Method and apparatus for extracting energy from a fluctuating energy flow from a renewable energy source

摘要

1 Abstract (Figure 1) 3 Method and apparatus for extracting energy from a fluctuating energy flow from a 4 renewable energy source 6 An energy extraction device and method for extracting energy from a fluctuating 7 energy flow from a renewable energy source. A hydraulic pump is driven by a 8 rotating shaft, driven in turn by a renewable energy source. A hydraulic motor drives 9 a load and a high pressure manifold communicates between the pump, motor and an 10 elastically deformable fluid retaining body. The hydraulic pump and hydraulic motor 11 comprise working chambers displacing a volume of working fluid selectable on each 12 cycle of working chamber volume by the control of electronic valves. The pressure in 13 the high pressure manifold is measured and the net rate of displacement of working 14 fluid by the hydraulic pump is selected responsive thereto to regulate the torque 15 applied to the said rotating shaft. The net rate of displacement of working fluid by the 16 hydraulic motor is selected to smooth the energy flow to the load. The net rate of 17 displacement of working fluid by the hydraulic motor is selected to regulate the 18 pressure in the high pressure manifold to remain within an acceptable pressure 19 range. Instead of tightly controlling the pressure in the high pressure manifold, it is 20 allowed to vary and, by allowing the pressure to vary, a smooth output can be 21 produced with high efficiency despite fluctuations in the energy flow from the 22 renewable energy source. The pressure is more strongly controlled at the top and/or 23 bottom of the acceptable pressure range than closer to an optimum working pressure.