FR2460399A1 - Hydraulic energy storage for electricity generator - uses wind, water or other variable power source to pump water to tank held high and allowed to fall and drive generator when full - Google Patents

Abstract

The energy storage system is partic. applicable to wind, tidal, or water current conversion where the power is variable and often insufficient for satisfactory operation of an electric generator. A windmill (4) (or water turbine) is used to raise water from a sump (2) via a pipe (3) to be discharged into a large tank (6) at the top of a tower (7). The tank is supported underneath by two catches (19) which move aside when the water reaches a preset level, allowing the tank to fall, and as it does so a gear train (15,16) couples the cable supporting the tank to a generator. Thus electricity is generated and the rate of fall of the tank governed by the generator load. When the tank reaches the bottom a post (18) in the sump forces open the hinged base of the tank, allowing all water to escape. A counterweight (14) attached to the tank support cables has been drawn up as the tank fell, and now rises, returning the tank to the top of the tower.

Description

The present invention relates to an energy storage device.

A certain number of natural elements, such as wind or motive force due to a current of water, are capable of supplying energy. However, this energy recovery is not always possible either because of the irregular regime of the source, whether it is liquid or wind, or even because of the low flow rate thereof.

 The present invention aims to remedy these drawbacks by providing a device allowing an accumulation of energy from sources of irregular regime or of low flow, this accumulation forming a mass sufficient to produce a torque capable of driving an electricity generator. .

 To this end, the device which it relates comprises at least one receptacle which can be moved between two respectively upper and lower positions along a determined path, capable of being filled with liquid fluid such as water when it is in high position and to be emptied of its content in the low position, means being provided for automatically causing the movement from top to bottom when a predetermined degree of filling is reached, other means being provided ensuring emptying in the low position with return automatic in the high position at the end of emptying, the downward movement of the receptacle controlling the powering of an electricity generator.

 Each receptacle can be filled with water either by gravity, for example in the case where the receptacle is placed in a watercourse with the possibility of displacement either vertically, or along an inclined plane, or by using a additional means, such as a wind-driven wind turbine, making it possible to raise the water from a well constituting the low position of the travel of the receptacle.

The advantage of this arrangement is that it makes it possible to fill a receptacle with a predetermined quantity of liquid for a time which is more or less long, depending on the flow rate either directly from the water or from the force of the wind. The current obtained by the generator can, for its part, be stored in batteries.

 According to one embodiment of the invention, the means ensuring the return of each receptacle in the high position consist of a counterweight of mass slightly greater than that of the empty receptacle, and connected to the latter by at least one cable passing over a pulley placed above the receptacle in the high position, this pulley being wedged on a shaft from which is provided the drive of the electricity generator.

 As soon as the receptacle has emptied of its contents, in the low position, the counterweight ensures its ascent to the high position.

According to one possibility, in this device each receptacle is associated with guide means ensuring its movement parallel to itself, the bottom of the receptacle being articulated around a horizontal axis located at one of its edges, so to be able to tilt upwards, a fixed finger being provided in the guide zone, capable of bearing on the external face of the bottom of the receptacle so as to ensure the opening thereof by tilting upwards when it is in the low position.

When the receptacle contains a certain quantity of liquid, the pressure exerted by it on the bottom ensures its sealing. When the receptacle arrives near its low position, its bottom bears on the fixed finger which causes it to tilt upwards and consequently the emptying of the receptacle.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the means for guiding each receptacle are constituted by rectilinear rails.

 According to another embodiment of the invention, the means for guiding each receptacle are constituted by a helical ramp.

 According to another possibility, this device comprises means capable of ensuring the tilting of the receptacle for emptying at the end of the lower stroke.

 According to a first embodiment in this case, the means capable of ensuring the tilting of the receptacle at the low end of travel consist of the guide rails, the lower part of which forms an angle with the rest of their length.

 According to a second embodiment in this case, the means capable of ensuring the tilting of the receptacle at the end of the lower stroke, insofar as the latter is suspended, consist of a fixed stop independent of the receptacle, cooperating with a finger eccentrically mounted thereon.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the means capable of triggering the movement of each receptacle downward consist of at least one retractable finger which, associated with the guide means, remains in the position for holding the receptacle in the high position as long as a predetermined force corresponding to a predetermined quantity of liquid in the receptacle is not reached and is retracted when it exceeds it.

In order for the supply of current to be as regular as possible, it is advantageous to associate several receptacles filling alternately so that one of them can drive the generator of current while another is filling,
Anyway, the invention will be better understood with the aid of the description which follows with reference to the appended schematic drawing representing, by way of nonlimiting examples, two embodiments of this device
Figure 1 is a sectional view of a first embodiment of this device comprising a single receptacle
Figure 2 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of this device equipped with two receptacles operating alternately.

 The device shown in the drawing is associated with a well 2 containing water. In this well 2 plunges a tubing 2 of drawing, the water withdrawal being carried out using a wind turbine 4 driven by the wind. At the outlet of the wind turbine, the water is discharged through a pipe 5 to a receptacle 6.

The receptacle 6 shown in the drawing is of generally parallelepipedal shape, open at its upper part and mounted movable on vertical rails 7 between an upper position corresponding to that in which it is located in the drawing, and a lower position in which it enters the 'interior of the well 2. The bottom 8 of the receptacle 6 has a hinge 9 about a horizontal axis near one of its edges so as to be able to pivot upwards.

 At the upper part of the receptacle 6 are fixed two targets 10 passing over pulleys 12 wedged on a shaft 13 situated above the high position of the receptacle, the other ends of the cables 10 being fixed to a counterweight 14. On the shaft 13 is fixed a gear 15 cooperating with a gear 16 fixed on the shaft of an electricity generator 17.

 In the bottom of the well 2 is placed a finger 18 projecting upwards. The receptacle 6 is held in the high position by means of two retractable fingers 19 against elastic means, as long as a predetermined water level is not reached in the receptacle. When this level is reached, the fingers 19 retract, the receptacle 6 descending by gravity along the rails 7. During this movement, the generator 17 is driven from the shaft 13 by the gears 15 and 16.

 When the receptacle arrives in the well, the external face of its bottom 8 bears on finger 18. Due to the relative displacement of the receptacle and of the finger, the bottom 8 rocks upwards ensuring the emptying of the water contained in the receptacle. As soon as the latter is empty, the counterweight 14 returns to the high position.

 The device shown in Figure 2 differs from that shown in Figure 1 only in that it has two receptacles 6 which work alternately, so that one of these is being filled during that 1 other is moving. The two receptacles causing the same generator 17 during their respective movements, each pulley 12 over which passes a target connecting a receptacle to the counterweight which is associated with it is mounted on the shaft 13 with the interposition of a free wheel avoiding entrainment of the shaft when raising the receptacle.

It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the only two embodiments of this device, described above by way of examples; on the contrary, it embraces all of its variant embodiments.

 Thus, in particular, the filling of the receptacles could be carried out directly, for example by mounting them in a watercourse or in a diversion of a watercourse, the movement of the receptacles being able to be carried out either vertically , either according to an inclined plane, or again according to a helicotdale ramp.

Claims (9)

- CLAIMS 1. - Energy storage device, characterized in that it comprises at least one receptacle movable between two positions respectively upper and lower along a determined path, capable of being filled with liquid fluid such as l when it is in the high position and to be emptied of its content in the low position, means being provided for automatically causing the movement from top to bottom when a predetermined degree of filling is reached, other means being provided ensuring emptying in the low position with automatic return to the high position at the end of emptying, the downward movement of the receptacle controlling the drive of an electricity generator. 2. - Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the means ensuring the return of each receptacle in the high position are constituted by a counterweight of mass slightly greater than that of the empty receptacle, and connected to the latter by at least one cable passing over a pulley placed above the receptacle in the high position1 this pulley being wedged on a shaft from which is ensured the drive of the electricity generator. 3. - Device according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that each receptacle is associated with guide means ensuring its movement parallel to itself, the bottom of the receptacle being articulated around a horizontal axis located at one of its edges, so as to be able to tilt upwards, a fixed finger being provided in the guide zone, capable of bearing on the external face of the bottom of the receptacle, so as to ensure opening of it by tilting upwards when it is in the low position.  4. - Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the guide means of each receptacle are constituted by rectilinear rails.  5. - Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the guide means of each receptacle are constituted by a helicoSdale ramp. 6. - Device according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that it comprises means capable of ensuring the tilting of the receptacle for emptying at the end of the lower stroke. 7. - Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the means capable of ensuring the tilting of the receptacle at the end of the lower stroke consist of the guide rails, the lower part of which forms an angle with the rest of their length.  8. - Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the means capable of ensuring the tilting of the receptacle at the end of the lower stroke, insofar as the latter is suspended, are constituted by a fixed stop independent of the receptacle, cooperating with a finger mounted eccentrically thereon. 9. - Device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the means capable of ensuring the triggering of the movement of each receptacle downward consist of at least one retractable finger which, associated with the guide means , remains in the receptacle holding position in the high position as long as a predetermined force corresponding to a predetermined quantity of liquid in the receptacle is not reached and is retracted as soon as it is exceeded.