Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of generating green energy. More particularly, the invention relates to an efficient bubble-based electricity generating system.

Background of the Invention

The ongoing effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions motivates attempts to deploy power generating systems that harness renewable energy sources for producing electricity. One significant renewable energy source is wave energy whereby the kinetic energy associated with waves propagating through the ocean, or any other body of water, is harnessed to produce power, such as by means of steadily moving or oscillating driven elements which are mechanically connected to the rotor member of an electric power generator. Some wave energy conversion systems produce power by causing a turbine to rotate.

However, the variable intensity, direction and height of incident waves challenge the efficiency of the abovementioned systems, many of which are capable of utilizing only directly incoming waves. Therefore, the wave energy cannot be fully exploited. Also, extracting energy from waves requires strong and expensive construction, which can stand the high kinematic energy of incident waves.

It is therefore an object of the present invention, to provide a green electricity generating system, which exploits the buoyancy power of bubbles within a fluid.

It is therefore an object of the present invention, to provide a green electricity generating system, which is maritime or located on the land.

Other advantages and objects of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds. Summary of the Invention

An electricity generating system (that is maritime, or located on the land) comprising: a) a fluid tank, along which a plurality of turbines are deployed in a predetermined path; b) a plurality of electric generators, each of which is being propelled by a corresponding turbine; c) a stand which holds the plurality of turbines and the plurality of electric generators in place, along the path; d) a discharge nozzle located at the bottom of the tank and having a unidirectional valve, to prevent fluid return; e) a gas pump for delivering compressed gas to discharge nozzle via a discharge pipe; and f) an input energy source (such as solar panels, wind turbines, water turbines, gas emission, fossil motors, renewable energy sources, geothermal resources, industrial processes that generate heat or emit gases) for propelling the gas pump, wherein the discharge nozzle generates a series of bubbles that are pushed by a buoyancy force along the path, to impinge with blades of the turbines and to rotate their shafts, thereby propelling the plurality of electric generators.

The system may further comprise a battery that is being charged by the plurality of electric generators.

The nozzle may be tunable to determine the size of the generated bubble, while the compressed gas discharges into the fluid, according to the gas pressure and discharge rate resulting from tuning the nozzle.

The input energy sources for generating bubbles may be power stations, fossil motors, fermentation of organic materials gases and smoke that are emitted from chimneys, artifacts of industrial or natural processes that generate heat or emit gases. The fluid tank may be made of a rigid material selected such as metal, glass, reinforced plastic, reinforced polymers.

The energy source for generating bubbles may be a tank of compressed air or gas.

The orifice of the nozzle may be tuned to determine the size of the generated bubble.

The nozzle may further comprise a unidirectional valve, to prevent fluid from returning back into the discharge pipe.

The system may further comprise an air filter for filtering the compressed gas.

The plurality of turbines may be deployed along several inclined paths in an upward direction, for allowing the generated bubbles to advance upwardly along the path at any desired rate.

The turbines may be mounted in an arrangement of four turbines having three or four or eight blades each, gathered in a cluster.

The bubbles may be discharged into a closed environment, which accumulates the discharged gas to be reused for generating new bubbles.

Each tourbine may individually generate electric power or the turbines are interconnected, to generate uniform power.

Upon activation, a portion of the input energy may be used to provide an initial rotational torque to each turbine. The system may further comprise a computerized processing device that runs dedicated software, for optimally determining the size and rate of the bubbles emission, to obtain maximal energetic exploitation.

A method for generating electricity, comprising the steps of: a) providing fluid tank, along which a plurality of turbines are deployed in a predetermined path; b) providing a plurality of electric generators, each of which is being propelled by a corresponding turbine; c) providing a stand which holds the plurality of turbines and the plurality of electric generators in place, along the path; d) feeding electrical energy to activate a gas/air pump; e) filling a pipe with compressed air or gas using the pump. f) filtering the air/gas by an air filter; g) generating a bubble from the compressed air or gas using a discharge nozzle at the end of the pipe; h) forcing the bubble to move upwardly and impinge the blades of a first turbine, the turbine rotates and generates electric power; i) allowing the bubble to advances to a next turbine to generate electric power; j) repeating the preceding steps for all subsequent turbine, until discharging to the atmosphere or into a closed environment, which accumulates the discharged gas for later reuse; k) repeating the process for all the subsequent bubbles, wherein the bubbles are pushed by a buoyancy force along the path, to impinge with blades of the turbines and to rotate their shafts, thereby propelling the plurality of electric generators. Brief Description of the Drawings

The above and other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limitative detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, with reference to the appended drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates the main components of the system;

Fig. 2 illustrates the operation of the system provided by the present invention, which is fed by energy from a solar panel;

Fig. 3 illustrates the connection of several input energy sources;

Fig. 4 illustrates the connection of other sources for generating bubbles;

Fig. 5 illustrates the operation of an underwater system provided by the present invention, which is fed by energy from a solar panel;

Fig. 6 illustrates the operation of a ground system provided by the present invention, which is fed by energy from a solar panel;

Fig. 7 illustrates the deployment the plurality of turbines along several paths which are longer than straight upward direction;

Fig. 8 illustrates a possible implementation of the discharge nozzle;

Fig. 9 illustrates a possible implementation of the stand which integrates all the system components and holds the turbines;

Fig. 10a shows an arrangement of four turbines having three blades each, gathered in a cluster, for maximizing the force applied by an impinging bubble;

Fig. 10b shows an arrangement of four turbines having four blades each, gathered in a cluster, for maximizing the force applied by an impinging bubble; and

Fig. 10c shows an arrangement of four turbines having eight blades each, gathered in a cluster, for maximizing the force applied by an impinging bubble. Detailed description of the invention

The present invention relates to a green electricity generating system, which exploits the buoyancy power of bubbles within a fluid. The proposed system may be maritime, or located on the land.

The system provided by the present invention is designed to generate and output electric energy, while consuming substantially less input energy which is available from several sources (such as solar panels, wind turbines, water turbines, gas emission, fossil motors, geothermal energy resources that are reservoirs of hot water that exist or are human made at varying temperatures and depths below the Earth's surface) that is used to drive an air (or gas) pump for generating bubbles at the bottom of a fluid tank. The air pump compresses air that flows via a pipe to a nozzle (that is located at the bottom of the tank), through which the compressed air is discharged, while continuously generating a series of bubbles. The emitted bubbles move upwardly in the fluid by the buoyancy force and while moving, the emitted bubbles impinge with blades of a plurality of turbines that are immersed in the fluid and deployed along a vertical or an inclined predetermined propagation path(s) of the bubbles in the fluid tank. The blades of each turbine are connected to a common shaft which rotates a rotor of an electric generator (such that power is generated by a plurality of electric generators, each is being propelled by a corresponding turbine) . The blades of each turbine are so designed, to receive each impinging bubble and rotate the shaft at a given angle, while preserving the integrity of the impinging bubble and allow the bubble to impinge with the blades of the next turbine. This process continues, until each bubble impinges with the blades of the last (the uppermost) turbine and discharges to the atmosphere. Alternatively, after impinging the uppermost turbine, the bubbles may be discharged into a closed environment, which accumulates the discharged gas. The accumulated gas will then be reused for generating new bubbles.

The tank may be made of a rigid material, such as metal, glass, reinforced plastic, reinforced polymers and other rigid materials. Alternatively, the energy source for generating bubbles may also be a tank of compressed air or gas (such as CO ₂ , Helium). This way, the system can generate energy at any time during day or night while exploiting less loaded hours for compression, using lower electricity rates and using the compressed air or gas during highly loaded hours, when the electricity tariffs are high. The energy sources for generating bubbles may also be natural energy sources, such as natural gas deposits, as well as artifacts of industrial processes that generate heat or emit gases or any other process/source for generating bubbles or .

Fig. 1 illustrates the main components of the system. The system consists of a fluid tank 10, along which, a plurality of turbines 20 are deployed. Each turbine 20 is mounted to a stand 30 which holds the plurality of turbines in place along an essentially vertical path. A gas pump 40 (which may also be an air pump or other bubble generating sources) delivers compressed gas to a discharge nozzle 50, located at the bottom of fluid tank 10, via a discharge pipe 60. The orifice of nozzle 50 may be tuned to determine the size and the emission rate of the generated bubble(s) 70, while the compressed gas discharges into the fluid, according to the gas pressure and the discharge rate. Nozzle 50 also comprises a unidirectional valve, to prevent fluid from returning back into pipe 60.

Fig. 2 illustrates the operation of the system provided by the present invention, which, in this example, is fed by electrical energy from a solar panel 200. At the first step, the solar panel 200 feeds electrical energy which activates the pump 40, which fills pipe 60 with compressed air. At the next step, the air is filtered by an air filter (not shown) in pipe 60. At the next step, the nozzle 50 generates a bubble 70, which is forced to move upwardly and impinge the blades of the first turbine 20a. As a result, turbine 20a rotates and generates electric power. Then bubble 70 advances to turbine 20b, generates electric power and the process is repeated for the next turbine 20c and so forth, until discharging to the atmosphere or into a closed environment, which accumulates the discharged gas for later reuse. The same process is repeated for all the subsequent bubbles. Each tourbine may individually generate electric power, or alternatively, may be interconnected, so as to generate uniform power. According to another embodiment, upon activating the system, a portion of the input energy may be used to provide an initial rotational torque to each turbine, so as to reduce its resisting force.

Fig. 3 illustrates the connection of several input energy sources, such as a solar panel 200, an electric generator 301, a water turbine 302 a wind turbine 303, as well as natural or industrial processes that emit energy. Each of the input energy sources outputs electric power that may be combined with the power generated by the other input energy sources, using for example a rechargeable battery.

Fig. 4 illustrates the connection of other sources for generating bubbles, such as power stations 401 which convert mechanical or chemical energy to electric energy, fossil motors 402 that are energized by fossil fuel (a hydrocarbon-containing material such as coal, oil, and natural gas, formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the remains of dead plants and animals that is extracted and burned as a fuel) which convert chemical energy to electric energy, fermentation of organic materials 403 which convert chemical and bio energy to electric energy, as well as gases and smoke that are emitted from chimneys 405 which can propel a turbine to generate electric energy.

Fig. 5 illustrates the operation of an underwater system provided by the present invention, which is fed by energy from a solar panel. At the first step, the solar panel 200 feeds energy which activates the pump 40, which fills pipe 60 with compressed air. At the next step, the compressed air is filtered by an air filter 501 located inside pipe 60. At the next step, the nozzle 50 generates a bubble 70, which is forced to move upwardly and impinge the blades of the first turbine 20a. As a result, the first turbine 20a rotates and generates electric power. Then, bubble 70 advances to a second turbine 20b, that generates electric power. This process is repeated for the next turbine, until discharging to the atmosphere. The same process is repeated for all the subsequent generated bubbles. The generated electric energy from each turbine is conveyed through an electric cable 503 to a battery 502, which stores the energy and feeds electric appliances, on demand. Air filter 501 may be removable, in order to be cleaned from time to time, or in order to be replaced by a new filter whenever required. The filter 501 also improves the quality of the gas in each generated bubble. Following the contact of the gas with the water, a portion of any contamination in the gas is attracted by water molecules. As a result, the gas becomes cleaner.

Fig. 6 illustrates the operation of a ground system provided by the present invention, which is fed by energy from a solar panel. The system comprises similar components to the system of Fig. 5, but is mounted on the ground surface 601. In this case, the system will comprise a fluid container, for providing liquid environment that allows bubbles generation in tank 10.

Fig. 7 illustrates the deployment the plurality of turbines 20a,....,20n along several paths which are longer than straight upward direction. This allows increasing the number of turbines (n) that are rotated by each bubble and generating more energy before each bubble is discharged to the atmosphere. In this example, there are two paths Pl and P2, which may have any positive angle, for allowing the generated bubbles to advance upwardly along the path at any desired rate (which is controlled by that positive angle).

Fig. 8 illustrates a possible implementation of the discharge nozzle 50. Nozzle 50 may have a cone shape and may have adjustable angle a and diameter D, in order to control the size and the generation rate of bubbles. The diameter D generally determines the size of the generated bubbles and the angle a determines the generation rate. For example, the nozzle 50 is preferably made of materials which are durable in an environment of brine water, such as reinforced plastic or polymers. According to another embodiment, in case when the nozzle has adjustable angle a and diameter D, the system will comprise a computerized processing device that will run dedicated software, for optimally determine the size and rate of the bubbles emission, to obtain maximal energetic exploitation. The dedicated software will receive as an input the activation parameters of each turbine, so as to obtain the highest optimal operating conditions and bubbles genaration.

Fig. 9 illustrates a possible implementation of the stand 30, which integrates all the system components and holds the turbines 20a,...,20d. The stand 30 may be made from a construction of rigid pipes which are used to convey electric cables that collect the electric energy generated by all turbines to the battery 502 (shown in Fig. 5). The stand 30 may be made from water insulating materials, in order to prevent contact of water with the electric cables.

Fig. 10a shows an arrangement of four turbines having three blades each, gathered in a cluster, for maximizing the force applied by an impinging bubble. The central vertical axis 101a of this arrangement may be aligned with the path of the generated bobbles, such that each bubble symmetrically impinges all bladed of all turbines in the arrangement.

Fig. 10b shows an arrangement of four turbines having four blades each, gathered in a cluster, for maximizing the force applied by an impinging bubble. The central vertical axis 101b of this arrangement may be aligned with the path of the generated bobbles, such that each bubble symmetrically impinges all bladed of all turbines in the arrangement.

Fig. 10c shows an arrangement of four turbines having eight blades each, gathered in a cluster, for maximizing the force applied by an impinging bubble. The central vertical axis 101c of this arrangement may be aligned with the path of the generated bobbles, such that each bubble symmetrically impinges all bladed of all turbines in the arrangement. All the system parts should be waterproof in order to endurance in liquid and brine environments.

Although embodiments of the invention have been described by way of illustration, it will be understood that the invention may be carried out with many variations, modifications, and adaptations, without exceeding the scope of the claims.