JP2012017735A - Fluid power generation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fluid power generation device capable of preventing and alleviating the wear and damage of a rotary shaft, by preventing the deflection of the rotary shaft that connects an impeller, a transmission and a generator.SOLUTION: A first bearing 34a and a second bearing 34b that supports a first rotary shaft 21 so as to freely rotate are formed in the housing 31 of a transmission 24. In other words, a windmill is supported by the housing 31. In addition, a generator 25 is also supported by the housing 31 through a generator support member 27.

Description

  The present invention relates to a fluid power generation apparatus. In particular, it relates to a wind power generator.

  A wind power generator (wind generator) is known as an example of a fluid power generator that generates power using a fluid flow. As is well known, the wind power generator generally generates power by converting the generated rotational force (mechanical energy) into electrical energy by a generator when the windmill (impeller) receives fluid flow. .

  In order to appropriately change the direction of the wind turbine according to the wind direction, such a fluid power generation apparatus includes, for example, a base (nacelle) that is formed at one end of the support so as to be rotatable in the axial circumferential direction. And the bearing which supports the rotating shaft of a windmill, and the transmission which increases the rotation speed of the rotating shaft of a windmill are each attached to this base individually. These bearings and the transmission are generally connected to the base via vibration damping members such as bearings and dampers (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 7-279815 A

  However, in the wind turbine generator as described in Patent Document 1 described above, the wind turbine bearing and the generator are individually supported by a housing serving as a base, and the vibration suppression is provided between the transmission and the housing. Since the members are arranged, the rotating shaft that transmits the rotational force between the windmill, the power generator, and the speed increaser is curved, resulting in increased torque and accelerated wear.

  Also, when assembling the hydroelectric generator, even if there are three or more wind turbine bearings, it becomes an indefinite support state, so it is necessary to adjust the clearance for the alignment of the rotating shaft, which is very laborious. There was a problem.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and is a fluid power generation apparatus that can prevent or reduce damage and wear of a rotating shaft by preventing bending of the rotating shaft connecting an impeller, a transmission, and a generator. The purpose is to propose.

  It is an object of the present invention to propose a fluid power generation apparatus that facilitates the axial alignment of the rotating shaft during assembly of the fluid power generation apparatus and improves the ease of assembly during assembly.

  An object of the present invention is to propose a fluid power generation apparatus capable of avoiding an increase in rotational torque of a rotating shaft connected to a windmill.

The present invention employs the following means in order to solve the above problems.
The fluid power generation device according to the present invention includes an impeller that rotates around a first rotation shaft in response to a fluid flow, a transmission that changes the number of rotations of the first rotation shaft, and transmits the rotation to the second rotation shaft. A generator that generates electric power by the rotational force of the second rotating shaft, a bearing that rotatably supports the first rotating shaft, and a shaft that is rotatably supported at one end of the column with the center axis of the column as a rotation center And at least the transmission and the bearing are covered with a housing, and the housing is supported by the base.

  According to the present invention, by supporting the impeller and the generator only on the housing and supporting the housing on the base, the positional relationship between the impeller and the transmission and the positional relationship between the transmission and the generator are The wind power generator does not change even when the wind power generator swings or vibrates. For this reason, the first rotary shaft that connects the impeller and the transmission and the second rotary shaft that connects the transmission and the generator are not bent due to stress, and the first rotary shaft and the first It is possible to extend the service life by suppressing the wear of the two rotating shafts.

It is an external view of the wind power generator concerning a first embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the AA line of FIG. It is an expanded sectional view (AA sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 1) which shows schematic structure of a main-body part. It is a principal part expanded sectional view of the wind power generator concerning 2nd embodiment of this invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 3.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an external view showing a wind turbine generator 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the wind power generator 10 shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from above in the vertical direction (cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1).

  In the horizontal axis type wind power generator (fluid power generator) 10, the first rotating shaft (rotating main shaft) 21 that is the rotation center of the windmill (impeller) 23 is substantially horizontal with respect to the ground (installation surface) F. Installed. That is, the first rotating shaft 21 of the windmill 23 extends along the wind (fluid) W that flows along the ground surface F.

  The wind power generator 10 includes a support column 11 fixed so as to stand in a vertical direction with respect to the ground F, a base (nacelle) 12 formed at one end of the support column 11, and vibration suppression on the base 12. And a main body 13 installed via a member 26. The base 12 is connected to the support 11 through a turntable 14. Accordingly, the base 12 is rotatable along a horizontal plane with respect to the support 11 fixed to the ground F.

  The main body 13 includes a windmill 23 that rotates about the first rotation shaft 21, a transmission 24 that changes the number of rotations of the first rotation shaft 21 and transmits it to the second rotation shaft 22, and the second rotation shaft 22 And a generator 25 that generates electric power by rotational force. In addition, the main-body part 13 should just be covered with the exterior body (case) 29 as a whole.

  A windmill 23 is provided on one end side of the first rotating shaft 21. That is, a blade fixing member 41 is fixed to one end of the first rotary shaft 21, and three blade blades (blades) 42 are attached to the blade fixing member 41 at equal intervals. Each blade 42 is formed in a shape that generates lift when receiving wind W. The lift generated in each blade blade 42 is generated in a direction intersecting with the radial direction of the first rotary shaft 21. Therefore, when the wind turbine 23 receives the wind (fluid) W by this lift, the first rotary shaft 21 rotates. Is done.

  The wind turbine 23 only needs to be slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal direction R by an angle θ with respect to the axis S <b> 1 of the first rotation shaft 21 that is the rotation center. For example, the axis S <b> 1 of the first rotation shaft 21 may be formed so as to be inclined with respect to the horizontal direction R so that the angle θ is upward about 1 to 3 °. As a result, even if the blade blade (blade) 42 constituting the windmill 23 is bent by a strong wind or the like, it can be prevented from contacting the support 11.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1) showing a schematic configuration of the main body 13.
The transmission 24 is covered with a housing 31 made of, for example, metal. The housing 31 is supported by the base 12 via a damping member 26 (see also FIG. 1). The damping member 26 may be made of, for example, a damping rubber or an elastic body such as a spring or an oil damper. Such a damping member 26 absorbs vibrations, swings, and the like generated in the main body 13 including the housing 31 due to, for example, a strong wind, and prevents the main body 13 from greatly vibrating on the base 12.

  A first rotating shaft 21 and a second rotating shaft 22 are rotatably supported on the housing 31. A first gear 32 is fixed to the first rotating shaft 21 in the housing 31. The first rotary shaft 21 is rotatably supported with respect to the housing 31 by a pair of bearings 34 including a first bearing 34 a and a second bearing 34 b disposed on the front and rear sides of the first gear 32. .

Of the bearings 34, the first bearing 34 a functions as a radial bearing that receives stress in the circumferential direction of the first rotating shaft 21 and a thrust bearing that receives stress in the axial direction of the first rotating shaft 21.
The second bearing 34 b is a radial bearing that receives stress in the circumferential direction of the first rotating shaft 21.

  A second gear 33 is fixed to the second rotating shaft 22 in the housing 31. The second rotary shaft 22 is rotatably supported with respect to the housing 31 by a pair of bearings 35 including a third bearing 35a and a fourth bearing 35b disposed on the front and rear sides of the second gear 33. . The second gear 33 is formed so as to mesh with the first gear 32. When the first rotary shaft 21 rotates, the second rotary shaft 22 is rotated via the first gear 32 and the second gear 33. The

  The second gear 33 may have a smaller diameter than the first gear 32. Thereby, the rotation of the first rotating shaft (low speed shaft) 21 is accelerated by the transmission 24, and the second rotating shaft (high speed shaft) is rotated at a rotational speed larger than the rotational speed of the first rotating shaft (low speed shaft) 21. 22 is rotated.

  One end of the second rotating shaft 22 is connected to the rotating shaft 25 a of the generator 25. The generator 25 may be an AC generator such as an alternator, for example. Such a generator 25 includes a magnet rotor that is rotated by the rotation of the second rotary shaft 22 and a coil stator that is disposed so as to surround the outer peripheral side of the magnet rotor. In the meantime, electromagnetic induction occurs to generate electricity. The electric power generated by the generator 25 may be charged to the battery via a rectifier circuit (not shown).

  The generator 25 is fixed to the generator support member 27. The generator support member 27 is fixed to the housing 31 of the transmission 24. That is, the generator 25 is fixed to the housing 31 via the generator support member 27.

  The power generation operation of the wind turbine generator 10 having such a configuration will be described. When the wind turbine 23 of the wind power generator 10 receives the wind (fluid) W, the base (nacelle) 12 that supports the main body 13 is rotated by the turntable 14 so that the rotating surface of the wind turbine 23 faces the wind W. To do. Then, the windmill 23 starts rotating by the wind W.

  When the windmill 23 rotates, the first rotating shaft 21 to which the windmill 23 is fixed rotates. The first gear 32 constituting the transmission 24 is rotated by the rotation of the first rotation shaft 21. As the first gear 32 rotates, the second gear 33 that meshes with the first gear 32 rotates.

  At this time, since the second gear 33 has a smaller diameter than the first gear 32, the rotation speed of the first rotating shaft 21 is increased (accelerated) and the second rotating shaft 22 rotates. The rotational speed of the windmill 23 is relatively low, and the rotational speed is increased by the transmission 24 in order to efficiently generate power.

  When the second rotating shaft 22 rotates, the rotating shaft 25a of the generator 25 connected to the second rotating shaft 22 is rotated, and the generator 25 can generate electric power.

The operation and effect of the wind power generator 10 as described above will be described.
In the wind turbine generator 10 of the present invention, a first bearing 34 a and a second bearing 34 b that rotatably support the first rotating shaft 21 are provided in the housing 31 of the transmission 24. That is, the windmill 23 is supported on the housing 31. The generator 25 is also supported by the housing 31 via a generator support member 27.

A housing 31 that supports (integrates) the wind turbine 23 and the generator 25 is supported by the base 12.
According to the present invention, this makes it possible to prevent the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22 from being displaced or bent even when subjected to strong wind or vibration.
In other words, the conventional wind power generator has a configuration in which the wind turbine, the transmission, the generator, and the like are individually supported by the base (nacelle) via the damping member and the like. If the position of the wind turbine moves due to vibration or the like, the rotating shaft that connects the windmill and the transmission or the rotating shaft that connects the transmission and the generator is bent. In the meantime, the wear of the rotating shaft accelerated.

  In the present invention, the wind turbine 23 and the generator 25 are supported only by the housing 31, and the housing 31 is supported by the base 12, whereby the positional relationship between the wind turbine 23 and the transmission 24, and the transmission 24 and the generator 25. Is not changed by the swing or vibration of the wind power generator 10.

  And not only the 1st rotating shaft 21 but the 2nd rotating shaft 22 is supported by the pair of bearing 35 which consists of the 3rd bearing 35a and the 4th bearing 35b, and it will prevent that it will be in an indefinite state. it can. As a result, the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22 are prevented from being bent, and wear of the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22 can be suppressed to extend the life.

  In the wind power generator 10, the first rotary shafts 21 of the transmission 24 and the windmill 23 are not individually provided on the base 12 via vibration damping members, but are collectively fixed to the housing 31 even at the time of manufacture. Therefore, the mounting position can be easily positioned, and the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22 can be securely mounted at a predetermined position without being bent. Thereby, at the time of manufacture of the wind power generator 10, assembly property can be improved. Further, when the wind power generator 10 is in operation, it is possible to reliably prevent the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22 from being damaged due to an internal load.

  In addition, by providing the damping member 26 between the housing 31 and the base 12, it is possible to prevent vibration and swinging from occurring in the entire main body 13 including the windmill 23 and the generator 25.

  Further, the first rotary shaft 21 to which the windmill 23 is fixed at one end is supported by the housing 31 by the two bearings 34 of the first bearing 34 a and the second bearing 34 b, thereby stabilizing the windmill 23 with respect to the housing 31. And can be rotatably supported.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the first rotary shaft 21 and the second rotary shaft are arranged such that the axis S1 of the first rotary shaft 21 and the axis S2 of the second rotary shaft 22 extend along different positions. Therefore, the transmission 24 can be downsized.

  In the first embodiment, the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22 are arranged so as to be shifted in the horizontal direction, but other than this, for example, the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22 are arranged. May be arranged vertically along the vertical direction. If the first rotating shaft (low-speed shaft) 21 and the second rotating shaft (high-speed shaft) 22 are arranged so as to be shifted in the vertical direction, the weight balance in the horizontal direction of the main body 13 of the wind power generator 10 is improved, and further. Power generation can be performed stably.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a main part of a wind turbine generator 50 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
In the wind power generation device 50, the axis of the first rotating shaft 61 to which the windmill is fixed at one end and the axis of the second rotating shaft 62 connected to the rotating shaft of the generator at one end are located on the same axis S3. It was configured as follows.

  The exterior of the transmission 54 is covered with a housing 51 made of, for example, metal, and the housing 51 is supported on the base 12 (see FIG. 1) via a vibration damping member 56. A first rotating shaft 61, a second rotating shaft 62, and a connecting rotating shaft 63 that links the two rotating shafts are rotatably supported by the housing 51.

  A first gear 72 is fixed to the first rotating shaft 61 in the housing 51. A second gear 73 is fixed to the second rotating shaft 62. Two driven gears 74 a and 74 b that transmit the rotation of the first gear 72 to the second gear 73 are fixed to the connecting rotation shaft 63.

  With this configuration, when the first rotating shaft 61 is rotated by the rotation of the windmill (see FIG. 1), the rotational force is transmitted from the first gear 72 to the second gear 73 via the driven gears 74a and 74b. And when the 2nd rotating shaft 62 in which the 2nd gearwheel 73 is being fixed to one end rotates, the rotating shaft 66 of the generator 65 connected to the 2nd rotating shaft 62 is rotated, and electric power generation is performed.

  Also in the wind power generator 50, the generator support member 67 that supports the generator 65 is fixed to the housing 51. The windmill is also supported by a bearing formed in the housing 51. That is, the windmill and the generator 65 are supported only by the housing 51.

  Also in the second embodiment, the first rotating shaft 61 that connects the windmill and the transmission 54 even when subjected to strong wind or vibration, or the second rotating shaft 62 that connects the transmission 54 and the generator 65 is bent. There is nothing to do. As a result, even if the vibration damping member 56 of the wind power generator 50 is swung, the first rotating shaft 61 or the second rotation shaft due to the positional deviation between the windmill and the transmission 54 and the positional deviation between the transmission 54 and the generator 65, It is possible to prevent the rotating shaft 62 from being worn and to extend its life.

  In addition, the axis of the first rotating shaft 61 with the wind turbine fixed at one end and the axis of the second rotating shaft 62 connected with the rotating shaft of the generator at one end are positioned on the same axis S3. Thereby, the size of the width direction orthogonal to the wind flow direction of the wind power generator 50 can be reduced, and further downsizing of the wind power generator 50 can be realized.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG.
Although not shown in FIG. 3, a seal mechanism 80 is provided on the outside of the first bearing 34 a and the second bearing 34 b in the housing 31 of the wind turbine generator 10 according to the first embodiment.
The seal mechanism 80 is provided to prevent foreign matter from entering the housing 31 and to prevent the lubricating oil L inside the housing 31 from leaking out.

As the seal mechanism 80, a labyrinth seal mechanism that is a non-contact type seal mechanism is employed.
For example, when a contact-type sealing mechanism such as an oil seal is used, sliding resistance (sliding friction) is applied to the first rotating shaft 21 and the rotation of the first rotating shaft 21 is hindered. That is, a power loss occurs in the first rotating shaft 21, and the power generation efficiency of the wind power generator 50 decreases.
Therefore, as described above, the wind power generator 50 employs the seal mechanism 80 that is a non-contact type seal mechanism (labyrinth seal mechanism) to avoid an increase in the rotational torque of the first rotary shaft 21. When the seal mechanism 80 is used, the rotational torque of the first rotating shaft 21 can be reduced by 10% or more compared to the case of the contact-type seal mechanism.

The seal mechanism 80 includes a ring portion 81 that is attached to a hole formed in the housing 31 in order to insert the first rotary shaft 21, and a flange portion 82 that is fitted into the first rotary shaft 21. Then, the labyrinth is formed by bringing the step on the inner peripheral side of the ring portion 81 and the step on the outer peripheral side of the flange portion 82 close in the axial direction of the first rotating shaft 21. Note that the number of stages of the labyrinth seal mechanism can be set arbitrarily.
Since the seal mechanism 80 is provided in the housing 31 in which the transmission 24, the bearing 34, and the like are accommodated, the number of parts can be minimized. That is, since it is not necessary to provide a separate sealing mechanism for the transmission 24 and the bearing 34, the number of parts can be minimized.

The axis S1 of the first rotating shaft 21 is slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal direction R at an angle θ. For example, the angle θ is set upward by about 1 to 3 °. For this reason, the lubricating oil L stored inside the housing 31 is easily transmitted to the periphery of the second bearing 34 b on the lower side through the first rotating shaft 21.
However, since the seal mechanism 80 is a non-contact type (labyrinth seal mechanism), the leakage of the lubricating oil L cannot be prevented completely. Therefore, a lubricating oil circulation mechanism 90 is provided on the lower side in the axial direction of the second bearing 34b. Specifically, an oil reservoir 91 is formed in a ring portion 81 attached to the housing 31, and the oil reservoir 91 and the bottom side internal space 31 </ b> S of the housing 31 are connected by a communication pipe 92. As a result, the lubricating oil L that has flowed downward in the axial direction of the second bearing 34b is once collected in the oil reservoir 91 of the ring portion 81, and then the bottom side of the housing 31 via the communication pipe 92 due to the action of gravity. It is returned toward the internal space 31S. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the lubricating oil L inside the housing 31 from leaking.

Since the housing 31 is installed with an inclination (angle θ) of about 1 to 3 °, the lubricating oil L is disposed in the bottom side internal space 31S and the lubricating oil circulation mechanism 90 without using a power source such as a pump. It circulates naturally between (naturally).
That is, the lubricating oil L accommodated in the bottom inner space 31S of the housing 31 is diffused inside the housing 31 by the transmission 24 (first gear 32) that is interlocked with the rotation of the windmill 23. The lubricating oil L adhering to the first rotating shaft 21 is inclined (angle θ) because the first rotating shaft 21 is inclined.
The oil flows downward along the first rotating shaft 21, passes through the second bearing 34 b, and reaches the oil reservoir 91 of the lubricating oil circulation mechanism 90. As described above, the lubricating oil L flowing into the oil reservoir 91 is returned toward the bottom-side internal space 31S of the housing 31 through the communication pipe 92 by the action of gravity.
In this way, the lubricating oil L inside the housing 31 can be circulated naturally (automatically).
Therefore, a filter (not shown) for removing metal powder or the like may be provided in a part of the communication pipe 92 of the lubricating oil circulation mechanism 90. Since the lubricating oil L circulates between the internal space S of the housing 31 and the communication pipe 92, foreign matters such as metal powder can be efficiently removed by the filter.

The lubricating oil circulation mechanism 90 is not limited to being provided in the vicinity of the second bearing 34b. You may provide also in the vicinity of the 1st bearing 34a.
Further, a seal mechanism 80 and a lubricating oil circulation mechanism 90 may be provided in the vicinity of the bearing 35 that supports the second rotary shaft 22.

  Thus, since the wind turbine generator 10 is provided with the non-contact type seal mechanism 80 in the housing 31 to which the first rotary shaft 21 is connected, an increase in the rotational torque of the first rotary shaft 21 can be avoided. Further, the number of parts of the seal mechanism 80 can be minimized.

Further, since the lubricating oil circulation mechanism 90 that returns the lubricating oil L to the bottom inner space 31S of the housing 31 is provided on the lower side in the axial direction of the second bearing 34b, the lubricating oil L can be reliably prevented from leaking. By providing a filter in the communication pipe 92 of the lubricating oil circulation mechanism 90, foreign substances such as metal powder contained in the lubricating oil L can be efficiently removed.
In the wind power generator 50 according to the second embodiment, the seal mechanism 80 and the lubricating oil circulation mechanism 90 can be used.

  Note that the shapes, combinations, and the like of the constituent members shown in the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and various modifications can be made based on design requirements and the like without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  For example, in each of the embodiments described above, the generator is fixed to the housing via the generator support member. However, the generator may be directly fixed to the housing. Moreover, in each embodiment mentioned above, although the housing and the base are connected via the damping member, you may connect a housing directly to a base.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the first bearing 34a is a double row (radial bearing and thrust radial bearing) and the second bearing 34b is a single row (radial bearing) is described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The first bearing 34a may be a single row (radial bearing), and the second bearing 34b may be a double row (radial bearing and thrust bearing).

  In each embodiment mentioned above, although wind is mentioned as fluid which rotates an impeller, it may be not only wind power but hydraulic power. That is, the present invention can be applied to a hydroelectric generator.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10,50 ... Wind power generator (fluid power generator), 12 ... Base (nacelle) 21, 61 ... First rotary shaft, 22, 62 ... Second rotary shaft, 23 ... Windmill (impeller), 24, 54 ... Transmission, 25, 65 ... Generator, 26, 56 ... Damping member, 31, 51 ... Housing, 31S ... Bottom side internal space, 34 ... Bearing, 34a ... First bearing, 34b ... Second bearing, 80 ... Seal mechanism 90 ... Lubricating oil circulation mechanism W ... Wind (fluid) S1-S3 ... Axis

Claims (7)

An impeller that rotates around the first rotation axis in response to fluid flow;
A transmission that changes the number of rotations of the first rotation shaft and transmits the change to the second rotation shaft;
A generator for generating electric power by the rotational force of the second rotary shaft;
A bearing that rotatably supports the first rotating shaft;
A base that is rotatably supported around the center axis of the support at one end of the support,
At least the transmission and the bearing are covered by a housing;
The fluid power generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing is supported by the base.   The fluid power generator according to claim 1, wherein the generator is fixed to the housing.   The fluid power generation device according to claim 1, wherein the housing and the base are connected via a damping member.   The fluid power generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft extend along different axes.   5. The fluid power generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft extend along the same axis line. 6.   The fluid power generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first rotation shaft is rotatably supported by a pair of the bearings. A non-contact type sealing mechanism provided between the housing and the first rotating shaft;
A lubricating oil circulation mechanism that returns lubricating oil accumulated in the vicinity of the non-contact type sealing mechanism to the inner space on the bottom side of the housing;
The fluid power generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising:

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