WO2023162601A1

WO2023162601A1 - Liquid circulating power generator

Info

Publication number: WO2023162601A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/003236
Authority: WO
Inventors: 一雄長澤; 雄次福村
Original assignee: 株式会社エコン
Priority date: 2022-02-22
Filing date: 2023-02-01
Publication date: 2023-08-31
Also published as: JP2023122276A; JP7126299B1

Abstract

This liquid circulating power generator 10 has: a storage tank 12 in which a liquid 11 is stored; a liquid draining path 13 whose upstream end is connected to the lower part of the storage tank 12; a liquid draining path opening-and-closing valve 14 that is attached to the liquid draining path 13; a power generation means 15 that is disposed on the downstream-end side of the liquid draining path 13 and that generates power through the rotation of a hydraulic turbine by the liquid 11 which passes from the storage tank 12 through the liquid draining path 13 and is discharged; a recovery tank 16 that recovers the liquid 11 discharged from the storage tank 12; and a recirculation means 17 that transfers the liquid 11 in the recovery tank 16 to a liquid retaining chamber 21 and causes the liquid 11 to recirculate into the storage tank 12. When usage of the liquid circulating power generator 10 is started, the liquid 11 is stored in the storage tank 12, the recovery tank 16, and the liquid retaining chamber 21, and while the liquid 11 is discharged from the storage tank 12 and power is generated by the power generation means 15, the recirculation of the liquid 11 from the liquid retaining chamber 21 to the storage tank 12 and the transfer of the liquid 11 from the recovery tank 16 to the liquid retaining chamber 21 are alternatingly repeated.

Description

liquid circulation generator

The present invention generates power continuously (repeatedly) without the need to supply (add or replenish) a large amount of liquid from the outside by circulating the dropped liquid while generating power using the energy of the falling liquid. It relates to a liquid circulation power generator that can perform

As a conventional hydroelectric power generation system, water is taken from upstream rivers or lakes, guided to the water wheel of the power plant located downstream, the water wheel is rotated, and the generator connected to the water wheel is rotated to generate power. , dam type (reservoir type) that generates electricity using the difference in water stored in the dam (reservoir type). A pumped-storage system that generates power by returning stored water to an upper reservoir with surplus power is known.
On the other hand, for example, Patent Literature 1 proposes a liquid circulation type power generator that continuously (repeatedly) generates power by circulating a liquid used for hydroelectric power generation with an electric pump.

Japanese Patent No. 6964915

However, in Patent Document 1, an electric pump is used to generate a negative pressure in the upper storage tank, and air is transferred from the upper storage tank to the lower storage tank to pressurize the liquid in the lower storage tank. Since the liquid is pumped into the tank and all the energy required for moving (pumping) the liquid is generated by driving the electric pump, there is a problem that the power consumption of the electric pump increases.
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and is capable of efficiently circulating liquid with low power consumption, without requiring a large amount of liquid supply from the outside, and continuously and stably generating power. An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid circulation power generator capable of

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid circulating power generating apparatus that achieves the above object, and includes power generating means for generating power by converting the potential energy of a liquid into kinetic energy. A power generator,
a storage tank in which the liquid is stored, a drainage channel whose upstream end is connected to the lower part of the storage tank, a drainage channel opening/closing valve attached to the drainage channel, and a downstream end side of the drainage channel a power generating means for generating electricity by rotating a water wheel with the liquid discharged from the storage tank through the drainage channel; a recovery tank for recovering the liquid discharged from the storage tank; a reflux means for refluxing the liquid recovered in the tank to the storage tank;
The reflux means includes a liquid reservoir chamber connected to the bottom of the recovery tank, a pressure reducing valve attached to the liquid reservoir chamber, and a liquid reservoir formed at the bottom of the recovery tank to communicate the recovery tank and the liquid reservoir chamber. a check valve that is attached to the communication port and permits only the flow of liquid from the recovery tank to the liquid reservoir chamber; and a check valve that has an upper end connected to the bottom of the reservoir and a lower end to the bottom of the liquid reservoir. a communication pipe which is open on the side and communicates the storage tank and the liquid storage chamber; a communication pipe opening/closing valve attached to the communication pipe; A return pipe having an upper end opening positioned above a surface position and a lower end opening positioned at the bottom side of the liquid reservoir chamber, a return pipe opening/closing valve attached to the return pipe, and the return pipe opening/closing valve of the return pipe. An air valve mounted below and an air lift blower connected above the return pipe opening and closing valve of the return pipe,
At the start of use, the liquid is stored in the storage tank, the recovery tank, and the liquid storage chamber, and while the liquid is discharged from the storage tank and the power generation means is generating power, the liquid storage chamber Circulation of the liquid from the storage tank to the storage tank and transfer of the liquid from the recovery tank to the liquid storage chamber are alternately repeated.

In the liquid circulation power generator according to the first aspect of the invention, it is preferable to include pressurizing means for pressurizing the inside of the liquid reservoir chamber when the liquid is recirculated from the liquid reservoir chamber to the storage tank.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid circulation power generation apparatus that meets the above object, and includes power generation means for generating power by converting the potential energy of a liquid into kinetic energy. A power generator,
a storage tank in which the liquid is stored, a drainage channel whose upstream end is connected to the lower part of the storage tank, a drainage channel opening/closing valve attached to the drainage channel, and a downstream end side of the drainage channel a power generating means for generating electricity by rotating a water wheel with the liquid discharged from the storage tank through the drainage channel; a recovery tank for recovering the liquid discharged from the storage tank; a reflux means for refluxing the liquid recovered in the tank to the storage tank;
The reflux means includes a liquid reservoir chamber connected to the bottom of the recovery tank, pressurizing means for pressurizing the inside of the liquid reservoir chamber, a pressure reducing valve attached to the liquid reservoir chamber, and a pressure reducing valve attached to the liquid reservoir chamber. a communication port formed in a bottom portion for communicating the recovery tank and the liquid reservoir chamber; a check valve attached to the communication port and allowing only the flow of liquid from the recovery tank to the liquid reservoir chamber; a communication pipe connected to the bottom of the tank and having a lower end opened at the bottom of the liquid reservoir chamber to communicate between the reservoir and the liquid reservoir chamber; a communication pipe on-off valve attached to the communication pipe; a reflux pipe provided through the bottom of the storage tank and having an upper end opening positioned above the highest liquid level in the reservoir and a lower end opening positioned on the bottom side of the liquid reservoir chamber; a pipe opening/closing valve, an air valve attached below the return pipe opening/closing valve of the return pipe, and an air lift blower connected above the return pipe opening/closing valve of the return pipe,
At the start of use, the liquid is stored in the storage tank, the recovery tank, and the liquid storage chamber, the communication pipe opening/closing valve is opened, the communication pipe is filled with the liquid, and the liquid level in the return pipe is In the state where the return pipe opening/closing valve is closed, the inside of the liquid reservoir chamber is pressurized by the pressurizing means, the return pipe opening/closing valve is opened, and the liquid stored in the reservoir is and the pressure rise in the liquid reservoir chamber, the liquid level in the return pipe rises to the same position as the liquid level in the storage tank, and the air lift blower is driven to generate an upward water flow in the return pipe. , the liquid is ejected from the upper end opening, the liquid starts to recirculate from the liquid reservoir chamber to the storage tank, the drain passage opening/closing valve is opened, the liquid is discharged from the storage tank, and the power generation is performed. While the liquid discharged from the storage tank is recovered in the recovery tank, the liquid is returned from the liquid reservoir chamber to the storage tank, and the liquid is returned from the recovery tank to the liquid reservoir chamber. The transfer of the liquid to the is repeated alternately.

In the liquid circulation power generator according to the first and second inventions, it is preferable that the pressurizing means has a spray nozzle for spraying a gas-liquid mixed fluid into the inside of the liquid reservoir chamber.

Here, the liquid stored in the recovery tank may be used as the gas-liquid mixed fluid.

In the liquid circulation power generator according to the first and second inventions, the check valve comprises a tubular body attached to the communication port, and a tubular body held slidably along the height direction of the tubular body. a valve body capable of closing the opening on the lower end side of the tubular body, the tubular body having a plurality of cylindrical guide portions arranged along the height direction on the inner peripheral side of the tubular body, The valve body includes a plate-like closing portion that closes the opening when ascending, a plurality of slide shafts erected on the outer peripheral side of the upper surface of the closing portion and inserted through the respective guide portions, and a lower surface of the closing portion. and a float attached to the side.

In the liquid circulation power generator according to the first and second aspects of the invention, a plurality of the reflux means are provided, and the liquid is filled in the storage tank, the recovery tank, and the liquid reservoir chambers of the plurality of the reflux means at the start of use. While the liquid is stored and discharged from the storage tank to generate power in the power generation means, the liquid is sequentially returned from the selected liquid storage chamber to the storage tank, and the return is completed. It is preferable that the liquid is sequentially transferred from the recovery tank to the liquid reservoir chamber.

In the liquid circulation power generator according to the first and second inventions, the return pipe connects a plurality of branch pipe portions each having the lower end opening and upper end sides of the plurality of branch pipe portions to connect the upper end openings. The return pipe on-off valve and the air valve may be attached to the upper end side of each of the branch pipes, and the air lift blower may be attached to the manifold pipe.

The liquid circulation power generators according to the first and second inventions can efficiently circulate the liquid with low power consumption and continuously and stably generate power without requiring a large amount of liquid supply from the outside. It is excellent in energy saving and power generation stability.

In the liquid circulation power generator according to the first and second inventions, when the pressurizing means has a spray nozzle for spraying the gas-liquid mixed fluid into the inside of the liquid reservoir chamber, the inside of the liquid reservoir chamber can be effectively evacuated with a small amount of energy. , the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber can be sent to the reflux pipe.

In the liquid circulation power generator according to the first and second inventions, when the liquid stored in the recovery tank is used as the gas-liquid mixed fluid, there is no need to separately prepare the liquid to be supplied to the spray nozzle.

In the liquid circulation power generator according to the first and second inventions, the check valve is provided at the lower end side of the tubular body attached to the communication port and the tubular body held slidably along the height direction of the tubular body. a valve body capable of closing the opening, the tubular body having a plurality of cylindrical guide portions arranged along the inner peripheral side of the tubular body along the height direction, and the valve body opening when ascending a plate-like closing portion that closes the portion, a plurality of slide shafts erected on the outer peripheral side of the upper surface of the closing portion and respectively inserted through the respective guide portions, and a float portion attached to the lower surface side of the closing portion. When the inside of the liquid reservoir chamber is empty and communicated with the atmosphere, the valve body is slid downward by its own weight to transfer the liquid from the recovery tank to the liquid reservoir chamber, thereby raising the liquid level in the liquid reservoir chamber. The buoyant force acting on the float portion along with the buoyancy force causes the valve body to slide upward to close the opening. is closed, the liquid in the liquid reservoir chamber can be continuously sent to the reflux pipe to continue the reflux.

In the liquid circulation power generator according to the first and second aspects of the present invention, a plurality of reflux means are provided, and at the start of use, the liquid is stored in the storage tank, the recovery tank, and each of the liquid storage chambers of the plurality of reflux means, and is discharged from the storage tank. While the liquid is being discharged and the power generation means is generating power, the liquid is sequentially recirculated from the selected liquid reservoir chamber to the reservoir, and the liquid is sequentially recirculated from the recovery tank to the liquid reservoir chamber where the recirculation is completed. When the liquid is transferred, the reflux of the liquid from the liquid reservoir chamber selected later to the storage tank and the transfer of the liquid from the recovery tank to the other liquid reservoir chamber in which the reflux is completed are performed in parallel, By continuously circulating the liquid, it is possible to stably generate electricity.

In the liquid circulation power generator according to the first and second inventions, the return pipe includes a plurality of branch pipe sections each having a lower end opening, and a single assembly having an upper end opening connecting the upper end sides of the plurality of branch pipe sections. A return pipe on-off valve and an air valve are attached to the upper end of each branch pipe, and an air lift blower is attached to the collective pipe. A blower can be shared, and one liquid reservoir chamber can be sequentially selected by switching a return pipe opening/closing valve attached to each branch pipe to circulate the liquid, thereby reducing the number of parts. can be done.

1 is a front cross-sectional view showing a state at the start of use of a liquid circulation power generator according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. (A) is a plan view of a check valve in the recirculation means of the liquid circulation power generator, (B) is a front cross-sectional view showing the state in which the check valve is open, and (C) is the check valve. is a front cross-sectional view showing a closed state. It is a front cross-sectional view showing the preparatory operation of the reflux means of the same liquid circulation power generator. Fig. 3 is a front cross-sectional view showing a state before the start of operation of the recirculation means of the same liquid circulation power generator; FIG. 4 is a front cross-sectional view showing a state at the start of operation of the recirculation means of the same liquid circulation power generator. FIG. 4 is a front cross-sectional view showing a recirculation operation by a recirculation means of the same liquid circulation power generation device; FIG. 4 is a front cross-sectional view showing a state after operation of the recirculation means of the same liquid circulation power generator is completed; FIG. 5 is a front cross-sectional view showing the operation of the liquid circulation power generator according to the second embodiment of the present invention; (A) is a plan view of the liquid circulation power generator, and (B) is a cross-sectional plan view of a main part showing a recovery tank of the liquid circulation power generator.

Next, an embodiment embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings for better understanding of the present invention.
The liquid circulation power generator 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. It is possible to continuously (repeatedly) generate power by circulating the liquid 11, and it is not necessary to supply (add or replenish) a large amount of liquid from the outside.
The liquid circulation power generator 10 includes a storage tank 12 in which a liquid 11 is stored, a drainage channel 13 whose upstream end is connected to the lower part of the storage tank 12, and a drainage channel attached downstream of the drainage channel 13. A hydraulic turbine (not shown) is operated by the on-off valve 14 and the liquid 11 that is disposed on the downstream end side of the drainage path 13 (downstream of the drainage path on-off valve 14) and is discharged from the storage tank 12 through the drainage path 13. It has a power generation means 15 for rotating and generating power, a recovery tank 16 for recovering the liquid 11 discharged from the storage tank 12, and a reflux means 17 for returning the liquid 11 recovered in the recovery tank 16 to the storage tank 12. ing. Here, an overflow pipe 19 is attached to the upper end of the storage tank 12 in order to keep the liquid level in the storage tank 12 below a certain level (suppress fluctuations in the liquid level). A flow control valve 20 is attached upstream of 14 .

The reflux means 17 includes a liquid reservoir chamber 21 connected to the bottom of the recovery tank 16 and a pressurizer that pressurizes the inside of the liquid reservoir chamber 21 when the liquid 11 is refluxed from the liquid reservoir chamber 21 to the reservoir tank 12 . Means 22 and a pressure reducing valve 23 attached to the liquid reservoir chamber 21 are provided. Further, the reflux means 17 includes a communication port 25 formed at the bottom of the recovery tank 16 for communicating the recovery tank 16 and the liquid reservoir chamber 21, and a communication port 25 attached to the communication port 25 that only allows the liquid to flow from the recovery tank 16 to the liquid reservoir chamber 21. A check valve 26 is provided to allow
Next, the reflux means 17 includes a communication pipe 27 whose upper end side is connected to the bottom of the storage tank 12 and whose lower end side is open at the bottom side of the liquid reservoir chamber 21 to communicate the storage tank 12 and the liquid reservoir chamber 21, and a communication pipe. 27 is equipped with a communication pipe opening/closing valve 28 . The reflux means 17 has an upper end opening 30 located above the highest liquid level in the storage tank 12 and a lower end opening 31 located at the bottom side of the liquid storage chamber 21 . a return pipe 32, a return pipe opening/closing valve 33 attached to the return pipe 32, an air valve 34 attached below the return pipe opening/closing valve 33 of the return pipe 32, and a return pipe opening/closing valve 33 of the return pipe 32. It has an air lift blower 35 connected above.
In the liquid circulation power generator 10, at the start of use, the liquid 11 is stored in the storage tank 12, the recovery tank 16, and the liquid storage chamber 21, the liquid 11 is discharged from the storage tank 12, and the power generation means 15 generates power. During this period, the reflux of the liquid 11 from the liquid reservoir 21 to the reservoir 12 and the transfer of the liquid 11 from the recovery tank 16 to the liquid reservoir 21 are alternately repeated.

The usage (operation) of the liquid circulation power generator 10 will be described in detail below.
In order to use the liquid circulation power generator 10, first, as shown in FIG. The liquid 11 can be directly supplied to the storage tank 12 and the recovery tank 16 . At this time, the drainage channel opening/closing valve 14, the pressure reducing valve 23, the communication pipe opening/closing valve 28, and the return pipe opening/closing valve 33 are closed. The liquid 11 supplied to the recovery tank 16 is supplied to the liquid reservoir chamber 21 through the communication port 25 .
Here, the check valve 26 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C, the check valve 26 includes a tubular body 37 attached to the communication port 25 and a tubular body 37 held slidably along the height direction of the tubular body 37. and a valve body 39 capable of closing an opening 38 on the lower end side of the . In addition, the tubular body 37 has a plurality (here, four) of tubular guide portions 40 arranged along the height direction on the inner peripheral side of the tubular body 37, and the valve body 39 is opened when ascending. A plate-like closing portion 42 for closing the portion 38, a plurality of slide shafts 43 erected on the outer peripheral side of the upper surface of the closing portion 42 and inserted through the respective guide portions 40, and a slide shaft 43 attached to the lower surface side of the closing portion 42. and a float portion 44 .

When the collection tank 16 and the liquid reservoir chamber 21 are empty before the liquid circulation power generator 10 is started to be used, the valve element 39 of the check valve 26 slides downward due to its own weight, as shown in FIG. 2(B). At this time, the check valve 26 is open, and the collection tank 16 and the liquid reservoir chamber 21 are communicated with each other and opened to the atmosphere. Accordingly, the liquid 11 supplied to the recovery tank 16 is supplied to the liquid reservoir chamber 21 through the communication port 25 as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2(B). While the liquid 11 is being supplied from the communication port 25 to the liquid reservoir chamber 21, the air in the liquid reservoir chamber 21 passes through the return pipe 32 and escapes to the atmosphere from the air valve 34, so the liquid level in the return pipe 32 is It becomes equal to the liquid level in the liquid reservoir chamber 21 . As the liquid level in the liquid reservoir chamber 21 rises, the buoyancy acting on the float portion 44 causes the valve body 39 to slide upward, closing the opening 38 as shown in FIG. 2(C). After that, if the supply of the liquid 11 is continued, the liquid 11 is stored in the recovery tank 16 while the communication port 25 remains closed, resulting in the state shown in FIG.
After that, when the communicating pipe opening/closing valve 28 is opened, the liquid 11 in the storage tank 12 is supplied to the liquid reservoir chamber 21 through the communicating pipe 27 as shown in FIG. 4, the liquid level in the return pipe 32 rises to the position of the return pipe opening/closing valve 33, and the state shown in FIG. At this time, the air valve 34 is closed due to the rise in the liquid level, and the inside of the storage tank 12 is sealed.
Here, the inside of the liquid reservoir chamber 21 is pressurized by the pressurizing means 22 . As the pressurizing means 22, one having a spray nozzle 22a for spraying the gas-liquid mixed fluid inside the liquid reservoir chamber 21 is preferably used. By using the liquid 11 stored in the recovery tank 16 as the gas-liquid mixed fluid, there is no need to separately prepare a liquid to be supplied to the pressurizing means 22 (spray nozzle 22a).

The spray nozzle 22a is a so-called two-fluid nozzle that mixes and sprays a liquid and a gas, and there are two types of mixing methods: internal mixing and external mixing. Internal mixing is a method of mixing liquid and gas (compressed air) inside the nozzle, and external mixing is a method of mixing liquid and gas (compressed air) outside the nozzle. In either case, the liquid can be atomized and sprayed by supplying gas (compressed air) to the nozzle. An air compressor (not shown) is used to supply this gas (compressed air).
In this embodiment, the pressurizing means for pressurizing the liquid reservoir chamber by spraying the gas-liquid mixed fluid from the spray nozzle into the liquid reservoir chamber has been described, but the pressurizing means is not limited to this. Any device may be used as long as it can pressurize the liquid reservoir chamber. For example, pressurizing means that pressurizes the liquid reservoir chamber using a piston cylinder may be used.

Next, when the return pipe opening/closing valve 33 is opened, as shown in FIG. rises to the same position as the liquid level in the storage tank 12 . At this time, even if the liquid level in the liquid reservoir chamber 21 decreases, the check valve 26 does not open because the inside of the liquid reservoir chamber 21 is pressurized.
When the air lift blower 35 is driven from this state, as shown in FIG. Reflux of the liquid 11 from the storage chamber 21 to the storage tank 12 is started. Here, by opening the drainage passage opening/closing valve 14 and starting the operation of the power generating means 15, the liquid 11 discharged from the storage tank 12 during power generation is recovered in the recovery tank 16, while the liquid storage chamber 21 is Circulation of the liquid 11 from to the reservoir 12 takes place.
The distance from the liquid surface position in the return pipe 32 (=the liquid surface in the storage tank 12) before the air lift blower 35 is driven to the upper end opening 30 of the return pipe 32 is short (for example, about 1 to 2 m). Therefore, the power required to drive the air lift blower 35 can be kept extremely small.
After that, as shown in FIG. 7, when the liquid level in the liquid reservoir chamber 21 is lowered and the reflux is completed, the communication pipe opening/closing valve 28 and the reflux pipe opening/closing valve 33 are closed, and the pressurizing means 22 and the air lift blower are closed. 35 is stopped and the pressure reducing valve 23 is opened. As a result, the pressure in the liquid reservoir chamber 21 decreases (becomes equal to the atmospheric pressure), and the liquid circulation power generation device 10 enters the state before the start of use, and the check valve 26 opens, and the recovery tank 16 Since the liquid 11 is transferred to the liquid reservoir chamber 21, the pressure reducing valve 23 is closed. When the liquid level in the liquid reservoir chamber 21 rises and the check valve 26 is closed, the system returns to the state shown in FIG. .

As described above, while the liquid 11 is discharged from the storage tank 12 and the power generation means 15 is generating power, the liquid 11 is returned from the liquid storage chamber 21 to the storage tank 12 and the liquid is discharged from the recovery tank 16 . The transfer of the liquid 11 to the reservoir chamber 21 can be alternately repeated, and the liquid 11 can be circulated to continuously generate power.
Here, a liquid level gauge (water level sensor) 45 is attached to each of the storage tank 12, the recovery tank 16 and the liquid reservoir chamber 21. Each pressure gauge 46 is attached, and by confirming the liquid surface position and pressure of each, the opening and closing timings of the drainage passage opening/closing valve 14, the pressure reducing valve 23, the communication pipe opening/closing valve 28, and the return pipe opening/closing valve 33 can be determined. It is possible to adjust the amount of discharged liquid (=power generation amount) by the flow rate control valve 20 and the amount of recirculation of the liquid 11 by the pressurizing means 22 and the air lift blower 35 .
The number and arrangement of communication ports (check valves) and return pipes are determined by the capacity of the storage tank, recovery tank, and liquid reservoir chamber, the head of the liquid circulation generator (drop of the drainage channel), and the power generation amount of the power generation means. etc., it is selected as appropriate. In addition, the number of communication ports, communication pipes, and return pipes is appropriately selected depending on the diameter of each opening. Furthermore, the number and arrangement of the pressure reducing valves provided in the liquid reservoir chamber are appropriately selected according to the volume and shape of the liquid reservoir chamber.

In the above operation, once the communication pipe 27 and the return pipe 32 connecting the storage tank 12 and the liquid storage chamber 21 are filled with the liquid 11 and the liquid 11 starts to flow back, the liquid 11 stored in the storage tank 12 is released. The pressure (head pressure) can keep the liquid level in the return pipe 32 at the same level as the liquid level in the storage tank 12 (principle of reverse siphon). Therefore, when the inside of the liquid reservoir chamber 21 is pressurized by the pressurizing means 22 in this state, the rise of the liquid level in the return pipe 32 (supply of the liquid 11 from the liquid reservoir chamber 21 to the return pipe 32) is accelerated. Thus, the air lift blower 35 can efficiently blow out the liquid 11 . Note that the pressurization by the pressurizing means is not essential, and the pressurizing means may be omitted.

Next, a liquid circulation power generator 10A according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9A and 9B. It should be noted that the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components as in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.
The liquid circulation power generator 10A differs from the liquid circulation power generator 10 in that it has two reflux means 17A and 17B.
The reflux means 17A and 17B differ from the reflux means 17 in that one liquid reservoir chamber 21 has three pressure reducing valves 23, two communication ports 25, a check valve 26, and four reflux pipes 32a. It is the point where it is installed.
Here, each return pipe 32a has two branch pipe portions 47 each having a lower end opening 31, and one collecting pipe portion 48 connecting the upper end sides of the two branch pipe portions 47 and having an upper end opening 30. A return pipe opening/closing valve 33 and an air valve 34 are attached to the upper end side of each branch pipe portion 47 , and an air lift blower 35 is attached to a collective pipe portion 48 . As a result, the two liquid reservoir chambers 21 can share the air lift blower 35, and one liquid reservoir chamber 21 is sequentially selected by switching the return pipe opening/closing valve 33 attached to each branch pipe portion 47. , the liquid 11 can be circulated. At this time, the air lift blower 35 may remain driven.

In the liquid circulation power generator 10A configured as described above, at the start of use, the liquid 11 is stored in the storage tank 12, the recovery tank 16, and the liquid storage chambers 21 of the two reflux means 17A and 17B. While the liquid 11 is discharged and the power generation means 15 is generating power, the liquid 11 is returned to the storage tank 12 from the selected liquid reservoir chambers 21 (here, one of the liquid reservoir chambers 21). The liquid 11 is sequentially transferred from the recovery tank 16 to the liquid storage chamber 21 in which the reflux is completed.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the liquid 11 is recirculated from the later selected liquid reservoir 21 (here, left side) to the reservoir 12 (reflux operation), and the other liquid reservoir chambers in which the recirculation is completed first. 21 (here, the right side) of the liquid 11 is transferred (transfer operation) from the recovery tank 16 in parallel, and this is sequentially repeated in the selected liquid reservoir chamber 21, thereby continuously circulating the liquid. power generation in a stable manner.
Here, the operation of each of the circulation means 17A and 17B is the same as the operation of the circulation means 17 described above, and the operation of the circulation means 17A and the operation of the circulation means 17B are repeated with a time lag (the circulation means 17A The transfer operation is performed by the reflux means 17B while the reflux operation is performed in , and the reflux operation is performed by the reflux means 17B while the transfer operation is performed by the reflux means 17A).
The configuration, number, arrangement, etc. of the return pipes can be selected as appropriate, and the same return pipes as in the first embodiment may be installed independently in each liquid reservoir chamber.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above-described embodiments, and other implementations conceivable within the scope of the matters described in the claims. Examples and modifications are also included.
In the above embodiment, the case where the number of reflux means is one or two is explained, but the number of reflux means may be three or more. By performing the transfer operation, it is possible to prepare for the subsequent reflux operation, and continuously circulate the liquid to continuously generate power over a long period of time.
Further, the operation procedure of the liquid circulation power generation device is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the order of operation of each part may be changed as appropriate. For example, the timing of starting the operation of the power generation means (the timing of opening the drainage passage opening/closing valve) may be before driving the air lift blower, or the timing of closing the communication pipe opening/closing valve and the return pipe opening/closing valve may be at the same time. Either one may come first.
In addition, the liquid may be any liquid that can generate electricity by the falling energy while continuously circulating, and is a Newtonian fluid such as oil other than water (tap water, rain water, river, lake or sea water). Alternatively, it may be a non-Newtonian fluid in which a predetermined solid is mixed with a liquid. In addition, if necessary, an agent (water conditioning agent) for preventing the growth of moss, algae, or the like may be mixed. Furthermore, a filtration device may be attached to the storage tank, or a filtration filter may be attached to the drainage channel.
Solenoid valves are preferably used as the drain opening/closing valve, the flow control valve, and the communication pipe opening/closing valve. Electric power for driving these valves, pressurizing means, and air lift blowers can be covered by late-night electric power or electric power generated by photovoltaic power generation. By using it, it is possible to stably supply without being influenced by the time of day and the weather.

It is possible to provide a liquid circulation power generator capable of efficiently circulating a liquid with low power consumption and continuously and stably generating power at a low cost, thereby realizing a stable supply of power.

10, 10A: liquid circulation power generator, 11: liquid, 12: storage tank, 13: drainage path, 14: drainage path opening/closing valve, 15: power generation means, 16: recovery tank, 17, 17A, 17B: reflux means , 19: overflow pipe, 20: flow control valve, 21: liquid reservoir chamber, 22: pressurizing means, 22a: spray nozzle, 23: pressure reducing valve, 25: communication port, 26: check valve, 27: communication pipe, 28: Communication pipe opening/closing valve, 30: Upper end opening, 31: Lower end opening, 32, 32a: Circulation pipe, 33: Circulation pipe opening/closing valve, 34: Air valve, 35: Blower for air lift, 37: Pipe body, 38: Opening 39: Valve body 40: Guide part 42: Blocking part 43: Slide shaft 44: Float part 45: Liquid level gauge (water level sensor) 46: Pressure gauge 47: Branch piping part 48 ：Collective pipe part

Claims

A liquid circulation power generation device having power generation means for converting the potential energy of a liquid into kinetic energy to generate power, and continuously generating power by circulating the liquid,
a storage tank in which the liquid is stored, a drainage channel whose upstream end is connected to the lower part of the storage tank, a drainage channel opening/closing valve attached to the drainage channel, and a downstream end side of the drainage channel a power generating means for generating electricity by rotating a water wheel with the liquid discharged from the storage tank through the drainage channel; a recovery tank for recovering the liquid discharged from the storage tank; a reflux means for refluxing the liquid recovered in the tank to the storage tank;
The reflux means includes a liquid reservoir chamber connected to the bottom of the recovery tank, a pressure reducing valve attached to the liquid reservoir chamber, and a liquid reservoir formed at the bottom of the recovery tank to communicate the recovery tank and the liquid reservoir chamber. a check valve that is attached to the communication port and permits only the flow of liquid from the recovery tank to the liquid reservoir chamber; and a check valve that has an upper end connected to the bottom of the reservoir and a lower end to the bottom of the liquid reservoir. a communication pipe which is open on the side and communicates the storage tank and the liquid storage chamber; a communication pipe opening/closing valve attached to the communication pipe; A return pipe having an upper end opening positioned above a surface position and a lower end opening positioned at the bottom side of the liquid reservoir chamber, a return pipe opening/closing valve attached to the return pipe, and the return pipe opening/closing valve of the return pipe. An air valve mounted below and an air lift blower connected above the return pipe opening and closing valve of the return pipe,
At the start of use, the liquid is stored in the storage tank, the recovery tank, and the liquid storage chamber, and while the liquid is discharged from the storage tank and the power generation means is generating power, the liquid storage chamber A liquid circulation power generation device characterized in that the return of the liquid from the recovery tank to the storage tank and the transfer of the liquid from the recovery tank to the liquid storage chamber are alternately repeated.
2. The liquid circulation power generator according to claim 1, further comprising pressurizing means for pressurizing the inside of said liquid reservoir chamber when said liquid is circulated from said liquid reservoir chamber to said reservoir tank. Liquid circulation generator.
A liquid circulation power generation device having power generation means for converting the potential energy of a liquid into kinetic energy to generate power, and continuously generating power by circulating the liquid,
a storage tank in which the liquid is stored, a drainage channel whose upstream end is connected to the lower part of the storage tank, a drainage channel opening/closing valve attached to the drainage channel, and a downstream end side of the drainage channel a power generating means for generating electricity by rotating a water wheel with the liquid discharged from the storage tank through the drainage channel; a recovery tank for recovering the liquid discharged from the storage tank; a reflux means for refluxing the liquid recovered in the tank to the storage tank;
The reflux means includes a liquid reservoir chamber connected to the bottom of the recovery tank, pressurizing means for pressurizing the inside of the liquid reservoir chamber, a pressure reducing valve attached to the liquid reservoir chamber, and a pressure reducing valve attached to the liquid reservoir chamber. a communication port formed in a bottom portion for communicating the recovery tank and the liquid reservoir chamber; a check valve attached to the communication port and allowing only the flow of liquid from the recovery tank to the liquid reservoir chamber; a communication pipe connected to the bottom of the tank and having a lower end opened at the bottom of the liquid reservoir chamber to communicate between the reservoir and the liquid reservoir chamber; a communication pipe on-off valve attached to the communication pipe; a reflux pipe provided through the bottom of the storage tank and having an upper end opening positioned above the highest liquid level in the reservoir and a lower end opening positioned on the bottom side of the liquid reservoir chamber; a pipe opening/closing valve, an air valve attached below the return pipe opening/closing valve of the return pipe, and an air lift blower connected above the return pipe opening/closing valve of the return pipe,
At the start of use, the liquid is stored in the storage tank, the recovery tank, and the liquid storage chamber, the communication pipe opening/closing valve is opened, the communication pipe is filled with the liquid, and the liquid level in the return pipe is In the state where the return pipe opening/closing valve is closed, the inside of the liquid reservoir chamber is pressurized by the pressurizing means, the return pipe opening/closing valve is opened, and the liquid stored in the reservoir is and the pressure rise in the liquid reservoir chamber, the liquid level in the return pipe rises to the same position as the liquid level in the storage tank, and the air lift blower is driven to generate an upward water flow in the return pipe. , the liquid is ejected from the upper end opening, the liquid starts to recirculate from the liquid reservoir chamber to the storage tank, the drain passage opening/closing valve is opened, the liquid is discharged from the storage tank, and the power generation is performed. While the liquid discharged from the storage tank is recovered in the recovery tank, the liquid is returned from the liquid reservoir chamber to the storage tank, and the liquid is returned from the recovery tank to the liquid reservoir chamber. A liquid circulation power generator characterized in that the transfer of the liquid to the liquid is alternately repeated.
4. A liquid circulation power generator according to claim 2, wherein said pressurizing means has a spray nozzle for spraying a gas-liquid mixed fluid into said liquid reservoir chamber.
5. A liquid circulation power generator according to claim 4, wherein said liquid stored in said recovery tank is used as said gas-liquid mixed fluid.
4. The liquid circulation power generator according to claim 1, wherein the check valve comprises a tubular body attached to the communication port and a lower end of the tubular body held slidably along the height direction of the tubular body. a valve body capable of closing an opening on the side thereof, the tubular body having a plurality of cylindrical guide portions arranged along the height direction on the inner peripheral side of the tubular body, and the valve body includes a plate-like closing portion that closes the opening when ascending, a plurality of slide shafts erected on the outer peripheral side of the upper surface of the closing portion and respectively inserted through the guide portions, and a lower surface side of the closing portion. and a float portion attached thereto.
4. The liquid circulation power generator according to claim 1 or 3, wherein a plurality of said reflux means are provided, and said liquid is stored in said storage tank, said recovery tank, and said liquid storage chambers of said plurality of said reflux means at the start of use. , while the liquid is discharged from the storage tank and the power generating means is generating power, the liquid is recirculated from the selected liquid storage chamber to the storage tank in order, and the liquid whose recirculation is completed A liquid circulation power generator, wherein the liquid is sequentially transferred from the recovery tank to the reservoir chamber.
8. The liquid circulation power generator according to claim 7, wherein the return pipe includes a plurality of branch pipe portions each having the lower end opening, and a set of branch pipe portions connecting upper end sides of the plurality of branch pipe portions and having the upper end opening. and a piping portion, wherein the return pipe on-off valve and the air valve are attached to the upper end side of each of the branch pipe portions, and the air lift blower is attached to the collecting pipe portion. Circulating generator.