Power plant and process utilizing gravitational force

• US 4,399,368 A
• Filed: 03/15/1982
• Issued: 08/16/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donald C. Bucknam
• Original Assignee: Donald C. Bucknam
• Inventors: Bucknam, Donald C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truhe, J. V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wade, Shelley
• Application Number:
  US06/358,225
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 123/46 R, 123/46 E, 123/DIG. 12, 60/721, 60/DIG. 1, 60/341.8, 60/341.11, 60/341.15, 290/1 R, 310/15, 310/23
• US Class Current: 290/1.00R
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 1/04 with fuel-air mixture admission into cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 63/041 Linear electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 71/04 Adaptations of such engines for special use; Combinations of such engines with apparatus driven thereby
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 6/06 with solar energy concentrating means
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 6/062 Parabolic point or dish concentrators
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1884 structurally associated with free piston engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/46 Conversion of thermal power into mechanical power, e.g. Rankine, Stirling or solar thermal engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 60/91 Free piston

Abstract

A power plant and process for converting gas expanding and contracting energy sources into useful forms of energy and utilizing gravitational force, wherein a piston containing a magnet and able to fall within an enclosed cylinder, having a non-magnetically-responsive center portion surrounded by an induction coil is repeatedly impelled upwards thereby inducing an alternating electric current in the coil. In the first alternate embodiment, concentrated solar energy is directed onto a liquid in the bottom of the cylinder to provide an expanding gas beneath the piston. As the piston moves upwards within the cylinder, compressed air is pumped into a reservoir, after which it is available to serve as a source of stored energy. A rotary diversion valve directs hot vapor and liquid first, between a separate vapor and water reservoir and the cylinder, in order to provide vapor for a bounce chamber beneath the piston and then, to a remote cooled condenser, in order that the vapor may be condensed apart from the cylinder as the piston is free falling. The second alternate embodiment varies from the first in that liquid is vaporized above the piston in order to compress air or pump water below it. The third alternate embodiment utilizes steam and vacuum to impel a piston both up and down and has no compressed air reservoir.

Claims

1. A process for converting gas expanding energy sources into useful other forms of energy, such as inducing an alternating current in a coil, comprising the steps of:

holding a piston means forming a magnetic field and slidably operable, but otherwise unattached, within a substantially enclosed cylinder means at a starting position near a lower end thereof, by the compressive support of the vapor of a liquid in the bottom of the cylinder means, said cylinder means having a load-connected electrical conductor coil means surrounding it intermediate its ends;

lifting said piston means to an apex position near the upper end of said cylinder means by vaporizing the liquid by directing a concentrated solar beam onto it, thereby opening a spring-biased valve mounted in an outlet port in the upper end of said cylinder means in order to transfer the column of air above the piston means through a tube into a reservoir means;

lowering said piston means to said starting position, including the steps of;

discontinuing the directing of the concentrated solar beam, thereby allowing the vapor to condense and leave a vacuum below the piston means, and allowing said spring-biased valve in the outlet port to close and a spring-biased valve in an inlet port in the upper end to open in order to admit a charge of fresh air;

allowing a portion of the vapor to escape from beneath the piston means in the cylinder means to a separate hot reservoir partially filled with said liquid by a valve means for diverting the vapor when the piston means reaches the apex position;

allowing any remaining liquid or liquid vapor to escape from beneath the piston means in the cylinder means to a remote cooling condenser containing a near perfect vacuum by the vapor diverting valve means before the piston means reaches a mid-point between the apex position and the starting position;

preventing the escape of the vapor beneath the piston into the remote cooling condenser by the vapor diverting valve means; and

allowing a portion of the vapor and liquid stored in the separate hot reservoir to return therefrom to the cylinder means beneath the piston means by the vapor diverting valve means before the piston means reaches the starting position, whereby a bounce chamber for the falling piston is provided and the liquid in the cylinder means is replenished; and

stopping the downward movement of said piston means at said starting position by compressed gas below said piston means, thereby completing a cycle which can be repeated by starting at the step in which the piston is lifted.

2. The process as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

increasing the vapor pressure beneath the piston means after a portion of the liquid vapor has returned to the cylinder means from the separate reservoir and before the piston means has returned to its starting position by directing a concentrated solar beam onto the liquid vapor and liquid beneath the piston means.

3. The processes defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

replacing said liquid in the separate reservoir which will be returned to the cylinder means by pumping condensed liquid from the cooling condenser is said separate reservoir.

4. The process as defined in claim 3 further comprising the step of:

keeping the liquid being pumped from the cooling condenser to the separate reservoir hot whereby the pressure therein will not be materially lowered.

5. A device for converting gas expanding and contracting energy sources into useful other forms of energy, such as inducing an alternating current in a coil, comprising:

a liquid and its vapor located in the bottom of a cylinder means to support in a starting position near a lower end of the cylinder means a piston means forming a magnetic field, said cylinder means also having an upper end and a load-connected electrical conductor coil surrounding it intermediate said ends thereof;

a transparent core in said upper cylinder end and another in said piston means for permitting a concentrated solar beam to be intermittently directed on said liquid in order to vaporize said liquid for lifting the piston means to an apex position near the upper end of said cylinder means and after condensing, causing said piston means to return to said starting position to complete a cycle;

a first spring-biased valve mounted in a first outlet port in the upper end of the cylinder means for allowing the column of air above the piston means to be forced through a connecting tube into a compressed air reservoir means;

a spring-biased valve mounted in an inlet port in the upper end of the cylinder means to allow the piston means to pull a fresh column of air in above it as it falls to its starting position;

concentrated solar beam directing means;

a separate hot vapor reservoir partially filled with said hot liquid connected by a first tube to a second outlet port located in said cylinder means beneath the starting position;

a cooling condenser containing a near perfect vacuum connected by a second tube to said second outlet port insaid cylinder means and by a third tube to said separate hot vapor reservoir;

a valve means mounted in said second outlet port for diverting liquid vapor and liquid between the cylinder means and the separate hot vapor reservoir and from the cylinder means to the remote cooling condenser and for sealing off the cylinder means from both the separate hot vapor reservoir and the cooling condenser;

means for pumping condensed hot liquid from the cooling condenser through the third tube to the separate vapor reservoir and

means for sequentially timing the directing and discontinuing directing of the concentrated solar beam onto the liquid.

6. The device as defined in claim 5 further comprising:

means for heating the condensed liquid as it is pumped from the cooling condenser to the separate vapor reservoir.

7. The device as defined in claim 5 wherein the liquid vapor and liquid diverting valve means is a rotary valve having a first position connecting said second outlet port to said hot vapor reservoir, a second position closing said second outlet port whereby both the entrance of vapor into and escape of vapor from the cylinder is prevented, and a third position connecting said second outlet port to said remote cooling condenser.

8. The device as defined in claim 7 wherein said liquid vapor and liquid diverting valve means is operated by pneumatic pressure.

9. The device as defined in claim 8 wherein said compressed air reservoir means supplies the pneumatic pressure.

10. A device for converting gas expanding and contracting energy sources into useful other forms of energy, such as inducting an alternating current in a coil, comprising:

means for holding a piston means forming a magnetic field at a starting position near a lower end of the cylinder means also having an upper end, with a load-connected electrical induction coil surrounding it intermediate the ends thereof;

valve means connected to an inlet-outlet port in the upper end of the cylinder means, for diverting liquid and vapor from the upper end of the cylinder means to a remote cooling condenser for reducing the pressure above the piston means or to a makeup liquid reservoir;

a first one-way valve mounted in a first inlet port in the lower end of the cylinder means for allowing air into the cylinder means when the pressure therein falls below atmospheric pressure facilitating the lifting of the piston means when there is a near perfect vacuum above it;

a transparent core in said upper cylinder end for permitting a concentrated solar beam to be intermittently directed on a liquid located within the cylinder means above the piston means in order to vaporize said liquid for lowering the piston means to the starting position;

a second one-way valve means mounted in a first outlet port in the lower end of the cylinder means for allowing the column of air below the piston means to be forced through a tube into a compressed air reservoir means;

concentrated solar beam directing means; and

means for sequentially timing the directing and discontinuing directing of the concentrated solar beam onto the liquid.

11. The device as defined in claim 10 further including a second said device as defined in claim 10 for intermittent operation by directing the concentrated solar beam on the liquid in the top of the second device so that the two-cycle phases of the two devices are one-half phase out of step with each other.

12. The devices as defined in claims 10 or 11 wherein the liquid is dark colored.

13. The device as defined in claim 10 further comprising:

a gate valve means connected to a second outlet port in the upper end of the cylinder means for allowing excess vapor to be vented to the atmosphere.

14. The device as defined in claim 10 wherein the liquid vapor diverting valve means is a rotary valve having a first position connecting said first outlet port to the makeup liquid reservoir a second position closing said first outlet port whereby all flow through said first outlet is prevented, and a third position connecting said first outlet port to said remote cooling condenser.

15. The device as defined in claim 14 wherein said liquid vapor diverting valve means is operated by pneumatic pressure.

16. The device as defined in claim 15 wherein said compressed air reservoir means supplies the pneumatic pressure.

17. The device as defined in claim 10 wherein said holding means includes the compressed air reservoir means and a separate air compressor.

18. A process for converting gas expanding energy sources into useful other forms of energy, such as inducing an alternating current in a coil, comprising the steps of:

holding a piston means forming a magnetic field and slidably operable, but otherwise unattached, within a substantially enclosed cylinder means at a starting position near a lower end thereof, by compressed air below said piston means, said cylinder means having a load-connected electrical conductor coil means surrounding it intermediate its ends;

lifting said piston means to an apex position near the upper end of said cylinder means by evacuating the space within the cylinder means above the piston means while maintaining the air pressure within the cylinder means below the piston means to at least atmospheric, thereby opening a spring-biased value mounted in an outlet port in the upper end of said cylinder means in order to transfer the column of water vapor above the piston means through a tube into a reservoir means;

lowering said piston means to said starting position for completion of the cycle by vaporizing a quantity of liquid within the cylinder means above the piston means by directing a concentrated solar beam onto it whereby the increased pressure above the piston means forces it downward, thereby allowing the spring-biased valve in the outlet port to close and opening a spring-biased valve in an inlet port in the upper end of said cylinder means in order to admit a charge of water vapor; and

stopping the downward movement of said piston means at said starting position by compressed gas below said piston means, thereby completing a cycle which can be repeated by starting at the step in which the piston is lifted.

19. The process as defined in claim 18 wherein a second said process as defined in claim 18 is sustained by directing the concentrated solar beam onto a second quantity of liquid located within a second cylinder means above a second piston means, at an apex position, at the moment the directing of the beam on the first quantity of liquid is discontinued and then redirecting the beam onto the first quantity of liquid at the moment the directing of the beam on the second quantity of liquid is discontinued.

20. The process as defined in claims 18 or 19 wherein the quantities of liquid are dark colored.

21. The process as defined in claims 18 or 19 wherein the timing of the directing, discontinuing, and redirecting of the concentrated solar beam is carried out with electronic timing means and a movable flat mirror.

22. The process as defined in claim 18 wherein the step of lowering said piston means to the starting position further comprises the step of allowing the air below the piston to escape only into a compressed air reservoir when the air pressure below the piston increases to a level greater than that in the reservoir due to the lowering of the piston.

23. The process as defined in claim 22 wherein the step of lifting said piston means to the apex position comprises the steps of:

first allowing the liquid vapor above the piston means in the cylinder means to escape to the atmosphere by a valve means for diverting the vapor, thereby lowering the pressure there to atmospheric pressure and allowing the compressed air in the chamber below the piston means starting position to lift the piston means;

next allowing the remaining liquid vapor above the piston means in the cylinder means to escape to a remote cooling condenser containing a near perfect vacuum by the vapor diverting means thereby increasing the pressure difference across the piston means in order to assist in lifting the piston means;

meanwhile maintaining the air pressure below the piston means to at least atmospheric pressure by a one-way valve means which allows atmospheric air to flow into the lower part of the cylinder means whenever the pressure there drops below atmospheric;

stopping the flow to the remote cooling condenser when the piston means reaches the apex position a short distance from the top of the cylinder means; and

then replenishing the liquid consumed by vaporization from a reservoir of liquid by the vapor diverting valve and connected thereto, thereby preparing for the step of lowering the piston means.

24. The process as defined in claim 23 wherein the step of holding the piston means at the starting position is further characterized as utilizing the pressurized air within the compressed air reservoir and supplementing the pressure within the compressed air reservoir by a separate air compressor.

25. A process for converting gas expanding energy sources into useful other forms of energy, such as inducing an alternating current in a coil, comprising the steps of:

holding a piston means forming a magnetic field and slidably operable, but otherwise unattached, within a substantially enclosed cylinder means at a starting position near a lower end thereof, by compressed gas below said piston means, said cylinder means having a load-connected electrical conductor coil means surrounding it intermediate its ends;

lifting said piston means to an apex position near the upper end of said cylinder means by evacuating the space within the cylinder means above the piston means while allowing steam to flow into the cylinder means below the piston means, thereby opening a spring-biased valve mounted in an outlet port in the upper end of said cyliinder means in order to transfer the column of steam above the piston means through a tube into a reservoir means;

lowering said piston means to said starting position for completion of the cycle of evacuating the space within the cylinder means below the piston means while allowing steam to flow into the cylinder means above the piston means, thereby allowing the spring-biased valve in the outlet port to close and opening a spring-biased valve in an inlet port in the upper end of said cylinder means in order to admit a charge of water vapor; and

stopping the downward movement of said piston means at said starting position by compressed gas below said piston means, thereby completing a cycle which can be repeated by starting at the step in which the piston is lifted.

26. The process as defined in claim 25 wherein the step of lifting said piston means to the apex position further comprises the steps of:

first allowing the steam above the piston means within the cylinder means to escape to the atmosphere by a first valve means for diverting the steam, thereby lowering the pressure there to atmospheric;

next allowing the remaining steam above the piston means within the cylinder means to escape to a remote steam condenser containing a near perfect vacuum by the first valve diverting means;

meanwhile allowing steam to flow into the cylinder means below the piston means by opening a first spring-biased valve;

stopping the flow to the remote steam condenser when the piston means is a short distance from the apex position;

allowing a quantity of steam to flow into the cylinder means above the piston means by briefly opening a second spring-biased valve, thereby stopping the piston means at the apex position; and

stopping the flow of steam into the cylinder means below the piston means by closing the first spring-biased valve.

27. The process as defined in claim 25 or 26 wherein the step of lowering said piston means to the starting position comprises the steps of:

first allowing the steam below the piston means in the cylinder means to escape to the atmosphere by a second valve means for diverting the steam, thereby lowering the pressure there to atmospheric;

next allowing the remaining steam below the piston means in the cylinder means to escape to a remote steam condenser containing a near perfect vacuum by the second steam diverting means;

meanwhile allowing steam to flow into the cylinder means above the piston means by opening the second spring-biased valve;

stopping the flow to the remote steam condenser when the piston means is a short distance from the starting position;

allowing a quantity of steam to flow into the cylinder means below the piston means by briefly opening the first spring biased valve, thereby stopping the piston means at the starting position; and

stopping the flow of steam into the cylinder means above the piston means by closing the second spring-biased valve means.

28. The process as defined in claim 27 further comprising the step of utilizing an air or steam compressor means connected to the cylinder means below the starting position for maintaining the piston means at the starting position.

29. A device for converting gas expanding and contracting energy sources into useful other forms of energy such as inducting an alternating current in a coil, comprising:

means for holding a piston means forming a magnetic field at a starting position near a lower end of the cylinder means also having an upper end, with a load connected electrical induction coil surrounding it intermediate said ends thereof;

a remote steam condenser containing a near perfect vacuum;

a first valve means connected to a first outlet port in the upper end of the cylinder means for diverting steam from the upper end of the cylinder means to the remote steam condenser or to the atmosphere;

a second valve means connected to a second outlet port in the lower end of the cylinder means for diverting steam from the lower end of the cylinder means to the remote steam condenser or to the atmosphere;

a first spring-biased valve means mounted in a first inlet port in the lower end of the cylinder means for allowing steam to enter the lower end of the cylinder means;

a second spring-biased valve means mounted in a second inlet port in the upper end of the cylinder means for allowing steam to flow into the upper end of the cylinder means; and

means for sequentially timing the operation of the above valve means.

30. The device as defined in claim 29 wherein the first and second steam diverting valve means are rotary valves having a first position connecting said first and second outlet ports to the atmosphere, a second position closing said first and second outlet ports whereby all flow through said ports is prevented, and a third position connecting said first and second outlet ports to said remote steam condenser.

31. The device as defined in claim 29 wherein said holding means is a compressed air or steam supply connected to a third inlet port located in the lower end of the cylinder means, whereby the piston means can be maintained at the starting position whenever the power plant is not in use.