Electric generator powered by bucket conveyor driven by massive buoyant objects

An electric generation system comprising a conveyor, a liquid-filled tank, a liquid filled buoyancy column, an inclined chute extending from the buoyancy column to about the conveyor, a plurality of buoyant objects and a generator assembly;

• each of said buoyancy objects being objects having an outer diameter and being buoyant in the liquid-filled tank and in the liquid filled buoyancy column, and having a mass sufficient to cause the conveyor to rotate;
• and
• said conveyor comprising an upper sprocket, a lower sprocket, a continuous chain engaging and entrained about the upper sprocket and the lower sprocket, a plurality of carriers coupled to the continuous chain, said conveyor including a descending side at which the carriers move in a downward direction from the upper sprocket to the lower sprocket, said conveyor also including an ascending side at which the carriers move in an upward direction from the lower sprocket to the upper sprocket, each of said plurality of carriers providing a surface for supporting one of the buoyant objects when the carrier is on the descending side;
• and
• said liquid filled tank including an entry chamber, an entry port and an entry door, and a transitional chamber, a transitional port and a transitional door, the entry chamber being positioned below the lower sprocket, the entry port providing an opening through which a buoyant object enters the entry chamber, the entry door being hingedly mounted to the liquid filled tank, the entry door being pivotally movable from a closed position to an open position, and in the closed position the entry door providing a watertight seal over the entry port, and in the open position the entry door allowing access for a buoyant object to pass through the entry port, and the entry port being positioned to receive buoyant objects deposited from the conveyor, and pivoting motion of the entry door propelling the buoyant object in the entry chamber towards the transitional chamber;
• and
• said transitional chamber being in fluid communication with the entry chamber and positioned in a path of flow from the entry chamber to the transitional chamber, the transitional port providing an opening through which a buoyant object enters the transitional chamber from the entry chamber, the transitional door being hingedly mounted to the liquid filled tank, the transitional door being pivotally movable from a closed position to an open position, in the closed position the transitional door providing a watertight seal over the transitional port, and in the open position the transitional door allowing access for a buoyant object to pass from the entry chamber into the transitional chamber through the transitional port, and the transitional port being positioned to receive buoyant objects floating from the transitional chamber, and pivoting motion of the transitional door propelling the buoyant object in the transitional chamber towards the buoyancy column;
• and
• said buoyancy column being an elongated tubular container fluidly coupled to the transitional chamber and extending upwardly to a height above the chute, and said buoyancy column having an outlet at a height about level with the chute, and said buoyancy column being filled with a liquid to about the outlet, and said buoyancy column have an inner diameter that is greater than the outer diameter of each of the buoyancy objects;
• and
• said chute extending from a position adjacent to the outlet of the buoyancy column to the descending side of the conveyor;
• and
• a motor operably coupled to the entry door via an entry door coupling and to the transitional door via a transitional door coupling, said motor causing the entry door to pivot open only when the transitional door is closed, and said motor causing the transitional door to pivot open only when the entry door is closed, and said motor causing the entry door to remain open for a first time duration sufficient to allow a buoyant object to enter the entry chamber, and said motor causing the transitional door to remain open for a second time duration sufficient to allow a buoyant object to enter the transitional chamber from the entry chamber, and said first duration being about equal to the second duration, and said second duration repeatedly commencing after the first duration, and said first duration repeatedly commencing after the second duration;
• and
• said generator assembly comprising an electric generator and a generator coupling rotatably connecting the electric generator to the conveyor.