ES2754751B2 - IMPROVED MECHANO-HYDRAULIC DEVICE - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

IMPROVED MECHANO-HYDRAULIC DEVICE

The present invention consists of an energy-generating mechano-hydraulic device that takes advantage of the hydrostatic thrust that occurs on a set of bodies in a fluid column, and of the free fall of said bodies under the action of gravity.

State of the art

There are different devices that take advantage of the hydrostatic thrust that occurs on a set of floats in a fluid column, and the fall by gravity of said floats, and obtain another type of energy from the kinetic energy produced, for example, electrical energy .

Document GB 2421768 A describes a device comprising a chamber filled with a fluid in which the floats rise due to the hydrostatic thrust produced on them and a chamber adjoining this filled with air in which the floats fall by gravity. The problem with this device is that, in the intermediate chamber, in which the floats pass from the chamber filled with air to the chamber filled with fluid, the floats enter from the bottom, which makes a contribution necessary of additional energy, since it is difficult that only by the action of gravity they can have enough momentum to penetrate into said chamber. Another problem with the device is that the filling and emptying of the intermediate chamber takes place by means of a complex system of valves, which also requires an additional energy input. In addition to all the above, when the intermediate chamber is opened the fluid present in said chamber falls by gravity and it becomes necessary to supply fluid again to the intermediate chamber from its upper part.

Document US 2014196450 A1 also describes a device that takes advantage of the hydrostatic thrust that occurs on a set of floats in a chamber filled with a fluid, and the fall by gravity of said floats in an adjoining chamber filled with air. Between the two mentioned chambers there is an intermediate chamber that is always filled with fluid, so it is difficult for the floats to penetrate into said chamber solely by gravity, being necessary to apply a force on said floats so that they penetrate into the intermediate chamber.

Document CN 1743663 A, for its part, describes a device that takes advantage of the hydrostatic thrust that occurs on a set of floats in a chamber filled with a fluid, and the fall by gravity of said floats in an adjoining chamber filled with air. In this device there is an intermediate chamber between the two mentioned chambers that is filled with a fluid present in a first tank, and empties into another second tank, making necessary a means of pumping between both tanks to recover said fluid, which entails a additional energy expenditure. In addition, the system takes up a lot of space due to the presence of the aforementioned tanks.

Document CA 2485929 A1, describes a device that takes advantage of the hydrostatic thrust that occurs on a set of floats in a chamber filled with a fluid, and the fall by gravity of said floats in an adjoining chamber filled with air. The passage of the floats from the air-filled chamber to the fluid-filled chamber is produced by a wheel that has cavities on its perimeter in which the floats are housed, the perimeter of the wheel sealing the passage between both chambers. The problem with this device is that it is difficult for the movement of the floats to overcome the friction produced between the wheel and the conduit in which it is located, and also when one of the cavities comes into contact with the fluid-filled chamber, it is lost. part of this, necessitating a continuous supply of fluid to the chamber.

The present invention describes a device that takes advantage of the hydrostatic thrust that occurs on a set of floats in a chamber filled with a fluid, and the fall by gravity of said floats in a contiguous chamber filled with air, and that presents an intermediate chamber in where the floats can enter without the need for additional energy input, where the energy used in emptying the intermediate chamber is recovered, and where the system is simpler and has fewer valves and actuators than the devices described above, the necessary energy input being less, so the device's efficiency is greater.

Explanation of the invention

The present invention consists of a device that is made up of the following elements: • A set of floats.

• A first chamber or reservoir open in its upper part and closed in its lower part by a first gate, said first chamber being filled with a liquid fluid (from this point on, when reference is made in this specification to a fluid it refers to to a liquid fluid). The floats enter said chamber through the lower gate and experience an upward thrust equal to the weight of the dislodged fluid, according to Archimedes' principle.

Any fluid whose density is greater than the density of the floats is suitable for the present invention.

• A second chamber or sector open at the top and closed at the bottom by a second gate. The floats enter said second chamber from the top and move to the bottom in free fall due to the action of gravity.

• An intermediate chamber arranged in the lower part of the first and second chambers, said intermediate chamber communicating with the first chamber through the first gate, and said intermediate chamber communicating with the second chamber through the second gate. The first gate is in a higher position than the second gate. The intermediate chamber comprises a conduit for communication with the first chamber provided with a first valve, and also comprises an atmospheric intake in its upper part regulated in turn with a second valve.

• An element for extracting the fluid present in the intermediate chamber. Said element extracts the fluid present in the intermediate chamber, stores it, and subsequently reintroduces said fluid into the intermediate chamber. In this extraction device the energy used in the extraction of the fluid is accumulated, and the impulsion of said fluid towards the intermediate chamber is carried out without any additional energy input.

• Optionally an element for braking / separating the floats arranged in the lower part of the second chamber.

• Optionally, a push element arranged on the second gate.

The operation of the device is explained below. At rest, the first and second gates are closed and the first and second valves are closed, and the intermediate chamber is filled with fluid.

The second valve then opens and the second gate opens. The extraction device then extracts the fluid present in the intermediate chamber, and a float falls by gravity (or assisted by the push element) from the second chamber to the intermediate chamber. The braking element prevents more than one float from falling from the second chamber into the intermediate chamber when fluid has been withdrawn from said intermediate chamber.

The fluid extracted by the extraction element is then forced back into the intermediate chamber. Sequentially or simultaneously, the second gate closes.

When the extraction element extracts the fluid present in the intermediate chamber, said intermediate chamber fills with air because the second valve is open. When the fluid is driven back into the chamber, the excess air is expelled to the outside through the atmospheric intake. It is envisaged that the atmospheric intake comprises an element such as a suction cup that allows air to pass both inside and outside but prevents the fluid from leaving.

The second valve is then closed. The float present in the intermediate chamber moves to a position below the first gate, because this is at a higher distance than the second gate. At this point the first valve opens, balancing the pressures in the first chamber and the intermediate chamber. Once the pressure between the first chamber and the intermediate chamber has been balanced, the first gate opens and the float present in the intermediate chamber rises along the first chamber due to hydrostatic thrust. The remaining fluid (that which does not fit in the intermediate chamber due to the volume occupied by the float present in it) present in the extraction element is supplied to the intermediate chamber as the float passes from the intermediate chamber to the first chamber.

The second chamber and the first chamber are communicated by the upper part, normally the upper part of the first chamber being higher than the upper part of the second chamber, so that the floats that reach the upper part of the first chamber are they displace the upper part of the second chamber due to the slope between the upper part of both chambers.

Normally, in the first chamber there is not only one float, but rather a stack of floats, so that when a float passes from the intermediate chamber to the first chamber, it pushes the stack of floats and causes the float to present at the top it falls into the second chamber.

Finally, the first gate and the first valve are closed, and the process begins again.

The energy is obtained thanks to the movement of the floats along the device, for example, by generators activated by blades to which the floats transmit the movement, by means of coils arranged around the first and second chambers in which current is induced by the presence of a magnet in each float, or any suitable method of obtaining energy from kinetic energy.

Brief description of the drawings

In order to illustrate the explanation that will follow, we attach to the present specification a sheet of drawings in which a figure represents by way of example and without limitation, the essence of the present invention according to a particular embodiment, and in which:

Figure 1 shows a diagram of the device, according to an embodiment of the present invention, in a first operating state;

Figure 2 shows a diagram of the device, according to an embodiment of the present invention, in a second operating state;

Figure 3 shows a diagram of the device, according to an embodiment of the present invention, in a third operating state;

Figure 4 shows a diagram of the device, according to an embodiment of the present invention, in a fourth operating state;

Figure 5 shows a diagram of the device, according to an embodiment of the present invention, in a fifth operating state;

In these figures we can see the following reference signs:

First gate

Second gate

Extraction element

Pusher

Second valve

Atmospheric shot

Sucker

First valve

Communication duct between the intermediate chamber and the first chamber. First chamber

Intermediate chamber

Float

Second chamber

Braking element

Description of the preferred embodiments of the invention

In view of the aforementioned figures, and in accordance with the numbering adopted, an example of a preferred embodiment of the invention can be seen in them, which comprises the parts and elements that are indicated and described in detail below.

Thus, as seen in figure 1, a possible preferred embodiment of the mechanohydraulic device essentially comprises the following elements:

• A set of floats (9).

• A first chamber (7) filled with a fluid, for example, water, open at the top and closed at the bottom by a first gate (1).

• A second chamber (10) open at the top and closed at the bottom by a second gate (2).

• An intermediate chamber (8) arranged in the lower part of the first chamber (7) and the second chamber (10), which communicates with the first chamber (7) through the first gate (1) and with the second chamber (10) through the second gate (2), in which the first gate (1) is in a higher position than the second gate (2). According to one embodiment option, the second gate (2) is inclined towards the first gate (1).

• A communication conduit (60) between the intermediate chamber (8) and the first chamber (1) provided with a first valve (6).

• An atmospheric intake (50) in its upper part provided with a second valve (5). The atmospheric intake also comprises a suction cup (51) that allows the passage of air in both directions, but prevents the passage of fluid through it to the outside.

• An extraction element (3), in the intermediate chamber, comprising a piston, causing the movement of the piston along a cylindrical conduit, the suction or expulsion of the fluid present in the intermediate chamber.

• A braking element (11) arranged in the lower part of the second chamber (10). This braking element serves as a regulator for the passage of floats from the second chamber (10) to the intermediate chamber (8).

• Optionally a push element (4) arranged on the second gate (2).

At the beginning of each operating cycle, as shown in Figure 1, the first gate (1) and the second gate (2) are closed, as well as the first valve (6) and the second valve (5). A set of floats (9) are in a stack in the first chamber (7) immersed in the fluid, and another set of floats (9) are in the second chamber (10), in which there is no fluid, and They are retained by the braking element (11).

Next, the second valve (5) is opened and the extraction element (3) is actuated and extracts the fluid present in the intermediate chamber (8), as shown in figure 2, occupying the volume displaced by the extracted fluid. by means of air obtained through the atmospheric intake (50).

The second gate (2) is then opened, and a float is allowed to pass (since the braking element retains the other floats present in the second chamber) from the second chamber (10) to the intermediate chamber (8) by the action of gravity. The thrust element (4) is then activated, as shown in figure 3, to push the float (9) and assist it in its passage through the second gate (2), in case the size of the gate and the float is similar, and a small thrust force is needed for the float to pass through the gate.

Then, as shown in figure 4, the extraction element (3) is actuated and pushes the fluid inside it to drive it back to the intermediate chamber (8). Once the intermediate chamber (8) has been filled with fluid, the second valve (5) is closed and the float (9) present in said intermediate chamber (8) moves towards the first gate (1) due to the difference in height between both gates. To facilitate movement from the second gate to the first gate, the section between both gates, or the second gate (2), or both can be inclined towards the first gate (1). In the extraction element (3) is the part of fluid that does not fit in the intermediate chamber due to the volume occupied by the float (9) present in it.

At this time, as shown in Figure 5, the first valve (6) opens, thereby balancing the pressures in the first chamber (7) and the intermediate chamber (8). Once the pressure has been balanced, the first gate (1) opens and the float (9) present in the intermediate chamber (8) rises along the first chamber (7) due to the hydrostatic thrust. The float pushes the stack of floats present in the first chamber (7), so that the float present in the upper part leaves the first chamber (7) and moves to the second chamber (10) thanks to the inclined section arranged in the top between both chambers. Fluid The remaining present in the extraction element (3) is supplied to the intermediate chamber (8) as the float (9) passes from the intermediate chamber (8) to the first chamber (7).

Finally, the first gate (1) and the first valve (6) are closed, and the process begins again.

The energy is obtained thanks to the movement of the floats along the device, for example, by generators activated by blades to which the floats (9) transmit the movement, by means of coils arranged around the first and second chambers in which the induces current by the presence of a magnet in each float, or any suitable method of obtaining energy from kinetic energy.

Claims (5)

1. - Mechano-hydraulic device, activated by floats (9), which move upwards along a first chamber (7) filled with fluid due to the action of the hydrostatic thrust that said fluid exerts on the floats (9 ), and that move downwards along a second chamber (10) by the action of gravity, said first and second chambers having elements for obtaining energy from the kinetic energy of the floats (9) in motion, and comprising an intermediate chamber (8), said intermediate chamber having a communication conduit (60) with the first chamber (7) regulated by a first valve (6), characterized in that the intermediate chamber is arranged in the lower part of the first chamber (7) and of the second chamber (10), and why the intermediate chamber communicates with the first chamber (7) through a first gate (1), and why the intermediate chamber communicates with the second chamber (10) through of a second gate (2), the first gate (1) being in a higher position than the second gate (2), the second gate (2) being inclined towards the first gate (1), comprising the intermediate chamber of a element for extraction (3), storage and impulsion of the fluid present in the intermediate chamber (8), and because the intermediate chamber (8) comprises an atmospheric intake (50) regulated by a second valve (5). 2. - Mechano-hydraulic device, according to claim 1, characterized in that the wall section of the intermediate chamber (8) between the first gate (1) and the second gate (2) has the form of a constant slope between both gates . 3. - Mechano-hydraulic device according to any of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a braking element (11) of the floats arranged in the lower part of the second chamber (10). 4. - Mechano-hydraulic device according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises a push element (4) of the floats on the second gate (2). 5. - Mechano-hydraulic device according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the extraction element (3) is formed by a piston with the ability to move along a cylindrical conduit.