Buoyant Chamber Power Generation System for Intermittent Energy Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Renewable energy sources like wind and tidal power generate electricity intermittently, making them economically unviable and unsuitable for locations near population centers due to infrastructure and transmission losses, and lack the ability to store energy for consistent supply.
Innovation Solution
A power generation system utilizing compressed gas stored in a reservoir, where buoyancy drives an apparatus to produce continuous electricity, allowing intermittent energy sources to build up gas for later use and reducing transmission losses by locating the system near population centers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If wind or tidal power systems are used to generate electricity, then renewable energy can be harnessed, but the supply is intermittent and requires subsidies to be economically viable
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by capturing and storing excess renewable energy in the form of compressed gas during periods of high energy availability. This stored gas can then be used to generate electricity during periods of low renewable energy availability, effectively bridging the intermittency gap and providing continuous power supply without requiring subsidies.
Solution Approach 2:
Compressed gas acts as an intermediary energy storage medium between the intermittent renewable energy source and the continuous electricity demand. The gas reservoir serves as a buffer that decouples the variable renewable energy input from the constant electricity output requirement, enabling economic viability without subsidies.
2Productivity
If wind or tidal power systems are located away from population centers, then larger scale generation is possible, but transmission losses occur and infrastructure requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The compressed gas serves as a portable energy carrier that can be transported from remote generation sites to population centers more efficiently than direct electricity transmission. This intermediary approach reduces transmission losses by allowing energy to be moved in a form that is less susceptible to loss over distance, while still enabling large-scale generation away from urban areas.
3Use of energy by moving object
If wind or tidal power systems are used, then renewable energy can be generated, but there is no capacity to store the electricity for later use
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the physical state of energy storage from electrical energy to compressed gas. This parameter transformation enables storage of renewable energy in a form that can be held indefinitely without significant loss, allowing the energy to be released as electricity when needed. The gas reservoir provides the necessary storage capacity that traditional electricity storage systems cannot achieve.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system converts intermittent renewable energy into a continuous electricity supply, reducing infrastructure needs and transmission losses, enabling efficient energy storage and utilization when needed.
Implementation Method 1
the buoyancy of the gas applying an upward force to a portion of the chamber, the upward force moving at least a portion of the chamber from a first position to a second position
Data Source
AI summary
A system for generating power is described. The system comprises a gas compressor, a reservoir for storing compressed gas and an apparatus adapted to be located within a body of a liquid. The apparatus comprises at least one chamber in fluid communication with the compressed gas reservoir and an output device. In use, a compressed gas is supplied to the/each chamber from the reservoir, the buoyancy of the gas applying an upward force to a portion of the chamber, the upward force moving at least a portion of the chamber from a first position to a second position, the movement of the at least a portion of the chamber adapted to drive the output device to provide a continuous apparatus output. In at least one embodiment of the invention, heat is extracted from the compressed gas for utilization in local heating systems.