Energy generation system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11264920-B2
Application number	US-202016902389-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2020
Priority date	Mar 31, 2015
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

The invention provides an energy generation system comprising a generator having charged mutually rotating plate elements, and comprising an integrated drive mechanism for precisely controlling a separation distance between the plates. The drive mechanism provides a separation which varies as a function of the speed of rotation, hence assimilating separation control within the natural operation of the device. Embodiments provide plates comprising self-generating bearings, both hydrodynamic gas and fluid bearings and centrifugal regulator solid bearings, the bearings providing a supporting force between the plates of a magnitude which increases as the rotational speed of the plates increases. Methods of energy generation are also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
an electrical power generator for generating electrical power, the electrical power generator comprising: a first element and a second element at least one of which is configured to generate an electrical charge, the first and second element being further configured to be rotated with respect to each other in order to generate electrical power when at least one of the first element and second element comprises the electrical charge, wherein the first element or the second element comprises two or more radially extending grooves, each of which having a depth which decreases as a function of radial distance measured from a center of rotation between the first and second elements; and a spherical mass element positioned within each of the two or more radially extending groove.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the grooves at least partially delimit triboelectrically material active portions of a planar surface of the respective element.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the planar surface comprises a first annular region and a second annular region.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first annular region comprises a pattern of grooves, and the second annular region comprises a plurality of triboelectrically active surface regions.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more radially extending grooves have a depth that linearly decreases as a function of a radial distance from a center of the first element or the second element.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein channels exist in each of the two or more radially extending grooves.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the channels are bounded at a base by a planar surface of one of the first and second elements.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the spherical mass element is sandwiched between the first and second elements such that an upper wall surface and a lower wall surface of the channel are held in continual frictional contact with points on the surface of the spherical mass element.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the spherical mass element experiences a centrifugal force acting in a positive radial direction, inducing the spherical mass element to roll outwards along the channel.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the channels have a height that decreases linearly with radial extension, causing the first element or the second element to be elevated by the spherical mass element.

11. A method, comprising
providing an electrical power generator for generating electrical power, the power generator comprising: a first element and a second element at least one of which is configured to generate an electrical charge, the first and second element being further configured to be rotatable with respect to each other in order to thereby generate the electrical power when at least one of the first element and second element comprises the electrical charge, wherein the first element or the second element comprises two or more radially extending grooves, each of which having a depth which decreases as a function of radial distance measured from the center of rotation between the first and second elements; and a radially mobile mass element positioned within each of the two or more radially extending groove.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the grooves at least partially delimit triboelectrically material active portions of a planar surface of the respective element.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the planar surface comprises a first annular region and a second annular region.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first annular region comprises a pattern of grooves, and the second annular region comprises a plurality of triboelectrically active surface regions.

15. An electrical power generator, comprising:
a first element and a second element at least one of which is configured to generate an electrical charge, the first and second element being further configured to be rotated with respect to each other in order to generate electrical power when at least one of the first element and second element comprises the electrical charge, wherein the first element or the second element comprises two or more radially extending grooves, each of which having a depth which decreases as a function of radial distance measured from a center of rotation between the first and second elements; and
a radially mobile mass element positioned within each of the two or more radially extending groove.

16. The electrical power generator of claim 15 , wherein the grooves at least partially delimit triboelectrically material active portions of a planar surface of the respective element.

17. The electrical power generator of claim 16 , wherein the planar surface comprises a first annular region and a second annular region.

18. The electrical power generator of claim 16 , wherein the planar surface comprises a first annular region and a second annular region.

19. The electrical power generator of claim 18 , wherein the first annular region comprises a pattern of grooves, and the second annular region comprises a plurality of triboelectrically active surface regions.

20. The electrical power generator of claim 15 , wherein each of the two or more radially extending grooves have a depth that linearly decreases as a function of a radial distance from a center of the first element or the second element.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Franklin Steven Ernest
• Gerhardt Lutz Christian
• Potze Willem
• Kroes Hans
• Johnson Mark Thomas

Classifications

• F03B13/10

  Submerged units incorporating electric generators or motors · CPC title

• Y02E10/20

  Hydro energy · CPC title

• H02N1/04 Primary

  Friction generators · CPC title

• F03B3/126

  Rotors for essentially axial flow, e.g. for propeller turbines (with adjustable blades F03B3/14) · CPC title

• B81B3/0056

  Adjusting the distance between two elements, at least one of them being movable, e.g. air-gap tuning · CPC title