KR20200077283A - Floating wind power generator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a floating wind power generator which may increase stability and robustness, and maximize the effect of wind power generation by using strong wind blowing at high altitude by floating power generation units in the air regardless of the difficult location conditions according to wind direction, wind speed, and installation environment. To this end, the present invention provides a floating wind power generator comprising: a flotation body including at least one chamber in which the flotation gas is accommodated, and provided with an air tunnel through which air can pass; a wind power generation unit which is at least partially installed on the air tunnel to generate electric energy from the pressure of air passing through the air tunnel; a connection cable connecting the floatation body and the ground to each other; and an elevation adjustment unit installed on the ground to adjust the length of the connection cable connected to the floatation body.

Description

Flotation Wind Power Generator {FLOATING WIND POWER GENERATOR}

The present invention relates to a wind power generation device, and more particularly, to a floating wind power generation device capable of receiving wind power in the air and producing electricity therefrom.

Recently, high interest and investment in power generation using new and renewable energy such as wind power generation, solar power generation, and the like to prepare for climate change and environmental pollution have increased.

Among them, unlike wind power, wind power generation always generates air without any fuel consumption, so there is no additional waste or waste, and it does not emit greenhouse gases. It is a highly competitive development method.

In spite of the above-mentioned advantages, recently, wind power generators are currently being enlarged in order to maximize demanding location conditions and installation capacity considering wind direction, wind speed, and installation environment.

In this way, the wind power generator which is being enlarged has a problem that the installation cost is increased due to the large size of the facility, and it is difficult to install it in the mountains and the sea where the wind speed is relatively high on the ground, which increases the installation cost.

In addition, even if it is installed around the mountain or the sea, there is considerable difficulty in maintenance during use due to enormous size, and it is also negatively pointed out in the environment, such as noise caused by the rotation of wings of several tens of meters and visual discomfort.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2014-0060905 (2014.05.21. public)

The object of the present invention is to solve the conventional problems, the present invention is to wind power generation by using strong winds blowing at high altitude by floating power units in the air regardless of the demanding location conditions according to the wind direction, wind speed, installation environment It is to provide a floating wind power generator that can maximize the effect and increase stability and robustness.

In order to achieve the object of the present invention described above, the floating wind power generator according to the present invention is provided with at least one chamber in which the floating gas is accommodated, and an air tunnel formed through the air to pass through is provided. sieve; A wind power generation unit installed at least partially on the air tunnel to produce electric energy from the pressure of air passing through the air tunnel; A connection cable connecting the support body and the ground to limit the height of the support body; And an altitude adjustment unit installed on the ground to adjust the length of the connection cable.

At this time, the air tunnel, an inlet having an air passage formed in the front end portion of the support body and gradually reduced along the flow direction of the air; And it is connected to the inlet has a predetermined size of the air passage, the wind speed rising unit is installed the wind power unit; may include.

In addition, it may further include a control unit for receiving the amount of power generated from the wind power generation unit, and controlling the advanced adjustment unit based on the received amount of power generation.

At this time, the control unit receives the first generation amount generated during a certain generation operation time at a first altitude, and receives the second generation amount produced during a certain generation operation time at a second elevation having a difference between the first altitude and the The altitude adjustment unit may be controlled such that the support body is positioned at an altitude in which a relatively large amount of power generation is produced between the first altitude and the second altitude.

In addition, it is coupled to the top or bottom of the float on the vertical line crossing the air tunnel, and rotates the float in the left and right directions by wind pressure to further vertical wing to make the air tunnel coincide with the flow direction of the air. It may include.

In addition, it may be further coupled to the left end and the right end of the flotation body, it may further include a horizontal wing portion for generating a lifting force of the flotation body.

In addition, the advanced adjustment unit, a winding drum connected to one end of the connecting cable; And a driving unit that adjusts the length of the connection cable while winding or uncoupling the connection cable to the winding drum as the winding drum rotates.

In addition, the connecting cable, the first connecting cable for connecting the support and the altitude adjustment unit to limit the altitude of the support; And a second connection cable that connects the wind power generation unit to a power plant on the ground and transmits the electric energy produced by the wind power generation unit to a power plant on the ground.

The floating wind power generation apparatus according to the present invention can be floated in the air regardless of the location conditions such as wind direction, wind speed, and installation environment, so that it can respond according to the wind direction, and can use a relatively strong wind speed compared to the ground. It can improve the ease of use.

In addition, since the present invention can increase the wind speed flowing into the air tunnel, it is possible to further increase the amount of wind power generation.

In addition, since the present invention can control the position of the floater at an altitude at which the maximum wind speed is maintained according to the wind speed that changes from time to time, power generation efficiency can be further increased.

In addition, the floating body according to the present invention can always maintain a constant flow direction of air passing through the air tunnel, thereby uniformly providing vertical wind pressure toward the turbine blades, thereby improving power generation efficiency, and equilibrium stability of the floating body. Can also be increased.

In addition, the float according to the present invention can generate an upward lift in the upward direction perpendicular to the wind pressure in proportion to the strong wind pressure, thereby preventing the float from being pushed backwards so as not to deviate significantly from the initially set altitude.

In addition, the support body according to the present invention can improve safety such as preventing the fall of the support body even if a part of the support body is lost due to damage to a specific portion.

1 is an exemplary side view for explaining a floating wind power generation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a front view for explaining a floating wind turbine generator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is an exemplary cross-sectional view for explaining a floating wind power generation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a schematic diagram for explaining an air tunnel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention in which the above-described problem to be solved can be realized in detail will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In describing the present embodiments, the same name and the same code are used for the same configuration, and additional description is omitted.

1 is a side view for explaining a floating wind power generation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a front view for explaining a floating wind power generation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 Is an exemplary cross-sectional view for explaining a floating wind power generation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 to 3, the floating wind power generation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a floating body 100, a wind power generation unit 200, a connection cable 300, an advanced adjustment unit and a control unit .

The floating body 100 is a structure in which the floating gas is accommodated and floated in the air, and it is preferable to have a cross-sectional structure of the airfoil so that the lift perpendicular to the wind pressure can be increased while maintaining equilibrium stability against strong wind pressure. Do.

The floating gas filled in the chamber 110 is lighter than air, and may be filled with helium or hydrogen.

The flotation body 100 may include at least one chamber 110. As an example, a plurality of chambers 110 may be included.

The plurality of chambers 110 are for dividing the entire inner space of the support body 100 into a lattice structure, and as shown, when a plurality of chambers 110 are provided, damage to the specific chamber 110 Due to this, even if the floating gas filled in the corresponding chamber 110 is lost, the sudden fall of the floating body 100 from the floating gas filled in the other remaining chamber 110 is blocked, thereby increasing the safety of the floating body 100 structure. Can.

In addition, the chamber 110 is preferably made of a lightweight material in consideration of the load of the support body 100. For example, it may be made of a lightweight metal such as aluminum or a synthetic resin made of a soft material such as FRP. In the case of the lightweight metal, it is possible to increase the rigidity of the support body 100 from external impact, and when it is made of a soft synthetic resin material, it is possible to reduce the load of the support body 100, thereby increasing the lifting force. In this way, the chamber 110 made of soft synthetic resin material can form its shape from the pressure of the floating gas filled therein.

Also, inside the chamber 110, an air bag 111, which is an air bag filled with a floating gas, may be accommodated. In this case, like the tube accommodated inside the tire, the chamber 110 may protect the inner air bag 111 from external impact.

On the other hand, the floating body 100 includes an air tunnel 130 that is formed to pass through the air.

4 is a schematic diagram for explaining an air tunnel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the air tunnel 130 is a place that substantially introduces the flow of air for wind power generation, through the front end and the rear end of the support body 100 to open and on the horizontal center line It can be placed long along.

The air tunnel 130 according to the embodiment may include an inlet part 131, a wind speed rising part 133, and an outlet part 135.

The inlet 131 is formed to have an air passage that is formed on the front end of the flotation body 100 to face the air flow in the front and gradually decreases along the air flow direction.

That is, the air flowing into the inlet 131a at the front end of the flotation body 100 gradually moves according to the venturi action in the process of passing through the inlet 131 where the cross-sectional area of the air passage gradually decreases. As it rises.

The wind speed riser 133 is a place where at least a portion of the wind power generation unit 200 is installed, and may be connected to a rear end of the inlet 131 to have an air passage of a predetermined size.

That is, air passing through the inlet portion 131 and gradually moving in speed passes the wind velocity rising portion 133 while maintaining the maximum velocity V2.

As a result, even when the moving speed V0 of the external air is relatively small, the moving speed V1 gradually increases while passing through the inlet part 131, and finally the air moving through the wind speed rising part 133 Since the speed V2 realizes a relatively fast moving speed, it is possible to increase the amount of wind power generation.

The discharge part 135 may be formed to have an air passage formed on the rear end of the support body 100 and gradually increasing along the flow direction of air.

That is, after passing through the wind speed riser 133, the air discharged toward the outlet 135a of the rear end of the floater 100 passes through the discharger 135 where the cross-sectional area of the air passage gradually increases again. The pressure gradually increases with the action of Venturi. As a result, as the pressure of the discharge part 135 increases, the drag force directed toward the support body 100 pushed backward by the wind pressure can be increased, whereby the positional stability of the support body 100 can be improved. .

Meanwhile, the floating body 100 may include a vertical wing 150 on the outer surface.

The vertical wing 150 may be coupled to the top or bottom of the floating body 100 on a vertical line intersecting the air tunnel 130. The vertical wing 150 rotates the floating body 100 in the left and right directions by the wind pressure, so that the inlet 131a of the air tunnel 130 is aligned with the flow direction of the air (inflow direction).

As such, the vertical wing 150 maintains the flow of air passing through the air tunnel 130 in parallel with the air tunnel 130, thereby uniformly providing vertical wind pressure toward the turbine wing 210, and thereby wind power. The power generation efficiency can be increased through the power generation unit 200, and the equilibrium stability of the support body 100 can be increased by allowing the support body 100 to always be positioned parallel to the air flow direction.

The vertical wing 150 may include at least one chamber 110 in the same manner as the above-described floating body 100 structure. That is, it may be configured through the chamber 110 formed in a wing shape.

In addition, the vertical wing 150 made of a chamber structure may be made of a lightweight material in consideration of the load, like the above-described floating body 100. For example, it may be made of a lightweight metal such as aluminum or a synthetic resin made of a soft material such as FRP. When made of the lightweight metal, it is possible to increase the rigidity of the vertical wing 150 from external impact, and when it is made of a soft synthetic resin material, the load of the vertical wing 150 can be reduced. In this way, the vertical wing 150 made of soft synthetic resin material can maintain the wing shape from the pressure of the floating gas filled therein. In addition, the inside of the vertical wing 150 may be accommodated in the air sac, an air bag filled with a floating gas.

The vertical wing 150 is preferably disposed at a position biased toward the rear end from the center of the flotation body 100 as shown so that the left and right directions of the flotation body 100 can be quickly switched by wind pressure.

Meanwhile, the floating body 100 may include a horizontal wing 160 on an outer surface.

The horizontal wing 160 may be coupled to the left end and the right end of the support body 100. The horizontal wing 160 generates an upward lift of the floater 100.

That is, the support 100 connected to the ground and the connection cable 300 to maintain a constant altitude is pushed backward from the strong wind pressure, and eventually the actual altitude is lowered due to the limited length of the connection cable 300. Can occur.

Eventually, the horizontal wing 160 generates an upward lift in the upward direction perpendicular to the wind pressure in proportion to the strong wind pressure, thereby preventing the floater 100 from being pushed backward due to the strong wind pressure and not significantly deviating from the initially set altitude. Can be avoided.

The horizontal wing 160 may also include at least one chamber 110 in the same manner as the above-described floating body 100 and vertical wing 150, and may be made of a lightweight material in consideration of a load. Redundant description thereof will be omitted.

The wind power generation unit 200 is at least partially installed on the air tunnel 130 to produce electrical energy from the pressure of the air passing through the air tunnel 130.

The wind power generation unit 200 may include a turbine blade 210 rotating by the wind pressure passing through the air tunnel 130, and a generator 220 for generating electricity from the rotational force of the turbine blade 210. have. The wind power generation unit 200 is not limited to that shown in one embodiment, and any one that can be rotated by wind to generate electrical energy can be employed. In addition, the detailed description of the turbine blade 210 and a turbine shaft supporting the turbine blade, a reduction gear connected to the turbine shaft, a speed reducer, and various gear boxes may be selectively adopted and used.

The turbine blade 210 disposed in the wind speed riser 133 in the air tunnel 130 may be arranged in one or more numbers depending on the length of the air passage secured in the wind speed riser 133.

As described above, the electric energy produced from the wind power generation unit 200 is transmitted to a ground power plant or a substation and stored in charge.

Although not shown, the connection cable 300 may include a first connection cable and a second connection cable.

The first connection cable is to limit the altitude of the support body 100 by connecting the support body 100 to the ground, one end connected to the support body 100 and the other end connected to the ground height adjustment unit 400 do.

One end of the connection cable 300 connected to the support body 100 is branched into at least three strands so that it can be combined with the support body 100. For example, the left, right, and rear ends of the flotation body 100 are connected to form a triangular structure, and uniform tension can be transmitted to each branched strand. As a result, it is possible to promote the equilibrium stability without causing the buoyant body 100 to be severely shaken by the wind pressure.

The second connecting cable connects the wind power generation unit 200 and a ground power plant (or substation) to transmit electric energy produced by the wind power generation unit 200 to the ground power plant. The second connection cable may be wired along the first connection cable, and the first and second connection cables may be wired inside a separate protection cable.

The altitude adjustment unit 400 may be installed on the ground to adjust the length of the connection cable 300 connected to the support body 100.

The advanced adjustment unit 400 according to the embodiment rotates the winding drum 410 connected to one end of the connecting cable 300 and the winding drum 410 to connect the winding cable 410 to the winding drum 410. It may include a driving unit 420 to adjust the length while winding or unwinding.

For example, the rotating shaft of the winding drum 410 and the driving shaft of the driving unit 420 are axially coupled, and the winding drum 410 is rotated forward and backward according to the forward and reverse rotation driving of the driving unit 420, thereby Accordingly, the connection cable 300 is lengthened while being loosened or shortened while being wound. Thus, the height of the floater 100 can be adjusted according to the length of the connecting cable 300.

Meanwhile, the wind power generation device according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a control unit that receives the amount of power generated from the wind power generation unit 200 and controls the altitude adjustment unit 400 based on the received amount of power generation.

In other words, the control unit can measure and receive in real time the amount of power transmitted from the wind power generation unit 200 to a power plant (substation) on the ground, based on which the operation signal of the driving unit 420 of the altitude adjustment unit 400 Can be sent.

Even in the air, wind speed changes from moment to moment depending on the altitude. That is, it is possible to improve the power generation efficiency by arranging the floater 100 at an altitude at which the highest wind speed is maintained according to the wind speed that changes from time to time.

That is, the control unit receives the first generation amount produced during a certain generation operation time at a first altitude, and receives the second generation amount produced during a certain generation operation time at a second elevation having a difference between the first altitude and the The altitude adjustment unit 400 may be controlled so that the float 100 is positioned at an altitude in which a relatively large amount of power generation is produced between the first altitude and the second altitude.

For example, the first control unit transmits an operation signal to the driving unit 420 to release the connection cable 300 so that the floater 100 maintains the first altitude, and the first produced at the first altitude for 1 hour. The amount of power generation is received.

Next, the control unit re-transmits the operation signal to the driving unit 420 to further loosen or wind the connection cable 300 and maintain the float 100 at a second altitude having a first altitude and altitude difference, and at the second altitude. The second generation amount produced for another hour is received.

Next, the control unit compares the received first power generation amount and the second power generation amount, and if the second power generation amount is large, continuously maintains electricity while maintaining the floating body 100 at the second altitude currently maintained. Produce, if the first received amount of power generation is large, the operation signal is transmitted to the driving unit 420 to return the support body 100 to the first altitude, and then continue to produce electricity.

In addition, the controller may newly adjust the altitude of the support body 100 as described above at a predetermined time. For example, by tracking the altitude at which the maximum wind speed is maintained every hour, the support body 100 can be repositioned at a new altitude every hour.

In addition, unlike the above, the control unit changes the altitude of the support body 100 over a number of times more than two times, and the altitude control unit 400 maintains the maximum wind speed in an altitude range in which the maximum wind speed is maintained. 100). For example, with respect to the support body 100 maintaining an altitude of 50 m, the support body 100 may be positioned at an altitude at which the maximum wind speed is maintained while continuously raising the support body 100 at 10 m intervals.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings as described above, those skilled in the art may vary the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. Can be modified or changed.

100: float
110: chamber
130: air tunnel
150: vertical wing
160: horizontal wings
200: wind power generation unit
300: connecting cable
400: altitude adjustment unit

Claims (7)

A floating body having at least one chamber in which the floating gas is accommodated, and an air tunnel formed through the air so as to pass therethrough;
A wind power generation unit installed at least partially on the air tunnel to produce electric energy from the pressure of air passing through the air tunnel;
A connection cable connecting the support body and the ground to limit the height of the support body; And
It is installed on the ground, the height adjustment unit for adjusting the length of the connection cable; floating wind power generation apparatus comprising a. According to claim 1,
The air tunnel,
An inlet having an air passage formed on the front end of the float and gradually decreasing along the air flow direction; And
It is connected to the inlet has a predetermined size of the air passage, the wind power rising unit is installed, the wind power unit; floating wind power generation apparatus comprising a. According to claim 1,
Further comprising a control unit for receiving the amount of power generated from the wind power generation unit, and controlling the advanced adjustment unit based on the received amount of power generation,
The control unit,
Receiving a first generation amount produced during a certain generation uptime at a first altitude,
Receiving a second amount of power produced during a certain power uptime at a second altitude having a difference between the first altitude and
Flotation type wind power generation device, characterized in that for controlling the altitude adjustment unit so that the support body is positioned at an altitude where a relatively large amount of power generation is produced between the first altitude and the second altitude. According to claim 1,
On the vertical line intersecting the air tunnel is coupled to the top or bottom of the float, rotates the float by the wind pressure in the left and right directions and vertical wings to make the air tunnel coincide with the flow direction of the air; more Flotation type wind power generation device comprising a. According to claim 1,
Floating coupled to the left end and the right end of the flotation body, the horizontal wing for generating a lifting lift of the flotation body; further comprising a floating wind power generation apparatus. According to claim 1,
The altitude adjustment unit,
A winding drum connected to one end of the connection cable; And
And a driving unit that adjusts the length of the connection cable while winding or uncoupling the connection cable to the winding drum as the winding drum rotates. According to claim 1,
The connection cable,
A first connection cable connecting the support body and the height adjustment unit and limiting the height of the support body; And
And a second connection cable connecting the wind power generation unit to a power plant on the ground and transmitting the electric energy produced by the wind power generation unit to the power plant on the ground.

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