APPARATUS FOR HARVESTING ENERGY FROM FLOW-UNDUCED OSCILLATIONS AND METHOD FOR THE SAME

• US 20110084489A1
• Filed: 10/12/2009
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Morris Kaplan
• Original Assignee: Morris Kaplan
• Inventors: Kaplan, Morris
• Granted Patent: US 8,258,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/54
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/182 with a to-and-fro movement
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 17/06 using liquid flow with predominantly kinetic energy conversion, e.g. of swinging-flap type , "run-of-river", "ultra-low head" F03B13/264 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 5/06 the wind-engaging parts swinging to-and-fro and not rotating
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/08 recovering energy derived from swinging, rolling, pitching or like movements, e.g. from the vibrations of a machine
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2210/16 Air or water being indistinctly used as working fluid, i.e. the machine can work equally with air or water without any modification
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2250/41 with one degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/30 Wind power
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/70 Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/20 Hydro energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/30 Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/70 Wind energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A device and method for harvesting electrical power from kinetic energy of a flow. The converter includes a generating cell comprising an appropriate vibration assembly and magnetic field source. The external gas or liquid flow causes a vibration of the assembly with integrated conductive element, producing electricity in proximity of a magnetic field. The vibrating assembly has a set of resonant frequencies that correspond to a set of the frequencies of the flow vortices within a predetermined range of the flow velocities. An arbitrary number of adjustable generating cells can be connected into a single circuit, either in-series or in-parallel, to increase an overall power output. The disclosure is capable to operate under wide range of flow characteristics and can serve as a virtually maintenance-free source of electrical power.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A device for generating electrical power from a flow, said device comprising:

a vibrating assembly for placing in a flow, said vibrating assembly comprising

an electrical conductive element, and

at least one elastic element having at least one end fixed to a base, wherein said electrical conductive element is integrated with said at least one elastic element; and

a magnetic field source configured to apply a magnetic field to said electrical conductive element and to induce an electrical current in said electrical conductive element;

wherein said vibrating assembly is configured to oscillate in response to said flow, causing displacements of said electrical conductive element relatively to the direction of said magnetic field, and to output said electrical current resulting from said displacements.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein said electrical conductive element is monolithically integrated with said at least one elastic element.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein at least one vibration mode of said vibrating assembly substantially equals to a vortex frequency in the flow.

24. The device of claim 21, wherein a set of vibrating modes of said vibrating assembly substantially equals to a set of vortex frequencies in the flow.

25. The device of claim 23, wherein said flow is a gas flow.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the velocity of said gas flow is in the range of about 1 m/s to 100 m/s.

27. The device of claim 23, wherein said flow is a liquid flow.

28. The device of claim 21, further comprising an electrical circuit extracting said electrical current, said electrical circuit comprising rectifying means and optionally capacitors, batteries or power converters.

29. The device of claim 21, wherein said at least one elastic element comprises a conductive material.

30. The device of to claim 21, wherein said at least one elastic element comprises a dielectric material.

31. The device of to claim 21, wherein said at least one elastic element having a plane and said flow having a direction, said elastic element plane and said flow direction being substantially perpendicular.

32. The device according to claim 21, wherein said at least one elastic element having a plane and said flow having a direction, said elastic element plane and said flow direction being substantially parallel.

33. The device according to claim 21, further comprising a flow-controlling element for adjusting the velocity of said flow and the direction of said flow in proximity of said vibrating assembly.

34. The device according to claim 21, wherein said displacements of said electrical conductive element are adjustable by controlling said vibrating assembly or said flow-controlling element.

35. An electrical power generating system, said system comprising:

at least two electricity generating devices combined into a single electrical circuit, each device comprising;

a vibrating assembly for placing in a flow, said vibrating assembly comprising

an electrical conductive element having a longitudinal axis, and

at least one elastic element having at least one end fixed to a base,

wherein said electrical conductive element is integrated with said at least one elastic element; and

a magnetic field source configured to apply a magnetic field to said electrical conductive element and to induce an electrical current in said electrical conductive element;

wherein said vibrating assembly is configured to oscillate in response to said flow, causing displacements of said electrical conductive element relatively to the direction of said magnetic field, and to output said electrical current resulting from said displacements.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the circuit includes electricity generating devices connected either in-series or in-parallel.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein said at least two devices have identical size and physical parameters.

38. A method for generating electricity, said method comprising:

placing a vibrating assembly in a flow, wherein said vibrating assembly is performing oscillations caused by said flow,

said vibrating assembly comprising an electrical conductive element, and

at least one elastic element having at least one end fixed to a base, wherein said electrical conductive element is integrated with said at least one elastic element; and

applying a magnetic field to said electrical conductive element, wherein said magnetic field induces an electrical current in said electrical conductive element.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising placing a source of said magnetic field in proximity to said electrical conductive element.

40. A method of claim 38, wherein said flow is a flow in confined flow passages in pipes or ducts.