Patent · US Expired

Ship lock electrical energy generation

US6969925B2 · kind B2 · utility

9Cited by
14References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 5, 2003
Grant dateNov 29, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 5, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E10/20
  • WIPO fieldCivil engineering
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

A ship lock utilizes a hydraulic turbine and/or pump-turbine to regulate the discharge flow rates through the ship lock to an approximate constant value during the majority of the water transfer cycle resulting in a diminishing of total energy of head losses and to enable the recuperation of the unused hydraulic energy for generation as electricity. The difference in water levels on opposite sides of the ship lock constitutes potential hydraulic energy. By regulating the discharge, the total head losses over a given period of time diminish very significantly, thus giving an opportunity for optimization of hydraulic energy recuperation.

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