JP2019120667A - Floating positioning device for water flow power generator - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a floating positioning device capable of suppressing an increase in maintenance costs as well as reliably measuring the position of a floating body of a water flow power generator.SOLUTION: A floating positioning device 40 of a water flow power generator 1 for generating power by floating a floating body 2 of which a mooring is connected to a turbine 5 provided in water includes a starting portion 6 of which the position is known, an array 41 for receiving the returned detection wave C provided on one side of the starting portion 6 or floating body 2, by transmitting the position detection wave C, a transponder 42 for returning to receive the detection wave C provided on the other side of the starting portion 6 or floating body 2, and a calculating unit 46 for calculating the floating position on the basis of the information about the detection wave C received by the array 41, and the power is supplied from the generator 9 or an external power source to the array 41, and the power is supplied from the generator 9 or an external power source to the transponder 42.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a floating body positioning device of a water current power generation device.

  There is a power generation apparatus provided with a generator in a pressure vessel (floating body) disposed in the sea. In the power generation device of Patent Document 1, a plurality of turbine blades are provided on a shaft connected to a rotor of a generator. The turbine blade receives and rotates the water flow, and the rotational driving force rotates the rotor of the generator, and the generator generates electricity.

  Further, in Patent Document 2, ultrasonic signals output from a sound source in water are received by a plurality of receivers, and the incident direction (direction cosine) of the sound wave is estimated from the phase difference between the receivers, There is a description of an underwater sound source system that is used to estimate the position of the sound source with respect to the receiver. Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for estimating the position of a submersible floating in water by being connected by a cable to a ship at sea.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-53437 Sho 60-243580

  In the prior art, an apparatus whose position information is known is taken as the receiving side, and an apparatus whose position information is unknown is taken as the sound source side. In patent document 2, since the wave receiving side is a ship, since a position changes without restriction | limiting by movement of a ship, it was difficult to measure the position by the side of a sound source correctly. In addition, when power is supplied from the battery to equipment provided on the water bottom, it is necessary to float the equipment on the water bottom for battery replacement, and the maintenance cost for battery replacement May increase. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a floating body positioning device of a water flow power generation device capable of reliably measuring the position of the floating body of the water flow power generation device and capable of suppressing an increase in maintenance cost.

  The floating body positioning device of a water flow power generation device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a floating body positioning device of a water flow power generation device that generates electric power by floating a floating body provided with a power generation turbine and connected with mooring cords in water. And an array which is disposed at the bottom of the water and whose position is known, and which is provided at one of the origin and the floating body, transmits the wave for position detection, and receives the wave for position detection returned. Position calculation for calculating the position of the floating body on the basis of information on the transponder, which is provided at the starting point or the remaining one of the floating body and receives and returns the position detection wave, and the position detection wave received by the array And the array is electrically connected to a generator mounted on the floating body or an external power supply to supply power, and the transponder is electrically connected to the generator or the external power supply to supply power. Ru.

  In the floating body positioning device of this water flow power generation device, since the starting point portion is disposed relative to the bottom of the water and the position is known, the position of the floating body can be reliably measured based on the starting point portion whose change in position is suppressed. . Moreover, since the floating body is connected to the mooring line, the range in which the floating body floats can be limited, and the position of the floating body can be measured reliably. In addition, the array and the transponder can be supplied with power from a generator mounted on the floating body or from an external power source, and do not need to be supplied with power from the battery. Therefore, the maintenance cost for battery replacement can be suppressed.

  In some embodiments, the mooring may be configured to be connected to the origin. Thereby, the range in which the floating body exists can be limited based on the starting point portion, and the position of the floating body can be reliably measured.

  In some aspects, it comprises an array feeder connected to the generator or external power supply to power the array, and a transponder feeder connected to the generator or external power supply to power the transponder. It may be a configuration. According to this configuration, the array can be fed from the generator or the external power supply through the array feeder. Moreover, according to this configuration, it is possible to supply power to the transponder from the generator or the external power supply through the transponder feeder.

  In some embodiments, an array-side storage unit connected to a generator or an external power source to store power may be provided, and power stored in the array-side storage unit may be supplied to the array. Thus, even if the power supplied from the generator or the external power supply is insufficient, power can be supplied to the array from the array side storage unit.

  In some embodiments, a transponder-side storage unit connected to a generator or an external power source to store power can be provided, and the power stored in the transponder-side storage unit can be supplied to the transponder. Thereby, even if the electric power supplied from the generator or the external power supply is insufficient, the transponder can be supplied with power from the power storage unit.

  In some embodiments, the array and the position calculation unit may be mounted on the floating body, and the transponder may be provided at the starting point. Accordingly, the position detection wave is received by the array provided on the floating body, and the position calculation unit provided on the floating body can calculate using the position detection wave to measure the position of the floating body. When an array is provided at the starting point, it is necessary to transmit a signal from the starting point to the floating body. Therefore, when a failure occurs in the signal line connecting the starting point and the floating body, the signal is transmitted to the floating body May not be sent.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this indication, while being able to measure the position of the floating body of a water flow electric power generation apparatus reliably, the floating body positioning device of the water flow electric power generation apparatus which can suppress increase in maintenance cost can be provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a schematic block diagram which shows the underwater floating type | mold electric power generating apparatus of one Embodiment. It is a perspective view of the underwater floating type electric power generating apparatus shown in FIG. It is a side view which shows the pod for electric power generation of the underwater floating type | formula electric power generating apparatus shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the sinker in FIG. It is a schematic diagram showing a floating body positioning system. FIG. 7 illustrates the relationship between the arrangement of receivers in the array and the difference in the time of reception of sound waves. It is a block block diagram which shows the control unit of a floating body positioning system. It is the schematic which shows the positional relationship of a sinker and the pod for electric power generation. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure in the floating body position measurement method. It is a block diagram which shows the connection relation of the feeder for arrays, and the feeder for transponders. It is sectional drawing which shows the sinker provided with the wireless electric power feeding part.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same parts or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the underwater floating power generation device (water flow power generation device) 1 is installed, for example, in seawater and floats, and generates electric power using the ocean current FW. Hereinafter, the underwater floating power generation device 1 is referred to as “power generation device 1”. As shown in FIG. 2, for example, the power generation apparatus 1 is provided with a pair of power generation pods 2 disposed apart from each other on the left and right, a central pod 3 disposed between the pair of power generation pods 2, and a pair of power generation pods. And a cross beam 4 which is a connecting portion for connecting the pod 2 and the central pod 3. A power generation turbine 5 is provided at the rear 2 b of the power generation pod 2. Hereinafter, the power generation turbine 5 is referred to as a “turbine” 5. The power generation pod 2 has, for example, a cylindrical shape and rotatably supports the turbine 5. A so-called downwind turbine is employed as the turbine 5. The turbine 5 may be an upwind turbine. On the power generation pod 2, a generator 9 (see FIG. 3) that generates electric power by the rotational driving force of the turbine 5 is mounted.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the power generation device 1 is connected to a sinker 6 installed on the seabed (water bottom) B via a mooring cord 7. The mooring cord 7 may be connected to an anchor fixed to the seabed B instead of the sinker 6. The upper end (one end) of the mooring cord 7 is connected to the power generation pod 2, and the lower end (the other end) of the mooring cord 7 is connected to the sinker 6. For example, one mower (two in total) is connected to each of the pair of power generation pods 2. The upper end of the mooring cord 7 may be connected to the cross beam 4. In addition, for the pod 2 for power generation, the central pod 3 and the cross beam 4, for example, the depth adjustment capable of changing the depth of the pod 2 for power generation, the central pod 3 and the cross beam 4 by adjusting the length. The ropes etc. are not connected.

  In addition, a power transmission cable 8 is connected to the power generation device 1. The transmission cable 8 is disposed along the mooring line 7. One end of the power transmission cable 8 is connected to the generator 9 mounted on the power generation pod 2, and the other end of the power transmission cable 8 is connected to the relay 21 provided on the sinker 6 as shown in FIG. It is done. The relay 21 includes a transformer. The relay 21 of the sinker 6 is connected to a submarine transmission cable 10 which is laid on the seabed B and extends to the ground. The submarine transmission cable 10 is connected to a power system (external power supply or the like) on the ground. In FIG. 4, the mooring cord 7 is illustrated as extending right above, but in the sea, the mooring cord 7 is inclined in the direction in which the power generation pod 2 is present.

  Further, a communication cable 11 is connected to the power generation device 1. The communication cable 11 is connected to an electronic device such as the control unit 12 mounted on the power generation pod 2, for example. The communication cable 11 is disposed together with, for example, the transmission cable 8 or the submarine transmission cable 10. The communication cable 11 is connected to, for example, a control unit of an operation center disposed on the ground.

  Further, in the power generation device 1, the power transmitted from the power system on the ground can be supplied to the generator 9, and the generator 9 can be used as an electric motor. In the power generation device 1, the turbine 9 can be rotated by driving the generator 9 as an electric motor. In addition, the power generation device 1 may be configured to include another electric motor for applying a rotational force to the turbine 5.

  In addition, the form in which each cable is provided is not restricted to the said form. For example, a power transmission cable for transmitting power generated by the generator 9 and a power transmission cable for transmitting power for driving an electric motor may be separately provided. The repeater may be set to the seabed B outside the sinker 6.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the turbine 5 includes a hub 13 and a plurality of (for example, two) blades 14 provided on the hub 13. The hub 13 is disposed at the rear end of the power generation pod 2. In the power generation device 1 adopting the downwind type turbine, the blade 14 is disposed on the downstream side of the power generation pod 2 based on the direction of the ocean current FW.

  The hub 13 is connected to the rotation shaft 15 and is rotatable about its axis. Hub 13 and blade 14 rotate as one. The rotation of the blade 14 is transmitted to the generator 9 via the rotating shaft 15. The rotation shaft 15 is provided, for example, along the central axis of the power generation pod 2. Moreover, when the generator 9 is driven as an electric motor, the hub 13 and the blade 14 rotate as the rotating shaft 15 rotates.

  The cross beam 4 has a plate shape including a hollow portion, and has a rectangular shape in plan view. The cross beam 4 may have another shape. For example, members forming a plurality of cylinders can be combined to form a cross beam.

  In the power generation device 1, the pitch angle of the blades 14 is variable. The power generation device 1 includes a blade pitch angle adjustment device 16 capable of adjusting the pitch angle of the blades 14. The blade pitch angle adjustment device 16 includes, for example, a hydraulic drive device 17 and a blade shaft 18. More specifically, the proximal end of each blade 14 is provided with a blade shaft 18. The drive device 17 is connected to the blade shaft 18. Drive device 17 is mounted, for example, in hub 13. The drive device 17 includes, for example, a gear mechanism. A known mechanism can be used as the drive device 17. The drive device 17 is controlled by a control unit 12 described later, and can rotate the blade shaft 18 to adjust the pitch angle of the blades 14 to an arbitrary angle. The driving method of the blade shaft 18 may not be hydraulic pressure, and may be an electric driving method using an electric motor or the like.

  Further, the power generation device 1 includes a buoyancy adjustment device 20 (see FIG. 7). The buoyancy adjustment device 20 is mounted, for example, on the central pod 3. The buoyancy adjusting device 20 pours, for example, seawater from the outside of the central pod 3 to change the weight of the entire power generation device 1. The buoyancy adjustment device 20 includes, for example, a buoyancy adjustment tank provided in the central pod 3, a water supply and drainage pipe connecting the buoyancy adjustment tank and the outside of the central pod 3, and a pump provided in the water supply and drainage pipe. Including. The buoyancy adjustment tank is a water storage tank having a predetermined capacity. The pump pours and drains water (eg, seawater) into the buoyancy adjustment tank. The pump is driven by, for example, the electric power generated by the generator 9. The pump may be driven by power supplied using, for example, the power transmission cable 8.

  In addition, the power generation device 1 includes a posture adjustment device 25 that adjusts the posture of the floating body. The floating body includes a pair of power generation pods 2, a central pod 3 and a cross beam 4. The attitude adjustment device 25 changes the attitude (pitch angle) of the floating body by changing the center of gravity of the floating body. The pitch angle of the floating body can be an angle of the axis L2 (FIG. 3) of the power generation pod 2 with respect to the horizontally extending reference line. The axis L2 is an imaginary straight line along the direction in which the rotation axis 15 of the power generation pod 2 extends. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, an imaginary straight line extending in the longitudinal direction of the central pod 3 is taken along the axis L3, an imaginary straight line extending in the direction in which the pair of power generation pods 2 are separated is taken along the axis L4, the up and down direction The pitch angle is a rotation angle around the axis L4, assuming that the imaginary straight line extending to the axis L5 is the axis L5. The axes L3 to L5 are orthogonal to one another.

  The posture adjustment device 25 includes, for example, a first storage tank disposed at the front 2a of the pair of power generation pods 2, a second storage tank disposed at the rear of the central pod 3, a first storage tank, and a second It includes piping connected to the storage tank and a pump connected to the piping. The posture adjusting device 25 moves, for example, oil (liquid) to adjust the posture of the floating body. The liquid is not limited to oil, and may be seawater or another liquid.

  Next, the floating body positioning system (floating body positioning device of water flow power generation device) 40 of the power generation device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The floating body positioning system 40 measures the position of the power generation pod 2 floating in water. The floating body positioning system 40 comprises an array 41 and a transponder 42. The array 41 is provided on the power generation pod 2 and the transponder 42 is provided on the sinker 6.

  The array 41 is provided, for example, on the front surface 2 a on the bottom outer surface of the power generation pod 2. The array 41 may be provided on the central pod 3 or the cross beam 4 or may be arranged at another position. The array 41 outputs a sound wave (position detection wave) C into water and receives the sound wave C returned from the transponder 42. Array 41 includes a transmitter that transmits sound waves and a receiver that receives sound waves. The array 41 is electrically connected to the generator 9 and the power system to be able to supply power.

  The transponder 42 is disposed on the top surface of the sinker 6. The transponder 42 may be disposed on the side of the sinker 6 or may be disposed at another position. The transponder 42 receives the sound wave C transmitted from the array 41, and returns the sound wave C in response. The transponder 42 includes a receiver for receiving the sound wave and a transmitter for transmitting the sound wave. The transponder 42 is electrically connected to, for example, the submarine power transmission cable 10 and the branched power line 55 in the sinker 6. Thereby, the transponder 42 is electrically connected to the generator 9 and the power system, and can be supplied with power.

  Also, as shown in FIG. 6, the array 41 comprises a plurality of receivers 41a, 41b. The array 41 receives the sound waves C1 and C2 returned from the transponder 42. The distance d1 between the receivers 41a and 41b and the positional relationship are known. For the sound waves C1 and C2 returned from the transponder 42 at the same time, according to the time difference .DELTA.t (= t2-t1) which is the difference between the reception times t1 and t2 in the receivers 41a and 41b, the azimuth (direction Can be calculated. Further, the distance from the array 41 to the transponder 42 can be calculated according to the times t1 and t2 at which the sound waves C1 and C2 are received.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the floating body positioning system 40 includes a control unit 12. The control unit 12 is disposed, for example, inside the power generation pod 2. The control unit 12 may be disposed inside the central pod 3. The control unit 12 is a computer including hardware such as a central processing unit (CPU), read only memory (ROM), and random access memory (RAM), and software such as a program stored in the ROM. . The control unit 12 can also execute control other than positioning of the floating body in the power generation device 1.

  The control unit 12 includes a control unit 45, a position calculation unit 46, and a storage unit 47. An array 41 is electrically connected to the control unit 12. Alternatively, the control unit 12 may be incorporated in the array 41. The control unit 45 transmits a command signal to the array 41 and transmits a sound wave from the array 41.

  The position calculation unit 46 calculates the time difference Δt of the reception times of the sound waves C1 and C2 received by the receivers 41 a and 41 b of the array 41 and calculates the direction of the transponder 42 from the time difference Δt. As shown in FIG. 8, the position calculation unit 46 calculates an azimuth in which the position P2 of the sinker 6 provided with the transponder 42 is present, based on the position P1 of the power generation pod 2 provided with the array 41. The position calculation unit 46 may calculate, for example, the rotation angle around the Z axis based on the Z axis extending in the vertical direction. Further, the position calculation unit 46 may calculate, for example, an inclination angle with respect to a horizontal plane (XY plane) intersecting the Z axis. Thus, the position calculation unit 46 can calculate the azimuth in which the transponder 42 is present.

  Also, the position calculation unit 46 is based on the time (the movement time of the sound wave) from the sound wave C being transmitted from the array 41 to the sound wave C being received and returned by the transponder 42 and received by the array 41. , The distance from the array 41 to the transponder 42 can be calculated. The position calculation unit 46 calculates the movement distance of the sound wave based on the sound velocity in the seawater and the movement time of the sound wave C, and calculates the distance from the array 41 to the transponder 42.

  Further, the position calculation unit 46 can convert position coordinates based on the position P1 of the power generation pod 2 provided with the array 41 into position coordinates based on the position P2 of the sinker 6 provided with the transponder 42.

  The storage unit 47 stores various information. The storage unit 47 stores, for example, information on the transmission cycle of the sound wave C, information on the speed of sound in seawater, information on the water temperature and speed of sound, information on the calculation result and the like. The storage unit 47 stores information on position coordinates of the sinker 6 on the earth. The sinker 6 is disposed at a position measured in advance. Alternatively, the position of the sinker 6 is measured after installation. As a result, it is possible to accurately know the information on the position coordinates of the sinker 6 on the earth, and it is possible to calculate the position P1 of the power generation pod 2 with the position P2 of the sinker 6 as a reference. The sinker 6 is disposed so as not to be displaced relative to the seabed B, for example, by a friction enhancing sheet disposed between the bottom of the sinker 6 and the seabed B.

  Various sensors are electrically connected to the control unit 12. The various sensors include, for example, a water temperature sensor 31 and a depth sensor 32. The water temperature sensor 31 detects the temperature of seawater around the power generation pod 2. For example, a thermocouple, a thermistor or the like can be used as the water temperature sensor 31. The depth sensor 32 detects the depth of the power generation pod 2. As the depth sensor 32, for example, a pressure sensor that detects water pressure can be used. Other sensors as various sensors may be connected to the control unit 12. As another sensor, the sensor etc. which detect the tension of mooring cord 7 are mentioned, for example.

  The control unit 12 may also be configured to include, for example, a determination unit 48 that determines whether the position of the power generation pod 2 is within a predetermined range. The predetermined range may be, for example, a safe area even when the power generation pod 2 is present. Moreover, as a predetermined range, it can be set as the area | region where the ocean current suitable for electric power generation has arisen, for example.

  The control unit 12 also compares the depth of the power generation pod 2 detected by the depth sensor 32 with the position of the power generation pod 2 calculated by the position calculation unit 46 to confirm the accuracy of the depth sensor 32. You may Further, when a problem occurs in the depth sensor 32, the control unit 12 may calculate the depth of the power generation pod 2 based on the position coordinates of the power generation pod 2. The position of the power generation pod 2 may be controlled based on the calculated depth of the power generation pod 2. The control unit 12 also determines whether the position of the power generation pod 2 is within a predetermined range based on the information on the tension of the mooring cord 7 and the position coordinates of the power generation pod 2. Good.

  Further, for example, the blade pitch angle adjustment device 16, the buoyancy adjustment device 20, the attitude adjustment device 25, and the generator 9 may be electrically connected to the control unit 12. The control unit 12 may transmit a command signal to the blade pitch angle adjusting device 16, the buoyancy adjusting device 20, the attitude adjusting device 25 and the generator 9 to perform control and move the power generation pod 2. The control unit 12 can control the blade pitch angle adjustment device 16, the buoyancy adjustment device 20, the attitude adjustment device 25, and the generator 9 to move the calculated position of the power generation pod 2 to a target position.

  The control unit 12 can control, for example, the blade pitch angle adjustment device 16 to change the pitch angle of the blades 14 and change the thrust force acting on the power generation pod 2. The control unit 12 can control, for example, the buoyancy adjustment device 20 to change the buoyancy of the power generation pod 2. The control unit 12 can control, for example, the posture adjustment device 25 to change the posture of the power generation pod 2. The control unit 12 can also operate the generator 9 as an electric motor to change the thrust force acting on the power generation pod 2. The thrust force is a force acting in the direction in which the rotation axis of the generator 9 extends. The thrust force can be increased to cause the power generation pod 2 connected to the mooring cord 7 to settle, and the thrust force can be reduced to float the power generation pod 2. Thus, the control unit 12 can move the power generation pod 2.

  Next, with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 9, the floating body position measurement method of the power generation device 1 will be described. The power generation pod 2 of the power generation apparatus 1 floats in seawater, receives the ocean current FW, and the turbine 5 rotates, and the generator 9 generates electric power by this rotation driving force. The generated power is transmitted by the transmission cable 8 and the submarine transmission cable 10, and is used on the ground side. Further, a part of the generated electric power is supplied to the accessories (control unit 12, various sensors, buoyancy adjustment device 20, attitude adjustment device 25) of the power generation device 1. Also, part of the generated power is supplied to the array 41 of the floating body positioning system 40 and the transponder 42.

  The array 41 transmits sound waves at a constant cycle (step S1). The transmitted sound waves are transmitted in the sea to reach the transponder 42. Next, the transponder 42 receives the sound wave (step S2). In response to this, the transponder 42 sends back a sound wave (step S3). The sound wave returned from the transponder 42 is transmitted in the sea to reach the array 41. Next, the array 41 receives a sound wave (step S4). The control unit 12 acquires times t1 and t2 at which the acoustic waves C1 and C2 are received by the receivers 41a and 41b of the array 41.

  The position calculation unit 46 of the control unit 12 calculates a time difference Δt, which is a difference between reception times between the plurality of receivers 41a and 41b, and calculates an azimuth of the sinker 6 in which the transponder 42 is installed from this time difference. In addition, the position calculating unit 46 determines the distance between the array 41 and the transponder 42 based on the time from the transmission of the sound wave from the array 41 to the response by the transponder 42 and the reception of the sound wave returned by the array 41. Calculate Thus, the position calculation unit 46 calculates the direction of the sinker 6 with the power generation pod 2 as a reference, and calculates the distance between the power generation pod 2 and the sinker 6 (step S5).

  Next, the position calculator 46 calculates the position P1 of the power generation pod 2 with reference to the position P2 of the sinker 6 (step S6). The position calculation unit 46 calculates the position of the power generation pod 2 in the coordinate system having the sinker 6 which is the starting point as the origin. For example, when the position of the sinker 6 is (-x, -y, -z) in a coordinate system with the power generation pod 2 as the origin, in the coordinate system with the sinker 6 as the origin, The position is (x, y, z).

  According to the floating body positioning system 40 of the present disclosure, since the sinker 6, which is the starting point, is disposed with respect to the seabed B and its position is known, power generation connected to the starting point is prevented by preventing positional deviation of the starting point. The position of the pod 2 can be measured reliably. In addition, since the power generation pod 2 is connected to the sinker 6 via the mooring cord 7, the range in which the power generation pod 2 floats can be limited, and the position of the power generation pod 2 can be reliably measured. it can. Even if the range of the sound wave can be limited to include the floating area of the power generation pod 2, the position of the power generation pod 2 can be reliably measured, and it is necessary to output the sound wave so as to include an unnecessary wide area. There is no Further, the array 41 and the transponder 42 can operate by being supplied with power from the generator 9 mounted on the power generation pod 2 or an external power source. Therefore, it is not necessary to supply power from a battery not connected to the power supply, and maintenance costs for battery replacement can be suppressed. For example, there is no need to lift the array 41 and transponder 42 from the ocean for battery replacement.

  In the floating body positioning system 40 of the present disclosure, since the array 41 and the position calculation unit 46 are mounted on the power generation pod 2, the array 41 provided on the power generation pod 2 receives sound waves to generate the power generation pod 2. The position calculation unit 46 provided in can calculate the position of the power generation pod 2 using the reception result of the sound wave. For example, in the case where the sinker 6 is provided with an array and the power generation pod 2 is provided with a position calculation unit, it is necessary to transmit a signal from the sinker 6 to the power generation pod 2. If it occurs, there is a possibility that the signal can not be transmitted to the power generation pod 2, but in the floating body positioning system 40, the reception result of the sound wave received by the array 41 is transmitted to the position calculation unit 46 without passing through the communication cable 11. can do.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the floating body positioning system 40 may be configured to include the array-side power storage unit 51 and the transponder-side power storage unit 52. Array side electric storage part 51 is connected to electric power system 53 and generator 9, and can store electricity. The array 41 is connected to the power system 53 and the generator 9 via a power line (array feeder). Array side power storage unit 51 may be incorporated in array 41 or may be provided separately from array 41. The array side storage unit 51 may be connected to the array 41 via, for example, the power line 54 so that the array 41 can be supplied with power. As array side electric storage part 51, a capacitor, a battery, a capacitor etc. can be used, for example. Array side electric storage part 51 may be connected to an inverter and a converter, for example.

  In the floating body positioning system 40 of this configuration, the array 41 can be fed from the generator 9 or the power system 53 through the power line 54. Further, in the floating body positioning system 40, even if the power supplied from the generator 9 or the power system 53 is insufficient, the array side power storage unit 51 can supply power to the array 41 to operate the array 41.

  The transponder-side power storage unit 52 is connected to the electric power system 53 and the generator 9 so as to be capable of storing power. The transponder 42 is connected to the power system 53 and the generator 9 via a power line (a feeder for transponder) 55. Transponder-side power storage unit 52 may be incorporated in transponder 42 or may be provided separately from transponder 42. The transponder-side power storage unit 52 may be connected to the transponder 42 via, for example, the power line 55 so that the transponder 42 can be supplied with power. For example, a capacitor, a battery, a capacitor or the like can be used as transponder-side power storage unit 52. The transponder-side power storage unit 52 may be connected to, for example, an inverter and a converter.

  In the floating body positioning system 40 of this configuration, power can be supplied from the generator 9 or the power system 53 to the transponder 42 through the power line 55. Further, in the floating body positioning system 40, even if the power supplied from the generator 9 or the power system 53 is insufficient, the transponder 42 can supply power to the transponder 42 to operate the transponder 42.

  In addition, the floating body positioning system 40 may be configured to include a storage control unit that performs storage control of the array-side storage unit 51. The storage control unit detects the storage amount in the array-side storage unit 51, and performs control so as to perform storage when the storage amount is low. Moreover, the floating body positioning system 40 may be configured to include the transponder-side power storage unit. The storage control unit detects the storage amount in the transponder-side storage unit 52, and performs control so as to store power when the storage amount is low.

  In addition, the floating body positioning system 40 may supply power to the transponder 42 using a wireless power supply unit 60, as shown in FIG. The wireless feeding unit 60 includes coils (antennas) 61 and 62, and transmits electrical energy by, for example, an electromagnetic induction method. The coils 61 and 62 are provided on the power line 55 connected to the power transmission cable 8. Thereby, the power transmitted from the generator 9 or the power system 53 can be supplied to the transponder 42 using the wireless power supply unit 60. The feeding method is not limited to the electromagnetic induction method, and may be another method such as a radio wave receiving method or a resonance method. Also, the transponder 42 may be configured to include, for example, a cylindrical case. The transponder 42 is fitted in a circular recess formed on the top surface of the sinker 6. Then, a coil for receiving power may be provided in the transponder 42, a coil for power transmission may be provided on the bottom of the recess, and power may be supplied to the transponder 42 using these coils. Thereby, attachment and removal of the transponder 42 can be easily performed.

  The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made as described below without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

  In the above embodiment, a sound wave is transmitted from the array 41 as a position detection wave, and the sound wave returned in response by the transponder 42 is received by the array 41. However, the position detection wave may be an ultrasonic wave, a laser, etc. Other position detection waves may be used. In the above embodiment, the array 41 is provided on the floating body and the transponder 42 is provided on the starting point portion. However, the array 41 may be provided on the starting point portion and the transponder 42 may be provided on the floating body.

  In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the position calculating unit 46 is provided in the power generation pod 2 is described. However, the position calculating unit 46 may be provided in the central pod 3. It may be provided, may be provided in the control unit of the operation center on the ground side, or may be provided in other places.

  Moreover, although it is set as the structure provided with a pair of electric power generation pod 2 and the center pod 3 in said embodiment, the electric power generation apparatus 1 may be the structure provided with the one electric power generation pod 2, and three or more electric power generation pods 2 May be provided. In addition, the power generation device 1 may not have the central pod 3.

  Moreover, in said embodiment, although the sinker 6 is used as the starting point part, the anchor fixed to the seabed B may be used as a starting point part, and another structure may be used as a starting point part. Also, for example, the starting point may be installed in the vicinity of the sinker 6. Further, in the configuration provided with a plurality of sets of power generation pods 2 and sinkers 6, the sinkers 6 to which the next power generation pods 2 (other floating bodies) are connected may be used as the starting point.

1 Power generator (underwater floating power generator, water flow power generator)
2 Power generation pod (floating body)
3 Central pod (floating body)
4 Cross beam (floating body)
5 Turbine (turbine for power generation)
6 Sinker (starting point)
7 mooring cord 9 generator 12 control unit 40 floating body positioning system (floating body positioning device for water flow power generator)
41 Array 42 Transponder 46 Position Calculation Unit 53 Power System (External Power Supply)
54 Power line (feeder for array)
55 Power line (Transponder feed line)
B seabed (water bottom)
C sound wave (position detection wave)
P1 Power generation pod position (floating body position)
Position of P2 sinker (position of starting point)

Claims (6)

A floating body positioning apparatus for a water flow power generation apparatus, which generates electric power by floating a floating body provided with a power generation turbine and to which a mooring cord is connected, in water,
A starting point that is located relative to the bottom of the water and whose position is known;
An array, provided on one of the origin or the floating body, for transmitting a position detection wave and for receiving the returned position detection wave;
A transponder which is provided on the other of the starting point or the remaining one of the floating bodies and receives and returns the position detection wave;
A position calculation unit that calculates the position of the floating body based on the information on the position detection wave received by the array;
The array is electrically connected to a generator mounted on the floating body or an external power supply to be supplied with power.
The floating body positioning device of a water flow power generation apparatus, wherein the transponder is electrically connected to the generator or the external power supply to be supplied with power.   The floating body positioning device for a water flow power generator according to claim 1, wherein the mooring cord is connected to the starting point portion. An array feeder connected to the generator or an external power source to supply power to the array;
The floating body positioning device for a water flow power generation device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a transponder feeder connected to the generator or the external power supply for supplying power to the transponder. An array-side storage unit connected to the generator or the external power supply to store power;
The floating body positioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the power stored in the array-side power storage unit is supplied to the array. And a transponder-side storage unit connected to the generator or the external power supply to store power.
The floating body positioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the power stored in the transponder-side storage unit is supplied to the transponder. The array and the position calculation unit are mounted on the floating body,
The floating body positioning device for a water flow power generator according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the transponder is provided at the starting point portion.

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