Buoyancy prime mover with pressure control means

Claim 1

An apparatus for converting the potential energy of a gas buoyant within a liquid into rotating mechanical energy comprising: (a) rotating means supported by an enclosed frame including at least two upper and lower sprockets freely rotatable about shafts mounted within said frame and being at least partially immersed within the liquid, each of said upper and lower sprockets supporting a continuous chain for movement about a horizontal axis of rotation; (b) a plurality of adjacent buckets immersed in the liquid and coupled to said continuous chains such that the buckets are equidistant and each bucket is in close proximity with an adjacent bucket to nest within said adjacent bucket for streamlined vertical movement about the horizontal axis of rotation; (c) means for compressing the gas that flows from the buckets upon rotation about the upper sprockets to produce a heated, pressurized gas; (d) means in operative communication with said compressing means for condensing the heated, pressurized gas to produce a cooled, liquified gas; and (e) means in communication with said condensing means for circulating the cooled, liquified gas to generate said gas within said enclosed frame whereby upon filling each bucket with a volume of said gas to displace the liquid from each bucket, the buckets move through the liquid with minimal turbulence and revolve the rotating means about the horizontal axis of rotation to generate power and the gas can be pressurized, condensed and vaporized for recirculation through the apparatus.

Claim 2

An apparatus for converting the potential energy of a gas buoyant within a liquid into rotating mechanical energy comprising: (a) rotating means supported by an enclosed frame including at least two upper and lower sprockets freely rotatable about shafts mounted within said frame and being at least partially immersed within the liquid, each of said upper and lower sprockets supporting a continuous chain for movement about a horizontal axis of rotation; (b) a plurality of adjacent buckets immersed in the liquid and coupled to said continuous chains such that the buckets are equidistant and each bucket is in close proximity with an adjacent bucket to nest within said adjacent bucket for streamlined vertical movement about the horizontal axis of rotation; (c) means for compressing the gas that flows from the buckets upon rotation about the upper sprockets to produce a heated, pressurized gas; (d) means in operative communication with said compressing means for condensing the heated, pressurized gas to produce a cooled, liquified gas; and (e) means in communication with said condensing means for circulating the cooled, liquified gas to generate said gas within said enclosed frame whereby upon filling each bucket with a volume of said gas to displace the liquid from each bucket, the buckets move through the liquid with minimal turbulence and revolve the rotating means about the horizontal axis of rotation to generate power and the gas can be pressurized, condensed and vaporized for recirculation through the apparatus.

Claim 3

An apparatus for converting the potential energy of a gas buoyant within a liquid into rotating mechanical energy comprising: (a) rotating means supported by an enclosed frame divided by a vertical member to provide first and second enclosed columns containing the liquid, the first column having a substantially larger crosssection than the second column, both columns having open upper ends within the enclosed frame, said rotating means including at least two upper and lower sprockets freely rotatable about shafts mounted on said frame, the lower sprockets being at least partially immersed within the liquid, each of said upper and lower sprockets supporting a continuous belt for movement about a horizontal axis of rotation; and (b) a plurality of adjacent collapsible buckets immersed in the liquid and coupled to said continuous belts such that the buckets, when opened and filled with the gas, are equidistant and each bucket is in close proximity with an adjacent bucket to nest within said adjacent bucket for streamlined vertical movement through the liquid, but said buckets can be folded into a flat configuration; (c) means for compressing the gas that flows from the buckets upon rotation about the upper sprockets to produce a heated, pressurized gas; (d) means in operative communication with said compressing means for condensing the heated, pressurized gas to produce a cooled, liquified gas; and (e) means in communication with said condensing means for circulating the cooled, liquified gas to generate said gas within said enclosed frame, whereby upon filling each bucket with a volume of said gas to displace the liquid from each bucket, the buckets move through the liquid with minimal turbulence and revolve the rotating means about the horizontal axis of rotation to generate power, the movement of the buckets causing the liquid to flow from the second column into the first column to decrease the resistance to flow of said buckets through said second column, and the gas can be pressurized, condensed and vaporized for recirculation through the apparatus.

Claim 4

An apparatus for converting the potential energy of a gas buoyant within a liquid into rotating mechanical energy comprising: (a) rotating means supported by an enclosed frame divided by a vertical member to provide first and second enclosed columns containing the liquid, the first column having a substantially larger crosssection than the second column, both columns having open upper ends within the enclosed frame, said rotating means including at least two upper and lower sprockets freely rotatable about shafts mounted on said frame, the lower sprockets being at least partially immersed within the liquid, each of said upper and lower sprockets supporting a continuous belt for movement about a horizontal axis of rotation; and (b) a plurality of adjacent collapsible buckets immersed in the liquid and coupled to said continuous belts such that the buckets, when opened and filled with the gas, are equidistant and each bucket is in close proximity with an adjacent bucket to nest within said adjacent bucket for streamlined vertical movement through the liquid, but said buckets can be folded into a flat configuration; (c) means for compressing the gas that flows from the buckets upon rotation about the upper sprockets to produce a heated, pressurized gas; (d) means in operative communication with said compressing means for condensing the heated, pressurized gas to produce a cooled, liquified gas; and (e) means in communication with said condensing means for circulating the cooled, liquified gas to generate said gas within said enclosed frame, whereby upon filling each bucket with a volume of said gas to displace the liquid from each bucket, the buckets move through the liquid with minimal turbulence and revolve the rotating means about the horizontal axis of rotation to generate power, the movement of the buckets causing the liquid to flow from the second column into the first column to decrease the resistance to flow of said buckets through said second column, and the gas can be pressurized, condensed and vaporized for recirculation through the apparatus.