Intermittent force powered electromagnetic converters especially for sea waves

• US 20070228736A1
• Filed: 03/28/2006
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aleksandr Smushkovich
• Original Assignee: Aleksandr Smushkovich
• Inventors: Smushkovich, Aleksandr
• Granted Patent: US 7,420,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/42
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/1845 and the wom slides relative to the rem
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 15/00 Controlling controlling in general G05 ; regulation of plants characterised by the use of siphons F03B13/086
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/7068 equipped with permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 35/02 with moving magnets and stationary coil systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/30 Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/36 Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis

Abstract

Converters and method for intermittent forces energy conversion into electric power and damping excessive forces are presented. The converters employ various exemplified electromagnetic controllable transducers comprising multi-magnets inductors and multi-teeth armature, transforming sea wave'"'"'s and wind'"'"'s motion into electricity; base, impelling, and control means. The transducers are combinable with means translating the motion into linear, revolving, swinging movements. Transducer'"'"'s cooling subsystems are exemplified. The base means are described, including fixed, floatable, and containing virtual vessels of variable parameters and expandable extensions. The impellers include floatable, fixed, adjustable. The control means include sensors measuring wave'"'"'s and converter'"'"'s parameters; control units adaptively regulating electric power production, and absorbing the excessively powerful waves'"'"' energy, depending on their changing parameters. Stabilizer-generators for base means are disclosed, comprising chambers fillable with rotating water pumped in during storms, then recuperating the rotational energy into electricity through MHD-generators. Some converters include electrolyzer hydrogen production and storage means.

Claims

1. A device for transforming outer intermittent forces energy into electric power especially usable for sea wave energy conversion, comprising at least one section including:

inductor means for providing a changing magnetic flux within a predetermined space, said inductor means movably disposed;

armature means for inducing electric current in response to the changing magnetic flux, said armature means substantially immovably placed within the predetermined space; and

control means.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein

the inductor means comprising a plurality of substantially identical permanent magnets equably distant from each other, mounted on an inductor core capable to conduct said magnetic flux, each two neighboring magnets so positioned that coupled with the inductor core in the opposite magnetic polarity;

the armature means comprising an armature core, capable to conduct said magnetic flux, said armature core including a plurality of teeth, with a predetermined length equal for all the teeth, equably distant from each other,

the armature means comprising a plurality of electro-conductive coils with a predetermined length equal for all the coils, wound on the armature core so that each said coil positioned between any two neighboring teeth, the sum of the lengths of one of said teeth and one said coil constituting an armature step;

the number of the magnets capable to be substantially fully placed within the armature step length equal to a natural odd number.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein

the inductor means comprising a plurality of permanent magnets, an inductor core capable to conduct said magnetic flux, said magnets mounted on at least one side of the inductor core, each two neighboring magnets so positioned that coupled with the inductor core in the opposite magnetic polarity;

the armature means comprising at least one armature core, capable to conduct said magnetic flux, said armature core including at least one side with a plurality of outstanding teeth equably distant from each other mounted on said armature core,

the armature means comprising a plurality of electro-conductive coils wound on the armature core so that each coil of said plurality of coils positioned between any two neighboring said teeth;

said inductor means capable to be engaged in a movement relatively to said armature means along a direction; and

said at least one armature core and said inductor core essentially forming an assembly pair type, chosen from the group consisting of

(A) a linear assembly, wherein said at least one armature core and the inductor core shaped as linear bodies, elongated in said direction;

(B) an annular assembly, wherein said at least one armature core and the inductor core shaped as an annular body;

(C) a pendulum assembly, wherein said at least one armature core and the inductor core shaped as annular segment bodies.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein

said at least one armature core and said inductor core essentially forming a pair of the annular assembly type;

said at least one armature core shaped as an annular body, whereas the inductor core shaped as an annular segment body;

said inductor means capable to carry out said movement in the form of revolving about an axle;

said magnets substantially equidistantly disposed on the inductor core, except the ending magnets having a distance therebetween greater than the distance between the other non-ending magnets;

at least one of the following arranged

(a) at least a portion of said plurality of teeth made of different heights, and the height of the teeth of the portion increasing toward the direction of said revolving,

(b) at least a portion of said plurality of coils made of wires with different cross-section areas, and the areas increasing in the coils disposed toward the direction of said revolving,

(c) at least a portion of said plurality of coils made with a different number of wire turns, and the number increasing in the coils disposed toward the direction of said revolving; and

said control means configured to switch on and off any combination of said plurality of coils, or to regulate the amounts of induced electric currents in the plurality of coils,

depending on at least parameters of the outer forces and parameters of said revolving movement to provide a higher efficiency of the energy conversion.

5. The device according to claim 3, further comprising at least two sections, wherein each section including

said at least one armature core and said inductor core essentially forming a pair of the linear assembly type;

said inductor means capable to carry out said movement in the form of linear reciprocating movement;

at least one of the following arranged

(a) at least a portion of said plurality of teeth made of different heights, and the height of the teeth of the portion increasing towards a forward and a backward directions of said linear movement;

(b) at least a portion of said plurality of coils made of wires with different cross-section areas, and the areas increasing in the coils disposed towards a forward and a backward directions of said linear movement,

(c) at least a portion of said plurality of coils made with a different number of wire turns, and the number increasing in the coils disposed towards a forward and a backward directions of said linear movement; and

said at least two sections differed from each other in that at least a portion of said plurality of coils, pertaining to a particular section, made of wires with a cross-section area significantly different from a cross-section area of wires pertaining to another section; and

said control means configured to switch on and off any combination of said plurality of coils of said at least two sections, or to regulate the amounts of induced electric currents in the plurality of coils, depending on at least parameters of the outer forces and parameters of said linear reciprocating movement to provide a higher efficiency of the energy conversion.

6. The device according to claim 5, further comprising

at least one resilient means for damping excessive said outer forces in a forward direction, and facilitating the linear reciprocating movement in the backward direction, or vice-versa, wherein said at least one resilient means comprising at least one of the following:

(a) at least one pair of permanent magnets positioned in the opposite polarity to each other and a first magnet of said at least one pair coupled with the armature means and the other magnet of said at least one pair coupled with the inductor means, so that said at least one pair forming a predetermined repulsive magnetic field;

(b) at least one spring member with predetermined characteristics, a first end of said at least one spring member coupled with the armature means, and the other end of said at least one spring member coupled with the inductor means;

(c) at least one hydraulic shock absorbing device adaptively placed between the inductor means and the armature means;

(d) at least one pneumatic shock absorbing device adaptively placed between the inductor means and the armature means.

7. The device according to claim 3, wherein

said at least one armature core and said inductor core essentially forming a pair of the linear assembly type;

said inductor means capable to carry out said movement in the form of linear reciprocating movement;

and the device further comprising

cooling means including

cooling pockets arranged in the vicinities of said plurality of coils;

a first cylindrical compartment;

a piston of a sombrero-like shape having cylindrical sidewalls, a bottom, an opening, and a flat ring,

the edge of the opening continuously coupled with an inner edge of the flat ring, whereas an outer edge of the flat ring snug-fitting within the cylindrical sidewalls of the first compartment,

the piston attached essentially to said inductor means and participating in said linear reciprocating movement,

the piston made of materials with a predeterminedly high heat conductivity, the piston substantially dividing the first compartment into a primary cooling portion and a secondary cooling portion,

the primary portion fillable with a primary cooling liquid,

the secondary portion fillable with a secondary cooling liquid,

the primary and secondary portions capable to inversely change their volumes following said linear reciprocating movement of the piston;

at least one valve capable to regulate the primary cooling liquid flow from the primary portion of the first compartment to the cooling pockets;

at least one valve, capable to regulate the primary cooling liquid flow from the cooling pockets to the primary portion of the first compartment;

a second compartment fillable with a secondary cooling liquid;

at least one valve capable to regulate the secondary cooling liquid flow from the second compartment to the secondary portion of the first compartment;

at least one valve, capable to regulate the secondary cooling liquid flow from the secondary portion of the first compartment to the second compartment;

an inlet means for input of the secondary cooling liquid into the second compartment;

an outlet means for output of the secondary cooling liquid from the second compartment.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein

the secondary cooling liquid being seawater, and the seawater output from the outlet means further used in an electrolysis process to produce hydrogen and oxygen.

9. The device according to claim 3, further comprising

impelling means capable of being engaged in a substantially linear reciprocating motion actuated by the outer forces;

movement translating means for transforming said linear reciprocating motion into a rotational or swinging movement of said inductor means relatively to said armature means.

10. The device according to claim 3, further comprising

impelling means capable of being engaged in a substantially reciprocating motion actuated by the outer forces;

movement translating means for transforming said reciprocating motion into a rotational or swinging movement of said inductor means relatively to said armature means.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the outer forces caused by an intermittent fluid flow, and the impelling means further comprising

two substantially identical impellers each made as an adjustable assembly including

a frame, having particularly two flat side ribs disposed in parallel, the frame coupled to said movement translating means;

at least one elongated rod, fixed substantially perpendicularly to said flat ribs;

a sensor-conveying means capable to register a predetermined maximum displacement of the impeller;

a releasing means mounted on the frame, the releasing means related to the sensor-conveying means;

at least one elongated rigid blade, so mounted that capable to revolve around said at least one elongated rod from a closed position, not permitting the fluid flow to pass through the impeller, to an opened position, permitting the fluid flow to pass through the impeller;

said at least one elongated rigid blade related to the releasing means so that said at least one elongated rigid blade changing its position from the opened to the closed for a predetermined time during which the releasing means actuated substantially by the sensor-conveying means;

the impellers each having a frontal side, and a rear side, and so positioned that facing each other with the rear side, and the frontal side of each impeller subjected to application of the outer forces.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein

the base means comprising

an anchoring subsystem at least including

anchors founded on the bottom level of the water reservoir, cables with their lower ends fixed substantially to the anchors, adapter means, attached to upper ends of the cables with a predetermined slack;

at least one platform capable of buoying on the surface of the water reservoir, said adapter means mounted on the underside of said at least one platform;

said at least one platform including

a plurality of substantially vertical holes each having a lower opening on the underside of the platform, and having a top with an upper opening positioned at a level lower the upper surface of the platform,

a plurality of substantially vertical necks, each formed as a channel with a lower opening preferably coinciding with the upper opening of a corresponding hole from said plurality of holes, and the neck having an upper opening positioned on the upper surface of the platform,

a plurality of air channels communicating with an upper portion of at least some of said plurality of holes and with the atmosphere,

a plurality of water channels communicating with a lower portion of at least some of said plurality of holes and with the surrounding water;

said impelling means comprising

a plurality of substantially vertically and reciprocally movable floats each disposed within one of said plurality of holes;

said transducer means comprising

a plurality of devices according to claim 1, wherein the armature means of said plurality of devices each essentially coupled to the platform, and the inductor means of said plurality of devices each essentially coupled to one of said plurality of movable floats.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein

at least some of said plurality of holes further including an expandable and collapsible extension means attached to the lower opening of each of said plurality of holes;

at least some of said plurality of water channels having water channel valve means incorporated therein or otherwise related therewith.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein

said plurality of devices according to claim 1 including a plurality of devices according to claim 3;

and

the sensor-control means particularly configured

to switch on and off any combination of said plurality of coils of said plurality of devices according to claim 3, or

to regulate the amounts of induced electric currents in the plurality of coils, depending on at least parameters of the outer forces and parameters of said movement,

thereby providing a higher efficiency of the energy conversion.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein

the sensor-control means particularly configured to

regulate the amount of expansion of said extension means, and

regulate the extent of opening and the direction of said water channel valve means,

depending on at least parameters of the outer forces and parameters of the system, thereby providing a higher efficiency of the energy conversion.

19. The system according to claim 16, further comprising

a number of tanks capable to contain hydrogen and to be fastened to said at least one platform;

a number of electrolysis units, installed on said at least one platform, and capable to produce hydrogen from a water body;

a number of water pumping means, mounted on the platform, for supply of said water body preferably from said water reservoir to the electrolysis units;

a number of hydrogen pumping and conveying means, mounted on the platform, for compressing of the hydrogen gas produced in the electrolysis units and delivery said hydrogen gas to said number of tanks; and

said sensor-control means further including

regulative means for regulating operation of the electrolysis units, the water pumping means, the hydrogen pumping and conveying means.

12. A system for energy conversion especially of surface waves motion in a water reservoir into electric power comprising

base means for housing the system;

impelling means for arranging a movement relative to the base means;

transducer means for conversion of the wave motion into electro-motive force, coupled to the base means and to the impelling means;

sensor-control means for control of at least the energy conversion.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein

the base means comprising

a platform capable of buoying on the surface of the water reservoir;

and

the system further comprising

an even number of liquid stabilizer-generators, preferably evenly distributed and mounted on the platform, each of said stabilizer-generators comprising

a rigid hollow toroid chamber fillable with an operative liquid,

a number of magnetohydrodynamic units installed on the chamber and preferably evenly positioned on the chamber'"'"'s circumference, so that each of said magnetohydrodynamic units embracing a portion of the chamber, and each of said number of magnetohydrodynamic units including

a cover,

at least one pair of magnets disposed inside the cover and outside the chamber in a diametrically opposition to each other, facing each other with an opposite magnetic polarity, and having a magnetic symmetry axis substantially coinciding with a diameter of a chamber cross-section, said pair of magnets capable to produce a magnetic flux of a predetermined amount in the portion of chamber embraced by the pair of magnets,

at least one pair of conductive electrodes with opposite electrical polarity capable to be controllably connected to an electric load, or to an electric power source producing a predetermined electro-motive force between the electrodes, said electrodes diametrically oppositely disposed inside the chamber, attached to the inner walls of the chamber so that having an electric symmetry axis substantially coinciding with a diameter of said chamber cross-section, and perpendicular to the magnetic symmetry axis of the corresponding pair of magnets;

a number of stabilizing liquid pumps preferably equal to the number of said stabilizer-generators mounted on the platform, and each said stabilizing liquid pump connected to one chamber by an injecting hose disposed at a predetermined angle, substantially tangentially to a toroid radius of said chamber;

said stabilizing liquid pumps each, when turned on, capable to produce a rotational movement of the operative liquid inside the respective chamber, wherein the direction of the rotational movement of any pair of neighboring chambers arranged to be opposite.

18. The system according to claim 15, wherein

the sensor-control means particularly configured to

regulate the position and deviation of the platform, affected by said surface waves motion, by turning on and off said stabilizing liquid pumps,

regulate the amount of operative liquid in said toroid chambers, and control operational modes of said number of magnetohydrodynamic units by connecting of the magnetohydrodynamic units to said electric load, or to said electric power source.

20. A method for energy conversion of surface waves motion in a water reservoir into electric power comprising the steps of

providing base means;

providing impelling means configured movable relative to the base means;

providing transducer means for conversion of the wave motion into electromotive force,

coupled to the base means and to the impelling means;

providing sensor-control means for control of the energy conversion;

assembling said base, impelling, transducer, sensor-control means in a system;

operating the system according to the waves amplitude, frequency, and phase; and

using the electromotive force in electric load circuitry.