Fail/safe system for machine power generator
OwnerErnest William Townsend, IVinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In accordance with the present invention a start/stop system is provided for a machine that drives an electric generator by moving buoyant modules on a duty-cycle pathway through a bi-level water tank. Included is a valve mechanism that maintains different water surface levels in the bi-level tank, and also establishes different spaces within the bi-level tank. Additionally, grips are included for selectively holding individual modules in respective spaces. To stop the machine, water is drained from the bi-level tank, and grips are activated, to hold modules in their respective spaces. To restart, water is introduced into the spaces and the grips are deactivated to release the modules for operation.
Claims20
A system for stopping a machine which operates by moving buoyant modules through a liquid medium, the system comprising:
- a plurality of modules;
- a bi-level tank having an exposed upper liquid surface level and a sealed/exposed lower liquid surface level, wherein a duty-cycle pathway is established through the machine for each module, with a portion of the duty-cycle pathway passing through the bi-level tank for transit of each module from the lower liquid surface level to the upper liquid surface level of the bi-level tank;
- a valve mechanism, including a transfer valve submerged in the bi-level tank to establish a return tank between the transfer valve and the upper liquid surface level and a transfer tank between the transfer valve and the lower liquid surface level, wherein the valve mechanism includes an access valve to expose the lower liquid surface level when the transfer valve is closed and to provide a liquid-tight seal over the lower liquid surface level when the transfer valve is open, wherein, with the transfer valve open, the pathway is unobstructed between the transfer tank and the return tank;
- and
- a drain located in the return tank above the transfer valve, wherein the drain is selectively activated to drain liquid from the return tank and stop the machine when a module is on the pathway in the return tank and the transfer valve has been activated to remain permanently closed.
A method for stopping a machine which operates by moving buoyant modules through a liquid medium held in a bi-level tank, wherein the bi-level tank has an exposed upper liquid surface level and a sealed/closed lower liquid surface level, wherein a same, closed, duty-cycle pathway is defined through the machine for each module, the method comprising the steps of:
- operating a valve mechanism mounted in the bi-level tank to simultaneously isolate individual modules in selected areas of the bi-level tank in response to a STOP order;
- draining liquid from predetermined areas of the bi-level tank;
- and
- holding each module in its respective area of the bi-level tank until operation of the machine can be resumed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.