WO2012015291A2

WO2012015291A2 - Improvements in hydroelectric plants

Info

Publication number: WO2012015291A2
Application number: PCT/MX2011/000111
Authority: WO
Inventors: Emiliano Reza Abarca
Original assignee: Emiliano Reza Abarca
Priority date: 2010-07-28
Filing date: 2011-09-28
Publication date: 2012-02-02
Also published as: WO2012015291A3; MX2010008251A

Abstract

The present application proposes forming a plurality of polygonal openings arranged to form temporary dams in continuous river currents. Said polygonal openings are placed at suitable altitudes and arranged in a "cascade" pattern in which the outlet of a first polygonal opening formed at a higher altitude is used to fill a polygonal opening placed at a second altitude beneath the first and the outlet of which is used to feed a third polygonal opening formed at a third altitude beneath the first two, and so on until the lowest level is reached. The improvement provided by the present invention also includes the formation of a series of perpendicular diagonally inclined channels arranged at suitable altitudes. Said channels are arranged laterally beneath the polygonal stepped openings on both sides of the channels such as to use the same volume of water several times at different altitudes, before it reaches the main dam or leaves the basin.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN HI DROELECTRIC PLANTS

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the generation of electrical energy in hydroelectric plants. More particularly, it refers to improvements in the collection of endorheic currents to take advantage of them in the generation of electrical energy.

Background of the invention

The way of damming natural hydraulic currents for various purposes has been known since the beginning of history; Primitively, for obtaining irrigation water for crops and, since the end of the 16th century I, for the generation of electricity. This system of use of the hydraulic currents of a basin in a single site, by erecting a huge curtain at the bottom of which are the electricity generators operated by your tunnels moved by the mechanical energy provided by the water, prod there is a deficient use of the possible mechanical energy in a watershed. This is due to the fact that water is used only once, at its lowest level of circulation, which results in an energy waste that should be avoided in order to increase electricity generation.

The main purpose of this patent application for improvements is to propose a more complete use of endorheic river waters for the generation of electrical energy, which would result in greater generating capacity in a given hrrological system. Brief Description of the Invention

The concept on which the improvement provided by this application is based is that of not waiting until the endorheic waters reach their lowest level, forming river currents that already leave the basin, and then build, on the adequate sites, dams that allow the use of these waters for various purposes, such as irrigation and electricity generation.

On the contrary, the present application proposes to form, in a given basin, a plurality of polygonal openings arranged to form transient reservoirs in continuous river current. These polygonal openings would be arranged at convenient altitude levels, and would be located in what is known as a "cascade" arrangement, where the exit of a first polygonal opening formed at the highest altitude would serve to fill r a polygonal opening arranged at a second altitude, lower than the first and whose exit would serve to feed a third polygonal opening, formed at a third altitude, lower than the first two, and so on, until reaching the lowest level, in which the traditional dam would be found.

The improvement of the present also contemplates the formation of a series of perpendicular channels, diagonally inclined, arranged at convenient altitudes. These pipes would be arranged laterally below the polygonal openings and staggered on both sides of the pipes, in order to take advantage of several times the same volume of water, at different altitude levels, before it reaches the main dam or leaves. of the basin.

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Brief description of the di bujos

The concept implied in the improvements made by this will be seen more clearly when the detailed description of a practical application modality is read, which is given by way of illustration only, and not for restrictive purposes, which should be read in conjunction with the attached drawings, which are part of this descriptive report, and in which:

Figure 1 is a flow chart that illustrates the way in which the same volume of water can be used several times for the generation of electrical energy. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In general terms, the improvements made by the present application can be considered directed to the use of the same volume of water for the generation of electricity, in generators operated by your rains moved by said volume of water; said generators being arranged at different levels of altitude, so that the water leaving a first turbine located at a first altitude level, come to move a second turbine located at a second altitude level lower than the first one and , in turn, that same water, when leaving the second turbine, can move a third turbine located at a third altitude elevation, lower than the first two, and so on, until it reaches the level where it is either a traditional dam, with its bank of electricity generators, or a simple river current that leaves the basin.

This conception of generating "cascading" electricity has never been applied in any practical operation, given that the way in which water from the highest altitude level in a basin had not been devised, for example, water It comes from the melting of a glacier. The inventive step provided in the present application lies in devising the way to temporarily hold the water that naturally flows down in order to obtain a body of sufficient water for the use, and to properly conduct it to the place where it can be used to move a first turbine which, in turn, drives a first generator in a known way. This arrangement would be located at a first altitude level. An additional step provided by the present application consists in capturing the water that left the first turbine, temporarily retaining it in order to again form a body of water sufficient for the second time to be used, and conduct it properly again until a new site, where it can be used to move a second turbine which, in turn, drives a second generator in a known way. This arrangement would be located at an altitude level, lower than the first.

This additional step, provided by the present application, can be repeated several times, in similar arrangements, successively, at lower levels, so that a "cascade" system is formed, whereby the same volume of dammed water temporarily at the highest level, it is used repeatedly to generate electricity.

As will be obvious from the exposition of the inventive step in the preceding paragraphs, the advantage is obtained, on the one hand, of generating more electricity with less water; at a lower cost per kilowatt / hour and without the volume of water dammed in a normal dam, used for electricity generation, increasing with the consequent decrease in other uses of water, such as irrigation.

In any river basin, there are naturally low levels, following the uneven terrain, to the lowest point, where various runoffs meet, which may have formed, incl., Streams, thus forming a A river current leaving the basin. These spills become more abundant in the rainy season, where not only the humidity of the fog and low clouds is deposited on the rocks, trees and other surfaces, from where their runoff begins, but also rainwater that can form streams is added. These can reach very high speeds which can mean danger to the populations located in the low points, as often happens. A collateral advantage of the improvements provided by the present is the network of the possibility of the formation of these streams, by capturing the runoff, of whatever type, and by fitting them properly for its use. This is achieved through the provision of a series of drainage collection arrangements, consisting of C 1 A, C2A pipes, arranged adequately to a first level, which will be called level A, and which will be the highest altitude.

Although only two pipes (C1A, C2A) have been shown in the drawing, it will be understood that these pipes can be as many as practical for the purpose of driving the water that runs to a first ETA temporary reservoir, arranged in the system of the dimension A. Each of the pipes is provided with a suitable pipeline 10, 11, respectively. As will be obvious, the C1A and C2A pipes will be extended to the extent necessary to capture most of the runoff. For their part, the pipelines 10, 11 will have a sufficient inclination to drive the water to the first ETA temporary reservoir. In the first ETA temporary reservoir, the water from the runoff, channeled through the pipes C1A, C2A, will accumulate to form a body of water of sufficient volume for its use. The first ETA temporary reservoir will be discharged through a second duct 12, which flows into the DA turbine, which will move the turbine and this, in turn, will drive the generator (not shown).

A second C1B channel, located at a second altitude level (level B), lower than level A of the first channels, gathers, in addition to the runoff produced in the area, which could not be captured by channels C1A and C2A, the water stream from the first DA turbine, and leads them to the second ETB temporary reservoir. Basically, the second ETB temporary reservoir has the same purpose as the first ETA temporary reservoir; but its situation is located at a lower level (level B).

When the volume of water temporarily retained in the second ETB reservoir is sufficient to be used, it is allowed to leave the second ETB reservoir through the duct 13, which flows into a second DB turbine, to move it. The DB turbine, in turn, is connected to a generator (not shown) that generates electric current. It is appropriate to point out that the outputs of the electric current generators can be connected to each other selectively, so that a common output of the generator system is produced, which can be fed separately to service lines, or that can be added to the generator output or generators powered by water from a conventional dam. It is also appropriate not to point out that, although the turbine has been described and represented in the drawing as a different element of the generator (which does not appear in the drawings), the use of turbogenerators is conceived, conceived as a unitary mixed element, or any other types of elements capable of transforming the mechanical energy of the water to electrical energy. Although it is not represented in the flow diagram of Fig. 1, there could be a third stage in this arrangement of pipes, temporary reservoirs and your rbo-generators. Said third stage (not shown) would be fed from a third reservoir (not shown), in which the water coming from the second turbine would be accumulated plus the water of the deposits captured between level B and level C in the that said third stage would be located. The accumulated water would be passed to a third turbine (not shown) that would move a third generator (not shown) to produce more electric current, with basically the same volume of water plus the spikes captured in each successive stage, which of otherwise they would be lost or go to the main EP reservoir. In the mode illustrated in the drawing, the output of the DB turbine is passed r, through the pipeline 1 4, to the main reservoir EP. However, pipeline 14 could selectively flow into a river current out of the basin, if there is no main reservoir.

In the same way, it is contemplated that the pipeline 14, in any of the two modalities mentioned above, may originate at the exit of a third, a fourth or nth tenth of your winding, instead of the second one your DB winding, which is Illustrated in the drawings. The number of the Turbine at whose exit the pipeline 14 would originate, will depend on the orographic characteristics, the extension and the conditions of the hydrological basin in which the concept of the present application is put into practice.

Claims

1. In a hydroelectric plant that is provided with a water power source, such as mechanical force, a turbine driven by the force of the feed water; and a turbine driven electricity generator, to produce an electric current supply, the improvements characterized in that the water power source, as a mechanical force, is obtained by providing a plurality of runoff pickups, located at a first altitude elevation; said runoff catchments feed a temporary reservoir, formed to temporarily dam the runoff water; the temporary reservoir being connected with the entrance to a first turbine to move it; the turbine's exit is led to a second temporary reservoir, located at a second altitude elevation, lower than the first altitude elevation; the second temporary reservoir being connected with the entrance to a second turbine to move it; and where the output of the turbine corresponding to the lowest altitude elevation is conducted to a conventional dam.

2. The improvements in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the second temporary reservoir and the successive temporary reservoirs, located at lower altitude levels, are also partially fed with the runoffs not captured by the catchments of the temporary reservoirs located at higher altitude levels.

3. The improvements in accordance with claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each turbine is arranged to move a generator; the outputs of each generator being electrically interconnected.

4. The improvements in accordance with any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the output of the turbine corresponding to the lowest altitude elevation is conducted to a river course of exit from the basin.

5. The improvements in accordance with any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the collection of the runoff and its conduction to the temporary reservoirs is carried out by means of canalizations of hydraulic networks.