Renewable energy systems using long-stroke open-channel reciprocating engines
AssigneeOmnific International, Ltd.
InventorJohn V. Mizzi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Renewable energy systems extracting energy from natural water flow or wind. The energy systems are configurations of long-stroke open-channel reciprocating engines employing one or two flow engaging elements such as drogue chutes for water flow or airfoils for wind applications tethered to a power drum and useful to generate electricity or to pump water as from wells. A wind energy system using two buoyant airfoils emblazoned with advertising messages is suitable for urban deployment generating electric power and also supporting an advertising revenue stream.
Claims19
A renewable energy generating system comprising:
- a long-stroke open-channel reciprocating engine having at least one tethered flow engaging element, said flow engaging element being one of at least one drogue chute in water or at least one floatable airfoil in air,
- which is cyclically switchable from a low force mode to a high force mode and vice-versa to extract energy from fluid flow engaging said at least one tethered flow engaging element;
- wherein said energy is extracted by unwinding said at least one tether from a cyclically reversed power drum thereby converting said extracted fluid flow energy into mechanical energy;
- wherein said at least one flow engaging element has a control element controlling cyclic switching from said low force to said high force mode and vice-versa upon command;
- wherein mechanical energy of said cyclically reversed power drum is converted to unidirectional rotation to drive an electric generator providing one of AC or DC electrical power from said extracted energy.
A renewable energy system comprising:
- A long-stroke open-channel reciprocating engine having a single tethered airfoil with controllable lift/drag characteristics, which said lift/drag characteristics are thereby switchable from a low force mode to a high force mode and vice-versa upon command to extract energy from wind movement of air to mechanically drive a reciprocating movement element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.