JPH0775395A - Generation system utilizing density difference due to air bubbles - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a generation system utilizing density difference according to air bubbles without any environmental contamination by supplying a stable power effectively utilizing underwater of sea, lake etc. CONSTITUTION:A rising air/water flow pipe 10 is a hollow cylindrical member provided nearly vertically in water and an air forcing pipe 12 feeds gas to the lower edge of rising air/water flow pipe 10. An air forcing pump 14 forces air to the air forcing pipe 12, thus discharging air fed to the lower edge of the rising air/water flow pipe 10 as air bubbles. The air bubbles rise inside the rising air/water flow pipe 10, thus relatively reducing the density inside the pipe as compared with that outside the pipe. Rising water flow is generated inside the rising air/water flow pipe 10 due to the stack effect due to thus generated density difference and the rising water flow rotates a turbine 16 and a generator 20 generates power.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a power generation system utilizing a density difference due to bubbles for generating power by a water flow generated by a chimney effect in water such as a sea or a lake.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A general power generation system such as hydropower, thermal power, or nuclear power generation is installed on the ground with some exceptions, and has a wide range of sites and large-scale facilities. Need. Particularly in Japan, where the land area is small, it is becoming difficult to secure a site for the above-described power generation system, and it would be convenient if a power generation system capable of effectively utilizing underwater such as a sea or a lake that is rarely used could be realized.

Further, in the above-mentioned thermal power or nuclear power generation, environmental pollution in a broad sense such as air pollution, radioactive pollution and exhaustion of fuel resources is also emphasized year after year.
A power generation system without such environmental pollution has been desired.

Further, although wind power generation or the like can be considered as a small-scale power generation, since the wind required for power generation is not always blowing, the power supply becomes unstable. Therefore, a power generation system capable of stably supplying power has been desired.

Therefore, the present invention was created in view of the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to effectively use the water of the sea or lake to supply a stable electric power and to obtain a density difference due to air bubbles having no environmental pollution. The purpose is to provide a power generation system using the.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a power generation system utilizing a density difference due to bubbles according to claim 1 is a hollow cylindrical member provided substantially vertically in water, and A rotating member that is provided inside the tubular member and near the upper end thereof and that is rotated by a water flow rising inside the tubular member; a generator that converts the rotational motion of the rotating member into electric power; A pressure feed mechanism for feeding gas to the lower end of the tubular member, and generating bubbles inside the tubular member by feeding gas to the lower end of the tubular member,
It is characterized in that power is generated by utilizing an ascending water flow generated by a stack effect due to a difference in density between the inside and outside of the tubular member.

Further, the invention of claim 2 is characterized in that the pressure feeding mechanism comprises an air pressure feeding pump and an air pressure feeding pipe for guiding the air fed from the air pressure feeding pump to the lower end of the tubular member. .

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the invention, bubbles are generated by feeding the gas to the lower end of the hollow cylindrical member provided in the water in a substantially vertical direction by the pressure feeding mechanism. At this time, the chimney effect is generated by discharging the bubbles into the tubular member rather than simply discharging the bubbles in the water, and the velocity of the rising water flow is significantly increased. That is, since the inside of the tubular member contains gas, it is smaller than the density of the outside, and the water of the inside of the tubular member, which has a small density, moves upward as a rising water flow due to the chimney effect. The rotating member is rotated by this rising water flow, and the rotating force at this time is used to generate electricity by the generator.

In the present invention, since the tubular member constituting the power generation system is installed in water, the power generation system is installed in water or above water, and it is possible to effectively use the water such as the sea or lake.

Since power is generated by utilizing the chimney effect when bubbles are sent into water, stable power generation is possible and environmental pollution is not caused.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment to which a power generation system utilizing a density difference due to bubbles of the present invention is applied.

In FIG. 1, the rising air / water flow pipe 10 is a hollow cylindrical member which is provided substantially vertically in water and is made of, for example, a resin material. Air pressure feeding pipe 1
Reference numeral 2 is for feeding gas to the lower end of the rising air / water flow pipe 10, and one end thereof is connected to the pneumatic pump 14. The air pressure feeding pump 14 compresses air and sends it out to the air pressure feeding pipe 12, and this compressed air is sent to the lower end of the rising air / water flow pipe 10 through the air pressure feeding pipe 12 and is discharged as bubbles.

As described above, when bubbles are generated near the lower end of the rising water / water flow pipe 10, the bubbles rise, so that the density of water in the rising water / water flow pipe 10 becomes relatively smaller than the density of the outside. That is, when comparing the weight of water per unit volume, the density of water in the tube containing bubbles is smaller than the density of water outside the tube containing no bubbles. Therefore, a rising water flow from bottom to top is generated in the rising air / water flow pipe 10 by the stack effect due to the generated density difference.

The turbine 16 is provided inside the rising air / water flow pipe 10 and near the upper end thereof, and converts the above-described rising water flow into rotary motion. This rotary motion is transmitted to the generator 20 by the rotary shaft 18. The generator 20 generates power by the transmitted rotational force.

Such a power generation system can be installed in water such as the sea, a lake, or a dam for hydroelectric power generation, and it is possible to effectively use water that is not normally used. Moreover, the air is sent to the lower end of the ascending-and-descending water flow pipe 10 by the air pressure pump 14 to produce a chimney effect, and the ascending-water flow generated at this time causes the turbine 16 to rotate and the generator 20 to generate electricity. It does not cause environmental deterioration such as air pollution. Moreover, stable power supply can be performed only by continuously sending bubbles.

Further, in the power generation system of this embodiment, since it is necessary to send air to a water depth position to some extent, when the lower end of the ascending-and-descending water flow pipe 10 is set to the sea bottom, lake bottom, or near the bottom of a dam, It can also serve as aeration for these seabeds.

That is, in recent dams and the like, so-called aeration for sending air to the vicinity of the bottom of the dam for the purpose of eliminating the shortage of oxygen due to the decomposition of organic matter near the bottom of the dam and preventing the generation of hydrogen sulfide. May occur. Also in the power generation system of this embodiment, since air is sent to the vicinity of the lower end of the ascending-and-descending water flow pipe 10, there is also a secondary effect that the sent-in air can also serve as the aeration described above.
In other words, by using the air sent to the dam bottom when performing aeration in the power generation system of this embodiment,
Conventionally, it is possible to generate electricity using the air that has been used only for aeration.

In the vicinity of the lower end of the rising air / water flow pipe 10,
Since new seawater or the like flows into the interior from the vicinity thereof, the seabed, the lakebed, or the dam bottom is agitated, and the effect of the aeration described above is increased.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the detailed structure of the power generation system schematically shown in FIG. 1, and shows the case where the power generation system of this embodiment is installed in the sea as an example.

In the figure, X indicates the water surface at high tide and Y indicates the water surface at low tide. Ascending water flow pipe 10
Is set so that its upper end position is substantially the same height as the water surface X at high tide, and its lower end position is set to a position about 100 m below the water surface Y at low tide, for example. The turbine 16 is inside the rising water flow pipe 10,
An internal rotary blade (not shown) is attached to a position lower than the water surface Y at low tide so that it can freely rotate.

Further, the fixing of the rising air / water flow pipe 10 to the sea bottom is performed by the buoyancy body 30 and the three types of stays 32, 34 ,.
36. The buoyancy body 30 is attached and fixed to the outer periphery of the rising air / water flow pipe 10 approximately in the middle of the longitudinal direction, and applies a constant buoyancy to the rising air / water flow pipe 10 and its accessories. Stay 32
4 are provided to connect the vicinity of the upper end of the buoyancy body 30 and the seabed. Similarly, stays 34 and 36
4 are provided on the outer peripheral portion of the ascending-and-descending water flow pipe 10, respectively, in order to connect the lower side of the buoyancy body 30 or near the lower end to the seabed.

In this way, the buoyant body 30 floats the ascending-and-descending water flow pipe 10 and the auxiliary device as a whole, and
By connecting to the seabed with the stays 32, 34, and 36 of the kind, structural members such as the rising water flow pipe 10 are fixed to the seabed while maintaining a substantially constant position.

The generator room 40 is a room for accommodating the generator 20 and various accessories, and is provided at the upper end of the rising water / water flow pipe 10. The support column 38 is a member for supporting the generator chamber 40, is erected vertically on the upper surface of the buoyancy body 30 described above, and the generator chamber 40 is mounted on the other end side.

From the generator chamber 40, two air pressure feeding pipes 12 extend toward the lower end along the rising air / water flow pipe 10, and by sending air simultaneously by these two air pressure feeding pipes 12. Bubbles can be generated almost uniformly inside the rising water flow tube 10.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the overall construction of the concrete power generation system shown in FIG.

In the figure, two pneumatic pumps 1
4, generator 20, starting engine 44, fuel tank 4
6. The substation 48 is installed in the generator room 40 shown in FIG.

Each of the two pneumatic pumps 14 is
Two air pressure feeding pipes 1 for feeding air to the rising air / water flow pipe 10.
It is connected to each of the two and operates by the supply of electric power by the transmission line a, and takes in the air on the sea to
The book is sent out to the air pressure feeding pipe 12.

The starting engine 44 turns the generator 20 when starting the power generation system of this embodiment.
The rotation is stopped after the operation of the power generation system is on track. For this reason, it has a connecting structure that is connected to the generator 20 only at the time of start-up, or has almost no load during normal operation.

The generator 20 is connected to the turbine 16 via the rotary shaft 18, and sends the electric power obtained by the power generation to the substation 48. The substation 48 is the generator 2
Voltage conversion is performed on the electrodes sent from 0, and control is performed so that the output voltage becomes a predetermined voltage value. The electric power generated through the substation 48 may be used as electric power for operating the pneumatic pump 14, or may be taken out of the generator chamber 40 and used for other purposes.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a specific example of the arrangement of the generator 20 and the like installed in the generator room 40, which is taken along the line AA of FIG.
A line-enlarged cross-sectional view is shown. As shown in the figure, the generator 20 is installed in the center of the generator chamber 40, and the two pneumatic pumps 14 are arranged at symmetrical positions with the generator 20 interposed therebetween.
Is installed. In addition, the starting engine 44, the fuel tank 46, and the substation 48 are installed at other positions. Note that the generator 20 and the pneumatic pump 14 have fixed positions relative to the pneumatic pipe 12 and the rotary shaft 18, and their installation locations are fixed. You may install in such a position.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. As shown in the figure, four columns 38 for fixing the generator chamber 40 are provided at a substantially constant distance from the rotating shaft 18 at equal intervals (intervals of 90 °), and the water surface X at high tide The generator room 40 is supported at a higher position.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. As shown in the figure, the two air pressure feeding pipes 12 are arranged along the outer side of the rising air / water flow pipe 10 and at substantially symmetrical positions with the transposition shaft 18 interposed therebetween.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line DD of FIG. The figure shows the arrangement of the turbine 16 in the rising steam flow tube 10. The turbine 16 includes the rising steam flow tube 10
Is arranged so as to substantially cover the inside of the ascending water, and the ascending water flowing from the lower side of the ascending-and-descending water flow pipe 10 is almost entirely received, and the rotary blades inside thereof are rotated by the ascending water. .

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line EE of FIG. The figure shows the cross-sectional shape of the vicinity of the lower end of the rising water / water flow pipe 10, and shows a state in which the two air pressure feeding pipes 12 are bent inside the rising water / water flow pipe 10. Also,
The four stays 36, which are mounted on the outer peripheral side of the rising air / water flow pipe 10 and near the lower end, are mounted at intervals of 90 degrees. In addition, the other four stays 32 and 34 are respectively attached to the upper end of the buoyancy body 30 and the outer periphery of the rising air / water flow pipe 10 by 9
It is attached and fixed every 0 degrees.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

For example, in the present embodiment, the case where the entire power generation system shown in FIG. 2 is floated in the sea and fixed using three types of stays 32, 34, 36 has been described as an example. There is no limitation on the attachment method, such as when the body is completely attached and fixed to the seabed without using the body.

In this embodiment, the case where the power generation system is installed in the sea has been described, but it may be installed in a reservoir of a lake or dam. Further, in the case of installation in the sea, the rising water flow pipe 10 can be installed side by side with the rig of the offshore work table, and in this case, the stay 32 or the like can be omitted.

Further, in the power generation system of the present invention, a storage tank for temporarily storing air is provided in the vicinity of the lower end of the ascending-and-descending water flow pipe 10, and the storage tank is stored in the storage tank for a day using inexpensive late-night power. The air required for power generation may be stored, and the stored air may be introduced into the lower end of the rising air / water flow pipe 10 in the daytime to generate power. Generally, electricity cannot be stored, and pumped-storage power generation has been considered as a device for that purpose. However, the above-mentioned power generation system can be realized with relatively simple equipment compared to pumped-storage power generation, etc. It can be said to be expensive.

[0040]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the tubular member constituting the power generation system is installed in water, the power generation system is installed in water or above water, and the water in the sea or lake is effectively used. It becomes possible to use.

Further, since power is generated by utilizing the chimney effect when bubbles are sent into water, stable power generation is possible and environmental pollution is not caused.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment to which a power generation system utilizing a density difference due to bubbles of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a detailed structure of the power generation system shown in FIG.

3 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the specific power generation system shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a specific arrangement of generators and the like installed in a generator room.

5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line BB of FIG.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line CC of FIG.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line DD of FIG.

8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line EE of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Updraft Water Flow Pipe 12 Air Pressure Pipe 14 Air Pressure Pump 16 Turbine 18 Rotating Shaft 20 Generator

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A hollow cylindrical member provided substantially vertically in water, and provided inside the cylindrical member near the upper end thereof.
A rotating member that is rotated by a water flow rising inside the tubular member; a generator that converts the rotational movement of the rotating member into electric power; and a pressure feeding mechanism that sends gas to the lower end of the tubular member, The gas is sent to the lower end of the tubular member to generate bubbles inside the tubular member, and power is generated by using a rising water flow generated by a stack effect due to a density difference between the inside and the outside of the tubular member. A power generation system that utilizes the density difference due to air bubbles. 2. The bubble according to claim 1, wherein the pressure feeding mechanism includes an air pressure feeding pump and an air pressure feeding pipe that guides air sent from the air pressure feeding pump to a lower end of the tubular member. A power generation system that utilizes the density difference.