Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02473072 2005-01-26
Hydraulic Compressor.
This invention relates to the construction of a hydraulic compressor that uses
renewable energy.
The subject of this invention is a hydraulic-like compressor; that uses the
clean and renewable
energy of any flow of any waterway having a difference in height between two
points along the
waterway in order to utilize the potential energy of water to compress air in
the said hydraulic
compressor. It uses a pipe that replaces the cylinder, and water that replaces
the piston of
compressors, and it eliminates the use of non-renewable energy while ensuring
ease of operation,
efficiency and the conservation of energy.
The embodiment of this invention includes the following:
1- A water line that brings the water of a stream, a river, a dam, etc. from a
high point to the
hydraulic compressor, as long as a difference in height exists in the water-
way that permits the water
to flow by gravity. The water-line has an inlet and an outlet. The inlet is
located at an upstream of
the water supply, and the outlet is located at a downstream of the water
supply.
2- A main valve connected to outlet of said water-line to control the flow of
water supplied by the
water-line into and out of water-line called the line-cylinder.
3- A line-cylinder having an inlet and an outlet connected to the main valve
that controls the water
admission in order to compress air, and the water discharge that occurs at the
end of the exhaust of
compressed air to allow atmospheric air to enter the line-cylinder. The
exhaust of compressed air
and the admission of atmospheric air are done through air inlet and outlet
valves that are located at a
higher point then that of the water inlet and outlet.
4- An air pressure regulator that is installed between the outlet air valve
and the air tank of the power
plant of the Canadian patent no 2328580, at the height where the value of the
hydrostatic pressure of
the column of water is equal to the pressure needed to open the said pressure
regulator, in order to
produce the right compressed air needed for the good functioning of the said
power plant, while
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CA 02473072 2005-01-26
eliminating the dead volume inside the Line-Cylinder, where the air can be
compressed and not
pushed out of the compressor.
9- A control circuit to control the operation of the main valve, in order to
ensure o good functioning
of said hydraulic compressor by allowing atmospheric air to enter the line-
cylinder, and compressed
air to exit said line-cylinder at the right time.
The length of the line-cylinder can have variable dimensions requiring always
an ascending slope in
order to permit a full exhaust of all the compressed air of the same stroke.
The water-intake line that brings the water to the compressor, and the Line-
Cylinder where the air is
compressed can be buried in the ground without affecting the functioning of
the said hydraulic
compressor, while leaving the soil for the agriculture or for other uses.
The compressed air produced by this type of hydraulic compressors will be used
to run power plants
of the sort of the Canadian patent no 2328580, with no need to build new dams
that flood big areas,
however we can still use the dammed water of the existing dams to run the
hydraulic compressor of
the present invention.
The other aspect of this invention is:
The Lines-Cylinders of this hydraulic compressor of the present invention can
be replaced by water
reservoirs that can contain bigger flow of water in order to compress a bigger
volume of air at a
higher discharge pressure, because of the big bases and the lower heights of
the said reservoirs that
give a bigger hydrostatic pressure which is the consequence of the difference
in height between the
water intake at the highest level of the water-way, and the higher level the
water can rich inside the
reservoirs.
Depending on site specifications and the output required, various components,
configurations and
dimensions for the embodiment may be combined to achieve the desired results.
For a better
understanding of this invention and to facilitate its examination, it is
represented in the following 20
Figures.
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Brief description of the drawings:
1- Figure 1 is a front view of the hydraulic compressor.
2- Figure 2 is a top view of figure 1.
3- Figure 3 is a top cross-sectional view along line A-A of figure 1.
4- Figure 4 is a right side view of figure 1.
5- Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along line B-B of figure 2.
6- Figure 6 is a schematic representation of the installation of a hydraulic
compressor on a water-
way, coupled on a power plant of the Canadian patents no 2328580.
7- Figure 7 is a cross sectional view along line B-B of figure 2, showing the
end of the compression
in Line-Cylinder 6, and the end of the water discharge or the end of the air-
inlet in Line-Cylinder
6-A.
8- Figure 8 is a cross sectional view along line A-A of figure 1, showing the
positions of the mobile
parts of the main valves of the hydraulic compressor that correspond with
figure 7.
9- Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view along line B-B of figure 2. Showing the
beginning of the water
discharge cycle from Line-Cylinder 6, and the beginning of the compression
cycle in Line-Cylinder
6-A.
10- Figure 10 is a cross sectional view along line A-A of figure 1, Showing
the positions of the
mobile parts of the main valves of the hydraulic compressor that correspond
with figure 9.
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11- Figure 11 is a cross sectional view along line B-B of figure 2, showing
the water exiting-Line
Cylinder 6, during the air inlet in the same line-cylinder 6, and the water
entering Line-Cylinder 6-A
while compressing the air imprisoned in the same Lirie-Cylinder 6-A.
12- Figure 12 is a cross sectional view along line A-A of figure 1, showing
the positions of the
mobile parts of the main valves of the hydraulic compressor that correspond
with figure 11.
13- Figure 13 is a cross sectional view along line B-B of figure 2. Showing
the end of the water
discharge cycle from Line-Cylinder 6 or the end of the air-inlet in the same
Line-Cylinder 6, and the
end of the compression cycle in Line-Cylinder 6-A.
14- Figure 14 is a cross sectional view along line A-A of figure 1, showing
the positions of the
mobile parts of the main valves of the hydraulic compressor that correspond
with figure 13.
15- Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view along line B-B of figure 2. Showing
the beginning of the
water discharge cycle from Line-Cylinder 6-A, and the beginning of the
compression cycle in Line-
Cylinder 6.
16- Figure 16 is a cross sectional view along line A-A of figure 1, showing
the positions of the
mobile parts of the main valves of the hydraulic compressor that correspond
with figure 15.
17- Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view along line B-B of figure 2, showing
the beginning of the
water discharge from Line-Cylinder 6-A, and the beginning of the compression
in Line-Cylinder 6.
18- Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A of figure 1, showing
the positions
Of the mobile parts of the main valves of the hydraulic compressor that
correspond with figure 17.
19- Figure 19 is a schematic cross-sectional view along line C-C of figure 20
of a water reservoir
that replaces the Line-Cylinder of the hydraulic compressor.
20- Figure 20 is a schematic cross-sectional view alon; line D-D of figure 19.
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1, . CA 02473072 2005-01-26
Detailed description of the invention.
When considered with the description herein, the characteristics of the
invention are apparent from
the accompanying drawings, which exemplify an embodiment of the invention for
purposes of
illustration only, and in which -
Figure 1 is a front view of a hydraulic compressor having two Lines-Cylinders
6 and 6-A including
the water line 1 that brings water to the compressor from the highest point 29
figure 5 of the water-
way 7 to the lowest point 28 where the main valves 2 and 2-A that control the
water inlet and the
water outlet are installed, the electric motors 3 and 3-A that operate the
mobile parts 14 and 14-A of
the main valves 2 and 2-A through the pinions 4 and 4-A and the gears 5 and 5-
A. The Lines-
Cylinders 6 and 6-A where air is admitted in order to be compressed by the
rising water. The lines
18 and 18-A that transit the outlet water from the Lines-Cylinders 6 and 6-A
to the water-way 7
through the main valves 2 and 2-A. the ends 8 and 8-A of the Lines-Cylinders 6
and 6-A where the
inlet and outlet valves are installed. The contactors 9 that works with the
presence of water in line 1,
the second contactor 10 that works with the highest level the water can rich
inside the Line-Cylinder
6 at the end of the compression stroke, the third contactor 11 and the fourth
contactor 12 that are
functioned by the motor 3 in order to control the circuit breakers of the
motors 3 and 3-A.
Figure 2 is a top view of figure 1 including the water line 1, the Line-
Cylinders 6 and 6-A, the ends
8 and 8-A of the Lines-Cylinders 6 and 6-A where the inlet and outlet valves
22, 22-A and 23 and
23-A are installed, the electric motors 3 and 3-A, that operate the mobile
parts 14 and 14-A of the
main valves 2 and 2-A through the pinions 4 and 4-A and the gears 5 and 5-A.
The lines 18 and
18-A that transit the outlet water from the Lines-Cylinders 6 and 6-A to the
water-way 7 through the
main valves 2 and 2-A and the discharge lines 19 and 19-A
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A of figure 1 including the
line 1, the main valves 2
and 2-A, the fixed parts 13 and 13-A with the mobile parts 14 and 14-A of the
main valves 2 and
2-A, the borings 15 and 15-A that are machined radially in the stationary
parts 13 and 13-A of the
main valves 2 and 2-A and used for the water inlet into the Lines-Cylinders 6
and 6-A. The way the
water takes to exit the compressor including the radial borings 16 and 16-A of
the fixed parts 13 and
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CA 02473072 2005-01-26
13-A and the radial borings 17 and 17-A of the mobile parts 14 and 14-A of the
main valves 2 and
2-A, the gates 21 and 21-A that connect the lower level of the Lines-Cylinders
6 and 6-A to the lines
18 and 18-A in witch the water transits backward to the water-way 7 through
the valves 2 and 2-A
and the lines 19 and 19-A.
Figure 4 is a right side view of figure 1 including the line 1, the Line-
Cylinder 6-A, the line 18-A,
the motor 3-A, the pinion 4-A, the gear 5-A, and the end 8-A of the Line-
Cylinder 6-A.
Figure 5 is a front cross-sectional view along line B-B of figure 2 including
the line 1, the main
valves 2 and 2-A, the stationary parts 13 and 13-A with their radial borings
15 and 15-A, the mobile
parts 14 and 14-A with their radial borings 17 and 17-A, the Lines-Cylinders 6
and 6-A, the air inlet
valves 22 and 22-A, the air outlet valves 23 and 23-A, the motors 3 and 3-A,
the pinions 4 and 4-A,
and the gears 5 and 5-A.
Figure 6 is a schematic representation of the installation of a compressor on
a water-way, coupled on
a power plant of the Canadian patent no 2328580 including the water-way 7, the
line 1, the Lines-
Cylinders 6 and 6-A. The lines 18, 18-A, 19 and 19-A that transits the water
backward from the
Lines-Cylinders 6 and 6-A to the water-way 7 through the main valves 2 and 2-
A, the ends 8 and
8-A of the Lines-Cylinder 6 and 6-A, the compressed air pressure regulator 24-
A, the check valve
24, the air line 25 that connects the compressor to the air tank 25-A, the air
tank 25-A. The highest
permitted level 26 where the water can rise inside the Lines-Cylinders 6 and 6-
A during the
compression stroke and where the second electrical contactor 10 is located.
The height 27-A of the
column of water that determines the pressure of the compressed air, it is
located between the water
inlet 29 of the compressor and the highest permitted level 26 that the water
can rich at the end of
every compression stroke inside the Line-Cylinder. The water intake at the
highest leve129, and the
water discharge at the lowest level 28 where the main valves 2 and 2-A are
installed.
Figures 7 to 18 represent front cross-sectional views along line B-B of figure
2, and top cross-
sectional views along line A-A of figure 1. These views show all the stapes of
the inlet and the outlet
of the water and the air of the compressor in one period, including all the
elements that are in figures
3 and 5 in addition to the pressure regulator 24-A, the check valve 24 and the
air line 25 that transits
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CA 02473072 2005-01-26
the compressed air from the compressor to the air tank 25-A of the power plant
of the Canadian
patent no 2328580.
Figure 19 is a cross-sectional view along line C-C of figure 14 of the water
reservoir 6-A-B that
replaces the Line-Cylinder of the hydraulic compressor the subject of the
present invention including
the water line 1, the discharge gate 19, the end 8, the air inlet valve 22,
the air outlet valve 23, the
pressure regulator 24-A, the water inlet gate 44 that controls the water
admission into the reservoir
6-A-B, the tunnel 45 in which the water access to the reservoir 6-A-B coming
from the water line 1.
The water gate 44-A that controls the water discharge from the reservoir 6-A-B
to the water-way 7
and the second contactor 10
Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view along line D-D of figure 13 including the
reservoir 6-A-B, the
water line 1, the water gates 45 and 44-A, and the water discharge line 19.
It should be understood, of course, that this compressor can be built from
various materials and in
different dimensions according to the quantity of compressed air required. The
drawings do not
show every step in the construction of the present invention, but they set out
the overall result
clearly.
According to the example of the present invention, the hydraulic compressor
has two Lines-
Cylinders, and before starting it, all of its components must be in place in
order to produce
compressed air.
1- First the location of the hydraulic compressor is chosen in order to
determine the distance
between the highest level for the water intake of the said compressor and the
lowest level for the
water discharge, that helps to locate the pressure regulator and to determine
the discharge
compressed air pressure, in order to build the appropriate power plant of the
Canadian patent no
2328580 that can function with the actual compressed air of the said hydraulic
compressor.
2- The water line 1 will be in place in order to transit the water from the
water intake at leve129, to
leve128 where the main valves are installed.
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CA 02473072 2005-01-26
3- The main valve 2 will be in place to connect from one side the water line
1, and from the other
side the Line-Cylinder 6. In addition the water line 18 will be in place to
transit the discharged water
after every compression stroke through the main valve 2 to the water-way 7.
Equally the main valve
2-A will be in place to connect from one side the water line 1, and from the
other side the Line-
Cylinder 6-A. In addition the water line 18-A will be in place to transit the
discharged water after
every compression stroke through the main valve 2-A to the water-way 7.
4- The Lines-Cylinders 6 and 6-A will be in place in an ascending position
that permits to the water
to compress and discharge toward the air tank 25-A all of the admitted air
inside the compressor.
5- the air tank 25-A will be in place to receive the compressed air from the
hydraulic compressor the
subject of the present invention through the air outlet valve 23, the pressure
regulator 24-A, the
check valve 24 and the air line 25.
6- the power plant of the Canadian patent 2328580 will be in place to receive
the compressed air
through the air line 21.
Operation of the invention.
The said hydraulic compressor can have any number of line-cylinders that work
according to the
same method. The following is the functioning of line-cylinder 6 as an
example:
1- Once all the components are in place, the hydraulic compressor is ready to
run.
2- A first role of the radial boring 17 of the mobile part 14 of the main
valve 2 is fulfilled when the
said radial boring 17 gets in line with the two borings 15 of the stationary
part 13 of the main valve
2, to let water coming from the source by line 1 to enter the line-cylinder 6
of the compressor, in
order to compress the imprisoned air, while the communication between the Line-
Cylinder 6 at its
lower level and the waterway 7 through the two borings 16, is blocked by the
same mobile part 14
of the main valve 2.
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CA 02473072 2005-01-26
3- Considering that the boring 17 of the mobile part 14 is communicating
between the borings 15 of
the stationary part 13 of the main valve 2, we open the gate that lets the
water in the first water line
1 and then to the Line-Cylinder 6 through the main valve 2 to compress the
existing air.
4- The water starts rising in the Line-Cylinder 6 while compressing the
imprisoned air and forcing it
to go to the air tank 25-A through the outlet valve 23, the pressure regulator
24-A, the check valve
24 and the air line 25 that connects the compressor to the air tank 25-A.
5- When the water arrives at the highest permitted level 26 inside the Line-
Cylinder 6 where the
pressure regulator 24-A is placed, it sets on the electrical contactor 10 that
connects the electrical
power to a first circuit breaker in order to start the motor 3 that starts
turning the mobile part 14 of
the above-mentioned main valve 2 in one direction.
6- When the motor 3 starts turning the mobile part 14 of the main valve 2 in
one direction, in order
to close the water inlet passage between the borings 15 that stops by this
move the air compression,
and opens partially little time later the water outlet passage, between the
borings 16 that exits the
water from the line-cylinder 6 toward the waterway 7. When the motor 3 of the
main valve 2 arrives
at the end of its run in the actual direction, and after the water discharge
passage is completely open,
the contactor 11 will be set off in order to cut the electrical power from a
circuit breaker that stops
the motor in order to give time to complete the water discharge toward the
waterway 7.
7- A second role of the radial boring 17 of the mobile part 14 was fulfilled
when this radial boring
17 got in line with the borings 16 of the same stationary part 13 that has the
first boring
communicating with the Line-Cylinder 6 at its lower level, and the second
boring communicating
with the waterway 7, in order to facilitate the water discharge after the
exhaust of the compressed air
of every cycle.
8- The depression created during the water discharge inside the Line-Cylinder
6, closes the
compressed air outlet valve 23, and opens the air inlet valve 22 in order to
replace the water by
atmospheric air.
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CA 02473072 2005-01-26
9- When the water stops flowing out of the compressor to the waterway 7, the
contactor 20 connects
the electrical power to a second circuit breaker that connects the electrical
current to the motor 3 of
the main valve 2 that gives the following results:
A- In the beginning of the same run that was travelled in the other direction,
the blockage of
the outlet passage of the water is ensured when the boring 17 of the mobile
part 14 of the
main valve 2 cuts off the communication between the lower level of the Line-
Cylinder 6 and
the exterior of the compressor. While continuing to turn the mobile part 14,
the boring 17
realises the communication between the source of the water and the inside of
the compressor
namely the interior of the Line-cylinder 6 through line 1, that starts a new
compression
stroke.
B- At the end of the run of the said mobile part 14 of the main valve 2 in the
actual direction,
the contactor 12 is set off in order to stop the motor of the main valve. By
now the
compressor is ready for the next cycle.
C- As the contactor 10 is off, the water keeps flowing and rising in the
compressor while
compressing and pushing out of the said compressor the imprisoned air, until
it reaches again
the highest permitted level 26 inside the Line-Cylinder 6, where it sets on
the contactor 10 in
order to turn on the motor of the main valve 2, that starts another working
cycle for the
hydraulic compressor, and so on.
According to the example of the present invention, the compressor has two
Lines-Cylinders 6 and
6-A. Hence the second main valve 2-A of the second Line-Cylinder 6-A will be
activated by a
second electrical motor 3-A that is supplied in a parallel way with the first
motor 3 of the first Line-
Cylinder 6, by the same electrical circuit, but the cycles will be inversed,
that means:
When there is water admission in the first Line-Cylinder 6, it will be water
discharge from the
second Line-Cylinder 6-A to the water-way, that means air compression in the
Line-Cylinder 6 and
air inlet in the Line-Cylinder 6-, and vice versa. Only one electrical circuit
is needed to operate the
electrical motors of the compressor's main valves of the same compressor, but
the contactors and the
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CA 02473072 2005-01-26
circuit breakers of only one Line-Cylinder are used in order to facilitate the
operation of the said
hydraulic compressor the subject of the present invention.
In summary, the main advantage of this invention is to produce compressed air
in an effective way
through the use of the renewable energy of any waterway, in order to supply
especially any location
in remote areas where the power is in need. At a condition to have water
flowing with a difference in
heights between the water intake and the water discharge of the said hydraulic
compressor the
subject of the present invention. We knew that in raining time many places
have flowing waterways!
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates to
only a preferred
embodiment of the invention, and that it is intended to cover all changes, and
modifications of the
example of the invention herein chosen, for the purposes of the disclosure,
which do not constitute
departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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