TANCREDI GIUSEPPE (IT)
| WO2020199301A1 | 2020-10-08 |
| US6150601A | 2000-11-21 | |||
| US20100000214A1 | 2010-01-07 | |||
| US9382902B1 | 2016-07-05 |
| Claims System for producing energy from thermocouples (17,18,19) by exploiting the temperature gradients present in the depths of the bodies of water, characterized in that it is suitable for obtaining electrical energy by exploiting a system of thermocouples ( 17, 18, 19) in series or in parallel, by means of a thermoelectric effect whereby, in a circuit comprising metallic conductors or semiconductors, a temperature difference generates electricity, said thermoelectric effect being commonly referred to as the “Seebeck effect”; such system comprising: - at least a tube (10) vertically positioned in the fluid from which it is intended to obtain energy, said tube (10) comprising thermocouples (17, 18, 19) of the T type (copper/constantan) operating in a temperature range between -270 °C and +400 °C; said tube (10) comprising thermocouples (17, 18, 19) being suitable for being immersed in the various layers of water with different temperature gradient (13); - at least a buoy (11) connected to the upper portion of said tube (10) to signal its presence to bathers and boats; - at least a signaling light (14), suitable to signal the presence of said buoy (11) also at night; - at least a GPS transmitter (16) able to communicate with a remotely located operations center in order to signal possible leeway or change of position of such system. System for producing energy from thermocouples (17,18,19) by exploiting the temperature gradients present in the depths of the bodies of water, according to the preceding claim 1, characterized in that said tube (10) is made of aluminum with a diameter ranging from 5 cm to 50 cm, preferably 25 cm. System for producing energy from thermocouples (17,18,19) by exploiting temperature gradients present in the depths of the bodies of water, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least an anchoring means (12) suitable for maintaining said system in a predetermined position. 4. System for producing energy from thermocouples (17,18,19) by exploiting temperature gradients present in the depths of the bodies of water, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said anchoring system (12) comprises at least an anchor as a mechanical position maintainer. 5. System for producing energy from thermocouples (17,18,19) by exploiting temperature gradients present in the depths of the bodies of water, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is able to record frequency and amplitude of wave motion by means of said GPS transmitter (16) which creates a report of sea conditions useful for vessels that are heading to that location. 6. System for producing power from thermocouples (17,18,19) by exploiting temperature gradients present in the depths of the bodies of water, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for managing and customizing voltages and currents for the purpose of obtaining the required power according to the arrangement of the thermocouples (17,18,19) within the tube (10). 7. System for producing energy from thermocouples (17,18,19) by exploiting temperature gradients present in the depths of the bodies of water, according to the preceding claim 5, characterized in that said thermocouples are installed in series (17) within said tube (10) in order to obtain a higher voltage at the ends of the system. 8. System for producing energy from thermocouples (17,18,19) by exploiting temperature gradients present in the depths of the bodies of water, according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said thermocouples are installed in parallel (18) inside said tube (10) in order to obtain a higher output current at the ends of the system. 9. System for producing energy from thermocouples (17,18,19) by exploiting temperature gradients present in the depths of the bodies of water, according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said thermocouples are installed in a mixed arrangement (19), that is, both in parallel and in series, in order to manage and regulate the output power. 10. System for producing energy from thermocouples (17,18,19) by exploiting temperature gradients present in the depths of the bodies of water, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each tube (10) comprises, at its ends, a mechanical connection means (15) allowing stable and reversible engagement between two consecutive tubes (10), making the system modular, and thus usable both in shallow waters and in oceans, reaching depths of thousands of meters. 11. System for producing energy from thermocouples (17,18,19) by exploiting temperature gradients present in the depths of the bodies of water, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least a battery for accumulating the energy produced suitable for constituting an offshore recharging base, for boats in transit that need to recharge their batteries without having to return to port. 12. System for producing energy from thermocouples (17,18,19) by exploiting temperature gradients present in the depths of the bodies of water, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises underground high-voltage power cables suitable for supplying power to the electrical systems of nearby bathing establishments and marinas. Use of a system for producing energy from thermocouples (17,18,19) by exploiting temperature gradients present in the depths of the bodies of water, according to any one of the preceding claims, in any body of water, whether it is internal such as rivers, lagunas and lakes; or whether it is external such as the open sea or oceans. |
Description
Field of the art
The invention refers to a new technique for obtaining electrical energy from renewable sources. In particular said invention is capable of exploiting the temperature difference with the variation of the depth of the bodies of water.
Prior art
Obtaining electrical energy without the use of fossil fuels is a primary need for humankind. Nevertheless, up to now a definitive solution has not been found.
The technologies which exploit renewable sources are obliged to use wide spaces in order to obtain the kilowatts necessary in order to be competitive, as in the case of wind turbines or solar panel installations. Not always, however, are these areas uninhabited and finding a compromise is never easy.
For this reason, in recent years research has studied modes for obtaining electrical energy by exploiting the sea and its constant motion.
Numerous installations have been constructed on the oceans and in areas where navigation is limited, causing however considerable environmental impact, also for the marine ecosystem. A further step forward was registered and patented, creating a system for obtaining energy from wave motion (W02020199301). This system, even if less bulky, is still very complicated since it composed of numerous pieces and gears that require maintenance, caused by the continuous movement due to the repeated and constant oscillations.
All of the abovementioned installations - even if they exploit sources that are completely different from each other (sea, sun and wind), they share a considerable system defect, represented by maintenance. The qualified personnel that must intervene negatively impacts the final costs.
In addition to the environmental impact and to the excessive maintenance caused by these preceding technologies, the transport of electrical energy represents another critical aspect. Indeed, the further away these sites are installed, the costlier it will be to conduct the current into populated centers, and more energy will be lost as well. Indeed it is known that the longer the high-voltage cables, the greater the load losses will be.
In particular, the proposed invention uses thermocouples arranged in series and/or in parallel, and such previously-known devices are not used for obtaining energy due to their low efficiency.
Thus, the object of the patent is to produce electrical energy by means of the use of renewable sources while maintaining a low environmental impact, reducing the costs of maintenance and transport.
Description of the invention
According to the present invention, a system is attained for producing energy from thermocouples by exploiting the temperature gradients in the depths of the bodies of water, which effectively resolves the abovementioned problems.
The present invention also proposes bypassing the problem of low efficiency of the thermocouples, by exploiting the same principle on which the production of electrical energy of photovoltaic cells is based: a solar panel, i.e. a matrix of cells so that even if a single photovoltaic cell generates small voltage values (fractions of Volt) and current values (on the order of mA), by connecting such cells in series (in order to increase the voltage) and in parallel (in order to increase the current), a photovoltaic panel is obtained that is capable of delivering even tens of voltage Volts and current Amperes. Therefore, by joining single low-power solar cells in a matrix, one forms a solar panel capable of providing electrical power usable in many applications. With respect to the solar panel, the present invention has the further advantage of providing electrical energy both during the day and during the night.
Analogously, the single thermocouple generates a small voltage value at its ends, but by connecting it to a network of thermocouples, a system can be created that is capable of giving rise to voltages and currents of considerable value, usable in practice.
The idea is therefore that of connecting in series and/or in parallel (in series for increasing the voltage, in parallel for increasing the current, in series and in parallel in order to increase the power) a certain number of thermocouples within a metallic tube and to immerse it vertically in the depths of the sea or of any body of water, with one end connected to a signaling buoy and the other end preferably fixed by means of an anchoring to the sea bed.
On the signaling buoy, in a preferred version of the invention, a GPS transmitter is also installed in order to be able to constantly monitor the position and detect any irregularity due to the leeway. In a still more advantageous version of the invention, the GPS is also able to detect the frequency and the amplitude of the waves and to transmit such data to an operations center by means of a sea weather report consultable also by the boats who intended to cross that locality.
For such purposes, a night light for signaling the obstacle to sailors was also inserted in the signaling buoy, the lamp power supplied directly from the energy taken from the tube.
The tube, which can even be hundreds of meters long, by “traveling” the depth of the water, is affected by the temperature variations present between the various layers of the water mass. The variation of temperature of the sea surface (but also of the surface of oceans and lakes) towards the deep water layer is known with the name of thermocline.
The invention provides for the possibility to connect together the various tubes so as to increase the energy produced.
In order to overcome the abovementioned problem of storage and transport of electric current, and considering the little bulk that this system requires, it is possible to install actual charge stations both in the middle of the sea and close to the sites that require continues flows of energy.
The present invention can also be used for providing energy to bathing establishments and to marinas without reduction production spaces and earnings, since the ducts that transport the obtained energy are underground. Such system for producing energy from thermocouples is capable of exploiting the temperature gradient of any fluid in which it is immersed.
The invention can in fact be installed in seas, in oceans, in lakes and in lagunas. The specific weight of the water does not count but it is necessary to have a temperature difference between the layers of water in which the tube is immersed.
The advantages offered by the present invention are evident in light of the description set forth up to now and will be even clearer due to the enclosed figures and to the detailed description.
The invention will be described hereinbelow in at least a preferred embodiment as a nonlimiting example with the aid of the enclosed figures, in which:
- FIGURE 1 shows a direct application of the present invention. The thermocouples are inserted within the metallic tube 10 with a connection that can vary and be in series or in parallel. The tube 10 is hung from a floating signal buoy 11 that will also be equipped with lights 14 in order to be visible at night. The entire floating system is fixed to the sea bed due to an anchoring system 12 that has the purpose of maintaining the tube 10 vertical in order to be able to exploit the entire immersion thereof so as to exploit all the layers of water 13 that have different temperature gradient. The anchoring system 12 also has the object of preventing leeway of the tube 10, maintaining the previously-established position. A GPS transmitter 16 has been installed in order to be able to monitor the position and signal any irregularity in the event in which the installation started to experience leeway drift with the current.
- FIGURE 2 shows the threaded joint 15 that allows joining two tubes 10 in a single system in order to be able to render the installation modulatable and to be able to use it with any depth. Note that the threaded joint 15 is only an example of a possible mechanical connection means between two consecutive tubes 10.
- FIGURE 3 shows the three possible arrangements of thermocouples within the tube 10, and the thermocouples can be arranged in series 17 in order to obtain higher voltage at the ends of the installation, maintaining the same current; the thermocouples can be arranged in parallel 18 in order to increase the output current while maintaining the voltage constant. Finally, it is possible to position the thermocouples both in series and in parallel in an arrangement that is defined mixed 19 in order to increase both the voltage and the current and, therefore, the output power.
Detailed description of the invention
The present invention will now be illustrated as a merely non-limiting or non-constraining example, with reference to the figures which illustrate several embodiments relative to the present inventive concept.
With reference to Fig. 3, a possible example of arrangement of the thermocouples 17, 18, 19 within the system, object of the present invention, is shown. The tube 10, within which the thermocouples are arranged, is made of aluminum with a diameter of 25 cm and a length of 4 meters per unit.
Aluminum is a material with optimal resistance to salt, optimal mechanical strength and which allows a high thermal exchange, but another material can also be used if it has better characteristics.
Each tube 10 used can be connected to the preceding by means of any one mechanical connection means, such as for example a threaded joint 15. The overall length of the tube 10 of the present invention can thus vary depending on the depth of the waters in which one intends to operate and based on the power that one intends to deliver.
Within each tube 10, the thermocouples can be connected in parallel 18, in series 17 or in a mixed arrangement 19 so as to reach the desired powers. Given the operating temperatures of the system, the thermocouples that can be used are of T type (copper/constantan) that operate between -270°C and +400°C.
Thermocouples are widely used due to their low cost and standardization. Thermocouples base their operation on a known thermoelectric effect that takes the name of “Seebeck effect” according to which, in a circuit constituted by metallic conductors or semiconductors, a temperature difference generates electricity.
One example of a tube 10 containing thermocouples in series 17 or parallel 18 is represented in Fig. 1. Such figure shows the use technique of this system, which provides for a stable anchoring 12 on the sea bed in order to prevent the tube 10 from experiencing leeway, and a signaling buoy 11 in order to render the installation visible even during the night due to suitable lights 14. The object of the present invention is autonomously able to detect the possible leeway due to geolocation; a GPS transmitter 16 is in fact installed on the buoy 11 that is capable of detecting the coordinates and monitoring the sea weather conditions, such as the frequency and amplitude of the waves. All the recorded data is sent to the operations center where human supervision is present.
Finally, it is clear that modifications, additions or variations that are obvious for the man skilled in the art can be made to the invention described up to now, without departing from the protective scope that is provided with the enclosed claims.