US 12,221,948 B2
Power generation apparatus
Jin Young Kim, Gyeongsangbuk-do (KR)
Appl. No. 18/265,340
Filed by Jin Young Kim, Gyeongsangbuk-do (KR)
PCT Filed Dec. 13, 2021, PCT No. PCT/KR2021/018881
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 5, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/154276, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 21, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2021-0004591 (KR), filed on Jan. 13, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0110539 A1, Apr. 4, 2024
Int. Cl. F03B 13/10 (2006.01); F03B 17/06 (2006.01)
CPC F03B 13/10 (2013.01) [F03B 17/06 (2013.01); F05B 2210/132 (2013.01); F05B 2270/602 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A power generation apparatus comprising:
a main chamber provided with a main space for accommodation of water and air, and configured to accommodate water sucked through a suction pipe on a bottom surface thereof;
an inlet pipe for providing a path for external air to flow into the main space of the main chamber, the inlet pipe being provided on a first portion of a ceiling surface of the main chamber and comprising an inlet valve to selectively open and close the inlet pipe;
a support part mounted at the main chamber and configured such that a bottom surface of the main chamber is kept separated from a ground by a predetermined distance when the support part is fixed to the ground at a point where river water or stream water is located, so that the bottom surface of the main chamber and the suction pipe are placed below a water surface of the river water or stream water;
a first auxiliary chamber supported by the main chamber, provided with an auxiliary space for accommodation of water, and configured to receive water from the main chamber or to supply water to the main chamber;
a vacuum pump configured to discharge the air in the main space out of the main chamber through a discharge pipe provided on a second portion of the ceiling surface of the main chamber with the inlet valve closed, wherein the river water or stream water is sucked in through the suction pipe by a lowered pressure of the main chamber by the vacuum pump;
a vortex generation part disposed adjacent to the discharge pipe and configured to cause the air in the main space to generate a vortex and flow into the discharge pipe, wherein the vortex generation part comprises a cone-shaped portion and an air inlet provided at a vertex portion of the cone-shaped portion, wherein the discharge pipe comprises an extension portion disposed on a top inside portion of the vortex generation part and extending in a circumferential direction of the vortex generation part;
a spout part provided on a side surface of the main chamber, and configured to spout the water, sucked through the suction pipe and accommodated in the main space, out of the main chamber; and
a power generation part configured to generate electric power using pressure of water spouted by the spout part.