An apparatus for generating electrical energy

The present invention relates to an apparatus for generating electrical energy.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided an apparatus for generating electrical energy, comprising: a sealed container substantially filled with a substantially uncompressible liquid; pressure means for varying the pressure within the container; a movable container disposed within the sealed container, wherein the movable container is at least partially filled with a compressible fluid, and wherein the movable container is arranged to have a positive buoyancy when the pressure within the container is below a threshold, and a negative buoyancy when the pressure within the container is above that threshold; an electrical energy generator connected to the movable container, wherein the electrical energy generator is arranged to convert the movement of the movable container in response to changes in the pressure within the sealed container into electrical energy. The pressure means varies the pressure within the container. When the pressure is above the threshold the movable container has a negative buoyancy. It therefore moves downwards within the sealed container, and this movement is converted into electrical energy by the electrical energy generator. The pressure means can then be used to lower the pressure to below the threshold, so that the movable container has a positive buoyancy. The movable container then moves upwards within the sealed container, and again this movement is converted into electrical energy by

the electrical energy generator. This process can be repeated, thus converting the changes in pressure from the pressure means into electrical energy.

The pressure means may comprise a water supply connected to the sealed container via a supply valve, and a release valve. The pressure in the container can be increased by closing the release valve and opening the supply valve. Conversely, the pressure in the container can be released by closing the supply valve and opening the release valve. The water supply may be a domestic water supply. In an advantageous alternative, the water supply is a water dam. This provides a sustainable source of energy for varying the pressure in the container.

The pressure means may be a heating means arranged to increase the temperature of the liquid in the sealed container. The heating means may be a reflector. Advantageously, the reflector is arranged to reflect light from the sun. Again, this provides a sustainable source of energy for varying the pressure in the container. The apparatus may be arranged to be located in a body of water, and the pressure means is a piston arranged to move in response movement of the surface of the body of water. Again, this provides a sustainable source of energy for varying the pressure in the container. The pressure means may be a piston connected to a movable ramp. Advantageously, the movable ramp is mounted in a road. This allows the energy for varying the pressure in the container to be provided by the weight of vehicles such as cars as they travel over the movable ramp. If the ramp is mounted in a road that has a downward incline, then no additional fuel needs to be used by the cars in order to travel over the ramp. Preferably the ramp is spring loaded so that it returns to a raised position after a vehicle has travelled over it.

The movable container may be a balloon. Alternatively, the movable container may have an opening on its underside. In that case, the movable container is preferably made of a rigid material. The substantially uncompressible liquid may be water. However, any other suitable liquid may be used.

The compressible fluid may be air. However, any other suitable gas or compressible liquid may be used.

Advantageously, the electrical energy generator is connected to the movable container by a belt and pulley system. However, any other suitable means for transmitting the movement of the movable container to the generator may be used, for example a rack and pinion system.

Advantageously, the apparatus further comprises a weight mounted upon the movable container. The weight may be mounted on top of the movable container. Alternatively, the weight may be mounted on the underside of the movable container. The weight may be connected to the movable container by means of a wire or string. Alternatively, the weight may be provided by the body of the movable container itself.

There will now be described embodiments of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:

Figures Ia to Ic show an apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows an apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4 shows an apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 5 shows an apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

Figures 6a to 6c show an apparatus according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

An apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figures Ia to Ic. A container

1 is filled with water. The container 1 is connected by a supply valve 2 to a supply of water, and also has a release valve 3. On a wall of the container 1 is a pulley 4 connected to a generator 5 outside the container 1. The pulley 4 is connected via a belt 6 to a second pulley 7 at a higher point on the same wall of the container 1.

An air container 8 partially filled with air is within the container 1. The air container 8 is fixed to the belt 6. The air container 8 has an elongated opening 8a on its underside. A weight 9 is mounted on the top of the second container 8.

The use of the apparatus of Figure 1 is described in Figure 2. Initially, the supply valve 2 is closed and the release valve 3 is open (step 101), and so the water in the container 1 is not under pressure and the air in the air container 8 will be fully expanded. This means that the upwards force created by the buoyancy of the air in the air container 8 will be greater than the downwards force created by gravity on the weight 9, and so the air container 8 will be at the highest point on the belt 6 as shown in Figure Ia. Next, the release valve 3 is closed and the supply valve

2 is opened (step 102) . The supply of water through the supply valve 2 increases the pressure of the water within the container 8. This forces water into the air container 8 through its opening 8a, compressing the air within the air container 8. This reduces the buoyancy of the air in the air container 8, so that the upwards force it creates is lower

than the downwards force created by the weight 9, as shown in Figure Ib. The air container therefore moves downwards within the container 1, rotating the belt 6 and pulleys 4 and

7 in the process. The rotation of the pulley 4 is converted by the generator 5 into electrical energy.

The air container 8 will move downward until it has reached the lowest point on the belt 6, as shown in Figure Ic. When this has happened, the supply valve 2 is closed, and the release valve 3 is opened (step 101 again) . The pressure of the water in the container 1 is removed, allowing the air within the air container 8 to expand. The upwards force created by the buoyancy of the air in the air container

8 is again greater than the downwards force created by gravity on the weight 9, and so the air container 8 will rise to the highest point on the belt 6, rotating the belt 6 and pulley 4, again producing electrical energy from the generator 5.

Once the air container 8 has again reached the highest point on the belt 6, the apparatus is again in its initial state, and the process can be repeated.

It will be appreciated that the apparatus of the first embodiment can be of a variety of sizes, as appropriate for the water supply connected to the supply valve 2. For example, a container 1 with a height of approximately 50cm would be suitable if the supply of water was from a domestic water supply. Alternatively, a container 1 with a height of 10m or more would be suitable if the supply of water was from a dammed reservoir.

An apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 3. As in the first embodiment, a container 1 is filled with water, and has pulleys 4 and 7 connected by a belt 6, the first pulley 4 being connected to an electrical generator 5. An air

container 8 with an opening 8a and a weight 9 is connected to the belt 6.

Unlike the apparatus of the first embodiment, the container 1 has no supply or release valve for increasing and releasing the pressure of the water in the container 1. Instead, there is a movable parabolic reflector 10. In a first position, the parabolic reflector 10 focuses the light from the sun onto the container 1. This causes the water in the container to increase in temperature and so expand, increasing the pressure of the water. As in the first embodiment, once the pressure has increased beyond a certain point, the air container 8 moves to the lowest point on the belt 6, in the process rotating the belt 6 and pulley 4 and causing the generator 5 to produce electrical energy. The parabolic reflector 10 is then moved so that the light from the sun is no longer focused on the container 1. The water then cools, reducing the pressure, allowing the air in the air container 8 to expand again. The air container 8 the rises to the highest point on the belt 6 (causing the generator 5 to produce electrical energy again) , and the process can then be repeated.

An apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 4. In this embodiment, the pressure in the container is varied by means of a piston 20 at the top of the container 1. The piston is connected by means of a rod 21 to a buoy 22. The container 1 is positioned on the bed of a body of water (such as the sea), so that the buoy 22 is moved upwards and downwards by the movement of waves on the surface of the body of water. The movement of the buoy 22 causes the piston 20 to move up and down, so varying the pressure of the water in the container 1 and thus producing electrical energy from the generator 5.

An apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 5. In this embodiment,

the pressure in the container is again varied by means of a piston 20 at the top of the container 1. The piston is connected by means of a rod 30 with joints 30a and 30b to a movable wedge-shaped ramp 31. The ramp 31 is mounted in a road 32 by means of a hinge 33 at the sharp end of the wedge- shaped ramp 31. When a vehicle such as a car 34 travels over the ramp 31, the ramp 31 is pushed downward by the weight of the car 34. This downwards movement is transmitted by the rod 30 to the piston 20, increasing the pressure in the container 1 and thus generating energy as in the previous embodiment. The wedge-shaped ramp 31 is spring-loaded (not shown) so that it returns to a raised position after the car is no longer pushing down on the ramp. This upwards movement is similarly transmitted by the rod 30 to the piston 20, releasing the pressure in the container 1 and thus generating energy again.

An apparatus according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figures 6a to 6c. Instead of an air container with an opening, the apparatus uses a sealed balloon. The operation of the apparatus is as follows.

The invention relates to the transformation of energy using the weight of an item when moving downwards due to the gravity and also when moving upwards due to the buoyancy.

This achieves transformation of energy ecologically for a greener planet desperately needed by humanity. Chemical, industrial and any other source of pollution is humanity's biggest threat for the future survival of our planet. The invention shows that energy transfer can be successfully generated using an environmental friendly method. The invention is now described in detail as shown also by the attached Figures 6a to 6c.

1. There is provided an air balloon which has a buoyancy of lkg.

2. The air balloon is placed in a tank full of water and at the bottom of the balloon there is a weight about half of its buoyancy (see Fig. 6a) .

3. In the tank, water is added via a pipe or a hose and the flow of water causes the air in the balloon to be compressed into a smaller volume thus decreasing its initial buoyancy (see Fig. 6b)

4. As the buoyancy is decreased the balloon starts to sink with a force of 0.5kg (see Fig. 6b) . 5. When it reaches the bottom of the tank, the tank pressure is resumed to its original value, and hence the balloon regains its original size and buoyancy and rises back to the top with again a force of 0.5kg (see Fig. 6c) .

Therefore it is shown that if, say, the tank is 10 metres high with a diameter of 10 cm, which is approximately the size of the balloon, a force of 0.5kg is generated by the 10m movement downwards and the 10m movement upwards using ONLY half of the balloon's air volume, which is approximately 0.5kg of water. This invention can be applied in any scale and size (say next to a water dam) .