Devices for producing electricity by the action of liquid pistons of electricity-generating reservoirs

Abstract

The invention relates to novel renewable energy that is conceived with chains of liquid pistons. Another solution consists in arranging the reservoirs that contain these liquid pistons at the ends of the spokes of submerged wheels. There are preferably seven such spokes, which makes it possible to permanently have four active reservoirs, two in the descending phase and two in the ascending phase, at reasonable depths below the ten metres of depth of the level of the surface of the liquid pistons from which they are activated. A multi-injector array, referred to as "pan flute", is arranged in a stationary position under the wheels in order to fill the reservoirs when they pass through the lower portion and to ensure that they ascend. Rails are also provided in stationary positions in the upper portions, guiding additional shafts arranged in the upper portions of the reservoirs, making it possible to limit the volume of gas that they contain to what is required for them to descend. The technological difficulties in operating and servicing of the solution are limited to the well-solved difficulties of self-lubricated sealed bearings receiving the shafts of the wheel and the reservoirs. Since the energy required for injecting gas is much lower than the energy produced during the descending and ascending phases, the solution provides a highly favourable energy balance; electric power plants consisting of around fifteen of these wheels can achieve electric power that allows them to rival nuclear reactors.

Description

[0001] ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION DEVICES

[0002] BY THE ACTION OF LIQUID PISTONS IN GENERATOR TANKS

[0003] The acceleration of the movement of liquid pistons is the subject of the processes described in patents LU 102967 and WO 2023 / 237720 AL

[0004] The present patent of invention relates to devices composed mainly of a wheel which, like the large Ferris wheels at fairs, has reservoirs in the form of gondolas which also remain in a vertical position but which instead of having their rotation driven in an atmospheric environment by motors is driven in an aquatic environment by the action of liquid pistons made active in its reservoirs.

[0005] These electricity production devices, using submerged compressed gas tanks called generators, contain liquid pistons that compress the gas to a pressure equal to the hydraulic pressure at the surface of the liquid pistons. These generator tanks drive electric generators in their movements, both downwards and upwards, at depths between two levels, called upper and lower, defining a so-called middle level equidistant from the other two. The volume of compressed gas, inversely proportional to its pressure during adiabatic transformation, is also inversely proportional to the Archimedes' principle, which acts on the tanks. Consequently, a tank whose gas volume causes it to float between two waters sees its submerged weight increase as it descends and decrease as it ascends, thus accelerating its downward and upward movements.acceleration, the braking of which allows the creation of less energy than that expended in gas compression necessary to cause the ascent, are characterized by a mode of movement of the liquid pistons, this movement occurring along a circular trajectory in a vertical plane, the trajectory being followed at a constant speed and the variation of hydraulic pressure being less and less rapid as the depth of the reservoirs deviates more and more from the average level, the reservoirs having axes allowing them to remain vertical in bearings attached to the arms of a wheel whose axis is in the horizontal plane of the average level from which the rotation of the axis is braked by at least one axis of generators arranged on the surface which produce electricity.

[0006] When the axes of a tank reach the lower level on its descent, the tank is supplied with compressed gas so as to allow it to rise from the moment the lower level is reached again and, when the axes reach the upper level, the tank is tilted until it reaches an inclined position in which the tank is emptied of a volume of gas allowing it, with the remaining volume, to begin its descent once it has crossed the upper level again.

[0007] Regarding the drive of the wheel by the tanks, the constant speed on a trajectory of greater length than the difference in level obtained is greater than the average speeds of descent and ascent, which leads to an increase in the kinetic energy of the tanks, while the tangential component to the trajectory of the acceleration of the tanks is reduced from the vertical acceleration by the coefficient cosi, the angle i being the angle of inclination with respect to the vertical of the tangent to the trajectory, resulting in the reduction of the acceleration, source of energy, the increases and reductions compensating each other, thus making it possible to obtain with the same descent and ascent times similar results in circular and linear trajectories.

[0008] Electricity production devices conforming to the previous one, comprising a spoked wheel, are characterized by a number of seven such spokes, the angles subtending the trajectory between the upper and lower levels and the middle level being equal to one-seventh of the circumference, four reservoirs, two on the descent and two on the ascent, being permanently active on the circular trajectories between the upper and lower levels and the middle level, the energy produced by the reservoirs thus being maximized;

[0009] A calculation note was prepared for a submerged aero-hydraulic power plant composed of 14 wheels, each driven by 7 tanks containing liquid pistons. These tanks have a diameter of 6 m, a height of 14 m, a submerged mass of 41 kg for their connections to the wheels, and a submerged mass of 29.801 kg / m³ for their walls. The sheet metal used is 15 mm thick and has a submerged density of 6.8 tonne-force / m³. The position of the tank axes is fixed 7.5 m from their upper walls to ensure vertical stability.

[0010] The operating times of the tanks, set at 28 seconds, correspond to the travel of two tanks between a depth of 17 meters at the beginning of descent and the end of ascent, and a depth of 45 meters at the end of descent and the beginning of ascent, with inactive times of 21 seconds. The rotation angles of the wheels during one travel are 0.8976 rad and 0.0641 rad per second. The radius of the circumference traveled by the axes of the tanks is therefore equal to 17.907 m, and the diameter is 35.813 m, the diameter of the wheel being much smaller than this value, on the order of 15 m. As for the linear speed of the tanks, it is 1.148 m / s, the rotational speed being 0.0641 rad / s.

[0011] The submerged mass of the 15 m diameter wheel is estimated by considering that it has a mass equivalent to that of a sheet metal disc of the same diameter and 50 mm thickness, i.e., 60 t

[0012] The levels of the reservoir axes are calculated at 31 m between the beginnings and mid-paths of descent and ascent and vary, between beginning of descent and mid-descent, from 17.762 m to 29.855 m and, between mid and end of descent, from 32.145 m to 44.238 m, between beginning and mid-ascent from 44.238 m to 32.145 m and, between mid and end of ascent, from 29.875 m to 17.762 m.

[0013] For liquid pistons to be effective, their surface depth at the start of descent must be greater than 10 m. For a compressed gas volume of 20 m3, a surface depth of 10.207 m is satisfactory while allowing the tank to be heavier than water with a density of 1.222 t / m3.

[0014] The actions of the tanks on the wheels are equal to their vertical actions, equal to unity at mid-descent and ascent and reduced by coefficients called tangential action function of the angle traveled in one second of 0.0641 rad, giving at the beginning and end of descent and ascent 0.6236.

[0015] For the sake of simplicity, the calculations are performed using adiabatic transformations, and their results will need to be extrapolated to reflect reality. Thus, the depth of the liquid piston surfaces in meters, equal to the hydraulic pressure at that depth in tonnes-force / m², is given by a quadratic equation whose useful solution yields 10.923 m at the beginning of the descent and up to 37.592 m at the end of the descent.

[0016] During the ascent, the gas volume must be such that the volume at the beginning of the ascent fills the entire volume of the tank at the end. The relationship giving, in adiabatic transformation, the gas volume as a function of hydraulic pressure was used so that, by choosing a gas volume of 200 m³ at the beginning of the ascent, it reaches 385.404 m³ at the end, which corresponds to filling the tank to a height of 13.631 m over its 14 m.

[0017] The densities of the gas-containing tanks are also calculated in adiabatic transformation, which gives 3.041 t / m3 at the end of descent and 0.146 t / m3 and 0.076 t / m3 at the beginning and end of ascent.

[0018] Vertical stabilization of the tanks is achieved throughout their descent with a stabilization force, minimal at the end of the descent, of 17.913 tonnes—a force in which the buoyant force is added to the submerged weight of the walls below the tank axes, exceeding the overturning force of 17.304 tonnes—a force in which the submerged weights of the upper and lateral walls of the tank sections above their axes are added. Vertical stability during ascent, minimal at the end of the ascent, is verified by calculating a stabilization force of 224.555 tonnes—a force in which the buoyant force is limited to that of the volume of gas contained above the tank axes, exceeding the overturning force of 201.087 tonnes—a force that takes into account the buoyant force of the volume of gas contained below the axes.

[0019] Another approximation is the calculation performed in isothermal transformation of the power used by a reservoir to inject gas onto the surface of its liquid piston to cause it to rise.

[0020] First, adiabatic transformation approximations are used to obtain, at C35, at the beginning of the ascent, the 200 m³ of gas at a pressure of 44.573 tonnes-force / m² by adding X m³ of gas at a pressure of 53.407 tonnes-force / m² to the 5.416 m³ of gas at a pressure of 37.692 tonnes-force / m², hence the equation 200 = X x 53.407 / 44.573 + 5.416 x 37.692 / 44.573, which gives a volume of gas X at a pressure of 53.407 tonnes-force / m² of 162.821 m³ and the volume of gas taken at atmospheric pressure of 871.046 m³.

[0021] The compression energy is calculated for the seven tanks over 1 / 14th of their displacement from the position of one to that of the next using the formula Ec = Ln(Pl / P0) x PO xVO x 7 / 14, where PI is the pressure at which the volume of gas taken from atmospheric pressure PO must be injected to initiate the ascent. This formula gives the power required for compression over 17 seconds during the 21 seconds of tank inactivity, taking into account a 20% loss.

[0022] Ln(53, 407 / 10) x 10 x 871,046 x 7 / 14 x 9,81 / 1000 / 17 / 0,8 which gives 5,2632 mW.

[0023] With these approximations, we can precisely calculate the acceleration to which the tanks are subjected by the action of their liquid pistons by applying Newton's second law: dv / dt = gx (l- e / r) - kxv 2 / r / V. In tangential acceleration to the circumference of the path of the reservoirs the first term of the relation is multiplied by the cosine of the angle i of inclination of the path on the vertical, coefficient of tangential action calculated in column D, becomes gx ( 1- e / r) x cosi and in the second term the coefficient k is that of a reservoir inclined at the angle i and the velocity v is that calculated of 1.148 m / s.

[0024] The coefficient k is related to the Cx of a mobile in water by the relation k = Yi ex S x Cx.

[0025] The Cx value is that of a long cylinder (L / D=2), given by Hoemer as 0.85. The drag forces of a series of cylinders, calculated by summing the drag forces of each cylinder using this value, are greater than those that would be calculated for all the tanks with a lower Cx value because the water flow is deflected by each cylinder to the benefit of the one following it. Thus, the following calculation underestimates the energy produced in adiabatic transformations.

[0026] Furthermore, the movement of the cylinders is in a direction inclined at a certain angle to their axes, which modifies the grid area, and the calculations are made by taking for this area the sum of that of the upper wall of the wall of a tank multiplied by the cosine of the angle of inclination i, the previously calculated tangential action coefficient, and that of the rectangle formed by the height and diameter of the wall multiplied by the sine of the angle of inclination.

[0027] In the equations used to calculate acceleration, this is reduced by the deceleration: e^(3.1416 x D x D / 4 x cos(φ) + H x D x sin(φ)) x Cx xv 2 / ( rx 3.1416 x D x D / 4 x H). The acceleration on descent at 17 m depth is 0.796 m / s / s to reach 1.274 m / s / s at 45 meters depth and becomes negative on ascent with a value at 45 m of -34.036 m / s / s to reach -72.116 m / s / s at 17 m depth.

[0028] The power of a reservoir whose energy is produced with an efficiency of 80% by accelerating downward displacement over 1.148 m in one second is calculated in megawatts, equal to the following relationship:

[0029] AVERAGE VALUE ( rx V x dv / dt x 1.148 / 1) x 0.8 x 9.81 / 1000 reduced by that corresponding to the kinetic energy, supplied with an efficiency also of 80%, which is required to drive the tank at the speed of 1.148 m / s equal to 1 / 2*AVERAGE VALUE ( rx V x 1.148 x 1.148) / 0.8 x 9.81 / 1000 which gives 0.327 mW at the beginning of the descent, 0.086 mW at the end of the descent, 9.172 mW at the beginning of the ascent, and 19.449 mW at the end of the ascent.

[0030] We observe a significant difference between the total power obtained from the reservoirs during descent (9.026 mW) and that obtained during ascent (518.9543 mW). The pursuit of power during descent is nevertheless justified by the fact that it requires the storage of only a very small volume of gas (20 m³ at a pressure close to atmospheric pressure).

[0031] We calculate the power in mW of a wheel where two reservoirs 1 and 2 are active on the downhill side and two reservoirs 5 and 6 are active on the uphill side during the first half of the initial activity of reservoir 1, while two reservoirs 4 and 5 are active during the second half. These powers are reduced by the kinetic power of 7 attachments, i.e., in megawatts: * / 2 x 7 x 4 x 1.148 x (35.813 + 15) / 2 x 17.907 x 1.148 x (35.813 + 15) / 2 x 17.907 / 1 / 0.8 x 9.81 / 1000, which gives 0.021 mW, and by the kinetic power of the wheel in megawatts: x 60 x 7.5 x 7.5 x 0.0641 x 0.0641 / 1 / 0.8 x 9.81 / 1000 which gives 0.085 mW, resulting in a total reduction of 0.106 mW.Hence, the power developed by a wheel during the first half of operation, calculated as the sum of the powers of reservoirs 1 and 2 on the descent and 5 and 6 on the ascent, minus 0.106 mW, varies from 38.906 mW to 40.560 mW. In the second half, with reservoirs 1 and 2 on the descent and 4 and 5 on the ascent, the power varies from 30.955 mW to 38.471 mW. The net power, after deducting the power required for gas compression in the lower section of each of the 7 reservoirs during the said period of operation (but neglecting the power that can be recovered by a gas turbine driven by the gas discharged at the end of the ascent), varies from 33.6432 mW to a maximum of 35.2971 mW and a minimum of 25.6919 mW, ending at 33.2078 mW.

[0032] The 14 wheels that make up a power plant are grouped in pairs into 7 pairs. The cages that support the wheels in each pair are in contact along one of their shorter sides, and the rotation of their wheels, occurring in the same vertical plane, is synchronized in opposite directions. This cancels out the bending moments exerted on the cages by the asymmetry of the vertical forces of descent and ascent.

[0033] The positions of the tanks for the pairs are offset by the distance traveled in two seconds to cover the 14 seconds separating identical positions of a wheel. This results in maximum and minimum power outputs for the power plant in gigawatts of 0.5314 gW and 0.5216 gW, and maximum and minimum net power outputs of 0.4577 gW and 0.4479 gW.

[0034] The average power outputs of odd and even generating wheels are respectively 37.6070 mW and 32.3438 mW in megawatts and the net power output of a generating plant is estimated at 0.4528 gW in gigawatts.

[0035] Recent offshore wind turbine models have a nominal power of 15 mW with a load factor of 38%, so they only obtain a real power of 5.7 mW from the wind in the open sea and thus the aero-hydraulic power plant of 14 wheels of 7 tanks can produce in one point of a deep shore, or in a buried cylindrical tank of 130 meters in diameter whose walls are "molded" in the ground, the equivalent of 453 / 5.7 or 79 offshore wind turbines.

[0036] The comparison relating to the reservoir whose average power is estimated at 4.6205 mW from the minimum power of a wheel highlights that a simple generating reservoir, requiring no specific equipment, can have an electrical power of more than three-quarters of that of a very expensive offshore wind turbine.

[0037] Finally, the energy balance shows that the average power produced by a power plant reaching 0.5265 GW is reduced by only 0.0737 GW consumed in compressed gas injection, or 14%, to arrive at its net average power. Enormous differences between the estimates and the results obtained would be necessary for the balance to be substantially reduced. These calculation results lead us to predict, with the largest possible margin of error, that the energy expended injecting the gas does not exceed twenty percent of the energy produced, thus making the energy balance very positive. Electricity production devices comprising the previous devices, whose tanks receive the volume of gas necessary for their rise at the bottom, are characterized in that the injection is carried out by a fixed multi-head injector, known as a panpipe injector.The lower part of the tanks is filled from successive points arranged on a line parallel to the trajectory of the lower parts of the tanks, and at a minimum distance from it, so that the injection takes place through the liquid pistons. These points are distributed along the line between limits beyond which the injection might not take place through the liquid pistons. Each injector head is made alternately active and inactive by the action of a solenoid valve whose operation is controlled by the rotation of the spoked wheel, making the injector heads active only when directly above the central parts of the tanks so as to reserve all of the injected gas for their liquid pistons.

[0038] Electricity production devices, also comprising the previous devices, whose tanks discharge at the top the quantity of gas necessary for their descent, are characterized in that fixed slides produce the inclination of the tanks by guiding additional axes arranged on each side of the tanks at their upper parts in the plane of their main axes, the direction of the slides being tangent to the displacements of the additional axes at the end of the active ascent of the tanks, the additional axes, guided in the direction of the slides, causing the inclination of the tanks which results in the discharge of the gas until only the volume of gas necessary for the descent remains at the ends of the slides and, at their exits from the slides,said additional axes following a trajectory imposed by the return of the reservoirs to their vertical positions at the positions where they are tangent to the displacement reached when the position becomes vertical again.

[0039] The following description is given in relation to the single attached figure 1, which represents a complete view of the devices.

[0040] Submerged compressed gas tanks, called generators, containing liquid pistons which compress the gas to a pressure equal to the hydraulic pressure prevailing at the level of the surface of the liquid pistons of the tanks moving at depths between the two levels called upper (1) and lower (2) below the surface, defining a level called middle (3) equidistant from the other two.

[0041] Their movements take place along a circular trajectory (4) in a vertical plane, their axes (5), allowing them to remain vertical, rotate during their rotation in bearings attached to the arms (6) of a wheel (7) whose axis (8) is in the horizontal plane of the average level.

[0042] When the axes reach the upper level the tank is tilted until it reaches an inclined position (9) in which the tank is emptied of a volume of gas enabling it, with the remaining volume, to begin its descent once it has again crossed said upper level.

[0043] The tangential component of the tank acceleration to the trajectory is reduced from the vertical acceleration due to the action of their liquid pistons by the coefficient cosi, the angle i (10) being the angle of inclination with respect to the vertical of the tangent to the trajectory. The multi-head injector, also known as a panpipe injector, fills the lower parts of the tanks from successive points arranged on a line (15) parallel to the trajectory (16) of the lower parts of the tanks, and at a minimum distance from it, so that the injection occurs through the liquid pistons; each injector head is alternately activated and deactivated by the action of a solenoid valve (17) whose operation is controlled by the rotation of the spoked wheel so as to activate the injectors only when directly above the central parts (18) of the tanks, thereby ensuring that all the injected gas is reserved for their liquid pistons.

[0044] The fixed slides (19) produce the inclination of the tanks by guiding additional axes (20) arranged on each side of the tanks in their upper parts in the plane of their main axes, the directions of said slides being tangent to those of the displacements of the additional axes at the end of the active ascent of the tanks (21); guided in the direction of the slides, said additional axes cause the evacuation of the gas until only the volume of gas necessary for the descent is retained at the ends (22) of the slides and, at their exit from the slides, follow the trajectory (23) imposed by the return of the tanks to their vertical positions at their positions (24) where they are tangent to the displacement reached when said position becomes vertical again.

[0045] It is quite clear that the present invention has been described for purely explanatory purposes and is in no way limiting, and that any modification may be made to it, particularly with regard to technical equivalents, without going out of its scope.

Claims

DEMANDS 1. Devices for producing electricity by means of submerged compressed gas reservoirs, called generators, containing liquid pistons which compress the gas to a pressure equal to the hydraulic pressure prevailing at the surface of said liquid pistons, said generators driving electric generators in their movements both downwards and upwards at depths between two levels, called upper (1) and lower (2), defining a level called middle (3) equidistant from the other two, the volume of compressed gas, inversely proportional to its pressure in adiabatic transformation, is also inversely proportional, as is the Archimedes' buoyant force exerted on the reservoirs, which has the consequence that a reservoir, whose volume of gas causes it to float between two waters, sees its submerged weight increase as it descends and decrease as it ascends, which thus accelerates its downward and upward movements,acceleration whose braking allows the creation of less energy than that expended in gas compression necessary to cause the ascent, characterized in that: - a mode of liquid piston displacement is defined in that this displacement occurs along a circular trajectory (4) in a vertical plane, in that said trajectory is followed at a constant speed and the variation in hydraulic pressure becomes less and less rapid as the depth of the reservoirs deviates further and further from said mean level, in that said reservoirs have axes (5) enabling them to remain vertical in bearings attached to the arms (6) of a wheel (7), in that the axis (8) of said wheel is in the horizontal plane of said mean level, in that from said mean level the rotation of said axis is braked by at least one axis of generators arranged on the surface which produce electricity, in that, when said axes of a reservoir reach said lower level,said reservoir is supplied with compressed gas so as to allow its ascent from the moment said lower level is again reached and in that, when said axes reach said upper level, the reservoir is tilted until it reaches an inclined position (9) in which the reservoir is emptied of a volume of gas enabling it, with the remaining volume, to begin its descent once it has again crossed said upper level, - and we define the drive of said wheel by the tanks in that said constant speed over a trajectory of length greater than the difference in level obtained is greater than the average speeds of descent and ascent, and the kinetic energy of the tanks is increased, and in that the tangential component to the trajectory of the acceleration of the tanks is reduced from the vertical acceleration by the coefficient cosi, the angle i (10) being the angle of inclination with respect to the vertical of the tangent to the trajectory, the acceleration, the source of energy, is on the other hand reduced - and in that said increases and reductions compensate each other, thus allowing us to obtain similar results in circular and linear trajectories with the same descent and ascent times.

2. Electricity generating devices according to claim 1 comprising a spoked wheel, characterized in that: - a seven-spoke wheel is defined in that the angles (11) and (12) subtending the trajectory between said upper and lower levels and said middle level are equal to one-seventh of the circumference, in that four reservoirs, two on the descent (13) and two on the ascent (14) are permanently active on said circular trajectories between upper and lower levels and middle level, in that the energy produced by the reservoirs is thus maximized and in that the energy expended to inject the gas does not exceed twenty percent of said energy produced, thus making the energy balance very positive.

3. Electricity production devices according to any one of claims 1 and 2, whose tanks receive in their lower part the volume of gas necessary for their ascent, characterized in that: - a fixed multi-head injector, called a pan flute injector, is defined in that the filling of the lower parts of the tanks is carried out from successive points arranged on a line (15) parallel to the trajectory (16) of the lower parts of the tanks, and at a minimum distance from it, so that the injection takes place through the liquid pistons, in that these points are distributed on said line between limits beyond which the injection would risk not taking place through the liquid pistons, in that each said injector head is made alternately active and inactive by the action of a solenoid valve (17) and in that the operation of the solenoid valves equipping said injector heads is controlled by the rotation of the spoke wheel allowing said heads to be made active only when directly above central parts (18) of the tanks so as to reserve all of the injected gas for their liquid pistons.

4. Electricity production devices according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the tanks of which discharge at the top the quantity of gas necessary for their descent, characterized in that: - Fixed slides (19) are defined which produce the inclination of the tanks in that said slides guide additional axes (20) arranged on each side of the tanks in their upper parts in the plane of their principal axes, in that the directions of said slides are tangent to those of the displacements of said additional axes at the end of the active rise of the tanks (21), in that, guided in said direction of the slides, said additional axes cause the inclination of the tanks causing the evacuation of the gas until no gas remains at the ends (22) of the slides that the volume of gas required for the descent and in that at their exits from the slides said additional axes follow a trajectory (23) imposed by the return of the tanks to their vertical positions to their positions (24) where they are tangent to the displacement reached when said position becomes vertical again.

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