JP2003056442A - Float device of structure generating force in opposite directions of buoyancy and gravitational force and holding constant position to liquid level - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To generate force in a gravity direction equivalent to buoyancy without canceling the buoyancy and thus improve efficiency and a utilization factor in a wave power engine using a float, in contrast to low conversion efficiency and a low utilization factor of a back-end device due to limited utilization of only motion pushing the float upward. SOLUTION: The float device has two sections fixed in the top and bottom to form a structure capable of producing both buoyancy and force in a gravity direction. The top section is filled with a filler of small specific gravity. The bottom section is filled with a filler of specific gravity approximate to that of a setting location of the float device so that the bottom section does not cancel buoyancy when underwater and generates force in a gravity direction when the float device is lifted above an equilibrium position with the water surface. When the float is lifted and lowered from the equilibrium position with the water surface, force toward the equilibrium position is generated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In order to supply wave energy to a wave engine device such as a wave pump or a wave power generator, the device according to claim 1 or 2 is used to convert the vertical motion of the wave into mechanical motion. Convert and transmit to wave engine. Further, by attaching the device according to claim 1 or 2 to another floating body, the floating body can be kept at a stable position on the water surface.

[Prior art]

Various methods have been devised for engines such as wave pumps and wave power generators that utilize the vertical kinetic energy of waves. A method of converting the up and down motion of a wave into a mechanical motion using a float and the up and down motion of a wave into a liquid or gas motion,
Furthermore, it is a method of converting into mechanical motion. As a method of using a float, Japanese Patent Nos. 2729096 and 28
No. 16205 and Japanese Patent No. 2857383 are known. In Japanese Patent No. 2729096, only the buoyancy of a float is used. In Japanese Patent No. 2816205, energy obtained by buoyancy is stored in an elastic body, and in Japanese Patent No. 2857383, buoyancy is used. The obtained energy is used as the potential energy of the weight.

[0003]

FIG. 4 and

FIG. 5 shows a conceptual diagram of these methods.

FIG. 4 shows a converter 3 such as a pump or a generator due to buoyancy when the float 5 rises due to the upward motion of the waves.
Is rotated and energy is stored in the elastic body 6. When the wave makes a downward motion, the float 5 itself cannot fall and cannot convert the wave energy. At this time, the energy stored in the elastic body 6 is released to rotate the conversion device 3.

In FIG. 5, the converter 3 is rotated by buoyancy when the float 5 rises due to the upward motion of the waves. At this time, the position energy of the weight 7 is stored by pulling up the position of the weight 7 at the same time. Float 5 when the waves move downward
Although it cannot spontaneously convert the wave energy because it falls naturally, the potential energy stored in the weight 7 is released to rotate the conversion device 3. In either method, the utilization rate of the conversion device 3 improves, but the conversion efficiency from the wave to the float changes only by storing the upward energy of the wave converted by the float 5 and discharging it in the remaining half cycle. Absent. The method of converting to mechanical motion using a float has a simple configuration and a small loss in conversion itself, but the conversion efficiency is poor because only the upward and downward motion of the wave can be converted. For this reason, there are many methods of extracting energy after converting the vertical kinetic energy into fluid motion of gas or liquid, but there are problems such as large total loss, large structure, and high equipment cost.

Many wave-powered pumps and wave-powered generators, such as wave-powered engines, are installed by

[Fig. 6] A device for converting wave motions into other mechanical motions or fluid motions, such as Japanese Patent No. 2729096, is installed on the water surface, and a device 3 for utilizing the converted energy or converting it to electricity is from the seabed. It is designed to be installed on a built base or on land. There are also methods in which a floating structure is used as in Japanese Patent Nos. 2816205 and 2857383, but mooring from the bottom of the water is required, and there is no perfect floating type.

[0005]

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] A float is often used in the method of extracting the kinetic energy of a wave by converting it into vertical movement of a floating body. In this case, only the motion of the converted waves can transfer energy when pushing the float upwards, and not when the float descends. In a conversion device such as a wave pump or a wave power generator that uses the force from the float, there is a blank time between the half cycles of the waves, which reduces the utilization rate of the entire engine. In addition, since the necessary energy is converted in a half cycle, twice as much force is applied to the mechanical section including the float as compared with the case where it is converted in a full cycle, and it is necessary to have a structure and strength corresponding to that. is there. To make up for this

FIG. 4 shows a method of storing half of the force generated by the float 5 in the elastic body 6 as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, there is a method of using the weight 7 to convert half of the force generated by the float into potential energy and store the potential energy, but the force generated by the buoyancy is merely averaged over time. The issue is to generate a force in the direction of gravity equivalent to buoyancy without canceling the buoyancy.

In a mechanism for converting the up and down kinetic energy of a wave into a mechanical motion by using a float as in Japanese Patent No. 2729096, conversion of a wave pump or wave power generation in which the motion of the float is transmitted and used. The device is installed on the structure built from the seabed or on land. this is,

As shown in FIG. 6, when the buoyancy generated in the float 5 is transmitted by the connecting portion 2 connecting the float 5 and the motion conversion device unit 3, the motion of the float 5 is converted into rotational motion centered on the conversion device unit 3. Become. When the converter unit 3 is not fixed

As shown in FIG. 7, the transmitted buoyancy is transferred to the converter unit 3.
The buoyancy is not transmitted as energy because it acts as a tilting force. In order to make the float 5 and the converter unit 3 or the entire wave power engine a structure of a complete floating body, it is a problem that the converter unit 3 keeps a constant position with respect to the water surface.

Regarding claim 2. In a wave engine such as a wave pump or a wave power generator, energy is taken out by using a wave whose period and size are not constant, and therefore the force received by the float is constantly changing. It can also be weighted many times more than usual in stormy weather. In order to deal with this, it is an issue to adjust the force that the float receives.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In the floating body device installed on the surface of the water, the structure is such that buoyancy force and gravity force can be obtained in both directions.

FIG. 8

FIG. 9

FIG. 10 and

FIG. 11 is a floating body structure in which an area a and an area b are divided into upper and lower parts as shown in FIG. Each area is composed of one or more chambers, and the structure in the area a above is filled with and retains a low specific gravity filler such as gas or foamable material to obtain buoyancy and withstand hydraulic pressure. The structure is The structure of the lower zone b does not generate a force in the direction of gravity when it is in the liquid, and the force is generated when the lower zone b rises above the liquid level. The structure is such that a filling material such as a liquid having a close specific gravity is filled and held.

FIG. 8 shows a structure in which one hollow body 8 is divided into upper and lower areas a and b.

FIG. 9

FIG. 10 and

In FIG. 11, upper and lower sections a and b are formed by connecting two cavities to each other.

FIG. 9 shows the case where the areas a and b are composed of unclosed chambers,

FIG. 10 shows that when the areas a and b are composed of a single closed chamber,

FIG. 11 shows a case where the areas a and b are composed of a plurality of closed chambers. In order to bring the position where the buoyancy force is generated and the position where the buoyancy force is generated close to each other so that the buoyancy force or the force in the gravitational force acts even when the floating device moves up or down, Close to the center. Therefore, the shapes of the areas a and b are made large in the horizontal direction and thin in the vertical direction. Then, a structure is provided in which a connecting portion 2 for connecting the floating body device and a converter such as a wave pump or a wave power generator is attached. The mounting position of the floating body device and the connecting portion 2 is at the equilibrium position with the liquid surface of the floating body device, and the structure is such that the inclination of the floating body device is not restricted so that the liquid surface and the floating body device are aligned.

In the floating body device having this structure, the intermediate positions of the upper and lower areas are normally balanced at the height of the water surface. When a load in the direction of gravity is applied to the floating body device or the water surface rises, the buoyancy corresponding to the volume is generated by the upper area a that generates the buoyancy entering the liquid, and pushes up the floating body device.
Further, when a force is applied in the direction of lifting the floating body device or the liquid level is lowered, a lower area b that generates a force in the direction of gravity.
Goes out into the air, and a downward force corresponding to the volume is generated to push down the floating body device. In this way, the floating device always generates a force in a direction that maintains a constant position with respect to the water surface.

In the floating device according to claim 1,

FIG. 11 shows a floating body device in which upper and lower areas are composed of a plurality of chambers,

FIG. 12 is a view showing the buoyancy generated in the upper area a and the gravity generated in the lower area b, provided with devices 12 and 13 for loading and unloading the filling material for filling the upper and lower areas into and from the respective areas and chambers. Add a function that adjusts the directional force. The devices 12 and 13 are valves such as a pump unit 12 for supplying the filling material in the upper area a and a filling material in the lower area b, a valve for switching the filling material to be supplied, and a valve for discharging the already filled filling material. The upper and lower areas a,
b. Filling material can be supplied, filled or discharged in each chamber. By injecting the filler in the lower zone b into some chambers in the upper zone a which generate buoyancy,
Reduce the buoyancy of the injected volume. Also, the lower area b
By injecting the filler in area a into some of the chambers, the force of the injected volume in the gravitational direction is reduced.

Further, in the floating device according to claim 1,

FIG. 11 shows a device in which upper and lower areas a and b are composed of a plurality of chambers,

13 is provided with a mechanism 14 for opening and closing each chamber as shown in FIG. The upper area a is filled with a buoyant filling material in the liquid, leaving some of the chambers open and some of the chambers filled with liquid when the upper area a is in liquid. Adjust the overall buoyancy so that it does not generate buoyancy. If all the chambers are opened, buoyancy will not be generated, so the entire device can be retracted into the liquid without using a large force. Similarly, in the lower area b, by opening a part of the plurality of chambers, the amount of force generated in the direction of gravity can be adjusted when the lower area b is in the air. If all the chambers in the lower area b are released, the entire apparatus can be evacuated to the air without using a large force.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[Figure 1]

FIG. 2 and

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the invention.

In FIG. 1, in order to convert the upper and lower kinetic energy of the wave into the upper and lower mechanical kinetic energy, the floating portion is constituted by the floating body device according to claim 1 or 2. The floating device converts the vertical kinetic energy of waves into upper and lower mechanical kinetic energy by the function of keeping the position with the water surface constant, and transmits the mechanical kinetic energy of the waves to the motion conversion device unit 3 via the connecting unit 2. In the converter unit 3, since the up-and-down mechanical motion of the floating body device is transmitted as a rotary reciprocating motion centered on the converter unit 3, it is unidirectionally directed to a pump, a generator or the like via a device such as Japanese Patent Application No. 001-87204. It is transmitted and used as the rotational movement of.

Converter unit 3 for wave pump, wave power generation, etc.
Is

[Fig. 6] In many cases, it is installed on a structure constructed from the bottom of the water or on land. Since the vertical mechanical motion of the float 5 that has converted the vertical kinetic energy of the wave is transmitted as a rotary reciprocating motion centered on the converter unit 3,

As shown in FIG. 7, when the converter unit 3 is tilted, kinetic energy is not transmitted. In order to make the converter unit 3 have a floating structure that is stable against tilting,

As shown in FIG. 2, the floating device according to claim 1 or 2 is attached to the conversion device unit 3 so that the conversion device unit 3 is located at a fixed position with respect to the water surface and tilting is prevented. By increasing the distance between the floating body device and the conversion device section 3 according to claim 1 or 2, it becomes more stable against inclination.

FIG. 3 shows a wave motion converter using claim 1 or claim 2.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a wave-powered engine device that is completely floating by combining the converter device unit 3 having a stable posture.

[0014]

According to the present invention, by using the apparatus of claim 1 or 2 as a wave kinetic energy converter, the up and down kinetic energy of a wave can be converted as mechanical kinetic energy. This is twice the conversion efficiency in the case where only the upward kinetic energy is taken out by the float until now. Moreover, the conversion to the period only in the upward direction is converted to the period in both the vertical direction, so that the utilization factor of the engine such as the generator is doubled. In addition, the vertical kinetic energy of the wave is converted into the kinetic energy of gas or liquid,
Furthermore, the conversion efficiency is superior to the method of converting to mechanical kinetic energy or electric energy, and the mechanism is simple.

By mounting the device according to claim 1 or 2 on a motion conversion device part constituting a generator, a pump or the like to form a floating body device having a constant posture, a land or a water bottom for installing the conversion device part. You don't need structures from. This greatly eases the geographical conditions for setting up wave engines. It also does not require the cost of constructing a structure for installation. When installed and used in a fixed place, only an anchor that prevents the floating body device from moving is sufficient.

Since the whole is a wave-powered engine having a complete floating body structure, it is possible to construct a moving body using wave-power energy.

With respect to fluctuations in wave strength and fluctuations in the cycle, the upward and downward forces can be adjusted, so that the kinetic energy input to the wave power engine can be appropriately adjusted, and the generator and pump can be efficiently operated. . In addition, when necessary such as in case of stormy weather, the device can be retracted into the air or water without applying the upward and downward forces.

[0018]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram in which the invention is implemented.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram in which the invention is implemented.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram in which the invention is implemented.

FIG. 4 is a supplementary diagram for explaining the conventional technique.

FIG. 5 is a supplementary diagram for explaining the conventional technique.

FIG. 6 is a supplementary diagram for explaining the problem to be solved.

FIG. 7 is a supplementary diagram for explaining the problem to be solved.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of claim 1.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of claim 1.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of claim 1.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of claim 1.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of claim 2.

FIG. 13 is a configuration diagram of claim 2.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 --- The device of claim 1 2 ---- Connecting part 3 ---- Conversion device such as a pump or a generator 4 ---- The device of claim 5 ---- Float 6 --- -Elastic body 7 --- Weight 8 --- Single body void 9 --- Non-closed void body 10 --- Single chamber void 11 --- Plural chamber voids 12- --- Packing material transfer pump 13 --- Valve 14 for switching the type of packing material and controlling filling and discharging --- Mechanism for opening and closing each chamber a --- Area for generating buoyancy b --- -Area that generates force in the direction of gravity A --- A room that divides an area A-A room that separates an area U --- A room that separates an area

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A floating body device having a structure in which two areas are fixed vertically so as to have a structure capable of obtaining a force in both directions of a buoyancy force and a force in the direction of gravity in a floating body device installed and used on a liquid surface. Each of the upper and lower areas is composed of a single chamber or a plurality of chambers, and the upper area is filled with a filler having a low specific gravity in order to obtain buoyancy.
The lower area does not generate a force in the gravity direction that cancels the buoyancy when it is submerged in the liquid, so that the force in the gravity direction is generated when the floating device rises from the equilibrium position with the liquid surface. Fill the liquid at the specified location or a filler with a specific gravity close to it. With the above structure, when the floating device rises from the equilibrium position with the liquid surface, a force acts in the direction of gravity, and when the floating device lowers from the equilibrium position with the liquid surface, buoyancy acts, so that the floating device and liquid A floating body device characterized in that the surface works so as to maintain a constant height. 2. A buoyancy force generated in an upper area and a buoyancy force generated in a lower area are provided by providing a device or a mechanism for respectively putting in and out a filler for filling the upper and lower areas of the floating body apparatus according to claim 1. Floating body device with the added function of adjusting the force in the direction of gravity.