Technical Field

The present invention finds application in the technical field of systems for energy production from renewable sources and has particularly for object a hydraulic system for the production of energy using liquids in motion by one or more floating masses for the conversion of the energy associated with the hydraulic flow into mechanical or electrical energy.

State of the art

The most widely used known hydraulic systems for the production of energy, in addition to the drawback of having relatively high production and installation costs, are generally limited by the difficulty in finding suitable installation sites.

In general, high-efficiency hydroelectric plants require penstocks that exploit the movement generated by falling water masses, involving costly works with an impact on the environment such as dams, accumulation of large masses of water, changes to riverbeds, in some cases the drying up of rivers.

The less impactful solutions often require high hydrodynamic pressures at the top; other systems, on the other hand, require streams where the current is relatively high, or require large metal or reinforced concrete structures for the application of the turbines with high construction and management costs.

Scope of the invention

The object of the present invention is to overcome the above drawbacks, providing a hydraulic system for the production of energy from renewable sources characterized by high efficiency and relative cost-effectiveness.

A particular object is to provide a hydraulic system for the production of energy from renewable sources suitable to operate in a multiplicity of sites wherein moving liquids are present and which exploits both the buoyancy force and the gravity.

Yet another object is to provide such a system with modularity properties and which also allows to produce an amount of energy proportionate to the number of water devices used, or to produce an amount of energy proportionate to the size of the water device used.

Yet another object is to provide such a system which has a simple structure and easy management to be functional and widely applicable, contributing to the growing need for clean energy from renewable sources.

These objects, as well as others which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a system according to claim 1, to which reference is made for a more concise description.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are obtained according to the dependent claims.

Brief disclosure of the drawings

Further features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent in light of the detailed description of preferred but not exclusive embodiments of the system according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example with the aid of the attached drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of the system according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a first side sectional view of the system of Fig. 1 during the filling of one of the tanks;

FIG. 3 is a second side sectional view of the system of Fig. 1 during the emptying of the other tank;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the water system applied to a pre-existing water collection basin;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the water system applied to a river;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a detail of the water system of Fig. 5 ;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the water system in a further application;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a detail of the water system of Fig. 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the water system according to a modular configuration; FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a detail of the water system according to a first variant; FIG. 11 is a schematic view of the detail of the water system of Fig. 10 in a second variant;

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the detail of the water system of Fig. 10 in a third variant.

Best modes of carrying out the invention

The system according to the present invention comprises one or more containers, tubs or tanks for containing liquids, for example a single container which can enclose a single chamber or be divided into two or more separate chambers by inserting one or more vertical separation bulkheads adapted to form two or more separate chambers of the same proportion, or even of different capacity, or, again, two or more containers, tubs or tanks separate and not communicating with each other and defining respective chambers.

In the following, the terms containers, tanks and tubs will be used in an equivalent manner.

Inside each chamber there is a movable frame fixed to one of the vertical walls of the respective chamber at a predetermined height.

The movable frame is fixed by means of hinges which allow it to move with a vertical component inside the chamber; furthermore, a float with a weight predetermined by an amount of liquid and air thereinside is placed in the under-plane part of the movable frame.

A double effect hydraulic piston having two high pressure hydraulic hoses is fitted with hinged connections at both ends to be fixed at its lower end to the top of the movable frame and at its upper end to the wall of the single chamber or tank.

According to further variants, the floats could also operate only by buoyancy force, or only by gravity force, and in this case the hydraulic pistons could be of the singleeffect type so as to initially suck in the fluid at the inside and then compress it in a second moment.

Outside the container or tank there is a main water pipeline for liquid supply adapted to fill the chambers or tank with liquids.

The main pipeline splits into three separate pipes with motorized or pneumatic flow control valves.

In particular, the main pipeline will be divided into a first liquid diversion pipe with a guided valve located on a wall of a first chamber or tanks, a second liquid diversion pipe with a guided valve located on a wall of a second chamber or tank, a third diversion pipe with valve having a bypass function to divert the main flow out of the chambers or tanks for any maintenance thereinside.

The system also comprises two liquid discharge pipes with motorized or pneumatic flow control valves. A first liquid discharge pipe with guided valve is located at a first chamber or tank, while a second liquid discharge pipe with guided valve is located at a wall of a second chamber or tank.

However, it is understood that if the system comprises a single chamber, the main pipeline may only have one diversion pipe and one bypass pipe and in the same way only one discharge pipe; in the same way the number of diversion and discharge pipes will increase proportionally with the increase in the number of chambers.

The chamber liquid discharge pipes and the bypass pipe outside the tank join together to form a single main liquid discharge pipe.

Operationally, the system, in the case of two separate chambers or made inside the same tank, first of all provides for the filling of a first chamber by opening the first diversion pipe obtained by opening the respective valve and closing the liquid discharge pipe of the same through a second valve.

As the level of liquid inside the chamber increases, the float will be forced to lift, exerting a push on the hydraulic piston which, in turn, will compress a fluid thereinside, generating a flow of fluid at high pressure.

Once the liquid inside the chamber has reached a pre-set height, the valve of the first diversion pipe will cut off the supply of liquid inside the chamber, while the second valve on the liquid discharge pipe will open to empty the chamber.

As the level of liquid inside the first chamber decreases, the float with its predetermined weight will be forced to descend downwards by gravity, once again exerting a push on the double-effect hydraulic piston which, by compressing a fluid thereinto, will again provide a high-pressure fluid flow.

Once a first chamber is in the emptying phase, a second chamber with the same features, with the same functions, and with the same proportion, will be in the filling phase.

Therefore, the respective float will be lifted due to the liquid level rising, going to push on the respective double-effect hydraulic piston, in a full analogous way to what has been described above.

Therefore, for the two chambers there will be an alternation between the filling and emptying phases, in correspondence with each of which there will be the compression of a fluid inside each double-effect hydraulic piston.

The alternation between the phases will be obtained by controlling the motorized or pneumatic valves, by means of a suitable regulation unit which will control the liquid flow of the diversion and discharge pipes.

Eventually, it will be possible to provide for the presence of liquid level sensors inside the chambers to regulate the opening and closing of the flow regulation valves in their filling-emptying phase.

The flow of the high-pressure fluid supplied by the pistons may be turned into electrical energy or can feed a hydraulic machine or some other device located downstream of the system.

As will appear clearer from the description of the figures, a particular advantage of a system thus realized is represented by the possibility of being applied in underground or above ground tanks, in closed or open tanks or in separate tanks; furthermore, it may be applied several times in water pipes, rivers or canals that extend for several kilometers, providing energy in all those sites where it is needed; it can also be applied in pipelines or channels of waste liquids, such as liquids from industrial, agricultural processes or from urban centres, transforming waste liquids into clean energy.

The system may also find application in rising water pipelines, such as a water pipeline that crosses a depression between two mountain slopes, if there is a need for energy in the valley floor, with the application of a watertight tank possibly equipped with an internal bulkhead with a slot in the upper part thereof, inside which there are space for the movable frames, the floats and relative hydraulic pistons, and with a moving liquid in both chambers, and compressed air inside the chambers which fills the void at the inside with such a pressure as to keep the liquid at its pre-established height, allowing the floats to move vertically up and down.

If the system is applied in two separate tanks, the displacement of compressed air may take place via a pipe placed in the upper part (above the level of the liquids) of a wall of each single tank.

Fig- 1 shows a first embodiment, preferred but not exclusive, of the system which comprises a tank 100, made of masonry, steel or other suitable materials, with a dividing bulkhead 101 inside forming two separate chambers 102 and 103, which will be fed with a liquid 110, 111.

Inside the chamber 102 there is a movable structure which comprises a movable frame 104 anchored at a predetermined height to one of the vertical walls of the chamber 102 by means of hinges which allow it to move vertically, a float 108 having a weight determined by an amount of liquid and air thereinside and placed in the under-plane part of the movable frame 104.

A double-effect hydraulic piston 106 is provided with hinged connections at both ends, located in the upper part of the movable frame 104, and also fastened on the wall of the chamber 102 by means of hinges, and will also be provided with two high-pressure hydraulic hoses 119 and 120.

Inside the chamber 103 there is a movable structure which comprises a movable frame 105 anchored at a predetermined height to a vertical wall of the chamber 103 by hinges which allow it to move vertically, a float 109 of predetermined weight placed in the under-plane part of the movable frame 105, a double-effect hydraulic piston 107 provided with hinged connections at both ends, located in the upper part of the movable frame 105, and also fixed to the wall of the chamber 103 by hinges, two high- pressure hydraulic hoses 121 and 122 starting from the hydraulic piston 107.

Outside the tank 100 there is a main water pipeline 112 for supplying liquids, which is divided into three different pipes, with motorized or pneumatic flow regulation valves. A first diversion pipe 114 with a guided valve controls the flow of the liquids supplied inside the chamber 102.

A second diversion pipe 116 with a guided valve controls the flow of liquid supplied inside the chamber 103.

A third diversion pipe 118 with valve provides a bypass function to divert the flow of the main pipeline 112 out of the chambers 102 and 103 for any maintenance operations thereinside.

The system also comprises two liquid discharge pipes with motorized or pneumatic flow regulating valves.

A first discharge pipe 115 with guided valve controls the liquid emptying flow from the first chamber 102, while a second discharge pipe 117 with guided valve controls the liquid emptying flow from the second chamber 103.

The two liquid discharge pipes 115 and 117 and the third diversion or bypass pipe 118 join to form a single main liquid discharge pipeline 113.

Fig- 2 is a side view of the water system during the filling phase of the first tank, in which the incoming liquid exerts a pushing on the float.

The system comprises a tank 100 with a chamber 102 having inside it a movable frame 104 anchored to a vertical wall of the chamber 102 by hinges, a float 108 of predetermined weight and placed in the under-plane part of the movable frame 104, a double-effect hydraulic piston 106 with hinged at the two ends, placed in the upper part of the movable frame 104 and also fixed at the wall of the chamber 102 by hinges, two high-pressure hoses 119 and 120 connected with the hydraulic piston 106, a liquid 110 supplied into the chamber 102, a maintenance port 123 located in the ceiling of the tank 100.

The system also comprises a main liquid supply pipeline 112, a first deviation pipe 114 with a motorized or pneumatic flow regulating valve for supplying the liquids inside the chamber 102, a bypass pipe 118 with valve, which deviates main pipeline 112 out of the tank 100.

Furthermore, a liquid discharge pipe 115 is provided with a motorized or pneumatic flow regulation valve which joins the bypass pipe 118 and the main liquid discharge pipeline 113.

Fig- 3 shows a side perspective view of the water device with a single second tank being emptied.

Fig- 4 shows a side perspective view of the water system applied to a pre-existing water collection basin for which an energy production system is not provided.

From this figure it is possible to observe that the system may be applied by bypassing the pipeline 112 inside the tank 100, having above it a cover with an electric generator 150 supplied by the high-pressure fluid flow generated by the movement of the floats. Once the system has carried out its process, the outgoing water will continue its flowing through the liquid discharge pipeline 113.

Fig- 5 shows a top-down view of the water system in a further embodiment, wherein the tank 100 is fed by a river via a pipeline 112.

Once the system has completed its process, the outgoing water will return to the river via the discharge pipeline 113, prosecuting its natural flow.

Advantageously, it will also be possible to provide a collection tank 160, schematized in Fig. 6, for collecting the debris transported by the currents before the liquid feeds the tanks.

Fig. 7 shows a further embodiment, wherein a water pipeline crosses a depression between two mountain slopes. The water pipeline 112 descends to the valley floor, feeding the watertight tank 100 of the type described above, inside which there is compressed air which fills the void thereinside, keeping the liquid at its predetermined height and allowing the vertical movement of the floats, so as to supply, via the doubleeffect pistons, a high-pressure fluid which will feed an electric generator 150.

Once the system has carried out its process, the outgoing liquid will return to the discharge pipeline 113 going up the valley and continuing to its final destination.

In this configuration it will also be possible to provide that the chamber is closed by a watertight cover 170 provided with watertight inspection-maintenance ports 180, as shown in Fig. 8.

Furthermore, an air compressor with an automatic sensor will have the task of keeping the air pressure constant inside the chambers.

Fig- 9 shows a modular configuration of the system having a single main supply pipeline 112 which feeds a series of tanks connected to each other, and a single liquid discharge pipeline 113.

Fig. 10 shows a detail of the system relating to the components located downstream of the double-effect pistons.

According to this configuration, the hydraulic hoses 119 and 121, due to the filling and emptying of the respective chambers 102, 103, will transfer their fluid to a hydropneumatic pressure accumulator 4 which, as the pressure increases, will fill up with fluid under pressure, which will compress the gas inside the hydropneumatic accumulator 4.

If, however, the system pressure drops, the compressed gas expands and returns the stored fluid to the circuit, keeping the trend of the pressure and flow rate values of the fluid in the system regular over time.

Subsequently, the fluid feeds a hydraulic motor 5 which, in turn, feeds an alternator 150 and a transformer 151, producing electric energy.

The fluid leaving the hydraulic motor 5 is transferred through a tube 6 inside a filter 7 which has the task of eliminating any residues in the fluid, and then returns to a hydraulic container 1.

The fluid inside the container 1 is progressively transferred from the pipes 3 to the hydraulic pistons 106 and 107 and sucked thereinto through the hoses 120 and 122, filling the void, thanks to a series of one-way hydraulic valves 8 which allow the fluid to be aspirated and then compressed.

When the chambers 102 and 103 reverse their filling phase, the hoses 119 and 121 are in the suction phase, while the hoses 120 and 122 will be in the compression phase.

Figs. 11 and 12 show two variants of the circuit of Fig. 10 wherein the float operates only due to the force of gravity or only due to the effect of the buoyancy force. In both cases the hydraulic pistons will be of the single effect type.