WO2015107557A1

WO2015107557A1 - Water wheel

Info

Publication number: WO2015107557A1
Application number: PCT/IT2015/000003
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fulvio Soldaini
Original assignee: Fulvio Soldaini
Priority date: 2014-01-14
Filing date: 2015-01-12
Publication date: 2015-07-23

Abstract

Water wheel, comprising a shaft (1) carrying a plurality of blades (4) supported by corresponding rods (3) that are oriented radially with respect to the axis (x-x) of the shaft (1). The blades (4) are provided by corresponding floating surfaces (40). The rods (3) are mounted longitudinally slidable in corresponding seats (2) provided by the shaft (1) so that, during rotation of the latter about its axis (x- x), the blades (4) supported by the rods (3) can cyclically move towards and from said axis (x-x).

Description

TITLE

Water wheel.

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a water wheel.

Systems are known for the production of electricity based on the use of a water flow that invests the blades of a water wheel to cause rotation of a shaft on which an electric generator is connected. Examples of hydroelectric wheels are described in GB2480129, EP2378112 and EP2305557.

The main aim of the present invention is to improve the efficiency of energy production systems that use an electric generator driven by a waterwheel.

This result is achieved, according to the present invention, by adopting the idea of providing a device having the characteristics indicated in claim 1. Other features of the present invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

A device in accordance with the present invention allows to realize electrical energy production systems operating in optimum conditions also in correspondence of waterways where the flow velocity is relatively reduced. Furthermore, a device in accordance with the present invention is relatively simple from the constructive point of view, reliable and economical. These and other advantages and features of this invention will be best understood by anyone skilled in the art thanks to the following description and to the accompanying drawings, given by way of example but not to be considered in a limiting sense, in which:

- Figs. 1 and 2 are two schematic perspective views of a water wheel in accordance with the present invention;

- Figs. 3 and 4 show two front views of the water wheel of Figs. 1 and 2 in two different operative positions ;

- Fig. 5 is a schematic sectional view along the

line A-A of Fig. 3;

- Fig. 6 is a diagram that represents the total

torque on the shaft of the water wheel;

- Fig.7 represents a possible application scheme of the present water wheel in a system for the production of electricity.

Reduced to its essential structure and with reference to the accompanying drawings, a hydroelectric

generator in accordance with the present invention is constituted by a water wheel (R) and an electric generator (G) mechanically connected to such wheel. The generator (G) can be of any type available on the market. The water wheel (R) is placed in

correspondence of a water course (W) and is rotated by the water flow (CA) which, as further described in the following, invests some elements of the same wheel (R) causing the rotation of the latter about a

predetermined axis. The operation of the hydraulic wheel (R) by the water flow (CA) determines the rotation of the shaft of the generator (G) and thus the production of electricity.

Advantageously, in accordance with the present

invention, the water wheel (R) comprises a shaft (1) provided with more radial through holes (2) . In each hole (2) is inserted a rod (3) which can slide along the direction of its longitudinal axis, i.e. along the direction of the axis of the respective hole (2) .

Still in other words, each rod (3) is free to slide radially with respect to the fixed axis (x-x) of the shaft (1) . At each of its ends, each rod (3) is provided with a series of blades (4) that are fixed on the outer side of a corresponding floating support surface (40), the latter being provided with a tubular foot (41) for its coupling on one end of the rod (3) . The surface (40) is convex, with the convexity

directed outwards, i.e. with the concavity directed towards the shaft (1). Said axis (x-x) is horizontal. Preferably, two adjacent holes (2) the shaft (1), and then the two adjacent rods (3) , are not parallel to each other. Still more preferably, the projections of the axes of two adjacent holes (2) on a plane

perpendicular to the axis (xx-) of the shaft (1) are mutually orthogonal.

According to the example shown in the drawings, the shaft (1) supports two rods (3) and then four groups of blades (4) . It is understood, however, that the number of rods (3) and the number of blades (4), as well as the length of the rods (3) , may vary depending on the size of the water wheel.

In Fig.5 the longitudinal movement of a rod (3) in the respective hole (2) is represented by the double arrow "N" .

As shown in Fig.l and Fig.2, the water wheel (R) is positioned with the shaft (1) at a predetermined distance from the water course (W) . The water flow (CA) exerts a thrust on the blades (4) instantly immersed in the water of the water course (W) and, since the rods (3) on which are fixed the blades (4) pass in the holes (2) of the shaft (1), it causes the rotation (S) of the latter around the axis (x-x) .

During the rotation of the shaft (1) the radial position of the individual rods (3) varies. In other words, the rods (3) rotate around the axis (x-x) of the shaft (1). And, since the rods (3) are free to slide in the holes (2) , as they rotate around the axis (x-x) , they move longitudinally upward into the holes

(2) due to the floating thrust exerted by the water (W) in the phases in which the respective blades (4) are in the water. Therefore, during the rotation of the shaft (1) around the axis (x-x), each of the rods

(3) moves cyclically along the axis of the respective hole (2). Consequently, during a full rotation around the axis (x-x) each of the surfaces (40) attached to the blades (4) moves cyclically to and from the shaft (1), that is, approaches the shaft (1) and then moves away from it. In the phases in which said surfaces (40) are more spaced from the shaft (1), it is

produced, for each rod (3) and by effect of gravity, a torque concordant with the direction (S) of rotation of the shaft (1) which then adds to the torque

determined by the rotation imparted to the same shaft (1) by the water flow (CA) acting on the blades (4) . Consequently, all other conditions being equal, the present water wheel is capable of developing a torque, and hence a power, greater than the traditional water wheels in which the distance of the blades from the shaft is constant. In fig. 6 the torque (CI) due to the action of the water on the blades (4) is

represented by double-line arrows while the torque (C2) due to gravity acting on the rods (3) is

represented by single-line arrows. The total torque on the shaft (1) is CI + C2.

The shaft (1) is mechanically connected to a generator (G) which, therefore, produces electricity during rotation of the shaft (1) .

In Fig.7, the shaft (1) is mechanically connected to a motor-generator (MG) and there is a flywheel (V) on the back of the group (MG) . In the example

schematically shown in Fig. 7 both the motor (M) and the generator (G) are connected to the power grid (E) . The energy produced by the generator (G) is fed to the power grid (E) . The motor (M) can be operated to bring, especially during the initial startup of the system, the speed of the shaft (1) to a value

compatible with the speed of the water flow (CA) . In other words, the motor (M) is actuated if the speed of the surfaces (40) in the point of contact with the water is lower than the speed of the water flow (CA) . For this purpose, it can be used an automatic control means (not visible in the drawings) that provides for the measurement of the flow speed (CA) and the angular speed of the shaft (1) . The energy consumed by the motor (M) when it is actuated is a fraction of the energy produced by the generator (G) so that the energy balance is still positive.

Furthermore, on each of the arms (3) can be applied a linear electric generator (not visible in the

drawings), that is, a generator directly driven by the longitudinal movement of the arms (3) in the holes (2) of the shaft (1) .

In practice the details of execution may vary in any equivalent way as for what concerns the shape, the size and arrangement of the individual elements described and illustrated, as well as the nature of the materials indicated, without departing from the scope of the innovative concept adopted and thereby, remaining within the limits of the protection granted by this patent.

Claims

1) Water wheel, comprising a shaft (1) carrying a plurality of blades (4) supported by corresponding rods (3) that are oriented radially with respect to the axis (x-x) of the shaft (1), characterized in that the blades (4) are provided by corresponding floating surfaces (40), and in that said rods (3) are mounted longitudinally slidable in corresponding seats (2) provided by the shaft (1) so that, during rotation of the latter about its axis (x-x), the blades (4) supported by the rods (3) can cyclically move towards and from said axis (x-x) .

2) Water wheel according to claim 1 characterized in that said seats (2) presented by the shaft (1) are through holes in which the rods (3) are positioned.

3) Water wheel according to claim 2 characterized in that the projections of the axes of two holes (2) adjacent to a plane perpendicular to the axis (x-x) of the shaft (1) are mutually orthogonal.

4) Water wheel according to claim 1 characterized in that the shaft (1) is mechanically connected to an electric generator (G) .

5) Water wheel according to claim 1 characterized in that the shaft (1) is mechanically connected to an electric motor-generator unit (MG) .

6) Water wheel according to claim 1 characterized in that said blades (4) are fixed on the outer side of a corresponding floating support surface (40) which is provided with a tubular foot (41) for its coupling on one end of a respective rod (3) .

7) Water wheel according to claim 6 characterized in that said floating surface (40) is convex , with the convexity directed outwards, that is, with the concavity facing the shaft (1).