JP2019173597A - Water turbine and small hydroelectric generator - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a water turbine capable of obtaining rotational energy efficiently from an existing water channel, and a small hydroelectric generator capable of obtaining power generation efficiently.SOLUTION: A water turbine 1 has a water turbine blade 5 in which a plurality of vanes 5a are provided radially at equal intervals, and is installed along a rotation center axis O of the water turbine blade 5 in a flow direction of a water channel 3. The front shape of each vane 5a is a shape that spreads from a root to a tip. A flow velocity adjusting component 12 is provided on the front side of the water turbine blade 5 and at a radial center of the water turbine blade 5, for increasing the flow resistance at a center part of the water turbine blade to increase a flow velocity at an outer peripheral part of the water turbine in the water channel 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a small-scale water wheel installed in a water channel such as an irrigation channel, and a small hydroelectric generator including the water wheel.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a small hydroelectric generator having a small-scale generator that generates electric power using a flow of a waterway such as an irrigation canal has been proposed.
The hydroelectric power generation system consists of a turbine that converts water energy into rotational energy, a generator that converts rotational energy into electrical energy, and a gearbox that increases the rotational speed of the turbine and transmits it to the generator as needed. It consists of a control device that controls the machine.
The energy conversion efficiency of water turbines is an important issue for hydropower generation, and environmental conditions (flow velocity, water level) are limited, especially in irrigation channels with constant flow velocity. There is one that provides a water guide duct for a water turbine that can achieve an effect of energy conversion efficiency (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2017-25831 A

In the above-described conventional technique, a water guide duct of a water turbine that can use a high water pressure is arranged to increase the efficiency. Specifically, the shape in the duct is devised, a high flow rate is generated by the Coanda effect, and the bottleneck effect is increased.
However, in order to install such a duct, it is necessary to (1) block the water source of the irrigation canal, (2) fix the duct to the bottom of the canal, and then (3) adjust and arrange it so that it is in the middle of the turbine duct. It takes time and effort to install. In particular, closing the water source requires technical coordination and coordination with related organizations (for example, WUAs) and is not easy.

  9 and 10 show a hydroelectric generator according to the proposed example. The water turbine blade 5 has a plurality of blades 5a arranged in a radial pattern and is rotated by the energy of water. The water turbine blade 5 is coupled to the three-phase AC generator 2 via a gearbox 7 constituted by a gear box 7, and a spinner 15 that reduces the water flow resistance of the water turbine blade 5 is disposed. .

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems, and to provide a water turbine capable of efficiently obtaining rotational energy from an existing water channel, and a small hydraulic power generator capable of efficiently obtaining generated power.

The water wheel of the present invention is a water wheel having a plurality of blades radially provided at equal intervals, and installed along the rotation center axis of the water wheel in the flow direction of the water channel.
It has a flow rate adjusting component that is located on the front side of the turbine blade and that increases the flow resistance of the outer periphery of the turbine channel by increasing the water flow resistance of the turbine blade center in the radial center of the turbine blade. It is characterized by.

When the water turbine blade is introduced into the irrigation channel, the water turbine blade acts as a weir, the water level on the upstream side of the water turbine blade rises, and the flow velocity decreases. However, the trend of flow velocity distribution in the channel cross section is maintained. Therefore, according to the present invention, a flow rate adjusting component that increases the water flow resistance in the center portion of the water turbine blade is provided at the center portion in the radial direction of the water turbine blade located on the front side of the water turbine blade. By providing a flow rate adjusting component that increases the water flow resistance in the central portion of the water turbine blade, the flow velocity of the outer peripheral portion of the water turbine blade in the water channel increases. As the flow velocity at the outer periphery of the water turbine blade increases, the torque of the water turbine blade increases, and rotational energy can be efficiently obtained from the existing water channel. For this reason, it is an existing water channel, and it becomes a highly efficient water turbine without the installation effort by the addition of a water guide duct. When this turbine is used for a hydroelectric generator, high efficiency of power generation is achieved.
The flow velocity adjusting component is a component having a shape and a size that increase the water flow resistance, unlike a spinner used for reducing water channel resistance or protecting the center of the turbine blade.

For example, the flow rate adjusting component has a circular front shape and a diameter of more than 17% and less than 85% with respect to the diameter of the turbine blade.
Unlike the conventional spinner, by setting the flow velocity adjusting component to a size exceeding 17% of the diameter of the turbine blade, the water flow resistance at the center of the turbine blade is increased and the outer periphery of the turbine blade in the water channel is increased. The function of increasing the flow rate is obtained. If the diameter of the flow velocity adjustment component is too large, the area that receives the water flow at the outer periphery of the turbine blade decreases, and the rotational energy decreases. On the other hand, if it is less than 85%, the rotational energy increase due to the provision of the flow velocity adjustment component An effect is obtained.

In the water turbine blade, the front shape of each blade may be widened from the root to the tip.
When each blade of the water turbine blade has a shape that spreads toward the tip, rotational energy can be obtained more efficiently in combination with an increase in the flow velocity of the outer periphery of the water turbine blade.

For example, the flow velocity adjusting component may be supported so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to the water turbine blade via a bearing.
By maintaining the stationary state by making the flow velocity adjustment part rotatable with respect to the water turbine blade, the flow velocity distribution is further improved without disturbing the flow velocity distribution, and the effect of increasing the rotational energy can be obtained. .

The water turbine blade may have a winglet at the tip of each blade.
When the winglet is provided, the effect of suppressing the vortex loss at the tip of the blade is obtained, and the effect of increasing the rotational energy is further obtained.

The specific shape of the flow rate adjusting component may be any shape that can increase the water flow resistance of the water turbine blade central portion and increase the flow velocity of the water turbine blade outer peripheral portion of the water channel. The hook portion may be a flat surface.
Thus, by making the receiving part into a planar shape, the action of increasing the water flow resistance at the center of the turbine blade and increasing the flow velocity of the outer periphery of the turbine blade in the water channel can be obtained more effectively.

In the present invention, the material of the flow rate adjusting component may be, for example, a fiber reinforced plastic.
If it is made of fiber reinforced plastic, it is lightweight and excellent in strength.

  In this invention, the material of the flow rate adjusting component may be a metal material. However, when a contact part that is in contact with the flow rate adjustment part, such as a turbine blade or a fixing bolt, is a metal material different from the flow rate adjustment part, either the flow rate adjustment part or the contact part is The anticorrosion treatment is preferred. Thereby, the electrolytic corrosion by water interposing in the contact part of a dissimilar metal is prevented.

  In the water wheel of the present invention, the rotation center axis of the water wheel may be horizontal. When the water turbine of the present invention is a horizontal shaft type, the effect of increasing the flow velocity of the outer peripheral portion of the water turbine blade can be obtained more effectively.

A small hydroelectric generator of the present invention includes the water wheel having any one of the above-described structures of the present invention, and a generator that converts rotational energy of the water wheel into electric energy.
According to the hydroelectric generator having this configuration, since the rotational energy can be efficiently obtained by the water wheel of the present invention, the generated power can be efficiently obtained from the existing water channel.

  The water wheel of the present invention is a water wheel having a plurality of blades provided with blades provided radially at equal intervals, and installed along the rotation center axis of the water wheel in the flow direction of the water channel, Because it has a flow rate adjusting component that increases the flow resistance of the water turbine blade outer peripheral portion of the water channel by increasing the water flow resistance of the water turbine blade central portion at the radial center of the water turbine blade located on the front side of the water turbine blade. Rotational energy can be obtained efficiently from existing waterways.

  Since the small hydroelectric generator of this invention is equipped with the water wheel of this invention, it can obtain electric power generation efficiently from the existing waterway.

It is a front view of the small hydraulic power generator concerning a 1st embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of the small hydroelectric generator. It is explanatory drawing of the flow-velocity distribution of the cross section of a water channel in the case where the flow velocity adjustment component is not installed and when it is installed. It is a front view of the water turbine blade in the small hydropower generator concerning other embodiments of this invention. It is a side view of the water turbine blade. It is a front view of the turbine blade in the small hydraulic power generator concerning other further embodiments of this invention. This is the side of the turbine blade. It is a partially broken side view of the water turbine blade. It is a front view of the small hydroelectric generator concerning a proposal example. It is a side view of the small hydroelectric generator concerning the example of the proposal.

  A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a front view of the entire small hydroelectric generator. This small hydroelectric generator is composed of a water turbine 1 and a generator 2. The water turbine 1 includes a gantry 4 installed in the water channel 3 and a water turbine blade 5 supported by the gantry 4.

The water channel 3 is an agricultural or industrial water channel having an open upper surface, and the side walls 3a, 3a on both sides are made of concrete or the like. The bottom wall 3b is made of concrete or the ground surface layer.
In the gantry 4, the gantry body 4 a is installed across the side walls 3 a, 3 a on both sides of the water channel 3, and the generator 2 is installed on the central base part 4 b of the gantry body 4 a. The generator 2 is a three-phase or single-phase AC generator such as a synchronous type or an induction type.

In the water turbine blade 5, a plurality of blades 5a (five in the illustrated example) are provided radially at equal intervals, and are installed along the rotation center axis O in the flow direction A (FIG. 2) of the water channel 3. The rotation center axis O is, for example, horizontal. As shown in FIG. 2, the water turbine blade 5 is installed via a gear box 7 at the lower end of a support column 6 suspended from the center in the width direction of the gantry body 4 a.
A main shaft 8 that rotates integrally with the water turbine blade 5 is provided at the center of the water turbine blade 5, and the main shaft 8 is rotatably supported by a bearing (not shown) provided in the gear box 7. . As a result, the water turbine blade 5 is supported by the gantry body 4 a via the gear box 7 and the support column 6. The rotation of the main shaft 8 is transmitted to the generator 2 through a gear train such as a bevel gear in the gear box 7 and a transmission shaft 9 in the support 6. The input shaft 2 a of the generator 2 and the transmission shaft 9 are connected by a coupling 10. The gear box 7 constitutes a speed up gear, for example.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the water turbine blade 5, the front shape of each blade 5 a is a shape that spreads from the root to the tip, and a winglet 5 aa that is bent to the front side is provided at the tip of each blade 5 a. ing. In addition, a flow rate adjusting component 12 is provided at the center in the radial direction, located on the front side of the water turbine blade 5.

The flow velocity adjusting component 12 is a component having a function of increasing the flow velocity at the outer peripheral portion of the water turbine blade of the water channel 3 by increasing the water flow resistance at the center portion of the water turbine blade. The flow velocity adjusting component 12 is fixed to the water turbine blade 5 in this embodiment.
In this embodiment, the flow velocity adjusting component 12 has a front shape that is concentric with the rotation center axis O, and has a mountain shape in which the position of the rotation center axis O projects to the most upstream side as shown in FIG. . In other words, the shape of the rotating body is obtained by rotating a curved plane figure with a gentle vicinity in the vicinity of the top about the rotation center axis O.
The diameter D1 of the flow velocity adjusting component 12 is preferably more than 17% and less than 85% of the diameter D0 of the water turbine blade 5, and is 36% in the example of FIG.

The material of the flow rate adjusting component 12 is made of, for example, a fiber reinforced plastic or a metal such as steel , aluminum, or an aluminum alloy. The flow rate adjusting component 12 and contact parts that contact the flow adjusting component 12 such as the water turbine blade 5 and the like When both the main shafts 8 are made of metal and are made of different metals, it is preferable to subject the flow rate adjusting component 12 and the contact component to corrosion resistance. As the corrosion resistance treatment, for example, when the flow rate adjusting component 12 is an aluminum alloy, the component is fixed to the water turbine blade 5 through a bolt made of SUS304. In this combination, the anodized film (alumite film) is applied to the flow rate adjusting component 12. ) Is applicable.

According to the small hydraulic power generator of this configuration, the water turbine away from the center of the water turbine blade is formed by increasing the flow velocity of the outer peripheral portion of the water turbine blade 5 in the water channel 3 by the flow velocity adjusting component 12 and by the shape of the blade 5a having a divergent shape from the root to the tip. Collect the power of water at the tip of the wing. Further, since the winglet 5aa at the tip of each blade 5a suppresses vortex loss at the tip of the blade 5a , the water flow can be efficiently converted into rotation of the water turbine blade 5. As a result, the generated torque increases and the generated power is increased.

The above operation will be specifically described. When the water turbine blade 5 of the water turbine 1 is introduced into the water channel 3, the water turbine blade 5 acts as a weir, the water level on the upstream side of the water turbine blade 5 rises, and the flow velocity decreases. However, the tendency of the flow velocity distribution in the cross section of the water channel 3 is maintained.
Therefore, this embodiment is located on the front side of the water turbine blade 5 in the central portion in the radial direction of the water turbine blade 5, instead of the spinner 15 for reducing water flow resistance in the proposed example of FIG. 10. A flow rate adjusting component 12 for increasing the water flow resistance is provided. By providing such a flow velocity adjusting component 12, the flow velocity of the outer peripheral portion of the water turbine blade of the water channel 3 is increased.
When schematically shown in the drawing, the flow velocity distribution in the water channel 3 such as a water channel is usually a position below the water surface S (a position from the bottom surface B to the height H) at the center in the width direction of the water channel (FIG. 3A). The velocity of the velocity distribution curve a) is the fastest, and this is also verified from the result of measurement in an actual water channel. In this situation, when the flow velocity adjusting component 12 is arranged, the flow velocity at the center of the water turbine blade is reduced, but the entire flow rate in the cross section of the water channel 3 is maintained, so that the velocity distribution curve b in FIG. Thus, the flow velocity of the outer peripheral portion of the water turbine blade increases.
As the flow velocity of the outer peripheral portion of the water turbine blade increases in this way, the torque of the water turbine blade 5 increases, and rotational energy can be efficiently obtained from the existing water channel 3. Moreover, since each blade | wing 5a is a shape which spreads toward the front end side, a rotational energy can be obtained more efficiently combined with the increase in the flow velocity of a water turbine blade outer peripheral part. For this reason, the existing water channel 3 does not require the trouble of installation due to the addition of a water guide duct, and the water turbine 1 is highly efficient. When this water turbine 1 is used for a hydroelectric generator, high efficiency of generated power is achieved.
Unlike the spinner 15 used for reducing the flowing water resistance and protecting the turbine blade central portion in the proposed examples of FIGS. 9 and 10, the flow rate adjusting component 12 is a component having a shape that increases the water flow resistance. The effect of increasing the flow velocity at the outer periphery of the turbine blade is obtained.

4 and 5 show another embodiment. In this embodiment, the diameter D1 of the flow velocity adjusting component 12 is increased to 70% of the diameter D0 of the water turbine blade 5. The flow direction height of the flow rate adjusting component 12 is the same as that in the embodiment of FIG.
Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment described above with reference to FIGS.
When the diameter of the flow rate adjusting component 12 is increased in this way, the flow resistance at the center of the flow path becomes larger, so the flow velocity of the water flow at the outer peripheral portion of the water turbine blade 5 becomes faster, and the power generation efficiency is further improved.

The size of the speed adjusting component 12 is preferably such that the diameter D1 exceeds 17% and less than 85% with respect to the diameter D0 of the water turbine blade 5.
Unlike the conventional spinner, by setting the flow velocity adjusting component 12 to a size exceeding 17% with respect to the diameter D0 of the turbine blade 5, the water flow resistance at the center of the turbine blade is increased and the turbine of the water channel 3 is increased. A function of increasing the flow velocity of the outer peripheral portion of the blade is obtained. If the diameter of the flow velocity adjusting component 12 becomes too large, the area that receives the water flow at the outer peripheral portion of the water turbine blade 5 decreases and the rotational energy decreases. However, if it is less than 85%, the rotation due to the provision of the flow velocity adjusting component The effect of increasing energy is obtained.

FIG. 8 shows still another embodiment. In this embodiment, the flow velocity adjusting component 12 is rotatably supported with respect to the main shaft 8 via a bearing 13 so that the rotation of the water turbine blade 5 and the rotation of the flow velocity adjusting component 12 are separated. Moreover, the flow velocity adjustment component 12 is a mountain shape protruding to the upstream side of the water channel, and the receiving portion 12a is a flat surface. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment described above with reference to FIGS.
In the case of this configuration, even if the water turbine blade 5 rotates, the flow rate adjusting component 12 can maintain the stopped state. Therefore, the flow velocity adjustment component 12 does not disturb the flow velocity distribution, and the flow velocity at the outer periphery of the water turbine blade further increases. In addition, since the receiving portion 12a of the flow velocity adjusting component 12 has a planar shape, the effect of increasing the water flow resistance at the central portion of the water turbine blade and increasing the flow velocity at the outer peripheral portion of the water turbine blade of the water channel 3 can be obtained more effectively. For these reasons, the water turbine 1 and the hydroelectric generator are more efficient.

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Turbine 2 ... Generator 3 ... Waterway 4 ... Mount 5 ... Turbine blade 5a ... Blade 5aa ... Winglet 7 ... Gear box 8 ... Main shaft 12 ... Flow rate adjustment component 15 ... Bearing O ... Rotation center shaft

Claims (10)

A water turbine having a plurality of blades radially provided at equal intervals and a water wheel installed along the rotation center axis of the water wheel in the flow direction of the water channel,
It has a flow rate adjusting component that is located on the front side of the turbine blade and that increases the flow resistance of the outer periphery of the turbine channel by increasing the water flow resistance of the turbine blade center in the radial center of the turbine blade. A water wheel characterized by.   The water turbine according to claim 1, wherein a front shape of the flow rate adjusting component is circular, and a diameter of the flow rate adjusting component is greater than 17% and less than 85% with respect to a diameter of the turbine blade.   3. The water wheel according to claim 1, wherein a front shape of each blade is a divergent shape extending from a root to a tip. 4.   The water turbine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the flow velocity adjusting component is supported relative to the water turbine blade through a bearing so as to be relatively rotatable.   The water turbine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the water turbine blade has a winglet at a tip of each blade.   The water turbine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the flow rate adjusting component is a mountain shape protruding to the upstream side of the water channel, and the hook portion is a flat surface.   The water wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the flow rate adjusting component is made of fiber reinforced plastic.   The water wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the flow rate adjusting component is a metal material, and a contact component that is a component in contact with the flow rate adjusting component is the flow rate adjusting component and a dissimilar metal material, A water turbine in which any one of the flow rate adjusting component and the contact component is subjected to corrosion resistance treatment.   The water turbine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the rotation center axis of the turbine blade is horizontal.   A small hydroelectric generator comprising: the water turbine according to any one of claims 1 to 9; and a generator that converts rotational energy of the water turbine into electric energy.

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