GB2175962A - Wave power generator - Google Patents
Wave power generator Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2175962A GB2175962A GB08529396A GB8529396A GB2175962A GB 2175962 A GB2175962 A GB 2175962A GB 08529396 A GB08529396 A GB 08529396A GB 8529396 A GB8529396 A GB 8529396A GB 2175962 A GB2175962 A GB 2175962A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- air
- cross flow
- flow turbine
- power generator
- wave power
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F03B—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS
- F03B13/00—Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus; Power stations or aggregates
- F03B13/12—Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus; Power stations or aggregates characterised by using wave or tide energy
- F03B13/14—Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus; Power stations or aggregates characterised by using wave or tide energy using wave energy
- F03B13/141—Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus; Power stations or aggregates characterised by using wave or tide energy using wave energy with a static energy collector
- F03B13/142—Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus; Power stations or aggregates characterised by using wave or tide energy using wave energy with a static energy collector which creates an oscillating water column
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
- F05B—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
- F05B2240/00—Components
- F05B2240/90—Mounting on supporting structures or systems
- F05B2240/93—Mounting on supporting structures or systems on a structure floating on a liquid surface
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
- Y02E10/30—Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient
Abstract
A wave activated power generator comprises an air chamber 1, 3, which is open at the bottom underwater and is open to the air at its top; the air chamber being provided with a cross flow turbine 2 wherein unidirectional rotating force is produced by the action of either the air current flowing out of the air chamber while a wave surface is rising or the air current flowing into the air chamber while the wave surface is falling; and the shaft of the cross flow turbine 2 being coupled with the rotor shaft of a dynamo. Air guiding portions 5, 6 are respectively located at two positions between which the cross flow turbine 2 is interposed within the air piston in such a manner that each current of air which flows in or out may converge on the concave sides of the blades 4a of the cross flow turbine, and the dimensional ratio of the narrowest portion of the guide portion and the rotor diameter of the cross flow turbine taking any value within the range of 0.1 to 0.8. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
Wave power generator
Background of the Invention
This invention relates to a wave power generator, and more particularly to a wave activated power generator comprising an air piston chamber which is open at the bottom underwater and open to the air at the top; the air piston chamber being provided with a cross flow turbine which is constituted buy a modified Savonius wind mill (hereinafter called "cross flow turbine") wherein unidirectional rotating force is produced by the action of either the air current flowing out of the air piston chamber while a wave surface is rising or the air current flowing into the air piston chamber while a wave surface is falling; and the shaft of this cross flow turbine being coupled with the rotor shaft of a dynamo.
Description of the Prior Art
As a conventional wave activated electric generator of this kind, there is a floating type which, as shown in Fig. 1, floats on water by the action of a floating member A attached to a tubular member 1 constituting an air piston chamber and a fixed type wherein the tubular member 1 constituting the air piston chamber is fixed on a rock Cat the water's edge beach as shown in Fig. 2.
A cross flow turbine 2 is located in the middle portion of this tubular member 1 which serves as a piston chamber and a dynamo B is coupled with the turbine. Referring to Fig. 3 showing the relationship between the turbine 2 and the tubular member 1, the cross flow turbine 2 is located in the middle hollow portion of the tubular member 1 which is open underwater at its bottom end and to the outside air at its top end. When the wave surface rises, air is forced to flow upwardly from an air chamber 3 located under the cross flow turbine 2 of the tubular member 1 so as to rotate a rotor 4 of the cross flow turbine 2, and when the wave surface falls, the rotor 4 of the cross flow turbine 2 is rotated by the air reversely flowing into the air chamber 3, so that a dynamo (not shown) coupled with the rotor 4 generates electricity.In this case, the cross flow turbine 2 is arranged such that the rotor 4 rotates unidirectionally irrespective of the direction in which the air is flowing.
Cross flow type turbines are commonly used with a currentofairflowing in a single direction as shown in Fig. 4, but in a conventional wave activated power generator, the effect of an air current 15 acting on the turbine rotor 4 is governed by the shape of a rotating blade 4a which has a one concave-shaped side and one convex-shaped side in such a manner that the force acting to drive the turbine caused by the air striking the concave side (the upper side in Fig. 4) becomes greater than the force acting to brake the turbine caused by the air striking the convex side (the lower side in Fig. 4).
Thus the difference between these forces becomes the driving force for the turbine. However, there is a problem in this case since the rotating efficiency of the turbine is made lower due to the effect of the braking force caused by the air striking the convex side of the blade.
This invention aims to provide a novel apparatus adapted to increase the above-mentioned driving force and decrease the braking force in order to ameliorate the disadvantages referred to hereinabove.
Summary of the Invention
In this invention, the cross flow turbine is located in the tubular member as described above, a guide member is so provided as to cover the convex side of the blade from which braking force is exerted on the rotor of the turbine so that the air current flowing toward the cross flow turbine can converge further on the concave side of the blade from which driving force is exerted on the rotor of the turbine, and the dimensional ratio of the turbine rotor diameter and the width of the inlet through which air flows to the turbine rotor is so set as to take any value in the range of 0.1 to 0.8, whereby the arrangement is such that this relationship identically applies to air currents flowing in both relative directions with respect to the turbine.
Accordingly, in the wave power generator of this invention, more air current flows to the side on which driving force is exerted on the turbine rotor while little air current flows to the side on which braking force is exerted on the rotor, thereby enabling an improvement in the rotating efficiency of the rotor.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 is a schematic view showing a floating type wave activated power generator;
Fig. 2 is a schematic view showing a fixed type wave activated power generator;
Fig. 3 is a typical schematic view showing the relationship between a cross flow turbine and a tubular member;
Fig. 4 is a view showing the relationship between a cross flow turbine and a fluid;
Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation view showing an embodiment of this invention; and
Fig. 6 is a graph wherein the rotating efficiency of a cross flow turbine used in the generator of this invention is represented by the dimensional ratios of the rotor diameter of the turbine to the width of the air inlet.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation view showing an embodiment df this invention, wherein members identical with those referred to in Figs. 1 to 4 are represented by identical symbols.
Referring to Fig. 5, the tubular member 1 of a rectangular cross-section is arranged in such a manner that it is open at its bottom end underwater and is open to the air at its top end, and the cross flow turbine 2 is provided at the hollow middle portion of the tubular member 1 such that the rotating shaft thereof is positioned horizontally, the rotating shaft being coupled with a dynamo (not shown). Guide members 5, 6 are arranged in the shape shown in Fig. 5 and in such manner that the cross flow turbine 2 in the tubular member 1 is
interposed between them.The guide member 5
located on the side of the air chamber 3 at the
bottom end of the tubular member 1 is attached to a wall la of the tubular member 1 on the side on which a rotating blade 4a provided on the turbine
rotor 4 approaches to the air chamber 3 at the time
of rotation while an opening 7 is formed between the projected portion of the guide member 5 and a wall 16 of the tubular member 1 on the side on which the rotating blade 4a ofthe rotor moves away from the air chamber 3 at the time of rotation, and an air passage 8 is formed between the guide
member 5 and the wall 1b ofthe tubular member to which the guide member 5 is not attached. The air passage 8 is so formed as to become gradually smaller in cross-sectional area from its bottom end to its top end, and is narrowest at the opening 7.A slight airspace is maintained between the guide member 5 and the circumference of the rotation of the turbine blade 4a and the guide member 5 is formed with an inner surface 9 of a circular crosssection.
In this embodiment, the turbine rotor 4, 120 mm in diameter (as D) and 42 mm in inner diameter (as d), is a Savoniusturbinetype consisting of three blades wherein the width of the opening 7 is 32.5 mm and the dimensional ratio of the width h of the opening 7 to the diameter D of the turbine rotor 4 is 0.27.The side of guide member 6 nearest the outside air is so formed as to be in point symmetrical relationship with on the corresponding side ofthe guide member 5 nearest the air chamber 3 with respect to the rotating shaft of the cross flow turbine rotor 4, whereby a tube wall ic and 1 d, an opening 10, an air passage 71 and an innersurface 12 of the guide member 6 are arranged completely in correspondence with the layout, form and dimensions of those of the guide member 5 on the air chamber side.
In the next place, description will be made of the operation of this embodiment. In Fig. 5, when a wave surface 3a rises, the air from the air chamber 3, passing through the passage 8 on the side of the air chamber 3 and the opening 7, pushes the blade 4a of the cross flow turbine to rotate the rotor 4 on which it is provided. The air is guided to the inner side 12 of the guide member 6 nearestto of the outside air wherein it continues to rotate the rotor 4 until it reaches the opening 10 on the side facing the outside air, and is finally exhausted out of the tube through the air passage 11.When the wave surface 3a falls reversely, air current flows in the opposite direction of the above butthesame-operntion as the above is repeated with respect to the cross flow turbine except that the air current flows up and down in a manner different from the process described above since the guide members 5,6 the openings 7, 10 the air passages 8, 11 and the inner surfaces 9, 12 of each guide member are symmetrically arranged with respective to each other. The airfrom the outside, passing through the air passage 11 and the opening 10 due to the action of the negative pressure developed in the air chamber 3 rotates the rotor 4 in the same direction
as the above, and then, via the inner side 9 of the
guide member 5 on the side of the air chamber 3,
through the opening 7 and the air passage 8, into
the air chamber 3.Since the respective guide
members 5, 6 are suitably arranged in this manner,
such air current that exerts braking force on the
turbine undergoes a change in the manner in-which
it flows when it strikes againstthe guide member Thus only the current for driving the turbine is able
to efficiently act on the turbine. Accordingly, the
turbine always rotates unidirectionally to turn the
dynamo B (not shown) in Fig. 5 coupled with the
shaft of the turbine.
In this embodiment, such a system is used that
the dimensional ratio of the width h of the opening
to the diameter D of the turbine rotor is 0.27. Fig. 6 is
a graph showing the relationship between the
efficiency and the h/D ratio obtained in an
experiment performed on the basis of changing this
ratio to a variety of alternatives. As will be seen from
this graph, when the h/D ratio takes any value in the
range of 0.1 to 0.8, the efficiency becomes a value of
20% or more and when the h/D ratio is at 0.27, the efficiency becomes a maximum value of close to
25%. As described above, when the h/D ratio ranges
between 0.1 and 0.8, a wave activated power
generator of high efficiency can be obtained.
Additionally since the turbine rotor 4 is so formed as to have an outer diameter of 120 mm and an inner diameter of 42 mm, the d/D ratio is 0.35. However, this ratio can also be set at a suitable value so as to
obtain a maximum value of rotating efficiency as in the case of the above h/D ratio since a variation
occurs in the rotating efficiency of the turbine.
In this embodiment, a cross flowturbine is shown in which the rotating shaft is disposed horizontally,
but it will be readily understood that the shaft could also be vertically mounted, corresponding to the
manner of usage.
The present invention incorporating the above described construction and action is able to efficiently convert wave energy into electric energy and it is remarkably effective in a case where this invention is used as a power source for a navigation aid or a light beacon for an isolated island. This advantage materially reduces the steps of time required for replacing a storage battery and
maintaining the generator or other equipment, thereby enabling a reduction in maintenance costs and stabilization of the power used in lighting a
lamp.
As shown in Fig. 5,the rotating efficiency of the turbine is expected to be further improved by enlarging the diameter of the underwater portion of the tubular member 1 as compared with the portion appearing above the water surface.
Claims (7)
1. A wave power generator comprising an air piston and a cross flow turbine wherein said piston atthe top end thereof is open to the air, said piston in the middle portion thereof being provided with said cross flowturbine which rotates unidirectionally by the effect of either the air current flowing out of said air piston while a wave surface is falling and the air current flowing into said air piston while a wave surface is rising, and the rotating shaft of said cross flow turbine being coupled with the rotor of a dynamo, characterized in that air guiding portions are respectively located attwo positions between which said cross flow turbine is interposed within said air piston in such a manner that each current of air which flows in or out may converge on the concave side of the blade of said cross flow turbine.
2. A wave power generator according to Claim 1, wherein said air guiding portions each have a form which is gradually enlarged in horizontal crosssection in the direction of the top or bottom ends of said air piston.
3. A wave power generator according to either of
Claims 1 and 2, wherein said air guiding portion is constituted by a wall forming a part of an air passage and a curved wall surface which is formed in continuous relationship with said wall and is close to the circumference of said rotating blade.
4. A wave power generator according to Claim 1, wherein said two air guiding portions are located in point symmetrical relationship with each other with respect to the rotating shaft of said cross flow turbine within said air piston.
5. A wave power generator according to either of
Claims 1 and 2, wherein the arrangement is such that the dimensional ratio of the distance h between said air guiding portion dnd the inner wall of the air passage of said tubular member and the rotor diameter D of said cross flow turbine takes any value within the range of 0.1 to 0.8.
6. A wave power generator according to Claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area ofthe underwater portion including the bottom end of said tubular member is larger than that of the portion appearing above the water surface.
7. A wave power generator being constituted by each individual novel embodiment disclosed herein or a combination of any of said embodiments.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP1985056349U JPH029100Y2 (en) | 1985-04-16 | 1985-04-16 |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB8529396D0 GB8529396D0 (en) | 1986-01-08 |
| GB2175962A true GB2175962A (en) | 1986-12-10 |
Family
ID=13024751
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08529396A Withdrawn GB2175962A (en) | 1985-04-16 | 1985-11-29 | Wave power generator |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| JP (1) | JPH029100Y2 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2175962A (en) |
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2429243A (en) * | 2005-08-20 | 2007-02-21 | Alex Rollo | Wave generator |
| WO2013166529A1 (en) * | 2012-05-04 | 2013-11-07 | Reginald Friedenthal | Apparatus for generating energy |
| US20140217735A1 (en) * | 2011-06-24 | 2014-08-07 | He Chen | Ocean wave generator and ocean wave generator system |
| WO2015136160A1 (en) * | 2014-03-12 | 2015-09-17 | Hutchinson | Hydraulic anti-vibration device provided with an electricity generator device and electricity generator device for such an anti-vibration device |
Families Citing this family (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JP2575012B2 (en) * | 1987-01-19 | 1997-01-22 | 株式会社 緑星社 | Wave power generation device and power generation method thereof |
| JP5637388B2 (en) * | 2011-02-28 | 2014-12-10 | 豊田合成株式会社 | In-vehicle wind power generator |
| JP2014234949A (en) * | 2013-06-03 | 2014-12-15 | いすゞ自動車株式会社 | Thermoacoustic engine |
Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4266403A (en) * | 1979-10-30 | 1981-05-12 | Farrokh Hirbod | Wind and wave energy generator |
| GB1601060A (en) * | 1978-05-31 | 1981-10-21 | Tideland Signal Corp | Double acting turbine for converting wave energy of water to electrical power |
| EP0135799A2 (en) * | 1983-08-25 | 1985-04-03 | Walter Martin Eismann | Wind motor for generating electricity |
Family Cites Families (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPS6218710Y2 (en) * | 1980-03-14 | 1987-05-13 |
-
1985
- 1985-04-16 JP JP1985056349U patent/JPH029100Y2/ja not_active Expired
- 1985-11-29 GB GB08529396A patent/GB2175962A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1601060A (en) * | 1978-05-31 | 1981-10-21 | Tideland Signal Corp | Double acting turbine for converting wave energy of water to electrical power |
| US4266403A (en) * | 1979-10-30 | 1981-05-12 | Farrokh Hirbod | Wind and wave energy generator |
| EP0135799A2 (en) * | 1983-08-25 | 1985-04-03 | Walter Martin Eismann | Wind motor for generating electricity |
Cited By (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2429243A (en) * | 2005-08-20 | 2007-02-21 | Alex Rollo | Wave generator |
| US20140217735A1 (en) * | 2011-06-24 | 2014-08-07 | He Chen | Ocean wave generator and ocean wave generator system |
| WO2013166529A1 (en) * | 2012-05-04 | 2013-11-07 | Reginald Friedenthal | Apparatus for generating energy |
| US9709022B2 (en) | 2012-05-04 | 2017-07-18 | Reginald Friedenthal | Apparatus for generating energy |
| AU2013255987B2 (en) * | 2012-05-04 | 2017-10-12 | Reginald Friedenthal | Apparatus for generating energy |
| WO2015136160A1 (en) * | 2014-03-12 | 2015-09-17 | Hutchinson | Hydraulic anti-vibration device provided with an electricity generator device and electricity generator device for such an anti-vibration device |
| US10361606B2 (en) | 2014-03-12 | 2019-07-23 | Hutchinson | Hydraulic anti-vibration device provided with an electricity generator device and electricity generator device for such an anti-vibration device |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| JPH029100Y2 (en) | 1990-03-06 |
| JPS61173780U (en) | 1986-10-29 |
| GB8529396D0 (en) | 1986-01-08 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |