Hermetic cap tidal pulse responder

Abstract

A concave hermetic air/brine encapsulating vessel, or cap 10, positioned in the sea at a chosen area according to tidal range. Wherein the open underside of the vessel allows brine/sea water to freely enter or exit the vessel and the tide rises and falls respectively. This rise and fall of the brine within the vessel will result in changes to the air pressure within the vessel, as the air because pressurised as the brine rises, and forms a vacuum with the vessel as the brine falls. These changes in pressure are used to operate a pneumatic actuator 60, via a suitable system of valves 50,52 coupled to the inlets and/or outlets of a pipe couple to a vent 30 on the upper portion of the vessel, or within a plurality of pipes couple to a manifold 40 coupled to the vent 30. Wherein the operation of the pneumatic actuator 60 powers a generator 62 for producing and storing power.

Claims

1. A tidal power generator, for generating power from a tidal body of water, the generator comprising: a body having a hermetic cap and a lower open portion, the hermetic cap and the lower portion configured to form a trapped pocket of air within the body, wherein the trapped pocket of air is dimensioned and positioned to create a controlled air pressurised chamber optimized for tidal water height variation and substantially isolated from wave-induced oscillations, and the body comprising the hermetic cap is secured to a foundation; a vent in an upper part of the hermetic cap; a pipe coupled to the vent and having a valve coupled thereon and configured to control a flow of air through the pipe due to a tidal water height; a pneumatic actuator coupled to the pipe and configured to be actuated by the air flow; and a power generator powered by the motion of the pneumatic actuator; wherein the hermetic cap is secured to the foundation via one or more vertical columns, and the vertical columns are configured to telescopically expand, to change a height of the hermetic cap in response to changes in tidal levels.

2. The tidal power generator of claim 1 wherein the body further comprises a skirt along the edge of the open portion of the hermetic cap, the skirt being configured to prevent the air trapped within the hermetic cap from escaping.

3. The tidal power generator of claim 1, wherein the vertical columns are configured to prevent the hermetic cap from moving relative to the power generator.

4. The tidal power generator of claim 1, wherein the vent is coupled to the upper most part of the body.

5. The tidal power generator of claim 1, wherein the pneumatic actuator is a turbine.

6. The tidal power generator of claim 5, wherein a plurality of blades of the turbine are configured to rotate, in response to the direction of the air flow, so as to ensure that the turbine rotates in the same direction as the direction of the air flow, after the direction of the air flow changes due to the changing tide.

7. The tidal power generator of claim 5, wherein the tidal power generator comprises two additional turbines, wherein at least a first additional turbine is configured to rotate the generator when pressurised air flows into the actuator, at least a second additional turbine has blades disposed in an opposite direction to the first turbine, so that the second turbine is configured to rotate the generator when the air flows out of the actuator.

8. The tidal power generator of claim 1, wherein the pipe coupled to the vent of the hermetic cap is coupled to a manifold; the manifold is coupled to a plurality of pipes, with each pipe having a respective valve configured to direct the air flow to, or from, the pneumatic actuator.

9. The tidal power generator of claim 8, wherein the valves in the pipes are unidirectional valves.

10. The tidal power generator of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pipes comprise pairs of pipes, each pair coupled to a respective pneumatic actuator and generator.

11. The tidal power generator of claim 1, wherein the hermetic cap is formed from re-enforced concrete or sheet material.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(1) The present invention is depicted in the following drawings:

(2) FIG. 1: depicts the present invention during low-tide

(3) FIG. 2: depicts the present invention during high-tide/when the tide rises.

(4) FIG. 3: depicts the present invention during ebb-tide/when the tide falls after high-tide.

(5) The above-mentioned figures comprise the following parts: 10hermetic cap 20support posts/columns 30vent port 40converger/manifold 50, 52unidirectional valves 60pneumatic actuator 62generator 70, 72arrows indicating pressure flow through the system

(6) FIG. 1 depicts an example of the preferred system of the present invention. Wherein the system comprises a hermetic cap 10 positioned over a body of liquid, in this case water, that undergoes tidal changes. It is noted that these bodies of liquid may include the sea, estuary, or other body of liquid that periodically change in height. The cap 10 comprising a vent 30 coupled to one or more pipes that lead to a pneumatic actuator 60. Wherein the changes in the tidal level of the liquid, causes the air pressure within the cap 10 to change, thereby forcing air to flow through the pipes, with said air flow actuating the actuator 60. Wherein the actuator 60 turns a generator 62 to produce power. it is noted that in systems with more than one pipe coupled to the cap 10, the pipes are coupled to the vent 30 via a suitable converger, or manifold 40.

(7) It is noted that in the depicted example, the hermetic cap 10 is attached to a plurality of pillars 20, which help to support, and anchor the cap 10. These, pillars 20 will be embedded into a foundation, at the bottom of the body of liquid, such as a sea bed, or estuary floor. This way the cap 10 does not drift away from the actuator 60, as this may result in damage to the pipes. Additionally, this may help to limit the movements of the cap 10 as the tide level changes. For if the cap 10 rises and falls with the tide the water level within the cap 10 may not change, meaning that the air pressure within the cap 10 will not change, and no power will be generated. However, it is preferable for the cap 10 to have some movement. In particular the cap 10 may need to move during seasonal tidal changes, wherein the maximum and minimum tide heights have changed, or when the average height of the body of liquid changes. This is because the user wants to ensure that the liquid does not raise above the top of the cap 10 as it may get into the vent 30 or pipes attached to the cap 10, more importantly when the tide falls the user does not want the water level to fall below the cap 10, as this may allow the air in the cap 10 to escape. Therefore, the cap 10 may be flexibly attached to the supporting pillars 20, or other support structure, using chains or a flexible member. Alternatively, pillars 20 may be configured to alter their height telescopically using interlocking sections that can extend and retract at a telescoping joint 22, to adjust the height of the cap 10 when the average height of the liquid changes.

(8) As noted, the cap 10 comprises one or more vents 30, coupled to one or more pipes, for directing airflow to and from the actuator 60. As can be seen from the figure it is preferable that the vent be coupled to the upper most part of the cap 10. This is to reduce the risk of water entering the vent 30, and or pipes coupled to the vent 30, as this may obstruct the airflow through the pipe, and therefore may reduce the force exerted on the actuator 60. Additionally, the figure shows the vent 30 connecting to two pipes, one that is upstream from the actuator 60 and one that is downstream. With such an arrangement the efficiency of the system is improved. For when there is only one pipe, or in cases wherein there are multiple upstream pipes only, the force exerted on the actuator 60 would change direction, as the direction of the tide changes. As a result, the generator 62 would likely only produce power half of the time. However, with the depicted arrangement, with both upstream and downstream pipes the user can ensure that the actuator 60 is turning the generator 62 in the same direction, regardless of the direction of the tide, as indicated by the arrows 70,72 on the figures. To achieve this effect the pipes may each comprise a respective valve 50,52, so that the respective pipe can be open or closed as the tide changes direction. It is noted that in the depicted example these valves 50,52 are unidirectional, so that the valves 50,52 can be open by the force generated in the cap 10, removing the need to monitor the tide and manually adjust the valves as the tide changes. It is also noted that all the valves 50,52 may be closed at once to allow the force, caused either by an increase of air pressure or the creation of a vacuum within the cap 10, to reach a desired level before opening the respective valve to direct the airflow to/from the actuator 60, to ensure that sufficient force is exerted onto the actuator 60.

(9) It should also be noted that the actuator 60 in the depicted example is in the form of a turbine, though other types of actuators may be used and more than one actuator 60 (e.g. turbine) may be used as depicted in FIG. 2. However, a turbine is preferable as it design allows the actuator 60 to easily capture the kinetic energy, exerted by the moving airflow, allowing for a more efficient transfer of energy from the airflow to the generator 62. And with the above-mentioned arrangement, with an upstream and downstream pipe between the cap 10 and the turbine, the user can ensure that the direction of the airflow through the turbine remains constant, that is to say that the flow will be in the same direction regardless of the direction of the tide, as indicated by the arrows 70, 72 within the figures.

(10) FIG. 1 shows the present invention when the air pressure inside the cap 10 is considered neutral, meaning the air is roughly at atmospheric pressure. The system may likely be this way when the cap 10 is initially place, or at the point where the direction of the tide changes to be rising. In such a state there will initially be little if any airflow within the pipes. For this reason, in some cases, the cap 10 may comprise one or more pumps. Wherein these pumps can be configured to change the water level within the cap 10, by either pumping water, or air, into or out of the body of the cap 10. Thereby changing the air pressure within the cap 10 to create an airflow through the pipes, or to create a vacuum to generate suction within the pipes. In either case the system would increase the force acting on the actuator 60 to produce more power.

(11) FIG. 2 depicts the same system as FIG. 1, however in this drawing the tide has risen. As the tide rises the water level within the hermetic cap 10 rises, this increases the air pressure within the cap 10. The now high-pressure air within the cap 10 may be metered, or directed through the pipes coupled to the cap's vent 30, by opening and closing the valves 50 of the upstream pipe. As shown by the arrow 70, the high-pressure air leaving the vent 30 is directed towards the actuator 60, in this case a turbine, where upon the airflow will turn the turbine to cause the generator 62 to produce power. After which the air may return to the hermetic cap 10, via the downstream pipe. It is noted that the valve 50 of the upstream pipe may be closed until the air pressure within the cap 10 reaches a desired value, or range, to ensure sufficient force is exerted on the turbine. And pumps coupled to the cap 10 may be used to pump in additional water, to further increase the air pressure, to try and increase the amount of power being produced during periods of high demand. It should be noted that some of the power produced by the generator 62 may be stored to be used to operate the valves 50,52 and pumps, or simply stored to be used during times of high demand.

(12) FIG. 3, depicts the same example system as the other figures, but is this diagram the high tide has started to fall. As the water within the cap 10 begins to fall, there is no way for additional air to enter the hermetic cap 10, resulting in the formation of a vacuum within the cap 10. the generated vacuum produces a suction, which not only pulls the water into the cap 10, but will also pull the air within the pipes back towards the cap's vent 30. When this occurs the valve 50 to the upstream pipes may be closed, as the valves 72 of the downstream pipes open. This way, even though it is now the suction from the vacuum directing the airflow through the pipes, the direction of the flow remains the same. Meaning that even though the direction of the tide has changed the turbine will continue to turn in the same direction, allowing the generator 62 to continue to produce power. This suction will continue as long as there is a vacuum within the cap 10, though the water level in the cap 10 may eventually begin to fall until the system returns to the neutral state depicted in FIG. 1, wherein this cycle begins again. Again, the cap 10 may include pumps that can alter the amount of water within the cap 10 to preserve the vacuum, or may be used to remove water to try and increase the size of the vacuum and by extension the suction force produced.

(13) It is also noted that some versions of the present invention may include a skirt 15 around the edge of the cap 10. The purpose of this skirt 15 is to redirect, or at least reduce any waves, or other fluctuations within the surface of the body of liquid. As such waves could allow air to enter the cap 10, either reducing the air pressure, or reducing the size of the vacuum, within the cap 10. In either case the additional air would reduce the force of the air flow, thereby reducing the amount of power being generated.

(14) By using the above-mentioned system, the claim invention provides a renewable, eco-friendly power source, wherein the force exerted by changing tides is harnessed using the above-mentioned hermetic cap 10. it is noted that due to the predictable nature of the tides, for example at specific points in the sea, the user can reliably predict the amount of power that can be harnessed, and the size of the cap 10, or number of caps 10, needed to produce a required amount of power. additionally, through the use of pumps as described above the user may use some stored power to increase the output of the system, for example when the user predicts the system may not produce enough power to meet the likely demand, or during a sudden increase in demand. Thereby provide a reliable means of renewable energy.