Overview
Hybrid Energy Regeneration
In an attempt to make use of intermittent or surplus energy, a system to regenerate this salvaged energy has been devised.
The recovered energy may be
Harvested
and
Stored
so it is available for
Short Cycle Regeneration.
Of the various methods to achieve the regeneration of what may otherwise become wasted or lost energy,
some innovative approaches have been devised.
Some of these approaches are quite simplistic and others are somewhat complex and others involve a
combination or hybrid mix of methods.
The benefits of the more passive and lower maintenance approach may be justified if the capital cost and installation
requirements are warranted.
As a tiny example of the various concepts of
multi-stage
or Hybrid regeneration systems that may be implemented,
the
Recovery 2.0
process presents several interesting ideas that may be considered.
Hybrid # 001 Details
The Counter Balance Hybrid # 001 Energy Regeneration system is a combination of energy harvesting steps incorporated into
a relatively low maintenance, semi passive continuous loop cycle.
The primary core of this system relies on a
Counter Balance
module.
The motion of the Counter Balance cycle invokes an
Air Displacement
reaction.
The Air Flow effect is harvested and exhausted into a
Buoyancy Column.
The spent air from the Buoyancy Column is released into a
Bio Lung
and is made available to supply the cycle to regenerate or start over again.
Counter Balances
The Counter Balance module is an elevator style system that suspends two horizontal counter balance weights (MASS) on a cable
that travels around a top mounted pulley. As the counter balance weights cycle up and down, the pulley is rotated and this
rotational motion may be harvested to generate electricity or operate a pump system.
The counter balance motion operates using force gravity and is driven with the addition a small offsetting weight (mass)
each time a counter weight reaches the top of a stroke cycle and
the offsetting weight is removed each time a counter weight reaches the bottom of a stroke cycle.
The offsetting weight (mass) addition/removal may be automated with the use of a liquid, such as water.
Water may be stored in a upper reservoir and collected/accumulated in a lower reservoir at the bottom of the cycle.
External energy must be added to pump the water from the lower reservoir up to recharge the upper reservoir
in order for the system to achieve a continuous cycle.
Water is one form of a stable store of potential energy that may be released on demand.
If some small quantity of water is required as an offsetting mass to drive the Counter Balance Hybrid # 001 Energy Regeneration system,
we refer to that quantity as a UNIT (one Unit).
The Counter Balance system has two alternating sides to complete one full cycle, so one cycle would require 2 UNITS of water.
If you stored 2,000 units of water in an upper reservoir then you could operate 1,000 cycles of the Counter Balance # 001 system.
When designing such a system it is critical to determine the size of the UNIT that is sufficient to drive the cycle.
(one litre or one gallon or some other unit size).
Air Displacement
The osculating motion of a Counter Balance mass, during a stroke cycle, displaces air.
The Counter Balance mass acts somewhat as an open piston in both the upward and downward strokes.
Channeling the repetitive displaced air flow allows for the opportunity to focus this air current
into a concentrated positive pressure that may be directed over an
air turbine.
Incoming air flow requirements may be drawn from the Bio Lung and the exhausted air may be discharged into a Buoyancy Column.
The concentrated positive pressure may be utilized to drive a
Thermal Air Cycle.
Bio Lung
A bio lung is a holding chamber constructed with the inclusion of an expandable bladder to accommodate and manage
expanding or contracting air flow pressures.
The Bio Lung may act as a buffer between receiving the escaping air from the Buoyancy Column
and a supply of air flow to the Counter Balance Air Displacement system.
There is an opportunity to harvest energy in this air flow management process.
Bubble Buoyancy Columns
Mechanical Buoyancy Columns
Bubble Buoyancy Column
Pressurized air exhausted from the Air Displacement harvesting module may be sparged into the bottom of a Buoyancy Column as a
continuos supply of fresh fuel.
The Buoyant air bubble stream is forced up and out of the water column and
may be directed as an energy source to drive a series of offset stacked turbines.
These turbines are designed with downward facing cup or bucket blades and may operate much like a water wheel in reverse,
forcing the turbine to rotate as the Buoyant air flow is propelled upward.
The volume of air available to drive this Bubble Buoyancy Column is directly related to sources such as the through put of the
Direct Air Capture
System and the exhaust output from a combination of
Air Displacement
and Air Harvesting Modules.
The Buoyancy force of air in water (water pressure against the volume of air)
does not appear to dissipate until it escapes from the top of the water column.
This phenomena may allow for the same quantity of air to drive more than one turbine as it travels up the height of the
Buoyancy Column.
Bubble Disbursement
As air bubbles escape from the top of a Buoyancy Water Column, the pressurized air that was trapped within the bubble
expands to equalize with the environmental air.
The expansion reaction extracts heat from the ambient surroundings resulting in cooling through the surface of the water.
This chilled water may be used as a heat sink in the cold side of a heat exchanger.
The potential to utilize the predictable stream of bursting bubbles for its thermal properties is in addition to the
positive air flow pressure that occurs as the Bubbles disperse into the Bio Lung.
Hybrid # 002 Details
The Oscillating Balance Beam Hybrid # 002 Energy Regeneration system is a combination of small scale energy harvesting steps
incorporated into a relatively low maintenance, semi passive continuous loop cycle.
The primary core of this system relies on a Teeter Toter style
Oscillating Balance Beam
module.
The up/down motion cycle of the Balance Beam operates a
Bellows System
that pumps a continuous flow of air.
The Air Flow effect may be harvested and similar to, or in conjunction with, the
Hybrid #001
system, may exhausted into a
Buoyancy Column.
The spent air from the Buoyancy Column is released into a
Bio Lung
and is made available to supply the cycle to regenerate or start over again.
Oscillating Balance Beam
Oscillating Balance Beam
The
Oscillating Balance Beam
Hybrid # 002 Energy Regeneration system is constructed with a sturdy length of rigid material such as
steel beam, horizontally balanced over a central fulcrum point.
Two pivoting offset counter weights are attached to the top side of the horizontal beam, one at either end of the beam.
The offset pivoting counter weights are positioned in balance and affixed together with the use of a connecting rod so that
when one offset counter weight pivots the other moves in an equal motion (in a master and slave relationship).
When one side of the beam oscillates to the top of its travel range (the first side),
the offset counter weight is pivoted over center so that it hangs out over the end of the beam.
This motion causes the lower offset counter weight to be pivoted towards the fulcrum point.
The position of the offset weights now cause an imbalance that invokes the gravity assisted fall of the beam
so that the top side shifts into the lower position.
When the top/bottom shift occurs, the first side of the beam reaches the lower range of its travel,
the offset counter weights are pivoted over center towards opposite side (the second side).
The offset counter weights are driven or pushed over center by the input of external energy
which allow the cycle to continue.
The Oscillation of the Balance Beam may be used to drive a bellows system.
Bellows System
The Oscillating action of the Balance Beam Hybrid # 002 Energy Regeneration system may be used
as a driver to operate a Bellows System.
One possible use of the compressed air output may be directed as a source to power a
Thermal Air Cycle.
The output air flow from the bellows system may be harnessed with the use of an air turbine
located on the exhaust side of the system.
The input air draw into the bellows system is an equivalent force equal to the output flow and may also be harnessed
in an air turbine located on the input side.
The air input supply may feed both sides of the Oscillating Balance Beam Bellows System and may be supplied from a Bio Lung or
directly from the ambient atmospheric air.
The exhaust of the pressurized air flow may be routed into a buoyancy column or exhausted directly back into the ambient atmosphere.
The exhaust design may facilitate both compression side cycles of the Oscillating Balance Beam Bellows System.
Thermal Air Cycle
The Oscillating Balance Beam Bellows System is one potential source of a Thermal Air Cycle that may generate harvestable
Electricity.
The continuous or repetitive nature of the air compression and subsequent air expansion upon release creates the
potential of thermal Hot/Cold cycle that may be harvested to produce a direct to electricity source.
The development of a Thermal Air Cycle allows the reliable, consistent and predictable source for
Thermal Energy Generators
to operate efficiently.
Maintaining even a slight thermal gradient may be sufficient to drive a low torque
sterling engine.
A low torque rotary motion may be adequate to generate a small scale of electricity with the use of a
Electrostatic
Energy Harvesting mechanism.
The Counter Balance
Air Displacement
system is also an option as a source to drive a Thermal Air Cycle.
Wells Turbine
Capturing multi-direction flows of fluids that may be harnessed with the use of devices such as a Wells Turbine to
convert pressure flows into electrical energy.
The
Air Turbine
is a flexible apparatus designed to take advantage of intermittent or osculating air flows
that may change or reverse direction with varying intensity.
Mechanisms like a Wells Turbine convert or rectify multi directional air flow inputs into a single direction output rotation.
This homogenized output flow provides a more consistent and efficient energy generation output since it does not require
the inefficiency of stopping and reversing or alternating direction.
Self Sustaining Fuel Regeneration
The opportunity to operate a nearly Self Sustainable power plant by eliminating the need to
purchase
ongoing supplies of fresh fuels exists.
This may be achieved by the regeneration of combustion exhausts.
The concept of Oxy-Combustion of Carbon Monoxide or Recovered Solid Carbon or some combination of both,
as a replacement for incoming fuels is a potentially viable energy source.
The Oxy-Combustion process of CO/Carbon may produce a clean CO2 emission stream
free of traditional undesirable combustion by-products.
If this emission stream is fully contained, the opportunity to harvest electricity from the high pressure, high temperature
exhaust working fluids by utilizing a Brayton Cycle.
The contained working fluid may than be routed through a heat exchanger system that may extract the heat from the
pressurized CO2 steam.
The recovered heat stream acts as a second opportunity to harvest energy with a thermal conversion stage,
typically a Rankine Cycle co-generation is considered at this step.
The isolated CO2 stream may be expanded presenting a third stage thermal energy harvesting opportunity.
The ambient CO2 stream remains contained in a buffer or storage step in preparation for CO2 Splitting.
The CO2 may be split into a pure oxygen stream and a stream of either Carbon Monoxide CO or Solid Recovered Carbon C2.
Reduction of CO2 into CO or C2 renders the carbon streams into a combustible fuel state.
The calorific value of the carbon fuel is equivalent to traditional coal fired power plants.
The Oxygen and carbon streams may be rejoined at the Oxy-Combustion Stage ready to start the regeneration cycle once again.
This regeneration process mitigates the need for large volumes of additional fuels to be consumed.
The recovered volumes (minus any losses) will largely satisfy the ongoing fuel need requirements so becoming close to a
Self Sustaining Fuel Regeneration system.
This style of Self Sustaining Fuel Regeneration avoids flue gas emissions by converting
what was once thought of as waste emissions into a valued raw feedstock to perpetuate the ongoing energy needs.
Hydrogen Fuel Regeneration
The Self Sustaining Hydrogen Fuel Regeneration process operates similar to the
Carbon based
Fuel regeneration method except the Hydrogen system is a
Carbon Free process.
The Hydrogen Fuel Regenerative Power Cycle utilizes an Oxy-Combustion process that blends a controlled
in feed of oxygen and hydrogen into a combustion chamber.
The combustion process emits a clean stream of steam into a contained working fluid pipeline.
This High Temperature, high pressure steam may be harvested through a traditional Rankine Cycle
electric generation method.
The spent steam may be converted into liquid water in a steam
condensing module
which accommodates the production of compressed air.
The recovered water may be used as a source to feed the water splitting electrolyzer.
The electrolyzer splits H2O into separate streams of Oxygen and Hydrogen which are the
combustible feedstock for the Oxy-Combustion process.
This concept of a Self Sustaining Fuel Regeneration method represents one approach towards a clean power generation strategy.
Regenerative Power Cycles may always be augmented by, or integrated with, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
Energy Storage
- Battery Banks
- Thermal Energy Storage
- Compressed Air Storage
- Exothermic Element Storage
Short Cycle Regeneration
- Hydro Energy
- Wind Energy
- Gravity Energy
- Gradient Energy
Energy Sources
- Solar
- Electricity
- Waste Heat
- Optional Sidestreams
Understanding Energy & Recovery
- Energy as a Commodity
- Recovered Energy
