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(11) | EP 3 889 422 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | BUOYANCY RING POWER PLANT |
| (57) The Buoyancy Ring Power Plant is a simple mechanism for utilizing the renewable buoyancy
force inherent in water. This force is based on gravity acting with differential force
on two elements with different specific gravity (water and the gas in the ring elements). This causes the ring to rotate, generating a force that can be used to rotate any axis to generate energy. |
[0001] This invention relates to a Ring moving partially inside a Water Tank and thereby producing electrical energy. As such it falls under the category of Water Buoyancy Power Plants and as such under Renewable Energies, based on the inexhaustible power of gravity with the resulting water buoyancy force.
[0002] For some time, various power production technologies have been developed using the renewable power inherent in water. Such technologies range from cycling elements in a contained water tank (where the power derives from the natural buoyancy force that pushes an air-filled container upward), via Tidal Power Plants (where ebbs and flows delivers the needed force) to buoys in the open sea (where the power derives from the natural ups and downs of the water level caused by tides).
[0003] Our invention here is more of the first mentioned type but differs much from it as will be laid out in the following description. The two main differences are that we are not using a chain running horizontally on a track but a free ring and that only about half of this ring is inside the water.
[0004] Note: This is not a Perpetual Motion Machine that are supposed to run with any external force. The natural, renewable force acting in the Buoyant Ring Power Plant is the buoyancy power inherent in water against lighter elements, based on the laws of gravity. This buoyancy power inherent in water is infinite and this phenomena seems to be another paradox of water like the Hydrostatic Pressure (Hydrostatic Paradox, also known as the Pascal Paradox).
Usage:
[0005] This electricity power plants can be built in a unit for a private house, an apartment block, a sky scraper, a village, a city, as well as for a commercial company, a manufacturing company or an industrial park.
The Basic Elements and their Setup (Figure 1)
[0006]
- BASE (4)
- WATER TANK (2)
- RING (1)
- MECHANICAL TUBE SEAL (3)
- FRAME (5) with BEARINGS for the ring (6a to 6e)
- GENERATOR
[0009] One side of the RING, about 42%, is inside the tank. The surrounding element is water (8). The other side, about 50% is outside the tank. The surrounding element is air (9). About 8% are in the MECHANICAL TUBE SEAL (1).
[0010] The RING (1) is held in position by five BEARINGS (6a, b, c, d and e) that are fixed on a sturdy FRAME (5). Each such BEARING must consist of two or three wheels to overcome the gab between two RING elements (see distance b in Fig. 2).
1. RING (Figure 2) The RING is made of light metal (like aluminum) or plastic (like
buoys are made out of).
It's kind of like a buoy chain, a Buoy Chain Ring, so to say. Each is connected to the next one to form a ring.
It can have a minimum of six buoy elements to an unlimited number, depending on the diameter of the RING.
The buoys are filled with gas or are in a state of vacuum.
The gas can be air, helium, H2 or a similar one; the greater the weight difference compared to water, the better (the stronger will be the buoyant force).
This weight difference - and thereby the efficiency of the electricity plant - can be increased when liquids like mercury are used instead of water. However, special safety measurements would need to be taken if mercury or similar ones would be applied.
Mechanics at work: (Figure 3)
The gas in the compartments that are in the water-element is pushing the ring upwards due to the buoyant FORCE A acting between the water and the gas.
Outside the water, the left part of the RING, gravity is pulling the RING downwards with FORCE B.
However, there is a minor gravity counter-pull on the right side of the RING, outside the water: FORCE C.
There are two main FRICTIONS acting on the RING:
Thus, comes about a rotation of the RING.
Thus, comes about a rotation of the axis.
Thus, via the GENERATOR connected to this axis, comes about electricity.
It's kind of like a buoy chain, a Buoy Chain Ring, so to say. Each is connected to the next one to form a ring.
It can have a minimum of six buoy elements to an unlimited number, depending on the diameter of the RING.
The buoys are filled with gas or are in a state of vacuum.
The gas can be air, helium, H2 or a similar one; the greater the weight difference compared to water, the better (the stronger will be the buoyant force).
This weight difference - and thereby the efficiency of the electricity plant - can be increased when liquids like mercury are used instead of water. However, special safety measurements would need to be taken if mercury or similar ones would be applied.
Mechanics at work: (Figure 3)
The gas in the compartments that are in the water-element is pushing the ring upwards due to the buoyant FORCE A acting between the water and the gas.
Outside the water, the left part of the RING, gravity is pulling the RING downwards with FORCE B.
However, there is a minor gravity counter-pull on the right side of the RING, outside the water: FORCE C.
There are two main FRICTIONS acting on the RING:
FRICTION A: the axis to the GENERATOR.
FRICTION B: the MECHANICAL TUBE SEAL.
The buoyancy force acting between the gas and the element water plus the gravity force on the RING must be greater than the gravity counter-pull of the RING plus the frictions of the axis and the seal.Thus, comes about a rotation of the RING.
Thus, comes about a rotation of the axis.
Thus, via the GENERATOR connected to this axis, comes about electricity.
2. The MECHANICAL TUBE SEAL (Figure 4.1)
Special attention must be given to the construction of the SEAL as the pressure of water at the level of the hole where the RING glides into the TANK will act with Friction B against the turning direction of the RING (see Fig. 3).
Furthermore, too much water rinsing out would need water to be refilled over and over again.
The conditions to be obtained must be:
Mechanics at work: (Figure 4.1 to 4.4)
As the Ring gets pulled upwards inside the water Tank by the buoyant force, it gets pulled through the Mechanical Tube Seal.
The pressure of water at this level will act against this motion by flowing and pressing into every nook and corner for to leak out of the water tank.
This water leakage will be avoided by a Seal that consists of thousands of seal like (excuse the pun) waxed and oiled artificial fur-hair. The oil is enhancing the water proof characteristic and the wax is enhancing the slippage along the Ring.
Comparison to living seals and otters:
It is known that seals and otters have the most densest and most water proof fur, with up to 50,000 hair per square centimeter (cm2), of all mammals. By comparison, humans have just 120 hair on one cm2 of scalp. The individual hair of the otter are interlocked and oil from the inside of the skin is supplied to the their fur regularly. This makes it waterproof.
Between two Ring elements (from buoy to buoy) is a gap. This part of the ring faces the largest force of the water trying to leak out of the tank (see Fig. 4, Pos. 3). Therefore the length of this Mechanical Tube Seal must be longer than the gap between two elements (see distance b in Fig 2).
Special attention must be given to the construction of the SEAL as the pressure of water at the level of the hole where the RING glides into the TANK will act with Friction B against the turning direction of the RING (see Fig. 3).
Furthermore, too much water rinsing out would need water to be refilled over and over again.
The conditions to be obtained must be:
a) Friction B < Force A + Force B - Force C - Friction A, and
b) No water rinsing out at the hole where the RING glides into the TANK
A special MECHANICAL TUBE SEAL (German. Gleittunneldichtung) will be applied to bar water from rinsing out of the TANK.Mechanics at work: (Figure 4.1 to 4.4)
As the Ring gets pulled upwards inside the water Tank by the buoyant force, it gets pulled through the Mechanical Tube Seal.
The pressure of water at this level will act against this motion by flowing and pressing into every nook and corner for to leak out of the water tank.
This water leakage will be avoided by a Seal that consists of thousands of seal like (excuse the pun) waxed and oiled artificial fur-hair. The oil is enhancing the water proof characteristic and the wax is enhancing the slippage along the Ring.
Comparison to living seals and otters:
It is known that seals and otters have the most densest and most water proof fur, with up to 50,000 hair per square centimeter (cm2), of all mammals. By comparison, humans have just 120 hair on one cm2 of scalp. The individual hair of the otter are interlocked and oil from the inside of the skin is supplied to the their fur regularly. This makes it waterproof.
Between two Ring elements (from buoy to buoy) is a gap. This part of the ring faces the largest force of the water trying to leak out of the tank (see Fig. 4, Pos. 3). Therefore the length of this Mechanical Tube Seal must be longer than the gap between two elements (see distance b in Fig 2).
3. The VORTEX PRE-SEAL (Deutsch: Wirbel-Vordichtung) (Figure 5)
To achieve a theoretical absolute zero for the water leakage and a minimum of the water pressure (P1), the counter force against the Ring movement, a vortex installation will be installed right before the Mechanical Tube Seal, therefore the name Vortex Pre-Seal.
This installation is a special application of a Tesla Valvular Conduit Valve (Tesla's one-way valve without moving parts).
Thereby some part of the water will be funneled from a level above the Mechanical Tube Seal to the area where the water pressure P1 faces the Tube Seal. Thereby about the same pressure P1, coming from above through the funnel, acts against the pressure P1, coming from the tank towards the Tube Seal, and will cause a vortex in this area.
This reduces the water pressure P1 against the Mechanical Tube Seal by about 80%.
To achieve a theoretical absolute zero for the water leakage and a minimum of the water pressure (P1), the counter force against the Ring movement, a vortex installation will be installed right before the Mechanical Tube Seal, therefore the name Vortex Pre-Seal.
This installation is a special application of a Tesla Valvular Conduit Valve (Tesla's one-way valve without moving parts).
Thereby some part of the water will be funneled from a level above the Mechanical Tube Seal to the area where the water pressure P1 faces the Tube Seal. Thereby about the same pressure P1, coming from above through the funnel, acts against the pressure P1, coming from the tank towards the Tube Seal, and will cause a vortex in this area.
This reduces the water pressure P1 against the Mechanical Tube Seal by about 80%.