Air chamber mechanism adapting to tidal water level change

Abstract

The invention discloses an air chamber mechanism adapting to tidal water level change, the air chamber mechanism comprises a water surface synchronization mechanism and a roller shutter traction mechanism, the water surface synchronization mechanism comprises an air chamber cavity, two side plates of the air chamber cavity are provided with a pair of rails and floaters, a roller shutter shaft is installed in the rails, a movable wave-facing surface is wound on the roller shutter shaft, and the movable wave-facing surface is wound on the floater. One end of the auxiliary rod is hinged to the vertex angle of the side face of the air chamber cavity, the other end of the auxiliary rod is connected with the roller shutter shaft through the floater, the roller shutter traction mechanism comprises traction ropes and tensioning mechanisms, the two ends of the roller shutter shaft are wound with the traction ropes respectively, and the two ends of the traction ropes are connected with the tensioning mechanisms respectively; a wave-facing opening is changed into a flexible roller shutter form, two groups of tightened traction ropes are arranged on two sides of the roller shutter, and a pair of supporting frames are led out from the upper end of an air chamber for auxiliary positioning, so that the opening size of the air chamber can be automatically changed according to the water level of tide water, and the problem that oscillation water column power generation cannot work due to the fact that seawater cannot completely immerse the wave-facing opening after tide ebb is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of fluid power generation, and in particular relates to an air chamber mechanism adapting to tidal water level changes. Background Art

[0002] The main way to utilize tidal energy is to generate electricity. During high tide, seawater is stored in the reservoir as potential energy. Then, during low tide, the seawater is released and the difference between high and low tide levels is used to drive the turbine to rotate, driving the generator to generate electricity. Due to the changes in water level when the tidal power station generates electricity, the air chamber needs to solve the problem that the seawater cannot be completely immersed after low tide.

[0003] Currently, patent publication number CN119042065B describes a new type of oscillating water column wave energy conversion device that can adapt to wave conditions. This technology uses sensors to detect hydrological information, and uses hydraulic devices to change the air chamber structure to achieve optimal power generation efficiency, reducing the impact of tidal changes on power generation performance. However, this technology has the following defects: when the tide recedes, the seawater may not be able to completely submerge the wave mouth, resulting in the failure of the entire oscillating water column power generation, and the hydraulic control of the entire air chamber's shape change itself will consume some electricity, resulting in a decrease in overall power generation efficiency.

[0004] Patent publication number CN119532096A describes an oscillating water column array fan-coupled power generation device that can adapt to tidal changes. This technology replaces the traditional single air chamber with multiple air chambers and extends them to waters of varying depths. This ensures that no matter how the tide changes, there will always be an air chamber submerged in the water to ensure power generation for the entire mechanism, adapting to most coastal tidal changes. However, this technology has the following drawbacks: because the air chambers are embedded in the water at different depths, some air chambers may be completely submerged in water or completely exposed to air in some cases. This fundamentally does not solve the aforementioned problem, rendering these air chambers inoperable and reducing energy conversion efficiency.

[0005] Patent publication number CN119435282A describes a submerged dike oscillating water column wave-breaking power generation device. This technology adds an L-shaped submerged dike to the bottom of a traditional air chamber structure. This not only enhances the device's wave-breaking performance over the full wave cycle, but also utilizes the wave-reflecting properties of the dike to improve its energy conversion efficiency under long wave cycles. However, this technology has the following drawbacks: due to the fixed shape of the air chamber, it may not be able to adapt to large water level fluctuations during tidal changes, resulting in ineffective power generation and unsuitable for all coastal environments. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to design an air chamber mechanism that can adapt to changes in tidal water levels, change the wave mouth into a flexible roller curtain, arrange two sets of taut traction ropes on both sides of the curtain, and lead out a pair of support frames at the upper end of the air chamber to assist in positioning, so that it can automatically change the size of its opening according to the water level of the tide, so as to solve the problem that the sea water cannot be completely immersed in the wave mouth after the tide goes out, resulting in the oscillating water column power generation being unable to work.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: An air chamber mechanism that adapts to tidal water level changes is characterized in that: the air chamber mechanism includes a water surface synchronization mechanism and a roller shutter traction mechanism, the water surface synchronization mechanism includes an air chamber cavity, and the two side plates of the air chamber cavity are provided with a pair of tracks and floats, the roller shutter shaft is installed in the track, the movable wave-facing surface is wound around the roller shutter shaft, one end of the auxiliary rod is hinged at the top corner of the side of the air chamber cavity, and the other end of the auxiliary rod is connected to the roller shutter shaft through the float, the roller shutter traction mechanism includes a traction rope and a tensioning mechanism, a traction rope is respectively wrapped around the two ends of the roller shutter shaft, and the two ends of the traction rope are respectively connected to the tensioning mechanism.

[0008] Furthermore, the tensioning mechanism structure is as follows: A circular boss is provided on the winding gear, and a spur gear is provided on the one-way ratchet; a boss is provided on the fixed gear, the winding gear is engaged with the spur gear part of the ratchet, and the spur gear part of the ratchet is engaged with the fixed gear, and the fixing nail is placed on the upper left of the winding gear. The tightening belt is led out from the fixing nail, wrapped around the fixed gear boss clockwise and fixed on the boss column surface of the winding gear, and the traction rope is connected to the tightening belt between the fixed gear and the fixed point on the boss column surface of the winding gear.

[0009] Furthermore, the air chamber mechanism is installed on the frame-type auxiliary frame, the air chamber cavity is located inside the frame-type auxiliary frame, and the tensioning mechanism is installed on the top and side of the frame-type auxiliary frame.

[0010] Furthermore, the auxiliary frame is made of a hollow square tube, and traction rope openings are provided on the top, bottom and side of the auxiliary frame, and a part of the traction rope path is inside the hollow square tube.

[0011] Furthermore, the air chamber cavity is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, and the wave-facing surface is arc-shaped.

[0012] Furthermore, the hollow square tube is provided with multiple sets of pulleys for guiding the traction rope.

[0013] The above technical solution can achieve the following beneficial effects: This invention can realize the function of changing the size of the wave-facing mouth. A roller shutter shaft is placed at the wave-facing mouth, and the movable wave-facing mouth part is wound around the roller shutter shaft. The rise and fall of the roller shutter shaft is controlled by floats on both sides and a pair of auxiliary rods led out from the upper side of the air chamber, so that the wave-facing mouth can adjust its opening size automatically according to the water level of the tide. It does not require electrical components, which indirectly improves the power generation efficiency and reduces the failure rate of the mechanism.

[0014] This invention arranges two sets of taut traction ropes on either side of the roller blind shaft: one set winds clockwise from top to bottom, and the other set winds counterclockwise from bottom to top. When the sea level rises, the lower set of traction ropes rotates the roller blind shaft counterclockwise, rolling up the variable wave-cutting opening and the upper traction ropes, enlarging the wave-cutting opening. When the sea level drops, the upper set of traction ropes rotates the roller blind shaft clockwise, expanding the variable wave-cutting opening and rolling up the lower traction ropes, shrinking the wave-cutting opening. This effectively ensures that the seawater remains submerged in the wave-cutting opening, guaranteeing the operational feasibility of the entire mechanism and the accuracy and timeliness of water level recognition.

[0015] Given that the traction rope is flexible and remains in a taut state for a long time, the present invention has designed a tensioning mechanism in the traction rope section. It consists of a fixed gear, a one-way ratchet, a winding gear, and a tensioning belt. The fixed gear meshes with the one-way ratchet, which meshes with the winding gear. One section of the tensioning belt is fixed to a fixed point, and another section is fixed to the winding gear, and is wound around the fixed wheel in a clockwise direction. The traction rope is connected to the middle section between the section wound around the fixed wheel and the section fixed to the winding gear, and the material specifications of the tensioning belt and the traction rope are the same. Therefore, when the traction rope drives the tensioning belt to be stretched, that is, the section wound around the fixed wheel and the middle section fixed to the winding wheel become loose, and the connection point between the tensioning belt and the traction rope drops, the tensioning belt wound around the fixed wheel will drive the fixed wheel to rotate clockwise. After being transmitted by the one-way ratchet, the winding wheel will also rotate clockwise, thereby re-tensioning the tensioning belt and increasing the height of the tensioning belt and the traction rope to achieve the purpose of tensioning the traction rope. This design can automatically detect the tightness of the traction rope and automatically tighten the traction rope without the need for electrical components and manual supervision, thereby improving energy output efficiency and reducing labor costs.

[0016] The auxiliary rod is led out from the upper side of the air chamber with a hinge structure and has a curved design. A float is added at the bend to effectively and accurately determine the running trajectory of the rolling shaft, and assist the rolling shaft to change its own height with changes in water level, ensuring that the entire device can accurately and effectively respond to the impact of tidal changes on energy conversion work.

[0017] The air chamber structure is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, and the wave-facing surface is arc-shaped, which makes the connection between the fixed surface in the upper part of the wave-facing surface and the movable surface in the lower part smoother, ensuring that the hinge part of the auxiliary rod can be placed at the upper end of the air chamber without contacting seawater, avoiding corrosion of the connecting parts of the mechanism by seawater and improving the service life of the entire mechanism.

[0018] The invented tensioning mechanism is not installed directly on the air chamber, but a pair of auxiliary frames are installed on both sides of the air chamber. The tensioning mechanism is installed on the auxiliary frames, which ensures the integrity of the air chamber, reduces unnecessary openings, allows more air to pass through the turbine part on the air chamber, and improves the energy conversion efficiency of the entire mechanism.

[0019] The auxiliary frame is a hollow structure, with a pair of tensioning mechanisms mounted on its underside. The traction ropes on the underside are connected to the tensioning mechanisms via pulleys within the auxiliary frame. This invention protects the underside tensioning mechanisms from contact with seawater, extending their service life and facilitating maintenance and replacement. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the air chamber mechanism.

[0021] Figure 2 It is a side view of the air chamber mechanism.

[0022] Figure 3 This is the main view of the air chamber mechanism.

[0023] Figure 4 Top view of the air chamber mechanism Figure 5 This is a diagram of the air chamber structure.

[0024] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the tensioning mechanism.

[0025] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the auxiliary frame structure.

[0026] In the picture: In the figure: 1. Tensioning mechanism; 2. Auxiliary frame; 3. Traction rope; 4. Air chamber; 5. Movable wave-facing surface; 6. Rolling-up shaft; 7. Float; 8. Auxiliary rod; 11. Fixing nail; 12. Fixing gear; 13. One-way ratchet; 14. Winding gear; 15. Tightening belt. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The following is combined with Figure 1-7 The present invention will be further described: like Figure 1-5 As shown, an air chamber mechanism adapted to tidal water level changes includes an auxiliary frame 2, the auxiliary frame 2 is a frame structure, an air chamber cavity is installed in the auxiliary frame of the frame structure, and the air chamber cavity 4 is composed of two side plates and a top plate. The front openings of the two side plates are designed to be arc-shaped, and the side plates are provided with tracks ( Figure 2As shown), the two side panels form a pair of tracks, a roller shutter shaft 6 is installed between the tracks, a movable wave-facing surface 5 is installed on the roller shutter shaft, that is, the movable wave-facing surface 5 is wound around the roller shutter shaft, and four sets of tensioning mechanisms 1 are installed above and below the auxiliary frame 2. A traction rope 3 is wrapped around each end of the roller shutter shaft, and the upper and lower ends of the traction rope 3 are respectively connected to a tensioning mechanism 1, a float 7 is installed in the middle of the side panel, and an auxiliary rod 8 is hinged at the angle of the side panels. The auxiliary rod is curved, and the float is installed at the curved part of the auxiliary rod. The end of the auxiliary rod is connected to the roller shutter shaft 6.

[0028] The auxiliary rod is a special-shaped rod, divided into three sections: one connected to the air chamber, one connected to the take-up shaft, and one in contact with the auxiliary float. The length of the section in contact with the float is approximately the same as the float's diameter. The entire auxiliary rod is Z-shaped, with the float nestled in the middle of the rod and secured by the sections connected to the air chamber and the take-up shaft. It is not rigidly connected to the auxiliary rod, which improves the float's impact resistance. The float is a special-shaped float, not a regular circle, but rather a slightly elliptical semi-ellipse with a cylindrical cavity at its center. The auxiliary rod passes through the cavity and connects to the float. The float remains stationary relative to the auxiliary rod. One end of the auxiliary rod is attached to the air chamber, and the other end is connected to the take-up shaft. Driven by the float, the float moves in a circular motion along track D1, centered at the point where the auxiliary rod connects to the air chamber.

[0029] Figure 6As shown in the above embodiment, the tensioning mechanism includes a take-up wheel, a one-way ratchet, a fixed wheel, a fixing pin, and a tensioning belt. The take-up gear 14 has a circular boss with a radius similar to the take-up gear's addendum radius. The one-way ratchet 13 is equipped with a spur gear with the same module and pressure angle as the take-up gear. The fixed gear 12 has a boss with a radius much smaller than the addendum diameter of the fixed gear. The take-up gear meshes with the spur gear portion of the ratchet, which in turn meshes with the fixed gear. The fixing pin 11 is located to the upper left of the take-up gear. The tensioning belt extends from the fixing pin, wraps clockwise around the fixed gear boss, and is secured to the take-up gear boss's cylindrical surface. The traction rope 3 is connected to the tensioning belt 15 between the point where it wraps around the fixed gear and the fixed point on the take-up gear boss's cylindrical surface. The tensioning mechanism comprises four components, divided into two left and right pairs, located at the upper and lower ends of the traction rope. During operation, as the traction rope is tightened, the section from the traction rope's connection with the tensioning band to the fixed nail is also subjected to the same tension. This section of the tensioning band stretches due to fatigue, causing the traction rope's connection point with the winding band (tensioning band) to drop due to relaxation, causing the traction rope to slack. At this time, the stretched winding band (tensioning band) section drives the fixed gear to rotate clockwise. At this time, the one-way ratchet rotates counterclockwise, driving the winding gear to rotate clockwise, winding the slack section of the winding band (tensioning band) around the winding gear. Because the one-way ratchet prevents the section wound around the winding gear from being unwound, the winding band (tensioning band) is tightened again, and the traction rope's connection point with the winding band (tensioning band) is raised, achieving the purpose of tensioning the traction rope.

[0030] In order to make the motion trajectory of the rolling blind shaft more precise and controllable, tracks (D1) for the rolling blind shaft are provided on both sides of the air chamber in the embodiment.

[0031] Figure 7 As shown, to ensure the traction rope can more accurately pull the roller blind shaft, the auxiliary frame in this embodiment has a hollow frame structure. The upper tensioning mechanism is mounted on the top of the auxiliary frame, and the traction rope is connected to the tensioning mechanism through an opening () above the auxiliary frame. The lower tensioning mechanism is mounted on the side of the auxiliary frame. A pair of traction ropes below pass through an opening (D4) below the auxiliary frame, are guided by multiple sets of pulleys, and are drawn out from opening (D3) to connect to the lower tensioning mechanism.

[0032] The specific principle of the above-mentioned air chamber mechanism is as follows: When the tide rises, the auxiliary float 7 is lifted by buoyancy, driving the auxiliary rod 8 to swing upward, and the curtain shaft 6 rises along track D1. At this point, the lower portion of the traction rope 3 is unwound due to the clockwise rotation of the curtain shaft 6, and the upper portion of the traction rope 3 and the movable wave-facing surface 5 are drawn into the curtain shaft 6, expanding the wave-facing opening. The floats 7 on either side of the curtain shaft 6 adjust their height synchronously to ensure that the wave-facing opening remains submerged below the water surface.

[0033] As the tide recedes, the buoyancy of the auxiliary float 7 decreases, and the auxiliary rod 8 swings downward under the force of gravity, driving the roller blind shaft 6 down along track D1. At this point, the upper portion of the traction rope 3 is unfurled due to the counterclockwise rotation of the roller blind shaft 6, while the lower portion of the traction rope 3 and the movable wave-facing surface 5 are drawn into the roller blind shaft 6, reducing the area of the wave-facing opening. The vertical motion trajectory of the roller blind shaft 6 is precisely defined by track D1, ensuring dynamic alignment of the wave-facing opening with the water surface.

[0034] Among them, the auxiliary frame 2 is a hollow frame structure, and multiple sets of pulleys are arranged inside to optimize the transmission path of the traction rope 3 and reduce friction loss. The upper tensioning mechanism 1 is installed on the top of the auxiliary frame 2, and the lower tensioning mechanism 1 is installed on the side to avoid seawater corrosion.

[0035] Example 2: Please refer to Figure 6 As shown, the operating principle of the tensioning mechanism in this embodiment is as follows: As the tide rises, the lower tensioning mechanism automatically compensates for tension loss caused by slack in the traction rope 3 by meshing the cinching belt 15 with the one-way ratchet 13. When the traction rope 3 slackens, the cinching belt is stretched, driving the fixed gear to rotate clockwise. The one-way ratchet drives the take-up gear to rotate synchronously, rewinding the slack and maintaining the traction rope taut. The upper tensioning mechanism continuously monitors the traction rope tension during this process, and the one-way locking function of the ratchet prevents tension from reversing, ensuring stable operation.

[0036] As the tide recedes, the upper tensioning mechanism automatically compensates for tension loss caused by slack in the traction rope through the meshing of the tensioning belt and the one-way ratchet. When the traction rope slackens, the tensioning belt is stretched, driving the fixed gear to rotate clockwise. The one-way ratchet drives the take-up gear to rotate synchronously, rewinding the slack and maintaining the traction rope taut. The lower tensioning mechanism continuously monitors the traction rope tension during this process, and the one-way locking function of the ratchet prevents tension from reversing, ensuring stable operation.

[0037] Among them, the ratchet is engaged with the winding gear, allowing the winding gear to rotate only in one direction, ensuring that the tightening belt cannot retreat after being tightened, thereby maintaining a constant tension in the traction rope.

[0038] The air chamber, movable wave-facing surface, curtain shaft, auxiliary float, and auxiliary frame constitute a water surface synchronization mechanism. A pair of tracks are provided on both side walls of the air chamber to constrain the range of motion of the curtain shaft. A pair of floats are provided on both sides of the curtain shaft to synchronize the curtain shaft with the water surface more accurately. The movable wave-facing surface is made of flexible material and is wound up on the curtain shaft in a clockwise direction. When the water surface rises, the auxiliary rod is lifted by the auxiliary float, driving the curtain shaft to rise. The floats on both sides of the curtain shaft accurately position the curtain shaft to ensure that the water surface can submerge the wave-facing mouth, so that the entire oscillating water column wave energy conversion mechanism can work normally. When the water surface drops, the auxiliary rod swings downward under the action of gravity, driving the curtain shaft to drop. The floats on both sides of the curtain shaft accurately position the curtain shaft to ensure that the water surface can submerge the wave-facing mouth, so that the entire oscillating water column wave energy conversion mechanism can work normally.

[0039] The curtain traction mechanism mainly includes two pairs of upper and lower traction ropes, a curtain shaft, and a movable wave-facing surface. The upper pair of traction ropes are wound clockwise around the curtain shaft, with one section extending from the tensioning mechanism and one end fixed to the curtain shaft. The lower traction ropes are wound counterclockwise around the curtain shaft, with one section extending from the tensioning mechanism and one end fixed to the curtain shaft. When the water level rises, the curtain shaft is lifted by the water, and the lower traction ropes are unrolled, driving the curtain shaft to rotate clockwise. This winds the upper pair of traction ropes and the movable wave-facing surface into the curtain shaft, ensuring the regularity of the movable wave-facing surface and extending its service life. When the water level drops, the curtain shaft descends under the action of gravity, and the upper traction ropes are unrolled, driving the curtain shaft to rotate counterclockwise. This winds the lower pair of traction ropes onto the curtain shaft and unfolds the movable wave-facing surface, ensuring that the water surface always submerges the wave mouth and ensuring the reliable operation of the entire oscillating water column power generation device.

[0040] The above are all preferred embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this technical field, without departing from the principle of the present invention, various equivalent modifications to the present invention are within the scope of protection of the claims attached to this application.

Claims

1. An air chamber mechanism adapted to tidal water level changes, characterized by: The air chamber mechanism includes a water surface synchronization mechanism and a roller shutter traction mechanism. The water surface synchronization mechanism includes an air chamber cavity. A pair of tracks and floats are provided on both side plates of the air chamber cavity. A roller shutter shaft is installed in the track. The movable wave-facing surface is wrapped around the roller shutter shaft. One end of the auxiliary rod is hinged at the top corner of the side of the air chamber cavity, and the other end of the auxiliary rod is connected to the roller shutter shaft through the float. The roller shutter traction mechanism includes a traction rope and a tensioning mechanism. A traction rope is wrapped around each end of the roller shutter shaft, and both ends of the traction rope are connected to the tensioning mechanism.

2. The air chamber mechanism adapted to tidal water level changes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tensioning mechanism structure is as follows: A circular boss is provided on the winding gear, and a spur gear is provided on the one-way ratchet; a boss is provided on the fixed gear, the winding gear is engaged with the spur gear part of the ratchet, and the spur gear part of the ratchet is engaged with the fixed gear, and the fixing nail is placed on the upper left of the winding gear. The tightening belt is led out from the fixing nail, wrapped around the fixed gear boss clockwise and fixed on the boss column surface of the winding gear, and the traction rope is connected to the tightening belt between the fixed gear and the fixed point on the boss column surface of the winding gear.

3. The air chamber mechanism adapted to tidal water level changes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air chamber mechanism is installed on the frame-type auxiliary frame, the air chamber cavity is located in the frame-type auxiliary frame, and the tensioning mechanism is installed on the top and side of the frame-type auxiliary frame.

4. The air chamber mechanism adapted to tidal water level changes according to claim 3, characterized in that: The auxiliary frame is composed of a hollow square tube, and traction rope openings are provided at the top, bottom and side of the auxiliary frame, and a part of the traction rope path is inside the hollow square tube.

5. The air chamber mechanism adapted to tidal water level changes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air chamber cavity is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, and the wave-facing surface is arc-shaped.

6. The air chamber mechanism adapted to tidal water level changes according to claim 4, characterized in that: The hollow square tube is equipped with multiple sets of pulleys for guiding the traction rope.

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