Hydropneumatic device for producing a compressed air flow, and electric generator comprising such a device

Abstract

The invention relates to a hydropneumatic device (100) for producing a compressed air flow, which device comprises a tank (10) filled with water, two movable submerged capsules (21), an air distribution member (24) placed in each capsule and dividing it into an upper part and a lower part, each capsule (21) comprising an upper valve (211) allowing water to enter its upper part, and an air compression means (23) compressing the air located therein under the effect of the water pressure, a second tube (32) and a third tube (33) passing through each air distribution member (24), respectively allowing external air to be fed into the capsule and compressed air to be output to a propulsion means (22) of the other capsule, the penetration of the water into a first capsule producing a thrust differential between the two capsules and therefore causing the second capsule to rise, which is promoted by the compressed air output to the propulsion means, this compressed air being released once the rising movement ends.

Description

[0001] Hydropneumatic device for producing compressed air flow and electric generator comprising such a device

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present invention belongs to the general field of energy transformation devices, in particular those based on hydrostatic pressure, and relates more particularly to a hydropneumatic device for producing compressed air flows and an electrical energy generator comprising such a device.

[0004] The present invention finds a direct, but not exclusive, application in the continuous production of electrical energy to supply residential networks or industrial installations.

[0005] STATE OF THE ART

[0006] Electricity is considered a clean energy because the equipment that uses it does not produce polluting gases or greenhouse gases locally. However, electricity does not occur naturally and must be generated from primary energy. Renewable electrical energies such as nuclear power are considered sustainable, although their classification as such is debated. In Europe, the share of renewable energy in electricity generation exceeded fossil fuels in 2020. However, electricity generation, including sustainable energy, can have a negative impact on the environment.

[0007] Hydraulic and pneumatic power generation systems are widely used technologies worldwide to generate electricity. These technologies are efficient, reliable, and environmentally friendly, making them an ideal option for many power generation projects.

[0008] On the one hand, hydroelectric power generation systems use water to produce electricity. These systems can be divided into two main categories: reservoir hydroelectric power plants and free-flow hydroelectric power plants.

[0009] Reservoir hydroelectric power plants are the most common. They use a dam to create a water reservoir upstream of the power plant. Water is released from the reservoir through penstocks to a turbine, which is connected to an electric generator.

[0010] Free-flow hydroelectric power plants use the force of water flowing in a river or stream to generate electricity. These plants are usually located on rivers where the water flow is high and constant. Free-flow hydroelectric power plants are less expensive to build than reservoir power plants because they do not require water reservoirs or dams.

[0011] We also know of so-called penstock hydroelectric power stations, in which water is conveyed from a dam to a turbine by a penstock which is a pressurized water pipeline used either to bring water to a structure for using hydraulic power, or to pump water for the purpose of later using hydraulic power.

[0012] These various hydroelectric power plants can have a negative impact on the environment, particularly by affecting aquatic ecosystems and disrupting natural habitats. In addition, dam construction can have significant social consequences, particularly for riverside communities.

[0013] On the other hand, pneumatic power generation systems use air to produce electricity. These systems can be divided into two main categories: wind power plants and compressed air power plants. Wind power plants use wind energy to turn the blades of a turbine, which is connected to an electric generator. Wind power plants are increasingly popular because they use a renewable and environmentally friendly energy source. However, wind power plants, in addition to having intermittent production due to changing weather conditions, can have a negative impact on the environment, including disrupting local ecosystems and causing noise pollution. Compressed air power plants use compressed air to generate electricity. The air is compressed and stored in underground reservoirs or natural caverns.When electricity is needed, compressed air is released and passes through a turbine, which is connected to an electric generator. Compressed air power plants are efficient because they can store large amounts of energy and generate electricity quickly when needed. However, they are also expensive to build and require underground reservoirs or natural caverns to store the compressed air.

[0014] It is therefore important to have technology to meet the growing electricity needs while minimizing negative impacts on the environment. It is also important to note that hydraulic and pneumatic power generation systems are not the only technologies available. Other technologies, such as solar energy and biomass, are also widely used to generate electricity from renewable energy sources.

[0015] Hydrostatic pressure-based electrical power generation systems are also known. Such systems typically employ a vertical conveyor operating submerged in a water tank.

[0016] US3857242A, for example, describes an engine operating on the principles of gravity and buoyancy comprising a first vertically arranged conveyor with supports for receiving hollow, closed tanks placed on each support from the top of the conveyor. As the tanks descend under their own weight, they drive the conveyor, which rotates an output shaft connected to it. The tanks are removed from their supports when they reach the bottom of the conveyor, after which they are pushed to the bottom of a liquid-filled container in which there is a second vertically arranged conveyor. The tanks are directed under the supports of this conveyor, and as the tanks are pushed upwards by the liquid, the second conveyor rotates another power output shaft connected to it.The two output shafts can be interconnected to combine the total power output of the gravity and floating parts of the motor.

[0017] In this solution, power means are provided for intermittently moving the tanks between the gravity side and the buoyancy side of the engine, and vice versa. W02017107502A1 describes a hydrostatic pressure electricity generation system that generates electricity by utilizing the total potential energy of static water by means of a chain box arrangement based on different physical properties of static water and air. This system comprises an air filling system, an air exhaust system, a chain box rotation system, and an electricity generation system. The electricity generation system realizes electricity generation by means of the chain box rotation system converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. A large portion of the chain box rotation system is placed in static water.The chain box rotation system comprises a plurality of boxes, and an air bag is mounted in each box. The air filling system is used to introduce air into each air bag. When air is introduced into the air bag by the air filling system, a certain spatial volume is generated in the air bag to discharge static water from the box. The air exhaust system is used to exhaust air from the air bag and / or the box. The chain box rotation system realizes a circulation rotation operation by means of the buoyancy force applied to the box.

[0018] In the same spirit, the document MX2020005466A describes a method and a transportable gravitational system for generating clean electrical energy, of the mechano-electric type, involving a flotation motor system, a power transmission system using multipliers and pulleys, as well as chains and toothed belts, connected to an electric synchronous alternator. The system according to this document uses as support systems, the vacuum pump which generates a low-pressure air volume and the speed regulating motors, as well as the electrical control systems and electronic processors for the integral control of the generator system.This solution uses the buoyancy force of the air exerted on the metal containers immersed in the water column, kept suspended by a drive chain, taking advantage of the mechanical force with the use of torque multipliers and a mechanical transmission system that increases the revolutions of the system, with sufficient driving speed.

[0019] However, the last two solutions do not indicate the use of any input energy and are therefore similar to "perpetual motion" systems. Therefore, these systems cannot be operational, or at least they would not operate according to their descriptions because this would violate the laws of physics.

[0020] PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The present invention aims to overcome all or part of the drawbacks of the prior art set out above by proposing an innovative solution for the continuous production of electrical energy using a hydropneumatic device in which capsules are driven by an alternating movement due in part to Archimedes' thrust, the hydrostatic pressure of the water and gravity.

[0022] To this end, the present invention relates to a hydropneumatic device for producing a flow of compressed air, remarkable in that it comprises a tank receiving a column of water of height H, two submerged capsules, movable relative to a fixed structure comprising a main U-shaped air transfer tube and two air distribution members at the ends of said tube, each air distribution member being placed inside a capsule and dividing it in a sealed manner into an upper part and a lower part, the lower parts communicating via the main tube, in that each capsule comprises an upper valve allowing the entry of water from the tank into its upper part and an air compression means, slidably mounted in said upper part and compressing the air therein under the effect of the water entering through said upper valve,in that each air distribution member is crossed by a second tube and a third tube respectively allowing an admission of outside air into the upper part of the capsule in which said member is located and a discharge of compressed air into a propulsion means of the other capsule, in that the two capsules are kinematically connected by a return system giving them an alternating movement, and in that the penetration of water into a first capsule produces a thrust differential between the two capsules and therefore an ascent of the second capsule and a descent of the first capsule, said ascent being favored by the compressed air discharged into the propulsion means of the second capsule, said compressed air being released at the end of the stroke by an evacuation valve in the tank.,

[0023] Thus, the hydropneumatic device allows a flow of compressed air to be created at each operating cycle, the roles of the capsules being reversed at each cycle. The hydropneumatic device uses an initial energy that has allowed air to be admitted at the base of the tank to carry out numerous operating cycles according to a low-dissipative movement.

[0024] Advantageously, the hydropneumatic device further comprises an air diffusion means placed above the capsules to diffuse the released compressed air towards the top of the tank. This diffusion means preferably comprises a convergent.

[0025] According to one embodiment, each capsule has a cylindrical shape with a circular base ending in a hemispherical dome at each of its ends to give it a hydrodynamic shape reducing the resistance of the water.

[0026] Advantageously, each propulsion means has a bell shape enveloping in a spaced manner the capsule to which it is fixed so as to define a volume for trapping the compressed air discharged by the other capsule.

[0027] According to the invention, each second tube and each third tube respectively comprise an inlet valve and a discharge valve, both communicating with the upper part of the capsules.

[0028] The second tubes join at the base of the tank and rise in a single tube to the surface of the water to be able to suck in outside air. The third tubes end in the propulsion means by a non-return valve.

[0029] The hydropneumatic device further includes pressure sensors configured to detect a pressure balance between the water in the tank and the air in each capsule.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the movement return system comprises inextensible pulleys and straps connecting the capsules, in particular notched pulleys and straps.

[0031] According to the present invention, the hydropneumatic device may comprise at least two pairs of capsules, each pair having an autonomous operation independent of the other pairs.

[0032] The present invention also relates to an electric generator comprising a hydropneumatic device as presented and a conversion system converting the energy of the compressed air flow produced by said device into mechanical rotational energy. More particularly, the conversion system is a vertical conveyor comprising nacelles attached to chains, said nacelles being hollow to rise under the effect of the compressed air and thus drive the chains and sprockets coupled to said chains.

[0033] The fundamental concepts of the invention having just been set out above in their most elementary form, other details and characteristics will emerge more clearly on reading the description which follows and with reference to the appended drawings, giving by way of non-limiting example an embodiment of a hydropneumatic device for producing a flow of compressed air and of an electric generator comprising such a device, in accordance with the principles of the invention.

[0034] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0035] The figures are provided for purely illustrative purposes to provide a better understanding of the invention without limiting its scope. The various elements are represented schematically and are not necessarily to scale. Throughout the figures, identical or equivalent elements bear the same numerical reference.

[0036] It is thus illustrated in:

[0037] - Figure 1: a schematic front view of a hydropneumatic device for producing air flow according to an embodiment of the invention, during a first phase of operation;

[0038] - Figure 2: a profile view of a thrust group according to one embodiment;

[0039] - Figure 3: the hydropneumatic device during a second phase of operation;

[0040] - Figure 4: the hydropneumatic device during a third phase of operation;

[0041] - Figure 5: the device during a fourth and final phase, for a complete operating cycle;

[0042] - Figure 6: a schematic perspective view of a vertical conveyor for the generation of electrical energy from the hydropneumatic device;

[0043] - Figure 7a: a perspective view of a nacelle in descending phase with its cover folded around the hinge;

[0044] - Figure 7b: a bottom view of the nacelle of figure 7a. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0045] It should be noted that certain technical elements well known to those skilled in the art are described herein to avoid any insufficiency or ambiguity in the understanding of the present invention.

[0046] In the embodiment described below, reference is made to a hydropneumatic device for producing compressed air flows, intended mainly to be coupled to a conveyor generating electrical energy to supply residences, industrial installations, ships, etc. This non-limiting example is given for a better understanding of the invention and does not exclude the use of the device with other energy conversion systems.

[0047] Figure 1 represents a hydropneumatic device 100 according to the invention, in a normal operating state, said device mainly comprising a tank 10 filled with water up to a height H, two thrust groups 20a and 20b operating alternately and each comprising a movable capsule 21, an air distribution network 30, ensuring the admission and discharge of air during the operating cycles of the hydropneumatic device, an air diffusion means 40 for concentrating the flow of compressed air produced by the thrust groups, as well as sensors, fixing means and ancillaries which will be described below.

[0048] The tank 10, according to the illustrated embodiment, has a cylindrical shape with a circular base, constituting a column of water of height H, and makes it possible to contain a major part of the technical elements of the hydropneumatic device 100. It is positioned vertically, closed at its base and open at its top in communication with the ambient air.

[0049] The tank 10 has dimensions, in particular a diameter and a height, defined according to the desired power of the hydropneumatic device 100. Indeed, the height and the diameter of the tank 10 respectively determine the pressure in the water column and the number of thrust groups 20 which can be installed there.

[0050] Preferably, the tank 10 has a minimum height of 24m. The greater this height, the greater the power and responsiveness of the hydropneumatic device 100. However, beyond 48m the compression of the air in the capsules 21 becomes too strong and reduces the thrust differential at the end of the cycle in the hydropneumatic device 100.

[0051] The tank 10 has a lower part, located between its base and the air diffusion means 40, reserved for the elements of the air distribution network 30 allowing automatic admission of air to the base of the water column, and an upper part, located above said air diffusion means, occupied by a conversion system shown in figure 6 making it possible to produce electrical energy by exploiting the rise of the compressed air flow.

[0052] In order to compensate for the evaporation of water from the tank 10 during operating cycles, it includes a level controller connected to a valve and an external water reserve. The evaporation phenomenon may be more or less significant depending on the external temperature conditions.

[0053] In the tank 10, the alternating movement of the thrust groups 20a and 20b, automatically controlled by a sequence of actuation of different members which will be described below, makes it possible to generate the thrust differential responsible for the ejection of compressed air towards the upper part of the tank 10 as well as the suction of ambient air towards the base of the water column.

[0054] Each thrust group 20a and 20b comprises a capsule 21, a propulsion means 22 covering and laterally surrounding said capsule, an air compression means 23 mounted to slide inside said capsule, and an air distribution member 24, fixed and integral with the air distribution network 30, around which the capsule 21 slides in a sealed manner.

[0055] The hydropneumatic device 100 further comprises, on the internal wall of the tank 10, a first pressure sensor 511 placed at a bottom dead center of an air compression means 23 when its capsule 21 is at a top dead center, in order to detect the balance of the pressures on either side of said air compression means. For example, in FIG. 3, the air compression means 23 of the thrust group 20b is at its bottom dead center, at the same level as the first pressure sensor 511.

[0056] The hydropneumatic device 100 also comprises four toothed pulleys 61, of the timing gear type, securely fixed to the base of the tank 10. The fasteners connecting the pulleys 61 to supports located at the base of the tank 10 have mechanical strength, and more specifically resistance to tearing, sufficient to withstand the tractions undergone. The pulleys 61 are essential for the balance of the capsules 21, they are equipped with blockers allowing the capsules 21 to be held at the end of their travel.

[0057] Figure 2 shows the pulleys 61 with their axles 611 and their supports 63, as well as the notched straps 62 and their fixings 621.

[0058] Alternatively, the toothed pulleys and their means of transmitting movement can be replaced by a chain drive, namely four sprockets and two transmission chains.

[0059] The hydropneumatic device 100 also comprises springs 65 erected at the base of the tank 10, under the capsules 21, in order to dampen the downward movement and to promote the upward movement of said capsules.

[0060] According to an embodiment not shown, the hydropneumatic device 100 can comprise four thrust groups 20 distributed in pairs in two independent modules.

[0061] Each module can operate independently, but for reasons of operational fluidity and to allow degraded operation in the event of an incident or breakdown, it is preferable to have two functional modules.

[0062] Preferably, the two modules operate out of phase. Specifically, when the capsules of one module are at the end of their travel, the capsules of the other module are at mid-travel.

[0063] The hydropneumatic device 100 has a power which depends partly on the size, and therefore the volume, of the capsules 21.

[0064] Each capsule 21 is a cylindrical container with a circular base, the top and base of which have a hydrodynamic shape, for example a dome, in order to facilitate its movement in the water during operation.

[0065] Each capsule 21 is divided by the air distribution member 24 around which it is placed into two distinct parts of variable volume: an upper part and a lower part, these two parts being isolated from each other by means of an annular seal 241 of said member.

[0066] Each capsule 21 has the function of accumulating air from the outside in its upper part during its ascending phase, of compressing the accumulated air when it is at its top dead center and of restoring it to the propulsion means 22 of the other capsule 21 during its descending phase. With its lower part, each capsule 21 makes it possible to push back or suck in air to or from the lower part of the other capsule. Figure 1 shows the capsule 21 of the thrust group 20b at its top dead center, just before the start of the compression of the accumulated air by the air compression means 23, in the upper part of which is the air A accumulated at a pressure PO which is atmospheric pressure.

[0067] The air compression means 23 is a mobile element located in the upper part of the capsule 21. It has the shape of a dome which fits the top of the capsule with its upper face when it is at its top dead center, and the top of the air distribution member 24 with its lower face when the capsule is at its bottom dead center.

[0068] The dome-shaped part of the air compression means 23 is extended by a cylindrical lateral part of diameter substantially equal to the internal diameter of the capsule 21, with a functional clearance, so as to allow the sliding of said means in said capsule.

[0069] The air compression means 23 comprises two grooves, sufficiently spaced apart: an upper groove receiving a sealing O-ring 231 ensuring sealing between the parts of the capsule 21 delimited by said means, and a lower groove incorporating Teflon pads (registered trademark) to ensure movement parallel to the interior walls of the capsule.

[0070] Each capsule 21 has at its top a valve 211, called upper, controlled and having an opening, as large as possible, in order to reduce as much as possible the time taken to balance the pressures between the water and the air, because it allows the water from the tank 10 to penetrate into the part of the capsule 21 located above the air compression means 23.

[0071] The upper valve 21 1 is specially designed to lift a major part of the dome of the capsule 21 during the compression phase of the air contained in said capsule by the water in the tank whose pressure is higher.

[0072] Indeed, the upper valve 21 1 is controlled by pressure sensors signaling the pressure balances. When a capsule 21 is at its top dead center, it has accumulated air A from the outside at the pressure PO of the air at the surface of the water (atmospheric pressure because the water in the tank is in the open air), while the water E contained in the tank 10 at the top of the capsule 21 is at a hydrostatic pressure P(z) which depends on the depth z of the water column located above said top as well as on the atmospheric pressure. The hydrostatic pressure at any point in the water located at a depth z is given by the following formula:

[0073] P(z) = P o + pgz

[0074] With p the density of the liquid, in this case water, and g the acceleration of gravity.

[0075] The pressure differential between PO and P(z) is balanced after the opening of the upper valve 211, by causing the water to enter the capsule 21 which forces the air compression means 23 downwards, thus compressing the air until the pressures are balanced, at an equilibrium depth in the capsule 21. The pressure balance is shown in Figure 3, the water and air contained in the capsule 21 of the group 20b then being at an equilibrium pressure P1 and the air compression means 23 being at an equilibrium depth z1.

[0076] The upper valve 21 1 has a flap which is automatically triggered by outward pressure in the event that the valve opens late.

[0077] The distribution network 30 comprises a main air transfer tube 31, a second tube 32 and a third tube 33, the operation of which will be described below.

[0078] Each capsule 21 comprises, under its lower dome, a collar 25 whose internal diameter corresponds to the external diameter of the vertical parts of the main air transfer tube 31. The collars 25 are equipped with an O-ring 251 inserted in a groove to ensure sealing and to prevent water from the tank 10 from entering the lower part of the capsule 21.

[0079] In addition, each capsule 21 optionally comprises a safety valve 212 located on its lower dome and opening automatically by coming into contact with the air distribution member 24, when said capsule reaches its top dead center. The function of the safety valves 212 is to compensate for a possible failure of the O-rings 251 of the collars 25 and to evacuate the water which would have infiltrated into the lower parts of the capsules 21.

[0080] The air distribution members 24 each comprise an O-ring 241 ensuring the seal between the two parts, lower and upper, of the capsules 21. Of course, the internal walls of the capsules 21, in particular the vertical side walls along which the sliding takes place, have a geometry and a surface condition adapted, as in a cylinder chamber, to allow the O-ring 241 as well as the O-ring 231 located around the air compression means 23 to ensure the required seal.

[0081] During operation of the hydropneumatic device 100, the capsules 21 have a movement limited by their size. Indeed, when a capsule 21 reaches its top dead center, its lower dome comes into contact with the air distribution member 24 of the same thrust group 20, the upper part of said capsule is then filled with air at atmospheric pressure PO.

[0082] Conversely, when a capsule 21 is at its bottom dead center, it is its upper dome which comes into contact with the air distribution member 24, which traps the air compression means 23 at its top dead center, the lower part of said capsule then being filled with air coming from the lower part of the other capsule 21.

[0083] The two capsules 21 - of the same module when the device 100 comprises several modules - are connected by two non-extensible notched straps 62, of the distribution belt type, connecting their bases by being fixed on either side of the collars 25 and passing through four notched return pulleys 61 fixed securely to the base of the tank 10 directly above said capsules.

[0084] Thanks to this pulley-belt type connection, the two capsules 21 are in balance. Due to their identical useful volume, the capsules 21 contain the same volume of air when they reach the end of their travel, except that the one arriving at its top dead center, that of the thrust group 20b in Figure 1, has its propulsion means 22 full of air, and the other arriving at its bottom dead center has its propulsion means 22 full of water. As a result, the Archimedes thrust experienced by the two capsules 21 is equivalent. However, depending on their position, which varies their contents and the contents of their associated propulsion means 22, the thrust differential between the two capsules 21 varies continuously. When one capsule is driven upwards by the thrust differential it experiences, the other is automatically driven downwards.

[0085] In order to understand the action of the thrust differential which is established during the operation of the hydropneumatic device 100, reference is made to figures 3 and 4 to describe the phenomenon.

[0086] Indeed, the volume of water E having penetrated through the upper valve 21 1 into the capsule 21 of the thrust group 20a induces a weight which pushes said capsule downwards. The air A compressed in the capsule 21 of the group 20b up to the equilibrium pressure P1 is partially transferred into the propulsion means 22 of the capsule 21 of the group 20a by passing through the third tube 33. This air accumulated under the propulsion means 22, integral with the capsule 21, therefore increases the volume on which the Archimedes thrust is applied.

[0087] Thus, the thrust differential is essentially due to the volume of air replaced by the water in the capsule 21 in the descending phase. It is therefore easy to understand that the greater the height H of the water column in the tank 10, the greater this thrust differential will be, as highlighted above.

[0088] Capsule 21 of thrust group 20a therefore begins its ascent.

[0089] The propulsion means 22 is an integral part of each capsule 21. Its function in each thrust group 20 is to accumulate the air coming from the capsule 21 of the other group from the start of the descending phase of said capsule and, thanks to this accumulation, to increase the drive of the capsule 21 on which it is mounted towards its top dead center.

[0090] According to an exemplary embodiment, the propulsion means 22 are welded to a lower periphery of the upper dome of the capsules 21 at the level of the base of the upper valves 21 1 , leaving said valves at the top of the capsules in direct contact with the water in the tank 10.

[0091] The size of the propulsion means 22 is obviously dimensioned by the volume of compressed air at the equilibrium pressure P1, coming from the upper part of the capsules 21 and not by the volume of this same air before compression. The base of each propulsion means 22 is open, thus forming a bell which accumulates the air coming from the third tube 33, from the start of the descending phase of the capsule 21 concerned.

[0092] Each propulsion means 22 comprises in its upper part an evacuation valve 221, positioned laterally in the vicinity of the axis of the air diffusion means 40 and allowing the release of the accumulated compressed air when the capsule 21 fixed to said propulsion means is at its top dead center.

[0093] The air distribution network 30 makes it possible to pass the air between the lower parts of the two capsules 21, but also to pass the air coming from the outside into the upper part of said capsules, and finally to pass the air, once compressed, coming from the upper part of the capsules 21 towards the top of the propulsion means 22. The air distribution network 30 also serves as a support, via its main tube 31, for the air distribution members 24 and the associated capsules 21. It is composed of three partially nested networks.

[0094] The main tube 31 has a U shape whose length, diameter and resistance are a function of the power of the hydropneumatic device 100. The main tube 31 is rigidly fixed, by its lower part, to the base of the tank 10 which has the necessary reinforcements and fixings for this purpose.

[0095] The main tube 31 connects the lower parts of the two capsules 21 via the air distribution members 24.

[0096] The second tube 32, the third tube 33 as well as a tube integrating the wiring 71 necessary for controlling the valves and sensors are integrated into the rising parts of the main tube 31 as shown in the details of figure 1.

[0097] The second tube 32 has an outside diameter substantially less than half the inside diameter of the main tube 31 and allows air to pass from the outside into the upper part of the capsules 21. The second tube 32 starts at the top of the tank 10 by a crosshead 322 equipped with an air filter, descends along the inside wall of the tank to which it is fixed, then divides first into as many times as there are modules in the device 100, then into two at the base of each module to integrate, on both sides, into the base of the rising part of the U formed by the main tube 31, it then rises inside each side of the U to exit on either side into the two air distribution members 24 and join the upper part of the two capsules 21 where an intake valve 321 is located at the end of each branch.

[0098] The third tube 33 is composed of a tube 33a and 33b for each thrust group 20a and 20b, and makes it possible to transfer the compressed air accumulated in the upper part of a capsule 21 to the top of the propulsion means 22 of the other capsule. Each third tube 33a and 33b begins with a discharge valve 331 located inside and at the top of the air distribution member 24, in direct contact with the air contained in the upper part of the capsule 21 then integrates into the main tube 31 inside said member to emerge at the base of the rising part of the U in order to join the top of the propulsion means 22 of the other capsule and terminates with a non-return valve 332.

[0099] One way of producing the air distribution network 30 is to weld the main tube 31 to the inlet and outlet of the air distribution members 24. The other two tubes, the second 32 and the third 33, as well as the tube incorporating the wiring 71, are welded at their inlet into the main tube 31 as well as at their inlet into the air distribution members 24, then welded at their outlet in said members.

[0100] Each module of the hydropneumatic device 100 comprises two air distribution members 24 each located and fixed to one end of the U-shaped main tube 31.

[0101] According to an exemplary embodiment, each air distribution member 24 consists of two adjoining half-domes, the upper half-dome has a reservation which will allow the dome of the air compression means 23 to come into contact with it over its entire surface.

[0102] The air distribution organs 24 integrate the end of the main tube 31 which, after a 180 turn Q , will be in direct contact with the lower parts of the capsules 21, the end of the second tubes 32 coming from the top of the tank 10 and the start of the third tubes 33 going to the propulsion means 22.

[0103] Each air distribution member 24 comprises a sensor 522 located at the base of its upper dome to indicate the arrival of the air compression means 23. This position of the sensor 522 makes it possible, thanks to the detection of the base of the collar of the air compression means 23, to anticipate just in time the opening of the upper valve 211 and the closing of the discharge valve 331 without slowing down the descent of the capsule 21.

[0104] Each air distribution member 24 further comprises a pressure sensor 512, called second, to indicate the balance of pressures by comparison with the pressure indicated by the first pressure sensor 511 located on the wall of the tank 10.

[0105] The primary function of the air distribution members 24 is to distribute the air, using the pilot valves 321 and 331 in the different directions. Their secondary function is to separate the lower parts from the upper parts of the capsules 21 by ensuring sealing between the two areas thanks to the O-rings 241 inserted in a groove at the point where the circumference is greatest.

[0106] It should be noted that there is never any interference between the three air tubes which are welded to the inlet and outlet of the air distribution members 24 and only pass through them. The interior of the air distribution members 24 is completely isolated from the interior of the tubes of the air distribution network 30. The air distribution members 24 and the air distribution network 30 are fixed elements of the hydropneumatic device 100, and cooperate with the capsules

[0107] 21 and their propulsion means 22 which are mobile, in order to produce the compressed air flows which will pass via the air diffusion means 40 to thus actuate the vertical conveyor 800 shown in figure 6.

[0108] The air diffusion means 40 is located between the lower part and the upper part of the tank 10, it has a dome shape comprising an opening at its top located at the diffusion point. Its base covers the top of the propulsion means

[0109] 22 of the hydropneumatic device in order to converge the air flow that they release and then diffuse it to a single point, so that it can be recovered at the right place by the equipment located above, namely the vertical conveyor 800. The air diffusion means 40 is a fixed element, integral with the tank 10. This means only partially occupies the surface of the tank, allowing the water to circulate freely between its upper and lower parts and also allows the passage of a technician for the maintenance of the hydropneumatic device 100.

[0110] The hydropneumatic device 100 comprises electronic means, which can be installed in situ, for controlling the valves and sensors including the upper valve 21 1 , the discharge valves 221 , the air intake valves 321 , the air discharge valves 331 , the first position sensors 521 , the second position sensors 522 , the first pressure sensor 51 1 and the second pressure sensors 512.

[0111] Each upper valve 21 1 is located at the top of a capsule 21 , and makes it possible to isolate or communicate the water from the tank 10 with the upper part of said capsule.

[0112] Each discharge valve 221 is located on a propulsion means 22, and allows the air contained in said means to be released when it is at its top dead center. Each air intake valve 321 is located at the end of a second air intake tube 32, inside the air distribution member 24, and allows said second tube to be closed during the descending phase of the capsule 21 and to be opened during the ascending phase.

[0113] Each air discharge valve 331 is located at the start of a third air discharge tube 33, inside the air distribution member 24, and allows the compressed air accumulated in the upper part of the capsule 21 to pass towards the propulsion means 22 of the other capsule 21 during the descending phase and to close said third tube after the total transfer of the air and the opening of the upper valve 211.

[0114] Each first position sensor 521 is located at the base of a capsule 21, fixed to the distribution network 30, more particularly at the base of the main tube 31, and makes it possible to detect the bottom dead center of said capsule.

[0115] Each second position sensor 522 is located at the base of the upper dome of an air distribution member 24, and makes it possible to detect the bottom dead center of the air compression means 23.

[0116] The first pressure sensor 51 1 is located on the inner wall of the tank 10, at the bottom dead center of the air compression means 23, once the compression has been carried out.

[0117] Each second pressure sensor 512 is located at the top of an air distribution member 24, and allows the hydropneumatic device 100, by comparing the pressure of the two pressure sensors, to determine the end of the air compression to trigger the closing of the upper valve 21 1 , the closing of the air intake valve 321 and the opening of pulley blockers 66, shown in FIG. 2, releasing the movement of the capsules 21 .

[0118] In fact, the pulley blockers 66 are located on two pulleys 61, on either side of each thrust group 20, and allow the time delay necessary for the compression of the air.

[0119] The hydropneumatic device 100 thus described from a structural point of view will be described below in its operation.

[0120] We place ourselves in an initial configuration, at an instant To, in which the capsule 21 of the thrust group 20a is at its bottom dead center. This configuration is represented in figure 1.

[0121] The hydropneumatic device 100, thanks to the first position sensor 521, has just detected the end of travel. The capsule 21 of the group 20a is pressed by its top against the top of the air distribution member 24, trapping the air compression means 23, and is completely empty in its upper part. Indeed, the air which was inside the upper part of the capsule 21 was transferred from the start of the descending phase into the propulsion means 22 of the capsule 21 of the other group 20b. The lower part of the capsule 21 of the group 20a has sucked in the air contained in the lower part of the capsule 21 of the group 20b, discharged by the latter during its ascending phase.

[0122] Thanks to the first position sensor 521 of the capsule 21 of the group 20a, the pulleys 61 are blocked with their blockers 66 thus freezing the position of the two capsules 21.

[0123] The capsule 21 of the group 20b is at its top dead center, its upper part being filled with air A at atmospheric pressure PO, and its propulsion means 22 filled with air at the pressure of the water in the tank 10.

[0124] The operation of the hydropneumatic device 100 then takes place according to a method comprising the following steps:

[0125] - a step of opening the evacuation valve 221 of the group 20b in order to release the air contained in the propulsion means 22;

[0126] - a step of closing the air intake valve 321 of group 20b to block the air coming from outside;

[0127] - a step of opening the upper valve 21 1 in order to compress the air located inside the capsule 21 of the group 20b;

[0128] - a step of detecting the pressure balance by the pressure sensors 511 and 512; when the pressure balance is detected,

[0129] - a step of closing the upper valve 21 1 of the capsule 21 of the group 20a in order to block the air compression means 23 thanks to the incompressibility of the water.

[0130] We now place ourselves in the following configuration, at a time T 1 , in which the capsule 21 of the group 20a is still at its bottom dead center, its lower part then being filled with air and its upper part being empty. This configuration is shown in Figure 3.

[0131] The operation of the hydropneumatic device 100 continues according to the operating method with the following steps:

[0132] - a step of closing the upper valve 21 1 of the capsule 21 of the group 20b, located at its top dead center, making it possible to block the air compression means 23 under the effect of the pressure balance established at the pressure P1; - a step of opening the air intake valve 321 of the group 20a, so that the air from the outside penetrates into the upper part of the capsule 21 of said group;

[0133] - a step of opening the discharge valve 331 of the group 20b so that the compressed air in the upper part of the capsule 21 of said group is transferred into the propulsion means 22 of the other capsule;

[0134] - a step of releasing the capsules 21 by unlocking the pulley blockers.

[0135] All these steps are carried out almost simultaneously except for the step of opening the upper valve 21 1 of the group 20b in order to allow the compression of the air, which delays the action of releasing the capsules 21 .

[0136] The higher the water column in the tank 10, the more the air is compressed, the greater the differential in the upward thrust between the two capsules 21, in favor of the capsule located at the bottom dead center, thus boosting the operation of the hydropneumatic device 100.

[0137] At this stage, only the lower part of the capsule 21 of the group 20a is filled with air, while only the upper part of the capsule 21 of the assembly 20b is mainly filled with water. The thrust differential is therefore greater on the capsule of the group 20a which is released taking advantage of the relaxation of the compressed spring 65. This improves the start of the reversal of the direction of operation of the capsules 21.

[0138] This movement has the consequence of storing air in the upper part of the capsule of group 20a, of forcing the air contained in the lower part of said capsule towards the lower part of the capsule of group 20b, and above all, from the start of the movement, of forcing the compressed air from the upper part of the capsule of group 20b to the top of the propulsion means 22 of group 20a which increases the traction of its capsule 21 towards its top dead center. This forcing is carried out without effort because the air A has been previously compressed to the same pressure P1 as the water E.

[0139] We now place ourselves in the following configuration, at time T2, represented in figure 4.

[0140] During the descending phase of the capsule 21 of the group 20b, just before the air compression means 23 comes into contact with the air distribution member 24, detected in advance by the second position sensor 522, a major part of the compressed air contained in the upper part of the capsule 21 of the group 20b has been transferred into the propulsion means 22 of the group 20a.

[0141] The upper valve 21 1 is opened, then, just after, the air discharge valve 331 is closed on the capsule 21 of the group 20b which completes its descent by evacuating, without effort, the water E which it contains through the upper valve 21 1 located at its top. Towards the end of the descent, the capsule 21 compresses the spring 65 slowing its travel to its bottom dead center. This bottom dead center is detected by the second position sensor 521 in order to activate the blockers 66.

[0142] We then find ourselves in the final configuration for a single cycle, at an instant Tt, represented in figure 5. This configuration corresponds to the starting point of figure 1 with the capsules 21 reversed in their roles.

[0143] After the pulleys 61 have been blocked, the air accumulated in the propulsion means 22 of the group 20a is released by opening the discharge valve 221 and is directed towards the air diffusion means 40 which releases it at a specific point. This air is integrated into inverted nacelles 810 distributed over the vertical conveyor 800 which will enable electrical energy to be generated at the output.

[0144] According to the operation described, when one capsule 21 is at its bottom dead center, the other capsule 21 is at its top dead center, the controls are thus reversed and the device 100 chains the movements by sucking air at the base of the water column of the tank 10 so that it produces a flow of compressed air. It should be noted that with this organization and this operation, the thrust differential is always greater on the ascending capsule.

[0145] The flow of compressed air thus generated makes it possible to operate an energy production system located in the upper part of the tank 10, that is to say above the air diffusion means 40.

[0146] According to one embodiment, this system corresponds to the vertical conveyor 800 of FIG. 6 as it will be described below.

[0147] Indeed, according to this embodiment, the hydropneumatic device 100 is associated with the vertical conveyor 800, the base of which is located above the air diffusion means 40 and the top at the top of the tank 10. This association thus constituting an electrical generator in which the electrical energy is produced by the rotation of the vertical conveyor 800, itself produced by the flow of compressed air produced by the hydropneumatic device 100. With reference to FIG. 6, the vertical conveyor 800 comprises a plurality of nacelles 810 fixed on two parallel chains 820, the spacing of which is defined by the width of the nacelles which are fixed there at regular spacings.

[0148] The two chains 820 drive four sprockets 830, two at the top whose axle 840 on bearing is fixed to an upper platform and drives all the connected units, and two at the base above the air diffusion means 40, fixed by means of hangers at the same places as the upper sprockets, but also by means of reinforcements fixed to the tank at its lower part, not shown.

[0149] The upper axle 840 is equipped with an automatic permanent tension system which acts on the guide profiles of the 820 chains.

[0150] Between these two chains are fixed, at regular distances, the nacelles 810 which have an oval shape, the vertical wall is equipped with two hooks 813, positioned in the center of the widest sides, necessary for fixing on the two chains 820.

[0151] Each nacelle 810 is closed on one side by a cover 811 folding into two equal parts, using a hinge 812 equipped with a seal, connecting the wider sides. The two parts of the cover 81 1 are made of a double wall trapping a volume of air intended to automatically deploy the cover during the rising phase, thus forming the container which will recover the compressed air released by the air diffusion means 40. The air thus recovered is added to the air contained in all the nacelles 810 located above, driving the vertical conveyor 800 which drives a generator and all the connected systems.

[0152] During the descending phase of a nacelle 810, the latter being upside down, the two parts of the cover 21 1 fold automatically thanks to the air they contain. The side opposite the cover is free. In this position, the nacelles 810 offer a minimum of resistance because the water passes freely inside.

[0153] Figures 7a and 7b show a nacelle 810 during its descending phase with the parts of its cover 811 folded against each other around the hinge 812.

[0154] On the cover side, the vertical wall of each 810 nacelle has a rim equipped with a seal ensuring the nacelle is watertight during the ascending phase.

[0155] The size of the nacelles depends on the size of the upper part of the capsules 21 and not on the volume of compressed air released by the propulsion means 22 because during the ascent, the air is less and less compressed and increases in volume. The air diffusion means 40 can be equipped with a flow reducer making it possible to distribute the air over several nacelles 810.

[0156] Incidentally, a sheet metal located between the ascending and descending parts of the conveyor 800 makes it possible to minimize the turbulence between the water currents created by the movement of the nacelles 810.

[0157] The vertical conveyor 800 is independent of the air integration system. It is in permanent rotation, and can be equipped with a revolution counter allowing the hydropneumatic device 100 to slow down the release of the capsules 21 when the rotation is too fast. The drive is carried out using the upper axis 840 of the vertical conveyor 800 driving the connected equipment via output pinions 850 adapting the rotation speed.

[0158] The electric generator comprising the hydropneumatic device 100 and the conveyor 800 further comprises at least one pump and one compressor. It is apparent from the present description that certain non-essential elements of the hydropneumatic device may be modified, replaced or removed without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the claims below.

[0159] List of digital references

[0160] 100: hydropneumatic device (for producing compressed air flow)

[0161] 10: tank

[0162] 11: Filling and draining pipe

[0163] 20, 20a, 20b: push group

[0164] 21: capsule

[0165] 211: upper valve

[0166] 212: safety valve

[0167] 22: means of propulsion

[0168] 221: drain valve

[0169] 23: air compression means

[0170] 231: O-ring (of the air compression means)

[0171] 24: air distribution organ

[0172] 241: O-ring (of the air distribution member)

[0173] 25: collar

[0174] 251: O-ring (of the collar)

[0175] 30: air distribution network

[0176] 31: Main air transfer tube

[0177] 32: second tube (air intake)

[0178] 321: Air intake valve

[0179] 322: butt (air inlet)

[0180] 33, 33a, 33b: third tube (air discharge)

[0181] 331: air discharge valve

[0182] 332: non-return valve

[0183] 40: air diffusion means

[0184] 511: first pressure sensor

[0185] 512: second pressure sensor

[0186] 521: first position sensor

[0187] 522: second position sensor

[0188] 61: pulley

[0189] 611: pulley axle

[0190] 62: notched strap

[0191] 621: strap attachment

[0192] 63: pulley support: spring: pulley blocker: wiring: vertical conveyor: nacelle: folding cover: folding hinge: hook: chain: sprocket: axle (of sprockets): output sprocket

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Hydropneumatic device (100) for producing a flow of compressed air, characterized in that it comprises a tank (10) receiving a column of water of height H, two submerged capsules (21), movable relative to a fixed structure comprising a main U-shaped air transfer tube (31) and two air distribution members (24) at the ends of said tube, each air distribution member (24) being placed inside a capsule (21) and dividing it in a sealed manner into an upper part and a lower part, the lower parts communicating via the main tube (31), in that each capsule (21) comprises an upper valve (211) allowing the entry of water from the tank (10) into its upper part and an air compression means (23), slidably mounted in said upper part and compressing the air therein under the effect of the water entering through said valve superior,in that each air distribution member (24) is crossed by a second tube (32) and a third tube (33) respectively allowing an admission of external air into the upper part of the capsule (21) in which said member is located and a discharge of compressed air into a propulsion means (22) of the other capsule (21), in that the two capsules (21) are kinematically connected by a return system (61, 62) giving them an alternating movement, and in that the penetration of water into a first capsule (21) produces a thrust differential between the two capsules and therefore an ascent of the second capsule (21) and a descent of the first capsule, said ascent being favored by the compressed air discharged into the propulsion means (22) of the second capsule, said compressed air being released at the end of the stroke by an evacuation valve (221) into the tank (10)., 2. Hydropneumatic device according to claim 1, further comprising air diffusion means (40) placed above the capsules (21) for diffusing the released compressed air towards the top of the tank (10).

3. Hydropneumatic device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which each capsule (21) has a cylindrical shape. with a circular base ending in a hemispherical dome at each of its ends.

4. Hydropneumatic device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which each propulsion means (22) has a bell shape enveloping in a spaced manner the capsule (21) to which it is fixed so as to define a volume for trapping the compressed air discharged by the other capsule.

5. Hydropneumatic device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which each second tube (32) and each third tube (33) respectively comprise an inlet valve (321) and a discharge valve (331), both communicating with the upper part of the capsules (21).

6. Hydropneumatic device according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising pressure sensors (511, 512) configured to detect a pressure balance between the water in the tank (10) and the air in each capsule (21).

7. Hydropneumatic device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the return system (61, 62) comprises inextensible pulleys (61) and straps (62) connecting the capsules (21).

8. Hydropneumatic device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising at least two pairs of capsules (21).

9. An electrical generator comprising a hydropneumatic device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and a conversion system converting the energy of the compressed air flow produced by said device into mechanical rotational energy.

10. An electric generator according to claim 9, wherein the conversion system is a vertical conveyor (800) comprising nacelles (810) attached to chains (820), said nacelles being hollow to rise under the effect of compressed air and thus drive the chains (820) and sprockets (830) coupled to said chains.

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