Patent attributes
An electric generating system uses a zeppelin filled with helium or hydrogen, and a spinnaker sail, to provide pulling power that will lift a heavy railcar to an elevated height on a track, such as on a hill or mountainside, or in an elevator-type shaft in a tall building. When the heavy car reaches the top of the track, it is released, and its descent drives an electric generator. The generator can be carried by the car, and can send the power to batteries on the car, or to conductive rails. Alternately, if the car is inert weight, cables can drive stationary generators. The zeppelin will be inflated and deflated repeatedly, using equipment to recapture energy during each gas expansion, to help drive subsequent recompression into high-pressure tanks. The spinnaker sail will use a cable-handling device and spreader bars to deploy the sail and keep it at an elevated height. Various advantages are provided compared to wind turbines and pumped-storage hydroelectric facilities.