Hydraulic prime mover device

Claim 1

A hydrodynamic prime mover device consisting of a closed, vertically oriented fluid recirculation system, utilizing a non-compressible fluid as a working medium and consisting of: a first vertically oriented fluid duct means and a second vertically oriented fluid duct means being laterally connected with each other at their uppermost and their lowermost portion in such a way as to assure a fluid flow from one into the other; which fluid recirculation system has a fluid downward flow-oriented section, as well as a fluid upward flow-oriented section; wherein said fluid downward flowing section comprises part of said upper lateral fluid conduit, said first vertical fluid duct means and part of said lower lateral fluid conduit; and wherein the part of said lower lateral fluid conduit includes a hydraulic-turbine being connected via shaft to an electrical generator means; which fluid downward flow-oriented section serves the function of generating electrical energy, first through the conversion of the downward flowing fluid's hydrodynamic potential into kinetical energy and then into mechanical energy by driving said turbine which, in turn, drives said electrical generator; whereas said fluid upward flow-oriented section comprises the second part of said lower lateral fluid conduit, said second vertically oriented fluid duct means, as well as the second part of said upper lateral fluid conduit; wherein the second part of said lower lateral fluid conduit includes a primary heating means for the heating of the turbine exhausted fluid and the maintenance of the operating temperature thereof, having a separate heating fluid inlet and a separate heating fluid outlet; and wherein said second vertically oriented fluid duct means includes a gas inducer means at its lowermost effective portion for the induction of a cooled gas at liquid state into the heated upward flowing fluid, as well as including said second part of said upper lateral fluid conduit, which, in the whole, is a hermetically sealed fluid gas separator having a gas outlet at its uppermost portion and a substantial vertical space between the therethrough flowing fluid's surface and the inner upper containment wall; which upward flow-oriented section serves the function of lifting the turbine exhausted and heated fluid back to its initial potential through the heat absorption of said induced cooled gas in contact with said heat fluid and its subsequent evaporation and expansion therein; which expanded gas, by virtue of its fluid displacing action, gives rise to the lowering of the gas-containing fluid mass's specific gravity within the device's vertical riser, in contrast to the specific gravity of the gasless downward flowing fluid within the device's penstock; thus, in turn, giving rise to the establishment of a difference in the hydrodynamic potentials between the downward and the upward flowing fluid respectively; which, in turn, keeps the recirculating fluid in motion as long as a steady supply of thermal energy and a steady flow of cooled gas is made available to said device.