FR3023592A1 - DEVICE FOR HYDROELECTRIC PRODUCTION - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) hydroelectric production remarkable in that it comprises: - a rotor (3) with blades (4) disposed at least partly in a liquid flow and able to pivot about an axis of rotation (28) substantially horizontal and perpendicular to the direction of flow of the liquid, - production means (6) comprise at least one enclosure (9) adapted to pivot inside the rotor (3) through first wheels (12), containing an alternator (10) and provided with a counterweight (11) in its lower part to stabilize it in a position such that its axis of symmetry (91) is substantially vertical when the rotor (3) is rotating around it its axis of rotation (28) under the action of the liquid flow, and - transmission means (16) for transmitting the movement of the first wheels (12) to the shaft (15) of the alternator (10). ).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a device for producing renewable electric energy.

PRIOR ART Nowadays, particularly in view of the expected scarcity of fossil fuels, renewable energies are emerging as an important alternative to traditional sources of energy. Indeed, unlike said traditional sources, they are non-polluting in terms of gaseous emissions and discharge into the atmosphere or on earth. The development of this type of energy has therefore recently accelerated.

It is already known to use solar energy and wind energy to produce electricity industrially or not. However, the use of these types of renewable energy has the disadvantage of being directly dependent on climatic conditions.

As regards hydraulic energy, it is conventionally used to produce electricity by means of turbines, of the PELTON type, for example, arranged in the lower part of a water reservoir or dam, said turbines being actuated by water set in motion especially under the effect of gravity. However, to be economically profitable, these dams must be very large and are therefore very expensive. In addition, given their size, these installations result in the flooding of a large part of the valleys located upstream of the dams. Hydroelectric generating devices are also known comprising an alternator set in motion by a paddle wheel placed at least partly in a stream of water such as a river for example. The main disadvantage of these known devices lies in their lack of compactness and complexity. Indeed, in these devices, the alternator is generally disposed on the bank of the river forcing to have expensive connection means between the impeller and said alternator. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is therefore to overcome the drawbacks mentioned above and to propose a compact hydroelectric generating device that is easy to implement and capable of adapting to hydraulic variations due in particular to seasonal climate change. .

In this respect, it is therefore proposed a remarkable hydroelectric production device in that it comprises: a rotor with blades arranged at least partly in a flow of liquid and able to pivot about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation and perpendicular to the direction of flow of the liquid, production means comprise at least one chamber capable of pivoting inside the rotor by means of first wheels, containing an alternator and provided with a counterweight in its lower part. to stabilize it in a position such that its axis of symmetry is substantially vertical when the rotor rotates about its axis of rotation under the action of the liquid flow, and - transmission means for transmitting the movement of the first wheels to the alternator shaft to rotate it and produce electric power. Said enclosure advantageously comprises two first wheels pivotally mounted on the ends HGN001-FR-12_TEXTE DEPOSE_RG / GE -3 - low of each of its lateral faces, about axes parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor, said first wheels being in support directly or indirectly on the cylindrical inside of the rotor.

In addition, the enclosure preferably comprises a second wheel pivotally mounted on the upper end of each of its lateral faces and ensuring the maintenance of direct or indirect contact between the first wheels and the cylindrical inner face of the rotor.

According to a preferred embodiment, the first wheels are of the railway wheel type and cooperate with circular rails arranged on the cylindrical inner face of the rotor. Advantageously, the transmission means 15 are of the pulley-belt type and comprise a plurality of driving pulleys, receiving pulleys and belts and, if necessary, tension rollers. Each blade is preferably at least partly collapsible between an "open" position for sensing the flow of liquid and a "closed" position to avoid hindering the rotational movement of the rotor and limiting the wind setting of said rotor. According to a preferred embodiment, each blade comprises a fixed part integral with the outer face of the rotor, a movable part articulated at the free end of said fixed part about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor. , and a retaining element joining the free end of said movable part to the fixed part of the blade situated upstream. The device according to the invention comprises a structure on which is mounted pivoting the rotor blade and for adjusting the vertical position of said rotor relative to the liquid. Preferably, the structure comprises at least two substantially vertical posts, a first inclined plate and articulated at its longitudinal end upstream to said posts around a substantially horizontal axis and perpendicular to the axis. the direction of flow of the liquid, a second substantially horizontal plate articulated at the longitudinal end downstream of said first plate about an axis parallel to said axis and provided at each of its lateral edges with a frame receiving the rotor, and 10 - two arms, each being pivotally mounted, about axes parallel to said axis, at one of its ends on one of the poles and at the other end at the top of the associated framework. The first and second trays advantageously form a guiding device for channeling and increasing the flow rate of the liquid at the immersed part of the rotor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Other advantages and features will emerge more clearly from the following description of several variant embodiments, given by way of non-limiting examples, of a hydroelectric generating device platform according to the invention, in 1 is a front view of a hydroelectric generating device according to the invention; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the hydroelectric generating device of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 3 is another cross-sectional view of the hydroelectric generating device of FIG. 1. Best way of carrying out the technical invention With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the device 1 of HGN001-FR-12_TEXT DEPOSE_RG / GE -5 hydroelectric production according to the invention comprises a structure 2 supporting at least one rotor 3 with vanes 4 arranged at least partly in a flow of liquid of the watercourse type 5 such that, for example, a river or a river. Said structure 2 comprises at least two substantially vertical posts 21 anchored in the bottom of said stream 5 so as to be arranged in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of flow of the stream 5. The structure 2 also comprises a fluid guiding device 22 pivotally mounted at its longitudinal end upstream between said posts 21 about an axis of substantially horizontal rotation and perpendicular to the direction of flow of the stream 5. Said guide device 22 can channel and to increase the flow of water at the immersed part of the impeller rotor 3. Here, the term "upstream" means elements arranged before "downstream" elements in the direction of flow 20 of the liquid of the impeller. water 5 and vice versa. Said guiding device 22 comprises a first plate 24 inclined and articulated to said posts 21 at its longitudinal end upstream and a second plate 25 substantially horizontal and articulated at the longitudinal end downstream of said first plate 24 about an axis 26 parallel to the The second plate 25 is provided at each of its lateral edges with a frame 27 advantageously in the form of an inverted V, the rotor 3 with vanes 4 being pivotally mounted on the tops of said frames. 24 about an axis of rotation 28 substantially parallel to the axis of rotation 23 of the guide device 22. The structure 2 finally comprises two arms 29, each being pivotally mounted about axes parallel to the axis 23 of rotation of the HGN001-FR-12_TEXTE DEPOSE_RG / GE -6 guiding device 22, at one of its ends on one of the posts 21 and at the other end at the top of the associated framework 27. With such a configuration in deformable parallelogram overall shape, the structure 2 makes it possible to adjust the vertical position of the rotor 3 with vanes 4 as a function of the height of the level of the stream 5 which varies according to the seasons in particular. The hydroelectric generating device 1 according to the invention also comprises means 6 for producing electrical energy driven in rotation by virtue of the rotation of the rotor 3 with blades 4. These production means 6 are arranged inside said rotor 3, the latter being preferably a hollow cylinder closed at each of its longitudinal ends by a flange 7, at least one of said flanges 7 having an access door 8 to enter the inside of the rotor 3 and access the means of production 6. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, said production means 6 comprise at least one enclosure 9 capable of pivoting inside the rotor 3, containing an alternator 10 and provided with a counterweight 11 in its lower part to stabilize the enclosure 9 in a determined vertical position. Said chamber 9 further comprises two first wheels 12 pivotally mounted on the lower ends of each of its lateral faces, about axes parallel to the axis of rotation 28 of the rotor 3, to allow it to pivot inside the rotor. 3, said first wheels 12 bearing directly or indirectly on the cylindrical inner face of the rotor 3. According to a preferred embodiment, the first wheels 12 are of the railway wheel type and cooperate with a circular rail 13 disposed on the inner face. HGN001-EN-12_TEXTE DEPOSE_RG / GE -7 - cylindrical rotor 3. Each enclosure 9 is thus supported on two rails 13 by two pairs of first wheels 12. According to an alternative embodiment not shown, the first wheels 12 are directly in position. bearing on the cylindrical inner face of the rotor 3, said surface being able to be provided with two guide grooves formed in said inner face. The enclosure 9 advantageously comprises a second wheel 14 pivotally mounted on the upper end of each of its lateral faces. These two second wheels 14 guarantee the maintenance of contact between the first wheels 12 and the two rails 13 even if there are eddies on the surface of the stream 5 causing inadvertent movements of the rotor 3 and therefore the enclosure 9. With such a configuration, it is well understood that, when the rotor 3 to blades 4 rotates about its axis of rotation 28 thanks to the flow of the stream 5, the enclosure 9, which should be rotated through at the friction between the first wheels 12 and the two rails 13, does not rotate substantially and stabilizes very quickly, thanks to the counterweight 11, in a position such that its axis of symmetry 91 is substantially vertical. The skilled person will have no difficulty in determining the value of the counterweight 11 to implement 25 to ensure the maintenance of the enclosure 9 in a vertical position. When the rotor 3 with blades 4 rotates about its axis of rotation 28 thanks to the flow of the watercourse 5, the first wheels 12 are rotated and turn the shaft 15 of the alternator 10 in rotation. to produce electrical energy. For this, with reference to FIG. 3, the production means 6 comprise transmission means 16 advantageously comprising a plurality of pulleys HGN001-FR-12_TEXTTEPOSE_RG / GE -8 - motor 161a, b, c, of pulleys 162a, b, c and belts 163a, b, c and, if necessary, tension rollers 164b, c, said transmission means 16 for transmitting the movement to the shaft 15 of the alternator 10 and to adapt the speed of rotation of the latter with respect to that of the first wheels 12 and thus of the rotor 3 with vanes 4. Finally, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, to increase the efficiency of the hydroelectric generating device 1, the rotor 3 is set in motion by a plurality of vanes 4 preferably at least partly folding between an "open" position to capture the flow of the stream 5 and a "closed" position to avoid hindering the rotational movement of the rotor 3 and limit the wind resistance of the rotor 3. For c ela, each blade 4 comprises a fixed portion 41 secured to the outer face of the rotor 3, a movable portion 42 hinged to the free end of said fixed portion 41 about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation 28 of the rotor 3, and a retaining element 43 joining at the free end of said movable portion 42 to the fixed portion 41 of the blade 4 located upstream. Thus, a little before entering the stream 5, each blade 4 unfolds under the effect of gravity to its position "opening", that is to say that its mobile part 42 pivots in an opposite direction of the rotor 3 until the retaining element 43 is stretched, so that once immersed in the stream 5 the dawn 4 can capture the maximum flow of said course of water 5.

Then, a little before leaving the stream 5, each blade 4 folds under the effect of gravity to its position "closure", that is to say that its movable portion 42 pivots in the direction rotor 3 to come to bear on the fixed portion 41 of the blade 4 upstream, the element of HGN001-FR-12_TEXTE DEPOSE_RG / GE -9 43 retained being then fully relaxed. Those skilled in the art will have no difficulty in determining the length of the retaining element 43 to implement to limit the pivoting of the movable portion 42 and ensure the best performance of each blade 4 in its "open" position. It is therefore understood that in this way the hydroelectric generating device 1 according to the invention makes it possible to produce electrical energy from a renewable energy source. In addition, said hydroelectric generating device 1 is particularly compact and easy to implement and adapts to seasonal variations in the level of the watercourse 5.

Possibility of Industrial Application As previously described, the hydroelectric generating device 1, according to the invention, applies more particularly to the river or river type stream. It goes without saying that the hydroelectric generating device 1 can also be installed in any other type of liquid flow. Finally, it is clear that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiment of this device 1 for hydroelectric production; it embraces, on the contrary, all variants of implementation and application respecting the same principle. HGN001-EN-12_TEXT DEPOSE_RG / GE

Claims (4)

CLAIMS1 - Device (1) hydroelectric production characterized in that it comprises: - a rotor (3) with vanes (4) disposed at least partly in a liquid flow and pivotable about a rotation axis 5 (28) substantially horizontal and perpendicular to the flow direction of the liquid, - production means (6) comprise at least one enclosure (9) capable of pivoting inside the rotor (3) by means of first wheels ( 12), containing an alternator (10) and provided with a counterweight (11) in its lower part to stabilize it in a position such that its axis of symmetry (91) is substantially vertical when the rotor (3) revolves around its axis of rotation (28) under the action of the liquid flow, and 15 - transmission means (16) for transmitting the movement of the first wheels (12) to the shaft (15) of the alternator (10) ) to rotate it and produce electric power. 20 2 - Device (1) according to claim 1 characterized in that the enclosure (9) comprises two first wheels (12) pivotally mounted on the lower ends of each of its lateral faces, about axes parallel to the axis of rotation (28) of the rotor (3), said first 25 wheels (12) bearing directly or indirectly on the cylindrical inner face of the rotor (3). 3 - Device (1) according to claim 2 characterized in that the enclosure (9) comprises a second wheel (14) pivotally mounted on the upper end of each of its lateral faces and ensuring the maintenance of direct or indirect contact between the first wheels (12) HGN001-FR-12_TEXTE REMOVAL_RG / GEand the cylindrical inner face of the rotor (3). 4 - Device (1) according to any one of claims 2 or 3 characterized in that the first 5 wheels (12) are of the railway wheel type and cooperate with circular rails (13) disposed on the cylindrical inner face of the rotor ( 3). - Device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that the transmission means (16) are of the pulley-belt type and comprise a plurality of driving pulleys (161a, b, c), pulleys receiving (162a, b, c) and belts (163a, b, c) and, if necessary, tension rollers (164b, c). 6 - Device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that each blade (4) is at least partially foldable between a position 20 "opening" to capture the flow of liquid and a position "closing "to avoid hindering the rotational movement of the rotor (3) and limit the wind setting of said rotor (3). 7 - Device (1) according to claim 6 characterized in that each blade (4) comprises a fixed portion (41) integral with the outer face of the rotor (3), a movable portion (42) articulated to the free end said fixed portion (41) about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation (28) of the rotor (3), and a retaining member (43) joining the free end of said movable portion (42) at the fixed part (41) of the blade (4) situated upstream. HGN001-EN-12_TEXTE DEPOSE_RG / GE- 12 - 8 - Device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7 characterized in that it comprises a structure (2) on which is pivotally mounted the rotor (3) to blades (4) and for adjusting the vertical position 5 of said rotor (3) relative to the liquid. 9 - Device (1) according to claim 8 characterized in that the structure (2) comprises at least: - two poles (21) substantially vertical, 10 - a first plate (24) inclined and articulated at its longitudinal end upstream to said poles (21) about an axis (23) substantially horizontal and perpendicular to the direction of flow of the liquid, - a second plate (25) substantially horizontal and articulated at the longitudinal end downstream of said first plate (24) around an axis (26) parallel to said axis (23) and provided at each of its lateral edges with a frame (27) receiving the rotor (3), and - two arms (29), each being pivotally mounted, around 20 d axes (30) parallel to said axis (23), at one of its ends on one of the posts (21) and at the other end at the top of the frame (27) associated. 10 - Device (1) according to claim 9 characterized in that the first and second plates (24,25) form a guide device (22) for channeling and increasing the flow of liquid at the submerged portion of the rotor (3). HGN001-EN-12_TEXT DEPOSE_RG / GE