Abstract: A turbine, such as a steam turbine, which may be employed to drive an electric generator, is operated by movement through it of gas vaporized in a heat pipe. The turbine is enclosed in the heat pipe structure and the pipe is sealed so that the vaporizable fluid therein is not lost during use. The fluid is maintained at a desired pressure at which it is readily vaporized by heating means, such as heated air brought into contact with the heat pipe, and is also readily condensed by cooling means, such as ambient air. In modifications of the more basic invention an auxiliary heat pipe or a plurality of such pipes is employed to extract energy from a source of heat after it has heated the turbine-containing heat pipe and such auxiliary heat pipe(s) may also be used to pre-heat a heat transfer fluid. Turbines may be present in the auxiliary heat pipes too and they may be connected to the same or different generators.

Abstract: A light weight vacuum maintained structure, especially useful when cylindrical, includes a plurality of hollow wall members made of a thin, normally flexible material and internally pressurized so as to be form-retaining, preferably of keystone-like shape, which are positioned with respect to each other so as to form an external wall of such structure, exposed to atmospheric pressure, with a vacuum in the interior of the structure, the difference in pressure holding the wall members together to seal off the interior of the structure and prevent loss of vacuum.

Abstract: Light weight tension-compression equilibrium structures include structural units which contain a plurality of compression members in contact with each other in an interior portion of the unit and a plurality of tension members in contact with them and exerting balanced tensions on them to hold them in position with respect to each other, and to produce compressive forces in the compression members which are directed toward the point(s) of contact of the compression members in the interior of the unit, thereby strengthening the compression members and the structural units. The tension members are positioned apart such distances along the compression members less than lengths at which the compression members alone would buckle under applied compressive forces. The various structural units may be essentially planar, useful for forming walls or relatively thin supporting structures, or they may be made three-dimensional so as to be capable of serving as major load-bearing units.

Abstract: A wave energy generator produces electric power from wave motion by means of a distortable underwater section thereof which has a plurality of flexible compartments containing liquid and gas and equipped with flexible internal one-way flow walls separating the compartments, so that in response to wave motion the internal liquid flows in one direction through the compartments and through a fluid flow-powered motor-generator combination. The underwater distortable flexible structure described is the lower portion of a body which also has an upper portion above water so that the combination thereof is useful as a breakwater or dock, when anchored, or as a barge.

Abstract: Radiant heat is converted to electricity by a heat pipe - turbogenerator combination. Specifically, a heat pipe having heat-sorbing wicking or other material in an evaporation section thereof from which the heat pipe liquid in contact with or adjacent said wicking may evaporate, has such wicking heated by radiant heat, as by solar heat, vaporizing the liquid to a gas, which passes through a turbogenerator to a condensation section wherein it is condensed to the liquid, which is returned to the evaporation section. The heat pipe - turbogenerator assembly is suitably externally insulated, as by a vacuum shield, to prevent heat losses and heat is recovered from the condenser portion of the heat pipe and returned to the evaporator portion.In an application of the generic invention it is employed in a building, such as a house, where it is utilized on wall and roof portions thereof and serves as at least a partial supporting structure for these.

Abstract: A horizontal windmill includes a vertical tubular internal baffle member, a plurality of vanes responsive to the wind, mounted and positioned so that they revolve horizontally when the wind blows, partially rotating to resist the force of the wind in some positions during such revolution and being feathered with respect to it in other positions, and a vertical baffle located outside the path of rotation of the vanes, for increasing the wind speed as the wind is directed against the wind-resisting vanes. To secure the benefits of low cost of the structure for supporting such a windmill it is mounted on a building, with the vertical tubular member surrounding the building and being transparent to allow entry of light. In preferred embodiments of the invention various portions of the windmill are of light weight plastic material, such as the vanes and external baffles, and thin light weight tension members are employed to strengthen compression members and hold them in position.

Abstract: A buoyant ram motor comprising a hollow buoyant ram element movable within a housing into which liquid such as water is admitted in a manner applying a buoyant force to the ram and moving or lifting it up along the interior of the housing. After each power stroke, the liquid is removed from the housing to lower or return the ram to an initial or starting position for the next power stroke. The liquid for moving the ram can be obtained from natural water bodies. The force applied to the ram during each power stroke is augmented by providing a vacuum in the housing on and exposed to the surface of the ram opposite the surface to which the buoyant force is applied. During each return stroke, liquid is removed from beneath the ram in a manner preserving the vacuum over the ram. This is accomplished by an arrangement including a chamber communicating with the liquid below the ram and containing a weighted cylinder supported on a flexible container filled with compressed air.