plant cage is defined as having the most constant possible production in that the cessation of said electricity production of a generating tank (110) at the end of its ascent (111) results in a variation (112) in the production of all the tanks in said power plant cage, in that, when this said cessation occurs simultaneously with a cessation of said electricity production of a generating tank (113) at the end of its descent (114), an additional variation (115) in said production of all the tanks in said power plant cage is recorded, in that, conversely,if no said simultaneous stop occurs, said downward production records on the contrary a decrease (H6) of said variation, in that the second solution favors said constant production, in that the conditions of said second solution are that the number (117), greater than two, of said drive notches of said upper and lower pulleys of said power plant cage and the number (118) of its said reservoirs are odd, in that other solutions are possible with offset of the rotations of said upper and lower pulleys, in particular a said third, with an even number, greater than two, of said notches, of pulley drive and odd number of said generating tanks and, a said fourth, with an odd number, greater than two, of said pulley drive notches and odd number of said generating tanks, in that only, among the said other solutions, said third solution favors said constant production and in that said production, as constant as possible, is obtained by a set of said cages constituting a submerged power plant, respecting the conditions of one of the said second and third solutions, the operation of which is offset, in the travel time by their tanks, by said distance between two of them so as to smooth the variations in production of the generating tanks during said travels.

10. A method for producing electricity according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 9, which may use devices referred to in any one of claims 4 to 8, by said generating tanks forming said power plant cages, characterized in that: - The construction of said power plant cages in a horizontal position (119) is defined in that said generating tanks which constitute them (120) are in vertical positions perpendicular to said horizontal position of their cages, in that the immersion of said power plant cages takes place in their said horizontal positions and in that the air trapped in said generating tanks in vertical positions causes the flotation of said power plant cages allowing their movement, either individually or grouped after connection to other cages intended to constitute the same submerged power plant, to the place fixed for their immersions - and the execution of said immersion of said power plant cages, whether isolated or grouped together, is defined as follows: the tanks (121) located on the side of the bases (122) of said power plant cages are emptied of air and filled with water; the reduction of the Archimedes' thrust in the tanks where the water rises causes said bases to sink, resulting in a tilting (123) of said cages from said horizontal position to the vertical (124) floating position; said tilting is followed by a vertical immersion (125) of said power plant cages by emptying the gas and filling the generator tanks constituting said power plant cages with water; and said vertical immersion continues either until reaching seabeds suitable for the support of said cages and the said power plant they form, or, on shoals,until it rests on a floating structure that can support a submerged power plant.

1. Devices for producing electricity by applying the process that is the subject of claim 10, characterized in that: - devices are defined that allow both the vertical movement of the generating tanks in operation and that support the forces they transmit to the main structures of the power plant cages when they are under construction and during movement. CORRECTED SHEET (RULE 91) ISA / EP Tl in that guide type devices (126) keep said tanks upright by means of said drive rings which remain in contact with them and in that secondary structures of the three-dimensional lattice type (127) transfer to said main structures of the power plant cages the flotation (128) and immersion (129) forces caused by the tanks during their said flotation and immersion.

12. A method for producing electricity by means of chains of generating tanks according to claim 3 and capable of using devices referred to in any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that - a blocking of said rotation of the tanks around their axes is defined in that, when the tanks reach said high levels of active displacements, they are made fixed to said high pulleys at second points of contact (130), in that, from an angle of rotation (131) of said high pulleys, the level (132) of its liquid piston is such that said compressed gas begins to escape, in that, the compressed gas continuing to escape with the increase of said angle, it reaches a volume corresponding to that of the gas compressed by the liquid piston at the level (133) allowing the start of the plunge and in that said volume reached is obtained by a maximum liquid piston level (134) reached at the end of the rotation of angle (135) from which said blocking is interrupted to allow said tank to return to its vertical position.

13. Tank rotation locking devices according to the method of claim 12, characterized in that: - devices of the motorized lock type are defined allowing said locking of the tank on each of the two upper pulleys in that the male part of said lock equips each of said pulleys and in that the electrical supply of said male part of said locks is obtained by the two said twin pulleys only, no electrical supply of the female part of said locks equipping said tanks of said tank being necessary.

14. A method for producing electricity by means of chains of generating tanks according to any one of claims 3 and 12 and capable of using devices referred to in any one of claims 4 to 7 and 13, characterized in that - said gas injections are defined in said lower positions of the tanks without requiring equipment ensuring the sealing of said tanks in that none of said tank axes allow the circulation of the gas, in that said tanks, in said lower positions and guided by said lower pulleys, are in line with devices allowing said gas injection, in that the injected gas passes through the liquid pistons of said tanks and in that the volume of said injected gas is that which allows said liquid piston to reach said level from which the ascent is activated.

15. Gas injection devices in the lower part of said tanks according to the method of claim 14, characterized in that: - said devices enabling said injection through the liquid pistons by following said guidance of the reservoirs by the lower pulleys are defined in that devices of the type of turnstiles (136), rotating at the same speed as said pulleys, have their axes offset downwards relative to those of said lower pulleys by the height (137) corresponding to that of the reservoirs below their axes, in that each arm of said turnstile is equipped with a device of the type of injector (138) propelling the gas through the liquid piston (139) and in that, depending on the position of said arms, either two injectors (140) or only one injector (141) can supply said reservoirs with gas - and limits are defined at the beginning (142) and at the end (143) of said gas supply to the tanks in that on a part (144) of the rotation of a said turnstile the said injectors are prevented by the said pulleys from positioning themselves in the said vertical position of the tanks and in that the said turnstile arms have a retractable part (145) which allows the said pulleys to be avoided in the said parts of their rotation.

16. Electricity production devices according to any one of claims 4 to 7 and 13 to 15, comprising said tank chains of claim 4, characterized in that: - said rings (146) for fixing said drive rings (147) are defined in that they are ovalized in such a way that said drive rings act on said drive chains only by the rear parts (148) of the front chains (149) and the front parts (150) of the rear chains (151) in the direction of rotation of said chains, and in that said chains are subjected to tension only, thus avoiding any buckling which could be caused by compressive stresses.

17. Electricity production devices according to any one of claims 4 to 7 and 13 to 16, comprising said reservoirs whose connections to each other are the subject of claim 3, are characterized in that: - connecting rod type elements (152) are defined as replacing the chains of claim 4 in that the connecting rods form, during their movements guided by the pulleys (153), bowstrings (154) between two notches and in that the pulleys no longer guiding, as with chains, the axes of the reservoirs (155) of the guides (156) allow them to continue their vertical movements (157) up to their lower and upper limits (158).

18. A method for producing electricity by means of chains of generating tanks according to any one of claims 3, 12 and 14, concerning the arrangement of said submerged power plant cages, characterized in that - We define the juxtaposition of pairs of so-called cages to form structural elements, in that said structural elements are composed of at least one said pair of cages whose tank chains rotate around axes of the same direction, in that the two chains of said pair rotate in opposite directions, thus counteracting the support reactions of each structural element due to the said braking torques of their chains and in that said power plants, composed of a certain number of coupled cages constituting said structural elements, operate by pair of said cages, the stopping and replacement of one of them causing the stopping of the one associated with it within a said structural element.

19. A method for producing electricity by means of chains of generating tanks according to claim 18, concerning the position of said tanks of chains of submerged power plant of a said pair of cages, characterized in that a relative level of said tanks of a pair of cages is defined in that it is common to said tanks, in that said braking torques of said pair of tanks, acting in opposite directions, are equal in absolute values, and in that said support reactions of the structural elements constituted by said pairs of cages due to said braking torques cancel each other out, thus limiting the stresses to which the structure of a submerged power plant is subjected.

20. A method for producing electricity by means of chains of generating tanks according to any one of claims 18 and 19, concerning the relative position of the tanks in the various chains, characterized in that - we define an offset between the positions of the tanks of said cages of a power plant in that the set of said cages is divided into subsets composed of a number of cages whose position of the tanks of their chains is offset by equal values, in that the sum of said offsets is equal to said distance between two tanks so as to cover all the possibilities of electricity production by the tanks of said cages, in that the value of each said offset is obtained by adding to one of them the value of said sum divided by said number of cages of a subset and in that the generalization of these offsets to all the cages of said subsets makes it possible to obtain the smoothing of the electricity production of all the cages of a submerged power plant.

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