14333results about "Hydro energy generation" patented technology

Embodiments include apparatus and methods of fluid energy conversion. One embodiment relates to a tube for a fluid energy converter. The tube may include a generally cylindrical and hollow body having an interior surface, an exterior surface, and a longitudinal axis. Another embodiment includes a fluid energy converter having a longitudinal axis and a rotatable tube coaxial about the longitudinal axis. In some embodiments, the rotatable tube converts kinetic energy in a fluid into rotating mechanical energy, or converts rotating mechanical energy into kinetic energy in a fluid.

A floating wind turbine platform includes a floatation frame (105) that includes three columns (102, 103) that are coupled to each other with horizontal main beams (115). A wind turbine tower (111) is mounted above a tower support column (102) to simplify the system construction and improve the structural strength. The turbine blades (101) are coupled to a nacelle (125) that rotates on top of the tower (111). The turbine's gearbox generator and other electrical gear can be mounted either traditionally in the nacelle, or lower in the tower (111) or in the top of the tower-supporting column (102). The floatation frame (105) includes a water ballasting system that pumps water between the columns (102, 103) to keep the tower (111) in a 10 vertical alignment regardless of the wind speed. Water-entrapment plates (107) are mounted to the bottoms of the columns (102, 103) to minimize the rotational movement of the floatation frame (105) due to waves.

A microfluidic analytical system for monitoring an analyte (for example, glucose) in a liquid sample (e.g., ISF) includes an analysis module with at least one micro-channel for receiving and transporting a liquid sample, at least one analyte sensor for measuring an analyte in the liquid sample and at least one position electrode. The analyte sensor(s) and position electrode(s) are in operative communication with the micro-channel. The microfluidic system also includes a meter configured for measuring an electrical characteristic (such as impedance or resistance) of the position electrode(s). Moreover, the measured electrical characteristic is dependent on the position of the liquid sample in the micro-channel that is in operative communication with the position electrode for which an electrical characteristic is measured.

A compressed air pumped hydro energy storage and distribution system includes a first reservoir of water and a second reservoir of air and water. An air pressure source, connected to the second reservoir, develops a pressure head in the second reservoir. A pump / turbine-motor / generator, received by the first reservoir, is connected to a regional energy grid. During peak demand periods, the pressure head forces water through the pump / turbine-motor / generator to generate power, delivered to the grid. During low demand periods, the pump / turbine-motor / generator pumps water back to the second reservoir, regenerating the pressure head. A third air reservoir interconnected with the second reservoir and a gas turbine generator can be used to generate power during peak demand periods. The reservoirs can be tunnels or abandoned mines, reinforced and sealed by pressure grouting and / or an internal liner, maintained well beneath the earth's surface and intersecting the path of the grid.

The invention relates to the technical field of oil-gas field construction operation equipment, in particular to an anti-sand-accumulation plug valve which comprises a valve body, a valve cover and aplug rod arranged in the valve body. The valve body is connected with the valve cover; the lower end part of the plug rod is connected with a plug; a driver is arranged on the upper end part of the valve body and is connected with the valve body; the driver transmits a torque to the plug rod through a flat key; a sealing rubber core is arranged on the outer part of the plug; a piston is arranged on the upper part of the sealing rubber core; an annular seal cavity is formed among the plug, the plug rod and the piston; a spring is arranged in the seal cavity; the piston, the plug rod, the sealing rubber core and the plug are located in an inner core of the valve body; the inner core of the valve body communicates with an oil passage; and the oil passage is filled with hydraulic oil for driving the piston to move up and down. According to the anti-sand-accumulation plug valve provided by the invention, a gap between the sealing rubber core and the plug can be adjusted, and no gap exists among the plug, the sealing rubber core and the valve body during a pressure-bearing and fluid conveying process, so that sand is prevented from being accumulated.

A hydroelectric power plant uses a plurality of windmills connected to compressed air generators to produce pressurized air. Pressurized air is used to drive water through a turbine to produce electrical power. The water is recycled and the power plant includes reserve pressurized air tanks to allow the plant to continue to operate when the wind levels are not sufficient to produce high pressure air. The power plant is designed to be operated on a continuous basis based on wind power. When the wind subsides and the reserve capacity has been exhausted, electricity can be drawn from the local utility supplier. When excess power is generated by the power plant, electricity from the power plant can be added to the grid of the local electricity supplier.

A tubular housing includes at least one fixed helical vane formed onto the inner surfaces of the tubular housing in a spiral and adapted to direct fluid into a spiraled flow and focus fluid onto a fan blade assembly associated with an alternator system and located within the tubular housing before a system exhaust. A generator cone can be mounted near the center and front of the fan blade assembly facing fluid passing through the tubular housing. As fluid passes over the generator cone it experiences compression between the generator cone and housing resulting in increased pressure and velocity of the fluid, thereby increasing rotational speed of the generator blades and generator as the compressed, spiraled fluid passes through the blades and exits the tubular housing. The system can be used for fixed or mobile applications in water, wind and manually induced air flow.

A memory controller is provided which is connected to a nonvolatile memory (e.g., a NAND flash memory) and a volatile memory (e.g., a DRAM or SDRAM), where the memory controller controls an access to the nonvolatile memory and the volatile memory in response to a memory request, and includes a memory for storing address information of data stored in the volatile memory, and where the memory controller determines whether address information inputted at the memory request is identical to address information of the memory, and selectively accesses the nonvolatile memory according to the determined result.

A miniature hydro-power generation system may produce electric power from a flow of liquid. The miniature hydro-power generation system may include a housing that includes a plurality of paddles positioned to extend outwardly from an outer surface of the housing. The system may also include a nozzle and a centering rod extending through the housing. The housing may rotate around the centering rod when a stream of liquid from the nozzle is directed at the paddles. A generator that includes a rotor and a stator may be positioned within a cavity of the housing. The rotor may be coupled with the housing and the stator may be coupled with the centering rod. The rotor may rotate around the stator at high RPM to generate electric power when the housing rotates. The electric power may supply a load and / or may be stored in an energy storage device.

A versatile turbine suitable for both hydraulic and pneumatic applications. The turbine's blades are affixed to the inner surface of a cylindrical shell which is free to rotate about an outside supporting structure. Rotational energy is transferred from the outer surface of the rotating cylindrical shell, usually by means of a gear; however, there may be applications better suited for a pulley means of transfer. The vacant central axis of rotation can be closed, by incorporating taller blades to achieve a larger surface area, resulting in greater efficiency, or open, by means of shorter blades forming a hole with the distal edges of the blades, to allow for passing fish and or debris to safely exit. The preferred embodiment further includes a means for electricity generation, water purification, and hydrogen production.

The present invention seeks to improve upon existing energy-generation technologies by providing methods, systems, and devices for converting mechanical power into electrical power. More specifically, the present invention relates to fluid-powered generators and methods, systems, and devices for generating power by way of such fluid-powered generators. The present invention includes devices for generating energy comprising fluid turbine generators having variable inlet(s), wherein the fluid velocity, volume, and / or mass of fluid collected by the inlet can be varied to control turbine speed to provide a reasonably steady, continuous, and / or sufficient source of energy over a wide range of conditions presented by natural fluid resources.

A generator for converting mechanical energy or hydropower or wind energy into electrical energy is disclosed. The generator includes a first member and a second member in contact with the first member to generate triboelectric charges. The second member rolls against the first member to generate a flow of electrons between two electrodes. Another embodiment of the generator includes two electrodes, and a member in contact with the two electrodes to generate triboelectric charges. The member rolls against the electrodes to generate a flow of electrons between the two electrodes.

In order to obtain an electric power generator equipment capable of efficiently generating electric power and capable of reducing cost, without a water bath and constructive maximum height, the electric power generator equipment comprises a floating member for floating on a water surface, a power generator installed on an upper surface of the floating member, a cage suspended from a lower end of the floating member and held to a water bottom, a pair of floating bodies positioned in the cage which is separated, a wire rope whose both ends are fixed to the cage, and an air filling-up apparatus for filling up air to each of the floating bodies. The wire rope is winded to a pulley installed an end portion of each floating body and is winded to a pulley installed on the power generator.

A method is provided for operating a hydroelectric power generating facility configured for operating in first and second operating modes. The facility includes a turbine driven power generating unit receiving a flow of water through an upstream conduit to generate electrical power. The method comprises computing a first economic value for the generated electrical power when operating in the first operating mode, and computing a second economic value for the generated electrical power when operating in the second operating mode. The method further comprises comparing the first economic value with the second economic value to identify the operating mode that provides the higher economic value, and operating the turbine facility in the identified operating mode.

A method and apparatus for harnessing power associated with ocean waves and converting that power into electricity. The apparatus is a buoy that houses a vertically oriented central shaft, a pendulum, and a generator. As the buoy tilts from the vertical under the influence of wave motion, the pendulum is accelerated and rotates about the central shaft. A centrally-placed generator is mechanically coupled to, and driven by, the rotating pendulum so that the pendulum's kinetic energy is converted into electricity. The electricity may be stored at or near the buoy or transferred to a remote facility. Moreover, a fin array located along the bottom of the buoy serves as an anti-torque mechanism and improves the operational efficiency of the electricity production. The method involves employing use of the centrally located generator and the fin array to efficiently harness wave power.

A Straight blade type turbine has at least one two-dimensional blade positioned in parallel with and around a central axis of the turbine. The two-dimensional blade has a cross section with a blade chord turned around a center of the two-dimensional blade by an angle of 3° to −2° relative to a line perpendicular to another imaginary line connecting the central axis with the center of the two-dimensional blade. A distance between a fore end and the center of the cross section is 15 to 40 percent of a chord length of the blade. NC / R, which is calculated by a radius R extending from the axis to the center of two-dimensional blade, the chord length C, and the number N of the two-dimensional blades, is between 0.5 and 2.2. A maximum thickness of the two-dimensional blade is between 20 and 25 percent of the chord length. The turbine has a strut blade having a symmetric cross section joining the two-dimensional blade to a side of the central axis, the strut blade having a maximum thickness which is between 15 and 20 percent of a chord length of the strut blade.

The invention relates to an offshore renewable energy source comprehensive power generating system, belonging to the technical field of renewable energy source power generation. The comprehensive power generating system comprises a single pile structure (1), three power generating devices and an electrical connecting circuit. The three power generating devices comprise a wind power generating device, a wave energy power generating device and a tidal energy power generating device which are respectively connected with a direct-current bus (19) in the comprehensive power generating system in parallel by three direct-drive permanent magnet generators (3-1, 3-2, 3-3) and three rectifiers (16-1, 16-2, 16-3), and connected to a reverser (21) on the bank by a seabed cable (20), and finally merged in a power grid by a boosting transformer (22). The offshore renewable energy source comprehensive power generating system can integrate the offshore wind energy power generation, wave energy power generation and tidal energy power generation to an organic combined body, and realizes the compatibility of various power generating devices and the credible connection of various power generating devices with the power grid by the electrical connecting system.

A ducted water turbine is configured to be installed in a subsea environment to generate hydroelectric power and broadly includes a turbine housing, a turbine rotor, and a generator. The turbine rotor includes a peripheral rim and a plurality of rotor blades mounted to and extending radially inwardly from the rim. The turbine housing includes a duct that permits water to flow through the housing. The peripheral rim is rotatably mounted in the duct, with the water flow causing the turbine rotor to spin. The turbine rotor is drivingly connected to the generator and powers the generator when the turbine rotor is spun by the water flow.

Embodiments include apparatus and methods of fluid energy conversion. One embodiment relates to a tube for a fluid energy converter. The tube may include a generally cylindrical and hollow body having an interior surface, an exterior surface, and a longitudinal axis. Another embodiment includes a fluid energy converter having a longitudinal axis and a rotatable tube coaxial about the longitudinal axis. In some embodiments, the rotatable tube converts kinetic energy in a fluid into rotating mechanical energy, or converts rotating mechanical energy into kinetic energy in a fluid.

A system and method for harvesting the kinetic energy of a fluid flow for power generation with a vertically oriented, aerodynamic wing structure comprising one or more airfoil elements pivotably attached to a mast. When activated by the moving fluid stream, the wing structure oscillates back and forth, generating lift first in one direction then in the opposite direction. This oscillating movement is converted to unidirectional rotational movement in order to provide motive power to an electricity generator. Unlike other oscillating devices, this device is designed to harvest the maximum aerodynamic lift forces available for a given oscillation cycle. Because the system is not subjected to the same intense forces and stresses as turbine systems, it can be constructed less expensively, reducing the cost of electricity generation. The system can be grouped in more compact clusters, be less evident in the landscape, and present reduced risk to avian species.

A thermal storage unit having at least one conduit around which a cast is made is provided. The thermal storage unit uses conventional piping or tubing to create conduits that economically maximize the surface area of flow in contact with the thermal mass by proving multiple passes for the fluid through the cast. This enables the thermal storage unit to economically provide heat storage as well as effective heat delivery and pressure containment for a fluid flowing through the conduit.

The invention relates to the use of Air and Hydro Turbines for power generation. It seeks to enhance the energy-capturing potential of air / water turbines, and hence expand the geography where they can be used. It is mainly represented by a device consisting of a vortex generator and a vortex accelerator. This vorticity device operates in a combination of 2 modes: (1) Control airfoil circulation at the blade tips and hence control or alleviate the aerodynamic loading on the turbine blades. (2) Induce suction that can be used to transfer momentum to the flow close to the surface of the blade. Specifically, the generated suction drives secondary fluid flow, which is used to enhance the aerodynamic characteristics of the turbine blades / wings, by doing the following: (1) Suppressing adverse pressure gradients, (2) Suppressing the stall or separation bubble, (3) Laminarize the flow over the blade or wing.

A thermal storage unit having at least one conduit around which a cast is made is provided. The thermal storage unit uses conventional piping or tubing to create conduits that economically maximize the surface area of flow in contact with the thermal mass by proving multiple passes for the fluid through the cast. This enables the thermal storage unit to economically provide heat storage as well as effective heat delivery and pressure containment for a fluid flowing through the conduit.

A process for the industrial synthesis and a new crystalline form of the compound of formula (I): Medicinal products containing the same which are useful in treating disorders of the melatoninergic system.

A variable speed power generator system, includes a primary power induction generator (12), a secondary control induction (14), each of the induction generators having a rotor (22, 24) mounted so as to be rotated by a common shaft (16) of a variable speed prime mover (20), an inverter (50) connected to the stator (15) of the secondary control induction generator, a controller (30) connected to the inverter controls the output of the inverter, output of the primary induction generator is connected to the grid (51), controller provides output signal to the inverter based on selected inputs to the controller so that the output of the primary induction generator matches the active and reactive power requirements of the grid. An induction machine which includes a rotor having laminations and insulated cage bars, the bars being electrically isolated from on another as well as electrically insulated from the laminations.

Several embodiments of a device for economically harvesting wave energy are disclosed. A sealed vessel for air storage, the spar buoy, is mostly submerged under water is also used as an inertial body that surface floats move relative to. The spar buoy may take many geometrical forms, but all have a stem that is above the water surface. Piston pumps are placed at the top of the stem. The pump has a gearing reduction to optimize the rotational motion of the pump drive shaft. Small angular motion at the drive shaft results in multiple cycles of linear reciprocal motion of the piston. Various mechanisms could convert the relative motion between the floats and the spar buoy to a rotational motion of the shaft. The compressed air generated by the pump is stored in the spar buoy and regenerated as electrical energy by expanding the compressed air in a turbine.

A hydraulic buoyancy kinetic energy apparatus includes a water tank filled with water and an air storage hood is merged in the water. Two buoys are movably connected to the two slippery pillars and a chain is connected with the two buoys via two chain wheels, two belt pulley sets and two engaged gears. One of the two gears drives a third chain wheel to drive an output shaft of an electric generating set. An air storage cylinder is connected with the water tank and air in the air storage cylinder can be pushed into the water tank to alternatively empty the two buoys which are alternatively moves up and down to drive the chain between the buoys and to activate the electric generating set.

A tidal-powered desalinization system is mounted on a barge that oscillates about fixed pier structures, generating a two-way pumping action. The two-way pumping action is changed to a single direction flow of seawater. The sea water is directed into an on-board desalinization system. Fresh water is produced and collected in reservoirs, without an intervening generation of electricity.

The invention relates to a low-head shaft-extension tubular pump turbine and blades thereof, and belongs to the technical field of energy power. The low-head shaft-extension tubular pump turbine comprises a pump turbine body, a reversible motor, a flow channel and a flow guide mechanism, the flow channel comprises a water inlet section flow channel, a guide blade section flow channel, a runner chamber and an S-shaped exhaust water pipe flow channel which are sequentially communicated, a runner is in transmission connection with the reversible motor through a spindle, the flow guide mechanism is arranged on the other side of the runner, the runner comprises a runner boss and a runner cone, the blades are circumferentially and uniformly arranged on the runner boss, the middle of each blade is thick while two sides of each blade are thin, each blade is in the shape of a three-dimensional warped surface, and spatial characteristics of each blade are indicated by an upper section, a middle section and a lower section. The operation conditions of power generation by a turbine and water pumping by a pump can be simultaneously met and are opposite in water flow direction, namely, the same runner needs to simultaneously meet the double requirements of water pumping and power generation, the efficiency of the two operation conditions can be simultaneously considered, and the low-head shaft-extension tubular pump turbine is applicable to a low-head pumped storage power station.