IES20110023A2 - A floating pumped water energy store - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a floating vessel containing at least two water storage compartments arranged one above the other and interconnected by duct between the lower part of each in this duct at a low level is at least one motor pump/turbine generator which when supplied with electricity, pumps water from the lower compartment to the upper compartment and a valve in the duct is closed until electricity is needed to be generated and the valve opened to allow the water to flow under gravity through the turbine generator thereby generating electricity while filling the lower chamber. The innovative design allows energy to be stored at sea. <Figure 1 & 2>

Description

Floating pumped water energy store.

Field of invention A pumped water energy store operates by electrical energy from another source being used to pump water from a low level store to a higher level store and when electricity is required to be produced the water in the high level store is released to fall to the low level store through ducting and to rotate a water turbine coupled to a generator, thereby producing electricity.

IO Current pumped water energy storage installations require large areas of land and a selection of locations where the terrain provides areas of land at sufficient elevation to form the high level storage and areas of land at a lower level to form the low level storage.

Suitable sites are very limited in existence and they arc usually in mountainous areas of natural beauty. Very heavy civil engineering works are involved in preparing the sites and the ducts connecting the two levels comprise tunnels and usually large scale scarring of the landscape is involved.

Another problem with pumped water energy storage installations is that the areas where they are installed need to be exceptionally stable and free of geographical faults to prevent leakage and avoid the danger of flooding through failure.

Accordingly there exists a need for a pumped water energy store which floats in water.

Summary of the invention Accordingly there is provided a floating pumped water energy store comprising of a floating vessel of any shape or size divided to provide an upper chamber/s and a lower chamber/s said chamber/s are interconnected by way of water transfer duct/s through 30 which water can be pumped from the lower chamber/s to the upper chamber/s and discharged from the upper chamber/s to the lower chamber/s through a turbine/s coupled a generator/s which produce electricity. tokp 'rt'i !P ΐΒίσρερτιΠδΙ ii L· id bi* L GM ί R ϊΐ i! ii. Gi ΐ e ».J· S S LMB SECTION 23 AND RULE 23 ry a^iS£9.... cf to 1E11 The invention can be manufactured from any material or combination of materials which can be made water tight to assemble a floating vessel, the vessel and chambers can be strengthened as necessary with props, ribs, beams, columns, frames, stays, supports, braces and brackets.

The ducts from the upper chamber/s to the lower chamber/s can be made and arranged in any fashion as to convey the water between the lower level of the upper chamber/s to the lower level of the lower chamber/s through a turbine generator / motor pump/s. The duct/s can be fitted with control valves as necessary. A separate electric pump/s and generator/s or combined pump/turbine/s coupled to a motor/ generator/s may be used.

The duct/s providing ventilation to outside air from the various chambers can be made and arranged in any fashion as to allow ventilation to the chambers.

Machinery and plant chamber/s which provide accommodation for the motor/generator/s and pump/turbine/s and other plant and controls and access from the exterior above the water level of the water in which the invention floats to the lower interior level can be arranged in any manner which provide access to and space for the generating and pumping plant and controls.

In one embodiment the vertical space between the bottom of the upper chamber/s and the upper water level in the lower chamber/s are made to form a sealed space/s which can be used as a compressed air store/s into which outside air is ducted from an electrically driven air compressor with an external air intake and from which compressed air can be released through an air turbine/s coupled to a generator/s to produce electricity. A separate compressor/s and turbine/generalor/s or combined turbine/compressor/s coupled to a motor/ generator/s may be used.

The vessel can be moored by any suitable means.

.The advantages of the invention are that environmental impact is minimised, elevated sites are not required, possible failure of an on land water store and consequent flooding is IE1 1 Ο Ο 23 J eliminated. The invention can be used for a plurality of functions such as to support or attach wind turbines, aerial cable pylons, wave energy devices etc.

Brief description of the drawings The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:Ftgure I is a vertical section through a floating pumped water energy store according to the invention; i 0 Figure 2 is a cut away isometric view of a floating pumped w'ater energy store according to the invention: Figure 3 is a vertical section through one embodiment of a floating pumped water energy store in which there is embodied a separate sealed air chamber connected to a compressor/turbine coupled to a motor/generator; Figure 4 is a cut away isometric view of a floating pumped water energy store in which there is embodied a separate sealed air chamber connected to a compressor/turbine coupled to a motor/generator; Figure 5 is an isometric view of a floating pumped water energy store in which a wind turbine is mounted thereon; and Figure 6 is a vertical section through one embodiment of a floating pumped water energy store in which a water tight duct is incorporated to connect the invention to underwater cable.

Detailed description of the drawings: Referring now to the drawings and initially Figures I & 2 there is illustrated a floating pumped water energy store comprising an upper water storage chamber l and a lower water storage chamber 2 and a machinery and plant chamber 3. The upper water chamber 2 is connected by' ducting 9 fitted with a valve 10 to the lower water chamber 2 through a turbine/pump 12 which is coupled to a motor/generator 11. The upper water chamber 1 is ventilated to above outside water level by duct 5. The lower water chamber 2 is ventilated to above outside water level by duct 4. The machinery and plant chamber 3 is accessed through hatch 7 which is fitted with a hatch cover 6. The motor/ generator 11 is connected electrically by cable 8, IE1 1 0 0 23 Referring to Figures 3 & 4 there is illustrated an embodiment of the invention in which a sealed air chamber 17 is formed between the upper water storage chamber 1 and the lower water storage chamber 2. The air chamber 17 is connected to an air compressor/ turbine 13 which is coupled to a motor/generator 23 by a duct 16 in which a valve 14 is fitted. The i compressor/turbine 13 is connected to outside air by an intake/exhaust duct 15. The motor/generator 23 is connected electrically by a cable 21.

Referring to Figure 5 there is illustrated one embodiment of the invention where a wind turbine generator 20 is mounted above the invention on a mast 19.

Referring to Figure 6 there is illustrated one embodiment of the invention where a cable duct 18 is formed through the invention from below the bottom of the invention to above the outer water level and through which an underwater cable 22 is routed.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described but may be varied within the scope of the claims.

|E1 1 0 0 23

Claims (5)

Claims

1. A floating pumped water energy store comprising of a body of any shape or size divided to provide an upper water storage chamber or plurality of chambers and a lower water storage chamber or plurality of chambers with the lower level of the 5 upper chamber or plurality of chambers and the full level of the lower chamber or plurality of chambers separated by a vertical distance, said chambers are interconnected by a duct or plurality of ducts through which water can be pumped from the lower chamber or plurality of chambers to the upper chamber or plurality of chambers by an electrically powered pump or plurality of pumps by electricity 10 supplied from another source and through which, when required, water can be discharged from the upper chamber or plurality of chambers to the lower chamber or plurality of chambers through a turbine generator or plurality of turbine generators to produce electricity. 15

2. The floating pumped water energy store as claimed in claim 1 wherein the space between the full water level of the lower chamber or plurality of chambers and the bottom of the upper chamber or plurality of chambers is made to form a separate sealed chamber or plurality of chambers into which compressed air is ducted from an electrically powered compressor or plurality of compressors which are connected to 20 an air intake or plurality of air intakes and which are powered by electricity from another source and through which, when needed, air can be discharged through a turbine generator or plurality of turbine generators to produce electricity.

3. The floating pumped water energy store of any preceding claim wherein the said 25 floating pumped water energy store is attached to any device or plurality of devices.

4. The floating pumped water energy store of any preceding claim wherein the said energy store is provided with at least one cable duct or plurality of cable ducts for connection to underwater cable.

5. A floating pumped water energy store substantially as described with reference to the drawings.