Power plants – Pressure fluid source and motor – Utilizing natural energy or having a geographic feature
Patent
1993-04-30
1995-07-25
Lopez, F. Daniel
Power plants
Pressure fluid source and motor
Utilizing natural energy or having a geographic feature
60504, 417331, F16D 3102
Patent
active
054351340
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wave activated power generation system having a pump and a movable piston therein, the pump being connected to a water-driven motor for the supply of energy to a generator, the piston being displaced in the cylinder by action of wave energy on a float body, which pump is a single-acting pump designed to be located on the sea bottom, the piston of the pump being connected to the float body by means of a flexible connection effective exclusively to transfer tensile force and of such a length that in the mounted state of the system the float body is located at the sea surface, the pumping chamber of the pump being connected to a suction chamber via a valve arrangement, which suction chamber in the mounted state of the system communicates with the surrounding sea through the hydraulic motor.
2. The Prior Art
A wave activated power generation system of the above type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,618. According to this prior art, the suction chamber is located under or after the outlet port of the hydraulic motor and the system is arranged in such a manner that a void can be provided under the outlet port or after the outlet port in the pumping chamber. In order to make the prior art system work the pump must be able to produce a pressure in the suction chamber which is lower than the pressure of saturated water vapor at the temperature prevailing in the suction chamber. In other words, the pressure should be reduced below the temperature which prevails in the suction chamber so as to cause boiling, thereby forming the void. Thus, it should be possible to fully utilize the water pressure which prevails at the sea bottom to drive the hydraulic motor. If such a void is formed, it will be possible to use it as a power source in case the sea surface is calm. Even at a low water depth such a system makes heavy demands on the pump in order for the pump to be able to provide the low vapor pressure mentioned above and the hydraulic motor should also be designed in a manner so as to enable it to utilize the generated large pressure difference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The system according to the present invention is characterized in that the suction chamber contains or is connected to a reservoir of a variable volume for a gas amount separated from the surrounding sea. As a result, the requirements which the pump and the hydraulic motor have to meet are considerably reduced, as the pressure difference generated by the pump may produce a change of volume of the reservoir independent of the water depth even at modest pressure differences, which allows the system to be installed at great depths where the waves of the sea have a high energy and the gas amount separated from the surrounding sea can be utilized for the extension of the suction stroke of the pump. Thus, at heavy wave motion when the pump produces a pressure drop through the hydraulic motor which is greater than the capacity or load of the motor, the pump will draw more water from the suction chamber than the flow (amount of water per time unit) through the motor, thereby causing the gas to expand as a result of the underpressure thus generated and to contract when the pressure falls again and thereby to contribute to the actuation of the hydraulic motor. This load equalization can be further improved if the system is provided with two or more pumps which are connected to a joint suction chamber and which operate out-of-phase in a manner known per se.
An expedient embodiment of the system according to the invention is characterized in that the gas reservoir is constituted by a gas-filled chamber which is located above the water surface in the suction chamber, and that the outlet port of the hydraulic motor is located lower than the lowest water level in the suction chamber. As a result a particularly simple embodiment of the system is obtained, as one and the same chamber can constitute both the suction chamber and the reservoir since the low position of the outle
REFERENCES:
patent: 1665140 (1928-04-01), Master
patent: 2064440 (1936-12-01), Meeker
patent: 4091618 (1978-05-01), Jackson
patent: 4218192 (1980-08-01), West
patent: 4398095 (1983-08-01), Ono
Danish Wave Power ApS
Lopez F. Daniel
LandOfFree
Wave activated power generation system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Wave activated power generation system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Wave activated power generation system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-732763