A self-powered wind speed sensor device

Abstract

The application discloses a self-driven wind speed sensor device, which comprises a cylinder, a wind energy collecting mechanism and a power generating mechanism; the power generating mechanism comprises a rotor, a fixed electrode support and a movable electrode support; the movable electrode support can be in contact with the fixed electrode support when rotating; two kinds of dielectric films made of different materials are respectively fixed on corresponding contact surfaces; the surfaces of the dielectric films are plated with metal electrodes; two metal electrodes are connected with a signal collecting module and a power collecting module; wind speed information can be outputted after signals are processed by a single-chip microcomputer; the rotor is connected with a central shaft of the wind energy collecting mechanism and is installed at a central position in the cylinder; magnets with polar interval are installed on the periphery of the rotor; magnets are also installed at the outer end of the movable electrode support; when the wind energy collecting mechanism drives the rotor to rotate, the movable electrode support rotates around a hinge point under the action of magnetic force; when the two dielectric films are in contact with each other, the two metal electrodes will generate voltage and current signals.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a wind speed sensor, and more particularly to a self-driven wind speed sensor device. Background Technology

[0002] A wind speed sensor is a device used to measure wind speed in an environment, primarily used in meteorological observation, environmental monitoring, and agricultural applications. Common types of wind speed sensors include mechanical wind speed sensors and ultrasonic wind speed sensors, but both require an external power supply to function properly.

[0003] To address the aforementioned issues, existing technologies have developed self-driven wind speed sensors based on triboelectric nanogenerators. These sensors output corresponding mechanical frequency signals without requiring external power, and the wind speed can be obtained after conditioning by signal processing circuitry. Furthermore, these self-driven sensors can collect and store a portion of the output electrical energy for signal processing and transmission in electronic circuits. Currently, the triboelectric power generation structures used in self-driven wind speed sensors based on triboelectric nanogenerators mainly fall into two categories: flutter structures and rotating structures.

[0004] Triboelectric power generation based on a flutter structure generates electricity through contact separation between a flutter plate and a dielectric film with metal electrodes plated on the upper and lower back surfaces. It does not rely on a wind cup or wind turbine and has advantages such as simple manufacturing and high sensitivity. However, since its structure is exposed to the air for a long time, there is bound to be a problem of rapid aging and decomposition of the dielectric film. In addition, dust in the air will cover the surface of the film, which will cause the performance of this type of self-driven wind speed sensor to decline sharply.

[0005] The triboelectric power generation components of wind speed sensors based on rotating structures are mainly divided into sliding and contact-separation types. The sliding structure inevitably suffers from the problem of easy wear of dielectric film materials, which leads to a reduction in power generation performance. The contact-separation triboelectric power generation structure generally uses a ratchet mechanism to achieve contact and separation of two different electrodes. Although this can avoid the problem of electrode material wear, the rotor of this structure needs to overcome frictional resistance and elastic force, which requires a large rotor torque and thus a high starting wind speed. It also has the problem of not being able to work normally in weak wind environments.

[0006] Currently, existing self-driven wind speed sensors based on triboelectric nanogenerators have limited lifespan and low adaptability to the environment. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Purpose of the invention: The purpose of this invention is to provide a magnetically driven wind speed sensor device based on a triboelectric nanogenerator.

[0008] Technical Solution: The present invention discloses a self-driven wind speed sensor device, comprising a wind energy harvesting mechanism and a power generation mechanism. The wind energy harvesting mechanism includes a central shaft and several wind cups that drive the central shaft to rotate. It also includes a cylindrical body, with the power generation mechanism installed inside the cylindrical body and the wind energy harvesting mechanism installed above the cylindrical body. The power generation mechanism includes a rotor, a fixed electrode support connected to it, and a movable electrode support. When the movable electrode support rotates, it can contact the fixed electrode support. Two dielectric films of different materials are fixed on the corresponding contact surfaces, and metal electrodes are plated on the back surfaces of the dielectric films. The two metal electrodes connect a signal acquisition module and a power harvesting module. The rotor is connected to the central shaft of the wind energy harvesting mechanism and installed at the center of the cylindrical body. Magnets with alternating polarities are installed around the rotor, and magnets are also installed at the outer end of the movable electrode support. When the wind energy harvesting mechanism drives the rotor to rotate, the movable electrode support rotates around the hinge point under magnetic force. When it rotates to contact the fixed electrode support, the two metal electrodes conduct and generate a signal.

[0009] Preferably, the movable electrode support is provided in multiple groups, and the movable electrode supports in each group are evenly arranged circumferentially. The magnets installed at the ends of adjacent groups of movable electrode supports have opposite polarities. The hinged end of each group of movable electrode supports is close to the inner wall of the cylinder, and the end where the magnet is installed is close to the rotor.

[0010] Preferably, the fixed electrode support is fixedly connected to the cylinder and includes multiple fixed support units corresponding to each group of movable electrode supports. Each fixed support unit includes a main body and a connecting part; the main body is arranged at a certain angle to the radial direction, and the dielectric film is installed on the side closest to the movable electrode support; the connecting part connects adjacent fixed support units, and the connecting part is provided with limiting holes, in which limiting pins are installed to restrict the rotation range of the movable electrode supports; multiple limiting holes are provided, corresponding to the limited rotation positions of the movable electrode supports when dielectric films of different thicknesses are installed.

[0011] Preferably, the movable electrode support and the fixed electrode support are connected by a hinge, and a bearing is installed at the connection.

[0012] Preferably, the top of the cylinder is provided with an upper end cover, and a hollow cylinder is provided at the center of the top of the upper end cover. The central shaft of the wind energy collection mechanism passes through the hollow cylinder and connects to the rotor. A bearing is provided inside the hollow cylinder to realize the installation and axial positioning of the central shaft.

[0013] Preferably, the wind energy harvesting mechanism further includes a rectifier shroud, which is disposed around the outer periphery of the wind cup and has several inclined guide vanes.

[0014] Preferably, the cylinder is divided into upper and lower parts, with the power generation mechanism installed in the upper part and a signal acquisition module and an energy collection module connected to the power generation mechanism in the lower part.

[0015] Working principle: When the wind energy harvesting mechanism drives the rotor to rotate, the movable electrode support rotates around the hinge point under the magnetic force generated by the rotor. When it rotates to contact the fixed electrode support, the two metal electrodes on the contact surface conduct and generate a signal.

[0016] Beneficial Effects: Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following significant advantages: 1. The use of magnetic force as the driving force between the rotor and the electrode support replaces the traditional ratchet contact structure. The contactless design reduces the starting wind speed of the wind-powered triboelectric nanogenerator, reduces the torque required for rotor rotation, enhances its applicability in weak wind environments, and extends the service life of the sensor; 2. The electrode support hinge uses a bearing hinge design, which further reduces the resistance to rotation of the movable electrode support, thereby reducing rotational resistance; 3. Multiple sets of movable electrode supports for sensing magnetic field changes can improve the sensitivity of detection and signal transmission, and collect and convert wind energy; 4. The rectifier shroud and wind cup are designed according to optimal aerodynamics, which can improve the utilization of wind energy; 5. The installation cost of this device is low. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the structure of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the power generation mechanism of the present invention (without the rotor);

[0020] Figure 4 This is a top view of the power generation mechanism of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the rotor structure of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6 This is an exploded view of the rotor structure of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the movable electrode support structure of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the wind cup structure of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the rectifier shroud structure of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the upper end cap structure of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the lower end cap structure of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown, a self-driven wind speed sensor device includes a cylinder 1, a wind energy collection mechanism 2, and a power generation mechanism 3. The wind energy collection mechanism 2 is installed on the top of the cylinder 1, and the power generation mechanism 3 is installed inside the cylinder 1.

[0030] The cylinder 1 includes an outer cylinder 11, an upper end cap 12, and a lower end cap 13. The outer periphery of the upper end cap 12 extends downward to wrap around the upper edge of the outer cylinder 11, effectively preventing water seepage and facilitating the installation of the wind energy harvesting mechanism 2. For example... Figure 10 As shown, the inner circumference of the upper end cover 12 is provided with three sets of embedded square nuts, and the upper edge of the outer cylinder 1 is bent inward with three sets of corresponding screw fixing holes, as shown. Figure 11 As shown, the lower end cover 13 consists of a disc and a partial annular protrusion, and has three sets of screw holes. The upper end of the screw holes is connected to a copper post, which passes through the screw fixing hole of the outer cylinder 11 and is connected to a square nut embedded in the upper end cover 12, thereby connecting the lower end cover 13, the outer cylinder 11 and the upper end cover 12 into a whole.

[0031] like Figure 8 , 9 As shown, the wind energy harvesting mechanism 2 includes a wind cup structure and a rectifier shroud 23. The wind cup structure includes a central shaft 21 and several wind cups 22. After considering weight and spacing, five sets of wind cups were selected. Experiments have verified that this structure has the optimal wind energy utilization rate. The five sets of wind cups 22 are evenly installed around the periphery of a mounting groove 24, which is a hollow, open semi-cylindrical shape. A hollow cylinder 121 is fixed at the center of the top of the upper end cover 12. The central shaft 21 passes through the hollow cylinder 121 and extends into the cylinder body 1. The hollow cylinder 121 has two sets of rolling bearings, upper and lower, for installing the central shaft 21 and axially limiting it. The mounting groove 24 covers the outside of the hollow cylinder 121, and its inner top is connected to the central shaft 21. The wind cups 22 can drive the central shaft 21 to rotate synchronously. The bottom of the rectifier shroud 23 has four circumferentially arrayed protrusions that cooperate with the grooves on the periphery of the upper end cover 12 and are fixedly installed on the upper end cover 12 by self-tapping screws. The rectifier shroud 23 is located on the outer periphery of the wind cup structure. It includes two ring structures, one above the other and eight sets of rectangular thin-plate guide plates installed between the two rings. The guide plates are inclined so that they can guide the airflow in any direction to the wind cup 22 to achieve the maximum wind energy utilization rate.

[0032] The power generation mechanism 3 uses a triboelectric nanogenerator, which is installed inside the cylinder 1 and is divided into upper and lower parts. The upper part is the power generation part, including a rotor 31, a fixed electrode support 32 and a movable electrode support 33; the lower part is the circuit part, including a signal acquisition module and an energy collection module.

[0033] like Figure 3 , 4 As shown, the fixed electrode support 32 and the movable electrode support 33 are hinged together. The movable electrode support 33 has six sets, and the fixed electrode support 32 has six corresponding fixed support units. Each set of movable electrode supports 33 and fixed support units forms a triboelectric power generation unit. Each set of fixed support units is connected as a whole and fixedly connected to the cylinder 1. Each set of triboelectric power generation units is evenly arranged circumferentially inside the cylinder 1, roughly forming a hexagonal star-shaped structure. The movable electrode support 33 is installed inside the fixed support unit.

[0034] like Figure 3 As shown, each set of fixed support units includes a main body 321 and a connecting part 322. Two sets of connecting parts 322 are symmetrically connected to the upper and lower sides of the main body 321. Both sets of connecting parts 322 have hinge holes 324, which are hinged to the movable electrode support 33 near the inner wall of the cylinder. The hinges are connected by a hinge-type hinge, and a miniature rolling bearing is installed on the hinge shaft to effectively reduce movement resistance. The main body 321 is arranged at a certain angle to the radial direction. A dielectric film A is installed on the side opposite to the movable electrode support 33, and a metal electrode is fixed to the back surface of the dielectric film A.

[0035] like Figure 7 As shown, each set of movable electrode supports 33 includes a main body 331, a hinge portion 332, and a mounting portion 333. A dielectric film B is mounted on one side of the main body 331 relative to the fixed support unit, and a metal electrode is fixed on the back surface of the dielectric film B. The hinge portion 332 is eccentrically designed with the main body 331, so that when the movable electrode support 33 rotates around the hinge point, it can come into contact with the fixed electrode support 32. That is, the main body 321 of the fixed support unit and the main body 331 of the movable electrode support 33 can come into contact, so that the two dielectric films can fully contact each other, which can realize the output voltage and current signals of the triboelectric nanogenerator.

[0036] Each set of movable electrode supports 33 has a neodymium iron boron magnet embedded in its mounting portion 33. The magnets mounted at the ends of two adjacent sets of movable electrode supports 33 have opposite polarities in the same direction, and the end with the magnet is close to the rotor 31.

[0037] The rotor 31 is connected to the bottom of the central shaft 21, and is mounted on a height-adjustable movable electrode bracket 33. Four sets of neodymium iron boron cylindrical magnets with spaced polarities are mounted around the bracket. Figure 5 , 6As shown. Preferably, the thickness of the middle support of the rotor 31 is relatively small, at 5mm, while the thickness of the fixing hole of the central shaft 21 and the magnet mounting hole is relatively large, at 10mm, thereby reducing the mass of the rotating parts and thus reducing the rotational resistance.

[0038] When the wind energy harvesting mechanism 2 drives the rotor 31 to rotate, the movable electrode support 33 rotates around the hinge point under the action of magnetic force. When it rotates to contact the fixed electrode support 32, the two dielectric films come into contact and generate a voltage signal. The metal electrode on its back connects the signal acquisition module and the power harvesting module, which can transmit part of the power to the power harvesting module for storage. At the same time, the voltage signal is processed by the microcontroller and can output real-time wind speed information.

[0039] Furthermore, in order to limit the rotation range of the movable electrode support 33 and prevent the movable electrode support 33 from contacting and colliding with the rotor 31, the connecting part 322 of the fixed support unit is provided with three sets of limiting holes 323. The limiting holes 323 limit the rotation range of the movable electrode support 33 by installing limiting pins. The limiting holes 323 at different positions can be selected according to the different dielectric film thicknesses.

[0040] In practical use, the triboelectric nanogenerator mechanism 3, driven by the wind cup 22, rotates the rotor 31 via the central shaft 21. Four neodymium iron boron magnets of different polarities are arranged sequentially on the rotor 31, with polarities alternating between S, N, S, and N. This generates a rotating magnetic field with alternating polarities within the cylinder 1. The magnets on each set of movable electrode supports 33 are arranged with polarities of S, N, S, N, S, and N. For each movable electrode support 33, the polarity of the magnet on the rotor 31 corresponding to the neodymium iron boron magnet continuously switches between S and N, generating repulsive and attractive forces. This causes the movable electrode support 33 to oscillate reciprocally, resulting in contact and separation between the dielectric film A and dielectric film B, generating voltage and current, thus enabling the normal operation of the triboelectric nanogenerator mechanism. By detecting and processing the voltage signal output by the triboelectric nanogenerator mechanism using a microcontroller, real-time wind speed information can be obtained.

[0041] This invention uses magnetic force as the driving force between the rotor 31 and the electrode support 33 instead of the traditional ratchet contact structure, which reduces the torque required for the rotor 31 to rotate, thereby broadening its applicability in low-wind environments. Furthermore, the hinged part of the triboelectric power generation unit adopts a bearing hinge design, which further reduces the resistance to the rotation of the movable electrode support 33, thus achieving the goal of reducing rotational resistance. This rotational resistance is several times smaller than that of a traditional spring-structured hinge design. Combined with the non-contact design between the rotor 31 and the triboelectric power generation unit, model machine experiments have shown that the electrode support of this invention can rotate at a wind speed of 3 m / s. Simultaneously, the rectifier shroud 23 and the wind cup 22 are designed according to optimal aerodynamics, which also improves the utilization of wind energy. This invention achieves an integrated design for power generation and wind speed measurement, reducing the installation cost of wind speed measurement systems to a certain extent.

[0042] Except for the connecting fasteners, all parts of the wind speed sensor device described in this invention can be manufactured from resin material by 3D printing.

Claims

1. A self-driven wind speed sensor device, comprising a wind energy harvesting mechanism and a power generation mechanism, wherein the wind energy harvesting mechanism includes a central shaft and a plurality of wind cups for driving the central shaft to rotate; characterized in that, The system also includes a cylindrical body, with the power generation mechanism installed inside and the wind energy collection mechanism installed above the cylindrical body. The power generation mechanism includes a rotor, a hinged fixed electrode support, and a movable electrode support. The movable electrode support contacts the fixed electrode support when rotating, and two dielectric films of different materials are fixed to the corresponding contact surfaces. The back surfaces of the dielectric films are plated with metal electrodes, and the two metal electrodes connect the signal acquisition module and the energy collection module. The fixed electrode support is fixedly connected to the cylindrical body and includes multiple fixed support units corresponding to each set of movable electrode supports. Each fixed support unit includes a main body and a connecting part. The main body is arranged at a certain angle to the radial direction and is installed near the movable electrode support. The device includes a dielectric film; the connecting portion connects to adjacent fixed support units; multiple sets of movable electrode supports are provided, with one hinged end of each set of movable electrode supports close to the inner wall of the cylinder and the other end with a magnet mounted close to the rotor; the rotor is connected to the central axis of the wind energy harvesting mechanism and is installed at the center of the cylinder, with magnets of alternate polarity mounted around the rotor, and a corresponding magnet mounted at one end of each movable electrode support; when the wind energy harvesting mechanism drives the rotor to rotate, the movable electrode supports rotate around the hinge point under the action of magnetic force, and when they rotate to contact the fixed electrode supports, the two metal electrodes conduct and generate a signal; each set of movable electrode supports is evenly arranged circumferentially, and the magnets mounted at the ends of adjacent sets of movable electrode supports have opposite polarities.

2. The self-driven wind speed sensor device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting part is provided with a limiting hole, and a limiting pin is installed in the limiting hole to limit the rotation range of the movable electrode support.

3. The self-driven wind speed sensor device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The limiting holes are provided in multiple locations, corresponding to the limiting rotation positions of the movable electrode brackets on which dielectric films of different thicknesses are installed.

4. The self-driven wind speed sensor device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The movable electrode support and the fixed electrode support are connected by a hinge, and a bearing is installed at the connection point.

5. The self-driven wind speed sensor device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the cylinder is provided with an upper end cover, and a hollow cylinder is provided at the center of the top of the upper end cover. The central shaft of the wind energy collection mechanism passes through the hollow cylinder and connects to the rotor. The hollow cylinder is provided with a bearing to realize the installation and axial positioning of the central shaft.

6. The self-driven wind speed sensor device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wind energy harvesting mechanism also includes a rectifier shroud, which is installed around the wind cup and has several inclined guide vanes.

7. The self-driven wind speed sensor device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cylinder is divided into upper and lower parts. The upper part is equipped with the power generation mechanism, and the lower part is equipped with a signal acquisition module and an energy collection module that are connected to the power generation mechanism.

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