HK1171061A - Low-drag hydro-pneumatic power cylinder and system - Google Patents

Description

Low drag hydropneumatic power cylinder and system

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/269,803, filed on 6/29/2009, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a mechanical power device, and in particular to a buoyancy-based mechanical power device.

Background

While humans have found several methods of exploiting the natural forces, it is clear that what is lacking is a successful method of exploiting gravity in a buoyant environment. Previous attempts to manipulate objects in the buoyant region have been inadequate. The physical design shortcomings of these designs significantly diminish their ability to achieve most of their available potential buoyancy-based effects. In addition, previous designs failed to achieve the potential and kinetic energy available through physical exchange of gas with liquid, induced inter-liquid motion, inter-liquid friction, and the like.

Hydrodynamic drag based on physical design is the primary energy reduction factor for any buoyancy based device. The inability to design and manufacture buoyancy machines in most hydrodynamic (lowest drag coefficient) shapes results in significant energy loss and loss to fluid friction, as well as unwanted movement due to the high drag inherent in mechanical motion working inside a fluid environment. Conventional designs have a high drag component/limited physical design aspects of the design that severely impede each device's ability to generate mechanical energy.

In other attempts, considerable energy is lost due to the inability to attempt to capture energy during liquid-to-gas displacement or gas-to-liquid displacement. When something is physically changed inside the buoyant power conversion device during the process of converting buoyancy to mechanical energy, the energy inherent in these energy conversions and material movements cannot be captured regardless of the design.

Other conventional designs have limited the conversion of buoyancy energy to rotational power. These designs limit the balance of buoyancy by limiting the transfer of drive gas between buckets of drive gas thereby allowing some buckets to be overfilled and other buckets to be underfilled at the same level.

Another significant design concern is the use of a bucket volume that is less than the optimal proportional bucket volume relative to the overall device size. Some designs have excessive barrel depth, which places buoyant gas too close to the device core, with more energy being used to generate the gas filling than is compensated during buoyant operation. Other designs incorporate a smaller than optimal bucket volume relative to the overall apparatus, and/or a reduced number of buckets. The disadvantages of both designs significantly reduce the ability to perform buoyant work.

Conventional designs also do not reduce frictional hydraulic drag by using effective hydraulic drag reduction members such as microbubble injection, polymer injection, and the like. Furthermore, these conventional designs cannot manage thermal depletion of the expanding gas of the working/driving liquid by the expanding gas having a relative retained thermal energy much lower than that when in the compressed state. The continuous operation of the expanding gas of any non-hot gas driven buoyancy motor can rapidly reduce the working/driving liquid temperature of each device to a level below its freezing point, in addition to high temperature or steam operation where the working/driving liquid is kept at a higher temperature.

Therefore, there is a need for a mechanical device that can reduce frictional hydrodynamic drag, balance buoyancy along its fins (vane), and capture kinetic energy available during gas-to-liquid and liquid-to-gas transfer.

Disclosure of Invention

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a mechanical power device is capable of reducing frictional hydraulic drag through the use of effective hydraulic drag reduction means such as microbubble injection, polymer injection, and the like.

In one exemplary embodiment, a hydro-pneumatic cylinder includes first and second end plates disposed opposite each other in the cylinder. The first and second end plates are substantially flat and parallel to each other. The cylinder also includes a drive shaft extending longitudinally through the cylinder and through the first and second end plates. A core support is coupled to each end plate and centrally disposed in the cylinder, and a plurality of vanes are provided for promoting low drag flow. Each of the plurality of vanes is coupled to a core support and the first and second end plates. The cylinder further includes a bucket formed by a core support, two of the plurality of vanes, and the first and second end plates. The cylinder also includes a vane support coupled to the plurality of vanes. The vane support is generally parallel to the first and second end plates such that the vane support defines a plurality of openings formed therein through which fluid may pass to equalize pressure in the tub.

In one form of this embodiment, the cylinder may include a micro bubbler coupled to at least one of the first and second end plates. The microbubble device is configured to reduce dynamic drag and may be substantially parallel to the end plate to which it is coupled. In another form thereof, the bucket includes a plurality of buckets. For example, in this embodiment, the number of buckets may be substantially the same as the number of fins. Additionally, the drive shaft may include a passage defined therethrough. In another arrangement, the vane support divides the bucket into a first portion and a second portion such that the first portion is fluidly coupled to the second portion through a plurality of openings defined in the vane support.

In another embodiment, a system for converting buoyant energy of a compressed fluid into mechanical energy is provided. The system comprises a fluid-tight tank (tank) containing a liquid. The tank has a cover disposed at a top end, and a fluid filling device is coupled to a bottom end of the tank. The system also includes a thermal management system for maintaining the temperature of the liquid and a hydro-pneumatic cylinder disposed in the tank. The cylinder is immersed in a liquid. In addition, the cylinder includes a drive shaft extending longitudinally along an axis and a plurality of barrels defined therein. At least one of the plurality of buckets receives compressed fluid from the fluid filling device such that the compressed fluid utilizes buoyancy to provide rotational movement of the cylinder about the axis.

In a similar embodiment, the cylinder may include a first end plate and a second end plate disposed opposite each other in the cylinder. The first and second end plates are substantially flat and parallel to each other. A core support is coupled to each end plate and disposed in the cylinder. The cylinder may include a plurality of vanes for promoting low drag flow such that each of the plurality of vanes is coupled to the core support and the first and second end plates. The cylinder also includes a vane support coupled to the plurality of vanes. The vane support is generally parallel to the first and second end plates such that the vane support defines a plurality of openings formed therein through which fluid may pass to equalize pressure in the tub. Additionally, the cylinder includes a dynamic drag reduction apparatus coupled to one of the first and second end plates. The dynamic drag reduction device is generally parallel to the first and second end plates.

In another form of this embodiment, the vane support divides the plurality of buckets into a first portion and a second portion such that the first portion is fluidly coupled to the second portion through the plurality of openings defined in the vane support. The system may further include a low friction bearing disposed on each side of the cylinder. The supply line is thermally insulated to maintain the temperature of the fluid entering the fluid filling device.

In a different form of this embodiment, the fluid charging device comprises a plenum housing or a rotary valve. The fluid filling device may include a flow break portion fluidly coupled to at least one of the plurality of buckets. In an embodiment of the rotary valve, the rotary valve defines a passageway and a launch orifice. The passageway fluidly couples a supply line to the launch orifice to direct compressed fluid to a cylinder. The system may also include a fluid distribution equalizer chamber for expanding the fluid and maintaining equalization of pressure in the fluid perfusion device.

In various embodiments, a hydro-pneumatic cylinder for converting buoyant energy into kinetic energy is provided. The cylinder includes a first end plate and a second end plate disposed opposite each other in the cylinder. The first and second end plates are substantially flat and parallel to each other. A drive shaft extends longitudinally through the cylinder and through the first and second end plates. The cylinder also includes a core support coupled to each end plate and disposed in the cylinder. A plurality of vanes are provided for promoting low drag flow. Each of the plurality of vanes is coupled to a core support and the first and second end plates. The cylinder further includes a bucket formed by a core support, two of the plurality of vanes, and the first and second end plates. Additionally, a dynamic drag reduction apparatus is coupled to one of the end plates and is substantially parallel to the pair of end plates.

In this embodiment, the cylinder may include an airfoil support coupled to the plurality of airfoils. The vane support is generally parallel to the first and second end plates. Also, the vane support defines a plurality of openings formed therein through which fluid may pass to equalize pressure in the bucket. The vane support further divides each of the plurality of buckets into a first portion and a second portion such that the first portion is fluidly coupled to the second portion through the plurality of openings defined in the vane support.

According to one embodiment, a Hydro-Pneumatic Power Cylinder (HPC) includes a submerged shaft-mounted cylindrical body having an end cap disc coupled to each distal end of a center Cylinder, a plurality of fins axially coupled to a center Cylinder face and an inside surface of the end cap disc. The surface of each adjacent vane, the exposed central cylinder face and the exposed inner surface of the end cap disc define a space. The device is gas filled from a plenum chamber that regulates working fluid/working gas transfer, or via a set of rotating gas injection valves, one valve embedded into each cylinder end. Drag reducing microbubble gas emitters are coupled to high hydraulic power drag features and/or are statically strategically placed near the cylinder. HPC is able to capture and fully exploit the buoyancy-based effects of gravity.

HPC can introduce any light weight gas under pressure (compressed or thermally expanded) into a very heavy liquid. It is also possible to utilize the moment-arm lever (moment-arm-lift) principle by moving the gas-filled working buoyancy barrel further from the center point/axis to increase the effective power output of the power cylinder. This allows the use of application-based engineered "wet zone" buckets/spaces to reduce the drive gas requirements for a particular HPC power output. In this manner, the size of the HPC may be matched to the power input requirements of the application. To facilitate HPC production attempts, several HPCs of production standard sizes may be specifically designed and built with bucket depths/widths that match the application requirements of a particular end product. A standard sized HPC with a set diameter may be extended to increase power output to match the power input requirements of a particular user.

The HPC can recycle and reuse the drive gas from the intentional compressed source to ensure a continuously available supply of clean drive gas, thereby eliminating the need for external contaminant gas filtration attempts or machines/devices. HPC is also able to manage the effects of the heat transfer process that occur with the compression, transport, and release/expansion of the drive gas. As such, HPC can maintain the drive liquid at a temperature that maximizes drive liquid density and also prevents the drive liquid from freezing by rapidly expanding the drive gas.

The HPC may advantageously be located in any environment as long as appreciable gravitational forces are available. This may include non-terrestrial environments. HPCs can be built in a variety of sizes to meet the specified net power production requirements in the range of 1 horsepower (1 kilowatt) to millions of horsepower (hundreds of megawatts). Likewise, HPCs can be used as a rotary power source/prime mover for driving industrial processes or primary electricity generation.

Also, the HPC may be combined in series or series with similar power generation units to increase the available power output. A power plant with rows of multiple buoyancy capturers can provide several gigawatts of electrical energy.

In at least one embodiment of the HPC, a powerful gas injection function that increases the overall power output is achieved by injecting a drive gas into the base of the vat thereby forcing liquid from the vat. The introduction of drive gas into the barrels represents the dynamic state change of each barrel each time a gas charge occurs. This energy-rich gas transfer is achieved by filling the barrel from inside to outside creating a significant back-pressure inside the barrel and converting this strong barrel filling activity into a basic hydraulic pump jet, thereby allowing this energy-rich gas transfer to be effected rotationally in the shaft.

The HPC also includes static baffles on the outside of the HPC that can impede liquid movement near the lower buckets that are effectively filled with gas and shot liquid. Such baffles provide a statically balanced liquid resistance to liquid ejected from the barrel, thereby increasing overall system dynamics by increasing back pressure to the ejected liquid. The HPC design may include intra-bucket passageways along the length of each bucket, allowing maximum transfer of drive gas to linearly and equally fill each bucket, thereby maximizing, equalizing, and balancing the buoyant dynamics of each bucket.

HPC may further use gas-filled buckets, which are filled substantially for the maximum duration possible. Since most HPC power is derived from buoyancy, more liquid displaced gas (by volume) inside each rising bucket increases the buoyancy-based lift of that particular bucket, thereby increasing the use of the contribution of the gas-filled bucket to the overall power of the device. This design of the bucket, both bucket-to-vane length and transfer passage within the bucket, maximizes the percentage of bucket holding gas for the maximum duration possible, thereby capturing the maximum buoyancy available "timing" along the rotation of the HPC, for maximum effect.

The HPC may have a low drag physical design such that each foil follows the previous foil. This feature can greatly reduce energy loss parasitics, hydrodynamic surface friction, and design drag. The HPC may also include an effective gas entrapment Boundary Control Layer (BCL), which is a hydrokinetic drag reduction technique that injects microbubbles into a liquid space between a stationary liquid surrounding and in contact with the HPC and a dynamic liquid moving with and in contact with the HPC. The continuous injection of the BCL and microbubbles present in the adjacent interfaces allows multiple hydraulic powers to compress and expand the gas in the microbubbles, which greatly reduces the energy loss parasitic drag created in and between the BCL interfaces.

Additionally, HPC may include ultra-low friction magnetic bearings and ultra-low friction air bearings to support the drive shaft and reduce friction-based energy losses (bearing selection depending on application and device size). The HPC may also include an operational and neutrally buoyant design that reduces the relative weight of the HPC. This may reduce the gravitational-based friction pressure on the HPC's support bearings and reduce the impact of weight on the bearing support structure. HPCs can have an operationally reliable design that can be used for power industry processes or prime mover power generation devices, with systematic redundancy designed across the system by using ultra-low maintenance HPC designs, selection of multiple gas compression sources, and up to two drive shaft connections (one on each side of the device).

Drawings

The above-mentioned aspects of the invention and its manner of implementation will be more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an end view of a hydro-pneumatic cylinder (HPC);

FIG. 2 is a front side view of the HPC of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a drive-side orthogonal view of the HPC;

FIG. 4 is a front side cut-away view of the HPC tank and its internal parts as seen with the side of the tank removed for illustrative purposes;

FIG. 5 is a left side end view of the HPC tank and its internal parts as seen with the ends of the tank removed for illustrative purposes;

FIG. 6 is a left side perspective view of the drive gas plenum;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the HPC's drive gas system as seen from one end of the tank;

figure 8 is a perspective view of the HPC's thermally managed drive liquid system as seen from the front of the tank;

FIG. 9 is a representation of an HPC used in the power generation system as seen from the front of the tank;

FIG. 10 is a top-down system view of an HPC as used in a marine propulsion (naval propulsion)/drive system;

figure 11 is a system view of the complete HPC system as seen from the front side of the tank;

FIG. 12 is a drive side perspective view of the HPC (minus most of the fins) and general micro-bubbler design;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an end plate micro bubbler, a regulator and its gas supply line;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an end plate micro bubbler and its gas emitter penetration;

FIG. 15 is a partial drive side perspective view of the vane microbubble generator, regulator and its gas supply line;

FIG. 16 is a drive side perspective view of a generic HPC, detailing a "small HPC" stationary end plate micro bubbler design;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view in cross-section of a stationary end plate micro bubbler emitter;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a HPC utilizing a rotary valve direct gas injector;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a rotary valve direct gas injector;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of an HPC operating using a pressurized natural gas driven system;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of an HPC operating using a binary gas driven system;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of an HPC operating a steam driven system;

FIG. 23 is an end view of a large tank cascaded HPC configuration;

figure 24 is a perspective view of an HPC base-loaded power station; and

figure 25 is an end view of a HPC having deep fins and buckets.

Corresponding reference numerals are used throughout the several drawings to indicate corresponding parts.

Detailed Description

The embodiments of the invention described below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may appreciate and understand the principles and practices of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of a hydro-pneumatic power cylinder (HPC)102 is provided for converting gravity-based buoyancy to rotational force. The HPC102 includes a drive shaft 104 inserted centrally through a set of two separate vertical circular HPC end plates 114, each of which defines opposite ends of the HPC 102. The drive shaft 104 has a central gas passage 105 extending end-to-end through its center and has a drive shaft flange 103 coupled to each end. The two end plates 114 are separated by a rigid hollow centrally located cylindrical HPC core support 108 coupled to the HPC end plates 114. The core support 108 may have additional internal structures (not shown) that couple the core support 108 to the drive shaft 104 to assist in transferring operational loads to the central shaft.

Coupled to the outside of HPC core support 108 and the exposed, inward-facing surface of HPC end plate 114 in a leak-tight manner are a large number of curvilinear HPC fins 110 that are coupled equidistantly around the perimeter of HPC core support 108-the exact number of fins and the specific fin depth depends on size, efficiency specified, and desired operating HPC power output requirements. HPC fins 110 are bent from their longitudinal inner base attachment to HPC core support 108 towards the outer edges of the fins (which terminate in a low drag flow manner). The curved edges of the fins are coupled to the inner face of HPC end plate 114. The adjacent surfaces of HPC fins 110, the inner exposed surfaces of HPC core support 108 and HPC end plate 114 define a single HPC bucket area 109. Each HPC design has a specified large number of fins and thus an equal number of buckets 109 as fins 110.

Coupled into a set of micro-bubbler radial slots 115 (fig. 13) that are cut into the HPC end plate 114 in a radial fashion, in a flush-mounted, low hydrodynamic drag manner, are a set of end plate micro-bubblers 106. The number and location of the end plate micro-bubblers 106 may be matched to a particular HPC application design and may be subject to a specified drag reduction requirement depending on the operating requirements of the particular HPC. In this embodiment, four end plate micro-bubblers 106 are shown at each end of HPC102, however in other embodiments, other micro-bubblers, designs, and layouts may be present.

In fig. 2, the outer face of HPC fin 110, drive shaft 104, drive shaft central gas passage 105, drive shaft flange 103, HPC end plate 114 (viewed on edge), and fin intermediate support 112 (which is perpendicular to and securely coupled to both inner surfaces of HPC fin 110 and HPC core support 108 (not separately depicted in this figure) are shown. As shown, the HPC end plate 114 extends beyond the outer edge of the HPC fin 110 to provide a gas leakage seal to a drive gas plenum 124 (shown in figure 4).

Referring to fig. 3, HPC102 fins 110 may be attached to the front side of HPC core support 108 as supported by fin intermediate support 112. While the embodiment in fig. 3 includes a single intermediate fin support 108, larger HPC developments may use multiple fin supports along its HPC face in their design and operation. Such vane supports are needed to assist the vanes 110 in controlling the buoyancy of the generated energy during HPC operation, and to assist the vanes in containing the multi-path loading forces encountered during the very energy and power rich liquid drainage and gas filling actions during HPC operation. Additionally, the sail support 112 assists the sail 110 in maintaining its low drag hydraulic power profile while the sail carries buoyancy induced operational loads.

A plurality of airfoil intermediate support gases are defined in airfoil intermediate support 112 by openings or holes 113. These holes 113 are located inside each bucket region 109 of the HPC102 (as depicted in figures 1 and 25), which allows the bucket pressures to be equal and reduces the total HPC102 weight. Also shown is a drive shaft 104, as well as a drive shaft central gas passage 105 and drive shaft flange 103. The entire structure is securely and immovably attached together to form HPC 102. A flush mounted end plate micro bubbler 106 may be coupled to the HPC end plate 114.

Turning to fig. 4, HPC102 is disposed inside a larger liquid-tight tank 134 (note that the sides of tank 134 have been removed for illustrative purposes only). A set of external drive shafts 107 are coupled to the drive shaft flange 103 and the drive shaft flange 103 is coupled to the drive shaft 104. A transverse-rounded stress skin membrane type HPC tank cover 118 is coupled to the top of the tank 134 in a gas-tight, leak-proof manner to capture all of the expanding drive gas 179. Conventional stressed skin membrane tank coverings 118 are often used in industrial buildings, airport hangars, and the like. Surrounding the HPC102 is a drive liquid 111 in a tank 134 that is supported on its external drive shaft 107 by robust shaft-sealed HPC bearings 120 on each side of the HPC 102. HPC bearings 120 are low friction bearings and are supported by HPC bearing support 130 coupled to left and right tank walls 128. HPC102 is similarly supported on both sides. The external drive shaft 107 extends through the far side of the HPC bearing 120 and through the liquid-tight tank wall seals 122 mounted into the left and right sides of the tank wall 128, and through mating holes defined in the left and right tank walls (note that the defined holes are not depicted separately from the left and right tank wall seals 122).

The drive gas plenum 124 is coupled to the tank bottom 129 by a series of plenum support feet (support feet) 126. The drive gas plenum 124 is fed drive gas 178 via a thermally insulated drive gas supply line 116 entering from the back side of the HPC tank cover 118, with the thermally insulated drive gas supply line 116 being firmly attached along its length to the right side tank wall 128. This drive gas 178 exits the line 116 into a drive gas supply control valve 176 (not separately depicted in this figure), which drive gas supply control valve 176 controls the release of the gas 178 into a drive gas distribution equalizer chamber 177 coupled to the drive gas plenum 124. Coupled at the center of the backside of the tank cover 118 is a drive gas return line 132 that collects all of the expanded drive gas 179 that rises above the drive liquid 111 with buoyancy. Also shown on the front bottom edge of the drive gas plenum 124 is a plenum drive gas overflow cutout 125, which is used to assist in the initial HPC spin operation by directing plenum overflow gas (not separately shown) to the drive side of the HPC 102.

Figure 5 shows HPC102 inside the same liquid-tight tank 134 submerged in drive liquid 111 in a left side view-note that the left side of the tank has been removed for illustrative purposes only. Coupled in a gas-tight manner to the side of the drive gas plenum 124 is a drive gas distribution equalizer chamber 177 attached in a gas-tight manner to a gas supply control valve 176, which gas supply control valve 176 is fed with drive gas 178 from the terminal end of a thermally insulated drive gas supply line 116. The bearing 120 is coupled to the top of the bearing support 130. Additionally, the tank cover 118 may include a thermally insulated drive gas supply line 116 and a drive gas return line 132 extending from the back. Also shown attached to the flat face of the HPC tank cover 118 is a vertically suspended neutral spring loaded tank cover pressure relief door 119.

In the embodiment of fig. 6, the operational components of the drive gas plenum 124 are located below the HPC102, with the thermally insulated drive gas supply line 116 terminating in a gas-tight manner to a gas supply control valve 176. The control valve 176 controls the amount of drive gas 178 entering the drive gas distribution equalizer chamber 177. The drive gas distribution equalizer chamber 177 allows the drive gas to expand and equalize the gas pressure within the plenum 124. Drive gas 178 enters plenum 124 via drive gas supply port 168 under controlled pressure and maintains a level of drive liquid inside drive gas plenum 124. Coupled to the upper right and upper left ends (as viewed in fig. 6) of the drive gas plenum 124 are two seal support plates 174 supported by a plurality of seal support plate (back plate) supports 175. Coupled to the top side of each seal support plate 174 is a series of continuous plenum to HPC fin seals 172 (note that three seals 172 as shown in this embodiment-other designs using other numbers of seals 172 are possible depending on the operating depth and force placed on the seals). Inside the drive gas plenum 124 is a set of graduated plenum level sensors 171 disposed at an angle and protected and enclosed in a level sensor assembly 170. Also shown on the bottom of the drive side of the plenum 124 is a plenum drive gas overflow cut 125, which will be used to direct a plenum gas overflow to the drive face of the HPC102 during start-up of operation. A series of plenum support feet 126 are shown, with the feet 126 positioning the plenum 124 above a tank bottom 129 (not shown in this figure) and in a strategically advantageous location directly below the HPC 102.

Referring to the embodiment of fig. 7, the HPC drive gas system includes a more complex three compressor design including a tank 134 and a tank cover 118. All gas pipe/tubing couplings are sealed, thereby preventing any gas leakage. Also shown mounted to a vertical face of the tank cover 118 is a tank cover relief door 119. The gas return line 132a exits the backside of the tank cover 118 and is coupled to a gas spin filter 136. The gas return line 132b exits the gas spin filter 136 and is coupled to the input side of a one-way gas check valve 141 a.

On the opposite side of the check valve 141a, the gas return line 132b is further coupled to the input port of the gas compressor 138. The compressed drive gas 178 exits the output port of the compressor 138 via the drive gas supply line 116a and passes through the output side of the one-way gas check valve 141 b. The compressed drive gas 178 then exits the output port of check valve 141b and continues through the remainder of the drive gas supply line 116 b. The drive gas supply line 116b may be coupled to a second drive gas supply line 116c, whereby it is coupled to the compressed gas output of another compressor. The drive gas 178 flows into the tank 134, entering through the face of the tank cover 118 (as viewed from the right side of the tank 134). The input side of the electrically powered gas spin filter liquid return pump 139 may be coupled to a small sealed opening defined in a sump-like bottom portion of the gas spin filter 136. The liquid output is thereby coupled to a gas spin filter liquid return one-way check valve 143, which one-way check valve 143 is coupled to the gas spin filter liquid return line 137. The gas spin filter liquid return line may be coupled at its terminal end to an opening defined in the top of the tank 134 above the top surface of the drive liquid 111 (fig. 4). Also shown is a microbubble generator intra-axis gas supply line 224 that is coupled to the drive gas supply line 116c to deliver an amount of drive gas (not shown) to the terminal end of the line 224. The end of wire 224 is coupled to an in-shaft rotating gas coupler/fitting 222, which coupler/fitting 222 is coupled to an external drive shaft 107 (not shown in this figure) that penetrates the tank 134 via the liquid-tight tank wall seal 122.

In the embodiment of figure 8, the liquid-tight HPC thermal management drive liquid system comprises a single compressor design. The drive liquid 111 exits the tank 134 via an outlet line 146a, the inlet of which is mounted near the top of the tank and submerged below the upper surface of the liquid. The outlet line 146a is coupled to one of the two inlet ports of the bi-directional HPC liquid flow control valve 144 a. Outlet line 146b exits valve 144a as shown.

Following the drive liquid path of the first liquid flow control valve 144a, the drive liquid continues to the inlet end of an intermediate liquid outlet line 146b, which intermediate liquid outlet line 146b couples the outlet of line 146b to the inlet port of liquid flow pump 142 a. This pump 142a moves the drive liquid to the inlet of a bi-directional cooling bath liquid flow control valve 144b, which bi-directional cooling bath liquid flow control valve 144b couples one of its outlets to the liquid cooling bath 154, where the drive liquid is pumped to cool and lose its latent heat. A second outlet of the liquid flow control valve 144b directs the flow of drive liquid via a cooling sump liquid bypass line 152, which cooling sump liquid bypass line 152 is coupled to a first inlet of a second bi-directional liquid cooling sump liquid flow control valve 144c that controls an outlet of a liquid cooling sump 154. The liquid cooling pool 154 is directly coupled to a second of its two inlets of the second bi-directional liquid cooling pool liquid flow control valve 144c (which is coupled to the inlet side of the liquid inlet line 150 a). The liquid inlet line 150a is coupled with an inlet port of a liquid flow pump 142b, which liquid flow pump 142b couples its outlet port to the compressor liquid inlet line 150 b. The inlet line 150b terminates at the liquid coolant inlet port of the gas compressor 138. The liquid coolant outlet port of the compressor 138 is coupled with a compressor liquid outlet line 148a, which compressor liquid outlet line 148a is coupled to an inlet port of a compressor outlet liquid flow control valve 144d, which compressor outlet liquid flow control valve 144d has its outlet port coupled to a liquid inlet line 148b, which liquid inlet line 148b is coupled to an inlet port of an HPC bypass liquid flow control valve 144 e. The HPC bypass liquid flow control valve 144e has two outlet ports. The first outlet port is coupled to tank liquid inlet line 148 c. Inlet line 148c passes through tank cover 118 and extends to and terminates near the bottom of tank 134. A second outlet port of the HPC bypass liquid flow control valve 144e is coupled to the tank liquid bypass line 152. A liquid bypass line 152 is coupled to a second inlet of the bi-directional liquid flow control valve 144 a.

In fig. 9, the HPC is incorporated into a single output power generation system having a single compressor design. The outer drive shaft 107 exits the box 134 as previously described and is coupled to the power input side of the power/torque overload releasable HPC drive shaft power release coupler 156. The power release coupling 156 is coupled on the outlet side to a power shaft 157, and the power shaft 157 is coupled to a step-up gearbox 158. The gearbox 158 is coupled to an intermediate power shaft 159 that drives an alternator/generator 160. A plurality of power lines 180 exit the alternator/generator 160 and are coupled to the electrical outlet control system 164. The power outlet control system 164 feeds a compressor supply line 166 coupled to the compressor drive motor 140 of the compressor 138 and also feeds excess power not required by the HPC system via the electrical output service line 162.

In FIG. 10, a marine power application is shown in which, with inclusion inside the hull 184, a sealed HPC tank system 190 with an internal HPC (not shown) passing through an external drive shaft 107 drives the alternator/generator 160 and the electrical output control system 164 coupled to the alternator/generator power output line 180 (note that this embodiment couples the HPC directly to the alternator/generator. An electrical power line 193 extends from the electrical output control system 164 to the boat drive motor 192. A plurality of compressor power supply lines 166 couple the compressor drive motor 140 and the ship's compressor 138. The boat drive motor 192 drives the propeller shaft 195 and propeller 194.

An inlet port 186 feeds a quantity of external water 182 to a compressor inlet pump 188, compressor inlet pump 188 being coupled to compressor 138 by liquid inlet line 150. There may also be multiple compressors 138 as shown. An HPC liquid inlet line 148 is coupled from the compressor 138 to the tank 190. Connected to the rear of the tank 190 is the HPC liquid outlet line 146, which is coupled to a water system outlet valve 196. The outlet valve 196 terminates with the hull 184 of the vessel, with the water 182 exiting the hull via the water outlet port 197. The compressor 138 is coupled to the drive gas supply line 116, which in turn, the drive gas supply line 116 is coupled to the sealed HPC tank system 190. The gas return line 132 exits the tank system 190 and is coupled to the gas inlet side of each of the compressors 138.

Referring to fig. 11, the complete HPC system includes a single output shaft and a three compressor design. Turning to fig. 12, components of a micro-bubbler system are provided. A hollow drive shaft 104 extending through the HPC102 supplies pressurized gas to the core of the shaft 104 via a central gas passage 105. An in-shaft rotating gas coupling 222 is mounted on the non-drive end of the drive shaft 104 and is coupled to the compressor to supply pressurized microbubble generator gas for microbubble injection. Inside HPC core support 108, shaft gas passage 105 is coupled and supplies this microbubble gas via an end plate shaft to regulator service line 204, which is coupled to regulator service line 204 and supplies this same microbubble gas to the inlet of end plate variable depth pressure regulator 202. The pressure regulator 202 is mounted to the inner wall of the HPC end plate 114. The regulated gas outlet of the pressure regulator 202 passes the pressure regulated micro-bubbler gas through the end plate micro-bubbler radial cut-out 115 and then into the back of the end plate micro-bubbler 106. Each HPC102 has a plurality of micro-bubble generators 106 radially incorporated into an end plate 114, the exact number of micro-bubble generators 106 depending on the design optimized for each particular operating requirement. The microbubble gas is launched into the drive liquid 111 (not separately shown) via a tiny gas passage 214 (fig. 14) to reduce parasitic hydrodynamic drag forces.

Also inside HPC core support 108, the central gas passage 105 of the hollow drive shaft 104 is coupled and supplies pressurized micro-bubbler gas to the inlet of a shaft-to-vane pressure regulator service line 208, which shaft-to-vane pressure regulator service line 208 is coupled to and supplies pressurized micro-bubbler gas to the inlet side of the vane depth variable pressure regulator 206. The pressure regulator 206 is coupled and supplies pressure-regulated microbubble generator gas to a vane pressure regulator microbubble service line 212, where the output of line 212 supplies regulated microbubble generator gas to the backside of the vane microbubble generator 210. The flap micro-bubbler 210 has a tiny micro-bubble gas emitter passage 214 (fig. 15) that emits micro-bubbles into the drive liquid 111 (not separately shown) to reduce parasitic hydrodynamic drag forces. The vane microbubble device is mounted to the HPC vanes 110 in a hydraulically powered flow low drag manner.

Servicing of the HPC's internal parts is accomplished via an HPC end plate access door 200, which HPC end plate access door 200 is attached to end plate 114 with a plurality of HPC end plate access door attachment bolts 201. The end plate 114 has a plurality of equidistant pressure equalizer holes 198 that penetrate the end plate 114 to equalize the pressure inside and outside the cylindrical pocket formed by the HPC core support 108 and the end plate 114.

Fig. 13 shows an end plate micro bubbler part with a hollow drive shaft 104 supplying drive gas 178 through a central gas passage 105 in the core of the shaft 104. Within the structure of the HPC, the shaft gas passage 105 is coupled to an end plate shaft-to-regulator service line 204, and the end plate shaft-to-regulator service line 204 is coupled to an end plate variable depth pressure regulator 202. The pressure regulator 202 is mounted to the inner wall of the HPC end plate 114. The pressure regulator 202 passes the drive gas 178 (not shown in this figure) through the HPC end plate 114 and the micro-bubbler radial slots 115 into the back of the flush-mounted end plate micro-bubbler 106. Each HPC has multiple micro-bubblers radially incorporated into the end plate, the exact number of which depends on the design optimized for each particular operating requirement.

In fig. 14, the end plate micro-bubbler includes an end plate micro-bubbler portion 106 having a plurality of tiny micro-bubbler gas-emitter passages 214 defined through a front face thereof. The distal end (furthest from the axis) of the end plate micro-bubbler 106 may have more transmitter vias 214 micro-drilled therein than the proximal end (closest to the axis), which would allow more micro-bubbles to be generated at the distal end.

Referring to fig. 15, the vane micro-bubbler includes an HPC vane 110 coupled to an HPC end plate 114 and an HPC core support cylinder 108, where the vane 110 has a hollow vane micro-bubbler 210 with a number of tiny micro-bubbler gas-emitter passages 214. The vane micro-bubbler 210 is coupled to the edge of the vane in a low drag manner, wherein the vane micro-bubbler 210 is even coupled with the outward facing edge of the vane 110 to prevent a low drag design. The hollow shaft 104 is coupled to a shaft-to-vane pressure regulator service line 208, and the shaft-to-vane pressure regulator service line 208 is coupled to a vane depth variable pressure regulator 206, such that the regulator outlet is coupled to a vane pressure regulator-to-vane microbubble generator service line 212. The fin microbubble generator service line 212 terminates to the fin microbubble generator 210 where depth-adjusted microbubbles are evenly transmitted to reduce parasitic drag reduction on the operating HPC.

Turning to fig. 16, a "small HPC" design is provided that uses longitudinally extending vane micro-bubbler 210 along the HPC vanes 110, as well as a stationary end plate micro-bubbler design (note that the vane intermediate support has been omitted for illustrative purposes). Smaller HPC designs may utilize a stationary HPC end plate micro-bubbler system instead of an end plate micro-bubbler system inside the HPC core. The stationary micro bubble system includes several hollow stationary end plate micro bubbler 216 sections that are joined together and strategically advantageously mounted on a series of stationary end plate micro bubbler support legs 217 in a fixed position adjacent to the lower outward facing edge of the HPC end plate 114. The microbubble gas is provided to the microbubble 216 via a stationary end plate microbubble service line 218.

Fig. 17 shows details of a stationary micro-bubbler, wherein a hollow stationary micro-bubbler portion 216 has a tiny micro-bubbler gas-emitter passage 214 drilled along its upper surface, allowing micro-bubbler gas to enter the driving liquid 111 as a stream of micro-bubbles (not shown). A varying amount of microbubble transmitter pathways 214 is depicted, the number of which is based on the amount of microbubbles needed at different locations along the length of a particular microbubble section. The number and location of these passages 214 may vary for different embodiments. Also shown is a stationary end plate microbubble service line 218 that connects to and provides gas to the microbubble section 216.

Figure 18 shows HPC using a set of two rotary valves direct gas injectors. The HPC102 has placed a pair of HPC rotary valve recesses (not separately shown) in each of its ends but is not fully attached to the HPC. In each recess, the rotary valve body 226 fits, but is not fully connected to, the HPC 102. Each stationary rotary valve 226 is coupled to the HPC bearing support 130 of the tank by a single or set of rotary valve support flanges 234. The rotary valve is attached to a thermally insulated drive gas supply line 116. Located near the bottom of the tank and strategically and advantageously located is a set of external baffles 236 held in place by baffle-to-tank supports 238 that hold the baffles stationary with respect to the tank 134 and the moving HPC 102. Also shown coupled to the bottom of the tank 134 is a set of rotatable/folding HPC maintenance support columns 123.

In fig. 19, the rotary valve direct gas injector assembly is shown in greater detail. Rotary valve body 226 is a solid, one-piece structure. The rotary valve body 226 has built into its curved rotating surface a single or multiple rotary valve-to-HPC seals 232 that contain the gas inside the HPC barrel 109 (not shown in this figure) of the HPC. Other forms of seals are also contemplated, such as the use of specifically designed sized close tolerance gaps between the HPC and the rotary valve body 226, lip seals, and other forms of retaining the drive gas 178 (not shown in this figure) inside the HPC to the rotary valve body face. The outside of the rotary valve body has a rotary valve gas passageway 228 that extends from the outside of the rotary valve body to the proximal inside face of the rotary valve gas emission orifice 230. The rotary valve gas passageway 228 couples the thermally insulated drive gas supply line 116 to the rotary valve gas launch orifice 230, supplying drive gas to the HPC. The rotary valve gas emission orifice is specifically shaped to have a designed sized opening in many arcs relative to the rotary valve body 226 perimeter in order to allow a specific metered charge of drive gas 178 to be injected into the HPC drum as it passes through the orifice. The longer the arc of the opening, the longer the fill duration for a particular HPC design.

Several factors affect the amount of gas transferred into the HPC drum: the size of the orifice; a driving gas pressure; gas delivery line restrictions such as friction, line bending, line size, etc.; and the rotation speed of the HPC. FIG. 19 depicts the shaft 104 as a reference point-the depicted rotary valve body 226 does not contact the drive shaft 104, however, other embodiments not depicted may pass the shaft 104 through a tight tolerance air bearing type journal (if necessary more depending on the HPC to rotary valve interface structure of the application). Other not depicted forms of holding the rotary valve stationary are available. Other rotary valve body embodiments not depicted include the use of a substantially sized rotary valve body 226 as an air bearing, where such a design may eliminate the need for additional HPC bearings.

Figure 20 shows the use of pressurized natural gas to drive and operate the HPC. The tank 134 holding the HPC102 (as shown in figure 4 or figure 18) has a virtual tank cover 256 held by a series of appropriately sized tank cover bolts 258. High pressure natural gas enters the tank 134 via a natural gas high pressure inlet line 250 coupled to a natural gas pressure regulator 252, the natural gas pressure regulator 252 reducing the natural gas inlet pressure to a specified working pressure for the particular HPC system/application. A regulated natural gas inlet line 254 delivers natural gas from the outlet of the regulator 252 to a thermally insulated HPC drive gas supply line inside the tank for HPC operation. After the natural gas has driven the HPC and is available above the upper surface of the drive liquid 111 (fig. 4) inside the tank 134, the used natural gas is evacuated from the tank 134 via the natural gas HPC outlet line 260 to the single or multiple sets of natural gas/drive liquid separators 262, passing between the separators 262 via intermediate natural gas lines 264. Separator 262 removes the drive liquid vapor from the natural gas to the extent that the natural gas meets appropriate specifications for further utilization by natural gas end-use consumers. A separately installed drive liquid thermal management system is not shown in which thermal energy may be added to the drive liquid 111 to maintain the drive liquid temperature against the continuously expanding drive gas inside the box 134.

The drive liquid removed by the separator is returned from the floor of separator 262, which is connected via the inlet of drive liquid condensate return line 292, to tank 134, continuing into the inlet of drive liquid reflux pump 310. The pump 310 outlet sends the driving liquid condensate 294 via a continuous return line 292 terminating at the top edge of the tank 134, with the condensate 294 deposited above the driving liquid surface (not shown) inside the tank 134. The natural gas exits via a separator natural gas outlet line 266 coupled to a natural gas separator post-pressure regulator 268, which natural gas separator post-pressure regulator 268 is coupled to a natural gas HPC post-outlet service line 270. The natural gas flows from service line 270 and is subsequently delivered to end-use customers. Another design not depicted has a natural gas booster suction station that returns natural gas to the pre-HPC pressure level, allowing for continuous transmission of natural gas via the original transmission mode. The HPC natural gas driven system is automatically controlled by conventional control systems as used in water treatment plants and petrochemical plants.

In the embodiment of fig. 21, the HPC is operated using a binary gas driven system that utilizes any available heat source. A standard HPC102 (as shown in fig. 4 or 18) using the drive gas plenum 124 (fig. 4) or the rotary valve body 226 injection system (fig. 18) is submerged in the drive liquid 111 (not shown in this figure) inside the tank 134, and a reinforced tank cover 256 is coupled to the tank 134 by a series of substantially reinforced tank cover fixing bolts 258. Tank heater circuit 276 heats the drive liquid of tank 134 to an optimal operating temperature and includes drawing the heated liquid via piping that delivers radiant heat via associated tank heater circuit 276 piping and control valve 278 c.

The heart of the binary system is its use of low boiling point liquids in a closed loop system including evaporator 286 and condenser 290 and associated coupling piping, valves and pumps. This binary system is standard and commonly known as seen in geothermal power plants, for example, in the united states and europe. Evaporator 286 receives heated liquid, which travels through a closed loop via evaporator 286. Heated liquid enters evaporator 286 via heat source input line 282 and control valve 278a, travels through the evaporator's internal closed heating circuit (not shown) and exits evaporator 286 via heat source return line 284. This heated liquid transfers an operationally significant portion of its thermal energy to the binary liquid. The binary liquid vaporizes inside the vaporizer 286 and exits the vaporizer via the coupled binary drive gas input line 280, the coupled binary gas control valve 278b, and the one-way check valve 274 a. The drive gas input line exiting check valve 274a delivers binary drive gas to the coupled and thermally isolated drive gas supply line 116 for HPC operation.

After the binary drive gas has extended through the HPC, the binary drive gas HPC outlet line 302 is coupled to a single or series of binary drive gas/drive liquid distribution separators 300 by evacuating the gas from the tank 134 using the binary drive gas HPC outlet line 302. A multi-bank separator 300 is shown in this embodiment. The combined binary drive gas and drive liquid travels continuously through separator 300 via a set of intra-separator gas/liquid lines 308 positioned at the top and bottom of the separator. The binary drive gas exits the separator coupled via a binary drive gas condenser input line 298, the binary drive gas condenser input line 298 is coupled via a control valve 278c, and the control valve 278c is coupled to the binary system condenser 290. Inside the condenser 290 is a closed loop condenser coil. The condenser coolant flows from the liquid cooling sump 154 coupled to a condenser coolant input line 314, is coupled to a condenser coolant pump 316, another control valve 278d, and enters the condenser 290. After absorbing thermal energy from inside the condenser 290 while moving through the closed loop of the condenser, the condenser coolant then exits the condenser coils and it is coupled to a condenser coolant return line 318, the condenser coolant return line 318 terminating back in the coolant sump 154. Inside the condenser 290, the binary drive gas condenses into a binary liquid condensate 296 and a trace drive liquid condensate 294. The binary liquid condensate 296 exits the bottom of the condenser 290 through a connected binary liquid line 306a coupled to the condenser 290. The opposite end of the binary liquid line 306a is coupled to a binary liquid pump 288a, which pumps the binary liquid 296 from the other end of the line 306a to the binary liquid storage tank 297. The sump of the binary liquid storage tank 297 is coupled to another binary liquid line 306b, the other end of the binary liquid line 306b is coupled to another binary liquid pump 288b, the binary liquid pump 288b is coupled to another one-way check valve 274b, and the outlet of the one-way check valve 274b feeds back into the evaporator 286. Attached to the top of the reinforced tank cover 256 is a tank overpressure relief valve 304 whose outlet end is coupled to a binary gas relief line 303, the binary gas relief line 303 being coupled to a binary gas relief tank 299. Attached to the bottom of decompression tank 299 is another binary liquid line 306b, the opposite end of which is coupled to another control valve 278e, control valve 278e being coupled to another binary liquid line 306c, binary liquid line 306c being connected to binary liquid line 306 exiting the base of binary liquid storage tank 297.

The combination of lines 306 then feeds its binary fluid 296 into the inlet of check valve 274b and into evaporator 286 to restart the binary system process. Also shown coupled to the side of the condenser 290 is a drive liquid condensate return line 292a that feeds drive liquid 294 into the input side of the drive liquid reflux pump 310. The output of the pump 310 feeds into a continuation of the return line 292a, the terminal end of the return line 292a depositing the drive liquid condensate 294 into the inside of the top of the tank 134. Also shown coupled to the base of the previous separator 300 is a drive liquid return line 292b, which is directed to the input side of another drive liquid reflux pump 310. The outlet side of this second pump 310 is connected to a continuation of the separator's drive liquid return line 292b, the terminal end of which return line 292b deposits separator-based drive liquid condensate 294 into the inside of the top of tank 134. This figure depicts only one variation of a binary system. Not depicted are various other means of providing condenser cooling such as cooling towers, evaporative coolers and chiller units. The HPC binary drive system is automatically controlled by, for example, geothermal binary systems and control processes/systems commonly used in petrochemical plants.

Fig. 22 shows an HPC operating using a steam driven system. An amount of steam 320, typically available from many different heat sources, such as fossil fuel burning, nuclear fission vessels, geothermal processes, etc., enters the HPC process via a steam input line 322a coupled to the control valve 278 a. The outlet of control valve 278a is coupled to regulated steam input line 322. The distal end of regulated steam input line 322b is coupled to one-way check valve 274, and the outlet of one-way check valve 274 is coupled to HPC drive gas supply line 116 inside tank 134. As the steam extends through the HPC process from higher pressures at deeper tank depths to shallower tank depths, the steam itself condenses during HPC operation via a combination of cooling and expansion of the drive liquid 111 in the tank 134.

Tank heat accumulation is controlled via a temperature management system that includes a thermally driven liquid drain line 330, the thermally driven liquid drain line 330 starting below the upper surface of the drive liquid 111 inside the tank 134. Line 330 is coupled to control valve 278b, with the outlet of control valve 278b coupled to a continuation of line 330, which in turn is coupled to liquid flow pump 142, with the outlet of liquid flow pump 142 coupled to a continuation of line 330 that ultimately terminates at cooling sump 154. The chiller coolant is drawn from the cooling sump 154 through a drive liquid return line 312, with the other end coupled to a drive liquid return pump 310. The outlet of the pump 310 is coupled to a continuation of a drive liquid return line 312, the opposite end of the line 312 being coupled to the upper edge of the tank 134, wherein the cooled drive liquid is introduced into the interior of the tank 134.

The post-HPC steam residue 326 exits the inside surface of the tank 134 through a steam outlet line 324 coupled to a reinforced tank cover 256, wherein the other end of the steam outlet line 324 is coupled to a residue steam condensing system 328. This steam condensing system 328 is commonly used in larger steam heating systems used in commercial buildings. The steam condensate exits the steam condensate system 328 via a steam condensate drain line 332, wherein the other end of the drain line is coupled to the control valve 278c, wherein the outlet end of the valve is coupled to the continued steam condensate line 332. The other end of the steam condensate line terminates at a cooling sump 154. The HPC steam driven system is automatically controlled by control processes/systems commonly used in, for example, steam thermal plants and coal-based steam operated power plants.

Figure 23 shows a large cascaded HPC configuration. A set of cascaded HPCs 354 are set at a distance from each other to allow the drive gas 178 to be distributed from the lower HPC 354 to the HPCs of the upper stack. Directly above the lowest single or multiple HPC row is a drive gas charge splitter plate 356 coupled to an upwardly directed inverted V-sign shaped middle gas charge offset from the lowest point of the plenum 358. Coupled between the junctions of each pair of side-by-side offset plenums is a drive gas plenum 124 that feeds drive gas to the cascading HC directly above the plenums. Gas fill 178 is shown at various levels between the HPCs. Of note is the relative volume of each gas fill 178, which represents the same mass/number of gas molecules of the gas at different pressure levels at each depth. The drive gas expands as the pressure decreases, allowing the same gas charge 178 to provide more buoyant volume displacement in the HPC as the operating pressure naturally decreases with depth. Essentially, more HPCs of the same size and displacement may be placed on each of the progressively narrower upper rows, as shown in this figure. Alternatively, an embodiment not depicted is to use a large single inverted dish-shaped drive gas collector securely coupled between each level of the HPC. The drive gas exiting the lower level may be collected in a gas collector, where a gas-filled headspace may be established as additional gas is collected and held. The inside upper surface of the gas collector at the top of the "headspace" may be flush with the horizontal plane such that the drive gas may collect to a flush depth on the gas collector. Connected to the upper surface of this "disk-shaped" gas collector may be plenums 124, with each plenum 124 receiving an equal charge of gas due to the drive gas headspace in the inverted disk-shaped gas collector. The drive gas may exit the disk, travel through a gas control valve, with each plenum receiving the same amount of gas for operation of its respective HPC.

Figure 24 shows a depiction of an HPC base-load power plant. The bank 374 may include one or more HPCs 102, with a particular HPC size and number of HPCs per bank designed to meet the particular operating requirements of each apparatus. HPC 374 is shown in multiple banks, where the power requirements delivered are substantial, such as in a baseload power plant. The relative placement of the generators 376 placed on each HPC is also shown. The placement of the generators on both ends of the HPC is not shown, allowing a single HPC to run two smaller, less expensive generators (as opposed to a single, larger generator), with design considerations indicating this operation. A control room 370 is shown in which the operational control mechanisms of the HPC plant are managed and maintenance operations are scheduled and performed for the plant. Also shown is a compression building 378 in which management of the drive gas is performed, whether the HPC is driven by natural gas, binary system gas, steam, or other gas such as standard air. The power house 372 is shown in place relative to an electrical combination of multiple generator inputs and outputs depicting electrical power on a set of high tension line outputs 380. An automated control system that can manage plant-wide operations is not shown or explicitly depicted. These automated control systems may be any conventional control system used, for example, in hydraulic dam power plants and coal-based steam operated power plants.

Fig. 25 shows a HPC designed with deep fins and buckets. A set of deep fins 110 is provided that define a bucket space 109 for the HPC. Such deep fins provide a longer duration of buoyancy control for each gas charge held by each individual barrel fin set. The "deep fin" HPC embodiment is similar in all other respects to the embodiment of figure 1. Each particular HPC design is developed with specifications for the required power output, where the designer may vary the "wet area" as defined by the HPC102 outer diameter, the center core support 108 diameter. In addition, airfoil designs having both a particular curvature and length work to achieve a particular power output target. Although not shown, there may be requirements as follows: any design must have a low relative hydrodynamic drag coefficient in order to meet the rotary machine power output requirements.

Description of the operation of how the hydro-pneumatic power cylinder achieves its effect:

the HPC works by moving through four phases of operation in succession: gas filling/drum filling; converting buoyancy into rotational mechanical energy; exhaustion of gas filling/emptying of the drum; and backside transitions.

The first exemplary embodiment: gas-driven HPC-plenum

In a first exemplary embodiment, the HPC is operated on compressed gas and supplied gas by using a plenum chamber. In this embodiment, the HPC is designed to drive a base load/prime mover power generation application. Other designs such as marine power, mechanical process drives, etc. will operate similarly. Additionally, other sources of drive gas may be used with the necessary design considerations in mind.

The HPC system, which is fed by the entire gas-powered plenum, is ready for operation when HPC102 is properly located in tank 134 filled with drive liquid 111. The operator applies temporary startup power to one or more compressor drive motors 140 via the HPC control system for powering the compressors 138. Referring to fig. 7, the compressor draws drive gas 178 from inside the HPC tank cover 118 via drive gas return lines 132a, 132b, gas spin filter 136, and inlet one-way check valve 141 a. The tank cover depressurization door 119 allows gas to enter the tank cover 118 and provides overpressure and underpressure protection to the tank cover 118 by allowing any overpressure of gas to vent to atmosphere and allowing atmospheric gas to be introduced into the interior of the tank cover 118 in the event of gas underpressure. During standard operation, the pressure relief door 119 remains closed to maintain clean operating gas inside the system, thereby eliminating the need for a gas filtration subsystem. The one or more compressors 138 may compress the drive gas 178 and release the drive gas 178 under pressure. The pressurized drive gas 178 exits the compressor 138, which is delivered via thermally insulated drive gas supply lines 116a, 116b, output one-way check valve 141b, and is inside the tank 134 to reach the drive gas supply control valve 176 (see fig. 5). The drive gas 178 is at a pressure higher than the resting pressure of the drive liquid 111 "near" the bottom of the tank 134, and thus displaces the drive liquid 111. The plenum's drive gas supply control valve 176 releases this pressurized drive gas 178 of a "set" quantity/flow rate into the drive gas distribution equalizer chamber 177, the drive gas distribution equalizer chamber 177 allowing the drive gas 178 to expand and equalize the pressure to correspond with the depth-based pressure of the drive liquid 111 inside the drive gas plenum 124. The equalized drive gas 178 flows through the drive gas supply port 168 and into the drive gas plenum 124.

The drive gas 178 enters the HPC tub area 109, which HPC tub area 109 is located directly above the drive gas plenum 124. At the beginning of this startup sequence, HPC102 is stationary and not moving. During HPC start-up operations, the control system overrides the plenum level sensor 170 control of the drive gas supply control valve 176 and drives the gas supply control valve 176 to the fully open position, thereby allowing all available compressed drive gas 178 to pass through the drive gas distribution equalization chamber 177, the drive gas supply port 168, and into the drive gas plenum 124. The drive gas 178 lowers the level of the drive liquid 111 inside the plenum 124 until the drive gas 178 completely fills the plenum 124. Once the plenum 124 is filled, the excess drive gas 178 escapes through the plenum drive gas overflow cutout 125 on the bottom of the "drive" side of the plenum 124. This overflow cutout 125 is positioned higher than the other bottom edges of the plenum 124, causing the drive gas 178 to "leak" at this point first. This "leaked" drive gas 178 is buoyant and rises through the drive liquid 111 inside the tank 134 and into the HPC tub area 109 located directly above the "drive" side of the plenum 124.

Because the HPC fins 110 confine the drive gas 178 inside the individual HPC bucket regions 109, these bucket regions 109 are filled with the drive gas 178. This drive gas replaces the drive liquid 111 from the gas-tight HPC vat area 109 with buoyancy, thereby making a particular vat area 109 of the HPC102 filled with drive gas and buoyant. Of particular note and advantageous in various embodiments for a number of reasons, the vane intermediate support 112 and its associated vane intermediate support gas passage openings 113. The vane supports 112 provide additional structure to strengthen the HPC102 by: additional load paths are provided to transfer substantial loads placed on each coupling fin 110 under buoyant loads to adjacent fins 110, other fin supports 112, core supports 108, any core support internal struts (not shown), and ultimately to the drive shaft 104. The opening 113 in the tub area 109 separate from each support 112 may perform the following functions: balancing the gas charge over the barrel region 109 defined by each fin; allowing for multiple gas fill/fill designs; as well as reducing the overall weight of the airfoil intermediate support 112 and HPC102 as a whole. During a sustained start-up sequence, when one bucket region 109 is filled with drive gas 178, the excess drive gas 178 "spills over" the lip/edge of that particular HPC fin 110. These excess drive gases float upward with buoyancy and enter the next available bucket area 109 and begin filling the next bucket area on the HPC with drive gas 178. Once sufficient tub areas 109 are filled with drive gas 178 and the buoyancy based on gravity overcomes the static inertia of HPC102, and HPC102 begins to rotate, these drive gas-filled tub areas 109 move toward the top of tank 134.

The spinning HPC102 begins to provide a liquid-filled tub area 109 to the interior of the drive gas plenum 124. The heavier driving liquid 111 within the confines of the newly provided barrel region 109 utilizes buoyancy by the effect of gravity to displace the lighter driving gas 178 directly beneath this barrel region as it exists inside the plenum 124. Since most liquids are 600 times or more than 600 times as dense as most gases, the buoyancy exchange itself is quite fast and energy-rich. As such, each newly provided open HPC tub region 109 empties its heavier drive liquid 111 with gravity and fills with lighter drive gas 178. Another benefit of the drive gas plenum 124 design is the energy-rich liquid used for gas exchange. The drive liquid 111 in the operating HPC tub area 109 is spinning around the HPC drive shaft and under centrifugal force. When exposed to the interior of the plenum 124, the drive liquid 111 is ejected out of the barrel with a rich energy. This centrifugal ejection of the drive liquid 111 by the HPC fins 110 imparts further rotational energy, which may outweigh the use of buoyancy to drain the drive liquid 178 from the vat region 109. This additional liquid flow centrifugal based rotational mechanical energy is energy other than that imparted by the buoyancy of HPC alone.

The spinning HPC102 accumulates power and velocity as more buckets fill with the drive gas 178, and passes over the drive gas plenum 124 and out of the drive gas plenum 124. The drive side percentage of the HPC of the gas-filled tub area 109 increases and thus more buoyancy energy persists on the HPC fins 110, applying more energy and speed to the HPC 102. The spinning HPC102 removes the drive gas 178 from the plenum 124, and the plenum 124 is refreshed with the newly delivered pressurized drive gas 178 as previously discussed. Once the HPC102 is spinning, the HPC control system begins using the output of the plenum level sensor 171 in the level sensor assembly 170 to set the volume of gas to be released into the drive gas distribution equalizer chamber 177, which in turn sets the plenum 124 drive liquid level. The level sensor 171 may determine the drive liquid level inside the plenum 124 and its position on the side of the plenum 124. The placement of the sensor 171 determines the level of the plenum 124 and is used to set the desired setting of the drive gas supply control valve 176, the drive gas supply control valve 176 operatively controlling the flow rate/amount of drive gas 178 allowed into the plenum 124. This level sensing and flow rate setting activity continues to the point where the flow rate/amount of drive gas 178 supplied to the plenum 124 meets the balance with the amount of drive gas 178 removed from the plenum 124. Such drive gas 178 exits the plenum 124 region inside each of the HPC tub regions 109, thereby setting the drive liquid 111 level inside the plenum 124. A conventional gas control subsystem in an HPC control system may manage the drive liquid level of the plenum 124, such as a pneumatic distribution and control system in an industrial blow molding facility.

Drive gas plenum 124 is located inside/between the inner edges of the HPC end plate 114, and the plenum-to-HPC fin seals 172 operate to keep drive gas 178 inside the plenum 124 and exposed HPC tub area 109. This design prevents the drive gas 178 from leaking around the HPC fins 110 adjacent to the exposed fins 110 because these fins are transferred to and from the drive gas supply area of the plenum defined by the opening on the top of the plenum 124. The seals 172 are supported on each end of the plenum 124 by seal support plates 174, and the support plates may be reinforced by seal support plate supports 175. There may be other means of sealing the plenum to the HPC interface.

As the HPC102 rotates, the drive gas 178 remains inside the HPC tub area 109 to provide buoyancy to power the rotation of the HPC 102. As the drive gas filled HPC buckets 109 rise along the drive side of the HPC102, the drive gas 178-filled area of each bucket area 109 is proportionally reduced based on the orientation of the HPC fins 110 relative to the horizontal plane. As the orientation of the distal (outer) edges of the HPC fins approaches a horizontal position as caused by the rotation of the entire HPC102, drive gas 178 inside the HPC bucket region 109 "overflows" the buckets. Essentially, the fins 110 are rotating about a horizontal plane and the drive gas is replaced by the drive liquid 178 as the outer edges of the fins 110 rotate. The HPC bucket region 109 continues to "spill" its submerged contents of the expanding drive gas 178 as the bucket approaches the top-most position caused by the rotation of the HPC. When the distal edge of the HPC drum 109 reaches the "zero degree" position in the HPC rotation, almost all of the drive gas 178 will have overflowed from the drum, being replaced by significantly heavier drive liquid 111 (based on the buoyancy effect of gravity). For example, a gas such as air weighs 0.08 pounds per cubic foot, and a heavier liquid such as water weighs 62.4 pounds per cubic foot. There are many combinations of drive gases and drive liquids available that can be used in HPC. Optimally, the drive liquid will be as dense (mass per volume) as possible and have a viscosity that is applied with low drag, and the gas will be as light as possible, since the difference in density between the two substances defines the amount of buoyancy per volume unit of measure available for work.

As the HPC102 continues to rotate, the drive liquid-filled HPC bucket area 109 advances past the topmost position and then rotates down the non-drive side of the HPC 102. These drive liquid filled HPC bucket areas 109 continue to be transferred by the HPC spin and then enter the drive gas plenum 124 to start the drive gas 178 filling process over again. Once the entire HPC operating process is initiated, the fill and drain process continues and will not stop unless the drive gas 178 supply stops or the mechanical process-based resistance on the drive shaft 104 impedes and exceeds the HPC's rotational energy. Multiple compressor designs allow for nearly endless operation, as needed, such as prime mover power generation operation, where any particular compressor in terms of logistics can be taken off-line for repair or replacement while other compressors continue to deliver the necessary pressurized drive gas supply. The in-line gas check valves 141a and 141b as shown in fig. 7 allow compressor repair or replacement by preventing a loss of driving gas pressure from the compression equipment under repair.

Once the HPC102 reaches its optimal operating speed, the same drive gas 178 is reused throughout the process, thereby eliminating the need for any gas filtering equipment to keep the drive liquid 111, compressor 138, in-line one-way check valve 141, thermally insulated drive gas supply line 116, and drive gas return line 132 free from external debris and contaminants.

Other features of the HPC design include a low friction HPC support bearing 130 and a low maintenance liquid tight seal/stuffing box 122. The liquid temperature is maintained by control of the temperature of the pressurized drive gas 178 and circulation of heated compressor coolant through the tank 134 and liquid cooling sump 154 (as depicted in fig. 8) as necessary. The gaseous heat of compression concentrates the thermal mass, with the thermal energy in the drive gas 178 concentrated into a smaller area during compression, as shown by the gas compressor outlet pressure line which is too hot to touch during compression operation. The opposite is true when the drive gas 178 is allowed to decompress, where the volume of heat held in the gas expands and thereby this expansion line feels cooler to the touch when the pressurized gas is released. The expanding drive gas 178 inside the drive gas plenum 124 is relatively cool and the drive liquid 111 may be cooled by continuously absorbing heat during the drive gas expansion in the drive gas distribution equalization chamber 177 and plenum 124 and the HPC based rotation transition from a higher depth based pressure at the bottom of the tank to a lower depth based pressure at the top of the tank. The thermal energy provided during expansion of the gas comes from the local environment, i.e. from the surrounding driving liquid 111. If not properly designed, the driving liquid 111 may continue to cool to the freezing/freezing point by the gas expansion activity. This gas expansion cooling action is the basis for the design of larger passenger aircraft air conditioning systems. Without inspection, this cooling effect may slow or stop HPC energy extraction if the thermal energy content of the entire HPC operation is not managed.

Thermal management as depicted in fig. 8 begins by: the drive gas 178 is compressed and the heat of compression is maintained so that the same/equivalent amount of heat is available to the drive gas 178 during expansion so that the drive liquid 111 of the tank is not "cooled" to a frozen level by the continued HPC operation. The pressurized drive gas 178 may enter a thermally insulated drive gas supply line, maintaining as much heat of compression as possible for subsequent drive gas expansion. Some of the heat from the compression process may also be used to compensate for heat lost from the drive gas 178 during transport through the thermally insulated drive gas supply line 116. The continuously operating compressor 138 generally requires liquid cooling to maintain efficiency and reduce operating wear due to increased temperatures caused by frictional activity inside the compressor. Some gas compression designs may also capture heat from an electric compressor drive motor 140 that drives the compressor 138. Keeping the motor cooler with a designed liquid coolant jacket (not shown) may also extend its service life and reduce the electrical load required to operate the compressor.

The liquid coolant loop as depicted in figure 8 begins with the tank 134, wherein the warmer tank drive liquid 111 is drawn from the top of the tank by passing through the HPC liquid outlet line 146a, the first bi-directional liquid flow valve 144a, the liquid outlet line 146b, the liquid flow pump 142a, the second bi-directional liquid flow valve 144b, and into the liquid cooling sump 154. The "cooled" liquid is drawn from the liquid cooling pool 154 via the third bi-directional liquid flow valve 144c, the compressor liquid inlet line 150a, the compressor liquid flow pump 142b, the compressor liquid inlet line 150b, and via the liquid coolant system (not shown) of the compressor 138. The heated drive liquid 111 exits the coolant system of the compressor 138 after being radially heated by operation of the compressor, and passes through the HPC liquid inlet line 148a, another bi-directional liquid flow valve 144d, the HPC liquid inlet line 148b, and back into the tank 134. Between the bi-directional liquid flow valves 144a and 144e located outside the tank 134 is a bypass circuit having a liquid bypass line 152 that, when activated, directs drive liquid from the compressor 138 around the tank 134 and back to a liquid cooling sump 154.

If the drive liquid 111 inside the tank 134 is at or above the design temperature, the tank bypass system is activated. This activation of the set of bi-directional liquid flow valves 144a and 144e directs the drive liquid 178 through the liquid bypass line 152 and the liquid flow pump 142b such that the drive liquid 178 flows from the compressor 138 via the liquid bypass line 152 and into the liquid cooling sump 154. If the drive liquid 111 in the tank 134 is cooler than the design temperature, the liquid cooling sump bypass circuit is activated to flow the heated drive liquid 178 into the tank 134. The flow of heated drive liquid 178 into tank 134 occurs when the set of bi-directional liquid flow valves 144b/144c and liquid flow pumps 142a and 142b are energized, and the cooling liquid bypasses the liquid cooling sump 154 and directly reaches the compressor 138 to pick up heat from the compression process. The automated HPC temperature control subsystem may be any conventional control subsystem having thermal control circuitry, such as used in petrochemical distillers and industrial food packaging plants. The temperature control subsystem may autonomously perform temperature control actions as part of the HPC control system. In one embodiment, if water is used as the drive liquid 111, the temperature of the tank 134 may be maintained between approximately 38-40 degrees Fahrenheit, i.e., near the maximum density of the water, thereby maximizing the buoyancy available for the entire process. Any liquid or combination of different liquids may be used as the driving liquid, such as bromine, mercury, or a compound liquid (e.g., water, chloride, citric acid, carbon disulfide, ethylene bromide, ethylene glycol, etc.). The use of other specific liquids as the drive liquid may have different optimal temperatures for operation. Also, any gas or combination of different gases may be used as the driving gas, such as hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, air, natural gas, carbon dioxide, and the like.

For power generation such as depicted in fig. 9, the HPC102 rotationally powers an outer drive shaft 107, the outer drive shaft 107 protruding from the side of the tank 134 to provide rotational energy/power for any desired purpose. For electric power prime mover applications, the shaft 107 may be coupled to an HPC drive shaft power release 156, the HPC drive shaft power release 156 acting as an overdrive/overpressure clutch to protect both the HPC102 and the particular application of the running gear from damage in the event of a process on either side of the fault stop clutch 156. The power shaft 157 delivers rotational power to the step-up gearbox 158, and the step-up gearbox 158 exchanges a portion of the HPC generated torque for increasing the rotational speed. The desired gear ratio of the step-up gearbox 158 depends on the particular power input requirements. The gearbox 158 output may be matched to the specific alternator/generator 160 requirements. An intermediate power shaft 159 delivers rotational power from the step-up gearbox 158 to the alternator/generator 160 for generating electrical power. Electrical power is drawn from the alternator or generator 160 through an alternator/generator power output line 180 coupled to the electrical output control system 164. The electrical output control system 164 may split the output power between the necessary components, such as running the compressor drive motor 140, HPC pump and subsystems, or provide the remaining power to an external power output distribution system on electrical output line 162. In a self-powered design, once the system is generating sufficient power, the electrical output control system 164 turns off all external power to the compressor drive motor 140 and feeds power from the alternator/generator 160 to the compressor. If a generator 160 is used, the direct current generated by the generator 160 may be converted to alternating current by an electrical output control system 164. This reverse power may be distributed to the compressor drive motor 140 with the remaining power being transmitted for external use.

Figure 24 depicts one exemplary embodiment of an HPC that provides a substrate-load motive force, where library 374 includes a plurality of HPCs 102. Depicted are generators 376 coupled to individual HPCs 102 that provide power to the HPC plant's power house 372 and the HPC plant high tension feeder 380. The HPC plant compression chamber 378 adjacent to the HPC bank 374 may provide the drive gas 178 for HPC operations. Also shown is HPC plant control room 370, from which HPC plant control room 370 manages, logistically supports, and maintains the entire HPC plant complex.

An alternative design for this embodiment is shown in fig. 23. A specially designed "cascaded" HPC 354 allows the reuse of drive gas via multiple HPCs 354 in one pass. Drive gas 178 is introduced to the lower HPC plenum 124. As the drive gas 178 operates the HPC 354 at the lowest level, it emerges from the top of the level and is recollected using the drive gas charge splitter plate 356. The splitter plate 356 is positioned to collect an appropriate amount of drive gas on each side so as to provide equal gas charges to the intermediate gas charge deflection plenum 358 that accumulates spent drive gas 178 off of the plenum 358 for delivery into the drive gas plenum 124 and HPCs 354 in the next row (e.g., the second row) above the bottom row of HPCs 354. If the HPCs 354 on the bottom row feed the spent/expanded drive gas 178 to the three HPCs on the second row, two-thirds of each of the HPC drive gases 178 of the bottom row may be allocated to each of the plenums 124 of the successive rows. The rise of the drive gas 178 in the tank 134 (not depicted in fig. 23) brings a reduced depth-based pressure on the drive gas 178 and thus allows such drive gas 178 to expand as it rises in the tank. The expanded drive gas 178 allows the same drive gas charge to operate the additional HPCs 354 on each successive row. Drive gas charge splitter plate 356 can be positioned to split the drive gas accordingly. In the second row of three HPCs 354 that is directly feeding four consecutive HPCs 354 in the top row, the outer second row HPC may split its splitter plate to provide three quarters of its drive gas to the outer HPC 354 in the upper row and only one quarter of its gas to the inner HPC on that same upper row. The middle HPC 354 in the second row may have its splitter plate set split half of its expansion gas to the two inner HPCs on the top row. In this example, all HPCs 354 on the top row may receive three quarters of the gas charge for each of the HPCs 354 in the middle or second row. The pressure reduction on the drive gas 178 as a result of the depth reduction allows the drive gas 178 to expand, and each of the HPCs 354 of the top row will receive as much drive liquid 111 in volume as the previous HPC row, displacing the drive gas 178. Alternatively, an embodiment not depicted is to use a large single inverted dish-shaped drive gas collector securely attached between each level of the HPC. The drive gas 178 exiting the lower level may be collected in a flat top gas collector, where a gas filled headspace will be established as additional gas is accumulated and held. The gas collector inside the upper surface at the top of the "headspace" will be flush with the horizontal plane so that the drive gas will collect to a uniform depth on the gas collector. Connected to the upper surface of this "disk-shaped" gas collector may be plenums 124, with each plenum 124 receiving an equal charge of gas due to the drive gas headspace in the inverted disk-shaped gas collector. The drive gas may exit the tray via an opening coupled to a plenum gas control valve, where each plenum on a given row receives the same amount of gas for its respective HPC operation.

Second exemplary embodiment: HPC-based marine power applications

In a second embodiment (i.e., marine power applications), the entire HPC and its subsystems may be housed inside the hull, as shown in figure 10. Many of the HPC operations described above are the same for this embodiment and therefore will not be repeated. Several design adjustments may be made to bring the marine HPC into operation. Thermal management of the drive liquid 111 by the marine HPC is achieved by pumping water 182 outside the vessel through a water inlet port 186 via a water inlet pump 188. The same water is also drawn through the compressor liquid inlet line 150 and the liquid coolant system of the compressor. The drive liquid 111 exits the compressor 138 via the HPC liquid inlet line 148 and flows to the HPC liquid bypass system. This bypass system consists of a bi-directional liquid flow valve 144 that directs the drive liquid 111 to the sealed HPC tank system 190 to raise the temperature of the drive liquid 111 inside the tank 190 or to direct the drive liquid 111 to the tank bypass purge line. This purge line would bypass the tank 190 and couple its flow directly to the seawater outlet port 197. The tank 190 has an outlet valve 196 in the aft portion of the bottom of the tank 190, opposite the aft end of the vessel, which opens to allow tank-based liquid to be dumped under the vessel via a water outlet port 197. The power generation system of the marine HPC system has a direct drive arrangement in which the outer drive shaft 107 is coupled with an alternator/generator 160 and otherwise operates similar to the prime mover power generation design discussed earlier. In marine applications, some power may be applied to the boat drive motor 192, the boat drive motor 192 rotating the propeller shaft 195 and the propeller 194 of the boat. Additionally, some electrical energy may be used to energize the compressor drive motor 140, and the remaining electrical energy may be distributed to other systems of the vessel as needed. The marine HPC system may accommodate a single or multiple HPC systems that may use a single or multiple compressor designs and a single or multiple vessel drive motor/propulsion designs, depending on the design requirements specified.

Third exemplary embodiment: direct injection gas driven HPC

As depicted in fig. 18, HPC102 may be gas filled with a rotary valve arrangement, where HPC102 rotates and the valve body is stationary. In this embodiment, the HPC102 may have a rotary valve body 226 centered on the HPC drive shaft 104, the HPC drive shaft 104 fitting in a recess in each of its end plates 114. The rotary valve body 226 provides direct injection of gas into the tub area as it rotates past the bottom position of the HPC 102. During operation, the direct injection gas driven HPC102 delivers drive gas 178 to the stationary rotary valve body 226 via the thermally insulated drive gas supply line 116. The drive gas 178 continues through the rotary valve gas passageway 228 and into the rotary valve gas emission orifice 230. As the HPC tub area 109 transitions from its lowest point of rotation and through this orifice 230, the drive gas 178 enters the core support cylinder end of the tub area 109. In this embodiment, the core support cylinder has core cylinder support gas apertures (not shown) cut from the "top plate" of each barrel, with each aperture corresponding to each end of the barrel region 109. Each barrel region 109 has two apertures, one formed in each distal end of the "ceiling" of the barrel region. When these apertures begin to overlap the rotary valve gas emission apertures 230, gas is transferred to the particular barrel region 109. The gas charge for each barrel region 109 is determined by the drive gas 178 pressure, the size of the rotary valve gas emission orifice 230, the size of the HPC core support 108 orifice, and the rotational speed of the HPC. The design of the HPC and the end use should be matched, where the specifically engineered design measurements of the orifice will be set. The outer baffle 236 may be statically supported by a baffle-to-tank support 238, wherein such single or such set of multiple baffles 236 may be added to provide liquid back pressure to the drive liquid 178 being pushed out of the barrel region 109 by direct gas injection, imparting thrust to the pump jet action of the direct injection design.

Alternatively, the HPC core support 108 may be designed to not meet the end cap 114, with the inner proximal end of the rotary valve body 226 interfacing with the distal end of the core support 108. In this alternative embodiment, the proximal end of the rotary valve body 226 may be capped off to provide solid internal support to the larger rotary valve body 226. This alternative would provide for the driveshaft 104 to be securely coupled to the HPC core support 108 by internal structures (not shown). This drive shaft 104 extends completely through the center of the rotary valve body 226 for coupling with the outer drive shaft 107 and other machinery as dictated by the end use of the system. A second alternative would be to attach the HPC core support to the inner edge of the end plate 114 with the rotary valve body 226 sliding inside the core support 108 in a tight tolerance manner. The drive shaft 104 will again be securely coupled to the core support by the internal structure and extend from the core support attachment portion through the rotary valve body 226. An amount of drive gas 178 may be directed to this narrow region between the outside of the rotary valve body and the inner surface of the exposed HPC core support in order to act as a gasket between the two surfaces. This design would allow the rotary valve body 226 to act as a larger air bearing thereby eliminating the need for the HPC bearing 120. In either of these alternatives of this embodiment, the direct inside-out filling of the tub area 109 may provide jet pump-like thrust to the overall power output of the HPC. Since the direct injection filling action occurs in each barrel region 109 during operational use, this thrust is continuous and is a force other than the HPC's buoyancy-based power output.

Fourth exemplary embodiment: natural gas driven HPC operation

In another embodiment, a natural gas driven HPC is constructed similar to the first embodiment and is depicted in fig. 20. The HPC102 uses natural gas as a compressed drive gas source. In industrialized countries, natural gas is transferred from a supply source to end users via pipelines at high pressures up to 1200 psi. Natural gas driven HPC systems may be located near end users, with the gas pressure reduced from a delivery pressure to a regulated pressure for uses such as industrial applications and residential interior heating and hot water heating.

This embodiment operates by introducing high pressure natural gas to the HPC system via a natural gas high pressure inlet line 250, which natural gas high pressure inlet line 250 carries the natural gas to a natural gas inlet pressure regulator 252. After passing through the natural gas inlet pressure regulator 252, the natural gas flows to the tank 134 via a regulated natural gas inlet line 254, where the natural gas moves to the thermally insulated drive gas supply line 116. The bin 134 has a reinforced bin cover 256 that is securely coupled to the bin. In fig. 20, the tank cover 256 is coupled by using reinforcing tank cover fixing bolts 258. The reinforced case cover 256 may be securely coupled in place by, for example, a large amount of mass weight, a case cover latching system, interference members, a strong strap/tie/cable, or any combination thereof.

Once the natural gas has left the upper surface of the drive liquid 111 inside the tank 134, it exits the tank/tank cover via the natural gas HPC outlet line 260. The natural gas then proceeds to a single or multiple sets of natural gas/drive liquid vapor separators 262, where the separated drive liquid 111 is separated from the natural gas and removed from the separators, where the drive liquid reflux pumps 310 send the recovered drive liquid via drive liquid condensate return lines 292 and deposit it back into the tank 134. The "scrubbed" cleaned natural gas exits the separator 262 via separator natural gas outlet line 266 and enters natural gas post-separator pressure regulator 268, where the natural gas pressure drops to a process termination pressure in preparation for end user use via natural gas post-HPC outlet service line 270.

Alternative embodiments may have the gas exit separator 262 via separator natural gas outlet line 266 and enter a natural gas recompression stage (not depicted). The HPC post-system recompression natural gas can then be redistributed along another gas distribution system. This may allow for no waste electrical energy generation anywhere along the high pressure gas distribution line. Any of the embodiments may include a conventional automated supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system to control any remote natural gas driven HPC operation at significant distances. As with the previously described embodiments, the automated control system may be used in the petrochemical gas distribution industry.

Fifth exemplary embodiment: hot binary gas driven HPC operation

In various embodiments, the HPC system may be driven by the heat source using a "binary system. Those skilled in the art will appreciate the functionality of many of the components shown in fig. 21. Heat sources from geothermal/coal-fired/liquid fossil fuel/natural gas/nuclear processes enter the thermal binary driven HPC system at two locations. First, the heat source provides heat via a heat source output line 282 as controlled by a control valve 278 and into a binary system evaporator 286. The heat then vaporizes the low boiling binary driving liquid (e.g., isobutane or pentane) into a binary driving gas. The expanded heat source material may be returned to the heat source process via heat source return line 284.

The vaporized binary drive gas mentioned above flows through the control valve 278 at a significant pressure from the vaporization process along the binary drive gas input line 280, through the one-way check valve 274a and into the tank 134 to drive the HPC with buoyancy. The use of safety precautions such as check valves, multiple control valves, etc. serves as a redundancy in the event of failure of the primary safety systems such as supply lines, pumps and other valves.

The second purpose of the heat source is to bring the drive liquid inside the tank 134 to a temperature above the boiling point of the binary drive gas. Both the pressure of the binary drive gas from the evaporation process and the depth of the HPC inside the tank 134 work to increase the boiling point of the binary drive gas. Without raising the temperature of the drive liquid above the boiling point of the binary drive gas at this pressure, the binary gas will condense inside the HPC and therefore not provide much buoyancy for mechanical rotary power conversion. The heat source supplies heat via a separate closed loop system as depicted by tank heater circuit 276 and associated control valve 278. Tank heating can be automatically controlled by conventional control circuitry, perhaps as simple as the common thermocouple control circuitry on hot water heaters.

Once inside the tank 134, the HPC may operate as previously described in the above embodiments. Spent binary drive gas may exit the drive liquid inside the tank below the reinforced tank cover 256 and enter the binary drive gas HPC outlet line 302. Line 302 carries the binary drive gas to the binary drive gas/drive liquid distillation separator system 300. Separator systems are commonly used in the petrochemical and food processing industries. In fig. 21, a process for removing the drive liquid 111 from the binary drive gas is shown. Drive liquid is drawn by drive liquid reflux pump 310 and then returned to tank 134 via drive liquid condensate return line 292.

The binary drive gas exits the separator process via binary drive gas condensate input line 298 as regulated by control valve 278 and enters binary system condenser 290. Once inside the condenser, the binary drive gas condenses 296 as a binary liquid condensate. The condensing action applies suction to the binary gas line feeding the condenser, thereby assisting evacuation of the separator system 300. The low pressure assists condensation of liquids, such as drive liquids, etc., having a higher boiling point relative to the binary liquid. Any trace of the drive liquid remaining in the binary gas stream entering the condenser 290 will then condense and fall to the bottom of the condenser 290 and be drawn up by the drive liquid reflux pump 310 in the drive liquid condensate return line 292 and then returned to the tank 134. The condenser coolant loop begins at a coolant source, such as the cooling sump 154, with a condenser coolant input line 314 drawing coolant from the sump as controlled by a condenser coolant pump 316. The coolant passes through the closed coolant loop of the condenser while it absorbs heat from the condensed gases and exits the condenser 290 and returns to the cooling sump 154 via the condenser coolant return line 318. Alternatively, this embodiment may use other means to dissipate the thermal energy of the coolant, such as a cooling tower and/or an evaporative cooler/chiller.

The binary liquid exits the condenser 290 via a binary liquid line 306, such as drawn by a binary liquid pump 288, and is then deposited into a binary liquid storage tank 297 for reuse in a closed loop binary system. The storage tank 297 then provides the binary liquid to the binary liquid pump 288, and the binary liquid pump 288 then pumps the appropriate controlled amount of binary liquid into the evaporator to continue the binary system cycle continuously.

This embodiment also features a tank over-pressure relief valve 304 that provides over-pressure relief for tank 134 and reinforced tank cover 256. The tank overpressure relief valve 304 outlet is coupled to a binary driving gas relief line 303, the binary driving gas relief line 303 directing any vented binary gas for temporary storage into the binary gas relief tank 299. The radial cooling of the binary gas inside the reduced pressure tank 299 and the elevated gas pressure inside the activated reduced pressure storage tank 299 may cause the binary gas to condense, where it may be drawn out of the tank by another binary liquid line via the control valve 278 and may be stored in the binary liquid storage tank 297 or drawn into the evaporator 286 for reuse by the binary liquid pump 288.

Alternatively, this embodiment may eliminate the binary gas/drive liquid separator system 300 altogether with a condenser design, thereby allowing for continuous condensation and separation of the binary liquid condensate 296 and the drive liquid condensate 294.

Sixth exemplary embodiment: steam driven HPC operation

In another exemplary implementation, steam is used to drive HPC102 inside tank 134 at a significant pressure. Essentially, a heat source such as, but not limited to, geothermal/coal-fired/liquid fossil fuel/natural gas/nuclear processes heats steam and provides the steam to the HPC for operational use. In FIG. 22, steam 320 enters via a steam input line 322 as managed by control valve 278. The steam then continues to the box 134 via a continuation of the steam input line 322. Steam enters the drive gas supply line 116 and powers the HPC. However, inside the HPC, during operation, several important processes occur. As the hot steam fills the HPC drum 109, some of the steam will condense into water and engage the drive liquid inside the tank, thereby applying its thermal energy to the surrounding tank liquid and HPC structures. As the ambient temperature inside the tank increases, a higher percentage of the steam will remain in its energy-rich gaseous state for a longer period, thereby exerting buoyancy on the fins of the HPC. The HPC102 will begin to spin as more steam enters the HPC's buckets and more thermal energy is applied to the tank environment. At one temperature, depending on the drive liquid composition and associated effective boiling point, the HPC will achieve thermal static equilibrium and the steam will operate the HPC as efficiently as any other drive gas. At the HPC steam static equilibrium point, steam will enter the bucket and operate the HPC, with the initial pressure keeping the latent heat of the steam above the boiling point of water. However, as the HPC spins and the barrel 109 rises from the depth of the tank 134, the steam as a gas will receive less externally applied pressure and begin to expand in volume. As the vapor volume expands, the latent heat of the vapor similarly expands and thus the total heat per volume area decreases according to all known gas pressure-volume-temperature laws. In addition, the HPC structure surrounding the steam is absorbing some of the remaining heat in the steam. In a static equilibrium state, the HPC bucket starts with a full gas charge at the bottom, and when the steam bucket reaches the top position, the steam has lost its heat energy through heat conduction and expansion with reduced tank depth, and the steam has condensed into water.

To maintain static equilibrium, the tank environment must be maintained at a static equilibrium temperature. The constant introduction of new steam will over time increase the internal temperature of the box above the static equilibrium temperature and less than the ideal temperature for efficient steam operation, necessitating additional heat management work. To maintain static equilibrium, the tank temperature will be managed by using a cooling source, such as a cooling bath 154. Alternatively, other cooling systems may be used, such as cooling towers, evaporative coolers, and chiller units. The hot drive liquid will be drawn from the top of tank 134 via hot drive liquid drain line 330 as managed by control valve 278 and continue via liquid flow pump 142. The outlet of the pump will then be released to the cooling reservoir 154. The cooler liquid will be drawn from the cooling bath via the drive liquid return line 312, the drive liquid return pump 310 and deposited back into the interior of the tank 134.

Alternatively, if a drive liquid is used that cannot or should not be released into the open cooling pool, the closed loop cooling circuit may draw hot drive liquid from the tank and pump it through the closed loop cooling circuit to return to the tank 134 with less thermal energy. Such designs are commonly used in cooling tower and submerged pipe cooling systems in hot box environmental control processes for large buildings in cities worldwide.

For those vapor gases that remain above the liquid level of the hot drive liquid, the vapor outlet line 324 may draw the used HPC post-steam remnant 326 and bring it to a remnant portion vapor condensing system 328, where the vapor is condensed. Post-condensation system water may be taken from the steam condensate drain line 332 to a cooling sump for storage or returned to the steam generation source for reuse.

Although exemplary embodiments incorporating the principles of the present invention have been disclosed above, the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.

One of these variations may include filling the HPC bucket by using a partial length plenum, where this plenum is placed between extended perimeter mid-vane supports that act as additional plenum seals, where gas is transferred from the plenum to the bucket space directly above the plenum, and the gas is dispersed along the bucket space through the mid-vane support gas passing holes. More than one local length plenum may be used on a single longer body HPC. Another variation may include filling the HPC drum by using a gas guide located below the HPC, axis-based gas injection, and HPC side-vent/via gas injection. Other embodiments may build the HPC with varying barrel shapes and sizes.

Another embodiment may use various compressor types and displacements to supply the HPC drive gas. It is also possible to run HPC units inside various liquid tanks, such as flexible marine tanks/bladders, rigid solid sealed tanks, etc. Alternatively, it is possible to operate the HPC unit in a natural underwater environment such as a river, lake, ocean or ocean without a solid wall tank. Such alternatives may use structures open to the sea/lake/ocean to hold bearings and other items typically inside the tank, such as drive gas supply lines, plenums, and the like. This arrangement would have a way to transfer mechanical energy to the surface, for example by using a 90 degree gearbox and a vertical power transmission shaft.

In some embodiments, the HPC may be operated in sequential order within a pressure-capable tank using the same gas charge in a sequential manner from one tank to another. Additionally, the HPC may be operated in a reverse cascade stack using the same gas charge, with the drive gas being pumped to, used by, and then collected inside the tank and applied to another HPC directly above the bottom HPC. This embodiment may have multiple HPCs on the upper stages of the cascade, where the bottom HPC is a single or dual row HPC, and the next stage or stage may have multiple HPCs driven by the recombined lower pressure expanded drive gas. A greater number on each higher level is allowed by the drive gas expansion as it rises from the depth of the tank.

Additionally, the HPC may operate as a single unit or multiple units at the power plant to provide power. A single HPC may operate independently to provide high torque for various processes.

In alternative embodiments, it is possible to use different gases and/or mixtures of gases as the drive gas for HPC. Also, different liquids and/or liquid mixtures may be used as the driving liquid for HPC.

HPCs can be built in a variety of sizes from small power units to multi-megawatt units. The HPC may be used to drive an alternator and/or generator. The HPC may also use alternate temperature control techniques, such as cooling baths and refrigeration, to control the liquid temperature of both the HPC and the compressor. This is necessary if a hot or molten substance is used as the driving liquid.

The HPC can run a generator or a high torque process using direct drive without using a drive shaft speed step-up device. It is possible to use the HPC unit to drive industrial equipment (in contrast to electrical alternators and/or generators) to provide drive power to ships, to provide power for ships and/or marine rigs, to provide motive power for oceans/marine rigs, and/or to drive water pumps for hydraulic dam pump back or irrigation.

In another embodiment, an alternate axis gas introduction design may be used to introduce micro-bubbler gas for the HPC fin and micro-bubbler process on the end plate, thereby allowing the use of both ends of the HPC drive shaft (axle draft) to drive power generation or other industrial uses.

Claims (20)

1. A hydro-pneumatic cylinder, comprising:

a first end plate and a second end plate disposed opposite each other in the cylinder, the first and second end plates being substantially flat and parallel to each other;

a drive shaft extending longitudinally through said cylinder and through said first and second end plates;

a core support coupled to each end plate and the drive shaft, the core support centrally disposed in the cylinder;

a plurality of vanes for facilitating low drag flow, each of the plurality of vanes coupled to the core support and the first and second end plates;

a barrel region defined by the core support, both of the plurality of vanes, and the first and second end plates; and

a vane support coupled to the plurality of vanes, the vane support being substantially parallel to the first and second end plates, wherein the vane support defines a plurality of openings formed therein through which fluid may pass to equalize pressure in the tub area.

2. The cylinder of claim 1, further comprising a micro-bubbler coupled to at least one of the plurality of vanes.

3. The cylinder of claim 2, wherein the micro-bubbler is coupled to at least one of the first and second end plates, the micro-bubbler being substantially parallel to the end plate to which it is coupled.

4. A cylinder as defined in claim 1, wherein the barrel region comprises a plurality of barrel regions.

5. A cylinder as claimed in claim 1, wherein a portion of the barrel region is displaced a predetermined distance from the centre of the cylinder in order to maximise the moment arm force and thereby increase the mechanical advantage of the buoyancy of each barrel.

6. The cylinder of claim 1, wherein the drive shaft includes a passage defined therethrough.

7. The cylinder of claim 1, wherein the vane support divides the tub area into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion fluidly coupled to the second portion through the plurality of openings defined in the vane support.

8. A system for converting buoyant energy of a compressed fluid into mechanical energy, comprising:

a fluid-tight tank containing a liquid, the tank having a cover disposed at a top end;

a fluid filling device coupled to a bottom end of the tank;

a thermal management system for maintaining a temperature of the liquid; and

a hydro-pneumatic cylinder disposed in the tank and submerged in the liquid, the cylinder including a drive shaft extending longitudinally along an axis and a plurality of barrel regions defined therein;

wherein at least one of the plurality of barrel regions receives compressed fluid from the fluid filling device such that the compressed fluid utilizes buoyancy to impart rotational motion of the cylinder about the axis.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the cylinder further comprises:

a first end plate and a second end plate disposed opposite each other in the cylinder, the first and second end plates being substantially flat and parallel to each other;

a core support coupled to each end plate and the drive shaft, the core support centrally disposed in the cylinder;

a plurality of vanes for facilitating low drag flow, each of the plurality of vanes coupled to the core support and the first and second end plates;

a vane support coupled to the plurality of vanes, the vane support being generally parallel to the first and second end plates, wherein the vane support defines a plurality of openings formed therein through which fluid may pass to equalize pressure in the tub area;

a first kinetic drag reduction apparatus coupled to at least one or more of the fins, the first kinetic drag reduction apparatus being substantially parallel to the fins to which it is coupled; and

a second kinetic drag reduction device coupled to one of the first and second end plates, the second kinetic drag reduction device being substantially parallel to the first and second end plates.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the vane support divides each of the plurality of bucket areas into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion fluidly coupled to the second portion through the plurality of openings defined in the vane support.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising a low friction bearing disposed on each side of the cylinder.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein a supply line is thermally insulated to maintain a temperature of the fluid entering the fluid filling device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the fluid charging device comprises a plenum housing.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the fluid filling device includes a flow break portion fluidly coupled to at least one of the plurality of tub areas.

15. The system of claim 8, further comprising a fluid distribution equalizer chamber for expanding the fluid and maintaining equalization of pressure in the fluid perfusion device.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein the fluid filling device comprises a rotary valve.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the rotary valve defines a passageway and a launch orifice, the passageway fluidly coupling the supply line to the launch orifice to direct compressed fluid to the cylinder.

18. A hydro-pneumatic cylinder for converting buoyant energy into kinetic energy, comprising:

a first end plate and a second end plate disposed opposite each other in the cylinder; the first and second end plates are substantially flat and parallel to each other;

a drive shaft extending longitudinally through said cylinder and through said first and second end plates;

a core support coupled to each end plate and the drive shaft, the core support centrally disposed in the cylinder;

a plurality of vanes for facilitating low drag flow, each of the plurality of vanes coupled to the core support and the first and second end plates;

a barrel region defined by the core support, both of the plurality of vanes, and the first and second end plates;

a first kinetic drag reduction apparatus coupled to at least one or more of the fins, the first kinetic drag reduction apparatus being substantially parallel to the fins to which it is coupled; and

a second kinetic drag reduction device coupled to one of the first and second end plates, the second kinetic drag reduction device being substantially parallel to the first and second end plates.

19. The cylinder of claim 18, further comprising a vane support coupled to the plurality of vanes, the vane support being generally parallel to the first and second end plates, wherein the vane support defines a plurality of openings formed therein through which fluid may pass to equalize pressure in the tub area.

20. The cylinder of claim 19, wherein the vane support divides the tub area into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion fluidly coupled to the second portion through the plurality of openings defined in the vane support.