A gravity power generation and energy storage device

Abstract

The present invention proposes a gravity power generation and energy storage device, which reduces the investment and loss of traditional mines or quarries in transportation vehicles and road construction. While completing the transportation of materials such as ore or stone, the gravitational potential energy is converted into electrical energy, which is output to the power grid after inversion. When necessary, the entire device can enter energy storage operation to meet the energy storage needs of the large power grid. The device includes: an inclined double-line closed track from a loading point on the mountain to a flat unloading point, divided into an upward line and a downward line, an unpowered transport vehicle for loading and unloading materials, a metal conductive plate installed on the bottom of the vehicle, or the bottom of the vehicle itself is made of a metal conductive plate, which can be called a bottom conductor plate, an electromagnetic winding laid along the track, an inverter for receiving the electrical energy emitted by the electromagnetic winding and feeding it to the power grid, and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of power generation and energy storage, and in particular to a gravity power generation and energy storage device. Background Art

[0002] During the mining process in a mine or quarry, a large amount of ore or stone is transported from the mountain to the flat land by transport trucks. During the process of going down the mountain, the transport trucks have to brake continuously due to gravity acceleration, and the gravitational potential energy of the vehicle and the material is dissipated by the friction of the brake pads. The brake pads will heat up and wear sharply, increasing the operating cost and safety risks. Due to the limitation of the climbing slope of the vehicle, the road will be built in a winding way, which extends the operating mileage and increases the amount of engineering work and environmental damage to the road. The process of transport trucks going up the mountain is purely an energy consumption process. It can be seen that there is a huge waste of energy and environmental damage in the traditional mining or quarrying process. If this part of the gravitational potential energy is used for power generation, it will improve economic benefits while reducing the degree of damage to the environment, which is of great significance. At present, there are also technologies proposed at home and abroad for the use of gravitational potential energy for power generation, such as installing energy recovery generators on the axles (reference patent: 202110015415.6), building high towers for power generation (reference patent: 202020554724.1), traction power generation, reverse use of the cableway system (reference patent: 202010100210.3) or eccentric wheel power generation (reference patent: 201910767082.5), etc., but all of the above are very limited, involving practical issues such as vehicle modification technology, cost and power generation efficiency, whether it can feed power to the grid, and whether the scene conditions are suitable for construction. Summary of the invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is: to overcome the defects of the existing gravity power generation technology, such as insufficient feasibility, high cost, and relatively harsh requirements on the implementation scene conditions, and to provide a gravity power generation and energy storage device and method, which utilizes the gravitational potential energy of ore or stone in a mine or quarry to generate electricity. This gravity power generation device utilizes magnetic suspension linear motor technology, the structure of the unpowered transport vehicle is simple, there is no friction during the descent process, the device has high power generation efficiency, the descent speed and power generation power of the trolley are controllable, and the power generation power is achieved while transporting materials, there is no emission, and it is green and environmentally friendly. When necessary, the device can enter the energy storage mode, that is, the device absorbs electric energy from the external power grid, drives the unpowered transport vehicle to move from bottom to top, and converts the electric energy into the potential energy of the unpowered transport vehicle. When necessary, the stored energy is released in the power generation mode and fed to the power grid, which plays a role in regulating the energy of the external power grid, improving the power quality of the power grid, improving the utilization rate of the power output of the power plant, and reducing the upper limit of the installed capacity of the power plant.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above problems is:

[0005] A gravity power generation and energy storage device comprises: an inclined double-track closed track 1 from a loading point on a mountain to a discharge point on a flat ground, which is divided into an upward line and a downward line, an unpowered transport vehicle 2 for loading and unloading materials, a metal conductive plate installed on the bottom of the vehicle, or the bottom of the vehicle itself is made of a metal conductive plate, which can be called a bottom conductor plate 3, and an electromagnetic winding 4 laid along the track, an inverter for receiving the electric energy generated by the electromagnetic winding 4 and feeding it to the power grid, etc.

[0006] Two tracks 1 are set up from high to low, divided into an upward line and a downward line, forming a closed loop. Each track has two parallel steel rails, and an electromagnetic winding 4 is laid between the steel rails. The electromagnetic winding is provided with background current by an inverter. The unpowered transport vehicle 2 is filled with materials at a high loading point and runs along the downward line from top to bottom along the track 1. The eddy current induced in the conductor plate at the bottom of the vehicle interacts with the electromagnetic winding 4, converting the kinetic energy of the unpowered transport vehicle 2 into electrical energy for output. It runs in a linear generator state, and after being modulated by the inverter, the electrical energy is transmitted to the power grid; the unpowered transport vehicle unloads the materials after arriving at the unloading point, and the empty vehicle is transported back to the loading point along the upward line by the electromagnetic winding 4 in a linear motor state to be loaded, and this cycle repeats.

[0007] Both the downline and the upline operate in the linear motor state, absorbing energy from the power grid, driving the unpowered transport vehicle 2 from a low place to a high place, storing the energy in the form of gravitational potential energy, playing the role of energy storage, and then releasing the energy to the power grid in the state of the above-mentioned linear generator.

[0008] The inverter adjusts the phase difference between the current in the electromagnetic winding 4 and the eddy current of the conductor plate 3 under the vehicle so that the magnetic fields generated by the eddy current and the current in the electromagnetic winding 4 repel each other, thereby realizing the magnetic suspension operation of the unpowered transport vehicle 2.

[0009] The poles of the conductor plate 3 on the bottom of the vehicle are made of rare earth permanent magnetic materials, and the linear motor operates in a synchronous mode, or the electromagnetic winding 4 on the conductor plate 3 on the bottom of the vehicle and the track 1 is eliminated, a transmission is installed on the wheel axle, and a rotating generator is connected to transmit the electric energy generated by the generator to the power grid through a pantograph via an inverter.

[0010] When the unpowered transport vehicle 2 filled with ore or stone slides down the sloped track 1 from the mountain, the conductor plate 3 at the bottom of the vehicle moves relative to the electromagnetic winding 4 on the track 1, which has been provided with background excitation by the inverter, and eddy currents are induced in the conductor plate 3 at the bottom of the vehicle. The magnetic field generated by the eddy current acts on the electromagnetic winding 4 on the track 1, and the magnetic flux in the electromagnetic winding 4 changes, inducing output voltage and current, and the gravitational potential energy is converted into electrical energy, which is then rectified, inverted, and boosted by the inverter to a qualified voltage and frequency, and the electrical energy is output to the power grid. During the power generation process, the unpowered transport vehicle 2 is subjected to resistance from the electromagnetic winding 4, and moves downward at a uniform speed without accelerating. When it reaches the unloading point, the electromagnetic resistance increases and the brakes are applied. After the unpowered transport vehicle 2 arrives at the unloading point to unload, the empty vehicle moves upward along the upward line of the track 1, and is driven upward by the electromagnetic winding 4 on the track in the mode of a linear induction motor, and returns to the loading point to load, and so on. Multiple vehicles can run in sequence on a closed track to achieve continuous loading, unloading, and continuous power generation. Although some electric energy is consumed when the empty vehicle goes up, the weight of the loaded unpowered transport vehicle 2 is much greater than that of the empty vehicle, and the gravitational potential energy released by the downward movement of the unpowered transport vehicle 2 is also much greater than the energy consumed by the upward movement of the empty vehicle, and the device as a whole outputs electric energy to the outside. Whether going up or down, the inverter can control the phase difference between the active current in the electromagnetic winding 4 and the eddy current induced in the bottom conductive plate 3 of the vehicle, so that the magnetic fields generated by the two are in a repulsive state. When the repulsive force is equal to the component of the gravity acting on the unpowered transport vehicle 2 pointing to the surface of the track 1, the suspension operation of the unpowered transport vehicle 2 can be realized, and the wheels of the unpowered transport vehicle 2 are separated from the track surface and run, and there is almost no friction, and the efficiency of converting gravitational potential energy into electric energy is improved. At this time, the wheels of the unpowered transport vehicle only play the functions of take-off and landing and turning guidance during loading and unloading.

[0011] The advantages of the present invention compared with the prior art are:

[0012] (1) Only temporary fixed tracks need to be built, and there is no need to build special tortuous roads suitable for heavy-load truck transportation. There is no need for fuel-powered transport vehicles to carry materials up and down, which greatly reduces the accident rate, operating costs and damage to the environment;

[0013] (2) While transporting materials, the device generates electricity for the power grid, achieving additional economic benefits. The unpowered transport vehicle achieves suspended operation through inverter current phase change control, which improves energy conversion efficiency. If necessary, both the upper and lower lines can operate in the motor state, driving the vehicle and materials to a high place and absorbing energy from the power grid for storage;

[0014] (3) There is no friction between the unpowered transport vehicle and the track, and there is no wear and tear between the equipment. After the resources in a mine or quarry are exhausted, the entire set of equipment can be disassembled or extended to other sites for repeated use, reducing investment costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the overall structure of gravity power generation;

[0016] Figure 2 It is a partial enlarged schematic diagram of the unpowered transport vehicle and the track;

[0017] In the figure: 1. Track; 2. Unpowered transport vehicle; 3. Conductor plate under the vehicle; 4. Electromagnetic winding. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The present invention is further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0019] The present invention proposes a device for generating electricity using gravitational potential energy, which reduces the investment and loss of traditional mines or quarries in transport vehicles and road construction. When the unpowered transport vehicle slides down the track, the gravitational potential energy is converted into electrical energy, which is output to the power grid after inversion.

[0020] In places where a large amount of ore or stone needs to be transported from the mountain to the bottom of the mountain, a track 1 is set up along the hillside from the loading point to the unloading point. The track 1 can be a traditional welded truss structure of various angle steels, pipe steels, etc., or it can be a reinforced concrete prefabricated structure. Unlike the construction of a winding mountain road for heavy-duty trucks, the track 1 can be set up in a straight line or in several short segments from the loading point to the unloading point. As long as the load-bearing requirements are met, the cost is low. There are downlines and uplines. The upline and the downline each have two parallel rails, and the two are connected at the ends to form a closed track. Along the surface of the track, an electromagnetic winding 4 is laid between the two rails. The electromagnetic winding 4 is wound with insulated copper or aluminum wires. There are insulated silicon steel sheets stacked in the middle of the winding to form an iron core. The winding can be single-phase or three-phase, corresponding to the output of single-phase alternating current or three-phase alternating current. The unpowered transport vehicle 2 is used to carry ore or stone. After being filled with materials, it can move downward along the track. A conductor plate facing the winding is installed at the bottom of the vehicle. The conductor plate 3 at the bottom of the vehicle can be a metal plate made of metal materials such as aluminum, steel, and copper. The inverter pre-passes background alternating current in the winding, and an alternating electromagnetic field is formed above the winding. When the unpowered transport vehicle 2 slides down from the track 1, the conductor plate 3 at the bottom of the vehicle induces eddy current relative to the movement of the winding. The magnetic field generated by the eddy current acts on the electromagnetic winding 4 on the track. The magnetic flux in the electromagnetic winding 4 changes, inducing output voltage and current to form energy output. The electromagnetic winding 4 is in a linear generator state. After being rectified, filtered, phase-adjusted, and boosted by the inverter, it becomes qualified electric energy and is output to the power grid. After the unpowered transport vehicle 2 runs to the unloading point, it enters the upline. The electromagnetic winding 4 of the upline works in a linear motor state, consumes electric energy, pushes the empty vehicle to the loading point for loading, and enters the next cycle. Since the empty weight of the unpowered transport vehicle 2 is much smaller than the loaded weight, for example, an existing coal train has an empty weight of 25 tons and a total weight of 75 tons when fully loaded. When multiple unpowered transport vehicles are continuously running on the upper and lower closed-loop tracks, they can not only continuously load and unload materials, but also output electricity stably.

[0021] When necessary, the downline can also run in the motor state, that is, the unpowered transport vehicle 2 moves from bottom to top under the drive of the electromagnetic winding 4, converting electrical energy into the gravitational potential energy of the unpowered transport vehicle 2, and storing the energy absorbed from the power grid, thereby storing energy for the power grid.

[0022] The phase of the background AC current provided by the inverter to the electromagnetic winding 4 can be adjusted with the phase of the induced eddy current in the conductor plate 3 under the vehicle through the phase transformation of the inverter, so that the magnetic field generated by the induced eddy current and the current in the electromagnetic winding 4 is always in a state of repulsion, generating a suspension force to offset a part of the gravity component of the vehicle perpendicular to the track. When the magnitude of the suspension force is equal to the gravity component, the unpowered transport vehicle 2 realizes magnetic suspension operation on the track 1, the wheels leave the track, and the friction force becomes zero, which can further improve the energy utilization efficiency of the device. Suspension operation can be realized whether it is going up or down.

[0023] The conductor plate 3 under the vehicle can be replaced with a magnetic pole made of rare earth permanent magnetic material, such as a magnetic pole made of NdFeB permanent magnetic material. In this case, the electromagnetic winding 4 does not need a background AC current to realize external power generation or electric drive, and can also realize magnetic suspension operation.

[0024] It is also possible to eliminate the excitation windings on the conductor plate 3 under the vehicle and the track 1, and install a rotating generator connected to a speed changer on the wheel axle. The output lead of the generator receives the pantograph, and the pantograph then outputs electricity to the power wires fixed on the ground, connected to the inverter and output to the power grid. However, this mode cannot achieve magnetic levitation operation.

[0025] The present invention is characterized in that:

[0026] 1) Two tracks are set up from high to low, divided into an upward line and a downward line, forming a closed loop. Each track has two parallel rails, and an electromagnetic winding is laid between the rails. The electromagnetic winding is provided with background current by the inverter. The unpowered transport vehicle is filled with materials at the loading point at a high place and runs along the downward line from top to bottom along the track. The eddy current induced in the conductor plate at the bottom of the vehicle interacts with the electromagnetic winding, converting the kinetic energy of the unpowered transport vehicle into electrical energy for output. It runs in the state of a linear generator, and after being modulated by the inverter, the electrical energy is transmitted to the power grid. After the unpowered transport vehicle arrives at the unloading point, it unloads the materials, and the empty vehicle is transported back to the loading point along the upward line by the electromagnetic winding in the state of a linear motor to load the materials, and so on.

[0027] 2) Based on the above-mentioned gravity power generation device, when necessary, both the downline and the upline can operate in the linear motor state, absorb energy from the power grid, drive the unpowered transport vehicle from a low place to a high place, store the energy in the form of gravitational potential energy, and play the role of energy storage. When necessary, the energy can be released to the power grid in the state of the above-mentioned linear generator.

[0028] 3) Based on the above-mentioned gravity power generation device, the inverter adjusts the phase difference between the current in the electromagnetic winding and the eddy current of the conductor plate under the vehicle, so that the magnetic fields generated by the eddy current and the current in the electromagnetic winding repel each other, thereby realizing the magnetic levitation operation of the unpowered transport vehicle.

[0029] 4) Based on the above-mentioned gravity power generation device, the conductor plate under the vehicle can have magnetic poles made of rare earth permanent magnet materials, and the linear motor can operate in synchronous mode, or the electromagnetic windings on the conductor plate under the vehicle and the track can be eliminated, and a transmission can be installed on the wheel axle, connected to a rotating generator, and the electric energy generated by the generator can be transmitted to the power grid through a pantograph via an inverter. However, this mode makes it difficult to achieve magnetic levitation operation of an unpowered transport vehicle.

[0030] The present invention is further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. A track is set up between the loading point and the unloading point of a mine or quarry. The track is divided into an upward line and a downward line. The two are connected and closed at the loading point and the unloading point. One of the downward lines is drawn in the figure. The track can be constructed of prefabricated angle steel or concrete, and there are two steel rails. An electromagnetic winding 4 is laid in the middle of the steel rail. When the unpowered transport vehicle 2 filled with materials runs downward along the track 1, the potential energy of the vehicle is converted into electrical energy in the electromagnetic winding 4. The inverter transmits the qualified electrical energy after quenching and tempering to the power grid. The process of power generation is also the process of decelerating the unpowered transport vehicle 2. After the unpowered transport vehicle 2 arrives at the unloading point to unload, it is driven to the loading point through the upward line, and so on and so forth, realizing the power generation function while transporting materials down the mountain.

[0032] Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the unpowered transport vehicle 2 going down along the downline track 1 is shown. A bottom conductor plate 3 is installed at the bottom of the unpowered transport vehicle 2. The electromagnetic winding 4 laid on the guide rail 1 has a background current provided by the inverter. The magnetic field formed induces eddy currents in the bottom conductor plate 3 of the vehicle. The eddy currents and the electromagnetic winding 4 interact with each other by electromagnetic induction, outputting electric energy to the outside, and at the same time generating resistance to the unpowered transport vehicle 2, causing it to go down at a uniform speed. Under the control of the inverter, the current in the electromagnetic winding 4 and the induced eddy current in the bottom conductor plate 3 of the vehicle are in a state of magnetic pole repulsion, generating a suspension force on the entire unpowered transport vehicle 2. In this case, the wheels leave the track 1, the unpowered transport vehicle 2 is in a magnetic suspension state, the friction force disappears, and the power generation efficiency is improved. Under the control of the inverter, the electromagnetic winding 4 can generate an upward thrust on the bottom conductor plate 3 of the vehicle, that is, the state in which the upline drives the unpowered transport vehicle to move upward with an empty vehicle, or when necessary, the inverter absorbs energy from the power grid to drive the unpowered transport vehicle filled with materials to go up on the downline to store energy. The conductor plate 3 under the vehicle can be replaced with a magnetic pole made of rare earth permanent magnet material to further improve the power generation efficiency and reduce the control complexity of the inverter.

[0033] The above-described embodiments are only descriptions of preferred implementations of the present invention, and the preferred embodiments do not describe all the details in detail, nor do they limit the invention to the specific implementations described. Without departing from the design spirit of the present invention, various modifications and improvements made by ordinary technicians in this field to the technical solution of the present invention should fall within the scope of protection determined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A gravity power generation and energy storage device, characterized in that: The invention comprises an inclined double-track closed track (1) from a loading point on a mountain to a discharging point on a flat ground, which is divided into an upward track and a downward track; an unpowered transport vehicle (2) for loading and unloading materials; a conductor plate (3) facing the winding is installed at the bottom of the vehicle, and the conductor plate (3) at the bottom of the vehicle is a metal plate made of metal material; an electromagnetic winding (4) laid along the track; and an inverter for receiving electric energy generated by the electromagnetic winding (4) and feeding it to a power grid; the electromagnetic winding is wound with an insulated copper or aluminum wire, and there is an insulated silicon steel sheet stacked in the middle of the winding to form an iron core, and the winding is single-phase or three-phase winding, corresponding to the output of single-phase alternating current or three-phase alternating current; two tracks (1) are erected from a high place to a low place, which are divided into an upward track and a downward track. The track forms a closed loop, each track has two parallel rails, an electromagnetic winding (4) is laid between the rails, and the electromagnetic winding is provided with background current by an inverter. The unpowered transport vehicle (2) is filled with materials at a high loading point and runs along the track (1) from top to bottom along the downward line. The eddy current induced in the conductor plate at the bottom of the vehicle interacts with the electromagnetic winding (4), converting the kinetic energy of the unpowered transport vehicle (2) into electrical energy for output, and running in a linear generator state. After being modulated by the inverter, the electrical energy is transmitted to the power grid; after the unpowered transport vehicle arrives at the unloading point, it unloads the materials, and the empty vehicle is transported back to the loading point along the upward line by the electromagnetic winding (4) in a linear motor state to be loaded, and this cycle repeats; The inverter adjusts the phase difference between the current in the electromagnetic winding (4) and the eddy current of the conductor plate (3) at the bottom of the vehicle, so that the magnetic fields generated by the eddy current and the current in the electromagnetic winding (4) repel each other, thereby realizing the magnetic suspension operation of the unpowered transport vehicle (2); The conductor plate (3) at the bottom of the vehicle has magnetic poles made of rare earth permanent magnet material, and the linear motor operates in a synchronous mode.

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