JP2000337241A - Generating set and generating method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently generate power without using resources by converting the vertical motion of a float member floating receiving the motion of waves, into the rotary motion of a transmission shaft, lifting sea water transfer containers containing sea water, by the rotational force, and generating power utilizing potential energy of the sea water. SOLUTION: A generating set utilizing waves of the sea surface is provided with a float member 16 vertically floating on the sea surface in accordance with the vertical motion of the waves, and a transmission shaft 22 is rotated in one direction through a chain 18 and a ratchet wheel 24 by the vertical motion of the float member 16. A transfer belt 28 is transferred in one direction through the rotation of gears 26-26" by the rotation of the transmission shaft 22 to move up sea water transfer containers 30 disposed at specified spaces at the transfer belt 28 and to draw up sea water through the transfer containers 30 into a water storage tank 32 installed in a higher position than the sea surface. The sea water in the water storage tank 32 falls through conduit tubes 36 into a generating facility 34 installed in a low place, and a generator is driven by hydraulic power to generate power.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hydroelectric power generation device and a power generation method using wave energy of seawater.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various methods are used for power generation. Thermal power generation is associated with pollution problems due to the burning of fossil fuels. For nuclear power,
The danger of radioactive contamination cannot be neglected. Proposals have also been made for power generation using wind energy and wave energy.

[0003] A US patent issued November 19, 1991
No. 5,066,867 (right holder Shim) discloses a power generation method using the movement of a floating bag that repeatedly moves up and down by waves as a power source and using the rotational force of a gear connected to the floating bag with a rope.

A US patent issued October 31, 1995
5,641,862 (right holder Ovadia) discloses a seawater wave energy conversion system provided inside a breakwater and equipped with a wave energy recovery device integrated with the breakwater. The energy recovery device directs seawater into an upwardly extending duct, transmits pressure to oil separated from the seawater by a diaphragm, and converts wave energy to oil pressure. The wave energy recovery device comprises a plurality of control valves electrically connected to a computerized control system,
The pressure of the waves is recovered and transmitted to the oil. The piping system directs the pressurized oil to a pressure tank connected to a hydraulic motor mechanically coupled to the generator. This system can also be combined with a solar still.

[0005] China Patent Publication CN1086878A also discloses a power generation method and a power generation device using seawater waves. The device includes a generator and a float member that functions as a source of wave energy. The vertical movement of the float member due to the seawater waves becomes the energy for power generation.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 6-93952 discloses a power generating apparatus and a power generating method using tidal force.

A drawback common to the above prior art is that the structure of the apparatus is complicated and requires many members, which means that the use of the above method and apparatus inevitably increases the power generation cost due to seawater waves. means. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a power generation device and a power generation method that can reduce the above-described disadvantages and supply the power to the public as at least useful alternative energy.

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems As one mode of the present invention,
An apparatus is provided that has a float means that rises and falls according to the vertical movement of the wave, and the float means converts the wave of the seawater into electric power.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a power generation device utilizing waves on the sea surface, the power generation device comprising: a float means which floats up and down on the sea surface in response to the vertical movement of the waves; A conversion means for converting the vertical movement of the float means into a movement in one direction of the transfer means, and a seawater supply means for generating power by driving at least one turbine by flowing seawater from the seawater storage means. Wherein the transporting means comprises seawater transporting means, the seawater transporting means being configured to transport seawater from the sea surface to the seawater storage means when the transporting means moves in the direction.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a power generation method utilizing waves on the sea surface, the method comprising the steps of: providing a float means which floats up and down on the sea surface in response to the vertical movement of the waves; Converting the up and down movement of the float means into a movement in one direction of the transfer means, the transfer means moving the seawater carrying means in said direction to carry seawater from the sea surface to the seawater storage means, And driving at least one turbine to generate power by causing seawater to flow down.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, a seawater wave power generation facility is installed on the shore so that seawater wave energy can be easily used. Float member 16 by wave 12 of sea 14
Moves up and down. The float member 16 includes the steel chain 1
8 is connected to one end, and the other end of the chain 18 is connected to the weight 20. The chain 18 is wound around a ratchet wheel 24 on a transmission shaft 22. The chain 18 is originally a bicycle chain, and the chain is engaged with the ratchet wheel 24 only when the float member 16 descends, and
When the float member 16 rises, the ratchet wheel 24 idles and the transmission shaft 22 is not driven. According to this configuration, the float member 16
The transmission shaft 22 rotates in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1 only when the float member 16 descends, and does not rotate when the float member 16 rises.

The transmission shaft 22 also has an endless transfer belt 2.
The transfer belt 28 travels in synchronism with the rotation of the transmission shaft 22. The transmission shaft 22 rotates only in the direction A, and the transfer belt 28 runs only in the direction B. Further, a number of guide gears 26 ′ are provided along the transfer belt 28. The gears 26 '' and 26 '' are simultaneously rotated in the same direction so that the transfer belt 28 runs smoothly along the path.
Are connected to the gear 26. The rotation of the gear 26 '' assists in the downward movement of the transport belt 28 passing therethrough.

A number of water containers 30 that move with the belt 28 are attached to the transfer belt 28. When the water container 30 is immersed in the seawater 14, the container 30 is filled with seawater. When the container 30 reaches the position 30 ', seawater is injected into the water storage tank 32 located higher than the power generation facility 34 (as described later). The emptied container 30 is returned to the sea surface 14 by the transfer belt 28, and starts the movement of pumping seawater and transferring the seawater to the water storage tank 32 again.

For best results, the power plant 34
Before the seawater flows down through the water pipe 36, the water tank 3
2. Store enough seawater. When the seawater flows down to the power generation facility 34, the seawater rotates and drives one or a plurality of turbines (not shown) to generate power and supply power to the end user through the transmission line 38. When seawater flows down through the water pipe 36, the potential energy of the seawater in the water storage tank 32 is converted into kinetic energy. The kinetic energy of the seawater is converted to kinetic energy of the turbine and further converted to electrical energy, which is provided to the end user in a conventional manner.

The float member 16 is made of wood, metal, plastic, glass fiber or the like into an arbitrary shape. For example, as shown in FIG.
As a closed square prism having an upper layer 40 and a lower layer 42 of the same depth, the lower layer 42 is filled with water or other liquid, and the upper layer 40 is filled with air. Float member 1
The ratio of the width (w), length (l), and height (h) of 6, ie, W: l: h
Is preferably 1: 2: 1. Preferably, about one third of the height of the float member 16 is above sea level.

An experiment was conducted on the relationship between the weight of the float member and the amount of seawater to be transferred. As shown in FIG. 2, the ratchet wheel 24 and the gear 26 have the same dimensions, and the weight M is connected to the shaft 22 via a belt 28 '. Table 1 shows the experimental results.

[0018]

[Table 1]

It has been found that the preferred weight ratio between the float member 16 and the weight M is 10: 1.5, that is, 20: 3. When the weight of the float member 16 is 1,000 kg, the weight M and 150 kg of seawater can be transferred. Total power of seawater transfer when the wave up-and-down motion cycle is 15 times per minute
2,250kg (15x150kg) is obtained.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5A and 5B, two containers 30 are suspended from rods 50 at their ends. Each rod 50 is provided with two concave portions (not shown) for locking the hanging members 52 of the container 30. Further, a safety lock (not shown) for holding the hanging member 52 on the rod 50 is also provided. With this structure, the container 30 is securely held by the rod 50 so as to be swingable. Normally, the container 30 keeps the posture shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B so that seawater does not spill. Further, the rod 50 (that is, the container 30) is fixed to the belt 28 and moves together with the belt 28.

As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, a water storage tank 32 is provided.
Two blocks 54 on the transfer path of the container 30 above the
Is provided. As shown in FIG.
The upper end of 4 is higher than the bottom of the container 30. Therefore, when the moving container 30 comes into contact with the block 54, the container 30 is pulled down by the running belt 28, and the seawater inside the container is poured into the water storage tank 32. The empty container 30 is pulled over the moving belt 28 and rides over the block 54.

Since most of the components of the apparatus of the present invention come into contact with seawater, it is desirable to use a material such as a stainless steel which is less susceptible to seawater corrosion as the material of the components.

Various improvements can be made to the above-described present invention. For example, in order to increase the efficiency of the equipment and increase the seawater transfer capacity, multiple float members 16
And a different gear arrangement than described above can be employed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an experimental situation for determining a preferable relationship between the weight of the weight and the amount of seawater transferred by the transfer belt.

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the float member shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the seawater transfer means shown in FIG.

5A is a front view showing a part of the transfer means shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5B is a side view of the transfer means.

6 (A) is a plan view of the seawater transfer means shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 (B) is a side view of the seawater transfer means as viewed from the direction of arrow C in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 12 ... wave 14 ... sea surface 16 ... float member 18 ... chain 20 ... weight 22 ... transmission shaft 24 ... ratchet wheel 26, 26 ', 26' '... Gears 28, 28 ', 28' 'Transfer belt 30 Seawater transfer container 32 Water storage tank 34 Power generation facility 36 Water pipe 50 Rod 52 54 ... block

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. Floating means floating up and down on the sea surface in response to the vertical movement of a wave, a transfer means, and a conversion means for converting the vertical movement of the float means into a movement in one direction of the transfer means; Seawater supply means for causing at least one turbine to flow down from the seawater storage means to generate power by driving at least one turbine, wherein the transfer means has seawater transport means, and the seawater transport means is such that the transfer means is in the direction. A power generation device utilizing sea surface waves for transporting sea water from the sea surface to the seawater storage means when exercising. 2. The power generator according to claim 1, wherein said conversion means includes at least one transmission shaft means connected to said float means and said transfer means. 3. The power generator according to claim 1, wherein said transfer means is constituted by at least one endless belt member. 4. The power generator according to claim 2, wherein said float means is connected to said transmission shaft means via a ratchet wheel. 5. The power generator according to claim 1, wherein said seawater supply means is constituted by at least one water pipe. 6. The power generator according to claim 1, wherein the seawater storage means is a water storage tank. 7. A step of providing a float means that floats up and down on the sea surface in response to the up and down movement of the wave, a step of converting the up and down movement of the float means into a movement in one direction of the transfer means, Sea surface transporting the seawater from the sea surface to the seawater storage means by moving the seawater transport means in the direction, and driving the at least one turbine to generate power by flowing the seawater from the seawater storage means. Power generation method using waves. 8. The power generation method according to claim 7, wherein a transmission shaft means is connected to the float means and the transfer means. 9. The power generation method according to claim 7, wherein said transfer means is constituted by at least one endless belt member. 10. The power generation method according to claim 8, wherein said float means is connected to said transmission shaft means via a ratchet wheel. 11. Seawater from the seawater storage means flows down to the turbine through at least one water pipe.
The power generation method according to claim 7. 12. The power generation method according to claim 7, wherein said seawater storage means is a water tank.