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Gravitational Turbine Engine

Patent No. US12066001 (titled "Gravitational Turbine Engine") was filed by Che Emma Miss on May 4, 2021.

What is this patent about?

’001 is related to the field of renewable energy, specifically turbines designed to extract energy from static fluids. Conventional hydroelectric power relies on flowing water, which is geographically limited. There's a need for turbines that can harness the potential energy present in static fluids, like water in a tank, to provide a more universally accessible source of clean energy.

The underlying idea behind ’001 is to create a rotor system that experiences asymmetrical buoyant forces within a static fluid. This asymmetry is achieved by selectively shielding portions of the rotor from the fluid's buoyant force, creating a pressure differential that drives the rotor's rotation. The rotor contains internal objects that contribute to the overall weight and buoyancy, enhancing the torque generated.

The claims of ’001 focus on a method and apparatus for a turbine engine that extracts power from a static fluid by creating differential buoyancy. The independent claims cover a rotor with internal objects, a shielding device to block buoyant forces on a portion of the rotor, and a support system to allow rotation. The key is the strategic placement of the shielding to create an imbalance that drives the turbine.

In practice, the turbine operates by immersing the rotor in a fluid-filled container. The shielding device, positioned strategically, prevents buoyancy from acting on one side of the rotor. This creates a weight difference between the shielded and unshielded portions, causing the rotor to rotate. The internal objects within the rotor amplify this effect, as they experience varying degrees of buoyancy depending on their location relative to the shielding.

This design differentiates itself from traditional turbines that rely on fluid flow. By exploiting the potential energy inherent in a static fluid, ’001 offers a way to generate power in locations where flowing water is unavailable. The use of a shielding device to manipulate buoyancy is a novel approach to extracting energy from a static fluid, potentially enabling distributed power generation in diverse environments.

How does this patent fit in bigger picture?

Technical landscape at the time

In the late 2010s when ’001 was filed, turbines at a time when turbines were typically implemented using blades acted on by a moving fluid to generate rotational energy. At the time, systems commonly relied on kinetic energy from flowing water resources to drive turbines, and hardware or software constraints made efficient energy extraction from static fluids non-trivial.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The examiner allowed claims 1 and 13 because they are directed to a shielding device on top of a bracket attached to a container. The shielding device is positioned on the side of a radial axis, contacts the rotor, and blocks upward buoyancy at that location. This arrangement causes the rotor on the opposite side to experience upward buoyancy, and the rotor is configured to rotate in response to the differential fluid pressure acting on the objects.

Claims

This patent contains 15 claims, with claims 1 and 13 being independent. Independent claim 1 focuses on a method for operating a turbine engine using fluid pressure, while independent claim 13 focuses on a turbine fluid power generator. The dependent claims generally elaborate on and refine the elements and features described in the independent claims.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)Support for SpecificationInterpretation
Differential buoyancy
(Claim 1, Claim 13)		“Therefore, there is a need for an improved turbine that utilizes the pressure in the static fluid to apply an asymmetrical force to the rotor to obtain a fluid gravity or fluid buoyancy that is obtained by the entire rotor, and the torque generated by the difference in gravity or buoyancy drives the entire rotor to begin to rotate and increase the output power at the same time.”Zones created within the rotor's operational environment due to the shielding device blocking upward buoyant force on one side of the radial axis, while the rotor on the opposite side experiences upward buoyancy.
Objects
(Claim 1, Claim 13)		“In another aspect, the present invention provides a turbine engine having a rotor with an air space structure inside, a number of shafts and bearings can be mounted on the outside of the rotor to correspond to the support-guideway system; a plurality of objects installed in the inner space of the rotor or fluid chambers installed for loading the fluid, the rotor is, drivingly connected to the generator.”A plurality of items positioned within the rotor, designed to move in response to fluid pressure changes within the container, contributing to the generation of dynamic torque within the rotor.
Shielding device
(Claim 1, Claim 13)		“The turbine engine comprises a shielding device to block fluid pressure at a desired location of the turbine engine in a certain direction. The shielding device further includes ball transfer units or pulley or a self-lubricating sealing material, the shielding device, is configured at the desired location where obtains the fluid weight or the weight of the object based upon the rotor to drive the turbine engine rotation.”A device affixed atop a bracket attached to the container, positioned on one side of the radial axis and in intimate contact with a surface of the rotor, engineered to block upward buoyant force at this location.
Support-guideway system
(Claim 1, Claim 13)		“In another aspect, the present invention provides a turbine engine having a rotor with an air space structure inside, a number of shafts and bearings can be mounted on the outside of the rotor to correspond to the support-guideway system; a plurality of objects installed in the inner space of the rotor or fluid chambers installed for loading the fluid, the rotor is, drivingly connected to the generator.”A system integrated within the container that guides the motion pattern of the rotor based on the system's configuration.

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US12066001

CHE EMMA MISS
Application Number
US17307380
Filing Date
May 4, 2021
Status
Granted
Expiry Date
Apr 15, 2039
External Links
Slate, USPTO, Google Patents