AU2018100058A4 - Pressure Differential Fluid or Wind Driven Power Generator - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract The Stroh Energy Converter (SEC) is a new machine for generating, accelerating, and converting fluid kinetic energy into useful electric energy for human consumption. It overcomes the primary downside of traditional wind generated energy by eliminating the dependence on naturally occurring wind. Like wind energy, it can generate electricity without any generating greenhouse gas emissions. It can utilise any difference in pressure between two distinct areas, including layers of the atmosphere or on different sides of a wall or structure, man-made or naturally occurring structure. It may also function in areas of comparable pressure but only when wind is blowing over one of the openings. Its functioning is assisted by Bernoulli's Principal and its shape is optimised to take advantage of the Second Law of Thermodynamics and the Law of Continuity. Bernoulli's principle assists the design in generating flow as it states that an increase in speed of a fluid occurs simultaneously with a decrease in pressure. So, when a fluid moves at a higher velocity over the smaller opening, it will create a low-pressure area that draws in the higher-pressure fluid at the other opening and generates a flow of fluid (liquids or gas). The Law of Continuity states that the rate at which mass enters a system is the same as the rate at which mass leaves a system. If a tube decreases in diameter and a fluid is entering at a constant rate, then the fluid would increase in speed as the tube decreases in diameter. The shape of the structure takes advantage of these three laws of physics with its cone-like shape with convex, inwards facing walls that accelerate the fluid inside. rMN Go L VO If'%. to

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As demonstrated in figure 1, the two holes are placed vertically in relation to each other as this is the only way to utilise Bernoulli's principle and the second lav/ of thermodynamics to generate flow of fluid (liquid or gas). In most cases the most significant pressure differences in the ocean and atmosphere occur above and below each other. These pressure differences cause the higher-pressure liquid or air to disperse in the direction of the low-pressure air and cause the flow of fluid. The structures demonstrated in FIG 1 and 3 create and use this flow. Now referring to figure one in isolation, the opening hole 4, is larger than the exit hole 1, it narrows in an inward facing convex fashion 3. This aims to streamline and accelerate the flow (eg of air) in a vertical direction which will cause the turbine 2 to spin faster. The size of these two holes is variable and the position relative to each other can also be vertically inverted, with the smaller hole above or below the larger hole. This may be used in other circumstances where the pressure is greater higher up and lesser further down. The only requirement is for lower pressure to exist outside the smaller opening relative to the pressure of fluid outside of the larger opening. In each case the flow is from the larger opening to the smaller (exit) opening.

Referring to figure 2, a propeller-driven electric generator 3 is placed inside the structure towards the exit hole 4, and the fluid or air will blow over the propellers, causing them to turn. The propeller is placed towards the exit hole because of the increased velocity of the fluid due to the shape of the structure, as derived from the Law of Continuity. The velocity of the air within the structure is increased because of the law of continuity, in context it means that as the space the air passes through decreases, if the pressure remains constant the velocity must increase. Due to the acceleration of the fluid inside the chamber of the structure the flow created will overcome the friction of the propeller and cause it to turn.

The structure shown in FIG 3 can also be changed in multiple ways. Primarily, the number of layers used can changed. Each of the layers in FIG 3 resembles FIG 1. The key requirement is that the collective area of the entry holes 4, 6 is larger than the area of the exit hole 5 and the bounding structure curves in an inward facing convex fashion 7. In the structure shown in FIG 3 fluid or air is both blown and drawn into the structure through the sidewards openings and directed upwards by its walls while simultaneously employing Bernoulli's Principle and the second law of thermodynamics to drag the fluid or air into the smaller exit hole. Just as in FIG 1, the structure in FIG 3 has a propeller-driven electric generator 2 placed towards the final exit hole 1. This propeller-driven electric generator 2 fulfils the same purpose as that used in the structure in FIG 1 and is used in the same way.

Referring now to FIG 3, it may be seen that there is a variable plurality of smaller opening holes 4 whose combined diameter is greater than that of the single, final exhaust hole 1. The purpose of this is to draw in wind from different directions or pressures and different wind speeds funnelling up and combining the kinetic energy of the different winds to generate a greater total of kinetic energy. This wind will then blow past a propeller driven electric generator 2 placed at or above the culmination of the small funnels 8 to convert this kinetic energy into useful electric energy. The entry holes may have closable doors. The opening holes 4, 6 for this iteration may face horizontally or vertically to assist in converting horizontal wind to vertical wind along with using the pressure differences between the two areas, but the exhaust hole 1 must be facing vertically. The exhaust must be placed like this to use horizontal winds and different pressures to create vertical wind flow. The horizontal winds are converted to vertical winds due to the shape of the structure. They are funnelled upwards by the increasingly inclined plane of the walls of the structure. Point 3 of FIG 3 shows this steepening shape. The law of continuity assists the structure in FIG 3 as all smaller openings funnel into the larger central structure. Meanwhile the net diameter of the structure is constantly decreasing, this has the effect of increasing the velocity of the fluid or wind. This increased velocity will assist in surpassing the threshold of movement for the generator. This increases the amount of time that it is generating energy and decreasing the amount of horizontal wind necessary to start turning the turbine.

Claims (1)

1. Claims An apparatus used to convert kinetic energy or any fluid into electric power or heat energy, comprised of: • An enclosed walled structure containing one opening at one end and one or more openings that have a collectively greater total square area than the square area relative to the first opening with each opening or set of openings placed at a vertical distance from each other and vertically in relation to the centre of gravity of the body on which it is placed. • The aforementioned top and bottom openings must, at some point, be connected by a narrowing, inwards facing convex wall or structure, that is circular or elliptical from a top-down view. • One or more wind turbines for converting the flow of the fluid into electrical or heat energy. These devices are placed at or above the point of convergence of the channels whose collective entrance holes have a greater area than the exit hole.