Buoyancy motor
OwnerMark F. Ruhollinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A buoyancy motor is positioned within an interior volume of a vessel and submerged beneath a liquid level of a liquid that fills the vessel. The buoyancy motor includes an upper pulley, a lower pulley, and a belt extending around both the upper pulley and the lower pulley. A plurality of lift arms are hingedly coupled to the belt at a hinged mount. Each of the lift arms includes a connector arm, a float arm, and a float attached to the float arm. The float arms of the lift arms positioned on a first position of the belt are oriented perpendicularly with respect to the belt, and the float arms of the lift arms positioned on a second position of the belt are oriented parallel with respect to the belt. The buoyancy force of the liquid on the floats drives rotation of the belt around about the pulleys.
Claims19
A buoyancy assembly comprising:
- a vessel including an interior volume containing a liquid, wherein said liquid defines a liquid level within said vessel;
- a buoyancy motor positioned in the interior volume of said vessel, said buoyancy motor comprising:
- an upper pulley, wherein said upper pulley is positioned below said liquid level;
- a lower pulley, wherein said lower pulley is positioned below said liquid level;
- a belt extending between and wrapped at least partially around both said upper pulley and said lower pulley, wherein said belt includes a first position defined between a side of said upper pulley and said lower pulley and a second position defined between an opposite side of said upper pulley and said lower pulley with respect to said first position;
- and
- a plurality of lift arms, wherein each lift arm is hingedly coupled to said belt at a hinged mount, and wherein each of said lift arms includes a connector arm, a float arm, and a float attached to said float arm;
- wherein said plurality of lift arms are spaced evenly along a length of said belt;
- and
- wherein said float arms of said lift arms positioned on said first position of said belt are oriented perpendicularly with respect to said belt, and wherein said float arms of said lift arms positioned on said second position of said belt are oriented parallel with respect to said belt wherein said connector arms of said lift arms positioned at said first position of said belt are oriented parallel with respect to said belt, and wherein said connector arms of said lift arms positioned at said second position of said belt are oriented perpendicular with respect to said belt.
A method comprising:
- positioning a buoyancy motor within a vessel so that said buoyancy motor is below a liquid level of a liquid that is contained within an interior volume of said vessel, wherein said buoyancy motor includes an upper pulley, a lower pulley, a belt extending between said upper pulley and said lower pulley, and a plurality of lift arms hingedly attached to said belt, wherein a connector arm, a float arm and a float attached to said float arm;
- rotating said belt, wherein said rotation of said belt is driven by a buoyancy force of said liquid within said interior volume of said vessel acting on said floats of said lift arms;
- wherein said belt includes a first position, and said float of each of said lift arms positioned at the first position on said belt extends substantially perpendicular to said belt;
- and
- wherein said belt includes a second position, and said float of each of said lift arms positioned at the second position on said belt extends substantially parallel to said belt;
- and wherein said connector arms of said lift arms positioned at said first position of said belt are oriented parallel with respect to said belt, and wherein said connector arms of said lift arms positioned at said second position of said belt are oriented perpendicular with respect to said belt;
- and
- wherein said lift arm hinges with respect to said belt as said lift arm rotates with said belt around said upper pulley and said lower pulley.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.