Self-Propelled Energy Generator for clean and renewable energy.
This invention relates to the construction of a Self-Propelled Energy Generator that produces clean and renewable energy, through potential energy of compressed airflow produced artificially by Modular Hydraulic Air Compressors, and the water's perpetual buoyant force.
The prior art includes machine-like power generators built according to conventional methods. These generators consume conventional energy, the cost of which is steadily rising. Some of this energy is non-renewable and in decline. Many conventional power generators are a major source of pollution and greenhouse gases. In addition other type of power generators is using naturally compressed air as fuel.
Actually Taylor's type hydraulic air compressors that need a lot of flowing water from Rivers and waterways, are producing the needed naturally compressed air. At the same time, the discharged atmospheric air from said power generators that use compressed air produced by Taylor's type hydraulic air compressors is oxygen-lean, because oxygen dissolves more rapidly in the flowing water during the functioning of the apparatus.
More over the lost energy in heat during the compression process that represents 80 to 93% of the energy used in air compression process goes in the flowing water and in the surrounding rocks without being recuperated.
The subject of this invention is self-propelled and it eliminates all of the disadvantages of conventional power generators while ensuring ease of operation and an ecological process that uses non-polluting, renewable energy.
The invention has the capacity to be located anywhere in the world including cities, remote areas, mountains or deserts, it includes a power generating plant of the type described in the Canadian patent no CA 2328580 or in US patent no US 6990809 that uses the compressed air volume as fuel instead of air pressure, and a modular hydraulic air compressor that produces artificially the needed airflow for the good functioning of said power plant by circulating same water in a closed and looping path in order to entrain and compress air according to the same basic principle of all hydraulic air compressors, including Taylor's type hydraulic air compressors that were the biggest in the world in their kind. But said basic principle is used in this modular hydraulic air compressor in a better, easy and efficient way where air is compressed and expanded in the same machine that expels the produced heat during the compression process in said modular hydraulic air compressor and gives that heat back to the same air during its expansion in the ascending containers of said power plant of said self-propelled energy generator the subject of the present invention. In addition, not long time after the start up of said modular hydraulic air compressor, the compressed air will keep all of its oxygen because same circulated water of said modular hydraulic air compressor will be saturated with maximum dissolved oxygen, that produces a normal atmospheric air with all of its oxygen when the expanded air into the ascending containers exits from said power plant.
The embodiment of this invention includes the construction of the following, in a deep circular or elliptical shape-like well:
A- Of a power plant according to the methods of patents no CA 2328580 or US
6990809; into a Pool deep enough in order to harness maximum energy out of the potential energy of compressed airflow supplied by modular hydraulic air compressor which has a compression chamber located under said pool of said power plant in the bottom of the same well, that helps to have an easy and effective isothermal compression process, where the lost heat of said compression process is recuperated in the power plant's pool then given back to the compressed air during its expansion in the ascending containers during the functioning of said power plant.
Said Power Plant includes:
An upper driving cogwheel wheel placed just below the surface of the pool, rotating in two ball bearing housings attached to the walls of the pool so as to allow the output shaft to pass through the walls without leakage, A lower cogwheel placed in the bottom of the pool rotating in two multi-purpose ball bearings to facilitate rotation and eliminate axial movements. The ball bearing housings are fastened to the frame of a tensioning device that allows adjustment of the tension of the endless chain. The chain is composed of special links that loop around the upper and lower cogwheels, thereby rotating them. The inner surface of the chain link conforms exactly to the outer surface of the lower cogwheel, thus ensuring a good seal between each chain link and the lower cogwheel. Compressed air from the main tank is forced without leakage into containers as they loop around the lower cogwheel from the lower inclined to the ascending vertical positions. The rotation of the power plant can be either clockwise or counter clockwise.
Cylindrical containers are fastened to the chain links. Each container has a half cover designed to enhance the buoyant cycle by allowing the compressed air to be injected into it as soon as it comes into the lower inclined position on the lower cogwheel. The half cover prevents loss of air until the container advances to an inclined position. Because the injection hole is near the opening of the container, a deflector is used to divert the compressed air toward the closed end of the container to prevent spilling. The air stops flowing into the container just before it begins its ascent toward the upper cogwheel pushed by the buoyant force of the liquid's potential energy. A beveled opening under the half cover of each container and a protrusion on the exterior of the closed end of the following container fit snugly together. Any rattling due to hard contact between the two containers is eliminated by means of a rubber seal around the protrusion.
Several holes near the opening of each container allow liquid to flow out of the container as the compressed air expands gradually during the container's ascent toward the surface. By the time it reaches the upper cogwheel, the container is full of air. The expanding volume of compressed air in each ascending container displaces an equal volume of liquid. The increasing weight of displaced liquid is the cause of the growing buoyancy.
Force is equal to the weight of the liquid displaced by the compressed air.
A guiding device fastened to the wall of the pool ensures that the endless chain and its containers travel smoothly in a straight line without whipping or vibrations. The guiding device is essential for the proper functioning of the power plant and, if needed, can also be installed on the descending side of the chain on which the containers are full of liquid.
After the container arrives on the upper cogwheel, it inclines, emptying its air as it passes over the cogwheel.
Simultaneously, liquid floods the container by gravity until it reaches the descending vertical position, at which point its opening is facing directly upward. As the container begins its descent toward the lower cogwheel, it is full of water.
The endless chain provides continuous output to a drive shaft attached to the upper cogwheel as long as the correct quantity of compressed air is injected into each ascending container.
Said driving shaft of said power plant's upper cogwheel receives on one end a flywheel in order to regularize the rotation of said power plant, and on the other end a Foucault-current electromagnetic regulating brake combined to a gearbox that are used to regularize the rotation speed of said driving shaft and allow an overdriven speed for an electrical generator that is mounted last on said driving shaft in order to harnesses said power plant's mechanical energy into electrical energy, Brief description of the functioning of said power plant:
The power plant of said self-propelled energy generator the subject of the present invention, works with volume but the pressure of the compressed air is needed only to overcome the hydrostatic pressure in bottom of pool in order to be able to inject air in the ascending container that displaces an equal volume of water where the buoyant force is equal to the weight of the displaced water.
Physically all of the containers are attached to the endless chain, and the total expanded air volume in all of the ascending containers, creates only one buoyant force that pushes permanently the ascending containers at once upwardly as long compressed air is injected in every container looping around the lower cogwheel in the bottom of the pool, that replaces the upper container which dumped its air at atmospheric pressure while looping around said upper cogwheel. This buoyant force creates a steady torque at the driving shaft of the driving wheel, due to the driving radius that is equal to the sum of the driving wheel's radius, the container's radius and the chain link's thickness.
The chosen rotation speed for said power plant is slow in order to give enough time to a pre-determined quantity of compressed air to enter effectively into every ascending container.
The gearbox, the Foucault-current electromagnetic brake and the flywheel are used to run the power plant and the main electrical generator at an appropriate and uniform overdriven speed.
The needed fuel for the good functioning of said power plant is the volume of compressed air that is produced by a modular hydraulic air compressor described below.
The full airflow volume of said modular hydraulic air compressor described below, with the parameters of the containers and the speed of rotation of the power plant determine the number of stages of said power plant. In addition any length, form or radius of the containers never limits the construction of said power plant Every stage of the power plant is made out of what was listed above, and compressed air is injected in every ascending container of every stage while looping around the corresponding lower cogwheel in the bottom of the power plant's pool.
The quantity of compressed air that is injected in every container in bottom of pool, is well calculated in order to expand and fill up completely the entire container when it reaches the upper wheel, just when it starts looping around it, in order to dump the expanded air, where its pressure gauge is little bet higher then zero, because the driving wheel is located under water in order to let water to invade by gravity the container while replacing the exhausted air, before said container takes the descending run that takes it back again to loop around the lower cogwheel in order to start another working cycle.
The linear speed of the endless chain of the power plant per minute is equal to the rotation speed of the driving wheel (rpm) multiplied by the perimeter of said driving wheel.
The number of containers that loop around the lower wheel in one minute, in order to get compressed air before starting the ascending run is equal to:
Linear speed per minute of the endless chain, divided by the container's length.
The radius of the driving wheel is equal to: (container's length / 2) x the tangent of 67.5 degrees.
The driving radius is equal to the sum of the driving wheel's radius, the container's radius and the endless chain's link thickness.
The total air volume that all stages of the power plant can use in one minute, is equal to:
[The individual physical volume of every container (= square of the container's radius x pi (3.1416) TIME the container's length) x the number of containers of one stage that loop around the lower cogwheel in one minute x the number of stages].
In order to inject the compressed air into the ascending containers, a difference in pressure must exist between the compressed air discharge pressure and the hydrostatic pressure that exists where the injection of the compressed air is done at the lower cogwheel in bottom of pool.
The buoyant force of one stage is equal to the weight of the total displaced water by the total volume of the expanded compressed air in all ascending containers of every stage of the power plant according to Boyle's law and the position of every single container. For an example if the number of the ascending containers is 112 containers, then the buoyant force is equal to the weight of the total water displaced by the total volume of the expanded compressed air in all 112 ascending containers. Thus, the total buoyant force of all stages of said power plant is equal to the buoyant force of one stage time the number of stages.
In addition the power plant pool's water gets hot normally by the drag of the containers, and can be heated voluntarily by the sun if needed, and by the lost heat of the compression process in said modular hydraulic air compressor. Then this heat can be used to heat up the compressed air that exists in all of the ascending containers in order to let said compressed air to expand at the same temperature or higher than the one of its inlet into said modular hydraulic air compressor in order to complete said isotherm compression and to increase substantially the airflow volume that increases in turn the overall power of the power plant according to the following formula:
V.T = V 1.T 1 Where:
V is the initial air volume, T is the initial temperature, V 1 is the final volume, T1 is the final temperature.
Note: When I said according to Boyle's law I meant to show an approximate compressed air volume only.
This power plant has the endless chain moving in a linear motion upwardly or downwardly, it mean that the containers have a linear motion too.
The ascending containers between the lower vertical one that is located on the lower cogwheel, and the upper vertical one that is located on the upper cogwheel, are almost in a motionless situation, what I mean here that the volume of air in an ascending container at a specific depth is almost stable, because the upper vertical container moves all the time a distance equals to the length of one container on an arch of 45 degrees only before that the following container takes its place as upper vertical container, while the inclined ascending container in the bottom of the pool moves the same distance that is equal to the length of one container on another arch of 45 degrees before it takes the position of the lower vertical container that moved upwardly. The rest of all the ascending containers they all move at the same time too, the same distance that is equal to the length of one container in order to let the following container to taking the position of the preceding one.
According to the above, what ever is the speed of the endless chain, the displaced volume of water stays almost constant, and thus the buoyant force is almost constant that in turn gives an almost constant driving torque.
The speed of the endless chain can be lowered to the minimum and we still can get the same energy out of the same compressed airflow, but the number of stages of the power plant, will be increased or decreased according to the actual rotation speed in order to contain all of the full compressed airflow, while the overall output energy of said power plant will stay the same what ever is the power plant's speed.
The total buoyant force of all the containers with thrust of all stages determines the overall capacity of the power plant. This buoyant force is equal to the weight of the liquid displaced by the total volume of air in all containers with thrust of all stages, and it is expressed in Newton. The driving torque of said power plant is equal to the multiplication of the number of Newton of such a buoyant force, by the distance that exists between the center of the driving shaft and the center of gravity of the upper vertical container.
This distance is equal to the sum of the radius of the upper cogwheel, the radius of the container, and the thickness of the endless chain. The power of said power plant is equal to the value of the above-mentioned torque expressed in mN multiplied by 2, multiplied by (pi or 3.1416), multiplied by the number of revolutions per minute (rpm) of the power plant then the result of the foregoing multiplication will be divided by 60 seconds to express the power in watts. If we need the power to be expressed in horsepower then the result of the previous mathematical operation will be divided by 746 watts, (each unit of horsepower being equal to approximately 746 watts).
Power = Force (Newton) x (Radius of wheel + Radius of container + the thickness of the endless chain) meters x 2 x pi x rpm. (Divided by) / (60 sec. x 746 watts) = horse powers.
B- Of a Modular Hydraulic Air Compressor that produces the needed fuel for the functioning of said power plant of patents no Ca 2328580 or US 6990809. Such fuel is the volume of compressed air not its pressure, as explained above.
Said Modular Hydraulic Air Compressor includes:
1- An elevated water reservoir including:
a- An air/water mixing-head placed in said elevated water reservoir, in which water is mixed to air bubbles before flowing downwardly to a lower separating device.
b- A down-take head pipe in which air/water mix is transferred at high speed between the air/water-mixing head and a lower separating device.
c- An up-take tail pipe in which air-free water is transferred back by a conventional water pump from the bottom of a lower separating device to the elevated water reservoir at the lowest possible speed using in the process minimum possible energy.
2- A separating device arranged at a lower level that includes:
a- A secondary separating compartment in which the air/water mix drops first while exiting from the down-take head-pipe at high speed.
b- A substantial deflecting member called separating cone that is affixed in a central position inside said secondary separating compartment and far from the interior walls of the same at a well predetermined height from the bottom of said secondary separating compartment that allows un-separated air/water mix to flow easily to the lower compartment of said secondary separating compartment of the lower separating device. Said separating cone is positioned under the lower end of the down-take head pipe with its apex preferably extending into the mouth of said down-take head pipe.
c- A main separating compartment where the air/water mix arrives coming from the secondary separating compartment through an inter-communicating conical pipe.
d- A very long inter-communicating conical pipe in which said air/water mix is transferred from the bottom of the secondary separating compartment into the main separating compartment at the beginning of the run that said air/water mix travels before entering the intake of the up-take tail pipe. This inter-conununicating conical pipe requires always an ascending slope in order to permit a full exhaust of all compressed air that separates from water into it, and requires to have at its intake where the air/water mix enters from the bottom of the secondary separating compartment to be transferred into the main separating compartment, at least the same diameter of the down-take head pipe.
e- A main separating chamber where the mix of air/water drops coming from the secondary separating compartment for the last separating process of said air/water mix.
f- Separations that are placed inside said main separating chamber in a way to let the air/water mix to travel a longer distance in a loop from where it is originally dropped by the Inter-communicating conical pipe to an air-free water's compartment where the intake of the up-take tail pipe of said modular hydraulic air compressor is located, in order to give all the needed time for the separation of all air bubbles from water.
g- A vertical baffle that is placed right before the intake of the up-take tail-pipe in the main separating compartment at the end of the run of the air/water mix where the last air bubbles of the air/water mix are supposed to be separated, which preferably consists of two parts, one lower part that is an impenetrable barrier, and an upper part that has horizontal pipe-like passages in order to allow air-fee water to flow from the air/water separating chamber of said main separating compartment to the air-free water's compartment where the intake of the up-take tail pipe of said modular hydraulic air compressor is located, without whirling or forming vortexes in the separating chamber when the water-transferring pump is running and transferring air-free water between the bottom of the main separating compartment and the upper water reservoir of said modular hydraulic air compressor.
h- A compressed air receiver that is located at the upper section of both secondary and main air/water separating compartments, where compressed air coming from said both secondary and main separating compartments is housed after being separated under a predetermined discharge pressure that is due to the hydrostatic pressure of the column of water that exists between the water surfaces of the elevated water reservoir and of the lower separating device.
3- A conventional water-transferring pump that is placed in the up-take tail-pipe between the lower separating device and the elevated water reservoir in order to provoke a closed looping path for the water in witch atmospheric air is entrained, separated and compressed continuously as long as said water-transferring pump is running in order to run said power plant of patents no CA 2328580 or US
6990809, where the resulting overall energy production of said self-propelled energy generator, is much higher than the energy used by the water-transferring pump of the present modular hydraulic air compressor. Water speed in said down-take head pipe and up-take tail pipe, of same water flow of said modular hydraulic air compressor, can be the same or different according to the surface of the section of each pipe. In order to have the needed results of said modular hydraulic air compressor, the surface of the section of said down-take head-pipe has to be smaller and well calculated that gives the right speed for the down flowing air/water mix, to allowing maximum amount of air bubbles to travel downwardly from said mixing head to the lower separating device.
Thus the entrainment of air in terms of cubic feet of air per gallon of water becomes meaningful when a time factor or scale is considered.
4- A compressed air tank that holds the supply of compressed air before being transferred to the power plant of said self-propelled energy generator the subject of the present invention or to any other use.
5- A house valve including A pressure-regulating valve that can be installed between the compressed air receiver of the air/water mix separating device and the compressed air tank in order to regulate the discharged compressed airflow pressure of said modular hydraulic air compressor. Said compressed air discharge pressure has to be higher than the hydrostatic pressure of the column of water of the power plant's pool in order to facilitate an effective compressed air transfer to the ascending containers of said power plant of patents no CA 2328580 or no US
6990809. More over said valve house includes all means needed for the good start and control of said modular hydraulic air compressor.
6- By placing said separating air/water mix device of said modular hydraulic air compressor in the bottom of said deep well, it allows us to enlarge the volume of the lower separating device by digging down deeper or by constructing a sort of an underground tunnel were air/water mix can travel slowly in a much longer distance before air-free water can be transferred back to said upper water reservoir of said modular hydraulic air compressor in order to start another compression cycle.
In addition, this design allows us to produce all the time the needed airflow that has a discharge pressure higher than the hydrostatic pressure which exists where compressed air is supposed to be injected in bottom of the power plant's pool.
Efficiency of said modular hydraulic air compressor:
Previous studies were conducted in the beginning of the twentieth century at the Hydraulic Air Compressor of the Victoria mine in Rockland-Michigan-USA and at the Ragged Chutes' Hydraulic Air Compressor in Cobalt-Ontario-Canada before that this powerful hydraulic air compressor was hit by an earth quake in 1935, and its discharged airflow was reduced to almost 45% of the original discharged airflow. These studies proved that using Mr. Charles Taylor's design that harnesses the energy of flowing water of waterways was very effective and the efficiency of such hydraulic air compressor was proved to be a maximum of 83%. As an example, the following real numbers of the Ragged Chutes' hydraulic air compressor that was the biggest in the world of its kind prove this efficiency of 83%. According to plan, said Ragged Chutes' Hydraulic Air Compressor, has a 107m deep down-take head pipe in which drops an air/water mix coming from two mixing heads, a 306m horizontal tunnel where air bubbles of said air/water mix separate and get compressed by hydrostatic pressure of the column of water of a 90m high up-take tail pipe, while the original discharged airflow of the Ragged Chutes' Hydraulic Air Compressor was 40000cfrn or 1132 cubic meter per minute. This airflow of 1132m3 of free-air was produced by a water flow of 22.7 cubic meters per second that is the equivalent of 1364 cubic meter per minute. If we divide the volume of the airflow that is 1132m3 by the volume of the water flow that is 1364m3, we get exactly 83%. In addition the diameter of the head pipe of the Ragged Chutes' Hydraulic Air Compressor was 9 feet or 2.8125m that gives a section's surface of 6.2126m2, [radius x radius x pi or (3.1416)] _ [(2.8125m/2) x (2.8125m/2) x 3.1416 = 6.2126m2].
Then the distance or the speed that the air/water mix travels downwardly per second is: [Volume of water flow per minute in (m3) Divided by Section of the down-take head pipe in (m2)]
Divided by 60 seconds =(1362m3 /
6.2126m2) 60sec. = 3.6539m/sec.
The modular hydraulic air compressor of said self-propelled energy generator the subject of the present invention has a water-transferring pump that gives to said air/water mix a down flowing speed of 4 meters per second or more that is way more than the 3.6539 meters per second of the down flowing air/water mix of the Ragged Chutes' Hydraulic Air Compressor. According to the above-mentioned numbers, the efficiency and the airflow volume of said modular hydraulic air compressor the element of the subject of the present invention would be at least 83% of the water flow volume that can be circulated in said modular hydraulic air compressor.
In addition, the technology of the twenty-first centuries would help probably to come up with a much better studied air/water-mixing head where such efficiency will be even much higher than 83%.
Air/water mixing heads of said modular hydraulic air compressor:
In order to harness maximum amount of compressed airflow in said modular hydraulic air compressor, various type of mixing heads having different kind of air entraining devices can be employed. The following mixing head was taken as an example:
Patent no CA 438591 describes a siphon or suction device as an intake-head for entraining air in the water that includes the following:
a- A downwardly tapering induction or compression tube, which is arranged centrally within the lower part of the air/water mixing head and has its lower end connected with the upper end of the down-take head pipe by any suitable coupling means.
b- Said compression tube is maintained in a central position relative to the intake head and to the down-take head pipe by a spider consisting preferably of a centering and supporting collar surrounding the lower part of the induction tube and provided with a plurality of centering fins which project laterally from different parts of its periphery into engagement with different parts of the bore of the neck of the intake head which is in effect a part of the compression tube.
c- The upper end of the induction tube connects with the lower inner edge of an upwardly flaring flange, which forms the bottom of an annular air chamber.
d- From the outer edge of this bottom, a cylindrical flange projects upwardly and forms an annular outer wall of the air chamber. This wall is spaced from the upright wall of the upper water reservoir, where in this space are located a plurality of air intake pipes, each of which has an upright upper part opening at its upper end into the air space in the upper part of the intake head and an inwardly curved part which connects with the wall of the air chamber and communicates with the interior of the latter.
e- At the upper end of the air chamber is arranged a downwardly tapering or conical induction or siphon ring which is preferably of downwardly and inwardly curved form in cross section and connected at its outer elevated edge with the upper edge of the upright wall of the air chamber.
In the space between this upper induction ring and the upper end of the lower induction tube, a plurality of intermediate induction or siphon rings are arranged in the form of vertical stack or tier, which intermediate induction rings are of progressively smaller diameter from the uppermost to the lowermost of the series. Each of these induction rings has its edge overlapping the outer edge of the next lower induction ring and the lowermost ring has its inner edge overlapping the inner side of the induction tube, and the overlapping parts of these members are spaced from each other so as to form an annular downwardly tapering or conical siphoning passage between the overlapping parts of each adjacent two of these members.
By this mean, these induction rings form the inner wall of the air chamber and the several passages establish communication between the air chamber and the mixing passage which is formed by the space surrounded by the several induction rings.
f- Within the induction chamber is arranged an induction head which comprises a lower downwardly tapering or conical bottom projecting downwardly into the central part of the mixing passage or chamber, an upright cylindrical side wall projecting upwardly from the outer edge of the conical bottom into the upper part of the air and water intake chamber, and a top connected with the upper edge of the side wall so that a head consisting of the conical bottom, the upright cylindrical side wall and the top, forms a sealed hollow member which floats in the water within the lower part of the air and water intake chamber and has its lower conical part immersed therein, while the upper cylindrical part thereof projects above the water level and into the air space within the upper part of the air and water intake chamber.
The conical bottom of the induction head is spaced from the several conical induction rings by the annular mixing passage. This mixing passage has the general shape of an inverted flaring bell or trumpet through which a correspondingly shaped stream flows downwardly, which stream is composed of a mixture of water taken from the upper part of the intake chamber and air taken from the air chamber and drawn by suction from the several induction passages into the mixing passage. By these means the air is entrained in the water and compressed by the same as this fluid mixture flows through the compression pipe from the upper to the lower end of the latter.
g- The several induction rings are connected with each other and the induction tube by bracing means so that the same and the bottom and side walls practically form an integral unit, which bracing means serve to prevent the stream of air and water while flowing downwardly through the induction passage from whirling and producing a vortex. In their preferred form these bracing means comprise a plurality of upright radial webs or vanes arranged equidistant in an annular row in the space between the bottom of the induction head and the induction rings.
Each of these webs engages the curved outer edge of its upper part with the inner side of the several induction rings and secured thereto by brazing or otherwise, and this outer edge portion is provided with a vertical row of upwardly opening slots which receives the inner tapering edge of one of the induction rings and forms an upwardly projecting spacing finger which bears against the opposing sides of the overlapping parts of the respective induction rings and the induction tube. The lower part of the outer edge of each spacing web engages with the inner side of the induction tube and the lower parts of the inner edges of these webs engage each other, thereby mutually supporting each other. These bracing webs, therefore, perform the dual function of tying together the several members of the induction unit but also preventing the stream of mixed water and air from whirling, thereby shortening the path of the stream and also preventing a reduction in the output of compressed air which otherwise would occur if the stream of air and water were permitted to form a vortex preparatory to entering the compressing pipe of said air/water mixing head.
h- Means that are provided for adjusting the induction head vertically for the purpose of varying the cross section of the mixed stream of air and water flowing downwardly through the mixing passage and obtaining the maximum output compressed airflow from a given modular hydraulic air compressor's design.
The following air/water mixing heads can be used too:
1- Patent no US 892772 describes an effective mixing head that was employed actively in a large hydraulic air compressor in Cobalt-Ontario-Canada for more than 70 years until 1981. Said mixing head of patent no US 892772, consist of a floatable member adapted to controlling the intake of water and air, including means whereby the volume of water and air received by the compressor can be adjusted to a predetermined standard of work to be done. At Ragged Chutes' Hydraulic Air Compressor the disclosed mixing head of patent no US 892772, proved its effectiveness and in order to produce 1132m3 of free-air per minute that represent an efficiency of 83%
on a water flow of 1364m3, the water flows into a large chamber 50 feet by 40 feet, where twin mixing heads of 16 feet diameter, each containing 72 fourteen-inch circular pipes, 7 feet 10 inches long, draw air into water, and by experience, it has been found that the optimum conditions of turbulence are obtained when the heads are submerged about 16 inches below gates at the entrance to the chamber, which can be displaced vertically to vary the volume of water entering.
2- Patent no CA 363598 describes an air/water mixing head having air entraining device of substantially inverted conical form with a plurality of air induction tubes protruding there from, the cone being centrally positioned within the falling column of water with its axis substantially concentric with the down-take head pipe through which the water falls.
3- Patent no CA 394227 describes a hollow air/water mixing head that can be secured at the top end of the down-take head pipe, and forms an upward continuation thereof terminating below the surface of water of the upper water reservoir. An opening within the head is of considerably greater diameter than the bore of the down-take head pipe, but it is reduced downwardly to the point of communication with the bore of the down-take head pipe whereby to permit of the entry of a large body of water and entrained air and to decrease the volume of the flow into the down-take head pipe.
A plurality of small tubes extended through the top of the head and terminating below the surface of the water of the upper water reservoir provides means for admitting water mixed with air bubbles.
4- A venturi-type like air/water mixing head that can be secured to a down-take head pipe. The purpose of said venturi-type like air mixing head is to entrain air bubble within a flow of water. Said venturi-type like air/water mixing head includes:
a- A water inlet, which is appropriately secured to a source of water, such as a pipe connected to the water-transferring pump or to the end of a first upper section of said down-take head pipe of said modular hydraulic air compressor or the like.
b- A converging nozzle that ends the water inlet inside a vacuum chamber.
c- A vacuum chamber connected to a venturi before a diverging cone that in turn is connected to the collar of the other lower section of the down-take head pipe.
Functioning of a venturi-type like air/water mixing head:
A drop in the air pressure draws air through the air inlet when fast flowing water flows into the vacuum chamber through said converging nozzle. Thus, air bubbles mixes with water in the vacuum chamber and in the venturi while crossing to the diverging cone before entering said down-take head pipe.
In this venturi-type like mixing head, a greater efficiency may be obtained by using multi-nozzle water jets in an enlarged vacuum chamber to maximize the amount of air entrained in water.
The construction of a self-propelled energy generator the subject of the present invention is done according to the following process:
1- A circular or elliptical-shape Like deep well is dogged up and its walls cemented in order to make it suitable to receive:
a- In its bottom the lower separating device of said modular hydraulic air compressor.
b- Above said lower separating device the power plant's pool that contains the power plant it-self with its upper and lower cogwheels, the endless-chain, the containers, the rotary transfer joint and the pneumatic circuit through which compressed air is transferred to the ascending containers of said power plant.
2- The driving shaft of the upper cogwheel of said power plant, receives on one end a flywheel in order to normalize the rotation of said power plant, and on the other end a Foucault-current electromagnetic brake combined to a gearbox that are mounted to be used mainly to normalize the rotation speed of said driving shaft, and allow an overdriven speed for the main electrical generator that is mounted last on this driving shaft but on dry land.
3- The best and most effective air/water mixing head is built and put in place in the upper water reservoir at the collar of the down-take head pipe in order to provide the best mix of air/water that is responsible of the output airflow which in turn gives the best efficiency of said self-propelled energy generator.
4- The water-transferring pump is placed in the up-take tail pipe in order to circulate water in a closed looping path while transferring air-free water from the bottom of the lower separating device to the upper water reservoir, that allows atmospheric air to be entrained downwardly through the down-take head pipe at high speed to the separating device were air bubbles are separated and compressed by the hydrostatic pressure of the column of water that exists between the water surfaces of the upper water reservoir and the lower separating device.
5- The compressed air transfer pipe is put in place in order to transfer compressed air from the compressed air receiver of the lower separating device to the compressed air tank through a pressure control valve of a valve house that normalize the needed compressed air discharge pressure that has to be little higher then the hydrostatic pressure where compressed air is injected in bottom of said pool of said power plant.
6- The pneumatic circuit is put in place in order to transfer compressed air from the compressed air tank to the ascending containers of said power plant.
Compressed air production by a Modular Hydraulic Air Compressor:
In order to run the power plant of said self-propelled energy generator; the needed fuel has to be available. Such fuel is the volume of compressed air that is produced by said modular hydraulic air compressor according to the following process:
1- Before starting said Modular Hydraulic Air Compressor, all of its components have to be in place.
2- Water will be put inside said modular hydraulic air compressor up to the designed limit of the upper water reservoir including the lower separating device, the down-take head pipe and up-take tail pipe.
3- One major issue has to be respected when filling up the modular hydraulic air compressor and the power plant's pool, is to make sure that water will be put according to the following:
a- First the lower separating device that is located in the bottom of said deep well will be filed up first to the limit of the bottom of said empty power plant.
b- Then water will be put at the same time in the power plant's pool, in the down-take head pipe and in the up-take tail pipe of said modular hydraulic air compressor, in a way to not put big pressure on the bottom of said power plant's pool that is at the same time the upper side of the lower separating device.
c- If the modular hydraulic air compressor was allowed to fill up first until the designed limit of the upper water reservoir's surface, then the hydrostatic pressure of the column of water that exists between the upper water reservoir's surface and the upper side of the lower separating device will be tremendous from inside out, that may fra.cture the upper side of said lower separating device if the structure is not strong enough.
d- And if the power plant's pool was allowed to fill up first until the designed level, then the tremendous hydrostatic pressure that exists between the pool water's surface and the bottom of said pool, may fracture the pool's bottom toward the lower separating device if the structure is not strong enough.
4- An outside source of energy is provided in order to start-up the water-transferring pump. The start-up of said water-transferring pump is done slowly in order to give the right transferring speed to the circulated water through the down-take head pipe.
5- When the flow of water starts going downwardly from the upper water reservoir to the lower separating device through the air/water mixing head, atmospheric air bubbles will be entrained, thus a mix of air bubbles with water is formed. This air/water mix travels downwardly by the down-take head pipe at a predetermined speed that is actuated by the water-transferring pump, which allows a well-studied compressed airflow to be produced according to the actual design.
6- When the air/water mix exits the down-take head pipe, it hits the separating cone of the secondary separating compartment. At this stage, some air bubbles separate from water and flow backwardly into said compressed air receiver through well placed orifices in said horizontal baffle that separates between said separating cone and said compressed air receiver.
7- The air/water mix continues its journey to flow downwardly into the lower section of said secondary separating compartment before being transferred to the main separating chamber of the main separating compartment through the inter-communicating conical pipe.
8- The air/water mix exits the inter-communicating conical pipe at the beginning of the looping run in said main separating compartment where said air/water mix travels while all air bubbles separate and rise to said compressed air receiver.
9- Said air/water mix travels the looping path drawn by separations that elongate the travelled distance in order to give more time for the last air bubbles to separate from water.
10- Arriving at the end of said looping path the last air bubbles should have been completely separated from water.
11- Air-free water travels through the horizontal pipe-like passages of said vertical baffle that separates between the main separating chamber and the air-free water's compartment where the intake of said up-take tail pipe is located, without whirling or forming vortexes in the main separating chamber.
12- The air that accumulates in the compressed air receiver is being compressed by the hydrostatic pressure of the column of water that exists between water surfaces of the upper water reservoir and the lower separating device.
13- Air-free water enters into the up-take tail pipe at the lower bottom of said main separating compartment while being sucked by the water-transferring pump.
14- Air-free water returns to the upper water reservoir where same water starts another compressing cycle.
15- Before letting compressed air transferring to said power plant of patent no CA 2328580 or US 6990809 through said compressed air tank, we have to make sure that said compressed air receiver is full of compressed air first, then only then we fill up the compressed air tank. If the air tank was allowed to fill at the same time as the receiver, a sorry mess it would be, instead of a tank full of compressed air we would have a tank full of water.
16- The air compression process produces a lot of heat. Big portion of this heat goes upwardly to heating up the water of the power plant's pool.
17- The power plant is then started. Energy will be produced as long as compressed air is produced and injected into the ascending containers of said power plant.
18- The imprisoned compressed air of the ascending containers is in turn heated up by the pool's water, which recuperated the lost heat. Then the expanded air volume displaces more water that allows in addition of the originally displaced water by the originally injected compressed air volume, a bigger buoyant force where in turn more energy is produced. This phenomenon of returning the heat back to the expanded airflow closes the isothermal compression cycle of the modular hydraulic air compressor's process. Said isothermal compression of said modular hydraulic air compressor of said self-propelled energy generator is a new process in air compression business where lost energy in heat during an air compression process, can be recuperated and used to producing even more energy.
19- When said self-propelled energy generator will be fully in operation and the output energy production is at its maximum, then the output source of energy that is supplying said water-transferring pump of said modular hydraulic air compressor will be cut off while the energy supply to said water-transferring pump will be taken from the energy that is produced by said power plant of said self-propelled energy generator the subject of the present invention, and the rest of that produced energy goes to supply an electrical grid that in turn supplies households and businesses.
The other aspects of this invention:
A- A modular hydraulic air compressor having a water turbine that can be installed optionally above or instead of said separating cone in the secondary separating compartment of said lower separating device where the air/water mix exits at high speed from said down-take head-pipe and its kinetic energy is used to harness through said water turbine even more energy. In addition this water turbine enhances at this stage the preliminary air separation process from the air/water mix.
B- A modular hydraulic air compressor having one or more extra air/water mixing devices that can be installed on the down-take head pipe in order to let the down flowing water toward the lower separating device to entrain more air bubbles. The number of extra air/water mixing devices depends on the height of the down-take head pipe. The growing hydrostatic pressure in said head pipe at a bigger depth compresses more and more the air bubbles of the down flowing air/water mix that comes from the main air/water mixing head. The consequences of that growing hydrostatic pressure, is the compression of the air bubbles of said air/water mix that makes an air-lean mix at different depth, where a place for more air bubbles will be available. Then the extra air bubbles that will be entrained from the extra air/water mixing devices at different heights of the down-take head pipe, increase the out flowing compressed airflow of said modular hydraulic air compressor which in turn increases the efficiency of said self-propelled energy generator the subject of the present invention.
C- An air blower that can be used to push more air into the air/water mixing heads that helps the down flowing air-lean water mix to entrain even more air bubbles. This air blower can be run exclusively if needed, by the energy that can be produced by said water turbine which harnesses the kinetic energy of the fast down-flowing air/water mix of said modular hydraulic air compressor the subject of the present invention.
D- A self-propelled energy generator having the power plant of patents no CA2328580 or no US6990809, and the modular hydraulic air compressor sharing same water of the same pool, but said same pool is divided into two compartments communicating with each other from the bottom only to allowing to have hot water in the first compartment where the power plant is located and colder water in the second compartment or as we called it the upper reservoir of said modular hydraulic air compressor. This specific design permits the recuperation in a better way the lost energy of the compression process, but it needs to dig dipper for the lower separating device of said modular hydraulic air compressor in order to be able to produce the right airflow at a right discharge pressure, that is higher than the hydrostatic pressure of the column of water where the compressed air is injected is the ascending containers of said power plant.
Note: Said conventional water-transferring pump of said modular hydraulic air compressor, that is placed in the up-take tail-pipe between the lower separating device and the elevated water reservoir in order to provoke a closed looping path for the water in witch atmospheric air is entrained, can be installed in a separate dry well adjacent to the deep circular or elliptical shape-like well in which said power plant and said modular hydraulic air compressor of said self-propelled energy generator are installed, in order to facilitate the installation and the maintenance of the above-mentioned conventional water-transferring pump.
E- A self-propelled energy generator having the power plant of patents no CA2328580 or no US6990809 affixed inside a compartment including a half- sphere shape in its lower part where the lower cogwheel is located, two pipes where the ascending containers move upwardly in one pipe and the descending containers move downwardly in the second pipe, and an open upper part that permits water to overflow from said compartment to the power plant's main pool. The major role of said above-mentioned compartment is to contain a smaller quantity of water insulated from the rest of the same water of the power plant's main pool. Thus, during the functioning of said self-propelled energy generator, hot water is transferred first from the separating device of said modular hydraulic air compressor into the pipe in which the ascending containers are moving upwardly in order to create a hot surrounding for said ascending containers that permits an ideal heat exchange between hot water coming from the separating device of said modular hydraulic air compressor and the colder expanding compressed air of the ascending containers that permits to close up effectively the isothermal compression cycle of said self-propelled energy generator the subject of the present invention.
F- A self-propelled energy generator having a small water transferring-pump in every container of the power plant of patents no CA2328580 or no US6990809 that permits hot water-transfer from the pipe of said above-mentioned compartment in which the ascending containers are moving upwardly, into every single ascending container. In fact, and during the expansion of the imprisoned compressed air of the ascending containers, a lot of heat is needed in order to close up the isothermal compression cycle of said self-propelled energy generator. The heat exchange between hot water that surrounds the ascending containers and the colder expanding air that is imprisoned inside said ascending containers can be not efficient enough because of the heat transfer coefficient of the materials of which the containers are made. Thus, in order to provide enough heat to the expanding compressed air, said water transferring-pump plays a major role in this regard, where a part of hot water is sucked up by said water transferring-pump from the pipe of the above-mentioned compartment in which ascending containers are moving upwardly, and transferred to the inside part of the ascending container where compressed air is in expansion process at shallower depth during the functioning of said self-propelled energy generator. The hot water showering process of the expanding air in every ascending container can be well studied and done according to a gear that runs the small water transferring pump of every ascending container when it engages an affixed cog-rail during the ascending run of said container.
This showering process of the expanding air can start only when the temperature of expanding compressed air and the temperature of surrounding hot water of the compartment are the same. The depth, at which the showering process can start, is normally shallower than the depth of the lower cogwheel where the compressed air-transfer is done into every ascending container.
G- A self-propelled energy generator having a water transferring-pipe in every container of the power plant of patents no CA2328580 or no US6990809 instead of the above-mentioned small water-transferring pump, in order to transfer hot water from the pipe of the above-mentioned compartment in which ascending containers are moving upwardly, to the inside part of the ascending container where compressed air is in expansion process at shallower depth during the functioning of said self-propelled energy generator.
Note: The intake of said transferring-pipe is directed upwardly in the same direction the ascending containers are moving during the functioning of said self-propelled energy generator that let hot water to entering into every ascending container. Thus, during the ascending run of every ascending container, hot water enters said hot water transferring-pipe then to the shower that showers the expanding colder compressed air with hot water.
Result of the use of extra air/water mixing devices and air blowers:
The more compressed air volume said modular hydraulic air compressor could produce the better is the performance and the efficiency of said self-propelled energy generator. Thus, with the use of extra air/water mixing devices and air blowers, the entrainment of more atmospheric air into said lower separating device of said modular hydraulic air compressor, would be a real fact and any quantity of air that ends in said air receiver of said lower separating device, is condemned to be compressed, because it does not have any other choice of escaping after entering said air receiver without being compressed. The only exit for the imprisoned air in said air receiver is through said compressed air transferring pipe and the pressure control valve of said house valve.
Thus, the more fuel we can produce the bigger the power plant will be, and the result in the end is the overall energy production of said self-propelled energy generator that exceeds by a lot, the energy used by said modular hydraulic air compressor.
Result of the use:
1- Of a compartment in which the power plant of said self-propelled energy generator is installed.
In order to give back the expanding compressed air, the heat that was lost during its compression process in said modular hydraulic air compressor, a hot surrounding has to be provided to the expanding compressed air into said ascending containers of said power plant of said self-propelled energy generator. Thus, If the hot water of the compression chamber was to be transferred directly into the power plant's pool not into said above-mentioned compartment, the water temperature of the power plant's pool will be lower than needed for a right isothermal expansion. For this raison the use of the above-mentioned compartment, is a most in order to produce a maximum amount of energy using the same airflow of the same modular hydraulic air compressor.
2- Of small water transferring-pumps in every container of the power plant of patents no CA2328580 or no US6990809 that permits hot water-transfer from the pipe of said above-mentioned compartment into every ascending container, where compressed air is in expansion process at shallower depth during the functioning of said self-propelled energy generator.
The imprisoned expanding compressed air gets the needed heat for its isothermal expansion from the surrounding through the material of the container and directly from water that exists inside the ascending containers. During the functioning of said self-propelled energy generator, hot water exists always outside of the ascending containers because of the steady hot water transferring from the separating device, but inside the ascending containers, hot water is staidly loosing heat during air expansion if we don't heat it up. Thus, In order to provide enough heat for the expansion process, we make sure that the gear of the water-transferring pump engages an affixed cog-rail that provides a rotation for the pump that pumps hot water from the pipe in which hot water is transferred to it from the separating device. The pumped hot water is then transferred to a showering system affixed inside of the container, that showers the expanding compressed air with a multitude of droplets in order to enlarge the contact surface between hot water and expanding compressed air, that helps to provide an effective heat for the expansion process in order to close up the isothermal compression process of said self-propelled energy generator the subject of the present invention.
3- Of water transferring-pipes in every container of the power plant of patents no CA2328580 or no US6990809 instead of the above-mentioned small water-transferring pumps, in order to transfer hot water from the pipe of the above-mentioned compartment in which ascending containers are moving upwardly, to the inside part of the ascending container where compressed air is in expansion process at shallower depth during the functioning of said self-propelled energy generator, without the use of an affixed cog-rail.
Instead of using a pump in order to transfer hot water to the ascending container's showering system, we use a pipe that has its intake directed in the same direction of the ascending container. Thus, during the functioning of said self-propelled energy generator, hot water enters into the pipe and gets transferred to the showering system of said ascending containers that showers the expanding compressed air with a multitude of droplets in order to enlarge the contact surface between hot water and expanding compressed air, that helps to provide an effective heat for the expansion process in order to close up the isothermal compression process of said self-propelled energy generator the subject of the present invention.
Note: In order to respect the continuity equation for said main water-transferring pump, a secondary water-transferring pump could be used in order to transfer the needed water for the good functioning of the apparatus, from said power plant's pool into said lower separating device.
Finally, The best and most interesting conclusion of the above, is that one element of said self-propelled energy generator the subject of the present invention, is producing the fuel that is used by another element of said same self-propelled energy generator in order to produce a much bigger amount of energy than the amount of energy that is used by the first element to produce the needed fuel.
To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, may changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.
For a better understanding of this invention and to facilitate its examination, it is represented in the following 34 Figures.
Brief description of the drawings:
Figure 1 a front view of a modular hydraulic air compressor.
Figure 2 a front view of a modular hydraulic air compressor having a water turbine that harnesses the kinetic energy of the down flowing air/water mix.
Figure 3 a top schematic view of a modular hydraulic air compressor.
Figures 4 a top cross sectional view along line B-B of figure 1.
Figure 5 a top schematic view of a modular hydraulic air compressor having a water turbine that harnesses the kinetic energy of the down flowing air/water mix.
Figure 6 a top cross sectional view along line B-B of figure 2.
Figure 7 a schematic front view of a self-propelled energy generator including a modular hydraulic air compressor coupled to a power plant of patents no CA 2328580 or US 6990809.
Figure 8 a schematic front view of a self-propelled energy generator including a modular hydraulic air compressor having a water turbine that harnesses the kinetic energy of the down flowing air/water mix, and coupled to a power plant of patents no CA 2328580 or US 6990809.
Figure 9 a front cross sectional view along line C-C of figure 3.
Figure 10 a front cross sectional view along line D-D of figure 5.
Figure 11 a top cross sectional view along line A-A of figure 1.
Figure 12 a top cross sectional view along line A-A of figure 2.
Figure 13 an enlarged schematic front cross sectional view along line F-F of figure 15.
Figure 14 an enlarged right schematic view of a vertical baffle that helps air-free water transfer without whirling and vortexes, between the separating chamber of the main separating compartment and the air-free water's compartment where the intake of the up-take tail pipe of said modular hydraulic air compressor is located.
Figure 15 a top view of an air/water-mixing head.
Figure 16 a top schematic view of the affixed part of the air/water-mixing head.
Figure 17 a top schematic view showing air and water supply to the air/water-mixing head.
Figure 18 a top schematic view showing the paths of air and water supply to the air/water-mixing passage through the affixed part of said air/water mixing head.
Figure 19 a top view of a one-block self-propelled energy generator built in a deep well including a modular hydraulic air compressor and a corresponding power plant of patents no CA
2328580 or US 6990809.
Figure 20 a schematic front cross sectional view along line H-H of figure 19.
Figure 21 a schematic front cross sectional view along line H-H of figure 19 for a self-propelled energy generator having water turbine that harnesses the kinetic energy of the speedy down flowing air/water mix.
Figure 22 a schematic front cross sectional view along line H-H of figure 19 for a self-propelled energy generator having a longer lower separating device that goes under ground from one side, in order to let the air/water mix to travel a longer distance that gives enough time for the last air bubbles to separate from water and go upwardly to said compressed air receiver.
Figure 23 a top view of a one-block self-propelled energy generator built in a deep well including a modular hydraulic air compressor having an extra air/water mixing device that is affixed on the down-take head pipe between the main air/water mixing head of the upper water reservoir and the lower secondary separating device.
Figure 24 an enlarged cross sectional view of an extra air/water-mixing device.
Figure 25 an enlarged cross sectional view of a venturi-type like extra air/water mixing device.
Figure 26 a front cross sectional view along line I-I of figure 23.
Figure 27 a front cross sectional view along line I-I of figure 23 for a self-propelled energy generator having in addition an air blower that supplies the extra air/water mixing device.
Figure 28 a front view of a stopped modular hydraulic air compressor having an extra air/water-mixing device.
Figure 29 a front cross sectional view along line C-C of figure 1 of a modular hydraulic air compressor having a venturi-type like extra air/water mixing device.
Figure 30 a schematic front cross sectional view along line H-H of figure 31.
Figure 31 a top view of a one-block self-propelled energy generator having a power plant of patents no CA2328580 or no US6990809, and a modular hydraulic air compressor sharing same water of the same pool.
Figure 32 a schematic front cross sectional view along line H-H of figure 31 for a self-propelled energy generator having containers, upper and lower cogwheels of said power plant, placed in a compartment in which hot water of said modular hydraulic air compressor is transferred in order to have a maximum heat-transfer between hot water and colder compressed air during compressed air expansion cycle.
Figure 33 an enlarged schematic front cross sectional view of ascending containers of said power plant showing water pump's system of each container that showers colder compressed air during its expansion cycle in order to provide enough heat to close up the isothermal compression cycle of said self-propelled energy generator.
Figure 34 an enlarged schematic front cross sectional view of ascending containers of said power plant showing water pipe's system of each container that showers colder compressed air during its expansion cycle in order to provide enough heat to close up the isothermal compression cycle of said self-propelled energy generator.
When considered with the description herein, the characteristics of the invention are apparent from the accompanying drawings, which exemplify an embodiment of the invention for purposes of illustration only, and in which -Figure 1 is a front view of a modular hydraulic air compressor including the elevated water reservoir 1, the air/water mixing-head 9, the air inlet pipes 10, the down-take head pipe 2, the lower separating device 5 including its main separating compartment 5-A and its secondary separating compartment 5-B, the up-take tail pipe 3, the water-transfemng pump 4. In addition figure 1 includes the compressed air-transfer pipe 6, the compressed air tank 7 in which compressed air is collected before it is transferred to said power plant P of patents no CA 2328580 or US 6990809, the house valve 8 that has in addition a pressure control valve which controls the compressed air discharge pressure of said modular hydraulic air compressor.
Figure 2 is a front view of a modular hydraulic air compressor having a water turbine that harnesses the kinetic energy of the down flowing air/water mix. Figure 2 includes in addition of what was listed in figure 1, the secondary electrical generator 11 that is run optionally by the water turbine 11-A.
Figure 3 is a top schematic view of a modular hydraulic air compressor including the elevated water reservoir 1, the air/water mixing-head 9, the air inlet pipes 10, the up-take tail pipe 3, the lower separating device 5 including its main separating compartment 5-A, and the compressed air-transfer pipe 6.
Figure 4 is a top cross sectional view along line B-B of figure 1 including the down-take head pipe 2, the up-take tail pipe 3, the compressed air-transfer pipe 6, the lower separating device 5 including its main separating compartment 5-A and its secondary separating compartment 5-B.
Figure 5 is a top schematic view of a modular hydraulic air compressor having a water turbine that harnesses the kinetic energy of the down flowing air/water mix including the elevated water reservoir 1, the air/water mixing-head 9, the air inlet pipes 10, the up-take tail pipe 3, the lower separating device 5 including its main separating compartment 5-A. In addition figure 5 includes the secondary electrical generator 11 and the compressed air-transfer pipe 6.
Figure 6 is a top cross sectional view along line B-B of figure 2 including the down-take head pipe 2, the up-take tail pipe 3, the lower separating device 5 including its main separating compartment 5-A and its secondary separating compartment 5-B. In addition figure 6 includes the secondary electrical generator 11, the water turbine 11-A, and the compressed air-transfer pipe 6.
Figure 7 is a schematic front view of a self-propelled energy generator including a modular hydraulic air compressor coupled to a power plant P of patents no CA 2328580 or US 6990809.
Figure 7 includes the elevated water reservoir 1, the air/water mixing-head 9, the air inlet pipes 10, the down-take head pipe 2, the lower separating device 5 including its main separating comparhnent 5-A and its secondary separating compartment 5-B, the up-take tail pipe 3, the water-transferring pump 4. In addition figure 1 includes the compressed air-transfer pipe 6, the house valve 8 that has in addition a pressure control valve that controls the compressed air discharge pressure of said modular hydraulic air compressor, the compressed air tank 7 in which compressed air is collected before it is transferred to the power plant P of patents no CA
2328580 or US 6990809 through the compressed air transfer pipe 18.
Figure 8 is a schematic front view of a self-propelled energy generator including a modular hydraulic air compressor having a water turbine 11-A that harnesses the kinetic energy of the down flowing air/water mix, and coupled to a power plant P of patents no CA 2328580 or US 6990809. Figure 8 includes in addition of what was listed in figure 7 the secondary electrical generator 11 that is run optionally by the water turbine 11-A.
Figure 9 is a front cross sectional view along line C-C of figure 3 including a modular hydraulic air compressor coupled to the power plant P of patents no CA 2328580 or US 6990809. Figure 9 includes the elevated water reservoir 1, the air/water mixing-head 9 that includes the air inlet pipes 10, the air chamber 25, the induction or siphon rings 28, the mixing passage 30, the induction head 31 that forms a sealed hollow member which floats in the water within the lower part of the air and water intake chamber 34 and has its lower conical part 32 immersed therein. In addition figure 9 includes the down-take head pipe 2, the lower end 2-A of said down-take head pipe 2, the lower separating device 5 including its main separating compartment 5-A and its secondary separating compartment 5-B, the separating cone 12 that helps to separate some air bubbles from the air/water mix in the secondary separating compartment 5-B, the holding means 15 that affix the separating cone 12 in a central position far from the interior walls of the secondary separating compartment 5-B at a well predetermined height from the bottom of the lower separating device 5 that allows the un-separated air/water mix to flow easily to the lower compartment 12-A of the secondary separating compartment 5-B of the lower separating device 5, the horizontal baffle 14 that is placed between the compressed air receiver 16 and the separating cone 12, the compressed air transfer pipe 13 that transfers compressed air from under the separating cone 12 to the compressed air receiver 16 through well placed orifices 14-A in the horizontal baffle 14, the lower compartment 12-A of the secondary separating compartment 5-B, the inter-communicating conical pipe 17 in which the air/water mix is transferred from the bottom of the secondary separating compartment 5-B into the main separating compartment 5-A, the inlet 17-A and the outlet 17-B of said inter-communicating conical pipe 17, the beginning 19 and the end 19-A of the run of the air/water mix in said main separating compartment 5-A where the air bubbles of the air/water mix are completely separated before going upwardly to the compressed air receiver 16, the air-free water's compartment 19-B where the inlet 3-A of the up-take tail pipe 3 is placed, the separations 21 of the separating chamber of the main separating compartment 5-A that are placed in a way to let the air/water mix to travel a longer distance in a loop from where it is originally dropped by the outlet 17-B of the inter-communicating conical pipe 17 to the intake 3-A of the up-take tail pipe 3, the vertical baffle 20 with its lower impenetrable barrier 20-A and its upper part that has horizontal pipe-like passages 20-B in which air-free water flows from the air/water separating chamber of the main separating compartment 5-A to the air-free water's compartment 19-B without whirling or forming vortexes in the separating chamber, the up-take tail pipe 3, the water-transferring pump 4, the compressed air-transfer pipe 6, the house valve 8 that has in addition a pressure control valve that controls the compressed air discharge pressure of said modular hydraulic air compressor, the compressed air tank 7 in which compressed air is collected before it is transferred to the rotary transfer joint 18-A of said power plant P through the compressed air transfer pipe 18, the compressed air receiver 16 in which compressed air accumulates after being separated from water before being transferred to the power plant P through the pneumatic circuit that includes the compressed air transfer pipe 6, the valve house 8, the compressed air tank 7, the compressed air transfer pipe 18 and the rotary transfer joint 18-A. More over figure 9 shows the air-free water's run from the bottom of the air-free water's compartment 19-B where the water-transferring pump 4 sucks air-free water through the inlet 3-A in order to transfer it to the elevated water reservoir 1 where the same water starts another compressing cycle.
Figure 10 is a front cross sectional view along line D-D of figure 5 including a modular hydraulic air compressor having a water turbine 11-A that harnesses the kinetic energy of the down flowing air/water mix, and coupled to a power plant P of patents no CA 2328580 or US 6990809. Figure 10 includes in addition of what was listed in figure 9 the water turbine 11-A that harnesses the kinetic energy of the down flowing air/water mix, the secondary electrical generator 11 that is run by the water turbine 11-A through the coupling shaft 11-B, the housing 11-C where inside of which the turbine 11-A turns while helping at the same time the separation of a part of the air bubbles of the air/water mix.
Figures 11 is a top cross sectional view along line A-A of figure 1 including the lower separating device 5, the main separating compartment 5-A, the secondary separating compartment 5-B, the up-take tail pipe 3 with its intake 3-A, the separating cone 12, the holding means 15 that affix said separating cone 12 in a central position far from the interior walls of the secondary separating compartment 5-B at a well predetermined height from the bottom of the lower separating device 5 that allows the un-separated air/water mix to flow to said lower compartment 12-A of the secondary separating compartment 5-B of the lower separating device 5, the compressed air transfer pipe 13 that transfers compressed air from under the separating cone 12 to the compressed air receiver 16 through well placed orifices 14-A in the horizontal baffle 14, the inter-communicating conical pipe 17 in which the air/water mix is transferred from the bottom of the secondary compartment 5-B into the main separating compartment 5-A, the inlet 17-A and the outlet 17-B of the inter-communicating conical pipe 17, the beginning 19 and the end 19-A of the run of the air/water mix in the separating chamber of said main separating compartment 5-A where the air bubbles of the air/water mix are completely separated before going to the compressed air receiver 16, the air-free water's compartment 19-B
where the inlet 3-A of the water-transferring pump 4 is placed, the separations 21 of the separating chamber of the main separating compartment 5-A that are placed in a way to let the air/water mix to travel a longer distance in a loop from where it is originally dropped by the outlet 17-B of the inter-communicating conical pipe 17 to the intake 3-A of the up-take tail pipe 3, the vertical baffle 20 with its upper part that has horizontal pipe-like passages 20-B in which air-free water flows from the air/water separating chamber of the main separating compartment 5-A to the air-free water's compartment 19-B without whirling or forming vortexes in the separating chamber.
Figure 12 is a top cross sectional view along line A-A of figure 2. Figure 12 includes in addition of what was listed in figure 11 excluding the compressed air transfer pipe 13, the water turbine 11-A that harnesses the kinetic energy of the down flowing air/water mix, the secondary electrical generator 11 that is run by the water turbine 11-A through the coupling shaft 11-B, the housing 11-C where inside of which the turbine 11-A turns while helping at the same time the separation of a part of the air bubbles of the air/water mix.
Figure 13 is an ernlarged schematic front cross sectional view along line F-F
of figure 15 including the downwardly tapering induction or compression tube 23 which is arranged centrally within the lower part of the air/water mixing head and has its induction lower end 23-A connected with the upper end 2-B of the down-take head pipe 2 by any suitable coupling means 2-C, the upper end of the induction tube 23 that connects with the lower inner edge of the upwardly flaring flange 24 that forms the bottom of the annular air chamber 25, the annular outer edge 26 of the air chamber 25, the air intake pipes 10 that connect with the atmospheric air from one side and with the air chamber 25 from the other side, the upper end 27 of the air chamber 25 that is arranged in a downwardly tapering or conical induction or siphon ring which is preferably of downwardly and inwardly curved form in cross section and connected at its outer elevated edge with the upper edge of the upright wa1126 of the air chamber 25, the plurality of intermediate induction or siphon rings 28 that are located between the upper induction ring 27 and the upper end of the lower induction tube 23, the annular downwardly tapering or conical siphoning passages 29 that are located between the overlapping parts of each adjacent two of these intermediate induction or siphon rings 28, the mixing passage 30, the induction head 31 that forms a sealed hollow member which floats in the water within the lower part of the air and water intake chamber 34 and has its lower conical part immersed therein. In addition figure 13 includes the lower downwardly tapering or conical bottom 32 of the induction head 31 that is projecting downwardly into the central part of the mixing passage 30, the upright cylindrical side wall 33 of the induction head 31 that projects upwardly from the outer edge of the conical bottom 32 into the upper part of the air and water intake chamber 34, the top 35 of the induction head 31 that connects with the upper edge of the side wall 33. More over figure 13 includes the means 22 that are provided for adjusting the induction head vertically for the purpose of varying the cross section of the mixed stream of air and water flowing downwardly through the mixing passage 30 and obtaining the maximum output compressed airflow from a given modular hydraulic air compressor's design.
Figure 14 is an enlarged right schematic view of the vertical baffle 20 that helps air-free water-transferring between the separating chamber of the main separating compartment 5-A, and the air-free water's compartment 19-B where the intake 3-A of the up-take tail pipe 3 of said modular hydraulic air compressor is located, without whirling or forming vortexes in the separating chamber when the water-transferring pump 4 is running and transferring air-free water between the bottom of the air-free water's compartment 19-B of the main separating compartment 5-A, and the upper water reservoir 1 of said modular hydraulic air compressor 9. Figure 14 includes in addition the lower part 20-A that is an impenetrable barrier, the upper part that has horizontal pipe-like passages 20-B, and the inter-communicating conical pipe 17 in which the air/water mix is transferred from the bottom of the secondary compartment 5-B into the main separating compartment 5-A. Said inter-communicating conical pipe 17 crosses the vertical baffle 20 at its very lower section.
Figure 15 is a top view of an air/water-mixing head 9 including the air intake pipes 10 that connect with the atmosphere from one side and with the air chamber 25 from the other side, the induction head 31 that forms a sealed hollow member which floats in the water witlun the lower part of the air and water intake chamber 34 and has its lower conical part immersed therein, the upper water reservoir 1. In addition figure 15 includes the means 22 that are provided for adjusting the induction head vertically for the purpose of varying the cross section of the mixed stream of air and water flowing downwardly through the mixing passage 30 and obtaining the maximum output compressed airflow from a given modular hydraulic air compressor's design.
Figure 16 is a top schematic view of the affixed part 9-A of the air/water-mixing head 9 including the upper end 27 of the air chamber 25, the plurality of intermediate induction or siphon rings 28 that are located between the upper induction ring 27 and the upper end of the lower induction tube 23, the mixing passage 30, the upper water reservoir 1. In addition figure 16 includes the spider 36 that maintains said compression tube 23-A in a central position relative to the intake head 9 and to the down-take head pipe 2.
Figure 17 is a top schematic view showing air and water supply to the air/water-mixing head. Figure 17 includes in addition of what was listed in figure 15 the atmospheric airflow 37 entering the air intake pipes 10, and the water flow 38 entering between the upper induction ring 27 and the conical bottom 32 of the induction head 31 in order to entrain air from the air chamber 25 through the annular downwardly tapering or conical siphoning passages 29 that are located between the overlapping parts of each adjacent two of these intermediate induction or siphon rings 28 to form the air/water mix that flows downwardly through the down-take head pipe 2.
Figures 18 is a top schematic view showing the path of air and water supply to the air/water-mixing passage 30 through the affixed part 9-A of said air/water-mixing head 9. Figure 18 includes in addition of what was listed in figure 16 the path 39 of the water flow 38 that comes from the upper water reservoir 1 and the path 40 of the atmospheric air 37 that is entrained by said water flow 38 from the air chamber 25 through the annular downwardly tapering or conical siphoning passages 29.
Figure 19 is a top view of a one-block self-propelled energy generator built in a deep well 47 including a modular hydraulic air compressor and a corresponding power plant P of patents no CA 2328580 or US 6990809.
Figure 19 includes an elliptical-shape like deep well 47 that is dogged up in the ground and its walls are cemented in order to make it suitable to receive the power plant P and the modular hydraulic compressor, the power plant P that has 3 stages 46 with the driving shaft 41, the flywheel 42, the Foucault-current electromagnetic brake 43, the gearbox 44, the main electrical generator 45, the pneumatic circuit that includes the rotary transfer joints 18-A, the compressed air transfer pipes 18 that transfers compressed air from the compressed air tank 7 to the rotary transfer joints 18-A, the compressed air tank 7, and the compressed air transfer pipe 6 that transfers compressed air from the compressed air receiver 16 to the compressed air tank 7.
Figure 19 includes in addition the modular hydraulic air compressor, the air inlet pipes 10, the elevated water reservoir 1, and the up-take tail pipe 3.
Figure 20 is a schematic front cross sectional view along line H-H of figure 19 including a modular hydraulic air compressor coupled to the power plant P of patents no CA 2328580 or US
6990809. Figure 20 includes the elevated water reservoir 1, the air/water mixing-head 9 that includes the air inlet pipes 10, the air chamber 25, the induction or siphon rings 28, the mixing passage 30, the induction head 31 that forms a sealed hollow member which floats in the water within the lower part of the air and water intake chamber 34 and has its lower conical part 32 immersed therein. In addition figure 9 includes the down-take head pipe 2, the lower end 2-A of said down-take head pipe 2, the lower separating device 5 including its main separating compartment 5-A and its secondary separating compartment 5-B, the separating cone 12 that helps to separate some air bubbles from the air/water mix in the secondary separating compartment 5-B, the holding means 15 that affix the separating cone 12 in a central position far from the interior walls of the secondary separating compartment 5-B at a well predetermined height from the bottom of the lower separating device 5 that allows the un-separated air/water mix to flow easily to the lower compartment 12-A of the secondary separating compartment 5-B of the lower separating device 5, the horizontal baffle 14 that is placed between the compressed air receiver 16 and the separating cone 12, the compressed air transfer pipe 13 that transfers compressed air from under the separating cone 12 to the compressed air receiver 16 through well placed orifices 14-A in the horizontal baffle 14, the lower compartment 12-A of the secondary separating compartment 5-B, the inter-communicating conical pipe 17 in which the air/water mix is transferred from the bottom of the secondary separating compartment 5-B into the main separating compartment 5-A, the inlet 17-A and the outlet 17-B of said inter-communicating conical pipe 17, the beginning 19 and the end 19-A of the run of the air/water mix in said main separating compartment 5-A
where the air bubbles of the air/water mix are completely separated before going upwardly to the compressed air receiver 16, the air-free water's compartment 19-B where the inlet 3-A of the up-take tail pipe 3 is placed, the separations 21 of the separating chamber of the main separating compartment 5-A that are placed in a way to let the air/water mix to travel a longer distance in a loop from where it is originally dropped by the outlet 17-B of the inter-communicating conical pipe 17 to the intake 3-A of the up-take tail pipe 3, the vertical baffle 20 with its lower impenetrable barrier 20-A and its upper part that has horizontal pipe-like passages 20-B in which air-free water flows from the air/water separating chamber of the main separating compartment 5-A to the air-free water's compartment 19-B without whirling or forming vortexes in the separating chamber, the up-take tail pipe 3, the water-transferring pump 4, the compressed air-transfer pipe 6, the house valve 8 that has in addition a pressure control valve that controls the compressed air discharge pressure of said modular hydraulic air compressor, the compressed air tank 7 in which compressed air is collected before it is transferred to the rotary transfer joint 18-A of said power plant P through the compressed air transfer pipe 18, the compressed air receiver 16 in which compressed air accumulates after being separated from water before being transferred to the power plant P through the pneumatic circuit that includes the compressed air transfer pipe 6, the valve house 8, the compressed air tank 7, the compressed air transfer pipe 18 and the rotary transfer joint 18-A. More over figure 20 shows the air-free water's run from the bottom of the air-free water's compartment 19-B where the water-transferring pump 4 sucks air-free water through the inlet 3-A in order to transfer it to the elevated water reservoir 1 where the same water starts another compressing cycle. Finally, figure 20 includes the deep wel147 that is dogged up in the ground and its walls are cemented in order to make it suitable to receiving the power plant P and the modular hydraulic air compressor, the separation 48 that separates between the lower separating device 5 of the modular hydraulic air compressor and the power plant's pool P-1 through which the lost energy of the air compression process is transferred in order to heat up the power plant pool's water that in turn heats up the compressed air of the ascending containers of said power plant P.
Figure 21 is a schematic front cross sectional view along line H-H of figure 19 for a self-propelled energy generator having water pump 4 that harnesses the kinetic energy of the speedy down flowing air/water mix.
Figure 21 includes in addition of what was listed in figure 20 the water turbine 11-A that harnesses the kinetic energy of the down flowing air/water mix, the secondary electrical generator 11 that is run by the water turbine 11-A through the driving means 49, the housing 50 where the upright shaft 51 passes in order to transfer the driving torque from the water turbine 11-A to the secondary electrical generator 11 that is located on dry land.
Figure 22 is a schematic front cross sectional view along line H-H of figure 19 for a self-propelled energy generator having a longer lower separating device 5 that goes under ground from one side, in order to let the air/water mix to travel a longer distance that gives enough time for the last air bubbles to separate from water and go upwardly to said compressed air receiver 16. Figure 21 includes in addition of what was listed in figure 20, the section of the lower separating device 5 that is located in an underground tunnel 52.
Figure 23 is a top view of a one-block self-propelled energy generator built in a deep well including a modular hydraulic air compressor having an extra air/water mixing devices 55 that are affixed on the down-take head pipe 2 between the main air/water mixing head 9 of the upper water reservoir 1 and the lower separating device 5. Figure 23 includes in addition of what was listed in figure 19, the air inlet 53 through which atmospheric air transits to the extra air/water mixing devices 55.
Figure 24 is enlarged cross sectional views of an extra air/water-mixing device 55 including an air chamber 54 through which the down-take head pipe 2 passes. Figure 24 includes in addition the upper and lower covers 54-A
and 54-B of the air chamber 54, the air inlet 53 in which atmospheric air transits to said air chamber 54 through an air control valve 57, the air nozzles 56 through which air enters from the air chamber 54 into the down-take head pipe 2 in order to add more air bubbles to the air/water mix that is traveling downwardly to the lower separating device 5, because at bigger depth the hydrostatic pressure of the column of water that exists between the water surfaces of the upper water reservoir 1 and the location where the extra air/water mixing device is affixed on the down-take head pipe 2, compresses the trapped air bubbles and the down flowing air/water mix becomes steadily air lean at bigger depth where a place for more air bubbles becomes available. The extra air bubbles that are added to the air/water mix help to increase the efficiency of said modular hydraulic air compressor 9.
Figure 25 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a venturi- type like extra air/water mixing device 58 that can be secured to the down-take head pipe 2 including the converging nozzle 59 of the upper section of the down-take head pipe 2 that ends the water inlet inside the vacuum chamber 60 which is connected to the venturi 61 before the diverging cone 62 that in turn is connected to the lower section of said down-take head pipe 2. In addition figure 25 includes the air inlet 53 in which atmospheric air transits to the extra air/water-mixing device 58 through an air control valve 57. This vemturi-type like mixing device can be used in addition as a main air/water-mixing head for said modular hydraulic air compressor 9.
Figure 26 is a front cross sectional view along line I-I of figure 23. Figure 26 includes in addition of what was listed in figure 20 the air inlet 53 in which atmospheric air transits to the extra air/water mixing devices 55, the extra air/water-mixing devices 55 including the air chamber 54 through which the down-take head pipe 2 passes, the upper and lower covers 54-A and 54-B of said air chamber 54, the air nozzles 56 through which air enters from the air chamber 54 into the down-take head pipe 2 in order to add more air bubbles to the air/water mix that is traveling downwardly to the lower separating device 5. More over figure 26 includes more than one extra air/water-mixing head because the down-take head pipe 2 of this design is very deep. At lower depth the hydrostatic pressure of the column of water H that exists between the water surfaces of the upper water reservoir 1 and the location where the extra air/water mixing device is affixed on the down-take head pipe 2, compresses the trapped air bubbles and the down flowing air/water mix becomes steadily air lean at bigger depth where a place for more air bubbles becomes available, that helps to increase the efficiency of said modular hydraulic air compressor 9.
Figure 27 is a front cross sectional view along line I-I of figure 23 for a self-propelled energy generator having in addition an air blower 63 that supplies the extra air/water-mixing device.
Figure 27 includes in addition of what was listed in figure 20 and figure 26 the air blower 63 that can be used to push more air into the air/water mixing heads. Said air blower 63 can be run exclusively by the energy that can be produced by said water turbine 11-A which harnesses the kinetic energy of the fast down-flowing air/water mix of said modular hydraulic air compressor 9.
Figure 28 is a front view of a stopped modular hydraulic air compressor having an extra air/water-mixing device 55. Figure 28 shows the water 53-A that invades the air inlet pipe 53 of the extra air/water mixing head 55, up to the same level that exists in the upper water reservoir 1 when the modular hydraulic air compressor is not working and the air control valve 57 is open.
Figure 29 is a front cross sectional view along line C-C of figure 3 of a modular hydraulic air compressor having a venturi-type like extra air/water mixing device 58. Figure 27 includes in addition of what was listed in figure 9 the venturi- type like extra air/water mixing device 58 that is secured to the down-take head pipe 2 including the converging nozzle 59 that ends the air/water mix's inlet inside the vacuum chamber 60 which is connected to the venturi 61 before the diverging cone 62 that in turn is connected to the collar of the lower section of the down-take head pipe 2. In addition figure 25 includes the air inlet 53 in which atmospheric air transits to the extra air/water-mixing device 58 through the air control valve 57.
Figure 30 is a schematic front cross sectional view along line H-H of figure 31 including a power plant P of patents no CA2328580 or no US6990809, and a modular hydraulic air compressor sharing same water of a same pool P-1, but said same pool P-1 is divided by a separation 63 into two compartments P-2 and P-3 that communicate with each other from the bottom only through an opening 64 to allowing to have hot water in compartment P1 where the power plant P is located and colder water in compartment P3 where said mixing head 9 of said modular hydraulic air compressor sucks its water through the water-circulating pump 4. Figure 30 includes in addition a shorter up-take tail pipe 3 through which said water-circulating pump 4 transfers hot water from the lower separating device 5 of said modular hydraulic air compressor to said compartment P2 where compressed air expands inside the ascending containers of said power plant P.
More over figure 30 shows the passage 64 where cold water enters through which from the lower bottom of compartment P2 to compartment P3.
Figure 31 is a top view of a one-block self-propelled energy generator having the power plant of patents no CA2328580 or no US6990809, and the modular hydraulic air compressor sharing same water of the same pool P-1. Figure 31 includes an elliptical-shape like deep well 47 that is dogged up in the ground and its walls are cemented in order to make it suitable to receive the power plant P with its two compartments P-2 and P-3 that are separated by the separation 63 and through which they communicate through the opening 64 that is located in the bottom of the pool P-1, the modular hydraulic air compressor, the power plant P that has 3 stages 46 with the driving shaft 41, the flywheel 42, the Foucault-current electromagnetic brake 43, the gearbox 44, the main electrical generator 45, the pneumatic circuit that includes the rotary transfer joints 18-A, the compressed air transfer pipes 18 that transfers compressed air from the compressed air tank 7 to the rotary transfer joints 18-A, the compressed air tank 7, and the compressed air transfer pipe 6 that transfers compressed air from the compressed air receiver 16 to the compressed air tank 7. Figure 19 includes in addition the modular hydraulic air compressor, the air inlet pipes 10, the mixing head 9, and the separation 63 that divides between the hot water of compartment P2 and the cold water of compartment P3.
Figure 32 is a schematic front cross sectional view along line H-H of figure 31 for a self-propelled energy generator having containers, upper and lower cogwheels of said power plant, placed in a compartment in which hot water of said modular hydraulic air compressor is transferred in order to have a maximum heat-transfer between hot water and colder compressed air during compressed air expansion cycle. Figure 32 includes the compartment 65 inside of which the power plant P is affixed, the lower separating device 5, the up-take tail pipe 3, the main water-transferring pump 4, the water transferring pipes 70 through which hot water is transferred from the lower separating device 5 into pipe 66 of the compartment 65 in which the ascending containers 75 move upwardly during the functioning of said self-propelled energy generator.
Figure 32 includes in addition pipe 67 of the compartment 65 in which the descending containers move downwardly toward the lower cogwheel in order to start a new ascending cycle, the overflow 68 through which water overflows from the compartment 65 into the power plant's main pool P-2. Finally, figure 32 includes an opening 69 in the bottom of said compartment 65 through which the water inside compartment 65 communicates with the water of the power plant's main pool P-2 that facilitates the water filling of the subject of the present invention.
Figure 33 is an enlarged schematic front cross sectional view of ascending containers of said power plant showing water pump's system of each container that showers compressed air during expansion cycle in order to provide enough heat to said expanded compressed air. Figure 33 includes pipe 66 of the compartment 65 in which the ascending containers 75 move upwardly during the functioning of said self-propelled energy generator, the water transferring pipes 70 through which hot water 70-A is transferred from the lower separating device 5 into pipe 66 of the compartment 65, the small water-transferring pump 71 that transfers hot water from pipe 66 into the ascending container 75 through pipes 74 and 74-A, the gear 72 that operates said water transferring-pump 71 through the cog-rail 73 when the ascending containers are pushed upwardly during the functioning of said self-propelled energy generator. In addition figure 33 includes the showering system 74-B, and the hot water 74-C that showers the colder expanding compressed air 74-D.
Figure 34 is an enlarged schematic front cross sectional view of ascending containers of said power plant showing water pipe's system that replaces the water pump's system of each container that showers compressed air during expansion cycle in order to provide enough heat to said expanded compressed air. Figure 34 includes pipe 66 of the compartment 65 in which the ascending containers 75 move upwardly during the functioning of said self-propelled energy generator, the water transferring pipes 70 through which hot water 70-A is transferred from the lower separating device 5 into pipe 66 of the compartment 65, the water-transferring pipe 76 that transfers hot water from pipe 66 into the ascending container 75 through an opening 76-A that is directed upwardly in order to let water to entering pipes 76 and 74-A. In addition figure 34 includes the showering system 74-B, and the hot water 74-C that showers the colder expanding compressed air 74-D.
It should be understood, of course, that this self-propelled energy generator can be built from various materials and in different dimensions according to the quantity of energy required. The drawings do not show every step in the construction of the present invention, but they set out the overall result clearly.
Before starting said self-propelled energy generator that produces clean and renewable energy, through potential energy of compressed airflow and water's Perpetual Buoyant Force, all of its components have to be in place.
Figures 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34 show self-propelled energy generators that are used as examples to show the functioning of the present invention:
1- The pressure of the compressed air that is going to be used to run said self-propelled energy generator is predetermined in order to build the corresponding modular hydraulic air compressor that can produce such compressed air at the chosen discharge pressure in order to be able to inject the produced compressed airflow into the ascending containers of said power plant P in bottom of said pool A-1, while harnessing maximum output energy out of the preferred apparatus.
2- The power of the needed self-propelled energy generator has to be well pre-determined in order to build accordingly an appropriate power plant P.
3- The height H of the column of water between the water surfaces of the upper water reservoir 1 and the lower separating device 5 that determines the right hydrostatic pressure needed to compress the air in the compressed air receiver, has to be well deterrnined in order to dig the right circular or elliptical-shape like deep well 47 that receives in its bottom the lower separating device 5 of said modular hydraulic air compressor which houses in addition the compressed air receiver 16, and above said lower separating device 5 the power plant's pool P-1 that contains the power plant it-self P with its upper and lower cogwheels, the endless-chain, the containers and the pneumatic circuit through which compressed air is transferred to the ascending containers of said power plant p.
4- The driving wheel of the upper cogwheel of said power plant P receives on one end a flywhee142 in order to normalize the rotation of said power plant P, and on the other end a Foucault-current electromagnetic regulating brake 43 combined to a gearbox 44 that are mounted to be used mainly to normalize the rotation speed, and allow an overdrive speed for the main electrical generator 45 that is mounted last on this driving shaft 41, but on dry land.
5- The upper water reservoir 1 of said modular hydraulic air compressor is built above the power plant's pool P-1 in a way to let said down-take head pipe 2 and up-take tail pipe 3 connecting uprightly between the upper water reservoir 1 and the lower separating device 5. This upper water reservoir 1 is built above said power plant's pool P-1 at a well studied height H in order to create the right hydrostatic pressure that is needed to compress the airflow at a discharge pressure little higher than the hydrostatic pressure that is in the bottom of the pool P-1, where the compressed air is injected into the ascending containers of said power plant, in order to transfer effectively the compressed air to said ascending containers while they are looping around the lower cogwheel in bottom of pool P-1.
6- The best and most effective air/water mixing head 9 is built and put in place in the upper water reservoir 1 at the collar 2-B of the down-take head pipe 2 in order to provide the best air/water mix to the apparatus in order to produce the bigger airflow that in turn permits said self-propelled energy generator to have the best possible efficiency out of the actual design. For the functioning of the present example a siphon-type like air/water mixing head is used.
7- The water-transferring pump 4 is placed in the up-take tail pipe 3 in order to circulate water in a looping path while transferring air-free water from the bottom of the air-free water's compartment 19-B of the main separating compartment 5-A to the upper water reservoir 1, that allows water to flow downwardly from the upper water reservoir 1 through the down-take head pipe 2 toward said lower separating device 5 in order to replace the pumped water. This water-circulation favours atmospheric air to be entrained by the down flowing water through the down-take head pipe 2 at a high speed toward the lower separating device 5 where air bubbles are separated and compressed by the hydrostatic pressure of the column of water that exists between the water surfaces of the upper water reservoir 1 and the lower separating device 5. For this purpose and in order to have the needed results of said Modular Hydraulic Air Compressor, the surface of the section of said down-take head-pipe 2 has to be smaller than the one of the up-take tail pipe 3 and well calculated that gives the right speed for the down flowing air/water mix which is around 4 meters per second, to allowing maximum amount of air bubbles to mix with water and travel downwardly from said air/water-mixing head 9 to the lower separating device 5.
8- The pneumatic circuit that includes the compressed air transfer pipe 6, the valve house 8, the compressed air tank 7, the compressed air transfer pipes 18 and the rotary transfer joints 18-A, is put in place in order to transfer well studied compressed airflow from the compressed air receiver 16 to the ascending containers of said power plant P.
9- If said self-propelled energy generator is designed to harness the kinetic energy of the down flowing air/water mix, then a water turbine 11-A will be installed in the secondary separating compartment 5-B and coupled through the best means to a secondary electrical generator 11.
10- If said self-propelled energy generator is designed to have a longer lower separating device 5, than an underground tunnel will be dogged as best shown in figure 22 in order to build the designed lower separating device 5.
11- If said self-propelled energy generator is designed to have extra mixing heads, than these extra mixing heads will be installed on the down-take head pipe 2 as best shown in figure 26 or in figure 29 in order to produce a bigger airflow.
12- If said self-propelled energy generator is designed to have an air blower 63, then this air blower 63 will be installed according to the best possible design in order to be able to push more air into the mixing heads that in turn allow the modular hydraulic air compressor to produce more compressed air.
13- All of the control means of the apparatus will be in place in order to run said self-propelled energy generator according to plan without difficulties.
14- An outside source of energy will be connected to said water-transferring pump 4 that helps to start up and run the modular hydraulic air compressor until said power plant P of patents no CA 2328580 or no US 6990809 will be running and producing energy at its full capacity.
15- Ones all of the components of said self-propelled energy generator are in place, then we fill up the modular hydraulic air compressor and the power plant's pool P-1 with water up to the designed limit as explained above.
16- If said self-propelled energy generator is designed to have a power plant P of patents no CA2328580 or no US6990809, and a modular hydraulic air compressor sharing same water of a same pool P-1, than:
a. A separation 63 with an opening 64 has to be built in the pool P-1 in order to separate said pool P-1 in two compartments P2 and P3 and make the communication between both compartments P-2 and P-3 just in the bottom of said pool P-1 through the opening 64.
b. The mixing head 9 will be installed in compartment P-3.
c. The tail pipe 3 will be short and the water transferring pump will be connected to it in order to transfer hot water from the lower separating device 5 of said modular hydraulic air compressor to said compartment P-2 where said power plant P is located in order to heat up the compressed air during its expansion in order to close up the cycle of the isothermal compression cycle of said modular hydraulic air compressor.
d. The well will be deeper in order to have enough depth that permits to produce the needed compressed airflow for the good functioning of said power plant P.
e. If needed too, a cooling system of the heart of said separating device 5 would be installed in order to transfer the excess heat to the water of compartment P-2.
f. Water will be put in the apparatus and the level of said water will be the same in said compartments P-2 and P-3 of said pool P-1.
17- If said self-propelled energy generator is designed to have a power plant P of patents no CA2328580 or no US6990809, having a compartment in which the power plant of said self-propelled energy generator is installed, and a hot water shoring system for the imprisoned expanding compressed air of the ascending containers, than:
a. The power plant P will be installed into a pool inside a compartment 65 made out of material that insulate between hot water of the inside part of said compartment 65 and colder water of the main pool P-2 of said power plant P.
b. The pipe 66 inside of which ascending containers move upwardly, and pipe 67 inside of which descending containers move downwardly during the functioning of the apparatus, will be built according to the design.
c. A hot water showering system for every container will be built according to the design that includes a small water-transferring pump 71, an intake pipe 74, an out-take pipe 74-A, a shower 74-B, a gear 72 and an affixed cog-rail 73. If the hot water showering system for every container has a water transferring-pipe instead of a small water transferring-pump, then, a pipe 76 that has its intake 76-A directed upwardly, an out-take pipe 74-A and a shower 74-B, will be built according to the design d. Hot water transferring-pipes 70 between the main water-transferring pump 4 of said modular hydraulic air compressor and pipe 66 of said compartment 65, will be built according to the design in order to transfer hot water 70-A coming from the lower separating device 5 through pump 4 to pipe 66 at different heights, in order to provide a best hot surrounding to all ascending containers 75 that permits an ideal heat transfer between hot water and colder expanding compressed air of said ascending containers.
Operation of the invention 1- Once all of the components are in place, then said self-propelled energy generator is ready to run.
2- The water-transferring pump 4 is put in motion slowly until the down flowing water reaches the right predetermined down flowing speed, preferably before allowing atmospheric air into the air chamber 25 of said mixing head 9.
3- Air is then allowed to go into the air chamber 25, then the down flowing water will start entraining air bubbles and forming an air/water mix that flows downwardly to the secondary separating compartment 5-B
through the down-take head pipe 2.
4- When the air/water mix hits the separating cone 12, some air bubbles will separate from water and flow backwardly through the orifices 14-A of the horizontal baffle 14 into the compressed air receiver 16.
5- The air/water mix which already lost some air bubbles continuous to flow downwardly to the lower compartment 12-A of the secondary separating compartment 5-B through the space that exists between the separating cone 12 and the walls of said secondary separating compartment 5-B.
6- Some air bubbles separate under the separating cone 12 and flow backwardly to the compressed air receiver 16 through the compressed air transfer pipe 13 and the orifices 14-A of the horizontal baffle 14.
7- From the bottom of the lower compartment 12-A of the secondary separating compartment 5-B the remaining air/water mix enters the inter-communicating conical pipe 17 through the inlet 17-A and exits from the outlet 17-B into the beginning 19 of the run of the air/water mix in said main separating compartment 5-A.
8- The separated air bubbles rise to the compressed air receiver 16 while the remaining bubbles of the air/water rnix start their looping run in the separating chamber from the beginning 19 to the end 19-A which is drawn by the separations 21.
9- By the end 19-A of the separating chamber of the main separating compartment 5-A, all of the air bubbles of the air/water mix are completely separated from water and air-free water flows from the air/water separating chamber to the air-free water's compartment 19-B through the horizontal pipe-like passages 20-B of said baffle 20 without whirling or forming vortexes in the separating chamber.
10- The air-free water of the compartment 19-B enters the inlet 3-A of up-take tail pipe 3 while it is sucked by the water-transferring pump 4 in order to be transferred to the upper water reservoir 1 where the same water starts another compressing cycle.
11- The hydrostatic pressure of the column of water that exists in the water column H between the water surfaces of the upper water reservoir 1 and the lower separating device 5, compresses the accumulated air in the compressed air receiver 16.
12- The pre-adjusted pressure control valve of the valve house 8 determines the needed airflow discharge pressure.
13- One major issue has to be respected before letting the compressed air to go to the air tank 7, is to make sure that the compressed air receiver 16 is first filled up with compressed air at the desired discharge pressure, and then only then is the compressed air tank 7 filled. If the air tank 7 was allowed to fill at the same time as the compressed air receiver 16, a sorry mess it would be, instead of a tank full of compressed air we would have a tank full of water.
14- In order to harness maximum energy out the potential energy of the compressed air, the power plant pool's water has to be hot enough, thus, the compressed air will be given during its expansion in said ascending containers during their ascending run from the lower cogwheel to the upper cogwheel, all or almost all of the heat that was expelled during the compression cycle of said air in order to close the isothermal compression's cycle. The power plant pool's water is then heated previously or will be heated by the lost heat of the compression process that flows upwardly from the lower separating device 5 to the pool's water through the separation 48.
15- If the power plant pool's water is heated before the start up of the power plant P, then we have to wait until the water's temperature reaches the right temperature, then the power plant P
will be started while compressed airflows to its ascending containers through the compressed air transfer pipes 18, and the rotary transfer joints 18-A. Thus, after the start up of said power plant, the power plant pool's water will be heated normally by the lost heat of the compression process of said modular hydraulic air compressor through the separation 48.
16- If the power plant pool's water is heated by the lost heat of the compression process of said modular hydraulic air compressor that flows upwardly from the lower separating device 5 to the pool's water through the separation 48 or through a cooling system of said modular hydraulic air compressor. Thus, we start up the power plant P while compressed airflow is transferred to its ascending containers through the compressed air transfer pipes 18, and the rotary transfer joints 18-A, while we wait until the temperature of the pool's water reaches an acceptable limit in order to reach the production of a maximum amount of energy out of the potential energy of the compressed air.
17- During the ascending run of every ascending container from the lower cogwheel to the upper driving cogwheel, the imprisoned compressed air expands and pushes in addition more water out of the corresponding ascending container. The weight of the displaced water of all ascending containers of said power plant P is equal to the buoyant force that creates the driving torque of the power plant P, through the driving radius that is equal to the sum of the upper driving wheel's radius, of the container's radius and of the endless chain's thickness.
18- The flywheel 42 will regulate the rotation of the power plant P, and the Foucault-current electromagnetic brake 43 will regulate the rotation speed of the driving shaft 41.
19- Because the rotation speed of the power plant's driving shaft is very slow, then the use a gearbox is necessary in order to run the main electrical generator 45 at a right overdriven speed which is suitable for the maximum production of electrical energy by the actual design.
20- When said self-propelled energy generator will be fully in operation and the output energy production is at its maximum, then the output source of energy that supplies the motor of said water-transferring pump 4 of said modular hydraulic air compressor, will be cut off while the energy supply to said water-transferring pump's motor will be taken from the energy that is produced by said power plant, and the rest of that produced energy goes to supply an electrical grid that in turn supplies households and businesses.
21- If said self-propelled energy generator is designed to harness the kinetic energy of the down flowing air/water mix. Than when the down flowing air/water mix exits the lower end 2-A of the down-take head pipe 2, it hits the paddles of the water turbine 11-A and puts said turbine in motion while some air bubbles leave the air/water mix to flow backwardly into the compressed air receiver 16 through the orifices 14-A of the horizontal baffle 14. The rotation of the water turbine 11-A is then transferred to a secondary electrical generator 11 which can easily be located on dry land, through appropriate transmission means.
22- If the modular hydraulic air compressor of said self-propelled energy generator is designed to have a longer lower separating device 5 in order to give enough time for the air bubbles of said air/water mix to separate, then an underground tunnel 52 will be dogged as best shown in figure 22.
23- If said self-propelled energy generator is designed to have extra air/water mixing devices the following will happen:
1- With an extra air/water mixing device 55 having air nozzles 56:
a- The air control valve 57 will be closed all the time needed to start up said modular hydraulic air compressor 9.
b- When the modular hydraulic air compressor will be running properly then we open the control valve 57.
c- After the opening of said air control valve 57 the suction that is created by the down flowing air/water mix, creates a vacuum in the air chamber 54 through the air nozzles 56.
d- The water that is present in the air-transferring pipe 53 will be sucked first into the down-take head pipe 2, and atmospheric air will follow and enters into the down-take head pipe 2 through the air nozzles 56.
e- More air bubbles will be added to the air/water mix that is traveling downwardly to the lower separating device 5, because at bigger depth the hydrostatic pressure of the column of water that exists between the water surfaces of the upper water reservoir 1 and the location where the extra air/water mixing device is affixed on the down-take head pipe 2, compresses the trapped air bubbles and the down flowing air/water mix becomes steadily air leaner at bigger depth where a place for more air bubbles becomes available, that helps to increase the efficiency of said modular hydraulic air compressor 9.
f- More extra air/water mixing devices 55 will be installed on very long down-take head pipes 2 that help to increase even more the compressed airflow of said modular hydraulic air compressor.
2- With an extra mixing head having a venturi- type like extra air/water mixing device 58:
a- The air control valve 57 will be closed all the time needed to start up said modular hydraulic air compressor 9.
b- When the modular hydraulic air compressor will be running properly then we open the control valve 57 c- The vacuum that is created in the chamber 60 through the venturi 61 and by the diverging cone 62, sucks the water that is present in the air transferring pipe 53 into the down take head pipe 2, and atmospheric air will follow and enters into the vacuum chamber 60.
d- Air bubbles will be added and mixed to the down flowing air/water mix in the vacuum chamber 60.
e- Air/water mix having more air bubbles, will flow downwardly to the lower separating device 5 through the venturi 61, the diverging cone 62 and the down-take head pipe 2.
f- The same way as described above, more extra air/water mixing devices 58 will be installed on very long down-take head pipes, that helps to increase even more the compressed airflow of said modular hydraulic air compressor.
24- If said self-propelled energy generator is designed to have an air blower 63, than this air blower will be installed according to the best possible design in order to be able to push more air into the mixing heads that in turn allow the modular hydraulic air compressor to produce even more compressed air. This air blower can be run by the produced energy of said water turbine 11-A if the apparatus is designed to have such a turbine.
25- Said self-propelled energy generator will keep running indefinitely and producing energy as long as the apparatus is in a good functional situation or if we don't stop it voluntarily.
26- If said self-propelled energy generator is designed to have a power plant P of patents no CA2328580 or no US6990809, and a modular hydraulic air compressor sharing same water of a same pool P-1, the following will happen:
a- The water-transferring pump 4 will be transferring water from said separating device 5 into said compartment P-2.
b- Water will go from compartment P-2 to compartment P-3 through the opening 64 then to the mixing head 9 in order to entrain air bubbles downwardly toward the secondary separating device 5-B.
c- The compressed air production will be as explained above.
d- The advantage of this design is to bring hot water to the area where compressed air is expanding inside the ascending containers of said power plant, that makes it easy for the isothermal compression to be performed where the lost heat of the air compression process will be given back easily to the same compressed air during its expansion.
g- Normally cold water goes to the bottom of pool P-1, that is why the communication between compartments P-2 and P-3 is done in the bottom of said pool P-1, that allows cold water to go to the mixing head 9 in order to start a new compressing cycle.
27- If said self-propelled energy generator is designed to have power plant of patents no CA2328580 or no US6990809 affixed inside a compartment including a half- sphere shape in its lower part where the lower cogwheel is located, two pipes where the ascending containers move upwardly in one pipe and the descending containers move downwardly in the second pipe, and an open upper part that permits water to overflow from said compartment to the power plant's main pool, the following will happen:
a- The main water-transferring pump 4 will be transferring hot water 70-A from said lower separating device 5 into pipe 66 of said compartment 65 through pipes 70.
b- The ascending containers 75 will be moving in a hot surrounding in order to provide the needed heat for their imprisoned expanding compressed air 74-D.
c- If hot water is transferred to the inside of the ascending container by a small water-transferring pump 71, then the gear 72 of the pump 71 will turn because of the affixed cog-rail 73 that allows said pump 71 to suck hot water from pipe 66 and then to transfer it to the inside of the ascending container 75 through pipe 74-A and the shower 74-B.
d- If hot water is transferred to the inside of the ascending container by a water transferring-pipe 76, then hot water enters the intake 76-A of said pipe 76 in order to be transferred to the shower 74-B through pipe 74-A.
e- Hot water 74-C will shower the expanding compressed air 74-D in order to provide the needed heat for the isothermal expansion process of said compressed air 74-D that permits to close up effectively the isothermal compression cycle of said self-propelled energy generator the subject of the present invention.
In summary, the main advantage of this invention is to produce clean and renewable energy at a large scale without any problem and at a very low cost, anywhere in the world including cities, remote areas, mountains or deserts.
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates to only a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that it is intended to cover all changes, and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen, for the purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.