US-12618392-B2 - Communicating fluid vessel engine systems

Abstract

The engine system with communicating fluid vessels has first, second, and third fluid containers each containing a fluid. At least one interconnecting lever conduit contains the fluid and is rotatably coupled to the first, second, and third fluid containers. The interconnecting lever conduit is pivotal about an axis and defines a fluid passageway by which the first, second, and third fluid containers are in fluid communication. At least one buoyant member and at least one holding tank are positioned in each of the first and third fluid containers. A tether is physically linking together the holding tank of each of the first and third fluid containers. Supplying the gas to the interior of the holding tank displaces at least some of the fluid from the interior of the holding tank to increase a column height of the fluid in each of the first, second, and third fluid containers.

Inventors

• James D. Rudd

Assignees

• James D. Rudd

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20241129

Claims (20)

1. 1 . An engine system with communicating fluid vessels, the engine system comprising: a first fluid container containing a fluid; a second fluid container containing the fluid; a third fluid container containing the fluid; at least one interconnecting lever conduit containing the fluid and rotatably coupled to the first, second, and third fluid containers, the at least one interconnecting lever conduit defining a fluid passageway by which the first, second, and third fluid containers are in fluid communication, and wherein the at least one interconnecting lever conduit is pivotal about an axis; at least one buoyant member positioned in each of the first and third fluid containers; a holding tank positioned in each of the first and third fluid containers and connected to the at least one buoyant member, the holding tank having: (i) a lower portion configured to allow the fluid to pass into and out of an interior of the holding tank and (ii) an upper portion that is fluidly sealed; a tether physically linking together the holding tank of each of the first and third fluid containers; and a supply of a gas that is in fluid communication with the interior of at least one of the holding tanks in the first or third fluid containers, wherein supplying the gas to the interior of the holding tank displaces at least some of the fluid from the interior of the holding tank to increase a column height of the fluid in each of the first, second, and third fluid containers.
2. 2 . The engine system of claim 1 , wherein, as the fluid is displaced from the interior of the holding tank, a mass of the fluid in the second fluid container increases, wherein the at least one interconnecting lever conduit pivots about the axis.
3. 3 . The engine system of claim 2 , wherein the increased mass of the fluid in the second fluid container increases a torque exerted on the at least one interconnecting lever conduit by the second fluid container.
4. 4 . The engine system of claim 3 , further comprising an electrical generator, and wherein the torque drives rotations of the electrical generator.
5. 5 . The engine system of claim 1 , wherein the second fluid container is positioned proximate to a terminating end of the at least one interconnecting lever conduit.
6. 6 . The engine system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one fluid rod and tank system having at least one fluid rod suspended from the at least one interconnecting lever conduit, and a corresponding tank positioned below the at least one fluid rod, wherein the corresponding tank has a fluid therein, and wherein pivotal movement of the at least one interconnecting lever conduit causes the at least one fluid rod to move relative to the fluid in the corresponding tank.
7. 7 . The engine system of claim 6 , wherein the fluid in the corresponding tank and the fluid rod have the same density.
8. 8 . The engine system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one pulley wheel contacting the tether, wherein a direction of movement of the tether changes around the at least one pulley wheel.
9. 9 . The engine system of claim 1 , wherein the supply of the gas is an air compressor.
10. 10 . The engine system of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid container is positioned between the axis and the second fluid container.
11. 11 . The engine system of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid container is positioned on an opposing side of the axis from the third fluid container.
12. 12 . The engine system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one buoyant member positioned in each of the first and third fluid containers further comprises at least two buoyant members positioned in each of the first and third fluid containers, wherein the holding tank of each of the first and third fluid containers is positioned between the at least two buoyant members.
13. 13 . The engine system of claim 1 , wherein displacing fluid from the interior of the holding tank to increase the column height of the fluid in each of the first, second, and third fluid containers generates a gravitational potential energy (GPE) difference between at least two of the first, second, and third fluid containers, wherein the GPE difference generates an energy output which is output from the engine system.
14. 14 . An engine system with communicating fluid vessels, the engine system comprising: an output shaft; and two or more engines that each comprise: a first fluid container containing a fluid; a second fluid container containing the fluid; a third fluid container containing the fluid; at least one interconnecting lever conduit containing the fluid and rotatably coupled to the first, second, and third fluid containers, the at least one interconnecting lever conduit defining a fluid passageway by which the first, second, and third fluid containers are in fluid communication, and wherein the at least one interconnecting lever conduit is pivotal about an axis; at least one buoyant member positioned in each of the first and third fluid containers; a holding tank positioned in each of the first and third fluid containers and connected to the at least one buoyant member, the holding tank having: (i) a lower portion configured to allow the fluid to pass into and out of an interior of the holding tank and (ii) an upper portion that is fluidly sealed; a tether physically linking together the holding tank of each of the first and third fluid containers; and a supply of a gas that is in fluid communication with the interior of at least one of the holding tanks in the first or third fluid containers, wherein supplying the gas to the interior of the at least one of the holding tanks displaces at least some of the fluid from the interior of the at least one of the holding tanks to increase a column height of the fluid in each of the first, second, and third fluid containers wherein the two or more engines are each coupled to and drive rotations of the output shaft.
15. 15 . The engine system of claim 14 , wherein, as the fluid is displaced from the interior of the at least one of the holding tanks, a mass of the fluid in the second fluid container increases, wherein the at least one interconnecting lever conduit pivots about the axis.
16. 16 . The engine system of claim 15 , wherein the increased mass of the fluid in the second fluid container increases a torque exerted on the at least one interconnecting lever conduit by the second fluid container.
17. 17 . The engine system of claim 16 , further comprising an electrical generator, and wherein the torque drives rotations of the electrical generator.
18. 18 . The engine system of claim 14 , wherein the second fluid container is positioned proximate to a terminating end of the at least one interconnecting lever conduit.
19. 19 . The engine system of claim 14 , wherein each of the two or more engines further comprises at least one fluid rod and tank system having at least one fluid rod suspended from the at least one interconnecting lever conduit, and a corresponding tank positioned below the at least one fluid rod, wherein the corresponding tank has a fluid therein, and wherein pivotal movement of the at least one interconnecting lever conduit causes the at least one fluid rod to move relative to the fluid in the corresponding tank.
20. 20 . The engine system of claim 19 , wherein the fluid in the corresponding tank and the fluid rod have the same density.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/766,314 filed Jul. 8, 2024, which itself is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/273,712 filed Jul. 21, 2023, which is a National Stage Application Under 35 USC § 371 and claims the benefit of International Application No. PCT/US2022/014516 filed Jan. 31, 2022, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/144,729, filed Feb. 2, 2021, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to systems that produce motion that can be harnessed for useful purposes, such as to generate electricity. For example, this disclosure relates to a communicating fluid vessel system that moves a lever that can drive an electrical generator. The communicating fluid vessel system utilizes changes in the volume, and thereby the weight, of a column of fluid that results from changing the displacement of a fluid in an adjacent communicating column of fluid. BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Humans have become addicted to fossil fuels for transportation, heat, and to generate power. It is well documented that carbon levels in the atmosphere have been increasing steadily, leading to global warming and the resulting climate change. It is also well documented that the leading cause of carbon level rise is the creation of energy using fossil fuels. In developed countries, electricity from fossil fuel is cheap and readily available, providing a disincentive to switch to alternative fuel sources. However, the size and complexity of the facility needed for fossil fuel burning energy plants to produce enough electricity prevents such an energy production source from being readily available in poor and underdeveloped countries. These countries suffer from an energy shortage. Renewable energies such as solar power, wind turbine, and hydroelectric energy alternatives are known in the art. However, these alternatives suffer from the disadvantage that they are still relatively inefficient, expensive to build, and often require specific climate conditions such as wind, rainfall, snowmelt or the like to produce electricity. Such conditions are not readily available throughout the world. Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an engine system with communicating fluid vessels. Briefly described, in architecture, one embodiment of the system, among others, can be implemented as follows. The engine system with communicating fluid vessels has a first fluid container containing a fluid, a second fluid container containing the fluid, and a third fluid container containing the fluid. At least one interconnecting lever conduit contains the fluid and is rotatably coupled to the first, second, and third fluid containers. The at least one interconnecting lever conduit defines a fluid passageway by which the first, second, and third fluid containers are in fluid communication. The at least one interconnecting lever conduit is pivotal about an axis. At least one buoyant member is positioned in each of the first and third fluid containers. At least one holding tank is positioned in each of the first and third fluid containers and connected to the at least one buoyant member. The at least one holding tank has: (i) a lower portion configured to allow the fluid to pass into and out of an interior of the holding tank and (ii) an upper portion that is fluidly sealed. A tether is physically linking together the holding tank of each of the first and third fluid containers. A supply of a gas is in fluid communication with the interior of at least one of the holding tanks in the first or third fluid containers. Supplying the gas to the interior of the holding tank displaces at least some of the fluid from the interior of the holding tank to increase a column height of the fluid in each of the first, second, and third fluid containers. The present disclosure can also be viewed as providing an engine system with communicating fluid vessels. Briefly described, in architecture, one embodiment of the system, among others, can be implemented as follows. The engine system with communicating fluid vessels has an output shaft and two or more engines. Each of the two or more engines comprises: a first fluid container containing a fluid; a second fluid container containing the fluid; a third fluid container containing the fluid; at least one interconnecting lever conduit containing the fluid and rotatably coupled to the first, second, and third fluid containers, the at least one interconnecting lever conduit defining a fluid passageway by which the first, second, and third fluid containers are in fluid communication, and wherein the at least one interconnecting lever conduit is pivotal about an axis; at least one buoyant memb