Patent Issued for Sail-Based Electrical Generation System and Method (USPTO 9291147)
By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Journal of Technology -- THE BOEING COMPANY (
Chicago, IL
) has been issued patent number 9291147, according to news reporting originating out of
Alexandria, Virginia
, by VerticalNews editors.
The patent's inventor is Jones, Johnathan M (
Lake City, WA
).
This patent was filed on October 30, 2014 and was published online on March 22, 2016.
From the background information supplied by the inventors, news correspondents obtained the following quote: "Hydroelectric dams and windmills are two of many 'green' energy technologies that allow the generation of electricity without burning fuel or creating pollution. However, hydroelectric dams and windmills present a number of challenges that limit their economic and technological viability. First, these technologies are very site-specific. A hydroelectric generating facility requires sufficient water head (i.e. vertical drop) and a constant water supply, coupled with a site that is suitable for a dam. Essentially all good hydroelectric dam sites in
the United States
have already been used, and environmental and wildlife-related opposition to blocking river flows essentially precludes the construction of any more significant hydroelectric generating facilities in the
U.S.
Hydroelectric systems are also very expensive to construct and take many generations for economic payback.
"While windmills do not involve blocking streams, they are only economically feasible in places with sufficient mass air flows. Typical utility-scale wind generators have a relatively high wind threshold, and do not operate in low winds (e.g. below about 7-10 mph). This limits wind generation to areas with relatively constant high winds. Moreover, since wind speeds fluctuate, wind generation is not as reliable as other sources, and thus is not viewed as being viable for generating base power for an energy utility. Wind generation also presents some hazards to birds and other wildlife, and can produce noise pollution. Additionally, useful sites for both wind and hydroelectric power are often quite distant from population centers, thus involving long transmission lines, towers, etc., and a concomitant loss of energy and efficiency.
"Given the challenges associated with hydroelectric and wind-based generation of electricity using conventional methods, other methods of generating electricity from wind and water are desirable. The present disclosure seeks to address one or more of the above issues."
Supplementing the background information on this patent, VerticalNews reporters also obtained the inventor's summary information for this patent: "It has been recognized that it would be desirable to have a system and method for generating electricity from wind and/or water that is simple and economical to implement.
"It has also been recognized that it would be advantageous to have a system and method for generating electricity from wind or water that can operate in relatively low speed flows.
"It has also been recognized that it would be advantageous to have a single system that can generate electricity from both wind and water.
"In accordance with one aspect thereof, this disclosure provides an energy generating system that includes a first pair of elongate arms, having proximal and distal ends, configured for substantially symmetrically opposing reciprocal swinging motion in a substantially horizontal plane. A first pair of substantially vertical sails are each attached at the distal end of one of the elongate arms, the sails being configured to drive opposing reciprocal swinging motion of the arms in response to a flow of fluid therepast. A first generator assembly is attached to the proximal ends of the first pair of arms, and is configured to generate electrical energy from the substantially symmetrical opposing reciprocal swinging motion of the arms.
"In accordance with another aspect thereof, this disclosure provides a sail-based energy generating system that includes a first pair of substantially vertical sails, attached at distal ends of a pair of elongate arms. The sails are configured to drive opposing reciprocal swinging motion of the arms in response to flow of fluid therepast. At least a portion of the first sails are pivotally moveable about a substantially vertical axis, whereby a pitch of the sails is adjustable to drive the opposing reciprocal swinging motion. A first generator assembly is attached to the proximal ends of the elongate arms, and is configured to generate electrical energy from the substantially symmetrical opposing reciprocal swinging motion of the arms.
"In accordance with yet another aspect thereof, the disclosure provides a method of generating electrical energy. The method includes disposing a first pair of sails in a flowing fluid, the sails being mounted on distal ends of first opposing arms, and periodically adjusting a pitch of the first pair of sails so as to generate an opposing reciprocal swinging motion of the first opposing arms in response to flow of the fluid past the first sails. The method further includes capturing mechanical energy of the opposing reciprocal swinging movement of the opposing arms in a first generator assembly and generating electrical energy therefrom."
For the URL and additional information on this patent, see: Jones, Johnathan M. Sail-Based Electrical Generation System and Method.
U.S.
Patent Number 9291147, filed October 30, 2014, and published online on March 22, 2016. Patent URL:
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=9291147.PN.&OS=PN/9291147RS=PN/9291147
Keywords for this news article include: Technology, THE BOEING COMPANY.
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