Utilizing hydrostatic and hydraulic pressure to generate energy, and associated systems, devices, and methods
OwnerJohn Bushnellinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems, devices, and methods for utilizing hydrostatic and/or hydraulic pressure to generate energy are disclosed herein. A representative industrial system can comprise a storage tank containing fluid, a separator piston having a first separator compartment configured to be fluidically coupled to the storage tank and a second separator compartment, and a pressure intensifier. The pressure intensifier includes a first compartment, and a second compartment fluidically coupled to the second separator compartment. The second compartment of the pressure intensifier includes a pressure concentrator having a housing, a piston head member including arms, a plurality of cylinders each defined in part by the housing, and a drive piston head portion.
Claims20
An industrial system for utilizing hydrostatic pressure to generate energy, the system comprising:
- a pressure concentrator including—
- a housing;
- a piston head member including arms;
- a plurality of base cylinders each defined at least in part by the housing of the pressure concentrator, wherein each of the base cylinders and the corresponding arm of the piston head member at least in part define a first compartment configured to contain a working fluid, and a second compartment spaced apart from the first compartment by the corresponding arm of the piston head member;
- a biasing member exerting a force against the corresponding arm of the piston head member in a direction toward the corresponding first compartment of the base cylinders;
- and
- a drive piston head portion,
- wherein, in operation—
- arms of the piston head member acting within the base cylinders are each configured to receive a pressure from the working fluid, and
- the drive piston head portion is configured to exert, on the compressed fluid, a pressure approximately equal to the collective exerted pressures of the arms of the piston head member;
- and
- a pressure intensifier including—
- a first compartment configured to receive a gaseous fluid and configured to be fluidically coupled to a pressure source;
- a second compartment fluidically isolated from the first compartment, wherein the second compartment is configured to be filled with the working fluid;
- and
- a base interface between and abutting the first compartment and the second compartment, the base interface being moveable within the pressure intensifier in response to a pressure change of the first compartment and/or the second compartment;
- wherein the pressure concentrator is within the second compartment of the pressure intensifier.
An industrial system for utilizing hydraulic pressure to generate energy, the system comprising:
- a pressure concentrator including—
- a housing;
- a piston head member within the housing and including arms wherein said piston head member and arms are made from a material that is buoyant in water;
- a plurality of base cylinders each defined at least in part by the housing of the pressure concentrator, wherein each of the base cylinders is operably coupled to a corresponding arm of the piston head member, and wherein each of the base cylinders and the corresponding arm of the piston head member at least in part define a first compartment configured to contain a working fluid, and a second compartment spaced apart from the first compartment by the corresponding arm of the piston head member,
- a biasing member exerting a force against the corresponding arm of the piston head member in a direction toward the first compartment of the corresponding arm;
- and
- a drive piston head portion,
- wherein, in operation, (i) the arms of the piston head member acting within the base cylinders are each subjected to a pressure from the working fluid, and (ii) the drive piston head portion is configured to exert a pressure approximately equal to the collective exerted pressures of the arms of the piston head member;
- a compression chamber fluidically isolated from the pressure concentrator, wherein the compression chamber is configured to contain a compressed fluid that is subjected to the exerted pressure of the drive piston head portion;
- and
- a container having one or more products, wherein the container is in the compression chamber and is processed by the pressure of the compression chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.