# US 4,391,099 A · Atmospheric thermal energy conversion utilizing inflatable pressurized rising conduit

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- Number: US 4,391,099 A
- Document ID: US4391099A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/189,610
- Filed: 1980-09-22
- Granted: 1983-07-05
- Earliest claimed: 1980-09-22
- Inventors: Jens O. Sorensen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4391099A

## CPC

- F03G 6/045: {by producing an updraft of heated gas or a downdraft of cooled gas, e.g. air driving an engine}
- Y02E 10/46: Conversion of thermal power into mechanical power, e.g. Rankine, Stirling or solar thermal engines
- F03G: SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS; MECHANICAL-POWER PRODUCING DEVICES OR MECHANISMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR OR USING ENERGY SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (arrangements in connection with power supply in vehicles from force of nature B60K16/00; electric propulsion with power supply in vehicles from force of nature B60L8/00)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A system and method of atmospheric thermal energy conversion is disclosed utilizing pressurized inflatable rising conduit. The method includes the steps of: (a) providing warm or cold gas at a predetermined elevation; (b) transporting the gas vertically from the predetermined elevation to a different elevation through a thin-walled, inflatable, rising conduit, thereby providing gas within the conduit with a density which causes the gas to flow through the conduit; (c) converting the energy of the flowing gas by passing the gas through a transducer; (d) pressurizing the conduit from the inside with the transported gas to thereby inflate and support the thin-walled, inflatable, rising conduit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of atmospheric thermal energy conversion utilizing pressurized rising conduit comprising the steps of:
(a) providing warm gas at a low elevation,
(b) transporting the warm gas upwards from the low elevation to a high elevation through a thin-walled, inflatable, rising conduit thereby providing gas within the conduit with a low density which causes the upward flow of the gas through the conduit,
(c) converting the energy of the flowing gas by passing the gas through a transducer,
(d) pressurizing the conduit from the inside with the transported gas to thereby inflate and support the thin-walled, inflatable rising conduit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises:
(e) providing gas at the low elevation,
(f) heating the gas at an elevation which is lower than the high elevation to thereby provide the warm gas at the low elevation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A method according to claim 2 further comprising the steps of:
(g) providing a liquid,
(h) dissolving the liquid in the gas to provide a humid gas at an elevation which is lower than the higher elevation to retard adiabatic cooling by liquid condensing in the gas as the gas rises upwards within the conduit, thereby decreasing the density of the gas within the conduit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

A method according to claim 2 wherein step (f) comprises:
(g) heating the gas by solar energy.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 wherein step (d) comprises:
(e) providing a gas in the rising conduit with a density which is lower than the density of the ambient air whereby the low density gas causes a high pressure in the conduit in relation to the ambient pressure outside the conduit at the same elevation, thereby pressurizing the conduit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A method according to claim 5 wherein step (d) comprises:
(f) pressurizing the conduit by pumping said gas into the conduit at the low elevation.

### Claim 7

A method of atmospheric thermal energy conversion utilizing pressurized rising conduit comprising the steps of:
(a) providing cold gas at a high elevation,
(b) transporting the cold gas downwards from the high elevation to a low elevation through a thin-walled, inflatable, rising conduit thereby providing gas within the conduit with a high density which causes the downward flow of the gas through the conduit,
(c) converting the energy of the flowing gas by passing the gas through a transducer,
(d) pressurizing the conduit from the inside with the transported gas to thereby inflate and support the thin-walled, inflatable, rising conduit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A method according to claim 7 wherein step (a) comprises:
(e) providing gas at the high elevation,
(f) cooling the gas at an elevation which is higher than the low elevation.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

A method according to claim 7 further comprising the step of:
(g) providing a liquid,
(h) introducing the liquid as particles into the gas to provide humid cold gas at an elevation which is higher than the lower elevation to retard the adabatic heating by the action of the liquid particles dissolving into the gas as the gas sinks downwards within the conduit, thereby increasing the density of the gas within the conduit.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

A method according to claim 8 wherein step (f) comprises:
(g) providing a liquid,
(h) cooling the gas by combining the liquid with the gas.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

A method according to claim 7 wherein step (d) comprises:
(e) providing a gas in the rising conduit with a density which is higher than the density of the ambient air, whereby the high density gas causes a high pressure in the conduit in relation to the ambient pressure outside the conduit at the same elevation, thereby pressurizing the conduit.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

A method according to claim 11 wherein step (d) comprises:
(f) pressurizing the conduit by pumping said gas into the conduit at the high elevation.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1, 7)

A method according to claims 1 or 7 further comprising the step of:
(e) holding up and supporting the conduit by connecting thereto enclosed pockets of low density gas.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1, 7)

A method according to claims 1 or 7 further comprising the step of:
(e) pressurizing the conduit by providing pressurized gas in the conduit.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1, 7)

A method according to claims 1 or 7 wherein step (a) comprises the step of:
(e) providing air as the gas.

### Claim 16 (depends on 3, 9)

A method according to claims 3, 9, or 10 wherein step (g) comprises the step of:
(i) providing water as the liquid.

### Claim 17

A system for atmospheric thermal energy conversion utilizing pressurized rising conduit comprising:
(a) means for providing warm gas at a low elevation,
(b) a thin-walled, inflatable, rising conduit for transporting the warm gas upwards from the low elevation to a high elevation, thereby providing gas within the conduit with a low density which causes the upward flow of the gas through the conduit,
(c) a transducer for converting the energy of the flowing gas,
(d) means for pressurizing the conduit from the inside with the transported gas to thereby inflate and support the thin-walled, inflatable, rising conduit.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

A system according to claim 17 wherein the providing means comprises:
(e) means for providing gas at the low elevation,
(f) means for heating the gas at an elevation which is lower than the high elevation to provide the warm gas at the low elevation.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

A system according to claim 18 further comprising:
(g) means for providing a liquid,
(h) means for dissolving the liquid in the gas to provide a humid gas at an elevation which is lower than the higher elevation to retard adiabatic cooling by liquid condensing in the gas as the gas rises upwards within the conduit thereby decreasing the density of the gas within the conduit.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

A system according to claim 18 wherein the heating means comprises:
(g) means for heating the gas by solar energy.

### Claim 21 (depends on 17)

A system according to claim 17 wherein the pressurizing means comprises:
(e) a transducer for converting the energy at the high elevation whereby the low density gas causes a high pressure in the conduit in relation to the ambient pressure outside the conduit at the same elevation, thereby pressurizing the conduit.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

A system according to claim 21 wherein the pressurizing means comprises:
(f) means for pressurizing the conduit by pumping said provided gas into the conduit at the low elevation.

### Claim 23

A system for atmospheric thermal energy conversion utilizing pressurized rising conduit comprising:
(a) means for providing cold gas at a high elevation,
(b) a thin-walled, inflatable, rising conduit for transporting the cold gas downwards from the high elevation to a low elevation, thereby providing gas within the conduit with a high density which causes the downward flow of the gas through the conduit,
(c) a transducer for converting the energy of the flowing gas,
(d) means for pressurizing the conduit from the inside with the transported gas to thereby inflate and support the thin-walled, inflatable, rising conduit.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

A system according to claim 23 wherein the providing means comprises:
(e) means for providing gas at the high elevation,
(f) means for cooling the gas at an elevation which is higher than the low elevation to thereby provide the cold gas at the high elevation.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

A system according to claim 23 further comprising:
(g) means for providing a gas,
(h) means for introducing the liquid as particles into the gas to provide humid cold gas at an elevation which is higher than the lower elevation to retard the adabatic heating by the action of the liquid particles dissolving into the gas as the air sinks downwards within the conduit thereby increasing the density of the gas within the conduit.

### Claim 26 (depends on 24)

A system according to claim 24 wherein the cooling means comprises:
(g) means for providing a liquid,
(h) means for cooling the gas by combining the liquid with the gas.

### Claim 27 (depends on 23)

A system according to claim 23 wherein the pressurizing means comprises:
(e) means for converting the energy at the low elevation whereby the high density gas causes a high pressure in the conduit in relation to the ambient pressure outside the conduit at the same elevation, thereby pressurizing the conduit.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

A system according to claim 27 wherein pressurizing means comprises:
(f) means for pressurizing the conduit by pumping said provided gas into the conduit at the high elevation.

### Claim 29 (depends on 17, 23)

A system according to claims 17 or 23 further comprising:
(e) enclosed pockets of low density gas connected to the conduit to lift up and support the conduit.

### Claim 30 (depends on 17, 23)

A system according to claims 17 or 23 further comprising:
(e) means for pressurizing the conduit by providing pressurized gas in the conduit.

### Claim 31 (depends on 17, 23)

A system according to claims 17 or 23 further comprising:
(e) means for providing air as the gas.

### Claim 32 (depends on 19, 25, 26)

A system according to claims 19, 25 or 26 further comprising:
(i) means for providing water as the liquid.