초록 ▼

A method for compressing a gas by using energy produced from a heat source. A boiler is provided. The boiler is segregated into an upper chamber and a lower chamber by a barrier such as a piston, a bellows, or a diaphragm. The lower chamber is filled with a liquid having a suitable boiling point and

A method for compressing a gas by using energy produced from a heat source. A boiler is provided. The boiler is segregated into an upper chamber and a lower chamber by a barrier such as a piston, a bellows, or a diaphragm. The lower chamber is filled with a liquid having a suitable boiling point and other properties. The upper chamber is filled with a gas to be compressed. Heat from any suitable source is applied to the liquid in the lower chamber in order to bring the liquid to a boil, and thereby produce pressurized vapor in the lower chamber. The rising pressure in the lower chamber moves the barrier in the direction of the upper chamber, thereby compressing the gas in the upper chamber.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method for compressing and storing a gas, comprising: a. providing a boiler, said boiler being segregated by a movable barrier into an upper chamber above said movable barrier and a lower chamber below said movable barrier, said movable barrier remaining within said boiler;b. drawing said gas t

1. A method for compressing and storing a gas, comprising: a. providing a boiler, said boiler being segregated by a movable barrier into an upper chamber above said movable barrier and a lower chamber below said movable barrier, said movable barrier remaining within said boiler;b. drawing said gas to be compress into said upper chamber of said boiler;c. providing a liquid in said lower chamber;d. providing a storage tank;e. providing a transfer line between said upper chamber and said storage tank;f. providing an output check valve in said transfer line movable between an open position and a closed position;g. applying sufficient heat to said liquid in said lower chamber to boil said liquid and convert at least a portion of said liquid into a pressurized vapor, thereby moving said movable barrier toward said upper chamber and compressing said gas within said upper chamber;h. opening said output check valve in said transfer line in order to allow said pressurized gas within said upper chamber to move through said transfer line and into said storage tank until such time as the pressure within said upper chamber and said storage tank are substantially equal; andi. closing said output check valve in said transfer line in order to seal said pressurized gas within said storage tank. 2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said output check valve in said transfer line is an automatic valve which opens whenever said pressure in said upper chamber exceeds said pressure within said storage tank. 3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a. providing an intake line connecting said upper chamber to an external source of gas;b. providing an input check valve in said intake line movable between an open position and a closed position;c. opening said input check valve in order to perform said step of drawing said gas to be compressed into said upper chamber; andd. closing said input check valve. 4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of applying sufficient heat to said liquid is performed by applying heat from a source selected from the group consisting of solar energy, waste heat, and geothermal energy. 5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising providing a relief valve which limits the pressure which can be generated within said boiler. 6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a. providing an output line connected to said storage tank; andb. providing a control valve in said output line movable between an open position and a closed position. 7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said movable barrier is an expandable diaphragm. 8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said movable barrier is selected from the group consisting of a piston or a bellows. 9. A method for compressing and storing a gas, comprising: a. providing a first boiler, said first boiler being segregated by a movable barrier into an upper chamber above said movable barrier and a lower chamber below said movable barrier, said movable barrier remaining within said boiler;b. providing a second boiler, said second boiler being segregated by a movable barrier into an upper chamber above said movable barrier and a lower chamber below said movable barrier said barrier, said barrier remaining within said second boiler;c. providing a first transfer line between said first boiler and said second boiler;d. providing a first transfer check valve in said first transfer line movable between an open position and a closed position;e. providing a first storage tank;f. providing a second transfer line between said second boiler and said storage tank;g. providing a second transfer check valve in said second transfer line movable between an open position and a closed position;h. providing a first liquid in said lower chamber of said first boiler;i. providing a second liquid in said lower chamber of said second boiler;j. providing an external source of gas to be compressed in said upper chamber of said first boiler;k. applying sufficient heat to said first liquid in said lower chamber of said first boiler to convert at least a portion of said first liquid into a pressurized vapor, thereby moving said movable barrier within said first boiler toward said upper chamber and compressing said gas within said upper chamber of said first boiler;l. opening said first transfer check valve in said first transfer line in order to allow said pressurized gas in said upper chamber of said first boiler to move into said upper chamber of said second boiler until such time as the pressure within said upper chamber of said second boiler and said upper chamber of said first boiler are substantially equal;m. closing said first transfer check valve;n. applying sufficient heat to said second liquid in said lower chamber of said second boiler to convert at least a portion of said second liquid into a pressurized vapor, thereby moving said movable barrier within said second boiler toward said upper chamber and further compressing said gas within said upper chamber of said second boiler;o. opening said second transfer check valve in said second transfer line in order to allow said further pressurized gas in said upper chamber of said second boiler to move into said first storage tank until such time as the pressure within said first storage tank and said upper chamber of said second boiler are substantially equal; andp. closing said second transfer check valve in said second transfer line in order to seal said further pressurized gas within said first storage tank. 10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein: a. said first output check valve in said first transfer line is an automatic valve which opens whenever said pressure in said upper chamber of said first boiler exceeds said pressure within said upper chamber of said second boiler; andb. said second output check valve in said second transfer line is an automatic valve which opens whenever said pressure within said upper chamber of said second boiler exceeds said pressure within said first storage tank. 11. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising: a. providing an intake line connecting said upper chamber of said first boiler to said external source of gas;b. providing an input check valve in said intake line movable between an open position and a closed position;c. opening said input check valve in order to allow gas to flow from said external source of gas into said upper chamber of said first boiler; andd. closing said input check valve. 12. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein said steps of applying sufficient heat to said first and second liquids are performed by applying heat from a source selected from the group consisting of solar energy, waste heat, and geothermal energy. 13. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein said movable barrier is selected from the group consisting of an expandable diaphragm, a bellows, and a piston. 14. A method for compressing and storing a gas, comprising: a. providing a first boiler, said first boiler being segregated by a movable barrier into an upper chamber above said movable barrier and a lower chamber below said movable barrier, said movable barrier remaining within said boiler;b. providing a second boiler, said second boiler being segregated by a movable barrier into an upper chamber above said movable barrier and a lower chamber below said movable barrier, said movable barrier remaining within said second boiler;c. providing a first storage tank;d. providing a second storage tank;e. providing a first transfer line between said first boiler and said second storage tank;f. providing a first transfer check valve in said first transfer line movable between an open position and a closed position;g. providing a second transfer line between said second boiler and said first storage tank;h. providing a second transfer check valve in said second transfer line movable between an open position and a closed position;i. providing a third transfer line between said second storage tank and said second boiler;j. providing a third transfer check valve in said third transfer line movable between an open position and a closed position;k. providing a first liquid in said lower chamber of said first boiler;l. providing a second liquid in said lower chamber of said second boiler;m. providing an external source of gas to be compressed in said upper chamber of said first boiler;n. applying sufficient heat to said first liquid in said lower chamber of said first boiler to convert at least a portion of said first liquid into a pressurized vapor, thereby moving said movable barrier within said first boiler toward said upper chamber and compressing said gas within said upper chamber of said first boiler;o. opening said first transfer check valve in said first transfer line in order to allow said pressurized gas in said upper chamber of said first boiler to move into said second storage tank until such time as the pressure within said second storage tank and said upper chamber of said first boiler are substantially equal;p. closing said first transfer check valve;q. opening said third transfer check valve in said third transfer line in order to allow said pressurized gas in said second storage tank to move into said upper chamber of said second boiler until such time as the pressure within said upper chamber of said second boiler and said second storage tank are substantially equal;r. closing said third transfer check valve;s. applying sufficient heat to said second liquid in said lower chamber of said second boiler to convert at least a portion of said second liquid into a pressurized vapor, thereby moving said movable barrier within said second boiler toward said upper chamber and further compressing said gas within said upper chamber of said second boiler;t. opening said second transfer check valve in said second transfer line in order to allow said further pressurized gas in said upper chamber of said second boiler to move into said first storage tank until such time as the pressure within said first storage tank and said upper chamber of said second boiler are substantially equal; andu. closing said second transfer check valve in said second transfer line in order to seal said further pressurized gas within said first storage tank. 15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein: a. said first output check valve in said first transfer line is an automatic valve which opens whenever said pressure in said upper chamber of said first boiler exceeds said pressure within said upper chamber of said second boiler;b. said second output check valve in said second transfer line is an automatic valve which opens whenever said pressure within said upper chamber of said second boiler exceeds said pressure within said first storage tank; andc. said third output check valve in said third transfer line is an automatic valve which opens whenever said pressure in said second storage tank exceeds said pressure within said upper chamber of said second boiler. 16. A method as recited in claim 14, further comprising: a. providing an intake line connecting said upper chamber of said first boiler to said external source of gas;b. providing an input check valve in said intake line movable between an open position and a closed position;c. opening said input check valve in order to allow gas to flow from said external source of gas into said upper chamber of said first boiler; andd. closing said input check valve. 17. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein said steps of applying sufficient heat to said first and second liquids are performed by applying heat from a source selected from the group consisting of solar energy, waste heat, and geothermal energy. 18. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein said movable barrier is selected from the group consisting of an expandable diaphragm, a bellows, and a piston. 19. A method as recited in claim 14, further comprising: a. providing an output line connected to said first storage tank; andb. providing a control valve in said output line movable between an open position and a closed position. 20. A method as recited in claim 15, further comprising: a. providing an intake line connecting said upper chamber of said first boiler to said external source of gas;b. providing an input check valve in said intake line movable between an open position and a closed position;c. opening said input check valve in order to allow gas to flow from said external source of gas into said upper chamber of said first boiler; andd. closing said input check valve.