Regenerative energy storage and conversion system
OwnerPatrick Alan Laffertyinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hydraulic circuit system and method for storing and converting hydraulic or mechanical energy to electricity wherein the hydraulic circuit system comprises: a power source for generating energy to produce electricity, a hydraulic power unit operably associated with the power source, one or more hydropneumatic accumulators operably associated with the hydraulic power unit, a hydraulic motor operably associated with the accumulators, a flywheel assembly operably associated with the hydraulic motor, a hydrostatic drive unit operably associated with the flywheel assembly, and a generator assembly operably associated with the hydrostatic drive unit wherein the generator assembly is further associated with the hydraulic power unit.
Claims18
A hydraulic circuit system for generating and converting hydraulic or mechanical energy to electricity comprising:
- a power source for generating energy to the hydraulic circuit system to produce electricity;
- a hydraulic power unit operably associated with said power source;
- banks of one or more hydropneumatic accumulators operably associated with said hydraulic power unit;
- a main hydraulic motor operably associated with said one or more hydropneumatic accumulators;
- a flywheel assembly operably associated with said main hydraulic motor;
- a hydrostatic drive unit operably associated with said flywheel assembly;
- and
- a generator/alternator assembly operably associated with said hydrostatic drive unit, said generator assembly further associated with said hydraulic power unit.
A method for storing and converting energy to electricity comprising:
- providing a power source for generating energy;
- pumping a hydraulic fluid from a reservoir containing said hydraulic fluid in a hydraulic power unit to one or more banks of hydropneumatic accumulators wherein said generated energy powers a pump causing said hydraulic fluid to flow under pressure to said one or more hydropneumatic accumulators;
- causing said hydraulic fluid to discharge from said hydropneumatic accumulators under pressure and flow to a main hydraulic motor wherein said hydraulic fluid energizes said main hydraulic motor;
- causing said energized main hydraulic motor to further energize a flywheel wherein energy is transferred to a hydrostatic drive unit;
- and
- pumping stored hydraulic fluid from a second hydraulic fluid reservoir in said hydrostatic drive unit to a generator assembly wherein the flow of said hydraulic fluid from said second hydraulic fluid reservoir is precisely metered to a hydraulic motor in said generator/alternator system to maintain the exact RPM requirements of the electric generator/alternator and insure the exact Hertz of the electric current produced.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.