초록 ▼

The invention provides a fluid-dynamic renewable energy harvesting system which includes fluid-foil means for interfacing with a fluid current such as a water current or wind or both, and which includes energy harvesting means utilizing fluid current driven periodic motion of the fluid-foil means fo

The invention provides a fluid-dynamic renewable energy harvesting system which includes fluid-foil means for interfacing with a fluid current such as a water current or wind or both, and which includes energy harvesting means utilizing fluid current driven periodic motion of the fluid-foil means for capturing fluid-dynamic renewable energy and converting it into usable energy in a desired form such as electricity. The invention provides devices, methods and systems for harvesting renewable energy for small-scale, medium-scale and large-scale applications, to provide real and substantial benefits towards efficiently fulfilling energy needs while also more broadly serving humanity and our global environment. The various embodiments of the invention provide energy with zero consumption of fossil fuels and zero emissions of greenhouse gases, and some selectively sited embodiments can beneficially counter global warming induced ice melting.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A fluid-dynamic renewable energy harvesting system, comprising: plural fluid-foil means for contacting proximate flow fields of a fluid current when said fluid current exists and carries fluid current energy in the form of fluid-dynamic kinetic energy; an effective axis of ro

What is claimed is: 1. A fluid-dynamic renewable energy harvesting system, comprising: plural fluid-foil means for contacting proximate flow fields of a fluid current when said fluid current exists and carries fluid current energy in the form of fluid-dynamic kinetic energy; an effective axis of rotation around which each of said fluid-foil means can effectively rotate in orientation to some extent, said axis of rotation being disposed within 60 degrees of vertical during normal operation of said fluid-dynamic energy harvesting system; control system means including actuator means, for controlling time-variable orientations of said fluid-foil means relative to said proximate flow fields of said fluid current when said fluid current exists and carries fluid current energy in the form of fluid-dynamic kinetic energy; buoyant support means for utilizing a buoyancy force from fluid displacement to at least partially contribute to supporting said fluid-foil means above a ground surface; connecting means for connecting said plural fluid-foil means in a sequential arrangement, including connecting members that connect adjacently-located fluid-foil means in said sequential arrangement; and energy harvesting means including said control system means, for converting a portion of said fluid-dynamic kinetic energy into net work on said fluid-foil means over the course of a cycle of substantially periodic motion of said fluid-foil means, by utilizing time-variable fluid-dynamic pressure distributions and resulting forces acting on said fluid-foil means at said time-variable orientations to contribute to driving said substantially periodic motion when said fluid current exists and carries fluid current energy in the form of fluid-dynamic kinetic energy; said energy harvesting means further including energy conversion means for converting at least some of said net work into energy in a desired form for at least one of transmission, storage, processing and use. 2. The fluid-dynamic renewable energy harvesting system of claim 1, wherein said fluid-foil means for interfacing with a fluid current comprise buoyant hydrofoils for interfacing with a water current; wherein said buoyant hydrofoils contribute to said buoyancy force; wherein said proximate flow fields of said fluid current when said fluid current exists comprise proximate flow fields of a water current when said water current exists; wherein said fluid-dynamic renewable energy in the form of fluid-dynamic kinetic energy comprises water current renewable energy in the form of water current kinetic energy; wherein said time-variable fluid-dynamic forces comprise time-variable hydrodynamic forces; and further comprising movable members at least partially supported by said buoyancy force, which movable members include airfoil means for interfacing with an air current; and wherein said energy harvesting means further comprises wind energy harvesting means that includes an airfoil control system capable of controlling time-variable airfoil orientations of said airfoil means relative to proximate flow fields of said air current when said air current exists and carries aerodynamic renewable energy in the form of wind kinetic energy, for converting a portion of said wind kinetic energy into net work on said airfoil means over the course of a cycle of airfoil periodic motion of said airfoil means, by utilizing time-variable aerodynamic forces acting on said airfoil means at said time-variable airfoil orientations to further contribute to driving said airfoil periodic motion. 3. The fluid-dynamic renewable energy harvesting system of claim 2, wherein the movable members including airfoil means, each comprise a movable frame connected to both at least one upwardly extending airfoil means and to at least three downwardly extending buoyant hydrofoils. 4. The fluid-dynamic renewable energy harvesting system of claim 1, wherein a portion of said fluid-dynamic renewable energy harvesting system that is supported by said buoyancy force, has a center of gravity location that is below a metacenter associated with said buoyancy force. 5. The fluid-dynamic renewable energy harvesting system of claim 1, wherein said fluid current comprises an air current or wind, wherein said renewable energy as fluid-dynamic kinetic energy comprises air current or wind energy, and wherein said fluid-foil means comprise airfoil means. 6. The fluid-dynamic renewable energy harvesting system of claim 5, wherein said buoyant support means includes said plural hydrofoil means of finite thickness; further comprising water current energy harvesting means including hydrofoil control system means, for converting a portion of water current kinetic energy when a water current exists and carries water current energy in the form of said water current kinetic energy, into net work on said plural hydrofoil means over the course of a cycle of substantially periodic hydrofoil motion of said plural hydrofoil means, by utilizing time-variable fluid-dynamic pressure distributions and resulting hydrodynamic forces acting on said plural hydrofoil means at time-variable hydrofoil orientations to contribute to driving said substantially periodic hydrofoil motion when said water current exists and carries said water current energy in the form of said water current kinetic energy. 7. The fluid-dynamic renewable energy harvesting system of claim 1, wherein said fluid current comprises a water current beneath a water surface, wherein said renewable energy as fluid-dynamic kinetic energy comprises water current energy, and wherein said fluid-foil means comprise hydrofoil of water foil means. 8. The fluid-dynamic renewable energy harvesting system of claim 1, wherein said connecting means includes a substantially closed-loop cable linking all of the plural fluid-foil means in a closed-loop sequential arrangement. 9. The fluid-dynamic renewable energy harvesting system of claim 8, wherein the closed-loop cable loops around at least two buoyantly supported rotatable pulleys. 10. The fluid-dynamic renewable energy harvesting system of claim 9, wherein two specific pulleys of the at least two buoyantly supported rotatable pulleys, are disposed such that a line connecting their respective centers of rotation is disposed within plus or minus 40 degrees from a line perpendicular to a time averaged prevailing flow direction of the fluid current. 11. The fluid-dynamic renewable energy harvesting system of claim 10, further comprising at least one additional specific pulley of the at least two buoyantly supported rotatable pulleys, which at least one additional specific pulley includes at least one of (a) an additional specific downstream pulley that is located downstream or a positive distance along said time averaged prevailing direction, relative to either of the two specific pulleys, and (b) an additional specific upstream pulley that is located upstream or a negative distance along said time averaged prevailing direction, relative to either of the two specific pulleys. 12. The fluid-dynamic renewable energy harvesting system of claim 9, wherein said closed-loop cable and the plural fluid-foil means together execute the cycle of periodic motion, around the at least two buoyantly supported rotatable pulleys, and wherein the energy harvesting means utilizes transfer of some work from said plural fluid-foil means, through tension in the closed-loop cable, to rotational work on at least one buoyantly supported rotatable pulley; and wherein the energy conversion means comprises generator means for converting said rotational work to energy in a desired form comprising at least one of electrical energy and chemical energy. 13. The fluid-dynamic renewable energy harvesting system of claim 12, further comprising at least one of means for transmitting energy, means for conditioning energy, means for processing energy, and means for storing energy. 14. The fluid-dynamic renewable energy harvesting system of claim 1, wherein the buoyant support means for utilizing a buoyancy force from fluid displacement serves as friction-reducing means for reducing frictional forces that act to oppose said motion of said fluid-foil means, relative to an alternate condition wherein said buoyant support means is absent. 15. The fluid-dynamic renewable energy harvesting system of claim 1, further comprising means for controlling a support force acting on said fluid-foil means which means for controlling a support force comprises at least one of means for controlling a buoyant force and means for controlling a fluid dynamic force. 16. The fluid-dynamic renewable energy harvesting system of claim 1, wherein said control system means includes at least one of (i) first sensor means for at least one of measuring and estimating wind direction plus first command generation means for generating airfoil orientation commands intended to control said time-variable orientations of airfoil means that are members of said fluid-foil means plus first actuation means for executing said airfoil orientation commands; and (ii) second sensor means for at least one of measuring and estimating water current direction plus second command generation means for generating hydrofoil orientation commands intended to control said time-variable orientations of hydrofoil means that are members of said fluid-foil means plus second actuation means for executing said hydrofoil orientation commands. 17. The fluid-dynamic renewable energy harvesting system of claim 16, further comprising at least one of (i) airfoil command modification means in said first command generation means, for modifying said airfoil orientation commands to avoid potential harm when said airfoil means are at risk of harm from at least one of wind loads and tipping, and (ii) hydrofoil command modification means in said second command generation means, for modifying said hydrofoil orientation commands to avoid potential harm when said hydrofoil means are at risk of harm from at least one of water current loads and tipping.