US 5,929,531 AGranted

Lunar tide powered hydroelectric plant

AssigneeWilliam Joseph Lagno

InventorWilliam J. Lagno

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Abstract

A lunar tide powered hydroelectric plant of variable size and power generation capacity for basing on land or in tide waters. The basic collection of mechanical power is done by torsion spring bank units positioned on a concrete barge. The land-based plant obtains oscillatory motion from a notched frame. The tide water based plant obtains oscillating motion from notched piling. An individual torsion spring bank unit can comprise columns of horizontally aligned torsion springs based on a row of torsion springs of a bottom control cell. The tidal and wave motion is transferred to the torsion spring banks. A computer system manages the release of each torsion spring column to a drive shaft of a generator to produce electrical power. The computer system also permits the conversion of kinetic energy by reversing the gearing system for the upward motion of the floating barge so as to obtain a constant input of kinetic energy to the generator.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A lunar tide powered hydroelectric plant comprising:

a rectangular concrete barge having an enclosed flotation chamber;
at least two vertical rack means;
a first gear means including a partially exposed large pinion for engaging each of the at least two vertical rack means and a reduction gear meshing with the large pinion;
a second reversible gear means for engaging each reduction gear;
one framed torsion spring bank connected to each reversible gear means and containing a series of cooperating torsion springs with connecting gear means at each end of each torsion spring adapted to store mechanical power and to transmit said mechanical power;
at least one electric generator adapted to convert said stored mechanical power to electrical power;
and
a computer system for controlling the release of the stored mechanical power of the torsion spring banks;
whereby a lunar driven tide by moving the buoyant concrete barge up and down rotates the large pinion on the vertical rack means and the reduction gear, rotates the reversible gear means, charging the torsion spring banks during both the up and down motions, and releasing the stored mechanical energy of the torsion spring banks by automatic computer control to the generator to convert the stored mechanical energy to electrical energy.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.