JP7331710B2 - wind power system - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wind power generation system that utilizes air currents flowing in the sky to generate wind power.

BACKGROUND ART A wind power generation system that generates power using an air current flowing in the sky is known. For example, in the wind power generation system described in Patent Document 1, a generator is installed on the ground, a turbine that is rotated by an air current is provided on a floating body floating in the sky, and the turbine and generator are connected by a cable that is a transmission member. Connected. Power is generated by transmitting the energy generated by the rotation of the turbine to a generator via a cable. Further, in the wind power generation system described in Patent Document 1, the floating body is provided with a lift generating body that generates lift by an air current flowing in the sky in order to stabilize the attitude of the floating body in the sky.

JP 2018-204480 A

Floating objects may lose altitude due to air currents in the sky. If the height of the floating body drops, the cable becomes slack and the torque of the turbine cannot be transmitted to the generator. In the wind power generation system described in Patent Literature 1, sufficient consideration has not been given to such a decrease in altitude of the floating body.

A wind power generation system for solving the above problems comprises a floating body having a buoyancy generating body and floating in the sky, a wind turbine provided on the floating body and rotated by an air current in the sky, and a wind turbine provided on the floating body, An output rotor that rotates as the wind turbine rotates, a power generator that is installed on the ground and generates power as the power generation rotor rotates, and a power transmission member that rotates according to the height position of the floating body. and a transmission device that maintains a state of transmission to the power generation rotor via the power transmission.

In the wind power generation system configured as described above, the transmission member is wound around the output rotor and the power generation rotor, and the transmission device includes a movable pulley around which the transmission member is wound, and tension of the transmission member. and a pulley mover for moving the movable pulley in response to.

In the wind power generation system configured as described above, the pulley mover may linearly move the movable pulley.
In the wind power generation system configured as described above, the transmission member may be wound around the movable pulley so as to extend along the moving direction of the movable pulley.

In the wind power generation system configured as described above, the transmission device may be configured such that the movable pulley is installed on the ground, and the movable pulley is horizontally moved by the pulley moving device.

The wind power generation system configured as described above further includes a fixed pulley around which the transmission member is wound between the output rotor and the movable pulley, and the fixed pulley provides the power transmission between the output rotor and the fixed pulley. The extension direction of the member may be set in the vertical direction, and the extension direction of the transmission member between the fixed pulley and the movable pulley may be set in the horizontal direction.

In the wind power generation system configured as described above, the floating body includes a first table portion and a second table located above the first table portion and rotatably connected to the first table portion. A table-type base portion is provided, the buoyancy generator has a cylindrical shape, the wind turbine is disposed in the inner space of the buoyancy generator, and the buoyancy generator and the wind turbine are connected to the It may be configured to be rotatable together with the second table.

The wind power generation system configured as described above has an anchor fixed to the ground and a wire connected to the anchor, and regulates the floatation of the floating body at a predetermined altitude, and regulates the horizontal direction of the floating body at the predetermined altitude. An anchoring device that restricts the movement of the body may be further provided.

According to the present invention, the rotation of the wind turbine can be transmitted to the generator even when the height of the floating body is lowered.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of a wind power generation system; FIG. The figure which shows schematic structure of an example of a holding|maintenance apparatus. The figure which shows the schematic structure of the other example of a holding|maintenance apparatus in a modification. The figure which shows the schematic structure of the other example of a holding|maintenance apparatus in a modification. The figure which shows the schematic structure of the other example of a holding|maintenance apparatus in a modification. The figure which shows schematic structure of the wind power generation system using an example of torsion transmission in a modification.

An embodiment of a wind power generation system will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the wind power generation system 10 includes a floating body 11 that floats above the ground section 5, and a power generator 13 that is installed on the ground section 5 and generates power by rotating a power generation rotor 12. ing. The floating body 11 is provided with a wind turbine 14 that rotates using the airflow A flowing in the sky, and an output rotor 15 that rotates as the wind turbine 14 rotates. A transmission member 16 is wound around the output rotor 15 and the power generation rotor 12 . The tension of the transmission member 16 is held at a predetermined tension by the holding device 17 . The transmission member 16 and the holding device 17 constitute a transmission device. The predetermined tension is the tension at which the rotation of the output rotor 15 is transmitted to the power generation rotor 12 via the transmission member 16 . The power generator 13 generates power by transmitting the rotation of the output rotor 15 to the power generation rotor 12 through the transmission member 16 . Note that "installed on the ground" means installed near the ground surface and supported by the ground in some way. Including being placed in the ground.

The floating body 11 has a base portion 20 and a buoyancy generator 21 .
The base portion 20 is a turntable having a first table portion 22 and a second table portion 23 located above the first table portion 22 and rotatably connected to the first table portion 22 . The first table portion 22 is anchored by an anchoring device 25 . The anchoring device 25 is composed of anchors 26 fixed to the ground portion 5 at a plurality of locations and wires 27 connected to each anchor 26 . The anchoring device 25 is configured such that the wires 27 radially extend in four directions when viewed from above. The mooring device 25 restricts the floating of the floating body 11 to moor the floating body 11 at a predetermined altitude (for example, several hundred meters above the ground), and restricts the horizontal movement of the floating body 11 at the predetermined altitude. The floating body 11 is configured such that the second table portion 23 pivots about the vertical direction with respect to the first table portion 22 while being anchored by the anchoring device 25 .

The buoyancy generating body 21 is supported by the second table portion 23 and configured to be rotatable with respect to the first table portion 22 together with the second table portion 23 . The buoyancy generator 21 is made of nylon, polyester, rubber, or the like, for example. The buoyancy generating body 21 generates buoyancy by being filled with a gas lighter than air, such as hydrogen or helium, and expanding into a cylindrical shape. The buoyancy generator 21 generates enough buoyancy to keep the floating body 11 moored at a predetermined altitude by the mooring device 25 .

The floating body 11 has a wind turbine 14 in the inner space of a cylindrical buoyancy generating body 21 having a horizontal center axis. The wind turbine 14 has a turbine section 29 having a plurality of blades 28 and an output shaft 30 connected to the turbine section 29 and extending in the axial direction of the buoyancy generator 21 . The wind turbine 14 rotates around the axial direction of the buoyancy generator 21 upon receiving the airflow A passing through the inner space of the buoyancy generator 21 . The wind turbine 14 is supported by the base portion 20 and configured to be rotatable with respect to the first table portion 22 together with the second table portion 23 .

The floating body 11 has a power transmission section 31 containing a transmission mechanism for transmitting the rotation of the wind turbine 14 to the output rotor 15 . The power transmission section 31 supports the wind turbine 14 so as to be able to turn together with the second table section 23 . Further, the power transmission section 31 supports the output rotor 15 so as to be rotatable about a direction parallel to the axial direction of the buoyancy generator 21 as a center of rotation. The power transmission section 31 is configured to be able to transmit the rotation of the wind turbine 14 to the output rotor 15 even when the second table section 23 turns. An annular transmission member 16 is wound around the output rotor 15 .

The transmission member 16 is wound around the output rotor 15 and the power generation rotor 12 of the power generator 13 to transmit the rotation of the wind turbine 14 to the power generation rotor 12 . The transmission member 16 only needs to be configured so that the power generation rotor 12 can be rotated by the rotation of the output rotor 15, and is configured by, for example, a toothed belt or a roller chain. In the power generator 13 , power is generated by the power transmission member 16 rotating the power generation rotor 12 . The transmission member 16 has an ascending portion 16a where the transmission member 16 moves from the output rotor 15 toward the generator 13 and a descending portion 16b where the transmission member 16 moves from the generator 13 toward the output rotor 15. ing. The ascending portion 16 a of the transmission member 16 is connected to the generator rotor 12 of the generator 13 via the first fixed pulley 32 and the movable pulley 33 . A descending portion 16 b of the transmission member 16 is connected to the output rotor 15 via a second fixed pulley 34 . The rotation axes of the first fixed pulley 32 , the movable pulley 33 , and the second fixed pulley 34 are preferably set parallel to the rotation axis of the generator rotor 12 of the generator 13 .

The first fixed pulley 32 is installed on the ground portion 5 and arranged between the output rotor 15 and the movable pulley 33 . The first fixed pulley 32 is installed at a position where the extending direction of the transmission member 16 from the output rotor 15 to the first fixed pulley 32 is set in the vertical direction.

The movable pulley 33 is installed on the ground portion 5 and arranged between the first fixed pulley 32 and the power generation rotor 12 of the generator 13 . The movable pulley 33 is configured to be movable toward and away from the generator 13 along the movement direction X extending in the horizontal direction by a pulley moving device 35 installed on the ground portion 5 . In the movable pulley 33, the extending direction of the transmission member 16 between the first fixed pulley 32 and the movable pulley 33 and between the movable pulley 33 and the generator rotor 12 of the generator 13 is the moving direction X of the movable pulley 33. is installed at the position set to

The second fixed pulley 34 is installed on the ground portion 5 and arranged between the power generation rotor 12 and the output rotor 15 of the generator 13 . The second fixed pulley 34 is arranged so that the extending direction of the transmission member 16 between the power generation rotor 12 of the generator 13 and the second fixed pulley 34 is set to the movement direction X of the movable pulley 33 . It is installed so that the extending direction of the transmission member 16 between the fixed pulley 34 and the output rotor 15 is set in the vertical direction.

The movable pulley 33 and the pulley mover 35 described above constitute the holding device 17 . The holding device 17 keeps the tension of the transmission member 16 at a predetermined tension by moving the movable pulley 33 along the moving direction X as occasion demands.

As shown in FIG. 2, the pulley mover 35 is configured to linearly move the movable pulley 33 along the moving direction X. As shown in FIG. The pulley mover 35 includes a guide portion 36 that guides a rotation shaft portion 33b that rotatably supports a pulley portion 33a of the movable pulley 33 along the movement direction X, and a guide portion 36 along the movement direction X that is separated from the generator 13 and a pressing portion 37 that presses the movable pulley 33 to generate a predetermined tension in the transmission member 16 . The pressing portion 37 has, for example, a hydraulic cylinder 39 having an extendable rod 38 to which the rotating shaft portion 33b of the movable pulley 33 is connected, and a relief valve or the like to supply a predetermined hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic cylinder 39. and a supply unit 40 . The pressing portion 37 keeps the tension of the transmission member 16 at the predetermined tension by separating the movable pulley 33 from the generator 13 when the tension of the transmission member 16 becomes smaller than the predetermined tension. When the tension of the transmission member 16 becomes greater than the predetermined tension, the pressing portion 37 brings the movable pulley 33 closer to the generator 13 to keep the tension of the transmission member 16 at the predetermined tension.

In the wind power generation system 10 having the configuration described above, the floating body 11 floats to a predetermined altitude where it is moored by the mooring device 25 by filling hydrogen in the buoyancy generating body 21 . The wind turbine 14 rotates as the airflow A passes through the inner space of the tubular buoyancy generator 21 . Rotation of the wind turbine 14 is transmitted to the transmission member 16 via the power transmission section 31 and the output rotor 15 . The transmission member 16 transmits rotation of the wind turbine 14 to the power generation rotor 12 of the generator 13 . As a result, power is generated in the generator 13 .

(action)
Although the floating body 11 has sufficient buoyancy, it may lose its altitude due to vibration caused by a change in the flow direction of the airflow A. When the height of the floating body 11 becomes lower than the predetermined height, the transmission member 16 is loosened and the tension of the transmission member 16 becomes lower than the predetermined tension. In the above-described wind power generation system 10, when the altitude of the floating body 11 becomes lower than a predetermined altitude, the holding device 17 moves the movable pulley 33 away from the generator 13 so that the tension of the transmission member 16 is set to a predetermined level. held in tension. When the floating body 11 attempts to return to a predetermined altitude from this state, the holding device 17 moves the movable pulley 33 closer to the generator 13, thereby maintaining the tension of the transmission member 16 at a predetermined tension.

Effects of the present embodiment will be described.
(1) In the wind power generation system 10 , the holding device 17 holds a state in which the rotation of the output rotor 15 is transmitted to the power generation rotor 12 via the transmission member 16 according to the height position of the floating body 11 . When the altitude of the floating body 11 drops from a predetermined altitude, the holding device 17 moves the movable pulley 33 to keep the tension of the transmission member 16 at a predetermined tension. As a result, the rotation of the wind turbine 14 can be transmitted to the power generator 13 even if the altitude of the floating body 11 is lowered from the predetermined altitude.

(2) The holding device 17 moves the movable pulley 33, around which the transmission member 16 is wound, toward and away from the generator 13 according to the tension of the transmission member 16, thereby reducing the tension of the transmission member 16 to a predetermined tension. Hold. As a result, the tension of the transmission member 16 can be maintained at a predetermined tension with a simpler configuration than, for example, a configuration in which the generator 13 itself is moved toward and away from the output rotor 15 .

(3) The pulley mover 35 moves the movable pulley 33 linearly. A transmission member 16 is wound around the movable pulley 33 along the moving direction X of the movable pulley 33 . Thereby, the structure of the pulley moving machine 35 can be simplified. Furthermore, the change in tension of the transmission member 16 with respect to the amount of movement of the movable pulley 33 can be increased. As a result, the tension of the transmission member 16 can be quickly adjusted with respect to the altitude change of the floating body 11 .

(4) The holding device 17 has a movable pulley 33 and a pulley mover 35 installed on the ground portion 5 . As a result, for example, maintenance work for the movable pulley 33 and the pulley moving device 35 is not performed at the same time. As a result, maintenance of the movable pulley 33 and the pulley moving machine 35 can be safely performed.

(5) The first fixed pulley 32 sets the extending direction of the transmission member 16 between the floating body 11 and the ground portion 5 in the vertical direction. As a result, the ascending portion 16 a of the transmission member 16 is less likely to be affected by the downdraft that flows between the ground portion 5 and the floating body 11 . As a result, the altitude reduction of the floating body 11 caused by the downdraft flowing between the floating body 11 and the ground portion 5 can be suppressed.

(6) The second fixed pulley 34 sets the extension direction of the transmission member 16 between the ground portion 5 and the floating body 11 to the vertical direction. As a result, the descending portion 16 b of the transmission member 16 is less likely to be affected by the descending airflow flowing between the ground portion 5 and the floating body 11 . As a result, the altitude reduction of the floating body 11 due to the downdraft flowing between the ground portion 5 and the floating body 11 can be suppressed.

(7) The floating body 11 is configured so that the buoyancy generator 21 and the wind turbine 14 can turn together with the second table portion 23 . Thereby, the directions of the buoyancy generator 21 and the wind turbine 14 can be changed in accordance with the flow direction of the airflow A flowing in the sky. As a result, even if the flow direction of the airflow A flowing in the sky changes, the generator 13 can continuously generate power.

(8) The floating body 11 is anchored to the ground portion 5 by the anchoring device 25 . As a result, it is possible to restrict the floating body 11 from floating above a predetermined altitude, and to restrict the horizontal movement of the floating body 11 that has reached the predetermined altitude.

(9) The holding device 17 supplies hydraulic pressure of a predetermined pressure from the hydraulic pressure supply section 40 to the hydraulic cylinder 39 . As a result, the tension of the transmission member 16 can be maintained at a predetermined tension with a simple configuration.

This embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. This embodiment and the following modified examples can be implemented in combination with each other within a technically consistent range.
- The anchoring device 25 is not limited to the configuration in which the wires 27 radially extend in all directions when viewed from above. The anchoring device 25 may have a configuration in which the wires 27 radially extend in eight directions when viewed from above, or may have a configuration in which the wires 27 extend in the vertical direction. Also, the floating body 11 does not have to be tethered by the tethering device 25 .

The buoyant force generating body 21 is not limited to a cylindrical configuration as long as it has buoyancy to maintain the altitude of the floating body 11 at a predetermined altitude. For example, the buoyancy generator 21 may have a spherical shape and be supported by the first table section 22 via a wire or the like.

- The base portion 20 of the floating body 11 is not limited to a turntable composed of the first table portion 22 and the second table portion 23 . For example, the base portion 20 may be composed of only the first table portion 22 and may be configured to support the wind turbine 14 so that the direction of the wind turbine 14 can be changed according to the flow direction of the airflow A flowing in the sky.

- The holding device 17 of the transmission device may have any structure as long as it can hold the tension of the transmission member 16 at a predetermined tension.
For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the holding device 17 may be configured such that the movable pulley 33 is disposed below the generator 13 and the moving direction X of the pulley moving device 35 is set in the vertical direction. . This makes it possible to reduce the area occupied by the holding device 17 in the horizontal direction. In such a configuration, it is preferable that the movable pulley 33 is disposed directly below the output rotor 15 and the transmission member 16 is wound around the movable pulley 33 without interposing another pulley. Also, a pair of fixed pulleys 41 and 42 may be provided so that the transmission member 16 is sufficiently wound around the power generation rotor 12 .

- The structure of the holding device 17 is not limited to the configuration in which the pulley moving device 35 is used to move the movable pulley 33 . For example, the holding device 17 has a guide portion 36 that guides the movable pulley 33 in the vertical direction, and the weight of the movable pulley 33 is set so that the tension of the transmission member 16 is held at a predetermined tension. good too. Thereby, further simplification of the holding device 17 can be achieved.

- As shown in FIG. 4, the transmission member 16 may be configured to be wound around the output rotor 15, the movable pulley 33, and the power generation rotor 12 without using other pulleys. In such a configuration, for example, considering the maintenance of the movable pulley 33 and the generator 13, the movable pulley 33 and the generator 13 are installed on the ground portion 5, and the moving direction X of the movable pulley 33 is set in the horizontal direction. should be. Further, as shown in FIG. 4 , the transmission member 16 may be wound around the movable pulley 33 so as to extend in a direction different from the movement direction X. As shown in FIG.

The configuration of the holding device 17 is not limited to the configuration in which the movable pulley 33 is linearly moved, and may be configured such that the movement path of the movable pulley 33 is set in an arc shape, for example.
In the holding device 17 , the tension of the transmission member 16 is held at a predetermined tension by supplying hydraulic pressure of a predetermined pressure from the hydraulic pressure supply section 40 to the hydraulic cylinder 39 . The holding device 17 is not limited to this, as long as it can hold the tension of the transmission member 16 at a predetermined tension, and is not limited to a configuration in which a predetermined hydraulic pressure is supplied from the hydraulic pressure supply unit 40 to the hydraulic cylinder 39 .

As shown in FIG. 5, for example, a configuration having a tension sensor 43 that detects the tension of the transmission member 16 and a computer 44 that controls the pulley mover 35 so that the detection value of the tension sensor 43 is held at a predetermined tension. may be Moreover, the structure which measures the altitude of the floating body 11 and controls the pulley moving machine 35 based on the measured altitude may be sufficient.

- The pulley moving device 35 is not limited to a configuration in which the movable pulley 33 is moved using the hydraulic cylinder 39 and the hydraulic pressure supply unit 40 . For example, the pulley moving device 35 may be configured to move the movable pulley 33 using a motor.

The holding device 17 may be configured to hold the tension of the transmission member 16 at a predetermined tension by moving the generator 13 .
The transmission member 16 of the transmission device may be configured to transmit the rotation of the output rotor 15 to the power generation rotor 12 by twisting a freely bendable shaft, such as a flexible shaft, with the output rotor 15. .

As shown in FIG. 6, in one example of torsional transmission, the rotation of the output rotor 15 is transmitted to the power generation rotor 12 by converting the twist of the core 16 (transmission member) accommodated in the flexible tube into the rotation of the power generation rotor 12. A holding device 45 is provided to hold it in the transmitted state. Accordingly, even when the height of the floating body 11 changes and the flexible tube bends, the rotation of the core 16 can be transmitted to the power generation rotor 12 by the holding device 45 .

In another example of torsional transmission, the core 16 directly connects the output rotor 15 and the power generation rotor 12 . Also in this case, the core 16 is held by the holding device 45 in a state in which the rotation of the output rotor 15 can be transmitted to the power generation rotor 12 .

A... air current, X... direction of movement, 5... above ground part, 10... wind power generation system, 11... floating body, 12... power generation rotor, 13... power generator, 14... wind turbine, 15... output rotor, 16... transmission member, Reference numerals 16a... ascending part, 16b... descending part, 17... holding device, 20... base part, 21... buoyancy generator, 22... first table part, 23... second table part, 25... mooring device, 26... anchor, 27 ... Wire 28 ... Blade 29 ... Turbine section 30 ... Output shaft 31 ... Power transmission section 32 ... First fixed pulley 33 ... Movable pulley 33a ... Pulley section 33b ... Rotating shaft section 34 ... Second Fixed pulley 35 Pulley mover 36 Guide part 37 Pressing part 38 Telescopic rod 39 Hydraulic cylinder 40 Hydraulic supply part 41, 42 Fixed pulley 43 Tension sensor 44 Computer , 45... Holding device.

Claims (8)

a floating body having a buoyancy generator and floating in the sky;
a wind turbine provided on the floating body and rotated by an air current in the sky;
an output rotor provided on the floating body and rotated by the rotation of the wind turbine;
A generator that is installed on the ground and generates power by rotating a power generation rotor;
a transmission device that maintains a state in which the rotation of the output rotor is transmitted to the power generation rotor via a transmission member according to the height position of the floating body ;
The transmission member is wound around the output rotor and the power generation rotor,
The transmission device
a movable pulley around which the transmission member is wound;
a pulley mover that linearly moves the movable pulley according to the tension of the transmission member;
The transmission member is wound around the movable pulley along the moving direction of the movable pulley.
wind power system. a floating body having a buoyancy generator and floating in the sky;
a wind turbine provided on the floating body and rotated by an air current in the sky;
an output rotor provided on the floating body and rotated by the rotation of the wind turbine;
A generator that is installed on the ground and generates power by rotating a power generation rotor;
a transmission device that maintains a state in which the rotation of the output rotor is transmitted to the power generation rotor via a transmission member according to the height position of the floating body ;
The transmission member is wound around the output rotor and the power generation rotor,
The transmission device
a movable pulley around which the transmission member is wound;
and a pulley moving device that moves the movable pulley according to the tension of the transmission member, the movable pulley being installed on the ground, and the movable pulley being horizontally moved by the pulley moving device. being
wind power system. The wind power generation system according to claim 2 , wherein the transmission member is wound around the movable pulley along the moving direction of the movable pulley. further comprising a fixed pulley around which the transmission member is wound between the output rotor and the movable pulley;
The fixed pulley is
The extending direction of the transmission member between the output rotor and the fixed pulley is set to the vertical direction, and the extending direction of the transmission member between the fixed pulley and the movable pulley is set to the horizontal direction. The wind power generation system according to claim 2 or 3 . The floating body has a turntable base portion having a first table portion and a second table located above the first table portion and pivotably connected to the first table portion. ,
The buoyancy generator has a tubular shape,
The wind turbine is arranged in the inner space of the buoyancy generator,
The wind power generation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the buoyancy generator and the wind turbine are configured to be rotatable together with the second table. A mooring device having an anchor fixed to the ground and a wire connected to the anchor, for restricting the floatation of the floating body at a predetermined altitude and restricting the horizontal movement of the floating body at the predetermined altitude. The wind power generation system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , further comprising: a floating body having a buoyancy generator and floating in the sky;
a wind turbine provided on the floating body and rotated by an air current in the sky;
an output rotor provided on the floating body and rotated by the rotation of the wind turbine;
A generator that is installed on the ground and generates power by rotating a power generation rotor;
a transmission device that maintains a state in which the rotation of the output rotor is transmitted to the power generation rotor via a transmission member according to the height position of the floating body ;
The floating body has a turntable base portion having a first table portion and a second table located above the first table portion and pivotably connected to the first table portion. ,
The buoyancy generator has a tubular shape,
The wind turbine is arranged in the inner space of the buoyancy generator,
The buoyancy generator and the wind turbine are rotatable together with the second table.
wind power system. a floating body having a buoyancy generator and floating in the sky;
a wind turbine provided on the floating body and rotated by an air current in the sky;
an output rotor provided on the floating body and rotated by the rotation of the wind turbine;
A generator that is installed on the ground and generates power by rotating a power generation rotor;
a transmission device that maintains a state in which the rotation of the output rotor is transmitted to the power generation rotor via a transmission member according to the height position of the floating body ;
A mooring device having an anchor fixed to the ground and a wire connected to the anchor, for restricting the floatation of the floating body at a predetermined altitude and restricting the horizontal movement of the floating body at the predetermined altitude. prepare further
wind power system.