JP2014101684A - Water power generation unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a water power generation unit which does not require a huge construction cost, which can stably obtain electric power on a small-scale and with simple equipment utilizing an existing waterway, which does not damage a surrounding natural landscape, and which is excellent in maintainability.SOLUTION: A water power generation unit 10 includes: a water turbine 13 that is rotated in the state of having its lower end immersed in a waterway; a water turbine position setting mechanism 12 that is fixed and supported in a predetermined position by vertically shifting an immersion position of the water turbine; and a generator 14 that is connected and driven via a power transmission mechanism attached to the rotating water turbine.

Description

  The present invention relates to a small-scale hydroelectric power generation unit that can be easily installed in waterways such as irrigation canals and small rivers, and can efficiently obtain electric power in the form of environmentally friendly natural power energy.

Conventionally, a general hydroelectric power generation device has a power generation device disposed below the surface of a dam constructed in a river, supplies water guided from the dam through a drain pipe to the power generation device, and the potential energy possessed by the dam water. Is converted into electrical energy.
Further, for small-scale power generation that can be easily installed, for example, in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-127334), a rotating shaft of a water turbine installed in high-speed flowing water having a head is provided with a speed increaser. A simple hydroelectric generator using Yamano's high-speed flowing water, in which a power generator is provided and a voltage stabilizer and a capacitor are connected is described.

JP 2011-127334 A

On the other hand, however, the conventional hydroelectric generator requires several years for construction of the dam and the construction cost is huge. In addition, since the sewage pipe and the power generation device are constructed on the ground, there are problems such as damage to the natural scenery around it.
Furthermore, as a construction site of a hydroelectric generator, there is a problem that the degree of freedom of installation of the hydroelectric generator is low because the river flow is steep and a large water level difference is required. In particular, the simple hydroelectric power generation device provided with a speed increaser on the rotating shaft of the water turbine of Patent Document 1 cannot stabilize the water flow to the water turbine directly. There was a problem that power could not be acquired.
Furthermore, since the direct load due to the water flow to the water turbine increases, the load on not only the water turbine but also ancillary equipment such as a generator and a power transmission unit becomes excessive, and there are problems in terms of durability and maintainability. there were.
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described conventional problems, and can stably obtain electric power with a small-scale and simple device using a conventional water channel without incurring huge construction costs. It is possible to provide a small-scale hydroelectric power generation unit that is capable of being maintained and has excellent maintainability without damaging the surrounding natural scenery.

(1) The hydroelectric power generation unit of the present invention that solves the conventional problem is
A water wheel whose lower end is immersed in a water channel and rotating,
A watermill position setting mechanism that moves the immersion position of the waterwheel up and down to be fixedly supported at a predetermined position;
A generator connected and driven via a power transmission mechanism attached to the rotating water wheel;
It is provided with.

(2) The hydroelectric power generation unit of the present invention is the above (1).
The hydroelectric power generation unit according to claim 1, wherein the water turbine position setting mechanism is automatically controlled via a control device so that an electromotive force generated in the generator is maximized.

(3) The hydroelectric power generation unit of the present invention is the hydroelectric power generation unit according to (1) or (2),
The power transmission mechanism is configured to include a rotation passive portion that is arranged to face the gears arranged in an annular shape along the outer peripheral edge of the water wheel and is driven to rotate.

  According to the present invention, the water wheel whose lower end is immersed in the water channel rotates, the water wheel position setting mechanism that moves the immersion position of the water wheel up and down to be fixedly supported at a predetermined position, and the outer peripheral end of the rotating water wheel. And a generator that is connected and driven via a power transmission mechanism such as an annularly arranged gear, so that the amount of power generation can be secured stably and appropriately in response to changes in the amount of water by changing the position of the water turbine. In addition, it is possible to provide a small-scale hydroelectric power generation unit that does not impair the natural landscape and that has excellent durability and maintainability.

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of the hydroelectric power generation unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the hydraulic power generation unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a hydroelectric power generation unit according to the second embodiment.

A hydroelectric power generation unit according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to move up and down an immersion position of a water wheel formed in an impeller shape rotating at a lower end of a water channel such as an irrigation channel or a small river in a factory plant. And a generator that is connected and driven to the rotating turbine wheel via a power transmission mechanism such as a gear, a belt, and a chain.
As a result, it is possible to stably and efficiently obtain electric power by appropriately adjusting the operation position of the water turbine in response to a sudden change in the amount of water due to an increase in river water.
In addition, since the generator is provided as a unit close to the water turbine, it can be set on a small scale as a small-scale hydroelectric power generation unit that is not subject to topographical restrictions, and its durability is ensured by a simple configuration. And excellent maintainability.

  The hydroelectric power generation unit is a small-scale power generation device that can easily install the unit frame on the surface of water flowing through irrigation channels and drainage channels such as factories and rivers, and a water turbine that serves as a power unit that rotates by the water flow, The main part is composed of a generator driven by the power of the water turbine, and is not subject to topographical restrictions on the installation location, and the installation process can be facilitated.

  A water turbine rotates by immersing its lower end in a water channel of a factory plant, such as a water channel or a small river, and the horizontal rotation axis of the impeller formed in a substantially annular shape is located at a predetermined position on the surface of the water via a water wheel position setting mechanism. It is fixedly supported by and is movable in the vertical direction.

The water wheel position setting mechanism is a water wheel position setting mechanism in which the immersion position of the water wheel in the water channel is moved up and down to be fixedly supported at a predetermined position, and the horizontal rotation shaft of the water wheel is moved through a slide member equipped with a ball screw or the like. It is supported on the unit frame and slid up and down, and is fixed at a predetermined position. The horizontal rotation axis of the water turbine can be set at a predetermined position on the water surface where the power generation efficiency is maximized. .
Further, the horizontal rotation shaft of the water wheel can be moved up and down by manually rotating the handle connected to the ball screw.

  As a generator, in addition to a small dynamo composed of a coil that rotates in a constant magnetic field, for example, a DC motor, an AC generator, a DC synchronous motor, a rotary current transformer, or the like is applied. It can be connected and driven through a power transmission mechanism such as a gear, belt, chain attached to a water turbine that rotates in response to a water flow.

The water wheel position setting mechanism can also be automatically controlled via the control device so that the electromotive force generated by the generator is always maximized. The control device is composed of a computer and a sequencer, and is connected to a sensor for measuring an electromotive force generated by the generator and a drive system of the turbine position setting mechanism.
As a result, for example, a voltmeter or ammeter is connected to the output terminal of the generator as a sensor, and the setting position of the horizontal rotation axis of the water turbine arranged on the water channel is lowered from its highest position to its lowest position. The position of the horizontal rotation axis of the water turbine is controlled so that the amount of power measured by the voltmeter or ammeter is maximized.
In this way, the horizontal position of the water wheel immersed in the water channel can be set so that the power generation efficiency is always maximized even if the position of the water surface of the water channel changes due to the increase in river water.

The power transmission mechanism may include a rotary passive unit that is arranged to face the gears arranged in an annular shape along the outer peripheral end of the water wheel and is rotationally driven.
As a result, it can be applied to existing facilities with a simpler configuration, and the hydroelectric power generation unit can be arranged and used on a waterway or in a small river at low cost.
The rotation of the water wheel can be transmitted to the generator by a belt, a chain, or the like instead of the gear.

Further, the power transmission mechanism for transmitting the rotational force of the water turbine to the generator may be configured to have a roller portion that rotates in contact with a rubber portion arranged in a ring shape on the outer periphery of the water turbine.
Furthermore, by disposing a rotating magnet portion opposite to a plurality of magnet portions disposed on the outer periphery of the rotating water turbine, the rotational force is supplied to the generator in a non-contact state without a mechanical contact portion with the water turbine. It is also possible to tell.

<Example 1>
A first embodiment according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a front view of the hydroelectric power generation unit according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the hydroelectric power generation unit.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the hydroelectric power generation unit 10 according to the first embodiment includes a unit main body 11 formed in a frame shape that is fixedly disposed on a water surface S in a side groove portion of a water channel Y through which factory water or the like flows. A turbine position setting mechanism 12 provided with a rotation operation handle 12a, a screw slide member and the like disposed in the unit main body 11, and a turbine wheel 13 whose blade tip is immersed under the water surface S and rotated via the turbine position setting mechanism 12. And a generator 14 connected and driven to a rotating water wheel 13 immersed in a water channel via a power transmission mechanism 14a having gears, a belt, a pulley, and the like.

As shown in the schematic front view of FIG. 1, the hydroelectric power generation unit 10 is provided at the lower end of a unit body 11 of an iron frame formed in a cubic shape having a height of about 1 m, a width of about 1 m, and a length of about 1 m in the water flow direction. This is a small-scale power generator to which a water wheel 13 formed in an annular shape having an outer diameter of about 1 m and a width of about 0.3 m is attached. The unit main body 11 is installed in a water channel such as an irrigation channel formed with concrete blocks C at both ends.
The water turbine 13 attached to the lower end of the unit main body 11 can be moved up and down via the water wheel position setting mechanism 12, and according to the output voltage value generated from the generator 14 connected by the power transmission mechanism 14a, The arrangement position from the water surface S can be set.

A distance sensor (not shown) for detecting the distance D from the reference point (axial center of the horizontal rotation shaft) of the water turbine 13 attached to the lower end of the unit main body 11 to the water surface S is provided, and this distance D is predetermined. It is set using a rotary operation handle 12a attached to the water wheel position setting mechanism 12 so that the value (for example, the immersion depth of the water wheel 13 immersed under the water surface is 15 to 20% of the outer diameter of the water wheel). May be.
Thereby, the hydroelectric power generation unit 10 can be operated efficiently and stably.

In the present embodiment, the power transmission mechanism 14a is an example using a speed increasing gear constituted by gears or the like as a mechanism for transmitting the power of the water turbine 13 to the generator 14, but a belt, a chain, etc. Various forms such as transmitting the power of the water turbine 13 to the generator 14 by using the above means can be applied.
It is also possible to adopt an embodiment in which a sprocket is provided on the outer periphery of the water turbine 13, the sprocket is wound with a chain, and the rotational force of the water turbine 13 is transmitted to the generator 14.

<Example 2>
FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the hydroelectric power generation unit according to the second embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the hydroelectric power generation unit 20 according to the second embodiment includes a unit main body 21 that is fixedly disposed in a relatively small river irrigation channel, a motor drive unit 22 a that is disposed in the unit main body 21, and the like. Abutting a water wheel position setting mechanism 22, a water wheel 23 immersed under the water surface S via the water wheel position setting mechanism 22, and an annular rotation contact portion 23 a provided on the outer peripheral edge of the rotating water wheel 23; Based on a generator 24 coupled and driven via a power transmission unit 27 having rotating gears, a voltmeter 25 for measuring an output voltage generated by the generator 24, and an output voltage measured from the voltmeter 25. And a control unit 26 that controls the motor drive unit 22a of the water wheel position setting mechanism 22.

The control unit 26 is a computer device, whereby the motor of the turbine position setting mechanism 22 is set so that the output generated by the generator 24 is maximized according to the water level in the water channel at the time of operation of the hydroelectric power generation unit 10. The drive unit 22a can be automatically controlled.
That is, a voltmeter and an ammeter are connected as sensors to the output terminal of the generator, and the setting position of the horizontal rotation shaft of the water turbine 23 is changed from the highest position (FIG. 3 (a)) to the lowest position (FIG. 3 (b)). Control the vertical position of the horizontal rotation axis of the water turbine so that the electric energy measured by the voltmeter and ammeter is maximized, and set the operation position of the water turbine at the position where the electric energy is maximum. Can do it.

The water wheel 23 has a rotation contact portion 23a formed in an annular shape on the outer peripheral edge thereof, and a power transmission portion 27 made of a gear meshes with the rotation contact portion 23a so that the rotational force of the water wheel 23 is increased. It is transmitted directly to the generator 24.
The rotation contact portion 23a is formed on the outer peripheral edge or the side edge of the water wheel 23 driven by a water flow such as a river, and the power transmission portion 27 that rotates in contact with the rotation contact portion 23a. Also has a function as a clutch that is detachably driven with respect to the opposing rotary contact portion 23a.

The hydroelectric power generation unit of the present invention can be easily installed in waterways such as existing irrigation canals and small rivers, can efficiently obtain electric power in the form of environmentally friendly natural power energy, and has industrial applicability. Is extremely high.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Hydraulic power generation unit of Example 1 11 Unit main body 12 Turbine position setting mechanism 12a Rotation operation handle 13 Turbine 13a Rotating shaft 14 Generator 14a Power transmission mechanism 20 Hydraulic power generation unit 21 of Example 2 Unit main body 22 Turbine position setting mechanism 22a Motor Drive part 23 Water wheel 23a Rotating contact part 24 Generator 25 Voltmeter 26 Control part 27 Power transmission part C Concrete block S Water surface Y Water channel (service channel)

Claims (3)

A water wheel whose lower end is immersed in a water channel and rotating,
A watermill position setting mechanism that moves the immersion position of the waterwheel up and down to be fixedly supported at a predetermined position;
A generator connected and driven via a power transmission mechanism attached to the rotating water wheel;
A hydroelectric power generation unit characterized by comprising: The hydraulic power generation unit according to claim 1, wherein the water turbine position setting mechanism is automatically controlled via a control device so that an electromotive force generated in the generator is maximized. 3. The hydroelectric power generation unit according to claim 1, wherein the power transmission mechanism includes a rotary passive unit that is arranged to face a gear arranged in an annular shape along the outer peripheral edge of the water turbine and is driven to rotate. 4. .