RU2729306C1 - Catamaran aeroenergostat - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: power engineering.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the field of high-altitude wind energy. Catamaran aeroenergostat consists of an aerostatic module containing two soft aerostatic shells identical in size and cigar-shaped configuration with ballonets and with their compressors. Shells are laid on composite platforms, pushed apart in parallel and connected by transverse bridge truss, to which in the center of lower indirect belt is suspended wind-power unit with electric generator in nacelle body. Nacelle is turned so that the shaft of the electric generator protruding from the end side is brought into a horizontal position, directed downwind and contains a low-speed radial-vane turbine, whose axis of rotation coincides with the direction of the wind. On top of shells filled with light gas there laid are ridges of rolling section supported by ends on fore and stern projections of platforms, as well as on their edges by means of transverse enveloping shell, rigid arcs. In each composite platform there can be made longitudinal-axial chute, in which ballonets, which are attached to them tubular, are laid.

EFFECT: optimization of conversion of wind energy into electric energy and creation of strength capabilities for increasing capacity of high-altitude wind energy generation by catamaran installation with soft aerostatic shells; simplified maintenance of ballonets; compatibility of the device with the system of stable suspension of the aerostatic module directly above the ground mooring assembly.

3 cl, 3 dwg

Description

It is intended for use for generating wind energy into electricity of large industrial capacities obtained at the height of high-speed atmospheric flows.

The proposed wind power device refers to airborne systems, the radial-blade turbine of which has an axis of rotation that coincides with the direction of the wind.

The growth in the size of wind turbines in order to generate more and more generating capacities is the main trend in the development of wind energy, which allows to reduce the specific capital costs and the cost of an energy unit. Larger and more powerful machines are being produced in series; over the past twenty years, their average productivity has increased 50 times. At the same time, in the dynamics of the development of ground-based systems, there has been stagnation (USA), up to a sharp depression, which is observed in Germany. In this country, which is a pioneer in the global wind energy industry, commissioning of onshore power plants decreased by 82 percent in the first half of 2019, and growth in renewable energy capacity is expected to drop threefold by the end of the year. A slowdown in the development dynamics is observed in Europe as a whole from 3.3 to 2.9 GW of the annual launch of newly installed capacities. Apparently, having created a giant Enercon-126 installation with a capacity of 7.5 MW, the world wind energy in terms of land-based systems has stepped over the limit of expediency, when a further increase in material consumption, dimensions and, accordingly, the cost of installations begins to grow faster than the return on this increase. And the limit itself lies much earlier, somewhere near the installed capacity of one wind farm, equal to 3.5 MW with a diameter of radial blade turbines of 130-140 meters. Such technical characteristics do not yet come into conflict with the strength of the materials used, the possibilities and cost of transporting large-sized equipment - turbine blades of the mentioned sizes and, above all, steel pipes / rings with a diameter of up to 4.3 in the rare case of 4.6 meters to the location of ground-based wind turbines , as well as the carrying capacity of the installation equipment and its ability to deliver the elements of wind power units to a height of 120-meter support columns. In addition, in industrialized countries, the limit of free land plots for the construction of wind generators is close to exhaustion (for Germany, the free balance is 2-2.5% of the territory), and favorable zones on land, blown by high-speed winds, are essentially finally used.

In connection with the listed limitations of unavoidable force, the global wind industry directed its potential to the creation and progress in the offshore (offshore) generation sector, where the 8-megawatt MHI Vestas V164 power machines were created, from Adwen AD-180 and Siemens SWT-8.0-154 8MW. However, such powerful power units cannot be anchored, but require massive foundations on the seabed. As a result, the area of their application is limited to shallow-water shelves, which, in turn, are not widespread, but rather are an exception in the territorial waters of a small number of countries, for example, whose shores are washed by the waters of the North and Norwegian Seas. In addition, the removal of wind farms and farms into the sea due to the lack of free and strong winds on land, in order to use the best wind potential, requires the cost of creating additional networks for transporting renewable electricity to consumers. These additional costs could offset the benefits of a sea-based wind turbine.

At the stage of pilot projects, the formation of the third sector of wind energy - airborne systems (AWE) began, when the power units are raised by aeronautical modules to a height of 300-600 meters to the level of strong and stable winds with a movement speed of 20-25 m / s, which is below the critical 45 m / s, but with commercial potential, unattainable by other means and methods. These systems remove territorial restrictions when ground-based wind turbines are effective only when deployed in places where strong winds operate in the surface layer of the atmosphere, which causes their concentration mainly on favorable coastlines of the world's oceans. High-altitude airborne power makes wind power profitable in the depths of continental spaces of all continents of the planet that are poorly blown at heights of up to 100-120 meters, allows it to spread more successfully beyond the western coasts of North America and Europe, to develop the inner provinces of India and China, not maritime powers.

In the latter sector of the use of wind renewable energy, taking into account the requirement for the maximum possible power of each individual power plant, of particular interest are designs in which aeronautical modules consist of at least two balloon shells, which allows using large volumes of light gas, with their help to achieve incomparably higher lifting force capable of delivering weighted power units to the height of high-speed winds, the weight and size characteristics of which provide commercially significant performance. Such a result will be obtained at lower costs than in the practical implementation of a single-hull PEGASE balloon, SKYSHIP and Cargo Airship airships with gas filling volumes of 270, 800 and 930 thousand m3, respectively, and these volumes for wind energy purposes can be reduced by 2-3. and even 5 times.

It is pertinent to mention in this regard the aboveground wind turbine system (WO / 2009/131278, publ. 11.07.2008), which contains two shells in one level and a channel between them, where horizontal-axial rotors with Savonius blades are placed, which have the largest weight and the highest drag to air flow of all known wind devices. The shells are connected according to the catamaran scheme by transverse horizontal plates. The installation is low efficient, since the bulk of the wind will flow around the obstacle in its path, which in this case is a relatively narrow channel with rotor devices of the mentioned negative property. It makes no sense to increase the dimensions of the channel, at the same time to increase the area swept away by the rotors, all the same, the channel remains completely covered by the Savonius blades, moreover, it is impossible to significantly expand the shells due to the inevitable deflection of the plates that hold them together and the axes of heavy rotors. On the basis of similar solutions and principles, a method of using wind energy operates and a device for applying this method (patent DE 10240890, 20.03.2003) operates with the resulting disadvantages.

Information search revealed that a balloon-swimming wind generator (WO / 2016/122348, publ. 08/04/2016) can be named as a prototype of the claimed invention. Both longitudinally-elongated shells of this device have rigid bottoms, which are basic platforms interconnected by at least one transverse bridge truss, in the center of the lower indirect (broken or elliptical) belt of which a nacelle with an electric generator is suspended, rotation is transmitted to it through the shaft in bearing supports from a high-speed orthogonal-blade rotor located above the truss and having a vertical axis of rotation perpendicular to the direction of the wind. This device is less efficient than wind turbines with low-speed radial-blade turbines, the axis of rotation of which coincides with the direction of the wind. The high rotational speed of the rotors, the resulting alternating loads, create vibrations of the equipment, accelerate their wear and tear. The strong high-speed pressure of high-altitude winds, the loading of the aeronautical module with a wind power unit of increased weight and size make it necessary to use weighted balloon casings with rigid bodies made of solid sheet materials or a semi-rigid version with an internal frame that is inaccessible for operational maintenance. In this case, the aerostatic lifting force of the shells is consumed not only useful for delivering the wind power unit to a given height, but also irrationally to overcome the gravity of the shells themselves. There are operational maintenance difficulties inside the shell ballonets when they are used. The wind pressure strongly demolishes the high-altitude module of the wind generator from the land-based berthing unit, such a device is not able to solve the main land problem of airborne systems, which consists in the need to allocate free territories of a large area for them.

The most important land problem of high-altitude wind power is solved in an air power station (patent RU 2703863 C1, 10/22/2019) with a low-speed radial-blade turbine, whose rotation axis coincides with the direction of the wind. failures in rebuilding the module to the crosswind, namely, equipping the device with wind pressure sensors on the balloon envelope, a processor and a reversible actuator as part of the berthing unit, it is advisable in a number of cases to modify it for compatibility and design features of the proposed device.

The essence of the proposed technical solutions lies in the fact that a low-speed radial-blade turbine is used in the aero-power stat, assembled according to a catamaran structural-power scheme, the rotation axis of which coincides with the wind direction, which increases the efficiency of wind energy conversion by 17-33 percent, improves resource indicators ... However, since this means is not enough to achieve the task of obtaining the maximum industrial power generation, the aeronautical module is delivered to the level of super-high winds and is equipped with a wind power unit with increased weight and size characteristics, which creates increased loads on the module under wind pressure and gravity. The essence of the measures to ensure the necessary strength of the aeronautical module is that lightweight soft balloon shells of a cigar-shaped shape, laid on composite platforms, are placed in stands, each of which is formed along the entire length of the shells by the upper ridge of the rolling profile and uniformly distributed along the length of the shells by rigid enclosing shells arcs, at their tops connected to the ridge, and the ends resting on the edges of the platform. In this case, the operational maintenance of the ballonets can be simplified, for which they are removed from the shells and placed in a certain way outside their soft bodies in the troughs of the composite platforms intended for this. If necessary, the present aero-energostat can be adapted to use the known system of stable hovering of the aeronautical module directly above the ground mooring unit, for which a particular change is made in the structure at the stern of the module in the form of a bracket curved upward and resting on the adjacent edges of the platforms.

The objectives of the invention are to optimize the conversion of wind energy into electricity and create strength capabilities for increasing the power of high-altitude wind power generation by a catamaran installation with soft balloon shells; simplification of operational maintenance of ballonets; compatibility of the device with the system of stable hovering of the aeronautical module directly above the ground mooring unit.

The set goals are achieved by using constructive measures to use a more efficient radial-blade turbine, whose axis of rotation coincides with the direction of the wind, increasing the strength of the aeronautical module with soft balloon shells, weighted by a weight and size wind power unit, by placing them in rigid stands formed from the longitudinal ridges of the rolling profile, laid on top and along the entire length of the shells, and transverse enclosing rigid arcs, with which the ridges rest on the edges of the composite platforms, which are the lower support base of the mentioned gas-filled shells. Operational maintenance of ballonets can be simplified, for which longitudinal-axial grooves are created in composite platforms, the ballonets are given a tubular shape, in this form they are transferred from the soft balloon shells to the outside and fit into the said grooves. If it is expedient to retrofit the air power station with a system of stable hovering of the aeronautical module directly above the ground mooring unit, in the stern of the module, the adjacent edges of the composite platforms are connected by an upwardly curved bracket, at the top of which at least one air-propeller electric aircraft engine with controlled variable angle of attack and thrust directed against the wind.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the aeronautical module of the catamaran aero-power station (hereinafter referred to as AeroESK); in fig. 2 - section of the same part of the device along A-A; in fig. 3 shows its surface mooring site.

AeroESK consists of an aeronautical module and a ground mooring unit, connected by tethered cables 1. The catamaran structure module includes two composite platforms 2 connected at the center of mass of the high-rise part of the assembly by a transverse truss 3, carrying in the middle of its lower indirect belt a wind power unit from an electric generator to the body of the nacelle 4 and the leeward radial-blade turbine 5 with an axis of rotation coinciding with the direction of the wind. Soft balloon shells 6, identical in size and cigar-shaped configuration, are laid on the platforms, enclosed in stands formed by the upper ridges 7 of the rolling profile, the ends resting on the platform protrusions 8.1 and 8.2 in the bow and stern parts of the balloon shells, as well as on the edges of the platforms using transverse rigid arcs 9, surrounding the shell. The platforms can have longitudinal-axial grooves, in which tubular ballonets 10 are placed under the balloon envelopes filled with compressed air from compressors 11. The ground mooring unit includes a concrete bollard 12, a rotating vertical axis 13, on the upwardly protruding end of which a horizontal beam 14 is mounted. the equidistant ends of the beam are equipped with 15 cable-cable coils with software-controlled drive mechanisms 16. If it is expedient to use the system of stable hovering of the aeronautical module directly above the ground mooring unit, the installation is complemented by bow 17 and lateral 18 wind pressure sensors on the balloon envelopes, a processor, a reversible actuator 19, a gear train 20, at least one propeller electric aircraft engine 21 with controlled variable angle of attack and thrust directed against the wind. In this case, the aircraft engine is mounted on the top of the bracket 22, curved upward and connecting the composite platforms and resting with its ends on the adjacent edges in the aft part of the platforms.

AeroESK works as follows. After the delivery of the equipment, the elements of which are quite dimensional, and their primary assembly at the site of the installation, the soft balloon shells are filled with light gas, and compressed air is pumped into the tubular ballonets, after which the elements of the wind power unit are suspended from the bottom of the aeronautical module, first a nacelle with an electric generator, and then the radial blades of the leeward turbine. Rope-cables begin to bleed off the bays of the ground berthing unit and the device module rises to the height of high-speed winds, shifting from the berthing unit and turning relative to it along a circular path until the longitudinal axis of symmetry of the module and the axis of rotation of the turbine coincide with the direction of the wind. The high-speed wind pressure rotates the turbine, this rotation is transmitted to the electric generator, which generates energy, directed through the controller, battery and inverter to consumers. If the wind pressure sensors on the balloon envelopes record the wind speed equal to 80% of the critical 45 m / s, the processor gives a command to the drives of the cable-cable bays and the aeronautic module promptly descends to the lower levels of the atmosphere or directly to the ground, which excludes catastrophes and destruction of the aero-power stations.

In the presence of a system, the operation of which is described in detail in the description of the aforementioned aero-power station (patent RU 2703863 C1, 22.10 2019), the aircraft engine included in the operation, if available, creates a return movement of the aeronautical module displaced from the berthing unit, supports its hovering over the attachment point and its longitudinal stability verticality of flexible connections to the ground. The lateral stability of the module is programmatically controlled by the length and tension of the tethered cable cables.

Optimization of the conversion of kinetic wind energy into electricity is achieved by the spatial orientation of the generator shaft, which is different from the prototype, which is brought to a horizontal position and by the use of a more efficient radial-blade turbine, whose rotation axis coincides with the direction of the wind.

The strength features of the invention, which include the low speed of the turbine used, the presence of rolling profile ridges resting on the bow and stern protrusions of the composite platforms, as well as on their edges through rigid transverse arcs, enclosing the shells, make it possible to withstand the loads from a mass and size wind power unit of high industrial power, using at the same time, soft balloon shells, which reduce the own weight of the assembled aeronautical module and the consumption of light gas for imparting positive buoyancy to it. The new features of the device are the tubular shape of the ballonets, the creation of longitudinal-axial grooves under them in the composite platforms, which makes it possible to remove the ballonets from the internal volumes of the soft balloon shells, which simplifies their installation and operational maintenance.

The compatibility of the aircraft engine and the AeroESK turbine is provided by an additional element of the device - a bracket bent upwards and resting with its ends on the adjacent edges of the platforms in their aft part. The aircraft engine is mounted on the top of the bracket above the area swept by the turbine, which guarantees the operation of both mechanisms without mutual aerodynamic interference.

AeroESK can be installed anywhere on the earth and even on the ice surface, does not require low-level, strongly blown spaces, since it operates at a height of invariably active movements of air masses. Requirements for communications have been reduced, which, to a lesser extent or almost not at all, is not an obstacle for the delivery of equipment, from which oversized pipes / rings of support columns are excluded, the blades can sweep a smaller area, which makes them shorter in length and lighter in weight, soft aerostatic shells are transported to folded or spliced in place. In the future, aero power stations can become part of hydrogen energy, since modern fire-safe electrical equipment and programmed remote control of a high-altitude wind farm allow using hydrogen as a balloon gas, which is seven times cheaper than helium and continues to fall in price, use excess wind energy in electrolytic installations that replenish gas storage facilities and, as required, satisfying their own needs in refueling air-based wind power systems. Air power stations have a unique mobility in wind energy, they can be easily dismantled and installed in a new place of operation without destruction.

The Paris climate agreement cannot be implemented without progress in the development of renewable energy sources, which in the wind industry requires a technological breakthrough that overcomes the limited effective use of ground-based wind turbines by a few coastal semi-enclaves with strong downwind winds. Air-based generator systems, such as the proposed AeroESK and similar power machines, can give this positive result in any geographic coordinates.

Claims (3)

1. A catamaran aero-energostat, containing an aeronautical module of two balloon shells identical in size and cigar-shaped configuration with upper ridges, ballonets and their compressors, the shells are extended in parallel and laid on composite platforms connected in the center of mass of the module as an assembly by a transverse bridge truss, to which in the middle In an indirect lower belt, an electric generator is suspended in the body of the nacelle, while the aeronautical module is tied with cable-cables to the ground mooring unit, which has a rotary beam with end software controlled bays, the device is supplemented with wind pressure sensors on the balloon envelope, a processor and a reversible actuator as part of the mooring unit, and as a part of the module, at least one propeller electric aircraft engine with controlled variable angle of attack and thrust directed against the wind, characterized in that the nacelle is deployed so that the shaft protruding from the front side the electric generator is brought to a horizontal position, directed downwind and contains a low-speed radial-blade turbine, whose axis of rotation coincides with the direction of the wind, while the ridges are separated from the shells and made of a rolling profile, rest their ends on the bow and stern protrusions of the platforms, as well as on their edges with by means of transverse rigid arcs, wrapping around the shells and evenly spaced along their length. 2. Aeroenergostat according to claim 1, characterized in that both composite platforms have a longitudinal-axial groove, into which tubular ballonets are placed from the soft balloon shells. 3. Aeroenergostat under item 1, characterized in that said aircraft engine is placed on top of the bracket, curved upward and resting with its ends on the adjacent edges of the platforms in their aft part.

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