Electrical supply system for low current loads
OwnerThomas McGinninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrical supply system (10) for use with low current loads (12) disposed in hazardous areas, is described. Electricity is supplied to the low current load (12) from a local source (46) in response to mechanical energy from a fluid medium supplied from a remote pressure source (24).
Claims16
An electrical supply system for supplying electricity to a plurality of low current loads, said electrical supply system comprising:
- a plurality of low current loads, a fluid medium, compressor means for generating pressure in said fluid medium, flow and return conduits, a plurality of housings associated with said plurality of low current loads and coupled to said compressor means by said flow and return conduits, said housings containing energy conversion means for converting energy of said fluid medium to electricity, each said energy conversion means comprising a rotatable impeller for receiving said fluid medium and for converting energy in said fluid medium into rotational energy, first magnet means coupled to said impeller, second magnet means spaced apart from said first magnet means, said first and said second magnet means being spaced apart along, and rotatable about, a common axis of rotation, said first and said second magnet means forming a magnetic coupling whereby said rotational energy of said impeller is transferred to said second magnet means, and a generator coupled to said second magnet means for converting the rotational energy of said second magnet means into electrical energy for supply to said plurality of low current loads.
An energy conversion device for providing electrical energy for a plurality of low current loads, said energy conversion device comprising:
- a plurality of low current loads, a fluid medium, a plurality of housings associated with said plurality of low current loads said housings comprising a remote source of said fluid medium, impeller means for receiving said fluid medium and for converting energy in said fluid medium into rotational energy, first magnet means coupled to said impeller means, second magnet means spaced apart from said first magnet means, said first and said second magnet means being spaced apart along, and rotatable about, a common axis of rotation, said first and said second magnet means forming a magnetic coupling whereby said rotational energy of said impeller means is transferred to said second magnet means, and a generator means coupled to said second magnet means for converting said rotational energy of said second magnet means into electrical energy for supply to said plurality of low current loads.
A method of supplying electrical energy to a plurality of low current loads comprising the steps of:
- supplying a fluid medium from a remote fluid medium source to a plurality of housings associated with a plurality of low current loads said housings having an energy conversion device comprising an impeller and a generator coupled together by first and second magnet means spaced apart along, and rotatable about, a common axis of rotation and forming a magnetic coupling, said having being disposed in close proximity to said plurality of low currently loads;
- converting energy in said fluid medium into rotational energy by said impeller;
- coupling the rotational energy of said impeller to rotate the first magnet means about said common axis and magnetically coupling the second magnetic means to rotate about the same axis whereby rotational energy is transferred from said impeller to said second magnet means and to said generator, and
- converting said rotational energy of said generator into electrical energy for supply to said plurality of low current loads.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.