Ship lock system with hydroelectric pumped-storage capability

Patent · Tue Jan 12 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:5518298

Mazzone, F L; Tegda, J E

A ship lock system having a ship lock interconnecting two bodies of water at different water levels is described. The system includes one or more underground hydroelectric pumped-storage units connected by one or more penstocks with the ship lock which serves as the upper reservoir to the pumped-storage units so that water can be drained from the ship lock through the penstocks to drive one or more reversible pump-turbines of the pumped-storage units which generates electrical energy, particularly during high demand hours for electrical energy. A lower reservoir adjacent to the pump-turbines is used to store the water which drives the turbines. The lowering of the water in the ship lock permits ships which entered the lock at the upper water level to leave the lock at the lower water level. By a pumping action, the pumpturbines can pump the water from the reservoir upward into the ship lock through the penstocks, particularly during periods of low power demand. The electrical power for accomplishing the pumping action can be supplied from other conventional energy sources as well as from tidal, wind, solar and other emerging energy sources. The raising of the water in the ship lock permits ships which entered the lock at the lower water level to leave the lock at the upper water level.

• Assignee: Bechtel International Corp
• Patent Number(s): US 4310769
• OSTI ID: 5518298
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

13 HYDRO ENERGY
130700* -- Hydro Energy-- Power-Conversion Systems
25 ENERGY STORAGE
250300 -- Energy Storage-- Pumped Hydro-- (-1989)
DAMS
ELECTRIC POWER
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY STORAGE
HYDROELECTRIC POWER
HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INLAND WATERWAYS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWER
POWER PLANTS
PUMPED STORAGE
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
STORAGE
SURFACE WATERS
WATER
WATER RESERVOIRS