AU2489097A

AU2489097A - Water collecting equipment for drawing up natural water by the dynamic energy of natural fluid

Info

Publication number: AU2489097A
Application number: AU24890/97A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Ming-Shan Chen
Original assignee: MING SHAN CHEN
Current assignee: MING SHAN CHEN
Priority date: 1997-06-13
Filing date: 1997-06-16
Publication date: 1998-12-17
Also published as: CA2209361A1; BR9704232A; SG68619A1; NZ328083A; JPH1137037A

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION NAME OF APPLICANT(S): Ming-Shan Chen ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

INVENTION TITLE: Water collecting equipment for drawing up natural water by the dynamic energy of natural fluid The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:la This invention relates to a water collecting equipment which draws natural water, more particularly to a water collecting equipment which draws up natural water by the dynamic energy of natural fluid, such as wind, a tidal current in the sea, or a water flow in a river or lake, thereby storing a potential energy for use in hydroelectric power generation.

Common power generation is categorized into three types: hydroelectric generation, thermoelectric generation, and nuclear electric power generation. It is expensive for the hydroelectric generation to establish a water pool. Thermoelectric generation consumes fuel and pollutes air. It is necessary for the nuclear electric power generation to establish an expensive nuclear power plant which can pollute seriously the surroundings therearound.

An object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive water collecting equipment which draws up natural water by the dynamic energy of natural fluid in such a manner that no environmental pollution is caused, and which stores a potential energy for use in hydroelectric generation.

According to this invention, a water collecting equipment for drawing up natural water by the dynamic energy of natural fluid comprises a water drawing 2 device including a power generating unit activated by the dynamic energy of natural fluid, and a pump which is driven by the power generating unit and-which is communicated fluidly with a natural water source; and a reservoir device including a water filtering unit communicated fluidly with the pump, a check valve disposed between the water filtering unit and the pump so as to limit water flow from the pump to the water filtering unit, and an overhead reservoir communicated fluidly with the water filtering unit so as to collect water from the water filtering unit.

.i Other features and advantages of this invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of this invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figs. 1 to 3 illustrate a first embodiment of a ~water collecting equipment for drawing up natural water by the dynamic energy of natural fluid according to this invention; Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate a second embodiment of the water collecting equipment of this invention; Figs. 6 to 8 illustrate a third embodiment of the water collecting equipment of this invention; Fig. 9 illustrates a fourth embodiment of the water collecting equipment of this invention; Fig. 10 illustrates a fifth embodiment of the water collecting equipment of this invention; and Fig. 11 illustrates a sixth embodiment of the water collecting equipment of this invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, a first embodiment of a water collecting equipment 1 for drawing up natural water by the dynamic energy of natural fluid is shown to include a water drawing device 11 and a reservoir device 2 which stores water drawn by the water drawing 10 device 11. The water drawing device 11 includes a plurality of power generating units 3 and a plurality of rotary pumps 32. Each of the pumps 32 has a rotor shaft 320 (see Fig. 3) and draws water from the sea via a conduit 321 (see Fig. Each of the power generating units 3 is disposed in a windy place and includes a windmill body 31, a speed reduction mechanism 33, a stationary support 34 for supporting the windmill body 31, a transmission mechanism 35 which includes a horizontal rotating shaft 351, a vane member 352 fixed on the shaft 351, and a vertical driving Sshaft 353 disposed below the rotating shaft 352, and a direction-adjusting sheet 36 which is secured to the windmill body 31. Rotations of the horizontal shafts 352 are transferred to the vertical shafts 353 by means of bevel gear sets 354. The speed reduction mechanisms 33 transfer rotation of the driving shafts 353 to the ;i rotor shafts 320 of the rotary pumps 32 so as to rotate 4 the rotor shafts 320 at a speed slower than that of the driving shafts 353. The reservoir device 2 includes a plurality of overhead water filtering units 21 communicated respectively and fluidly with the pumps 32, a plurality of check valves 323 disposed on conduits 322 which interconnect the water filtering units 21 and the pumps 32 so as to limit water flow from the pumps 32 to the water filtering units 21, and two overhead reservoirs 22, 23 communicated fluidly 1 0 with the water filtering units 21 by a conduit 20 so as to collect water from the water filtering units 21, thereby storing potential energy for use in hydroelectric generation. As shown in Fig. 1, each of the water filtering units 21 and the reservoirs 22, 23 is formed with a discharge tube 211 which is communicated fluidly with a hydroelectric generator 221. A manifold unit 231 is disposed between the reservoirs 22 and 23 and is equipped with several A control valves 232 so as to discharge selectively water from the reservoirs 22, 23 to the hydroelectric generator 221 or one of several conduits for irrigation, fishery breeding or fresh-water processing.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, the equipment 12 of a second embodiment of this invention is shown to include a water drawing device 121 and a reservoir device 49.

The water drawing device 121 includes a plurality of power generating units 4 (only one is shown), and a

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1 ri I plurality of piston pumps 400 (only one is shown). The reservoir device 49 is similar to that of the first embodiment in construction and includes a plurality of water filtering units 44 (only one is shown) communicated fluidly with the pumps 400, a plurality of check valves 241 (only one is shown) disposed between the pumps 400 and the water filtering units 44 so as to limit water flow from the pumps 400 to the water filtering units 44, and two reservoirs 492, 493.

Each of the power-generating units 4 is placed in a tidal current and includes a stationary large cylinder body 42 defining a cylinder chamber 41 therein, several inlets 43 formed in the large cylinder body 42 and communicated fluidly with the cylinder chamber 41, a large piston 45 driven by the tidal current to move to the left in the cylinder chamber 41, and a spring mechanism 46 biasing the large piston to move to the right in the cylinder chamber 41 so as to reciprocate the large piston 45 in the cylinder 20 chamber 41. Each of the piston pumps 400 includes a small cylinder body 420 fixed in the large cylinder body 42 so as to define a pump chamber 421 therein which is communicated fluidly with the water filtering unit 44 through a conduit 48, several water passages 422 formed through the wall of the small cylinder body 420 so as to communicate the water inlets 43 with the pump chamber 421, several one-way valves 423 installed 1 I

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-6in the water passages 422 so as to limit water flow from the water inlets 43 to the pump chamber 421, and a small piston 424 integrally formed with the large piston 45, thereby forcing water from the pump chamber 421 to the water filtering unit 44. As illustrated, the outer peripheral surface of the large piston 45 is formed with four slide slots 425 in which four rollers 451 are received respectively and slidably so as to S'.facilitate the movement of the large piston 45 in the I. 10 cylinder chamber 41. A protective net 47 encloses the water drawing device 121 so as to prevent malfunction of the water drawing device 121 due to entry of large objects, such as fish.

Referring to Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the equipment 13 of a third embodiment of this invention is shown to include a water drawing device 131 and a reservoir device 25 which is similar to that of the first embodiment in construction. The water drawing device 131 includes a plurality of power generating units (only one is shown), and a plurality of rotary pumps 52 (only one is shown), each of which has a rotor shaft 520. Each of the power generating units 5 includes a vane member 53 which is placed in and which is rotated unidirectionally by a natural water flow in a river or lake and which is coupled coaxially with the rotor shaft 520, and a speed reduction mechanism 54 which interconnects the vane member 53 and the rotor shaft 520 so as to rotate the rotor shaft 520 at a speed slower than that of the vane member 53. The water drawing device 131 is bolted onto a base 55 which is embedded in a river bed or lake bed in advance. A protective net 56 encloses the water drawing device 131. The vane member 53 consists of a flange 531 projecting radially and outwardly from a rotating shaft 530, and a plurality of vanes 532, each of which is mounted pivotally on the rotating shaft 530 and each of S" 10 which has an enlarged end portion that engages the outer periphery of the flange 531 and that has a curved edge 533 and a generally L-shaped edge 534 wherein only .the curved edge 533 can slide over the flange 531 so ~that the vanes 532 can rotate relative to the flange 531 only in a clockwise direction, thereby rotating the shaft 530 in a counterclockwise direction.

Referring to Fig. 9, the equipment 14 of a fourth embodiment of this invention is shown to include a water drawing device 141 and a reservoir device which is similar to the first embodiment in construction and which is provided with a check valve 261. The water drawieg device 141 includes a plurality of power generating units 6 (only one is shown) and a plurality of rotary pumps 62 (only one is shown). As illustrated, the power generating unit 6 includes a horizontal rotating shaft 620 journalled in a natural water flow in a river or lake and connected to the rotary pump 62 so as to activate the rotary pump 62, a plurality of vane members 63 fixed coaxially on the rotating shaft 620 and having different rotational radii in such a manner that in each adjacent pair of the vane members 63, one in the upstream of the natural water flow at the right of Fig- 9) is smaller than the other one in the downstream of the natural water flow at the left of Fig. 9) in rotational radius so that the vane members 63 are rotated 1 unidirectionally by the natural water flow, and a speed reduction mechanism 60 interconnecting the rotating I. shaft and the rotary pump so as to rotate the rotary pump 62 at a speed slower than that of the rotating shaft. As illustrated, a protective net 66 encloses the water drawing device 141- Referring to Fig. 10, the equipment of a fifth embodiment of this invention is similar to the equipment shown in Fig. 9 in construction, except that a power generating unit 7 of this embodiment includes a plurality of vane members 72 located at different levels, a plurality of bevel gear sets 73, each of which interconnects an adjacent pair of the vane members 72, and a speed reduction mechanism 74 connecting a rotary pump 271 to the uppermost vane member 72 so as to rotate the rotary pump 271 at a speed slower than that of the uppermost vane member 72.

-y r r r a ar o a L L 0 f e e d r it ^j 9 A protective net 75 encloses the power generating unit 7.

Referring to Fig. 11, the equipment 15 of a sixth embodiment of this invention is shown to include a water drawing device 151 and a reservoir device 84 which is similar to that of the first embodiment in construction. The water drawing device 151 includes a plurality of power generating units 8 (only one is shown) and a plurality of rotary pumps 82 (only one is shown). As illustrated, the power generating unit 8 includes a turbine 83 which is placed in and which is rotated unidirectionally by a natural water flow in a river or lake, and a speed reduction mechanism connecting the turbine 83 to the rotary pump 82 so as 15 to rotate the rotary pump 82 at a speed slower than that of the turbine 83. The turbine 83 includes a rotating shaft 831 connected to the rotary pump 82, and a spiral blade member 832 which is fixed on the rotating shaft 831. The spiral blade member 832 has an outer periphery which is spaced from the rotating shaft 831 at a radial distance that increases successively from the upstream of the natural water flow to the downstream of the natural water flow. A protective net 87 encloses the water drawing device 151.

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Claims

1. A water collecting equipment for drawing up natural water by the dynamic energy of natural fluid, said water collecting equipment comprising: a water drawing device including a power generating unit activated by the dynamic energy of the natural fluid, and a pump which is driven by the power generating unit and which is adapted to be communicated fluidly with a natural water source; and a reservoir device including a water filtering unit communicated fluidly with the pump, a check valve disposed between the water filtering unit and the pump so as to limit water flow from the pump to the water filtering unit, and an overhead reservoir communicated fluidly with the water filtering unit so as to collect water from the water filtering unit. -I 10 TaE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. A water collecting equipment for drawing up natural water by the dynamic energy of natural fluid, said water collecting equipment comprising: a water drawing device including a power generating unit activated by the dynamic energy of the natural fluid, and a pump which is driven by the power generating unit and which is adapted to be communicated fluidly with a natural water source; and 10 a reservoir device including a water filtering ll unit communicated fluidly with the pump, a check valve Sdisposed between the water filtering unit and the pump so as to limit water flow from the pump to the water I. 7l.l filtering unit, and an overhead reservoir communicated 15 fluidly with the water filtering unit so as to collect l water from the water filtering unit.

2. A water collecting equipment as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the pump is a rotary pump and has a rotor shaft, the power generating unit including a horizontal rotating shaft adapted to be journalled in a windy place, a vane member fixed on the rotating shaft and adapted to be rotated by natural wind present in the windy place, a vertical driving shaft disposed below the rotating shaft, a bevel gear set for transferring 25 the rotation of the horizontal rotating shaft to the vertical driving shaft, and a speed reduction mechanism which transfers rotation of the driving shaft to the II 11 rotor shaft of the rotary pump so as to rotate the rotor shaft at a speed slower than that of the driving shaft.

3. A water collecting equipment as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the pump is a piston pump and has a small piston and a small cylinder body which receives slidably the small piston therein and which defines therein a pump chamber that is communicated fluidly with the water filtering unit, the power generating S" iO 10 unit including a stationary large cylinder body adapted to be placed in a tidal current and having the small 'S cylinder body of the piston pump fixed therein, several water inlets formed in the large cylinder body and '0 communicated fluidly with the pump chamber of the piston pump, several one-way valves disposed in the i small cylinder body between the pump chamber and the water inlets so as to limit water flow from the water inlets to the pump chamber, a large piston adapted to be driven by the tidal current for movement in the large cylinder body in a direction, and a spring mechanism disposed in the large cylinder body so as to bias the large piston to move in the large cylinder body in the opposite direction so as to reciprocate the large piston in the large cylinder body, the small piston being connected fixedly to the large piston so as to reciprocate in the small cylinder body, thereby r~LUuS* r.*M CC.~*~ZD ~~~Ls~pli~i~~ 12 forcing water from the pump chamber to the water filtering unit.

4. A water collecting equipment as claimed in Claim i, wherein the pump is a rotary pump and has a rotor shaft, the power generating unit including a vane member which is placed in and which is adapted to be rotated unidirectionally by a natural water flow and which is coupled coaxially with the rotor shaft, and a speed reduction mechanism interconnecting the vane S.o. 10 member and the rotor shaft of the rotary pump so as to rotate the rotor shaft at a speed slower than that of the vane member.

5. A water collecting equipment as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the pump is a rotary pump, the power generating 15 unit including a horizontal rotating shaft adapted to be journalled in a natural water flow and connected to the rotary pump so as to activate the rotary pump, a plurality of vane members fixed coaxially on the rotating shaft and having different rotational radii in such a manner that in each adjacent pair of the vane I members, one in the upstream of the natural water flow is smaller than the other one in the downstream of the natural water flow in rotational radius so that the vane members are adapted to be rotated unidirectionally by the natural water flow, and a speed reduction mechanism interconnecting the rotating shaft and the g I ~WT ~m a~-~ana~ 13 rotary pump so as to rotate the rotary pump at a speed slower than that of the rotating shaft.

6. A water collecting equipment as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the pump is a rotary pump, the power generating unit including a plurality of vane members which are placed in and which are adapted to be rotated unidirectionally by a natural water flow and which are located at different levels, a plurality of bevel gear sets each of which interconnects an adjacent pair of the vane members, and a speed reduction mechanism connecting the rotary pump to the uppermost one of the vane members so as to rotate the rotary pump at a speed slower than that of the uppermost one of the vane members.

7. A water collecting equipment as claimed in Claim i, wherein the pump is a rotary pump, the power generating unit including a turbine which is placed in and which is adapted to be rotated unidirectionally by a natural water flow, and a speed reduction mechanism interconnecting the turbine and the rotary pump so as to rotate the rotary pump at a speed slower than that of the turbine, the turbine including a rotating shaft connected to the rotary pump, and a spiral blade member which is fixed on the rotating shaft, the spiral blade member having an outer periphery which is spaced from the rotating shaft at a radial distance that increases ai4aSIR~m4C~ea g 14 successively from the upstream of the natural water flow to the downstream of the natural water flow.

8. A water collecting equipment substantially as described hereinbefore with reference to the accompanying drawings. S k r 2 P~ c -'s

9. The steps, features, compositions and compounds disclosed herein or referred to or indicated in the specification and/or claims of this application, individually or collectively, and any and all combinations of any two or more of said steps or features. DATED this SIXTEENTH day of JUNE 1997 -Ming-Shan Chen by DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys for the applicant(s) e o B a ease S