JP2012002203A - Ocean current power generation system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ocean current power generation system that reduces a fatality rate due to a collision of fishes and gives little influence to the environment.SOLUTION: The ocean current power generation system includes blades 2 for converting the current of seawater into rotational energy and an electric generator for generating electricity by being given the converted rotational energy via a rotating shaft, and further includes an elastic member for covering a surface of the blades which is produced by an elastic material. The elastic member is detachably fixed by fixing fastening bolts to helical holes provided at a plurality of places of the blades.

Description

  The present invention relates to an ocean current power generation system.

  There are many power generation systems using water, such as water turbines using height differences such as dams, ocean wave power, power generation using tides, power generation using osmotic membranes and temperature differences. A power generation system that can easily obtain large-capacity energy other than a power generation system that uses a difference in height is a power generation system that uses energy of tidal currents or ocean currents. However, large-capacity machines are not yet common and are being developed ahead of parts of Europe.

  FIG. 6 shows a schematic configuration of a mooring type ocean current power generation system, and a basic concept thereof will be described. This system includes a blade 102 that converts a flow into rotational energy, a rotating shaft that covers the portion connected to the blade 102 with a cap 106 and transmits the rotational energy to the generator, and the generator is included in the nacelle 101. ing. The nacelle 101 is supported by a structural member 103, and the structural member 103 is fixed to the sea floor by an anchor 105 via a mooring wire 104.

  FIG. 7 shows a schematic configuration of the fixed ocean current power generation system. The wings 102 and the nacelle 101 have the same structure as that in the mooring type ocean current power generation system shown in FIG. 6, but a column 109 is used to fix the nacelle 101 to the seabed. In both mooring and stationary ocean current power generation systems, a cap 106 having a shape as illustrated is often used as often seen in wind turbines.

  The locations where ocean current power generation can be carried out in the waters near Japan are limited, and mainly include the Kuroshio Current, Tsushima Current, Oyashio Current, etc. On the other hand, tidal current power generation uses the flow of the tide, and the tide in the Naruto Strait is the largest. However, both tidal current and ocean current power generation systems have a great impact on the surrounding environment, and these points are used as fishing grounds supported by abundant plankton. For this reason, when constructing a new power generation system, it is necessary to give sufficient consideration to those who live in the fishery industry so that environmental destruction caused by ecosystem disruption does not occur.

US Pat. No. 7,530,224 US Pat. No. 7,425,772

  As described above, it is necessary to construct an ocean current power generation system with little environmental impact, and the impact on the ecosystem is particularly important.

  When a windmill in a normal power generation system is applied to ocean current power generation, the impact on the ecosystem, such as the decline of the top predators, can be considered due to the fish colliding with the power generation system and dying.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a ocean current power generation system that reduces the collision and death of fish and has less environmental impact.

  The ocean current power generation system according to the present invention includes a blade that converts a flow of seawater into rotational energy, and a generator that generates electric power by applying the converted rotational energy via a rotating shaft. It further comprises an elastic member covering the surface.

  Moreover, the ocean current power generation system of the present invention includes a wing that converts the flow of seawater into rotational energy, and a generator that generates electric power by being supplied with the converted rotational energy via a rotating shaft, and an elastic material is used. A columnar member that is manufactured and is provided on the upstream side of the blade and attached to the rotating shaft is further provided.

  According to the ocean current power generation system of the present invention, it is possible to provide a ocean current power generation system that reduces the mortality due to the collision of fish and has little influence on the environment.

The front view which showed the structure of the ocean current power generation system by Embodiment 1 of this invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which showed the cross-sectional shape of the wing | blade in the ocean current power generation system by the same Embodiment 1. FIG. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which showed the cross-sectional shape of the wing | blade in the ocean current power generation system by Embodiment 2 of this invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which showed the cross-sectional shape of the wing | blade in the ocean current power generation system by Embodiment 3 of this invention. The front view which showed the structure of the ocean current power generation system by Embodiment 4 of this invention. The perspective view which showed schematic structure of the mooring type ocean current power generation system. The front view which showed schematic structure of the fixed type ocean current power generation system.

  Hereinafter, ocean current power generation systems (including tidal current power generation systems) according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(1) Embodiment 1
The ocean current power generation system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

  FIG. 1 shows main components in the ocean current power generation system. This system includes a wing 2 that converts ocean current flow indicated by an arrow into rotational energy, and a rotary shaft that covers the portion attached to the wing 2 with a cap 6 and transmits the converted rotational energy to a generator. The generator is connected to the rotating shaft and generates electric power from the rotational energy. The generator is included in the nacelle 1.

  In FIG. 2, the cross-sectional shape of the wing | blade 2 with respect to the flow direction of an ocean current and the rotation direction of the wing | blade 2 is shown. The first embodiment is characterized in that the surface of the blade 2 is covered with an elastic member 7 formed using an elastic material made of a polymer material such as rubber. Here, the method of providing the elastic member 7 so as to cover the surface of the blade 2 may be any method and is not limited.

  Thus, since the surface of the wing 2 is covered with the elastic member 7, even if fish collides with the wing 2, the impact force is weakened by the elastic member 7. As a result, the killing probability of the fish is reduced, the influence on the downstream ecosystem caused by the ocean current power generation system is reduced, and the influence on the ecosystem such as the decline of the upper predator due to the death of the fish can be reduced.

(2) Embodiment 2
An ocean current power generation system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the component same as the said Embodiment 1, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the second embodiment, the cut 11 is formed in the elastic member 7, and the elastic member 7 is attached to the wing 2 so as to cover the elastic member 7. The bolt 8 is fixed so as to be detachable. Here, the place which fastens the elastic member 7 to the wing | blade 2 with the fastening bolt 8 is provided in the pressure surface 2b. In principle, it is considered that fish collide in the range from the leading edge of the wing 2 to the suction surface 2a. Therefore, fastening is performed on the pressure surface 2b so that unevenness does not occur from the leading edge of the blade 2 to the suction surface 2a.

  Generally, when the elastic member 7 is placed in seawater, the repulsive force deteriorates. Therefore, the resilience performance of the elastic member 7 can be maintained by periodically replacing the elastic member 7.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, the elastic member 7 can be easily detached from the blade 2. Therefore, the elastic member 7 can be periodically replaced, and the ocean current power generation system can be operated in a state where the probability of killing fish is semipermanently reduced.

(3) Embodiment 3
An ocean current power generation system according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The same components as those in the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the elastic member 7 is attached so as to cover the suction surface 2a from the front edge of the blade 2, and is fixed by the fastening bolt 8 on the pressure surface 2b.

  As described in the second embodiment, in principle, fish collide within the range from the leading edge of the wing 2 to the suction surface 2a. Therefore, in the third embodiment, the probability of killing fish can be sufficiently reduced by attaching the elastic member 7 to the wing 2 in this range.

  In consideration of periodically replacing the elastic member 7, the third embodiment can contribute to cost reduction by minimizing the area in which the blade 7 is covered with the elastic member 7.

(4) Embodiment 4
An ocean current power generation system according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the fourth embodiment, a circle formed by using an elastic material made of a polymer material such as rubber on the upstream side of the wing 2 in the flow direction of the ocean current indicated by an arrow. A columnar columnar member 9 is attached to the rotating shaft.

  Here, it is sufficient that at least one columnar member 9 is attached, but the number is not limited to the number, and an arbitrary number can be attached. The columnar member 9 rotates together with the blade 2 as the rotation shaft rotates.

  Before the fish enters the wing 2, it collides with the columnar member 9, and the columnar member 9 is made of an elastic material. For this reason, fish can be in danger without being injured and move away from the ocean current power generation system. As a result, according to the fourth embodiment, fish do not collide with the wing 2 and the killing probability can be reduced.

  The blade 2 may be made of a normal material and not covered with an elastic member, or may be covered with an elastic member as in any of the first to third embodiments.

  The above-described embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made within the technical scope of the present invention.

  Further, the nacelle 1 can be installed on the seabed by any of the fixed type using the support column 10 as shown in FIG. 5 and the mooring type fixed to the seabed by anchoring using a structural member or a mooring wire. A technique may be used.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Nacelle 2 Wing | blade 2a Negative pressure surface 2b Pressure surface 6 Cap 7 Elastic member 8 Fastening bolt 9 Columnar member

Claims (6)

A wing that converts the flow of seawater into rotational energy;
A generator for generating electric power by receiving the converted rotational energy via a rotary shaft;
In the ocean current power generation system comprising
An ocean current power generation system further comprising an elastic member that covers a surface of the wing.   The ocean current power generation system according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member has a structure that is detachably fixed to a surface of the wing.   The ocean current power generation system according to claim 2, wherein the elastic member is fastened by the bolt at least at a pressure surface on a surface of the wing.   4. The ocean current power generation system according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is provided so as to cover a suction surface from at least a leading edge of the wing. 5.   The ocean current power generation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a columnar member made of an elastic material and attached to the rotary shaft on the upstream side of the blade. A wing that converts the flow of seawater into rotational energy;
A generator for generating electric power by receiving the converted rotational energy via a rotary shaft;
In the ocean current power generation system comprising
An ocean current power generation system, further comprising a columnar member made of an elastic material and attached to the rotary shaft on the upstream side of the wing.

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