Patent · US Expired

Open cycle solar energy system utilizing buoyancy as a conversion force

US4028893A · kind A · utility

7Cited by
2References
8Claims
0Family size

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 3, 1975
Grant dateJun 14, 1977
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 3, 1995

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E10/47
  • WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

An open cycle energy conversion system adaptable for use with, inter alia, solar collectors and other sources of available heat for increasing the temperature of a moving gas and employing a substantially vertically positioned gas expanding column comprising an endless arrangement of cups journaled for movement in a closed path in a liquid medium in the column for trapping the heated gas inside a succession of the cups inverted at the bottom of the column and displacing at least a part of the liquid in the cups, thereby providing a buoyancy force on the cups causing them to rise in the column exerting a rotating force on the endless arrangement of cups. The trapped gas is released at the top of the liquid in the column to be exhausted to atmosphere.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.