Back to results
US 7,453,166 B2Granted
System for generating electricity from fluid currents
AssigneeOceana Energy Company
InventorsDaniel E. Power, III, Ned R. Hansen, Dody Bachtar, Alan Schilke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for generating electricity from fluid currents having one or more trolleys that move along a closed-loop track as a result of the interaction of fluid currents on one or more blades attached to each trolley. Electrical energy may be generated by the movement of the one or more trolleys along the track.
Claims67
A system for generating electricity from fluid currents, the system comprising:
- a closed-loop track;
- at least one trolley;
- at least one blade attached to the at least one trolley;
- a means for supporting and guiding movement of the at least one trolley along said closed-loop track, the at least one trolley generally rotating about an axis of the closed-loop track and substantially within a plane during movement along the closed-loop track;
- and
- a means for converting motion of the at least one trolley into electrical energy,
- wherein the at least one blade extends in a direction radially outward relative to the closed-loop track and is configured to interact with fluid currents moving in a direction approximately parallel to the axis of the closed-loop track about which the at least one trolley rotates to cause movement of the at least one trolley, and
- wherein at least a portion of the at least one blade intersects the plane in which the at least one trolley rotates during movement of the at least one trolley along the closed-loop track.
5 more elements
A system for generating electricity from fluid currents, the system comprising:
- a closed-loop track;
- at least one trolley;
- at least one blade attached to the at least one trolley,
- wherein the at least one trolley is configured to move along the closed-loop track so as to generally rotate about an axis of the closed-loop track, wherein movement of the at least one trolley along the closed-loop track is converted to electrical energy,
- wherein the at least one blade extends in a direction radially outward relative to the closed-loop track and is configured to interact with fluid currents moving in a direction approximately parallel to the axis of the closed-loop track about which the at least one trolley rotates to cause movement of the at least one trolley, and
- wherein at least a portion of the blade intersects a plane in which the at least one trolley rotates during movement along the closed-loop track.
3 more elements
A method for generating electricity from fluid currents, the method comprising:
- positioning in fluid, a system comprising a closed-loop track, at least one trolley configured to move along the closed-loop track so as to generally rotate about an axis of the closed-loop track, and at least one blade attached to the at least one trolley, the at least one blade extending radially outward relative to the track and having at least a portion that intersects a plane in which the at least one trolley rotates;
- orienting the system such that fluid currents moving in a direction approximately parallel to the axis about which the at least one trolley rotates interact with the at least one blade to cause the at least one trolley to move along the closed-loop track;
- and
- converting movement of the at least one trolley along the closed-loop track to electrical energy.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.