United States Patent Patent Number: 5,367,245 Mims 45 Date of Patent: Nov. 22, 1994

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "United States Patent Patent Number: 5,367,245 Mims 45 Date of Patent: Nov. 22, 1994"

Reynard Adams
5 years ago
Views:

1 IIIHIIIH USOO.53672A United States Patent Patent Numbe: Mims Date of Patent: Nov. 22, ASSEMBLY FOR THE INDUCTION OF LIGHTNING INTO A SUPERCONDUCTING 4,926,061 5/1990 Aeola, J / 5,194,803 3/1993 Visse et al /869 X MAGNETIC ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM Pimay Examine-Kistine L. Peckman 76 Invento: Goen Mims, SW. 101 Ct., Attoney, Agent, o Fim-Malloy & Malloy Miami, Fla ABSTRACT 21 Appl. No.: 985,649 A collection assembly adapted to attact and collect 22 Filed: Dec. 7, 1992 lightning fom the atmosphee and channel electical enegy theefom though a conducto to a stoage (5 1) Int. C.5 essess so so a to a a HO2J /00 facility defined by 3. extemely lage coil housed 52 U.S. C ,394 within a conguently configued tench fomed in the 58) Field of Seach /2 R, 2 A: 505/868, gound wheein the stoage coil is fomed of a supe 505/881, 869; 7/149; 363/14 conductive mateial. A fist conductive pathway seves (56) Refeences Cited to inteconnect the collection facility defined by the lightning attacting stuctue to the stoage coil. A U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS second conductive path seves to inteconnect the sto 674,427 5/1901 Palencsa /149 age coil to a powe take-off means which may be stan 911,260 2/1909 Pennock. 37/3 dad and conventional powe lines diecting cuent to 3,584,260 1,614.7is 6/1971 1/1912 Pennock Babini....7/149, aeas of pactical application. Both the fist and second 3,701,906 10/1972 Denel et al... 7/149 conductive paths ae pefeably fomed of supecon 4,122,512 10/1978 Peteson et al ductive mateial. 4,493,014 1/1985 Higashino /14 4,920,095 4/1990 Ishigaki et al /2 RX 14 Claims, 1 Dawing Sheet

2 U.S. Patent Nov. 22, 1994 CN y N S/ O CN NZ sknznzn CO N SOE y Y

3 1. ASSEMBLY FOR THE INDUCTION OF LIGHTNING INTO A SUPERCONDUCTING MAGNETC ENERGY STORAGESYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention elates to a system fo collecting elec tical enegy fom lightning in the suounding atmo sphee and channeling such electical enegy to a sto age facility fomed of a supeconductive mateial coil of sufficient size, dimension and stuctual adaptation to stoe significantly lage amounts of electical enegy to be used in a pactical sense and wheein such stoed electical enegy can be eleased on demand fom the stoage coil and used fo pactical application as desied and needed. 2. Desciption of the Pio At Fo yeas man has been attempting to find an effec tive and inexpensive souce of enegy which is capable of opeating the vaious enegy consuming facilities associated with moden day living, commece and tech nology. A pime facto in utilizing enegy souces is the potection of the envionment though the use of non polluting enegy souces. Nuclea fuel, while gaining inceasing acceptance in past yeas, is cuently looked upon as somewhat of a dangeous fom of electical enegy due to a ecent majo accident involving a nu clea geneating plant and the common occuence of plant beakdown and possible leakage of toxins into the suounding envionment. Man has long acknowledged howeve the unlimited souce of electical enegy which occus duing the ceation of Lightning duing stoms and like o simila atmospheic conditions. Attempts have been made to haness such electical enegy as evidenced by the ealy 1900, U.S. Pat. Nos. to Pennock, 911,260 and 1,014,719. The Pennock patents ae diected to facilities fo col lecting enegy fom lightning and tansfeing such enegies to some type of stoage facility which is e feed to in U.S. Pat. No. 911,260 as stoage battey stuctues. The collection facility in this patent elates to metal conductive mateial sphees inteconnected and/o suppoted in an upwadly suspended position by one o moe lighte than ai stuctues, such as balloons. A conventional conducto of metallic mateials seves to define a flow path of electical enegy fom the col lecting facility down to the stoage battey. Similaly Pennock discloses in his U.S. Pat. No. 1,014,719 a pluality of balloons which may be elon gated metallic stuctues filled with some type of lighte than ai gas used to suppot an electical gid o the like. Futhe the conductos utilized in this disclosue ae designed to tansfe the collected electical enegy to some type of collection o stoage facility. The patent to Aeola, U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,061 is diected to a windmill stuctue athe than any type of facility that is specifically adapted to collect enegy fom a lightning souce. A geneato o some type of electical enegy ceating device is diven by the wind mill type device shown in cetain dawings of this pa tent. Stoage facilities such as battey packs ae the initial and pefeed embodiment fo stoing electicity in this invention. Howeve, the invento does specifi cally mention that the use of supeconductivity fo maximum geneation of electicity and magnetic shield ing is also contemplated. O An additional U.S. Patent to Higashino, U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,014 discloses the use of a supeconductive stoage appaatus fo electical powe. In FIG. 1 of this patent the conventional and o known pio at device is de picted in FIG. 2, by compaison, this patent shows an impovement ove the known pio at which is de picted and explained. It is impotant to note that in the ecognized pio at system of FIG. 1 and in the so called impoved system of FIG. 2 both systems ae connected to what may be geneally efeed to as a conventional A.C. powe souce which is intepeted as being a powe company o like conventional electical enegy geneating facility. Both stuctues ae paticu laly adapted fo the initial stoage of electical enegy duing "low demand' peiods and the etun of the stoed electical enegy to the system schematically indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of this patent once demand inceases. It is specifically stated in both systems that the stoage facility may be defined by a supeconduc tive stuctue which is connected to some type of con vesion unit wheein the initially supplied electical enegy is an A.C. fom and then conveted to D.C. fom fo stoage. The patent to a lage extent concentates on the convesion unit pese and means of contolling the flow of electical enegy fo puposes of stoage and/o esupplying it to the system. Similaly the patent to Peteson et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,512 discloses a supeconductive enegy stoage facility fo powe systems. This patent emphasizes that while the stoage facility is a supeconductive magnet with an auxiliay efigeation system used in combina tion theewith to pevent oveheating, the initial enegy souce is a conventional altenating cuent powe sys tem connected to the supeconductive magnet. The enegy is stoed in the magnetic field which is poduced by the supeconductive magnet. The magnetic enegy can be conveted into electical enegy and etuned to the powe system as needed. Thee is no suggestion of combining the supeconductive coil with a collection facility which is specifically adapted to tap, tanspot and contol the enegy fom a lightning souce. Moe impotantly this patent as well as the emaining patents cited heein detail no specific desciption of a supecon ductive coil which is lage enough to be mounted in a gound suppoting aea at least the size of a standad football field so that significant quantities of enegy can be stoed and used as desied and wheein such electi cal enegy is specifically captued fom the atmosphee though the attaction of lightning duing conducive atmospheic conditions. With egad to the Pennock patents the use of supeconductive mateials in pactical application to stoe lage amounts of enegy was not contemplated o cetainly developed to the standpoint of pacticality o efficiency. Theefoe thee would be no suggestion of utilizing supeconductive mateial in the collection facilities of Pennock since they wee developed in the ealy 1900's. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention elates to a facility specifically adapted to collect electical enegy fom the atmo sphee by attacting lightning to a collection assembly. The collection assembly, in one pefeed embodiment, compises a conductive mateial od o od type stuc tue simila to a conventional "lightning od' which is aised above the gound a pe-detemined height by means of being mounted on a suppot stuctue. The suppot stuctue of couse could take a vaiety of dif

3 feent configuations including a specifically built sup pot towe. Obviously othe suppot stuctues o as semblies such as buildings o the like could be utilized.

4 3 feent configuations including a specifically built sup pot towe. Obviously othe suppot stuctues o as semblies such as buildings o the like could be utilized. An impotant pat of the pesent invention is the existence of a stoage assembly in the fom of a cicula o othewise closed, continuously configued coil of extemely lage dimensions. While not limited to such dimensions such stoage coil is geneally the size of a football field and is mounted in a ecessed position within a conguently configued tench in a suppoting gound suface. Impotantly, the coil is fomed of a supeconductive mateial and is stuctually adapted to stoe lage amounts of cuent and delive such stoed cuent, on demand to a powe take-off means such as conventional powe lines fo the effective distibution of the stoed electical enegy to pactical application. In ode to accommodate the supeconductive sto age coil a efigeation assembly is associated diectly with the housing o tench fo the coil. Such efigea tion assembly is of couse opeated as a sepaate unit and is disposed in diect fluid and heat tansfeing communication to the coil. The coil, because of its size and of couse the fact that it is fomed fom the supe conductive mateial must have pope efigeation in ode to maintain it at pe-detemined, opeative, e duced tempeatues. Similaly, the conductive cuent pathways leads fom the collection facility, which attacts lightning and diects cuent to the stoage coil and may also be fomed of the afoementioned supeconductive mateial and accodingly must be popely efigeated o cooled to the pe-detemined, opeative tempeatue. A second conductive path leading fom the stoage coil to the powe take-off means may also be fomed of the afoementioned supeconductive mateial and accod ingly must be exposed to adequate efigeation to e duce the oveall woking envionmental tempeatue of the supeconductive mateial to the afoementioned pe-detemined opeative tempeatues. Othe featues associated with the pesent invention include a suge aesto assembly associated with the collection assembly and disposed, pefeably, in inte connecting elation between a conducto extending between the lightning od and the fist conductive path fomed of supeconductive mateial. Such suge aes to assembly has an automatic switching facility built theein such that altenately when the stoage coil has adequate amounts of enegy stoed theein, the electi cal enegy fom the lightning collected may be chan neled diectly to gound instead of though the fist conductive pathway. Othe stuctues and assemblies may be associated with the subject collection and stoage facility and may include a convete means disposed in conductive con munication o connection with the second conductive pathway and disposed and stuctually adapted to con vet the electical enegy taken fom the stoage coil fom a D.C. cuent to an A.C. cuent so that such A.C. cuent may be tansfeed diectly to the powe take-off means o powe distibution lines fo pactical application. In conjunction theewith, a tansfome facility may also be disposed in conductive attachment so as to educe o egulate the voltage of the cuent diected to the powe take-off o powe lines fo pacti cal distibution. O BRIEF EDESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fo a fulle undestanding of the pesent invention efeence should be had to the following detailed de sciption taken in connection with the accompanying dawing: The single figue attached heeto is a schematic ep esentation of the vaious components of the subject assembly fo the induction of lightning into a supecon ducting magnetic enegy stoage system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in the single figue to be descibed in geate detail heeinafte the subject assembly fo the induction of lightning into a supeconducting magnetic enegy stoage system is shown schematically. Moe specifically, a collection assembly is geneally indicated as 10 and compises some type of lightning attacting stuctue as at 12. Such stuctue can be in the fom of an elongated lightning od geneally somewhat simila to the lightning ods which ae nomally used to diect the electical enegy to gound when potecting build ings and like stuctues. The lightning attacting mem be o od 12 is mounted above a suppoting gound suface as at 14 by an adequate suppot stuctue gene ally indicated as 16. As shown, such suppot stuctue may be in the fom of a specifically constucted towe which is aised to a height efficiently poductive fo the collection of lightning. Schematically epesented as at 20 to the lightning attacting od 12. Once attacted the esult is electical cuent being diected by means of a conducto as at 22 downwadly though the suppot stuctue 16 and eventually towads the stoage coil geneally indicated as 24. The path of tavel of the now collected o captued electical enegy, in cuent fom is indicated by diec tional aows 23 and. A fist conductive path as at 26 is disposed in inte connecting, conductive communication between the conducto means 22 associated with the suppot towe 16 and the stoage coil 24. Such fist conductive path 26 is pefeably fomed of a supeconductive mateial simi la to that to be descibed in geate detail with efe ence to the collection coil 24. The stuctual adaptation of the fist conductive pathway 26 is such as to diect cuent flow fom the collection facility 16 to the sto age coil 24 afte fist passing the cuent though a suge aesto assembly geneally indicated as 28. Such suge aesto assembly is connected diectly to gound as at 33 and has a switching assembly (not shown fo pu poses of claity) which may o may not compise supe conductive switches. This switching assembly, being a stuctual adaptation of the suge aesto assembly 28 seves automatically to diect cuent flow eithe to the fist conductive pathway 26 and eventually to the sto age coil 24 when such conductive pathis "open'. Alte nately when it is not intended o desied fo the electic cuent to be fed to the stoage coil 24 fo stoage theeof such captued o collected electical cuent fom the lightning 20 is passed diectly to gound as at 33 to suge aeste 28. The suge aesto 28 is of couse also stuctually adapted to pevent any damage to the conductive components associated with the sto age system due to a lage suge of cuent passing though the system. The collection coil 24, as set foth above is fomed of a supeconductive mateial. The coil has a continuous,

5 substantially closed configuation and is indicated moe specifically as at. The coil is buied o othewise housed in a submeged fashion within a tench as at 32.

5 5 substantially closed configuation and is indicated moe specifically as at. The coil is buied o othewise housed in a submeged fashion within a tench as at 32. The tench is conguently figued as to the coil and is fomed in some type of suppoting gound suface o building stuctue such that the supeconductive coil is popely shielded, suppoted and potected. It is well known that in ode to efficiently opeate the supeconductive mateial and to take benefit of it's chaacteistic opeative popeties, the coil must be maintained at a substantially educed tempeatue. Ac codingly a efigeation assembly as at 34 is disposed in diect communication with the oveall suounding housing as at 36 so as to diect a continuous flow of efigeated o cooled ai theethough in diect heat tansfeing elation to the coil within the tench 32. Ciculation o exposue of the efigeated ai o like gas o fluid is maintained constantly to maintain the oveall educed tempeatue fo efficient opeation. Cuent flow continuously passing along the length of the closed coil is indicated by the diectional a ows 37. Upon need o use of the stoed electical en egy, pope switching means ae activated (not shown fo puposes of claity) and the stoed cuent is di ected along a second pathway as at 40. The second pathway is also fomed of a supeconductive mateial and accodingly both the fist and second pathways 26 and 40 espectively ae maintained unde a substantially educed tempeatue envionment. Cuent flow fom the coil of the electical cuent is indicated by the diectional aows '. The second conductive path 40 is disposed in conductive attachment between the sto age coil and what may be geneally efeed to as a powe take-off means geneally indicated as 42. The powe take-off means may take the fom of conven tional powe lines as at 44 stuctually adapted to effi ciently distibute the stoed electical enegy fo pacti cal application in a conventional manne. Ancillay components of the subject induction supe conductive stoage system include the povision of a convete means geneally indicated as 48. The con vete is connected diectly to the second conductive pathway 40 and is stuctually adapted to convet cu ent coming fom the collection coil fom D.C. to A.C. mode. Fom thee the AC cuent is diected to a tansfome means geneally indicated as 50 fo the pupose of egulating voltage befoe the cuent is di ected into the powe take-off means 42 and the powe line 44 fo pactical distibution and use. Now that the invention has been descibed: What is claimed is: 1. An assembly designed fo collection and stoage of electical enegy, said assembly compising: a) a collection assembly stuctued and disposed to attact lightning and tansfe electical cuent theefon, b) a stoage assembly fomed of a supeconductive mateial and stuctued and disposed to stoe said electical cuent theein, c) a powe take-off means stuctued and disposed to distibute said electical cuent fo use, d) a fist conductive path inteconnected between said collection assembly and said stoage assembly and defining a path of electical cuent flow and stuctued and disposed to tansfe said electical cuent fom said collection assembly to said sto age assembly, e) a second conductive path inteconnected between said stoage assembly and said powe take-off means and defining a path of electical cuent flow and stuctued and disposed to tansfe said electi 10 SO 6 cal cuent fom said stoage assembly to said powe take-off means, and f) said fist and second conductive path each defining a flow path of said electical cuent and each fomed of a supeconductive mateial. 2. An assembly as in claim 1 wheein said collection assembly compises a od membe fomed of electi cally conductive mateial and a suppot stuctue at tached in suppoting elation to said od membe and stuctued and disposed to position said od membe at pedetemined aised height above a suppoting su ac. 3. An assembly as in claim 2 wheein said suppot stuctue compises a towe assembly mounted on and extending upwadly fom a suppoting gound suface. 4. An assembly as in claim 2 wheein said od membe is attached to an uppe end of said towe assembly and said collection assembly futhe compising conducto means mounted on said suppot stuctue and attached to and inteconnecting said od membe and said fist conductive path. 5. An assembly as in claim 4 futhe compising a Suge aeste means connected to said conducto means upsteam of said fist conducto path and stuc tued and disposed fo aesting a suge of said electi cal cuent passing fom said od membe though said conducto means. 6. An assembly as in claim 5 futhe compising Switching assembly stuctued and disposed to diect said electical cuent fom said conducto means to eithe said fist conducto path o gound. 7. An assembly as in claim 5 wheein said suge a este means is mounted in inteconnecting elation between said conducto means and said fist conducto path, as well as between said conducto means and gound. 8. An assembly as in claim 1 futhe compising con vete means connected to said second conducto path and stuctued and disposed to convet D.C. electical cuent eceived fom said stoage assembly though said second conductive path to A.C. electical cuent. 9. An assembly as in claim 8 wheein said convete means is connected to said second conductive path intemediate said collection assembly and said powe take-off means. 10. An assembly as in claim 8 futhe compising tansfome means inteconnected between said second conductive path and said powe take-off means and stuctued and disposed to egulate voltage output of said electical cuent fom said second conductive path to said powe take-off means. 11. An assembly as in claim 9 includes tansfome means inteconnected between said second conductive path and said powe take-off means and stuctued and disposed to egulate voltage output of said electical cuent fom said second conductive path to said powe take-off means. 12. An assembly as in claim 1 wheein said collection assembly compises a closed, continuously configued coil fomed of supeconductive mateial and communi cating with both said fist and second conductive paths. 13. An assembly as in claim 12 wheein said collec tion assembly compises a tench stuctue fomed in a suppoting gound suface and stuctued and disposed to eceive and house said coil. 14. An assembly as in claim 13 wheein said collec tion assembly futhe compises efigeation means mounted in communicating, open elation to said coil and said tench and stuctued and disposed to maintain a educed tempeatue of said coil sufficient fo effec tive opeation theeof. k

1 Performance and Cost

1 Performance and Cost Pefomance and Cost Analysis and Reseach of Ai-Cooled Using Small Diamete Coppe Tubes Wu Yang, Li Changsheng and Deng Bin Abstact Replacing coppe tubes with aluminum tubes and using coppe tubes with smalle