ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 6 -- United States Patent no. 12,460,771, issued on Nov. 4, was assigned to ENERGY FUTURE INC (N.Y.).
"Electric energy storage in the form of underground gravity and buoyant energy" was invented by Brian Raine (Houston).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "Underground facilities built for storing electric energy in the form of gravity and buoyant energy are described herein. In one embodiment, the facility is disposed in a thixotropic fluid beneath the ground surface and houses water to maintain a positive buoyancy and a piston having a bulk density greater than the water. In another embodiment, the underground facility is configured as a buoyant capsule arranged in a cylinder ...