Patent US4388533A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4388533A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Power generating system
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1981-03-20
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Granted: 1983-06-14
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Expires: 2001-03-20
Abstract
Abstract A power generating system for supplying electrical power to an external electrical power demand load including a vertically oriented centerbody adapted to adsorb radiant solar energy; an annular enclosure around the centerbody defining a vertically extending air passage between the centerbody and the enclosure capable of transmitting radiant solar energy therethrough toward the centerbody; mirror means for directing solar radiant energy through the enclosure onto the centerbody to heat it so that the air in the air passage is heated to induce an airflow through the passage; a rotor rotatably mounted at the lower end of the air passage with a plurality of vanes operatively associated with the air passing into the lower end of the air passage to cause the rotor to rotate; electrical power generating means operatively connected to the rotor so that rotation of the rotor causes the generating means to generate electrical power for the external electrical power demand load; and fuel synthesis means selectively connected to the output of the power generating means to generate and store hydrogen when the output of the power generating means exceeds the external power demand load and to supply hydrogen from storage for burning in the air passage to heat the air therein when the output from the power generating means is less than the external power demand load.
Inventors
- 👤 Larry K. Campbell
- 👤 William D. Farrier
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 03:34
CPC Classifications
F; F03; F03G; F03G6/00; F03G6/02; F03G6/04; F03G6/045; F03G6/06; F03G6/071; F03G6/074; F03G6/121; F24; F24S; F24S20/00; F24S20/20; F24S23/00; F24S23/70; F24S23/77; F24S23/79; F24S30/00; F24S30/40; F24S30/45; F24S30/452; F24S50/00; F24S50/20; F24S50/60; F24S70/00; F24S70/60; F24S2030/10; F24S2030/13; F24S2030/136; F24S2030/14; F24S2030/145; F24S25/00; F24S25/10; F24S25/13; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/40; Y02E10/44; Y02E10/46; Y02E10/47; Y10; Y10S; Y10S415/00; Y10S415/909
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
270 words
A power generating system for supplying electrical power to an external electrical power demand load comprising: an elongate vertically oriented centerbody adapted to absorb radiant solar energy therein to be heated; an annular enclosure around said centerbody defining a vertically extending air passage within said enclosure around said centerbody open to the atmosphere at its upper end, said annular enclosure including transmission sections therein around said centerbody capable of transmitting radiant solar energy therethrough toward said centerbody; mirror means for directing solar radiant energy through said transmission sections in said enclosure across said air passage and onto said centerbody to heat said centerbody so that the air in said air passage is heated by said centerbody to rise out of the upper end of said passage; air inlet means defining an inlet passage therein in communication with the lower end of said air passage for directing atmospheric air into the lower end of said air passage so that the pressure differential generated within said air passage as the air is heated by said centerbody induces an air flow through said inlet passage and along said air passage from the lower end to the upper end thereof; rotor means rotatably mounted in said inlet means and including a plurality of vanes operatively associated with the air passing through said air inlet means so that the air flowing through said air inlet means causes said rotor means to rotate; and electrical power generating means operatively connected to said rotor means so that rotation of said rotor means causes said generating means to generate electrical power for the external electrical power demand load.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
270 words
A power generating system for supplying electrical power to an external electrical power demand load comprising: an elongate vertically oriented centerbody adapted to absorb radiant solar energy therein to be heated; an annular enclosure around said centerbody defining a vertically extending air passage within said enclosure around said centerbody open to the atmosphere at its upper end, said annular enclosure including transmission sections therein around said centerbody capable of transmitting radiant solar energy therethrough toward said centerbody; mirror means for directing solar radiant energy through said transmission sections in said enclosure across said air passage and onto said centerbody to heat said centerbody so that the air in said air passage is heated by said centerbody to rise out of the upper end of said passage; air inlet means defining an inlet passage therein in communication with the lower end of said air passage for directing atmospheric air into the lower end of said air passage so that the pressure differential generated within said air passage as the air is heated by said centerbody induces an air flow through said inlet passage and along said air passage from the lower end to the upper end thereof; rotor means rotatably mounted in said inlet means and including a plurality of vanes operatively associated with the air passing through said air inlet means so that the air flowing through said air inlet means causes said rotor means to rotate; and electrical power generating means operatively connected to said rotor means so that rotation of said rotor means causes said generating means to generate electrical power for the external electrical power demand load.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
129 words
The power generating system of claim 1 wherein said air inlet means defines an inlet passage therethrough having an intake end open to the atmosphere and an outlet end communicating with the lower end of said air passage around said centerbody; and wherein said rotor means includes a first set of vanes located at the intake end of said inlet passage and a second set of vanes located at the outlet end of said inlet passage, said inlet passage arranged so that the air passing through said inlet passage first contacts said first set of vanes to rotate said rotor means in a given direction and is redirected so that the air subsequently contacts said second set of vanes to further rotate said rotor means in said given direction.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
80 words
The power generating system of claim 1 wherein said mirror means includes a first mirror assembly, a second mirror assembly and mounting means mounting said first and second mirror assemblies in operative association with each other so that said first mirror assembly reflects sunlight onto said second mirror assembly and said second mirror assembly concentrates and reflects the sunlight reflected thereon by said first mirror assembly through said transmission sections on said enclosure and onto said centerbody to heat same.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
The power generating system of claim 3 wherein said mirror means further includes tracking control means for maintaining said first mirror means aligned with the sun to maximize the amount of sunlight reflected onto said second mirror means by said first mirror means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
142 words
The power generating system of claim 1 further including electrically operated hydrogen gas generating means; gas storage means; fuel distribution means; burner means in said air passage around said centerbody; and fuel control means, said fuel control means selectively connecting said gas generating means to the electrical output of said electrical power generating means to cause said hydrogen gas generating means to generate hydrogen gas by electrolysis and said fuel distribution means to transfer the hydrogen gas from said gas generating means to said gas storage means and selectively causing said fuel distribution means to supply hydrogen gas from said fuel storage means to said burner means for burning the hydrogen gas in said air passage around said centerbody to heat the air therein and induce an air flow through said inlet passage and said air passage to rotate said rotor means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
141 words
The power generating system of claim 3 wherein said mounting means movably mounts said first and second mirror assemblies for movement around said annular enclosure about a circular path concentric of said enclosure with said first mirror assembly and said second mirror assembly maintained on diametrically opposed sides of said enclosure, and further including first drive means for selectively moving said first and second mirror assemblies around said circular path, first sensing means for determining the direction of the sun with respect to said first mirror assembly, and first tracking control means operatively connected to said first drive means and said first sensing means to cause said first drive means to move said first and second mirror assemblies around said circular path to maintain said first mirror assembly directly facing the sun to reflect the sunlight onto said second mirror assembly.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
119 words
The power generating system of claim 6 wherein said first mirror assembly includes a plurality of flat mirrors pivoted about horizontally oriented parallel axes and further including second drive means for simultaneously pivoting said flat mirrors about said horizontal axes so that said flat mirrors have equal angles of inclination as they are pivoted, second sensing means for determining the angle of inclination of the sun and second tracking control means operatively connected to said second drive means and said second sensing means to pivot said flat mirrors about said horizontal axes to maintain the angle of inclination of said flat mirrors such that the sunlight imposed on said flat mirrors is reflected horizontally to said second mirror assembly.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
160 words
The power generating system of claim 4 further including monitoring means for monitoring the electrical power output from said electrical power generating means and the external electrical power demand load, said monitoring means connected to said fuel control means to cause said fuel control means to connect said gas generating means to the electrical output of said electrical power generating means and to cause said fuel distribution means to transfer the hydrogen gas from said gas generating means to said gas storage means when the electrical power output from said electrical power generating means exceeds the external power demand load; and to cause said fuel control means to disconnect said gas generating means from the electrical power output of said electrical power generating means and to cause said fuel distribution to supply hydrogen gas from said fuel storage means to said burner means when the external power demand load exceeds the electrical power output of said electrical power generating means.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1986-06-13 | 1986-12-13 | 1987-06-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-06-13 | 1990-12-13 | 1991-06-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-06-13 | 1994-12-13 | 1995-06-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |