DESCRIPTION

The present invention refers, in general, to an apparatus for the production of energy. More particularly, the present invention refers to an apparatus suitable for producing energy, for example electrical energy, by taking advantage of the motion of a body.

Apparatuses for the production of energy, in particular electrical energy, are known. In essence, these apparatuses transform energy of a type, for example thermal energy, kinetic energy, potential energy, etc., into an energy usable by man, in particular electrical energy.

Said apparatuses are often sophisticated, which makes complex both their use and the necessary maintenance operations.

Besides, in many cases said apparatuses are usable only if there are natural phenomena to be exploited. This is the case, for example, of the wind turbines and hydroelectric turbines, which although small for a more domestic use, still require a fluid in motion to provide energy.

An aim and function of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for providing energy in a form exploitable by man, for example electrical energy, the construction of this apparatus being simple.

Another aim of the invention is to provide an apparatus that is easy to be used and does not need complicated maintenance operations.

Another aim of the invention is to provide an apparatus for the production of energy, this apparatus being not bound to the exploitation of natural phenomena.

The above-mentioned aims and other aims are achieved with an apparatus suitable for energy production, characterized by the fact of comprising: - a first shaft adapted to rotate to produce energy ;

- one or more columns with vertical development and adapted to contain a fluid;

- one or more floating bodies, each of them being contained in the one or more columns, each floating body being expandable and compressible and adapted to vertically translate inside the respective column so that to an expansion or a compression of the floating body, the same floating body may translate upwards or downwards, respectively;

- a connecting element adapted to connect the one or more floating bodies to the first shaft so that to a translation of each floating body inside the respective column, a rotation of the first shaft corresponds.

According to the apparatus of the invention functioning according to Archimedes' principle, it is possible to take advantage of the upward force of the float immersed in the fluid of the column so as to turn the movement from the bottom to the top of the float into a rotary motion of the first shaft that may be, in case, connected to means of transformation of energy such as an alternator.

In particular, the float is both expandable and compressible and therefore, the float can alternate an upward movement in the expansion phase to a downward movement in the compression phase.

Advantageously, the floating body may be expandable as a result of the combustion of a fuel substance inside the same floating body so that it is possible to obtain a rapid expansion of the floating body.

Besides, the floating body may comprise a discharge valve adapted to discharge in the outside the combustion products contained in the floating body so that the same floating body may be compressed. Advantageously, the one or more columns may comprise an actuating element placed at the top of the same column and adapted to open the discharge valve. In this way, when the floating body reaches the top of the column, the actuating element opens the valve of the floating body so as to start the compression phase of the float itself.

The one or more floating bodies may comprise compressing means adapted to compress the one or more floating bodies when the discharge valve is opened. Said compressing means may be wires that are connected so as to compress the relative floating body and move the relative floating body downward inside the column.

Advantageously, the floating body may comprise a liner in which a plunger with a base may translate so that a chamber having a variable volume may be created between the liner and the base.

Moreover, a block may be comprised and is suitable to act as a stroke end for the movement of the plunger relative to the liner.

The first shaft may also be connected to a motion reversing gear which in turn is connected to a second shaft so that the second shaft always rotates in the same direction. In this way, the second shaft may be coupled to an alternator that receives the rotary motion always in the same direction.

Advantageously, an apparatus according to the invention may comprise:

- a first column with vertical development and adapted to contain a fluid;

- a second column with vertical development and adapted to contain a fluid;

- a first floating body contained in the first column, said first floating body being expandable and compressible and adapted to vertically translate inside the first column so that to an expansion or a compression of the first floating body, said first floating body translates upwards or downwards, respectively;

- a second floating body contained in the second column, said second floating body being expandable and compressible and adapted to vertically translate inside the second column so that to an expansion or a compression of the second floating body, said second floating body translates upwards or downwards, respectively;

- a first connecting element adapted to connect the first floating body with the first shaft so that to a translation of the first floating body in the first column, a rotation of the first shaft corresponds;

- a second connecting element adapted to connect the second floating body with the first shaft so that to a translation of the second floating body in the second column, a rotation of the first shaft corresponds;

- a third connecting element adapted to connect the first floating body with the second floating body so that to an upward translation of the first floating body in the first column, a downward translation of the second floating body in the second column corresponds, and to a downward translation of the first floating body in the first column, an upward translation of the second floating body in the second column corresponds.

Through this two-column conformation, which could be also a conformation with more columns, it is possible that the upward movement of a first floating body causes the lowering of a second floating body so as to create a system that does not need interventions by third components.

Further features and details of the invention will be better understood from the following description which is provided by way of a non-limiting example as well as from the annexed drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic axonometric view of an apparatus according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic top view of the apparatus in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a schematic side view in section of an element of the apparatus in Figure 1 , arranged according to a first configuration;

Figure 4 is a schematic side view in section of the element in Figure 3, arranged according to a second configuration.

With reference to the annexed drawings, in particular Figures 1 and 2, reference number 10 denotes an apparatus for the transformation of energy on the whole. More particularly, in the embodiment of the invention as described here, the apparatus 10 is designed to transform mechanical energy into electrical energy.

The apparatus 10 comprises a first column 12 and a second column 14. Both columns are filled with a liquid, for example water, and are placed on a flat support 24.

A first float 32 and a second float, which will be described in detail below, can move within the first column 12 and second column 14, respectively. The floats are movable alternately according to Archimedes' principle.

The first column 12 is inferiorly supported by a first lower box 16 and is closed on top by a first upper box 18. Likewise, the second column 14 is inferiorly supported by a second lower box 20 and is closed on top by a second upper box 22.

The first lower box 16 and the second lower box 20 are crossed by a first shaft 26 on which a pulley 28 is fixed. The first shaft 26 is allowed to rotate through the movement of the first float 32 and second float, as explained below. Likewise, the first upper box 18 and the second upper box 22 are crossed by a second shaft 30 which is also rotating and is connected to the first float 32 and second float.

The pulley 28 is connected through a belt 34 to a motion reversing gear 36 mounted on a rotary shaft 38 secured rotatably to a first bracket 37 and to a second bracket 39.

A first toothed wheel 42 is mounted on the rotary shaft 38 and engages a second toothed wheel 44 mounted on a countershaft 40 which is also bound rotatably to the first bracket 37 and second bracket 39.

The rotary shaft 38 is cinematically connected through the pair of toothed wheels 42, 44 to the countershaft 40.

Besides, the connection between the rotary shaft 38 and the countershaft 40 is obtained also through a drive belt 46 arranged on two pulleys mounted on the rotary shaft 38 and the countershaft 40, respectively. The two pulleys are disposed on the opposite side with respect to the pair of toothed wheels 42, 44.

The kinematic chain formed by rotary shaft 38, first toothed wheel 42, second toothed wheel 44, countershaft 40, two pulleys, drive belt 46, and in particular the motion reversing gear 36, causes that the rotary shaft 38 always rotates in the same direction although the first shaft 26 and the first pulley 28 perform a rotation in alternate direction.

The rotary shaft 38 is coupled to an alternator 48 which converts the rotary motion of the same rotary shaft 38 into electrical energy.

The alternate rotation motion of the first shaft 26 is due to the alternate movement in a vertical direction of the first float 32 and second float within the first column 12 and the second column 14, respectively. The first float 32 and the second float are equal to each other and therefore, only the first float 32, represented in the Figures 3 and 4, is described below.

The first float 32 comprises a liner 50 which is open at top and in which a U- shaped plunger 52 can move.

The liner 50 along with the plunger 52 defines a chamber 56 whose volume is variable according to the position of the plunger 52 inside the same liner 50.

A block 54 is arranged at the upper end of the liner 50 and is suitable for blocking the movement of the plunger 52 and acting as a stroke end either when the chamber 56 has a minimum volume as represented in Figure 3, and when the chamber 56 has a maximum volume as represented in Figure 4.

An injector 58 and a spark plug 60 are arranged at the bottom of the liner 50. The injector 58 is used to introduce a combustible material such as methane, gasoline or more in the chamber 56. The spark plug 60 is used to blow up the combustible material introduced in the chamber 56 so as to expand the volume of the same chamber 56.

Conveniently, the injector 58 and the spark plug 60 are fed by a power supply conduit and a power supply wire, respectively. Both the power supply conduit and the power supply wire are accommodated in a duct 62.

The base 53 of the plunger 52 has holes 64 connected to valves 66 which are used to let out the exhaust gases produced by the combustion in the chamber 56 and let in air in the same chamber 56.

The valves 66 are actuated by means of an abutting element 68; in other words, when the plunger 52 is completely lifted relative to the liner 50, the valves 66 go in contact with the abutting element 68 which opens the valves.

Wires 72 are fixed to the upper ends 70 of the plunger 52 and are turned downwards and passed in the duct 62.

The wires 72 of the first float 32 are connected to the wires of the second float so that when the first float 32 reaches its maximum expansion in which its chamber 56 reaches its maximum volume, the second float is completely imploded and its chamber reaches its minimum volume.

Concerning the movement of the first float 32 and second float inside the first column 12 and second column 14, respectively, the first float 32 and second float in the apparatus are connected through the respective ducts 62 to the first shaft 26.

Besides, the alternation of the vertical movement of the two floats is controlled by the second shaft 30 to which both floats are connected.

In other words, the ducts 62 of each of the two floats 32 act as a rope and are fixed around the first shaft 26 so as to roll up thereon and cause an alternate rotation of the first shaft 26.

The working of the apparatus 10 provides that in the initial phase, a float such as the first float 32 has to be in its maximum expansion, as represented in Figure 4, and therefore, it is in the upper part of the column in which the float is contained while the other float, for example the second float, has to be in its minimum expansion, as represented in Figure 3, and therefore it is on the bottom of the other column in which it is contained.

In particular, the second float, disposed on the bottom of the other column, is in this position because its duct is maximally wound round the first shaft 26 and the wires force the plunger to minimize the volume of the chamber.

In this configuration of the apparatus 10, a combustible material is let in through the injector in the chamber of the second float. The combustible material is ignited through a primer operated by the spark plug. After the explosion, the chamber begins to expand and the float begins to rise inside the column in which it is contained. The duct begins to unwind from the first shaft so that the first shaft is caused to rotate. The wires of the expanding float are pulled upwards.

At the same time, the first float 32 begins to lower in the respective column because the valves 66 are opened by the abutting element 68 and the combustion residues are let out of the chamber 56; the duct 62 is wound round the first shaft 26 and the wires 72 are pulled downwards so as to reduce the volume of the chamber 56.

Said movement continues until the first float 32 rests on the bottom of its column and the second float is in the upper part of its column.

During this first phase, the first shaft 26 is caused to rotate in a direction and the alternator generates electrical energy.

The positions and configurations of the two floats are thus reversed.

Then, the working of the apparatus 10 continues as previously described but the floats have positions and configurations reversed. During this second working phase, the first shaft 26 is caused to rotate in an opposite direction in respect to the direction in the first phase but the kinematic chain and the motion reversing gear 36 make the alternator produce other electrical energy.

Variants are possible which are to be considered as included in the scope of protection; for example, an apparatus according to the invention may be provided with more than two water columns and the water columns may contain also more than one float.

Finally, according to a variant of the invention, instead of the wires as previously illustrated, the connection between the plungers of the floats may be obtained by means of springs placed between the liner 50 and the base 53, or with electronic systems connected to each other.