WO1993019294A1

WO1993019294A1 - A multi-energy power plant

Info

Publication number: WO1993019294A1
Application number: PCT/GB1992/000989
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pak Wing Wong
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-03-20
Filing date: 1992-06-02
Publication date: 1993-09-30
Anticipated expiration: 1994-09-20
Also published as: GB9206108D0; GB2260372A; AU1915592A

Abstract

A turbine (8) which is built above an upright tunnel (7) is driven by wind collectors (3, 4, 5) in three different directions. A vortex would be formed. The tunnel (7) is divided into two sections to make the vortex more powerful. A push and pull system (25) would prevent the vortex to stop. When a nonstop vortex is formed, there would be an endless energy. A second turbine (24) is built right between the two sections of tunnel (7) to take advantage of the turbine (8). When there are abundant wind and solar energy, electricity would be converted into hydrogen gas. When there is no natural energy, the turbine (8) would be driven by gunning compartments (9), high pressure water jets (10) and electric fans in the push and pull system (25). The turbines (8, 24) can be driven by all energies simultaneously.

Description

A MULTI - ENERGY POWER PLANT

Wind and solar energy are very useful and pollution - free. One thing to discourage people using these energies is that there is often no wind or no sunshine. The plan is to solve this problem. When there is windy weather or a sunny day, we are going to store the wind energy or the solar energy in a storeroom. When there is no wind or no sunshine, we are going to release the stored energy from the storeroom.

WIND COLLECTOR

A wind collector is a large trumpet - like structure. Wind energy depends on the wind speed and the area. We can collect more wind energy from a large area. It means that we need to blow the trumpet in the opposite way. The principle of an air flow ( wind ) is that air will flow from a high pressure area to a low pressure area. The trumpet is basically designed on this principle. A structure shown in figure 1 would enable us to blow the trumpet in the opposite way. A large area is divided by walls 11 or tubes. The distance between two walls 11 should be smaller than the following section. There are three wind collectors 3, 4, and 5 in the system. Once wind has been collected, it can be guided towards anywhere such as upward, downward, sideward, forward and backward. Wind collector 3 collects wind and drives the turbine 8 in the side way. Wind collector 4 collects wind and drives the turbine 8 in the wind direction. Wind collector 5 collects wind and drives the turbine 8 in the opposite wind direction. AB, CD, EF, and GH are walls which are built from the bottom to the top. BC is open to let wind out. GH is a sealed area. Two walls are built inside the GH area. One end of each wall is connected to the wind collector 4 and the another end of each wall is at the end of GH as shown in figure 1. Air is drawn from the area GH to the turbine 8 via the wind collector 4. The area as shown in figure 1 should be as large as possible. Electric motors are mounted on the outer rail 2 so that the system can be rotated and the wind collectors 3, 4, 5 are always facing the wind direction. A second rail ( inner ) 6 is built near the tunnel 7 to support the system. If the system is too large, a third rail would be built between the two rails 2, 6. The whole system in figure 1 is covered by a roof. Two controlling devices are put in the middle of the roof. One device is to find out the wind direction so tha the system can be moved towards that direction. One device is to find out the wind speed so that the system can be operated by a different energy at the right time. Solar cells are put on the top of the roof. The solar cells are designed specially to drive the push and pull system so that the power plant can be operated in any kind of weather.

VORTEX SYSTEM

The turbine 8 which is built above the tunnel 7, is driven by the wind in three different directions as shown in figure 1. A wind vortex would be created because the tunnel 7 is underneath the turbine 8. When a nonstop vortex has been created, there will be an endless energy. The vortex would suck the air towards the tunnel 7; as a result the wind speed is increased. There are two sections of tunnel 7. The diameter of the upper section is smaller than the diameter of the bottom section of the tunnel 7 as shown in figure 6. There are several tubes 25 inside the tunnel 7. The function of the tubes 25 is to create a push and pull system. The push and pull system not only increases the wind speed, but can also reduce the pressure in the bottom section of the tunnel 7 and increase the pressure in the upper section of the tunnel 7. An electric fan is installed inside each tube 25 in the tunnel 7. When there is no wind, electric fans inside the tubes 25 drive the turbine 8, 24 and perform the push and pull system. The number of tube 25 used inside the tunnel 7 depends on the size of the diameter of the tunnel 7. There is a second turbine 24 which is built right between the two sections of tunnel 7. The second turbine 24 is used to drive a second generator 18. The electricity generated by the generator 18 can be used as a feedback via the push and pull system to drive the turbine 8, 24. The two turbines 8, 24 are supported by metal frames 12, 14 as shown in figures 2, 6. The generators 18 are driven by the turbines 8, 24 via gear boxes 15, 17 and shafts 16. The wind speed inside the upper section of the tunnel 7 should be 10 times greater than the wind speed in the open area. A large L - shape tube is connected to the outlet 26 of the tunnel 7. One end of the tube is connected to this outlet, and the another end is connected to one of four tubes. The L - shape tube can be rotated so that it can connect to any one of the four tubes. The four tubes are pointing at the east, south, west and north direction to the open area.

ROTOR

The structure of the turbine 8 is very important because it is driven by the wind in several different directions. There are three sets of rotor 19, 22 mounted on a same axis 13. The wind energy depends on the area. Large cones 20 are used at the end of the rotors 19, 22. There are four arms 21, 23 of each rotor. The arms 21 of the two upper sets of rotor 19 are made of small cylindrical bars. The arms 23 of the third set of rotor 22 are made of blades so that air can be thrust inside the tunnel 7. The twelve arms 21, 23 of the three sets of rotor 19, 22 are pointing to a different direction. The angle is 30 degrees between two arms of the twelve arms 21, 23. The three sets of rotor 19, 22 are one and a half metre apart. The most important set of rotor 22 is the one in the mouth of the tunnel 7. Half of the cone area is inside the tunnel 7. The wind speed in this area is greater than anywhere. The rotors 19, 22 are rotated very fast and the diameter of the rotors 19, 22 is large. A strong vibration would be formed. Small wires are attached to the top of the axis 13 and the end of the top set of rotor 19. A circle 34 which is made of metal bar is put at the end of each rotor 19, 22. The three circles 34 would be connected by wires. Small wires are attached to the bottom of the axis 13 and the end of the bottom set of rotor 22. A rotor with four blades is used in the turbine 24.

ENERGY STORAGE

In night time electricity consumption is less than in day time.

However, the wind speed in night time usually is greater than in day time. We are going to change the wind energy into hydrogen gas. Hydrogen gas would be stored in high pressure tanks.

Thousands of small water cell are being used. Hydrogen gas and oxygen gas would be obtained from those water cells by electrolysis, and photosynthesis. The most important thing of this system is how to convert the electricity into hydrogen gas as fast as possible.

Solar cells are being used on the top of the power plant.

The electricity obtained from those solar cells not only drives the push and pull system, but can also be used in the process of electrolysis and photosynthesis.

Oxygen gas can be sold in the market.

RELEASE THE STORED ENERGY

Several gunning compartments 9 are built at the edge of the tunnel 7. When there is no wind, the compartments 9 are moved towards the rotor 22 and the compartment 9 and the cone 20 would form a cylindrical shape. The cone 20 and the compartment 9 are not always together because the cone 20 is moving and the compartment 9 is fixed. The gunning compartments 9 should be large than the cones 20 so that a gap is between the two. When there is no gap between the compartment 9 and the cone 20, they could be crashed because the cone is vibrated. A gunning compartment 9 is a half cylindrical metal and a firing tube 27 is -attached to it. There is a button inside the compartment 9. When the cone contacts with the button, it will trigger the ignition device inside the firing tube 27. Hydrogen gas or any explosive material can be injected inside the firing tube from the mouth of the firing tube via a supplied tube. High pressure steam also can be used in the compartments 9. The gunning compartments 9 are controlled by a hydraulic system.

When high pressure water jets 29 are used, we do not need to use the gunning compartments 9. High pressure water jet nozzles 10 are built at the edge of the tunnel 7. The angle of each nozzle is very important. When the angle of the nozzles 10 is in a right position as shown in figure 7, water jets 29 would always hit the cones 20 wherever the cones 20 are. The tunnel wall 30 just below the nozzles 10 is built outward and goes downward and than goes upward to join the original wall again so that a water trough is formed as shown in figure 8.

Metal or plastic plates 31 are hinged to the wall of the tunnel 7. The plates are controlled by a hydraulic system 33 so that water can be caught. Water can be guided back to the water tank via a water pipe 32. In theory, there is no water loss and in practice there will be a small amount of water loss. If the power plant is built near a seaside, water does not need to be saved, When there is no wind or the wind speed is too low, an electric fan would be installed in each tube 25 inside the tunnel 7. Wind would be created inside the tunnel 7 and the push and pull system - would increase the efficiency. The electric fans are operated by either the solar energy or electricity generated by hydrogen gas. A generator which is power by hydrogen gas is installed to provide all electricity needed inside the plant. A small nuclear power generator or coal power generator or petrol power generator also can be installed in the system to supply all electricity needed in the plant.

In fact, any kind of energy can be used in the system.

The turbine 8 can be driven by all energies simultaneously.

A high power compressor is installed in the plant to drive the water jets.

The turbine 24 is simply taking advantage of the turbine 8.

Claims

1. A turbine which is built above an upright tunnel and a turbine which is built inside the upright tunnel can be driven by wind collectors, gunning compartments, high pressure water jets, a push and pull system, and a vortex simultaneously.

2. According to claim 1, wind collector is a trumpet - like structure. A large area is divided by walls or any shape of tubes. The distance between two walls is smaller than the following section or the cross section of the tubes is smaller than the following tubes.

3. According to claim 2, the number of wall used in the wind collector depends on the area of the wind collector.

4. According to claim 2, there are three wind collectors in the system.

5. According to claim 4, one collector collects wind and drives the tubine in the side way.

6. According to claim 4, one collector collects wind and drives the turbine in the wind direction.

7. According to claim 4, one collector collects wind and drives the turbine in the opposite wind direction.

8. According to claim 1, the whole system is covered by a roof. Solar cells are put on top of the roof to absorb solar energy. The solar cells are designed specially to drive the push and pull system so that the power plant can be operated in any kind of weather.

9. According to claim 2, wind collectors can be rotated by electric motors which are mounted on a circular rail ( outer rail ).

10. According to claim 8, a wind direction detector is built in the middle of the roof to detect the wind direction and control the movement of the electric motors so that the wind collectors are always facing the wind direction.

11. According to claim 1, a turbine which is driven by claim 2 is built above an upright tunnel. A wind vortex is formed and air is suck inside the tunnel to increase the wind speed.

12. According to claim 2 and 11, any kind of turbine can be used. The principle is to use the wind collectors and the vortex to drive the turbine.

13. According to claim 11, the tunnel is divided into two sections. The diameter of the upper section is smaller than the diameter of the bottom section.

14. According to claim 12, an electric generator is driven by the turbine to generate electricity.

15. According to claim 13, a second turbine is built right between the two sections of tunnel. The second turbine is driven by the vortex.

16. According to claiim 13, tubes are built inside the tunnel. One end of each tube is above the second turbine, claim 15, and the another end of each tube is below the second turbine, claim 15. The function of the tubes is to provide a push and pull system.

17. According to claim 16, the number of tube used inside the tunnel depends on the size of the diameter of the tunnel.

18. According to claim 16, electric fans are installed inside the tubes. When there is no wind, the electric fans drive the turbines, claims 12 and 15, and perform the push and pull system. ^•

19. According to claim 15, an electric generator is driven by the turbine to generate electricity.

20. According to claim 15, the generator driven by claim 12 can be connected to the turbine, claim 15, by means of the feedback system, no physical.connection.

21. According to claim 14 and 19, electricity generated by this method is converted into hydrogen gas and oxygen gas.

22. According to claim 12, a turbine which consists of three sets of rotor is used. The three sets of rotor are mounted on the same axis. Each set of rotor consists of four arms. A large cone is fixed at the end of each arm. The arms of the two upper sets of rotor are made of small cylindrical bars. The arms of the third set of rotor are made of blades so that air can be thrust inside the tunnel.

23. According to claim 22, the twelve arms of the rotors are pointing to a different direction. The angle is 30 degrees between two arms of the twelve arms.

24. According, to claim 22, the third set of rotor is in the mouth of the tunnel. Half of the cone area is inside the tunnel.

25. According to claim 22, small wires are attached to the top of the axis and the end of the top set of rotor.

26. According to claim 22, a circle which is made of metal bar is fixed at the end of each rotor. The three circles are connected by wires.

27. According to claim 22, small wires are attached to the bottom of the axis and the end of the bottom set of rotor.

28. According to claim 13, there is an outlet of the tunnel at the bottom of the tunnel. The size of the outlet is same as the diameter of the upper section of the tunnel. This would enable the air to go out as fast as possible.

29. According to claim 28, a L - shape tube is connected to the outlet. One end of the tube is connected to theOutlet. One end of the tube is connected to one of four large tubes.

30. According to claim 29, the L - shape tube can be rotated so that it can connect to any one of the four tubes.

31. According to claim 30, the four tubes are pointing at the east, south, ^"west, and the north direction to the open area.

32. According to claim 1, gunning compartments are built at the edge of the tunnel, claim 13. A gunning compartment is a half cylindrical metal and a firing tube is attached to it. The gunning compartment is large than the cone as described in claim 22, so that a gap is between the two.

33. According to claim 32, hydrogen gas or any explosive material can be injected inside the firing tube from the mouth of the firing tube via a supplied tube.

34. According to claim 32, a button is built inside the gunning compartment. When the cone contacts with the button, it will trigger the ignition device inside the firing tube.

35. According to claim 32, the gunning compartments are controlled by a hydraulic system.

36. According to claim 13, metal frames are built inside the tunnel to support the two turbines.

37. According to claim 9, a second circular rail ( inner rail ) is built near the tunnel. When the system is too large, a third circular rail would-be built between the outer and inner rail to support the system.

38. According to claim 37, a metal frame is mounted on the inner rail to support the turbine described in claim 12.

39. According to claim 4, a wall is built between each wind collector to seal off the area. The area opposite to the wind collectors is open so that air can go out.

40. According to claim 39, air cannot flow in a sealed off area. Walls or tubes are used to draw air away from the sealed off area. The walls or tubes are connected to the wind collector so that air can be drawn towards the tunnel.

41. According to claim 1, high pressure water jet nozzles are built at the edge of the tunnel. The angle of the nozzles is very important because the water jets should hit the cones wherever the cones are.

42. According to claim 41, the water jets are always in the moving path of the cones.

43. According to claim 41, the tunnel wall just below the nozzles is built outward and goes downward and then goes upward to. join the original wall again so that a water trough is formed.

44. According to claim 43, metal or plastic plates are hinged to the wall of the tunnel. The plates are controlled by a hydraulic system so that water can be caught.

45. According to claim 44, water can be guided back to the water tank via a water pipe.

46. According to claim 18, electric fans can be driven by solar energy or electricity generated by hydrogen gas or any kind of generator.

47. According to claim 21, thousands of water cell would be used as a hydrogen and oxygen source. Hydrogen and oxygen would be obtained from the combination of electrolysis and photosynthesis.

48. According to claim 47, hydrogen gas is stored in high pressure tanks.

49. According to claim 21, a generator which is driven by hydrogen gas is built inside the system. The electricity generated would be used to drive a high power compressor and supply all electricity needed inside the system.

50. According to claim 1, any kind of generator can be installed in the system to supplement the hydrogen generator. When the system has abundant hydrogen gas supply, another kind of generator is not necessarily.

51. A multi - energy power plant substantially described herein with reference to figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the accompanying drawings.

AMENDED CLAIMS

[received by the International Bureau on 16 December 1992 (16.12.92); original claims 11,12,14,18-27,32-36 and 40-50 cancelled; original claims 1,4-7 and 15 replaced by amended claim 1; claims 2,3 and 39 replaced by amended claim 2; claims 9,37 and 38 replaced by amended claim 3; claims 8 and 10 replaced by amended claim 4; claims 13,15-17 replaced by amended claim 5; claims 28-31 replaced by amended claim 6 and claim 51 replaced by amended claim 7 (2 pages)]

1. Three wind collectors in a row drive a turbine above an upright tunnel in three different directions simultaneuosly. A second turbine inside the tunnel is driven by the first tubine.

2. A wind collector is a large area which is divided by walls . The distance between two walls is smaller than the following section.' The number of wall used in the wind collectors depends on the area of the wind collectors. A wall is built between two wind collectors to seal off the area.

3. Wind collectors can be rotated by electric motors which are mounted on a circular rail ( outer rail ) . A second circular rail ( inner rail ) is built near the tunnel. When the system is too large, a third circular rail would be built between the outer and inner rail to support the system. Frames are mounted on the inner rail to support the turbine above the tunnel .

4. The whole system is covered by a roof. A wind direction detector is built in the middle of the roof to detect the wind direction and control the movement of the electric motors, so that the wind collectors always face the wind direction.

5. The tunnel is divided into two sections . The diameter of the upper section is smaller than the diameter of the bottom section. The second turbine is built right between the two sections of tunnel. Tubes are built inside the tunnel . One end of each tube is above the second turbine and one end of each tube is below the second turbine. The number of tube used inside the tunnel depends on the size of the tunnel . 6. There is an outlet at the bottom of the tunnel. A L - shape tube is connected to the outlet. One end of the

L - shape tube is connected to the outlet and one end of the L - shape tube is connected to one of four tubes. The L - shape tube can be rotated, so that it can connect to any one of the four tubes. The four tubes are pointing at the east, south, west and the north direction to the open area.

7. A double turbine system substantially described here¬ in with reference to figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.