Apparatus and method for generating electricity

Abstract

An apparatus for generating power may use potential energy and the acceleration of falling objects due to Earth's gravitational force. The apparatus for capturing the energy of a falling, accelerating load may include a vessel for holding a working mass. The vessel may be hermetically sealed and the working mass may be a fluid, a solid, or a plurality of fluids. The apparatus may include a device for translating energy from the movement of the working mass. This device for translating energy may be a hydraulic cylinder connected to a hydraulic generator, a fluid flow generator, or a flywheel gear box assembly connected to a permanent magnet generator/alternator or conventionally-powered alternator or generator, or a combination of one or all of the above.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for capturing energy of a falling, accelerating load comprising:
 a vessel for holding the load;   a device for filling the load into the vessel;   a device for elevating the vessel a vertical distance above a reference point, the device for elevating the vessel having a trigger causing the vessel to be released and to fall once the vessel has reached a predetermined fill level; and   a device for translating the energy of the falling vessel and load into power.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the device for translating the energy of the falling vessel and load into power is a hydraulic cylinder operably connected to a hydraulic generator. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the device for translating the energy of the falling vessel and the load into power comprises a flywheel operably connected to a gear box which is operably connected to a conventionally-powered alternator/generator. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the load is water. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the load is selected from the group consisting of rainwater, storm water, and sanitary sewage form an adjacent building. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the vessel is rigid. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the vessel is an expandable bag. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus for capturing energy of a working mass comprising:
 a supporting structure;   a hermetically sealed vessel housing the working mass wherein the working mass moves within the hermetically sealed vessel; and   an energy capture device for translating the energy of the working mass into electricity.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the supporting structure is a vertical support extending vertically upwards from a supporting surface. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the vertical support is attached via a spring to the supporting surface. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the hermetically sealed vessel is attached via a spring. to the supporting structure. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein a planar wind resisting surface translating the force of wind to the hermetically sealed vessel is attached to the hermetically sealed vessel. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the working mass comprises two fluids. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the energy capture device is a fluid flow generator, having an inlet and an outlet, housed within the hermetically sealed vessel and wherein one fluid of the two fluids passes through the inlet and out of the outlet as the hermetically sealed vessel moves. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the hermetically sealed vessel has an elongate shape and the working mass is a solid which moves within the hermetically sealed vessel. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the energy capture device comprises a pair of hydraulic cylinders operably connected via hydraulic lines to a hydraulic generator, wherein as the working mass moves within the vessel, the mass impacts the hydraulic cylinder, compressing the cylinder and causing hydraulic fluid to flow through the hydraulic generator. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the hermetically sealed vessel is attached to a moving vehicle. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the hermetically sealed vessel is attached to a buoy floating in a body of water.