Method for generating electricity

• US 8,669,667 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Dupra, David N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Waks, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US13/599,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20140062090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 290/1.R
• US Class Current: 290/1.R
• 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: 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

Abstract

An electrical generating method is provided that generates electricity when bending of a first flexible plurality of conductors, a second flexible plurality of conductors and a flexible magnetic field source causes movement of the conductors relative to a magnetic field provided by the magnetic field source.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

placing a flexible magnetic field source between a first flexible plurality of conductors and a second flexible plurality of conductors in a flow of a material;

holding the flexible magnetic field source, the first flexible plurality of conductors and the second flexible plurality of conductors at one end along a length while allowing opposite ends of the flexible magnetic field source, the first flexible plurality of conductors and the second flexible plurality of conductors to move relative to each other along the length;

arranging the flexible magnetic field source, the first flexible plurality of conductors and the second flexible plurality of conductors so that forces provided by the fluid to cause the flexible magnetic field source, the first flexible plurality of conductors, and the second flexible plurality of conductors to bend along the length; and

wherein the bending changes the radiuses of the flexible magnetic field source, the first flexible plurality of conductors and the second flexible plurality of conductors to move the first plurality of conductors and the second plurality of conductors relative to a magnetic field of the flexible magnetic field source that is different at different portions along the length and to induce a currents in the first plurality of conductors and in the second plurality of conductors.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of supporting the flexible magnetic field source, the first flexible plurality of conductors and the second flexible plurality of conductors at a position along the length that is between the ends that are held and the movable ends to allow a bending node to come into existence between a mounting and a first support point.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising positioning the first support point to leaving a tail portion between the first support point and an end of the he flexible magnetic field source, the first flexible plurality of conductors and the second flexible plurality of conductors to allow unconstrained bending to provide additional energy generation or to provide mechanical forces that help to induce additional bending of the flexible magnetic field source, the first flexible plurality of conductors and the second flexible plurality of conductors.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of supporting the holding the flexible magnetic field source, the first flexible plurality of conductors and the second flexible plurality of conductors with a mounting that reacts to the force applied by the flow by urging bending of the flexible magnetic field source, the first flexible plurality of conductors and the second flexible plurality of conductors.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a cover having pockets to hold the flexible magnetic field source, the first flexible plurality of conductors and the second flexible plurality of conductors with a mounting that reacts to the flow by urging bending of the flexible magnetic field source, the first flexible plurality of conductors and the second flexible plurality of conductors.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the flexible magnetic field source, the first flexible plurality of conductors and the second flexible plurality of conductors are held by a holder that reacts to the flow at least in part by stretching at least one of the flexible magnetic field source, the first flexible plurality of conductors and the second flexible plurality of conductors.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field layer provides a magnetic field that varies in intensity along a length of the magnetic field layer to provide variations in field intensity that are generally parallel to said conductors.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising rotating poles of one or more magnetic fields during the bending.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising dampening the magnetic fields between the magnetic field sources and the first flexible plurality of conductors.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising dampening the magnetic fields between the magnetic field sources and the second flexible plurality of conductors.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning magnetically conductive material between poles of the same polarity.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of alternately dampening and conducting the magnetic field from the magnetic field source.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein during a first direction of the bending, the first plurality of conductors has an outer bending radius that is greater than a middle bending radius of the magnetic field source and the second plurality of conductors bends at an inner radius that is less than the middle radius and wherein the first plurality of conductors move in a first direction relative to the magnetic field to induce a first current in the first flexible plurality of conductors and the second flexible plurality of conductors move in a second direction relative to the magnetic field to induce a second current in the second plurality of conductors that is opposite to the first current.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of conductors and second plurality of conductors comprise respectively a first portions of a coil that extend across the width of the magnetic field layer proximate to a first side of the magnetic field layer and second portions of the coil that extend across the width of the magnetic field layer proximate to a second side of the magnetic field layer.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the arrangement of the first flexible plurality of conductors, the second flexible plurality of conductors, and the variable magnetic field are selected so that the electrical generator bends only in one direction along the length of the generator apparatus in response to an application of kinetic energy at any given time and oscillates between a first direction of bending and a second direction of bending as an amount of applied kinetic energy increases.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the placing of the flexible magnetic field source between the first flexible plurality of conductors and the second flexible plurality of conductors in a flow of a material includes placing a friction reducing material between the flexible magnetic field source and at least one of the first flexible plurality of conductors and a second flexible plurality of conductors.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the placing of the flexible magnetic field source between the first flexible plurality of conductors and the second flexible plurality of conductors in a flow of a material includes placing a separation material between the magnetic field source and at least one of the first flexible plurality of conductors and the second flexible plurality of conductors.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the flexible magnetic field source, the flexible first plurality of conductors, and the flexible second plurality of conductors has wrapping portions that extend beyond the widths of the other ones of the first layer, second layer and third layer to form holding surfaces within which the other ones of the first layer, second layer and third layer can bend and within which a separating material is placed to reduce friction between the moving layers and the wrapping portions.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible magnetic field source, the flexible first plurality of conductors, and the flexible second plurality of conductors are arranged within a buffed body that is shaped to urge the bending.