# US 10,371,119 B2 · Hydroelectric power system and pump > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,371,119 B2 - Document ID: US10371119B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/832,274 - Filed: 2017-12-05 - Published: 2018-04-12 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-02-01 - Assignees: Yourbrook Energy Systems Ltd. - Applicants: Yourbrook Energy Systems Ltd. - Inventors: Laird Galen Bateham - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371119B2 ## CPC - F03B 13/26: using tide energy - F03B 13/06: Stations or aggregates of water-storage type, {e.g. comprising a turbine and a pump}(turbines characterised by having means for functioning alternatively as pumps F03B3/10) - F03B 13/264: {using the horizontal flow of water resulting from tide movement} - F04B 1/145: Housings - F04B 1/146: Swash plates; Actuating elements - F04B 1/148: Bearings therefor - F04B 1/16: having two or more sets of cylinders or pistons - F04B 1/2078: Swash plates - F04B 1/295: by changing the inclination of the swash plate - F04B 17/00: Pumps characterised by combination with, or adaptation to, specific driving engines or motors - Y02E 10/20: Hydro energy - Y02E 10/30: Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient - Y02E 60/16: Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids - F03B: MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS (positive-displacement engines for liquid F03C; machines for liquids and gases F01; positive-displacement machines for liquids F04, rotary fluid gearing of the hydrokinetic type F16H41/00) - F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A hydroelectric power system and pump suitable for the system are disclosed which can make efficient use of the energy available in water flows with considerably variable flow rates. A simple, compact variable displacement axial piston pump can be operated so as to provide an essentially constant output pumping pressure and variable output volume that varies efficiently in accordance with water flow rate. The system is particularly suitable for shoreline tidal power generation and provides firm power output throughout the tidal slacks occurring during the tidal reversals. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hydropower pump comprising: a variable displacement piston pump comprising a rotating shaft, a fixed piston cylinder cluster, a fixed manifold and valve assembly, a piston assembly, a rotating swash plate pivot assembly, and a control assembly for adjusting the angle of the swash plates in the swash plate pivot assembly; and a waterwheel blade directly connected to the rotating shaft. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A hydroelectric power system for generating tidal power comprising: the hydropower pump of claim 1; a pier comprising the hydropower pump wherein the pier is anchored to a seabed location to orient the waterwheel blade with respect to the tide; an upper reservoir for accumulating pumpwater pumped by the hydropower pump; a hydro turbine for generating electrical power; a penstock for piping pumpwater from the hydropower pump to the upper reservoir and for piping pumpwater from the hydropower pump and from the upper reservoir through the hydro turbine; a piping network for providing pumpwater from an outlet of the hydropower pump to the penstock; and a controller for controlling the control assembly in the hydropower pump. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The hydroelectric power system of claim 2 comprising: a lower reservoir for accumulating pumpwater passing through the hydro turbine; the penstock is additionally for piping pumpwater from the hydropower pump and from the upper reservoir through the hydro turbine and to the lower reservoir; and the piping network is additionally for returning pumpwater from the lower reservoir to an inlet of the hydropower pump. ### Claim 4 A method for generating hydroelectric power comprising: identifying a source of flowing water wherein the a water speed of the flowing water varies over a range greater than about 1 m/s in breadth; providing a hydropower pump including a variable displacement piston pump having a rotating shaft, a fixed piston cylinder cluster, a fixed manifold and valve assembly, a piston assembly, a rotating swash plate pivot assembly, and a control assembly for adjusting an angle of swash plates in the swash plate pivot assembly, the hydropower pump also including a waterwheel blade directly connected to the rotating shaft of the variable displacement piston pump; providing a supply of pumpwater; positioning the waterwheel blade in the flowing water such that the rotating shaft rotates with the flowing water and pumps pumpwater from the supply; controlling the angle of the swash plates in the pump such that the angle is decreased and increased in accordance with a respective decrease and increase in water speed of the flowing water while maintaining an essentially constant output pressure of pumpwater from the pump over most of the water speed range; and storing the pumped pumpwater in an upper reservoir positioned above the hydropower pump. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 wherein the pump shaft rotates at speeds in the range from 0 to about 10 rpm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 wherein the water speed varies over a range up to about 5 m/s in breadth. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 wherein the mean speed of the flowing water is greater than or equal to 1.6 m/s. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 wherein the source of flowing water is tidal. ### Claim 9 A hydropower pump comprising: a variable displacement piston pump selected from the group consisting of a variable displacement axial piston pump and a variable displacement radial piston pump, the variable displacement piston pump comprising a rotating shaft, a fixed piston cylinder cluster, a fixed manifold and valve assembly, a piston assembly, a rotating assembly adjusting displacement, and a control assembly controlling the rotating assembly; and a waterwheel blade directly connected to the rotating shaft.