Leak prevention in underwater power generation

Abstract

A system for generating electric power using internal waves and currents of oceans and rivers against a bag structure mounted moveably on a tower fixed to the ocean or river bottom. The bag structure is filled with compressed water and surrounds the support tower. Arranged around a central hole in the bag structure are located numerous gears which mesh with racks mounted horizontally around the bag structure's central hole circumference. Movement of the internal waves or currents of a surrounding ocean or river cause the bag to rotate and move vertically up and down, turning generator armatures attached directly or indirectly to the bag and tower producing electrical power. Assuming a river moves at 0.82 meters/sec. and the bag structure measures 50 meters diameter and 6 meters deep with a vertical core hole 15 meters diameter the moment of inertia is then 3,497,812,500 kilogram meters and the angular momentum therefor is 115 megawatts with about 10 megawatts lost to friction. A system as described in the invention, standing in the Detroit River could produce over 105 megawatts of electric power, cleanly and at an economic cost per kilowatt-hour.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.