Hydroelectric generator

Abstract

The invention relates to a device in the form of a hydroelectric garden, which can operate independently, optimising electricity usage, which comprises an outer pool (1) and a taller inner pool (2), wherein the inner pool (2) is connected to a hydraulic turbine (3) that discharges the water passing through the turbine towards the outer pool (1). The hydraulic turbine (3) is connected by means of a multiplier transmission (8) to a synchronous generator (9) that is in turn connected to a transformer (10) managed by an electronic control panel (7) for managing the power generated, and which powers equipment for pumping the water from the outer pool (1) to the inner pool (2).

Description

[0001] HYDROELECTRIC GENERATOR

[0002] OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates to a hydroelectric generator whose obvious purpose is to allow the generation of electrical energy for supply to different facilities, being applicable in the agro-industry, shopping centers, residential centers, and the energy market itself.

[0004] The object of the invention is to provide a device as a hydroelectric garden, which can operate independently, optimizing electrical consumption.

[0005] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Although hydroelectric plants are known, they are connected to rivers, lakes, or reservoirs, which, due to their location, make their implementation unfeasible in other places such as shopping centers, residential areas, agro-industrial centers, etc.

[0007] Furthermore, these types of facilities depend on the volume of water available, so their use may be restricted during periods of severe drought.

[0008] DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The proposed hydroelectric generator fully satisfactorily resolves the aforementioned problem, based on a simple yet effective solution, in which the water is recirculated in a closed cycle between two pools such that once the installation is operational, water consumption is zero, as its volume is completely recirculated, offering a completely autonomous and independent installation. To this end, and more specifically, the generator of the invention is constituted from an outdoor pool, which receives the turbine water, and a higher indoor pool, whose height difference or potential energy is used to drive a hydraulic turbine that, through a multiplier transmission, drives an electric alternator or generator itself, materialized in the form of a synchronous generator, connected to a transformer that, through control electronics, allows the generated energy to be managed.

[0010] Obviously, the volume of water in the lower pool will tend to be consumed during the turbine process, so it has been planned that the water received in the outer pool will be pumped back to the higher inner pool, which will be equipped with overflow channels to discharge any excess water into the outer pool.

[0011] The generator described in this way can be used to supply certain installations, as well as to provide surplus energy to the grid, during times when electricity consumption is highest, taking advantage of off-peak hours or times of lower electricity consumption when the price of electricity is lower, such as at dawn, to pump the water from the outdoor pool back into the indoor pool.

[0012] The generator of the invention is easily scalable and modular according to the specific needs of each case, and can be adapted to very different energy requirements and can be designed as a mere example for the generation of powers between 4.5 KW and 1 GW.

[0013] Finally, it remains to be noted that the water used could be either freshwater or seawater, depending on availability in each case.

[0014] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] To complement the description that follows and in order to help better understand the characteristics of the invention, according to a preferred example of practical implementation thereof, a drawing is attached as an integral part of said description, in which the following has been represented for illustrative and non-limiting purposes:

[0016] Figure 1.- Shows a schematic plan view of a hydroelectric generator made in accordance with the object of the present invention.

[0017] PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0018] In view of the figure shown, it can be observed how the installation of the invention involves an outdoor pool (1) and an indoor pool (2) of smaller dimensions in plan, but greater height, and which is connected to a hydraulic turbine (3) that discharges the turbine water towards the outdoor pool (1).

[0019] For filling the indoor pool (2), the use of a pumping system has been planned, which in the chosen embodiment is made up of a first pump (4) that is powered by the network (5), batteries or a diesel generator, and a second pump (6) that is managed through the control electronics (7) of the installation itself.

[0020] The turbine (3) is linked through a multiplier transmission (8) to a synchronous generator (9) which in turn is connected to a transformer (10) managed by the control electronics (7).

[0021] As for pumps (4) and (6), they are electric pumps and their power varies depending on the requirements. These pumps can range from 100 to 1800 liters per second or more.

[0022] For its part, the hydraulic turbine (3) can be high or low pressure, transforming the kinetic energy of the flow into mechanical rotational energy on the turbine shaft.

[0023] The multiplier transmission (8) consists of a speed multiplier that is responsible for multiplying the speed of the turbine by double or more, for example from 620 RPM to 1500 RPM. Speed ​​reducers can also be used if the water inlet speed is higher than the necessary demand.

[0024] The synchronous generator (9) is responsible for transforming mechanical energy into electrical energy depending on the needs of each client. The transformer (9) facilitates the transport and adaptation of the signal of the electrical power produced.

[0025] As for the control electronics (7), a command board or control panel will participate in it, which is responsible for maintaining the frequency of 60 or 50 Hz of the entire system.

[0026] The outdoor pool (1) as previously mentioned collects the turbine water, and it is in this pool where the water pumps are located.

[0027] Finally, it remains to be noted that the indoor pool (2) includes gravity drainage scuppers (11).

[0028] From this structuring, and as has been said previously, as occurs with conventional hydroelectric power plants, the installation will take advantage of the water contained in the interior pool (2) to turbine said water in the hours in which the light is more expensive, that is to say when there is a greater demand, while, in off-peak hours said water turbined and collected in the exterior pool (1) will be pumped towards the interior pool (2), with a lower economic cost, since in those hours the energy is cheaper.

Claims

MODIFIED CLAIMS received by the International Bureau on July 4, 2025 (04.07.2025)

1. [Modified] Hydroelectric generator, characterized in that it is constituted from an independent, modular, scalable and transportable equipment, in which an outdoor pool (1) and an indoor pool (2) of greater height participate, the indoor pool (2) being connected to a hydraulic turbine (3) that discharges the turbined water towards the outdoor pool (1), hydraulic turbine (3) linked through a multiplier transmission (8) to a synchronous generator (9) which in turn is connected to a transformer (10) managed by a control electronics (7) for managing the generated energy, and which feeds a water pumping equipment from the outdoor pool (1) to the indoor pool (2).

2. Hydroelectric generator, according to claim 1 a, where the pumping equipment includes a first pump (4) that is powered by the electrical supply network (5), batteries or a diesel generator, and a second pump (6) that is managed through the control electronics (7) of the installation itself. [0001] [0002]Declaration under Article 19(1) [0003]PURSUANT TO THE PCT REGULATION, THE APPLICANT OF THE PCT FILE / ES2025070112, IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 19.1a) ¡ü) REQUESTS MODIFICATION OF CLAIMS, BEFORE THE INTERNATIONAL OFFICE. [0004]Claim 1 is modified, clarifying the scope of the invention with respect to the State of the Art. [0005]The “independent, modular, scalable and transportable” nature of the equipment is essential to justify the inventive step of the application. [0006]The transportable nature is evident from the section on “background of the invention” itself, which states that current installations cannot be implemented in shopping centres, residential centres, etc. For this to be possible, the generator must have a movable nature, so said nature is easily deduced from the text originally presented. [0007]However, this party understands that some of these characteristics may not have been sufficiently defined in the proposed set of claims, and therefore a new set of claims is proposed in which greater importance is given to the modular, scalable and independent nature, the latter determining its capacity to define a mobile device. [0008]What the present invention pursues, and is not achieved in any of the cited documents, is to offer a modular, scalable, and totally autonomous energy generation system, which allows it to have a mobile character. [0009]The arrangement of the pools, indoor and outdoor, as well as the elevation of one in front of the other in the same installation allows not to depend on the orography of the terrain, being able to encapsulate the device by virtue of its scalability capacity, being able to offer a compact and portable device completely watertight, which does not depend on orographies, availability of ponds, dams, rivers or any other external element, that is, a completely autonomous mobile device, since it includes a closed internal water recirculation circuit. [0010]This fundamental characteristic, as previously mentioned, is not provided for in any of the cited documents, and it can be concluded that this is a very significant advantage, which would justify the "inventive step" requirement. This modification would affect the assessment of the inventive step with respect to the state of the art and all the cited documents D01 to D05. Since they have different applications and structures, none of them including or being found in the State of the Art the characteristics of an independent, modular, scalable and transportable equipment (hydroelectric generator).

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