JPH03149356A - Wave generating set - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform power generation so effectively and facilitate a setup into a water area as well as to reduce the cost of equipment by providing a float, a traction member, a reel and a torque allowing means, and performing the power generation on the basis of rotation of the reel attending on a vertical motion of the float by dint of waves. CONSTITUTION:A traction member 14 setting up a float 12 in a water area 10 arranges its lower end on a water area bottom with a weight 16, and winds a reel at the upper end side, while it gives a continuous rotating torque to a winding direction of the traction member 14 with a torque allowing means, so that this traction member 14 is stretchable at a specified tension. When the float 12 supported by this traction member 14 goes up by dint of waves, the reel is rewound without entailing any slack owing to this torque allowing means as well as when it goes down by the waves, the reel is rewound without any slack likewise. With this constitution, the vertical motion of the float 12 is surely transmitted thereto as the rotational drive, and power generation is carried out on the basis of rotation of this reel so that efficient wave power generation can be realized.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a wave power generation device that generates electric power by utilizing the motion of a float that moves up and down due to waves. [Prior art] A device for generating electricity using the relative up-and-down movement of waves and a float such as a buoy installed on the sea is known from Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4
Hu 22099.54-50743.5 Low 12084
．． 58-lHl172, 80-230587,
81-228572, 62-41974, etc. Here, typical examples of the wave power generation device proposed in the above publication are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In FIG. 3, an air piston chamber 20 whose bottom surface is open to water
0 is installed on the sea, and the turbine 2 is installed in the upper end opening 202.
04, and the rotation of the turbine 204 drives a generator 206. The power generation principle of this device is that the water level inside and outside the air piston chamber 200 produces a head difference H due to waves, and the air pressure inside and outside the air piston chamber 200 is different due to this head difference H. It drives the turbine 204. On the other hand, the wave power generation device shown in FIG.
There are 12. The storage room 214 that houses the generator is
The slide rod 21 is fixed to the upper end of the support column 210.
The buoy 212 is supported via 6, 216 so as to be vertically movable. Racks 218, 218 that can move up and down integrally with the slide rods 216, 216 are installed in the storage chamber 2.
14 and this rack 218.21
A pinion gear 220, 220 is provided which meshes with 8. When the buoy 212 moves up and down due to waves, this up and down movement causes the slide rods 216, 216 to
The movement of the racks rotates the pinion gears 220, 220, thereby driving a generator (not shown). [Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the wave power generation device shown in FIG. 3, the air piston chamber 200
Although the power is generated by using fluctuations in the pressure within, in principle, when the head H is 1 m, only a pressure difference of 0.1 atmosphere is generated, and the turbine 204 is installed. If the diameter of the part is large, the pressure that drives the turbine 204 to rotate will be reduced, and if the diameter is small, the air in the air piston chamber 2 (:l r) will not be able to escape completely during the cycle, and will also enter the air piston chamber 200. Due to the resistance of the water and the inertia of the air piston, there was a problem in that the amount of energy and power generated was small despite the large scale of the device. Additionally, there is a problem in that it costs a huge amount of money to fix this wave power generation device on the sea for tsunami countermeasures and the like. In this regard, when using a float such as a buoy as shown in Figure 4, for example, if a float that can remove 1 meter of seawater is installed, lγ forces of ], , l t are generated, of which It is excellent in that it can generate a considerable amount of energy by utilizing the effective wave buoyancy. However, in the wave power generation device shown in Fig. 4,
In order to fix the buoy 212 on the sea, it is necessary to drive the support 210 into the seabed and fix it there, which poses a problem in that the work for this is extensive and the cost is enormous. Furthermore, the water level on the sea varies depending on the ebb and flow of high tide, and if we also take into account the wave motion at this time, the water level on the sea may vary by as much as 5 meters a year. At this time, in order to generate power using waves throughout the year in the wave power generation device shown in FIG. 4, the effective tooth length of the rack 21-8 must be secured to around 5 m. It is practically impossible to configure. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to use a device that takes up a relatively small space, yet is capable of efficiently generating power using the vertical movement of a float caused by waves even during low tide and high tide. An object of the present invention is to provide a wave power generation device that can be easily installed in a body of water and can significantly reduce installation costs. [Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides: a float; a string-shaped or band-shaped traction member whose lower end is disposed at the bottom of a water body with a weight and which pulls the float into the water body; a reel for winding up the upper end side of the traction member; and a torque applying means for applying a rotational torque to the reel in the winding direction, based on the rotation of the reel as the float moves up and down due to waves, It generates electricity. [Function] According to the present invention, the traction member for installing the float in a water body has its lower end placed at the bottom of the water body by a weight,
The upper end side is wound up on a reel, and since rotational torque is constantly applied in the winding direction of the traction member by the torque applying means, the traction member can be stretched with a predetermined tension. Supported by this traction member: when the float rises due to wave motion, the reel is rewound by the torque applying means without sagging, and when the float descends due to wave motion, the reel is rewound without sagging. Since the float is wound up from the reel without any problem, the vertical motion of this float is reliably transmitted as rotational drive of the reel, and power generation is generated based on the rotation of this reel, making it possible to realize efficient wave power generation. . When installing this wave power generation device in a body of water, it is not necessary to drive a support into the bottom of the body of water, and this can only be achieved by throwing the weight fixed to the lower end of the traction member into the body of water. Therefore, the installation work is much simpler than before, and the installation cost can be reduced significantly. In addition, since the traction member is tensioned by the torque applying means, the float can be placed and fixed at a position where the traction member is stretched vertically, and even if the float is overturned by someone else, Another advantage is that it can be returned to its original state by the winding force of the traction member. Furthermore, even if the water level of a body of water changes significantly due to low tide, high tide, tsunami, etc., if the length of the traction member is set in advance to account for this change, the excess length of the traction member can be wound onto a reel. This makes it possible to save space,
Moreover, when the water area rises, the float can be installed at a predetermined position inside the water area by rewinding the traction member. [Example] Hereinafter, an example of a wave power generation device to which the present invention is applied will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. First, the overall configuration of this wave power generation device will be explained with reference to FIG. 2. In the figure, a float 12 is installed in a body of water 10 such as the sea. Further, a towing member 14 is provided for towing the float 12 downward in the water area 10 and towing and supporting the float 12 so as to be movable up and down by waves. An intermediate float 1 is disposed in the middle of this traction member 14.
In this embodiment, the upper traction member of the intermediate float 18 is a wire 14a, and the lower traction member 1 is provided with a wire 14a.
4 as a chain 14b. Furthermore, this traction member 1
4 may be a cord-like or band-like material that can be wound around a wire reel 30, which will be described later, and may be made of various other materials as long as it has a tensile strength capable of withstanding a predetermined tension. be able to. An anchor 16 as a weight is connected to the lower end side of the chain 14b, and the F end side of the traction member 14 is fixed at the - location of the water bottom 10b. Above the float 12, the wire reel 30
．． A storage chamber 20 is provided in which a generator and the like are mounted, and a light bulb 22 that is lit by wave power generation is further provided above the storage chamber 20. Next, the internal structure of the float 12 and the storage chamber 20 will be explained with reference to FIG. The float 12 has a height h=20cse and a diameter d-9.
It is constructed of a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 0 cm, and a tapered relief part 12a is formed in the center thereof, with a larger diameter on the lower surface side and a smaller diameter on the upper surface side, and the intermediate float 18
can be stored. The flange 18a formed on the lower surface side of the intermediate float 18 acts as a stopper when the float 12 moves downward by coming into contact with the lower edge of the relief portion 12a of the float 12. The storage chamber 20 installed on the upper end side of the float 12 is
It is formed in a substantially conical shape with a disc-shaped base 20a, and has a hole 2[)b in the center of the base 20a through which the wire 14a is inserted, and this hole 20b is liquid-tightly sealed. A sealing member 20c is provided for this purpose. A wire reel 30 for winding up the upper end of the wire 14a is attached to a support 32, 32 fixed to the base 20a.
It is rotatably supported on a shaft 34 which is supported in the horizontal direction. This wire reel 30 can wind up or unwind the wire 14a as the float 12 moves up and down by fixing one end of the wire 14a on its circumferential surface. Furthermore, wire reel 30
Flanges 30a, 30a are provided on both sides of the wire 14a to prevent the wire 14a being wound from shifting in the lateral direction. In FIG. 1, on the left side of the wire reel 30,
A torsion coil spring 40 inserted through the shaft 34 is provided. One end 4 of this torsion coil spring 40
0a is one flange 30 of the wire reel 30
a, and the other end 40b is fixed to the support column 32. This torsion coil spring 40 biases the wire reel 30 to rotate in the winding direction by its spring force in the torsional direction.
This constitutes a torque applying means that applies rotational torque in the winding direction to the winding direction. In addition, the torsion coil spring 4
0 is a rotation consisting of filling a hollow pipe with fluid, such as oil, at a predetermined pressure to loosen it to increase the turn pitch, and then mechanically tightening it to narrow the turn pitch. An energy storage coil (filed on May 30, 1985) can be suitably employed. Right flange 30 of wire reel 30 shown in FIG.
A one-way transmission clutch 50 is connected to a. This one-way transmission clutch 50 transmits the rotation of the wire reel 30 during winding of the wire 14 a in both directions to its output side. A first gear 52 rotatable about the shaft 34 is provided on the output side of the one-way transmission clutch 50.
2 meshes with a second gear 56 fixed to the shaft of a generator 54 fixed to the support column 32. And the first. By setting the number of teeth of the second gear 52 and 56 to a predetermined value, the second gear 5
6 can be driven multiple rotations. Next, the effect will be explained. The characteristic configuration of the device of this embodiment includes a wire 14a and a chain for setting the float 12 in the water body 10.
41) is used. Furthermore, the wire 14a on the upper end side of the traction portion 14 is wound around a wire reel 30, and this wire reel 30 is always urged to rotate in the winding direction by a torsion coil spring 40. Therefore, the wave causes float 12
When wire 1 rises, the above tension causes wire 1 to
4 a is rewinded securely without slack, and the float 12
When the wire 14a is lowered by waves, the wire 14a is wound up without slack due to the tension, and the vertical movement of the float 12 can be reliably transmitted as the rotational drive of the wire reel 30. In this embodiment, as the winding retention of the wire reel 30, in addition to the tension force that can reliably wind and unwind the wire 14a, even when the float 1-2 moves in the horizontal direction due to wave motion, It also provides tension that allows it to return vertically to just above the anchor 16. As a result, even when this wave power generation device is used as a navigational buoy for a navigating ship, its positional deviation can be controlled within a certain range.
You can Further, by applying such tension, even if the float 12 is overturned due to a tsunami or the like, it can be restored to its original state by winding and retaining the wire 14a. Furthermore, in this embodiment, in addition to the winding retention of the torsion coil spring 40 that performs the two functions described above, it is possible to adjust the tension such that the float 12 is submerged by 2/3 in still water, for example. It is working. That is, the float 12 is placed on the water surface 1 of the water body 10.
0a, buoyancy will act on the weight of seawater corresponding to the volume that can be displaced by the weight of this float 12, but by submerging this float 12 further, the 2nd part of the float 12 will be Since the seawater corresponding to the volume of /3 can be removed, a large amount of effective buoyancy, which will be described later, can be secured by that amount, and as a result, it is possible to increase the wave power generation energy. In part 1-, when performing wave power generation using such buoyancy, the greatest effect of supporting the float 12 by using the traction part 14 is in the point -F. That is, in this embodiment, this wave power generation device is installed in a water body 10.
When installing the towing member 14 on the seabed, it is sufficient to simply throw the towing member 14 with the anchor 16 connected to its lower end toward the seabed. Since the installation work is simple in this way, there is no need for the conventional work of driving pillars into the seabed, and when using such a wave power generation device as a navigational buoy, it is possible to Since a large number of power generation devices must be installed, if this number is taken into account, the installation cost can be reduced significantly. Additionally, a traction member 14 is provided as a support for the float 12.
By using this, it is possible to always generate reliable wave power generation regardless of the difference in water level between low tide and high tide. In other words, the water level at sea varies by about 3 meters throughout the year, taking into account low and high tides, and if the size of waves is also taken into account, the water level can vary by up to 5 meters. In this embodiment, the traction member 1
By determining the length of float 12 in consideration of ebb and flow and the size of waves, the vertical movement of float 12 caused by waves can be used to drive the rotation of wire reel 30, no matter how the water level changes. It becomes possible. At this time, unlike in the past, a large space such as securing a rack length of 5 m is not required, and it can be handled by simply winding the wire 14a onto the wire reel 30, so the space of this device can be significantly reduced compared to the conventional one. It can be downsized to Next, we will consider the electric power that can be generated by this wave generator. (1) Float Volume When the diameter d of the float 12 is 90c11 and the height h is 200 m, the float volume A can be obtained from the following formula. A-x (0.9m/2) 2X0.2 m-0,
127m (2) Float total buoyancy If the seawater standard is 1.1, the float total buoyancy B can be calculated from the following formula. , B-AXl,l -0,135t (3) Distribution to total buoyancy 0 Balance float car of wave generator 45 kg■ Spring charge buoyancy -45- ■ Effective wave float car 45 kg Here, the spring charge buoyancy of ■ is, This is the buoyancy that is consumed when the wire reel 30 is urged to rotate in the winding direction by the torsion coil spring 40. Therefore, of the total buoyancy B, the self-weight balance buoyancy and the spring charge buoyancy are consumed, and the vertical motion due to the effective wave buoyancy can be extracted as wave power generation energy. (4) Wave power generation output The power generation output of the wave power generation device described above can be converted using the simplified formula below. Outgoing car total wave buoyancy B/3 x (wave width C/2d) x (power generation efficiency D/power conversion factor E
) As an example, assuming a wave of 20 (!II) as the smallest wave width C, and assuming the power generation efficiency D-0.2 and the power conversion coefficient E-11.8, the output of the device of this embodiment is is as follows: Output -4syx (200m+/2f block) x (0,2/
8.6) -7,4W Here, to explain the power generation effect in the above embodiment device, for example, when the float 12 rises due to waves, it is urged to rotate in the winding direction by the torsion coil spring 40. The wire reel 30 rewinds the wire 14a by the amount of rise of the float 12, and as a result, the wire reel 30 is rotated in the unwinding direction. At this time, the rotation of the wire reel 30 in the unwinding direction is not transmitted to the first gear 52 on the output side by interposing the one-way transmission clutch 50. Furthermore, as the wire reel 30 rotates in the unwinding direction, the torsion coil spring 40 is twisted so as to accumulate its spring energy. Thereafter, when the float 12 descends due to waves, the lowering driving force of the float 12 and the release of the spring force accumulated in the torsion coil spring 40 cause the wire 14m to be wound onto the wire reel 30 without slack, and as a result, the float The downward mobility of 12 or wire reel 30 will rotate in the unwinding direction. In this embodiment, the wire reel 30
The rotation in the winding direction is transmitted to the first gear 52 via the one-way transmission clutch 50, and the second gear 56 that meshes with the first gear 52 is driven to rotate, thereby generating electricity in the generator 54. There is. Here, in the second term of the above output conversion formula, the wave width is 2
The reason for dividing by is that in this embodiment, power is not generated based on the rotation of the wire reel 30 in both directions, but is generated based only on the rotation in one direction due to the downward movement of the float 12. . In addition, in the second term, the reason for dividing by (Y) is to obtain the effective value of the wave that repeatedly occurs.In addition, in the example, the power generation efficiency is assumed to be 20% in the above conversion formula, but this is This is based on the assumption that the power generation efficiency is the worst, and this power generation efficiency can be improved to around 50%.As described above, according to this embodiment, by using the traction member 14, the wave Although it is a power generation device,
Even if the wave width is assumed to be 20 cm, the light bulb 22
It can generate enough electricity to keep the lights on all the time. In addition, when performing such a wave motion, the traction member 14
It is preferable to provide an intermediate float] 8 in the middle of the float. In other words, when a substance such as kelp or shellfish adheres to the traction member 4, the weight of the traction member 414 increases, and this increase causes the wire 14a to be pulled to the other side and wound on the wire reel 30 by that amount. wire 14
a will be rewound. As a result, the effective wave buoyancy corresponding to the returned amount decreases, resulting in a loss in power generation. Therefore, an intermediate float 18 is provided in the middle of the traction member 14, and the traction member 14
By using this intermediate float 18 to cancel out the weight increase due to foreign matter adhering to the chain 14b etc. on the lower end side,
It becomes possible to prevent the above-mentioned loss of generated power. Therefore, it is useful to provide the intermediate float 18, especially when installing this wave power generation device in a deep water location. Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, although an example of the electric power generated in the above embodiment is shown, this electric power can be increased as the volume of the float 12 is increased or as the power generation efficiency C in the above conversion formula is improved, In addition to simply lighting the light bulb 22, this power generating device may be used to consume power for other driving purposes. In addition, in this wave power generation device, for example, when lighting the light bulb 22, it is designed so that enough energy can be obtained to constantly light the light bulb 22 even when the wave width is the minimum, but when the wave width is large, In addition to storing surplus generated energy in, for example, a power storage device and using the stored energy as power consumption for driving other components, there is also a method of storing surplus generated energy in a storage device, etc., and using the stored energy as power consumption for driving other components. It can also be used as energy. Further, the present invention requires a torque applying means that always applies rotational torque in the winding direction to the reel that winds up the traction member, but when this torque applying means is configured as a biasing member, the above-mentioned implementation is possible. It is not limited to the torsion coil spring 40 as shown in the example, but it is also possible to use a spring or the like. Further, this torque applying means is not necessarily limited to one that uses a biasing member in which mechanical energy is stored; for example, a motor is driven by surplus energy generated by this wave power generation device, and this motor is used to apply a force to the wire reel 30. It may be configured to apply rotational torque in the winding direction. Furthermore, in the present invention, it is possible to arbitrarily design how to generate electricity based on the rotation of the reel 30 as the float 12 moves up and down due to waves. In addition to generating power based on rotational force in one direction, it may be configured to generate power based on rotation in both directions. [Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be achieved. ■ The float is pulled into a water body by a traction member whose upper end is wound around a reel which is placed at the bottom of the water body by a weight at the lower end and which is constantly given rotational torque in the winding direction by a torque applying means. The float in the middle of the traction member stretched under tension,
When the reel moves up and down due to waves, this movement can be reliably transmitted as the rotational force of the reel, and efficient wave power generation can be performed based on the rotation of the reel. ■ To install this wave power generation device in a body of water, all you have to do is throw a towing member with a weight connected to the lower end into the body of water, and there is no need to drive in supports, etc. in the body of water, as in the past.
Installation costs can be significantly reduced. (2) Since the traction member is stretched under a predetermined tension, even if the float is washed away by waves, it can be returned to the predetermined position by the tension of the traction member. Further, even if the float is overturned due to a tsunami or the like, the tension of the traction member can restore the float to its original state. ■ Even if the water level of a body of water changes significantly due to low tide or high tide,
By winding the traction member onto a reel and unwinding it, the float can be placed at a position that corresponds to the water level of the body of water at all times, making it possible to realize wave power generation throughout the year without the need for any adjustments.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of the main parts of an embodiment device in which the present invention is applied to a navigation buoy, FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram for explaining the overall configuration of the embodiment device, FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory diagram for explaining each conventional wave power generation device. 10... Water area, 12... Float, 14
... Traction member, 16 ... Weight, 18 ・
−・Intermediate float, 20 ・・−Storage room, 30・
... Wire reel, 40 ... Torque applying means (torsion coil spring), 54 ... Generator.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A float, a string-like or band-like traction member whose lower end is placed at the bottom of a water body with a weight and which pulls the float into the water body, and a reel which is fixed to the float and winds up the upper end side of the traction member. , a torque applying means for applying a rotational torque to the reel in the winding direction, and a wave power generation characterized in that power generation is performed based on the rotation of the reel as the float moves up and down due to waves. Device. (2) The wave power generation device according to claim (1), wherein the torque applying means is a biasing member that rotationally biases the reel in the winding direction. (3) The wave power generation device according to claim (1) or (2), wherein an intermediate float is fixed in the middle of the traction member.