Electrical power source

• US 7,566,979 B1
• Filed: 10/25/2006
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: High Tide Associates, Inc.
• Original Assignee: High Tide Associates, Inc.
• Inventors: Lorimer, Wendy, Huang, Benjamin, Tomasic, Joe, Masles, John, Akin, William, Hartman, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Ponomarenko; Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mohandesi; Iraj A
• Application Number:
  US11/552,855
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 290/1.R, 290/40.C, 290/54
• US Class Current: 290/1.00R
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 5/00 Devices for producing mechanical power from muscle energy driving cycles B62M
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 5/08 for combined actuation by different limbs, e.g. hand and leg
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1823 structurally associated with turbines or similar engines
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1853 driven by intermittent forces

Abstract

A power source that is powered by a user to generate electrical energy includes a generator assembly and a fluid source. The generator assembly includes a rotor, a stator, and a fluid driven motor that is coupled to the rotor. Movement of the rotor relative to the stator results in the generation of electrical energy. The fluid source is manually powered by the user to direct pressurized fluid to the fluid driven motor to move the rotor relative to the stator. The fluid source can include a first fluid pump that is powered by the user to generate the pressurized fluid and a second fluid pump that is powered by the user to generate the pressurized fluid. One or both of the fluid pumps can include a fluid bellows that is powered by the user to generate the pressurized fluid. Alternatively, one or both of the fluid pumps can include a cylinder and a piston that is moved within the cylinder by the user to generate the pressurized fluid.

Claims

1. A power source for use by a user to generate electrical energy, the power source comprising:

a generator assembly include a rotor, a stator, and a fluid driven motor that is coupled to the rotor, wherein movement of the rotor relative to the stator results in the generation of electrical energy; and

a fluid source that is powered by the user, the fluid source directing pressurized fluid to the fluid driven motor to move the rotor relative to the stator, wherein the fluid source includes a second fluid pump that is powered by the user to generate the pressurized fluid, wherein both the first fluid pump and the second fluid pump direct pressurized fluid into the same fluid driven motor.

2. The power source of claim 1 wherein the fluid source includes a first fluid pump that is powered by the user to generate the pressurized fluid.

3. The power source of claim 2 wherein the first fluid pump includes a fluid bellows that is powered by the user to generate the pressurized fluid.

4. The power source of claim 2 wherein the first fluid pump includes a cylinder, and a piston that is moved within the cylinder by the user to generate the pressurized fluid.

5. The power source of claim 1 wherein the fluid driven motor includes an impeller that is rotated by the pressurized fluid.

6. The power source of claim 5 wherein the impeller is directly connected to the rotor so that rotation of the impeller results in rotation of the rotor.

7. The power source of claim 5 further comprising a transmission assembly that connects the impeller to the rotor so that rotation of the impeller results in rotation of the rotor.

8. The power source of claim 5 further a nozzle that directs the pressurized fluid at the impeller.

9. The power source of claim 1 further comprising a control system that receives the generated electricity, wherein the control system electronically controls the amount of effort required to rotate the rotor by dynamically adjusting the level of at least one of an output voltage, an output current and a rotor rotation speed.

10. A power source for use by a user to generate electrical energy, the power source comprising:

a generator assembly include a rotor, a stator, and a fluid driven motor that is coupled to the rotor, wherein rotation of the rotor relative to the stator results in the generation of electrical energy; and

a fluid source that is powered by the user, the fluid source including a first fluid pump that directs pressurized fluid to the fluid driven motor to rotate the rotor relative to the stator, and a second fluid pump that directs pressurized fluid to the fluid driven motor to rotate the rotor relative to the stator.

11. The power source of claim 10 wherein the first fluid pump includes a fluid bellows that is powered by the user to generate the pressurized fluid.

12. The power source of claim 10 wherein the first fluid pump includes a cylinder and a piston that is moved within the cylinder by the user to generate the pressurized fluid.

13. The power source of claim 10 wherein the fluid driven motor includes an impeller that is rotated by the pressurized fluid.

14. The power source of claim 10 wherein the fluid driven motor includes a radial impeller that is rotated by the pressurized fluid from both of the fluid sources that is radially directed at the radial impeller.

15. The power source of claim 13 wherein the impeller is directly connected to the rotor so that rotation of the impeller results in rotation of the rotor.

16. The power source of claim 13 further comprising a transmission assembly that connects the impeller to the rotor so that rotation of the impeller results in rotation of the rotor.

17. The power source of claim 13 further comprising a nozzle that directs the pressurized fluid at the impeller.

18. The power source of claim 10 further comprising a control system that receives the generated electricity, wherein the control system electronically controls the amount of effort required to rotate the rotor by dynamically adjusting the level of at least one of an output voltage, an output current and a rotor rotation speed.

19. The power source of claim 10 wherein at least one of the fluid pumps includes a fluid outlet that is in fluid communication with a generator inlet of the generator assembly and wherein at least one of the fluid pumps includes a fluid inlet that is in fluid communication with a generator outlet of the generator assembly.

20. The power source of claim 10 wherein each of the fluid pumps includes a fluid outlet that is in fluid communication with a generator inlet of the generator assembly and wherein each of the fluid pumps includes a fluid inlet that is in fluid communication with a generator outlet of the generator assembly.

21. A method for generating electrical energy, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a generator assembly that includes a rotor, a stator, and a fluid driven motor that is coupled to the rotor, wherein movement of the rotor relative to the stator results in the generation of electrical energy; and

manually powering a fluid source that directs pressurized fluid to the fluid driven motor to move the rotor relative to the stator, wherein the step of manually lowering includes the step of manually lowering a first fluid pump to generate the pressurized fluid and manually lowering a second fluid pump to generate the pressurized fluid.