ENERGY GENERATION USING INTERMEDIARY BUFFERING

• US 20120025531A1
• Filed: 07/30/2010
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Neptune Wave Power, LLC
• Original Assignee: Waldron Engineering & Construction, Inc.
• Inventors: Montgomery, William S., Smith, Jeremy, Cancilla, Dave
• Application Number:
  US12/847,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20120025531A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/53
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/06 Stations or aggregates of water-storage type, e.g. comprising a turbine and a pumpturbines characterised by having means for functioning alternatively as pumps F03B3/10
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/20 wherein both members , i.e. wom and rem are movable relative to the sea bed or shore
• 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 2260/406 through hydraulic systems
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/42 Storage of energy
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/1014 to keep rotational speed constant
• 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 60/16 Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids

Abstract

The present invention is a device for converting rotational energy into useable power by buffering the created rotational energy from the rotational energy used to create the output power. Thus, in one embodiment, a pendulum within a buoy is used to create rotational energy from ocean wave movement and the created rotational energy then drives a hydraulic pump which in turn drives a hydraulic motor to create a second rotational force which is then used to create an electrical output. In this manner, the hydraulic fluid acts as the buffer between the wave-created rotational energy and the rotational energy actually used to create the output electricity.

Claims

1. A system for controlling power generation, said system comprising:

at least one mechanism responsive to variable environmental conditions for creating a rotation, said rotation having variable speed and variable kinetic energy depending upon changing strengths of said environmental conditions;

a pump driven by said rotation,

a pressure transfer substance driven by said pump regardless of a rotational direction of said pump for controlling said power generation.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said controlling further comprises:

said substance causing a power generator to rotate in a fixed direction under pressure provided by said material.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said substance is hydraulic fluid and wherein said pump comprises a hydraulic pump.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said power generation comprises:

a hydraulic motor powered by said hydraulic fluid; and

an electric generator connected to said hydraulic motor.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising:

a pressure and/or flow regulator interposed between said pump and said power generator, said pressure regulator arranged to maintain a constant rotational speed of said generator regardless of instantaneous changes in said environmental conditions.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising:

at least one controller for adjusting said pressure regulator and/or said flow regulator depending upon measured values of said environmental conditions.

7. The system of claim 3 wherein said power generator hydraulically decoupled from a hydraulic motor driven by said pressure transfer substance;

and

an electric generator driven by such hydraulic motor for the purposes of generating said power.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein said system is a self-contained buoy having said power generator mounted thereon, and wherein said power generator is a hydraulic motor driving an electric generator.

9. An energy system comprising:

a rotational element responsive to external naturally occurring forces for creating a rotary output;

a pump arranged to be driven by said rotary output, said pump having at least one hydraulic output, said hydraulic output occurring regardless of a directional rotation of said pump;

a motor arranged to be driven from a hydraulic input, said motor creating a rotary output;

an electrical generator device for converting said rotary output of said motor to electrical energy; and

a hydraulic decoupled circuit for interfacing said hydraulic output with said hydraulic input so as to maintain a constant rotary motor output speed without regard to instantaneous variations in a force of said external naturally occurring forces.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said natural forces are selected from the list of:

liquid waves, air movement, piezoelectric.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said hydraulic circuit is responsive to said instantaneous variations in said external natural forces for adjusting a stored amount of said hydraulic output.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said hydraulic circuit comprises at least one hydraulic pressure accumulator.

13. The system of claim 12 all contained as a part of a single buoy.

14. A method for generating energy, said method comprising:

creating a first rotary output in response to external naturally occurring forces;

using said created first rotary output to provide a hydraulic output regardless of a directional rotation of said rotary output;

creating a second rotary output using said hydraulic output as an input;

converting said second rotary output to electrical energy; and

interfacing said hydraulic output with said hydraulic input so as to maintain said second rotary output at a constant angular velocity regardless of instantaneous variations in a force of said external naturally occurring forces.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said converting comprises:

rotating a hydraulic motor under control of said hydraulic output to create said second rotating output; and

rotating a generator under control of said hydraulic motor.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said constant angular velocity is independent of a direction of rotation of said first rotary output.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said constant angular velocity is controlled, at least in part, by controlling hydraulic pressure and/or flow rate.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said interfacing comprises:

interposing at least one accumulator between said output and said input.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein at least one of said accumulators is controlled, at least in part, by parasitic hydraulic fluid.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein said interfacing comprises:

adjusting said hydraulic input depending upon measured values of environmental conditions.

21. A buoy for manipulating energy generated by natural forces acting on said buoy, said buoy comprising:

a pendulum for creating rotary motion from said natural forces;

a hydraulic pump for translating said rotary motion into hydraulic fluid pressure, said pressure being exerted regardless of a rotational directional direction of said pendulum; and

means for delivering said hydraulic fluid pressure to an input of a hydraulic motor for causing said motor to turn a generator thereby generating an electrical power output.

22. The buoy of claim 21 wherein said delivering comprises:

means for buffering said hydraulic fluid pressure and/or flow rate prior to delivery to said input of said hydraulic motor.

23. A method of delivering power to an anchored vessel, said method comprising:

generating power in a buoy anchored at a location in water having wave action; and

connecting a power line from said buoy to said vessel so as to deliver power to said vessel.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said power is electricity and wherein said power line comprises electrical power lines.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein said power is a substance under pressure and wherein said power line comprises:

means for delivering said substance to a motor driven by said substance, said motor remote from said buoy.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein said buoy comprises:

a pendulum for creating rotary motion from said wave action;

a hydraulic pump for translating said rotary motion into hydraulic fluid pressure, said pressure being exerted regardless of a rotational directional direction of said pendulum; and

means for delivering said hydraulic fluid pressure to an input of a hydraulic motor for causing said motor to turn a generator thereby generating an electrical power output.

27. The buoy of claim 26 wherein said delivering comprises:

means for buffering said hydraulic fluid pressure prior to delivery to said input of said hydraulic motor.