Apparatus, system and method for utilizing kinetic energy to generate electricity

A system for generating electricity, said system comprising:

• a generating assembly having a generating mechanism and an air passageway, said air passageway configured to receive input air at a passageway inlet and to flow said input air through said air passageway so as to discharge said input air therefrom at a passageway outlet, said generating mechanism having a wind turbine positioned in said air passageway so as to be rotated by said input air flowing therein, a main drive shaft attached to or integral with said wind turbine so as to be rotated thereby, a flywheel assembly supported by said main drive shaft, an output shaft connected to said flywheel assembly so as to be rotated thereby and an electrical generator operatively connected to said output shaft, said flywheel assembly structured and arranged to engagedly rotate one of a first flywheel and a second flywheel with said main drive shaft while the other of said first flywheel and said second flywheel is allowed to rotate independent of said main drive shaft, said flywheel assembly further structured and arranged to rotate said output shaft as a result of the independent rotation of one of said first flywheel and said second flywheel so as to generate electricity at said electrical generator;
• an updraft assembly having a heating chamber and a heating mechanism disposed in a chamber interior of said heating chamber, said heating chamber having a chamber inlet in fluid flow communication with said passageway outlet so as to receive input air into said chamber interior to produce mixed air therein, said heating mechanism having a heat exchanger with a closed-loop piping system containing a heated fluid that is heated by a source of heat, said closed-loop piping system configured to pass through said chamber interior so as to heat said mixed air to produce said heated air that will flow out of said heating chamber through a chamber outlet thereof;
• a pump electrically connected to a source of electricity, said pump configured to pump said heated fluid through said closed-loop piping system;
• and
• at least one of a power plant transformer and a power grid electrically connected to said electrical generator,
• wherein heated air flowing from said heating chamber will produce vertical convective air flow that will draw input air into said air passageway at said passageway input, flow said input air through said air passageway to rotate said wind turbine to operate said flywheel assembly so as to produce electricity at said electrical generator due to the independent rotation of one of said first flywheel and said second flywheel and to discharge said input air into said chamber interior to produce mixed air that is heated by said heating mechanism to produce heated air that flows from said heating chamber.

A method for generating electricity, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a generating assembly and an updraft assembly, said generating assembly having a generating mechanism and an air passageway through which flows input air, said generating mechanism having a wind turbine, a main drive shaft, a flywheel assembly, an output shaft connected to said flywheel assembly and an electrical generator operatively connected to said output shaft, said flywheel assembly having a first flywheel, a first gear/clutch assembly associated with said first flywheel, a second flywheel, a second gear/clutch assembly associated with said second flywheel and a gearbox that is structured and arranged to interconnect said first gear/clutch assembly and said second gear/clutch assembly with said output shaft, said updraft assembly having a heating mechanism with a heat exchanger disposed inside a chamber interior of a heating chamber, said heat exchanger comprising a heated fluid flowing in a closed-loop piping system;
• (b) heating said heated fluid in said closed-loop piping system with a source of heat;
• (c) flowing said heated fluid in said closed-loop piping system through said chamber interior of said heating chamber to heat mixed air in said chamber interior to produce heated air that flows upward to produce a convective force which draws in input air into said air passageway;
• (d) rotating said wind turbine of said generating mechanism with said input air flowing in said air passageway to rotate said main drive shaft attached to or integral with said wind turbine;
• (e) engaging said first flywheel with said first gear/clutch assembly to place said first flywheel in an engaged condition and to be operatively disconnected from said output shaft so as to rotate said first flywheel with said main drive shaft to build up kinetic energy in said first flywheel while said second flywheel is in a disengaged condition and operatively connected to said output shaft with said second gear/clutch assembly allowing said second flywheel to rotate independent of said main drive shaft so as to utilize kinetic energy of said second flywheel to rotate said output shaft to produce electricity at said electrical generator;
• and
• (f) operating said first gear/clutch assembly to place said first flywheel in a disengaged condition and to be operatively connected to said output shaft to allow said first flywheel to rotate independent from said main drive shaft such that kinetic energy associated with rotation of said first flywheel will rotate said output shaft to produce electricity at said electrical generator while operating said second gear/clutch assembly to place said second flywheel in an engaged condition and to be operatively disconnected from said output shaft so as to rotate said second flywheel with said main drive shaft to build-up kinetic energy in said second flywheel.