Power plants – Motor having a buoyant working member – Working member actuated by the rise and fall of a surface of...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-04
2004-03-30
Nguyen, Hoang (Department: 3748)
Power plants
Motor having a buoyant working member
Working member actuated by the rise and fall of a surface of...
C060S496000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06711897
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an installation of applying ocean wave to power generation, more particularly to a power transmitting installation utilizing the principle of levers to convert the power of ocean wave into mechanical power, and then convert the mechanical power into electricity.
2. Description of Related Art
Since realizing the application of electricity, various methods have been used to generate electricity. The traditional way of generating electricity through burning mineral fuels brings increasingly serious pollution problems to the modem society; while the nuclear power plants hide non-neglectable danger of nuclear pollution. Thus, generating electricity by wind power and wave power is suggested.
Chinese Patent document CN1090910A discloses an ocean wave power generating means, which utilizes the up and down motion of wave and the floating of sea water to drive a floater up to have potential energy. When the floater falls down showing a free-fall condition, the generator will be activated and yield electricity through a sector-shaped gear, a ratchet wheel and an accelerating gear train.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,868 to Slonim (“Slonim”) discloses another method of generating energy by ocean wave. Slonim utilizes the up and down floating motion of a floater to drive a water wheel bucket hanging on the floater to rotate undersea. The power of the rotation is then used to activate a generator to yield electricity.
German Patent DE4143011 to Gleich (“Gleich”) discloses a device for converting ocean wave energy. The design of the device is mainly on a main body floating on sea, several outward extending arms fixed on balls which follows the ocean waves to move up and down. The extending arm has a compressing rod driven by a connecting rod to move up and down. A middle section of the compressing rod has a one-way rotating shaft driven by a rack gear, while the umbrella-shaped gear wheel at the other end of said one-way rotating shaft drives a generator rotor of the main body to spindle rotate so as to generate electricity. The generated electricity is then transferred to the shore via cables.
The problems associated with the above solutions are that the structure of the generation devices are too complex and efficiency in electromechanical energy conversion is low. Therefore, the cost in utilizing such method and device in ocean energy power generation is too high.
Therefore, there is a need for a simple, efficient and low-cost method of power generation by ocean wave eliminating the defects.
Various deficiencies of the prior art are overcome by embodiments of the present invention. Embodiments of the invention convert wave power into mechanical power to drive a main shaft and a flywheel. The flywheel activates a generator to yield electricity.
The principle of the present invention is to convert wave power into mechanical power to drive a main shaft and a flywheel. The flywheel activates a generator to yield electricity.
In accordance with principles of the invention, an installation of power generation by ocean wave includes a main shaft, a flywheel mounted to the main shaft, a generator driven by the flywheel and at least one strength enlargement mechanisms. The strength enlargement mechanism rotationally drives the main shaft, the flywheel and the generator. The strength enlargement mechanism includes a floater floating up and down on the sea surface, a weight mounted on the floater and a lever having a first end connected to the weight and a second end hinged to a pivot central shaft. The strength enlargement mechanism further includes a ratchet wheel connected to the main shaft and rotates freely in a first direction. The strength enlargement mechanism includes a chain having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is connected to the lever and a second end is connected to the lever via a tension spring and fixes adjacent to the pivot central shaft such that the chain goes around the ratchet wheel. The ratchet wheel is mounted in a way such that when the floater is pushed upwards by the wave, the second end of the chain is pulled back by the tension spring with the engaged ratchet wheel being rotated in the free rotating first direction. When the floater is pulled downwards by the wave, the first end of the chain is pulled down by the lever and causes the engaged ratchet wheel, the main shaft and the flywheel to rotate in a second direction.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3965365 (1976-06-01), Parr
patent: 4359868 (1982-11-01), Slonim
patent: 4392060 (1983-07-01), Ivy
patent: 4627240 (1986-12-01), Holmes
patent: 5424582 (1995-06-01), Trepl et al.
patent: 1090910 (1994-08-01), None
patent: 4143011 (1993-04-01), None
Jenkens & Gilchrist P.C.
Nguyen Hoang
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