Electricity Generator with Undulating Membrane

• US 20160208767A1
• Filed: 07/08/2014
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EEL Energy
• Original Assignee: EEL Energy
• Inventors: DREVET, Jean Baptiste
• Granted Patent: US 9,879,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/10 Submerged units incorporating electric generators or motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/188 and the wom is flexible or deformable
• 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 13/20 Arrangements for mounting or supporting wind motors; Masts or towers for wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/40 Use of a multiplicity of similar components
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 35/00 Generators with reciprocating, oscillating or vibrating coil system, magnet, armature or other part of the magnetic circuit arrangements for handling mechanical energy structurally associated with generators H02K7/00, e.g. H02K7/06
• 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 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/728 Onshore wind turbines

Abstract

Electricity generator including:

• • a membrane undulating in a longitudinal direction;
  • at least one electricity generation module carried by the membrane, each at least one module including:
    • a fixed frame;
    • a movable frame;
    • a coil and at least one permanent magnet carried by one of the frames in order to generate a voltage when the membrane undulates.

The fixed frames are connected to this membrane and the movable frames are disposed at a distance from a neutral axis of the membrane so that, when the membrane undulates in its longitudinal direction, there is, for each electricity generation module, a rectilinear sliding movement of the movable frame with respect to the fixed frame so as to generate electrical voltages in the coils of the modules.

Claims

1. An electricity generator comprising:

a membrane and a support for the membrane, the membrane being adapted to undulate in a longitudinal direction of the membrane when it is immersed in a fluid flowing in a given direction and is supported by the membrane support;

at least one electricity generation module carried by the membrane, each at least one electricity generation module comprising;

a fixed frame;

a frame able to move with respect to the fixed frame;

a coil carried by one of the frames;

at least one permanent magnet also carried by one of the frames;

said coil and said at least one permanent magnet being arranged and disposed so that, when the movable frame moves with respect to the fixed frame, an electrical voltage appears in the coil;

the generator further being characterised in that the fixed frames of the electricity generation modules are connected to this membrane and the movable frames are disposed at a distance from a neutral axis of the membrane so that, when the membrane undulates in its longitudinal direction, there is, for each electricity generation module, a movement of the movable frame of this module by rectilinear sliding with respect to the fixed frame of this same module so as to generate electrical currents in the coils of said modules.

2. The generator according to claim 1, in which the movable frame of at least one of said electricity generation modules has an inherent articulation axis through which there are transmitted to it forces relating to the rectilinear sliding of this movable frame with respect to the fixed frame of this same module, this inherent articulation axis being perpendicular to a direction of rectilinear sliding of this movable frame with respect to the fixed frame of the same module, and the distance by which this articulation axis moves away with respect to a surface of the membrane facing this module is at least equal to the thickness of the membrane.

3. The generator according to claim 2, in which, during the undulation of the membrane in its longitudinal direction, the directions of rectilinear sliding of each movable frame of the modules are always parallel to a longitudinal cross-sectional plane of the membrane in which the longitudinal direction of this membrane extends.

4. The generator according to claim 1, in which at least some of the electricity generation modules form a group of aligned modules, the electricity generation modules belonging to this group of modules are connected together so that a movable frame of a given module in this group of modules is mechanically connected to a fixed frame of another given module in this group, this connection being such that the relative movement of the fixed frames of two given modules thus connected together causes, for one of these modules connected together, the movement of its movable frame with respect to its fixed frame.

5. The generator according to claim 4, in which each mechanical connection between a movable frame of a given module and a fixed frame of another given module is made by means of a part articulated on either side with the fixed and movable frames that it connects together.

6. The generator according to claim 1, comprising at least one converter circuit distant from the modules, at least some of the coils of the modules being electrically connected to the distant converter circuit by means of electrical conductors and said at least one distant converter circuit being arranged so as to generate, from the electrical voltages generated by at least some of the coils that are connected to it, an output electrical current at the output terminals of this at least one distant converter circuit.

7. The generator according to claim 1, in which the fixed frames are connected to the membrane by means of deformable elastic studs so as to allow a relative movement between a point at which a fixed frame is connected to an elastic stud that corresponds to it and a point where this same elastic stud is connected to the membrane.

8. The generator according to claim 1, in which the fixed frame of said at least one electricity generation module carries the coil and said at least one permanent magnet of this generation module, its movable frame comprising a bar moving facing said at least one magnet when the membrane undulates in its longitudinal direction, the bar having a shape such that, during this movement of the bar with respect to the magnet, there is an inter-bar distance measured between the bar and a counter-bar carried by the fixed frame that varies in alternation.

9. An electricity generator according to claim 1, in which each of the electricity generation modules has an inherent length that extends parallel to a longitudinal cross-sectional plane of the membrane in which said longitudinal direction of the membrane is situated.

10. The generator according to claim 1, in which at least some of the modules are aligned with each other in an alignment direction also parallel to the longitudinal cross-sectional plane of the membrane, the modules aligned in the alignment direction being covered by a shroud extending parallel to the longitudinal direction of the membrane.