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US 12,037,988 B2Granted
Communicating fluid vessel engine systems
OwnerJames D. Ruddinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An engine system includes three communicating fluid vessels that each contain a fluid. A first interconnecting fluid conduit containing the fluid rotatably couples the second fluid vessel to the first fluid vessel and acts as a lever. A second interconnecting fluid conduit containing the fluid rotatably couples the third fluid vessel to the first fluid vessel and acts as another lever. By increasing the fluid column heights in the communicating fluid vessels, torque is applied to the levers to cause the second and third fluid vessels to revolve around the first fluid vessel.
Claims23
An engine system with communicating fluid vessels, the engine system comprising:
- a first fluid container containing a fluid;
- a second fluid container containing the fluid;
- a third fluid container containing the fluid;
- a first interconnecting lever conduit containing the fluid and rotatably coupled to the first fluid container at a first axis, the first interconnecting lever conduit also rotatably coupled to the third fluid container, the first interconnecting lever conduit defining a first fluid passageway by which the first and third fluid containers are in fluid communication;
- a second interconnecting lever conduit containing the fluid and rotatably coupled to the first fluid container at the first axis and coupled to the first interconnecting lever conduit in a fixed arrangement, the second interconnecting lever conduit also rotatably coupled to the second fluid container, the second interconnecting lever conduit defining a second fluid passageway by which the first and second fluid containers are in fluid communication,
- wherein the second and third fluid containers are free to revolve around the first fluid container as the first and second interconnecting lever conduits rotate about the first axis relative to the first fluid container;
- a buoyant member in the first fluid container, wherein the buoyant member is partially in the fluid and partially above the fluid;
- a tank in the second fluid container and comprising:
- (i) a lower portion configured to allow the fluid to pass into and out of an interior of the tank and (ii) an upper portion that is fluidly sealed;
- a tether physically linking the buoyant member and the tank together;
- and
- a supply of a gas that is in fluid communication with the interior of the tank, wherein supplying the gas to the interior of the tank displaces at least some of the fluid from the interior of the tank to increase a column height of the fluid in each of the first, second, and third fluid containers.
9 more elements
An engine system with communicating fluid vessels, the engine system comprising:
- an output shaft;
- and
- two or more engines that each comprise:
- a first fluid container containing a fluid;
- a second fluid container containing the fluid;
- a third fluid container containing the fluid;
- a first interconnecting lever conduit containing the fluid and rotatably coupled to the first fluid container at a first axis, the first interconnecting lever conduit also rotatably coupled to the third fluid container, the first interconnecting lever conduit defining a first fluid passageway by which the first and third fluid containers are in fluid communication;
- a second interconnecting lever conduit containing the fluid and rotatably coupled to the first fluid container at the first axis and coupled to the first interconnecting lever conduit in a fixed arrangement, the second interconnecting lever conduit also rotatably coupled to the second fluid container, the second interconnecting lever conduit defining a second fluid passageway by which the first and second fluid containers are in fluid communication,
- wherein the second and third fluid containers are free to revolve around the first fluid container as the first and second interconnecting lever conduits rotate about the first axis relative to the first fluid container;
- a buoyant member in the first fluid container, wherein the buoyant member is partially in the fluid and partially above the fluid;
- a tank in the second fluid container and comprising:
- (i) a lower portion configured to allow the fluid to pass into and out of an interior of the tank and (ii) an upper portion that is fluidly sealed;
- a tether physically linking the buoyant member and the tank together;
- and
- a supply of a gas that is in fluid communication with the interior of the tank, wherein supplying the gas to the interior of the tank displaces at least some of the fluid from the interior of the tank to increase a column height of the fluid in each of the first, second, and third fluid containers,
- wherein the two or more engines are each coupled to and drive rotations of the output shaft.
13 more elements
An engine system comprising at least one communicating fluid vessel system, each communicating fluid vessel system comprising:
- a first fluid container containing a fluid;
- a second fluid container containing the fluid;
- a third fluid container containing the fluid;
- and
- at least one lever, wherein the at least one lever comprises:
- a first interconnecting lever conduit containing the fluid and rotatably coupled to the first fluid container at a first axis, the first interconnecting lever conduit also rotatably coupled to the third fluid container, the first interconnecting lever conduit defining a first fluid passageway by which the first and third fluid containers are in fluid communication;
- and
- a second interconnecting lever conduit containing the fluid and rotatably coupled to the first fluid container at the first axis and coupled to the first interconnecting lever conduit in a fixed arrangement, the second interconnecting lever conduit also rotatably coupled to the second fluid container, the second interconnecting lever conduit defining a second fluid passageway by which the first and second fluid containers are in fluid communication,
- wherein the engine system is configured to use a propensity of the fluid to seek its own level to shift the fluid to and from an end of the lever to generate torque and to supply motive power.
6 more elements
An engine system comprising at least one communicating fluid vessel system, each communicating fluid vessel system comprising:
- a first fluid container containing a fluid;
- a second fluid container containing the fluid;
- a third fluid container containing the fluid;
- at least one lever;
- a buoyant member in the first fluid container, wherein the buoyant member is partially in the fluid and partially above the fluid;
- and
- a tank in the second fluid container and comprising:
- (i) a lower portion configured to allow the fluid to pass into and out of an interior of the tank and (ii) an upper portion that is fluidly sealed,
- wherein the engine system is configured to use a propensity of the fluid to seek its own level to shift the fluid to and from an end of the lever to generate torque and to supply motive power.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.