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.
Abstract:
Disclosed herein are a tidal power generating module and a tidal power generating method using the same. The tidal power generating module continuously generates power using compressed air and weight of seawater even at high tide and low tide at which the level of the seawater is not fluctuated in addition to the vertical movement of a vertical movement unit due to the rise and fall of the tide.
Abstract:
A power generator includes at least one underwater turbine unit providing a housing having a flow channel therethrough and at least one turbine means mounted in the flow channel for rotation in response to water flow through the flow channel. The turbine unit provides a turbine unit part releasably mountable in the turbine unit. The turbine unit part includes at least one of the at least one turbine means and a pump means. The turbine unit part is releasably mountable through an aperture in a side wall of the housing.
Abstract:
A tidal energy converter has a pivoting lever that moves in response to tidal fluid moving other elements on the converter. The pivoting lever can be operatively coupled with an electricity generator to produce electricity. Namely, the pivoting lever may be coupled to an air source and compress the air to create a compressed air. The compressed air may be used to power an electricity generator. The pivoting lever is moved by fluid that empties from a feed tank to a spill tank. There may be one or more ballast tanks connected to the feed tank and/or the spill tank. Some of the feed tanks work in opposing unison with one of the ballast tanks.
Abstract:
The invention is directed to a configuration for compressing a gas comprising (i) a reciprocating compressor (8), wherein the compressor comprises a mechanical drive to transfer energy from a variable rotational power source (1) to the compressor and a control valve (34, 35) and an adjustable swash plate (30), wherein adjusting the control valve results in adjusting the swash plate; (ii) a speed sensor (7) to measure the rotational speed of the power source; (iii) a first control means which control means is capable of adjusting the control valve as a function of the rotational speed measured by the speed sensor.
Abstract:
A tidal energy storage, power generation method is disclosed. During one tidal period, the method includes the following steps: during the early stage, forming a float into an enclosed hollow float; during the flood tide stage, converting the ascending potential energy of the float into the gravity potential energy of an energy storage assembly; during the slack water stage, charging the float with water; and during the tide ebbing stage, forming the float into an enclosed body filled with water, and converting the descending potential energy of the float into the gravity potential energy of the energy storage assembly. A tidal energy storage, power generation system is also disclosed. The system can improve the utilization rate of the tidal energy.
Abstract:
An energy conversion system, including a wave chamber, and a turbine wheel coupled to a shaft and fluidly coupled with the wave chamber. The energy conversion system may also include a first radial flow passage fluidly coupled with the wave chamber and the turbine wheel, and first vanes disposed at least partially in the first radial flow passage, each of the first vanes being compliantly mounted and pivotal between first and second positions, the first vanes being configured to allow a motive fluid to flow in a first radial direction through the first radial flow passage when the first vanes are in the first position, and the first vanes being configured to substantially prevent the motive fluid from flowing through the first radial flow passage in a second radial direction when the second vanes are in the second position.