Changing radius generator

• US 8,674,531 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• 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:
  US13/599,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20140062089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 290/1.R
• US Class Current: 290/1.R
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/10 Submerged units incorporating electric generators or motors
• 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: F05B 2210/16 Air or water being indistinctly used as working fluid, i.e. the machine can work equally with air or water without any modification
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/707 of the linear type
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/20 Hydro energy

Abstract

An electrical generator is provided that generates electricity when bending of conductor layers and a magnetic field layer causes movement of the conductors relative to a magnetic field provided by the magnetic field layer.

Claims

1. An electrical generator comprising:

a first layer having a first plurality of conductors positioned at a plurality of different positions along a length and extending generally across a width;

a second layer having a second plurality of conductors positioned at a plurality of different positions along the length and extending generally across the width;

a magnetic field layer disposed between the first layer and the second layer with the magnetic field layer providing magnetic field that is different at different positions along the length;

a holder that holds the magnetic field layer between the first layer and the second layer

wherein the magnetic field layer, first layer and second layer are flexible and are held at one end along the length but are moveable relative to each other at an opposite end along the length and wherein the magnetic field layer, first layer and second layer bend when exposed to a force from a flow of material and the bending changes the radiuses of the magnetic field layer, first layer and second layer causing the conductors and the magnetic field to move relative to each other to induce electrical current in the conductors.

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

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

4. The electrical generator 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.

5. The electrical generator of claim 1, wherein the arrangement of the first conductors, the second 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.

6. The electrical generator of claim 1, further comprising a friction reducing material between the magnetic field layer and at least one of the first layer and the second layer.

7. The electrical generator of claim 6, wherein the friction reducing material provides a separation between the magnetic field layer and at least one of the first layer and the second layer.

8. The electrical generator of claim 6, wherein the friction reducing material comprises at least one of a liquid and a gas that is held between at least two of the first layer, the second layer and the third layer by the holder.

9. The electrical generator of claim 1, wherein one of the magnetic field layers is integral to a holder that extends beyond the width of the first layer and second layer and that wrap around the first layer and the second layer to form the holder.

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

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

12. The electrical generator of claim 1, wherein one of the magnetic field layer, first layer, and second layer has wrapping portions that extend beyond the widths of the other ones of the magnetic field layer, first layer and second layer to form a container holding for the surfaces within which the other ones of the magnetic field layer, first layer and second layer can bend and within which a separating material is placed to reduce friction between the moving layers and the wrapping portions.

13. The electrical generator of claim 1, wherein one of the magnetic field layer, first layer, and second layer has conductor wrapping portions that extend beyond the widths of the magnetic field layer to form a coil and container holding for the magnetic field layer while allowing the first layer second layer and magnetic layers to bend and move and within which a separating material is placed to reduce friction between the moving layers.

14. The electrical generator of claim 1, wherein the holder comprises a buffed body that is shaped to urge the bending.