Reversible Propulsion System

TECHNICAL FIELD

The "Reversible Propulsion System" can be considered as one of the propulsion systems without rotating parts, that relying on the principles of fluid mechanics, tend to imitate widely used systems in the animal and plant kingdoms.

Nowadays, some of these systems are being tested and, sometimes, applied also in the biomedical engineering environment.

These systems offer an extremely different resistance according to the direction and the way of the motion that the body, whom they are applied, has in relation to the fluid in which it is submerged. They can undergo the motion of the fluid, thus generating linear or rotating motion or alternative energy through converters. In case they are properly fed by another source of energy, they can also determine the move of the fluid or the body towards a pre-defined direction.

Originality and innovation characterize this system. It is the result of an accurate analysis of several macro-systems existing in the animal, terrestrial and marine kingdom, as well as of natural micro-systems creating or getting energy while exploiting either unperceivable motions of surrounding environment or lowest levels of electro/chemical energy, in order to generate motion.

As far as the present request's subscribers know, does not exist, neither in the market nor in the today available literature, an industrial or experimental product using, for its functioning, the principles that allowed to design the above mentioned system.

BACKGROUND ART

A number of systems and different-related applications have been developed in this field.

However, the ones known to us are: inelastic, not much effective and often bulky. These latter features, joined to the impossibility to exploit high energy concentrations, has almost always discouraged it to be applied to small devices, most of all the industrial ones.

Several patents have been requested for those applications, but often abandoned. Some remarkable and well-known patents are the following:

US6893307 - related an ergonomic swim fin apparatus, US2002077010 - related a Swimming Aid System, US2005266745 - Finger web swimming aid,

The hydro-turbines, the early steamer and watermill wheels as well as some auxiliary systems for swimming are part of these systems' applications. In bio-engineering, some vascular and mitral valves for the reduction of blood retrograde flow have been developed on the same basis.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The "Reversible Propulsion System" is a system that, taking advantage of basic principles of the mechanics of fluids, a particular bodies' structure and their varied rigidity, allows to give the body to Which the system is applied a directional mechanical thrust with a good mechanical efficiency, using a variously alternated or random motion of the fluid in which the body in submerged.

The system is made up of a set of "basic elements" (Fig. 1), each one being a membrane (A), that are applied to a bearing structure (Q), integral with the body to which the motion should be transferred; the system presents an high directional resistance to the displacement of the liquid surrounding it; some technical expedients (safety valves (p), lamellar fraena (f), valve's variable rigidity according to the sagittal section(A), as well as sagittal section's shape according to isostatic lines of mechanical resistance and leading edges (b)) - features being the objective of the present patent request - determine the effectiveness and the system's characteristics.

Referring to the figure hereto attached, let's describe the propulsion system's "basic element":

Figure 1 shows a sagittal section A of a basic element;

Figure 2 shows a side view of the A system's basic element. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows, in section, the basic element of the propulsion system. The membrane (A) is made up of material suitable for its specific use and has a rigidity and a resilience variable from to point to point; the curvature taken in each one of its points is such that the pushing force (I), because of the induced moving within the surrounding fluid, determines a prevailing component towards the motion (Y) as well as a condition of isostatic lines of force in its various points, which keep it under strain without causing either the upsetting upward (b), or the approaching of the edge to the structure (Q).

The force component (II) is balanced by the reaction force of the lamellar fraena -anchoring it to the bearing structure (Q), and by the reaction to deformation. The component (III) is balanced both by the valve reaction and by the lamellar (f) fraena' s reaction which are bound to it and anchored to the bearing structure (Q). The valves (p), variable in number and size, share and balance the operating forces, reduce the fluid's whirling motions with which the system interacts, allow the opening of the rear valve and a more laminar flow at the basis of the working area.

The membrane's radiuses of curvature (A), its sizes, thickness and variable rigidity from point to point can take different values according to the system's application; they are calculated through a provided modelling and graphic simulation software. Figure 2 shows a front-side view of the system's basic element. It is possible to see: a) the connection paries to the bearing structure (Q) acting also as membrane's (A) tie-rods, the fraena (f) acting as tie-rods and stabilizers and the valve's shape (p) with radiuses of curvature and thickness variable from point to point BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The best way to apply this invention is function of the same application. Even confirming what has been previously described, the dimensional features, the radiuses of curvature, the used materials' features, the fraena and the stabilization valves must be determined through graphic and functional modelling able to optimize the system efficiency in its specific application. The system is made up of elasto-plastic or various material and can take rigidity and extremely different sizes according to the specific application. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The applications that can be designed thanks to this system are several both for the application fields and for typology and can be limited only by fantasy. Applications range from bio-engineering to alternative energies, from emergence auxiliary systems to swimming auxiliary systems.

If the system is used as an active one, that is connected to a body moving in alternate or random motion, even if not uniform, it determines its thrust in the way of A membrane's cusp such as in a system of rescue or emergency fins, or as auxiliary system in swimming; every motion, in fact, even instinctive, of legs - to which the system can be applied as a simple leg cast - or the natural movement of waves, determines a thrust in the way of the body's trunk wearing it. If the system is used as a passive instrument, it can drag the body to which it is applied

towards a given direction, thus exploiting the wave motion in which the body is submerged.