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US 12,372,066 B2Granted
Communicating fluid vessel engine systems
OwnerJames D. Ruddinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims14
A method of operating an engine system comprising:
- providing a first fluid container, second fluid container, and a third fluid container, each containing a fluid;
- rotatably coupling a first interconnecting lever conduit containing the fluid to the first fluid container at a first axis and 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;
- rotatably coupling a second interconnecting lever conduit containing the fluid to the first fluid container at the first axis and to the second fluid container, and coupling the second interconnecting lever conduit to the first interconnecting lever conduit in a fixed arrangement, the second interconnecting lever conduit defining a second fluid passageway by which the first and second fluid containers are in fluid communication,
- revolving the second and third fluid containers around the first fluid container as the first and second interconnecting lever conduits rotate about the first axis relative to the first fluid container;
- positioning a buoyant member in the first fluid container, wherein the buoyant member is partially in the fluid and partially above the fluid;
- providing a tank in the second fluid container, the tank 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;
- physically linking the buoyant member and the tank together with a tether;
- and
- supplying a gas to the interior of the tank, thereby displacing 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.
7 more elements
A method of operating an engine system comprising:
- providing a first fluid container, a second fluid container, and a third fluid container, each containing a fluid;
- connecting at least a portion of the first fluid container, the second fluid container, and the third fluid container with at least one lever;
- partially submerging a buoyant member in the first fluid container;
- and
- passing the fluid into and out of an interior of a lower portion of a tank, wherein an upper portion of the tank is fluidly sealed,
- whereby the fluid is shifted to and from an end of the at least one lever, thereby generating torque and supplying motive power;
- 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.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.