JP2022049737A - Power generation system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a power generation system that is easy to resonate upon generating electrical energy from swaying energy such as wave force energy.SOLUTION: A power generation device configured to generate electrical energy from swaying energy, has: a swaying energy conversion cell having a cell body in which fluid is movably confined in an internal space, and a rotor installed so that the cell body is tilted and the fluid moves in the internal space of the cell body to rotate in only one direction; a wave energy container having a cell installation space for storing the swaying energy conversion cell; a generator for converting, into electrical energy, rotational energy with which the rotor rotates; and a weight adjustment mechanism for adjusting the overall weight.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a power generation device that generates electrical energy from swaying energy such as wave energy.

Waves are always formed on the surface of the sea. It is said that the main cause of waves is the wind, and the atmosphere surrounding the earth is circulating and the wind is always blowing on the sea surface, and as a result, waves are always formed on the sea surface. On the other hand, the waves formed on the sea surface have energy (wave energy) that causes the waves to move up and down, and it is desired to make effective use of them. Wave energy is enormous and inexhaustible, and there is no concern that it will be exhausted. Since the size and period of waves vary depending on the sea area, wave energy is efficiently converted into electrical energy, basically in a floating state, for any wave from small waves to large waves. It is desired to develop a power generation device for this purpose.

In Patent Document 1, (a) in a wind turbine in which a plurality of rotary blades having a concave shape due to a curved surface or a slope in a direction perpendicular to them are arranged around a rotary shaft or an inner cylinder integrated with the rotary shaft, the casing is left and right. With the vertical plane that divides into two equal planes as the plane of symmetry, the first flow path and the third flow path are provided on one side in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, and the second flow path and the fourth flow path are provided on the opposite side to apply wave force and the like. The reciprocating flow of the fluid used as the driving force is guided to the first flow path and the second flow path, or the first reciprocating flow tube in which both flow paths are aggregated, and the flow (outward flow) flowing in from the first flow path is Means for opening the channel are provided in the first flow path and the third flow path, and (b) means for opening the path for the flow (return flow) in the direction opposite to the outward flow are provided in the second flow path and the fourth flow path. A vertical axis wind turbine is described in which each flow path is arranged around the casing so that the outward flow flows from the first flow path to the third flow path and the return flow flows from the fourth flow path to the second flow path. There is. Then, using the vertical axis feng shui wheel, a reciprocating flow of seawater by wave power is introduced into the first flow path and the second flow path, and the third flow path and the fourth flow path or both of the flow paths are assembled. A wave power generation device is described in which a second reciprocating flow pipe is connected to a storage tank provided outside them to generate electricity.

Patent Document 2 describes a sway energy conversion device that converts sway energy such as wave energy into rotational energy, and has a main body in which a fluid is movably confined in an internal space and the main body tilted to perform the flow. A sway energy conversion device having a rotating body installed so that the body moves in the internal space of the main body to rotate in only one direction is described, and the rotational energy of the rotating body is converted into electrical energy. The power generation equipment to be used is also described.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-120499 Japanese Patent No. 6327629

In the wave power generation device described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to introduce seawater into the first flow path and the second flow path, but the direction of the wave on the seawater surface is not constant, and the first flow path and the second flow path Since the entrance to the second flow path is not so wide, it is difficult to introduce seawater into the first flow path and the second flow path, and the energy conversion efficiency is low.

The power generation device described in Patent Document 2 can convert swaying energy such as wave energy into electrical energy through the kinetic energy of the fluid inside the swaying energy conversion device. However, this power generation device can be converted into electric energy. If it can be resonated with the wave of, the movement of the fluid becomes violent and the rotational energy of the rotating body becomes large, so that more electric energy can be taken out. However, this power generation device did not have a structure that easily resonates with waves on the sea surface.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a power generation device that easily resonates when generating electric energy from swaying energy such as wave energy.

The sway energy conversion device according to the present invention is a power generation device that generates electric energy from sway energy, and has a cell body in which a fluid is movably confined in an internal space and a cell body in which the cell body is tilted. A wave energy container having a sway energy conversion cell having a rotating body installed so as to rotate in only one direction by moving in the internal space of the cell body, and a cell installation space for storing the sway energy conversion cell. It has a generator that converts the rotational energy of the rotating body into electrical energy, and a weight adjusting mechanism that adjusts the total weight.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a power generation device that easily resonates when generating electric energy from shaking energy such as wave energy.

It is a vertical sectional view which shows the structural example of the power generation apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a top view which shows the structural example of the power generation apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the sway energy conversion cell which the power generation apparatus which concerns on this invention has, (a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view. It is a view from the front that the sway energy conversion cell is tilted and the fluid moves in the internal space of the cell body, (a) is the state where the cell body is tilted to the right, and (b) is the left side of the cell body. Indicates a state of leaning to.

The power generation device according to the present invention is a power generation device that generates electric energy from swaying energy such as wave energy, and more specifically, the kinetic energy of a fluid generated by the swaying energy is converted into rotational energy through a rotating body. It converts and converts the rotational energy into electrical energy. Examples of the energy used in the present invention include wave energy obtained by shaking an object when the object is floated on a wave formed on the sea surface or the like. At this time, if the wave and the object (power generation device) cause a resonance phenomenon, theoretically, the maximum sway of the object according to the wave period can be obtained.

The power generation device according to the present invention includes a sway energy conversion cell that converts sway energy into rotational energy, a wave energy container having a cell installation space for storing the sway energy conversion cell, and a generator that converts sway energy into electrical energy. It has a weight adjustment mechanism that adjusts the total weight. With such a power generation device, swaying energy such as wave energy can be efficiently converted into rotational energy according to various long and short wave cycles, and it can be converted into electrical energy. Hereinafter, as an embodiment of the present invention, a power generation device capable of converting wave energy into rotational energy by floating on a wave and further converting the obtained rotational energy into electrical energy will be described.

Examples of the configuration of the power generation device according to the present invention are shown in FIGS. 1 (vertical sectional view) and FIG. 2 (plan view), and the configuration of the sway energy conversion cell 10 included in the power generation device is shown in FIG. 3 (a) (plan view, flow). The body 12 is omitted) and FIG. 3 (b) (front view, flow path forming member 16 is omitted). A plurality of sway energy conversion cells 10 are installed in the cell installation space 2a formed in the wave energy container of the power generation device 1, and the upper portion thereof is closed by a lid 3. The shape of the wave energy container 2 may be a columnar shape, or may be a square column such as a square column or another hexagonal column as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The sway energy conversion cell 10 has a cell body 11, a rotating body 13, and a flow path forming member 16. The fluid 12 exists in the internal space of the cell body 11. The cell body 11 of the sway energy conversion cell 10 has, for example, the shape of a cylinder or a prism. The rotating body 13 can be installed in the central portion of the cell body 11 so as to divide the internal space of the cell body 11 into two (internal spaces 11a and 11b). The rotating body 13 may have, for example, a configuration in which the blades 15 are connected to the outer periphery of the shaft body 14. The blade 15 has, for example, an S-shape or an inverted S-shape when viewed from the axial direction of the shaft body 14.

The fluid 12 is movably confined in the internal space of the cell body 11. That is, the internal space of the cell body 11 is a closed space isolated from the outside, and a predetermined amount of the fluid 12 is charged therein. The fluid 12 may be a liquid such as water (including an aqueous solution) or an organic solvent, or may be a powder or granular solid, as long as it can move in the internal space of the cell body 11 when the cell body 11 is tilted. good. The amount (volume) of the fluid 12 charged into the internal space of the cell body 11 is the ease of movement of the fluid 12 and the energy acquisition efficiency of the wave specifications (period, wavelength, wave height, wave direction, etc.). Although it is determined from the viewpoint of changing depending on the spectral characteristics), it is preferable to make it about 1/2 to 1/3 of the internal space of the cell body 11.

Then, when the cell body 11 is tilted and the fluid 12 moves in the internal space of the cell body 11, the flow path forming member 16 enters the internal space of the cell body 11 so that the fluid 12 flows into the concave portion side of the blade 15. Is provided, and a flow path of the fluid 12 is formed. By doing so, the cell body 11 is tilted and the fluid body 12 moves in the internal space of the cell body 11, so that the rotating body 13 rotates only in one direction (clockwise in FIG. 2A). Become.

The principle of efficiently converting wave energy into rotational energy by such a sway energy conversion cell 10 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 4, the cell body 11 of the sway energy conversion cell 10 is tilted due to the influence of waves. Then, as shown in FIG. 4A, when the cell body 11 is tilted to the right when viewed from the front, a part of the fluid 12 existing in the internal space 11a on the left side of the cell body 11 is removed in FIG. 3 (a). ) Flows in the direction of the arrow a and moves to the internal space 11b on the right side of the cell body 11. The fluid 12 that has moved at this time flows into the concave portion side of the blade 15 of the rotating body 13, so that the rotating body 13 rotates clockwise in FIG. 3A. Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the cell body 11 is tilted to the left when viewed from the front, a part of the fluid 12 existing in the internal space 11b on the right side of the cell body 11 is removed in FIG. 3 (a). ) Flows in the direction of the arrow b and moves to the internal space 11a on the left side of the cell body 11. The fluid 13 that has moved at this time flows into the concave portion side of the blade 15 of the rotating body 13, so that the rotating body 13 rotates clockwise in FIG. 3A.

That is, according to the sway energy conversion cell 10, wave energy can be converted into rotational energy. The sway energy conversion cell 10 can efficiently convert the slope of the wave into rotational energy by utilizing the fact that the slope of the wave is constantly changing.

The size, shape and material of the cell body 11 may be appropriately selected in consideration of the wavelength of the incoming wave and the like. For example, the length of the cell body 11 (for example, the length in the left-right direction in the sway energy conversion cell 10 of FIG. 3) is preferably about one-fourth of the wavelength of the assumed incoming wave. In particular, there are many possible variations in the shape of the cell body 11 (see Patent Document 2). The rotating body 13 can have, for example, a shape similar to a wind turbine for wind power generation, which is required to rotate in only one direction, and the shape may be a paddle type, an S shape, a saponius type, a straight wing type, or the like. Darius type, cross flow type, etc. can be mentioned. The flow path forming member 16 is provided in a place and shape suitable for the rotating body 13 to rotate in only one direction.

The number of the sway energy conversion cells 10 installed in the cell installation space 2a of the power generation device 1 may be one, but is preferably a plurality. In particular, it is preferable that a plurality of sway energy conversion cells 10 are spread in the cell installation space 2a so as to form a flat surface as a whole (18 in FIG. 1). By doing so, the amount of power generated by the sway energy conversion cell 10 can be increased. The plurality of sway energy conversion cells 10 spread over may be fixed to the bottom surface of the cell installation space 2a, or may be connected to each other in a raft shape by a coupler (not shown).

Further, it is preferable that a plurality of sway energy conversion cells 10 laid out so as to form a flat surface are stacked in a plurality of stages (18 × 2 stages in FIG. 1) via, for example, a shelf 4. By doing so, the rotational energy obtained from the sway energy conversion cell 10 can be further increased. The number of stages in which the sway energy conversion cells 10 are stacked may be two or three or more. The plurality of sway energy conversion cells 10 spread on the upper stage may be fixed to the shelves 4, or may be connected to each other in a raft shape by a coupler (not shown).

In addition, the arrangement direction of the sway energy conversion cells 10 can be changed at each stage according to the incoming waves from multiple directions. In the power generation device 1 of FIG. 1, the arrangement directions of the sway energy conversion cells 10 are shifted by 90 ° between the upper stage and the lower stage, and are arranged in a grid pattern. By doing so, the sway energy of the wave traveling in the left-right direction (for example, the east-west direction) in FIG. 2 is converted into rotational energy by the sway energy conversion cell 10 arranged in the lower stage, and the vertical direction in FIG. The sway energy of the wave traveling in the north-south direction (for example, in the north-south direction) can be converted into rotational energy by the sway energy conversion cell 10 arranged in the upper stage. That is, it becomes possible to correspond to any wave direction. The main sway is vertical movement in the vertical direction, which can be dealt with by resonating the entire wave energy container 2 with the waves.

The generator 20 uses so-called electromagnetic induction to convert the rotational energy (kinetic energy) of the rotating body 13 of the sway energy converting device 10 into electrical energy. Examples of the generator 20 include an AC generator such as a DC generator, a synchronous generator, and an induction generator. When the power generation device 1 according to the present invention has a plurality of sway energy conversion devices 10, each sway energy conversion device 10 has a built-in generator 20 (the top of the rotating body 13 inside the cell body 11) or is externally attached (cell body). It is preferable that it is installed at the top of the rotating body 13 outside the 10). The electric energy obtained by the generator 20 can be used on the spot, but it can also be charged to a rechargeable battery (not shown) that stores the electric energy.

The sway energy conversion device 10 included in the power generation device 1 according to the present invention efficiently converts sway energy such as wave energy into rotational energy, but in order to further increase the sway at that time, the power generation device 1 is waved ( It is important to resonate with the period of the incoming wave). Factors constituting the condition in which the power generation device 1 and the incoming wave resonate include the period of the incoming wave and the natural period of the power generation device 1. If these two are matched, the power generation device 1 theoretically resonates. The cycle of the incoming wave can be predicted by the SMB method, for example, given the meteorological conditions, and can be categorized based on the topography and the like. The natural period of the power generation device 1 differs depending on its weight, but when the weight is given, it can be calculated as the period of vertical vibration when the power generation device 1 is intentionally submerged. Therefore, if the weight of the entire power generation device 1 can be adjusted so that the period of the invasion wave and the natural period of the power generation device 1 are the same, the power generation device 1 can resonate with the period of the wave (invasion wave). In principle, it is possible to maximize the sway.

However, since the sway energy conversion cell 10 is housed in the cell installation space 2a of the wave energy container 2 in a watertight state, it is difficult to change the weight of the portion. Therefore, the power generation device 1 according to the present invention has a weight adjustment mechanism for adjusting the weight of the entire power generation device 1. By doing so, the weight of the entire power generation device 1 can be adjusted so that the natural period thereof and the period of the incoming wave can be made the same, and the wave can resonate with the power generation device 1.

The weight adjusting mechanism is not particularly limited as long as it can adjust the weight of the entire power generation device 1, but as a specific example thereof, as shown in FIG. 1, a liquid formed in the wave energy container 2 is stored. Examples thereof include those having a possible ballast space 2b and a communication passage (pipe 5) for charging / discharging a liquid into the ballast space 2b. The formation position of the ballast space 2b is not particularly limited, but as shown in FIG. 1, it is preferably formed below the cell installation space 2a. If the ballast space 2b is formed below the cell installation space 2a, the stability of the power generation device 1 is improved.

Then, when it is desired to increase the weight of the entire power generation device 1 in order to resonate with the incoming wave, the liquid may be poured into the ballast space 2b through the pipe 5, and conversely, when it is desired to reduce the total weight of the power generation device 1. May drain the liquid from the ballast space 2b through the pipe 5. When charging / discharging the liquid into / from the ballast space 2b, for example, a pump 5a installed in the pipe 5 can be used. By doing so, it becomes possible to adjust the weight so that the power generation device 1 resonates, for example, based on the wave period predicted by the SMB method.

If the liquid in the ballast space 2b sways, the sway of the entire power generation device 1 may be hindered. Therefore, the ballast space 2b has a partition plate 25 for suppressing the sway of the liquid charged inside. It is preferable that it is installed. Examples of the partition plate 25 include a plate having a plurality of holes through which the liquid charged inside can pass. With such a partition plate 25, when the liquid is greatly shaken, the liquid collides with a portion of the plate where no holes are formed, and the shaking is reduced.

With the power generation device according to the present invention as described above, swaying energy such as wave energy can be efficiently converted into rotational energy, which can be further converted into electrical energy. The wave power generation device, which is an example of the power generation device according to the present invention, may be stationary on the coast or the like, but may be movable. By making the wave power generation device movable, for example, it becomes suitable as a power generation device that secures electricity required for construction work performed at sea or on remote islands only during the construction period. In addition, by using the electricity to deliver light to the seabed under the sea day and night, it can be used to prevent rocky shore shores in coastal areas.

1 Power generator 2 Wave energy container 2a Cell installation space 2b Ballast space 3 Lid 4 Shelf 5 Piping 5a Pump 10 Sway energy conversion cell 11 Cell body 11a Internal space 11b Internal space 12 Fluid 13 Rotating body 14 Shaft 15 Blade 16 Flow path Forming member 20 Generator 25 Partition plate a Flow of fluid b Flow of fluid

The sway energy conversion device according to the present invention is a power generation device that generates electric energy from sway energy, and has a cell body in which a fluid is movably confined in an internal space and a cell body in which the cell body is tilted. A wave energy container having a sway energy conversion cell having a rotating body installed so as to rotate in only one direction by moving in the internal space of the cell body, and a cell installation space for storing the sway energy conversion cell. And a generator that converts the rotational energy that the rotating body rotates into electrical energy, and a ballast space that can store liquid, which is formed in the wave energy container as a weight adjusting mechanism that adjusts the total weight. A partition plate for suppressing the shaking of the liquid is installed in the ballast space, and the partition plate has the liquid . There are multiple holes through which the energy can pass .

Claims (7)

It is a power generation device that generates electrical energy from swaying energy.
A cell body in which a fluid is movably confined in an internal space, and a rotation installed so that the cell body tilts and the fluid moves in the internal space of the cell body to rotate in only one direction. A sway energy conversion cell with a body,
A wave energy container having a cell installation space for accommodating the sway energy conversion cell,
A generator that converts the rotational energy that the rotating body rotates into electrical energy,
A power generation device having a weight adjustment mechanism for adjusting the total weight. As the weight adjustment mechanism,
A ballast space formed in the wave energy container that can store liquid, and
The power generation device according to claim 1, further comprising a communication passage for inputting / discharging a liquid into the ballast space. The power generation device according to claim 2, wherein the ballast space is formed below the cell installation space. The power generation device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a partition plate for suppressing the shaking of the liquid is installed in the ballast space. The power generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a plurality of the sway energy conversion cells are stored in the cell installation space. The power generation device according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of the sway energy conversion cells are stacked in a plurality of stages in the cell installation space. The power generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a rechargeable battery for storing electric energy.

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