A near-shore multi-degree-of-freedom wave energy device

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of nearshore multi-degree-of-freedom wave energy generation devices, including float, telescopic arm, base and fixed pile;When using, the fixed pile is connected to the base and installed on the nearshore seabed, and a plurality of spherical hinge seats are uniformly installed along the circumference on the outer periphery of the base;The float is spherical crown shape, and corresponding spherical hinge seats are uniformly installed along the circumference on the outer periphery of the spherical surface;Each telescopic arm is provided with a spherical hinge at both ends, and is connected to the spherical hinge seat on the base and the float respectively.The application can fully utilize the various forms of motion of the float in the wave and convert it into mechanical energy in time, and then improve the output of electric energy through a simple speed increasing mechanism.The application has simple structure and strong adaptability, and can provide a new technical approach for wave energy generation technology.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of engineering and technological research and experimental development technology, and specifically relates to a nearshore multi-degree-of-freedom wave energy generation device. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing scarcity of traditional energy supplies, the large-scale use of fossil fuels has led to severe pollution and damage to the ecological environment. Renewable energy plays a crucial role in addressing this problem. Wave energy, as a renewable resource, possesses enormous energy reserves and high energy flux density, and is widely distributed. Fully utilizing wave energy can not only meet the growing energy demand but also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change. Therefore, the development and utilization of wave energy has significant economic and environmental implications and is an effective way to promote the clean energy transition.

[0003] There are three common methods of wave energy generation: mechanical, pneumatic, and hydraulic. Mechanical wave energy generation devices use a transmission mechanism to convert linear motion into rotational motion to drive a generator. Currently, most mechanical wave energy generation devices are pendulum-type devices. These devices typically capture wave energy with only one degree of freedom, have complex structures, and poor reliability. Given the abundant ocean wave energy resources, there is an urgent need for a wave energy generation device that is simple in structure, easy to deploy, and safe and efficient. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a nearshore multi-degree-of-freedom wave energy generation device. This invention mainly comprises a float, a telescopic arm, and a base. Under the influence of waves, the float exhibits three degrees of freedom of motion: heeling, swaying, and rolling. This invention designs a special telescopic arm structure that generates reciprocating linear motion along with the float's movement. An internal transmission mechanism then converts this linear motion into rotational motion, thereby driving a generator to produce electricity. This invention can fully utilize the various motions of the float in waves and promptly convert them into mechanical energy. A simple speed-increasing mechanism further enhances the output of electrical energy. This invention has a simple structure, strong adaptability, and can provide a new technical approach for wave energy generation.

[0005] This invention is achieved using the following technical solution:

[0006] A nearshore multi-degree-of-freedom wave energy generation device includes a float, a telescopic arm, a base, and a fixed pile;

[0007] In use, the fixed pile is connected to the base and installed on the near-shore seabed. Several ball joint seats are evenly installed around the outer perimeter of the base. The float is spherical, and corresponding ball joint seats are evenly installed around the outer perimeter of the sphere. Each telescopic arm has a ball joint installed at both ends, which connects the base and the ball joint seat on the float.

[0008] A further improvement of the present invention is that the base is a thin cylinder.

[0009] A further improvement of the present invention is that there are four telescopic arms in total, and each telescopic arm includes two ball joints, a sliding plate, a housing, and a power generation component;

[0010] The power generation component is installed inside the housing, which has a sliding groove structure. The sliding plate has a slider structure at its end and a cylindrical thin-walled structure at its top with threaded holes around the thin wall. The sliding plate is installed inside the housing and can slide along the sliding groove. The ball joint consists of a ball and a shaft. The two ball joints are divided into an upper ball joint and a lower ball joint. The ball of the lower ball joint is installed in the ball joint seat of the base, and the shaft has a flange structure at its end, which is installed at the bottom of the housing. The ball of the upper ball joint is installed in the ball joint seat of the float, and the shaft is installed in the cylindrical thin wall of the sliding plate.

[0011] A further improvement of the present invention is that the bottom of the housing is closed and the top is open, and a buffer spring is installed at each end of the sliding groove inside the housing.

[0012] A further improvement of the present invention is that there are two sets of power generation components, which are symmetrically installed at the opening of the casing.

[0013] A further improvement of the present invention is that each power generation assembly includes a generator, a secondary gear shaft, two bearings, and two retaining rings; the bearings are fixedly installed on the left and right sides of the housing opening by the retaining rings; the secondary gear shaft has two gear structures with different radii, and the two ends of the shaft are connected to the bearings by interference fit; the generator shaft has a gear at its end, which always meshes with the large gear on the secondary gear shaft.

[0014] A further improvement of the present invention is that a rack is installed on the front and back of the sliding plate, and when the sliding plate slides inside the housing, the two racks mesh with the pinions on the secondary gear shafts of the upper and lower power generation components respectively.

[0015] A further improvement of this invention is that, during operation, the float is above the sea surface while the other components operate underwater.

[0016] A further improvement of the present invention is that the float is made of a hollow structure or a material with a density less than that of seawater, so that it has sufficient buoyancy to float on the sea surface and can move with different degrees of freedom with the waves.

[0017] The present invention has at least the following beneficial technical effects:

[0018] 1. This invention utilizes four telescopic arms to connect the base and the float, all of which are connected by ball joints. The four telescopic arms enhance the overall stability of the device, and the ball joints ensure that the float can move with the waves in three different degrees of freedom: heave, sway, and pitch. They also make the movement at the connection point smoother and more flexible, greatly improving the adaptability to waves.

[0019] 2. This invention, through the combination of ball joint and telescopic arm, can promptly convert various motion forms of the float into linear motion of the telescopic arm, and then convert the linear motion into the rotation of the generator rotor through a two-stage gear transmission device to achieve power generation. Each telescopic arm of this invention is a power generation unit, so this invention has a total of four power generation units. Each power generation unit is equipped with two sets of power generation components, and each set of power generation units is equipped with a speed-increasing mechanism, which greatly improves the power generation efficiency of the device.

[0020] 3. The power generation component of this invention is a purely mechanical structure, without a hydraulic system or turbine device, thus avoiding damage to the marine environment and ecology, and its simple structure makes it easy to install.

[0021] 4. This invention is a nearshore device, where the tidal range between high and low tides is smaller. Furthermore, the extended travel of the telescopic arm ensures the float remains above the sea surface, making this invention adaptable to various wave conditions near the shore. In addition, the shallow and predictable water near the shore facilitates installation, monitoring, and maintenance, thus extending the device's lifespan in the ocean. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a nearshore multi-degree-of-freedom wave energy generation device according to the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the telescopic arm of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the casing of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the power generation component of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sliding plate of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sliding plate of the present invention when it is working inside the housing.

[0028] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0029] 1. Float; 2. Telescopic arm; 3. Base; 4. Fixed stake; 5. Ball joint seat; 6. Upper ball joint; 7. Sliding plate; 8. Housing; 9. Lower ball joint; 10. Cylindrical thin-walled structure; 11. Rack; 12. Slider structure; 13. Buffer spring; 14. Slide groove; 15. Generator assembly; 16. Generator; 17. Secondary gear shaft; 18. Bearing; 19. Fixed ring. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0031] Please see Figure 1 The present invention discloses a nearshore multi-degree-of-freedom wave energy generation device. As shown in the figure, the invention consists of four parts: a float 1, a telescopic arm 2, a base 3, and fixed piles 4. There are four fixed piles 4, which are installed on the seabed near the shore. The base 3 is installed on the fixed piles 4, and four ball joint seats 5 are evenly distributed around the circumference of the front of the base 3. The float 1 is spherical, with the round surface facing up and the spherical surface facing down. The float 1 is made of a hollow structure or a low-density material to ensure that it can float on the sea surface during operation. The spherical surface of the float 1 is also evenly distributed around the circumference of the spherical surface. There are four telescopic arms 2. The float 1 and the base 3 are connected by ball joint seats 5 on the float 1 and ball joints at both ends of each telescopic arm 2.

[0032] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4The telescopic arm 2 of this invention consists of an upper ball joint 6, a sliding plate 7, a housing 8, and a lower ball joint 9. The sliding plate 7 has a cylindrical thin-walled structure 10 at its top, with threaded holes around the thin wall. The upper ball joint 6 consists of a ball structure and a shaft structure, with the shaft structure installed within the cylindrical thin-walled structure of the sliding plate 7. The lower ball joint 9 also consists of a ball structure and a shaft structure, but has a flange structure at the end of its shaft, through which the lower ball joint is installed to the bottom of the housing 8. The housing 8 is closed at the bottom and open at the top. Slide grooves 14 are formed on both sides inside the housing 8. One end of each slide groove 14 reaches the bottom of the housing 8, while the other end maintains a certain distance from the top opening. A buffer spring 13 is provided at both ends of each slide groove. A power generation component 15 is installed inside the housing 8 near the opening. There are two symmetrical components 15, one above the other. The parts and installation methods of each generator component are the same. Each generator component 15 consists of a generator 16, a secondary gear shaft 17, two bearings 18, and two retaining rings 19. There are four bearing groove structures at the opening of the housing. The two bearing grooves in the horizontal direction form a group, and the bearings 18 are placed in them. There are multiple threaded holes on the retaining rings 19. The bearings 18 are fastened with screws during installation. The secondary gear shaft 17 consists of a shaft structure and two gear structures with different radii. The two ends of the shaft are connected to the bearings 18 by an interference fit. The generator 16 is installed inside the housing 8. Its rotor end has a gear structure, which always meshes with the large gear on the secondary gear shaft 17.

[0033] Please see Figure 5 and Figure 6 The sliding plate 7 of the present invention has multiple structural components. The top is a cylindrical thin-walled structure 10 for connecting to the ball joint 6. The main body of the sliding plate 7 is a thin plate, and a rack 11 is installed on both the front and back sides of the thin plate. The end of the thin plate is a slider structure 12. The sliding plate 7 is installed inside the housing 8. The slider structure 12 can slide along the slide groove 14 inside the housing 8. During operation, when the slider structure 12 reaches the left and right limit positions of the slide groove 14, the buffer spring 13 will provide a certain buffering force to avoid collision between parts. The rack 11 and the pinion on the secondary gear shaft 17 always maintain meshing. When the sliding plate 7 slides, the rack 11 drives the secondary gear shaft 17 to rotate, and then drives the rotor of the generator 16 to rotate through the secondary gear shaft 17 to generate electricity.

[0034] In summary, the overall working principle of this invention is as follows:

[0035] In operation, the wave energy power generation device of this invention has a float 1 floating on the sea surface and a base 3 fixed to the seabed. Since both are connected to the telescopic arm 2 via ball joints, the float 1 can smoothly perform three different degrees of freedom of movement—swaying, pitching, and heaving—under the influence of waves. These movements constantly drive the sliding plate 7 to move linearly. Because the rack 11 on the sliding plate 7 is always meshed with the small gear on the secondary gear shaft 17, the movement of the sliding plate 7 drives the secondary gear shaft 17 to rotate. The large gear on the gear shaft is always meshed with the rotor of the generator 16, so the rotation of the large gear drives the rotor of the generator 16 to rotate, thus generating electricity. Each telescopic arm 2 is a power generation unit, therefore there are four power generation units in total, and each power generation unit contains two power generation components. Simultaneously, the large and small gear structures on the secondary gear shaft 17 also have a certain speed-up effect on the generator 16, thus improving the power generation efficiency of this invention. Furthermore, since this invention operates near the shore, where tidal fluctuations are not significant, and because the sliding plate 7 provides sufficient travel, ensuring the float 1 remains afloat, this invention is highly adaptable to varying seawater depths at any time of day near the shore. Other components, due to their prolonged underwater operation, require corrosion-resistant materials or surface anti-corrosion treatment. Additionally, related electrical parts require waterproofing.

[0036] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A nearshore multi-degree-of-freedom wave energy generation device, characterized in that, Includes float, telescopic arm, base, and anchor pile; In use, the fixed pile is connected to the base and installed on the near-shore seabed. Several ball joint seats are evenly installed along the circumference of the outer periphery of the base. The float is spherical, and corresponding ball joint seats are evenly installed along the circumference of the outer periphery of the sphere. Each telescopic arm has a ball joint installed at both ends, which are respectively connected to the ball joint seats on the base and the float. There are four telescopic arms in total. Each telescopic arm includes two ball joints, a sliding plate, a housing, and a power generation component. The power generation component is installed inside the housing. The housing has a sliding groove structure inside. The sliding plate has a slider structure at the end and a cylindrical thin-walled structure at the top with threaded holes around the thin wall. The sliding plate is installed inside the housing and can slide along the sliding groove. There are two sets of power generation components, and the two sets are installed symmetrically from top to bottom. Each power generation assembly includes a generator, a secondary gear shaft, two bearings, and two retaining rings; the secondary gear shaft has two gear structures with different radii, and both ends of the shaft are connected to the bearings by interference fit; the generator shaft has a gear at its end, which always meshes with the large gear on the secondary gear shaft; A rack is installed on the front and back of the sliding plate. When the sliding plate slides inside the housing, the two racks mesh with the pinions on the secondary gear shafts of the upper and lower power generation components, respectively.

2. The nearshore multi-degree-of-freedom wave energy generation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base is a thin cylinder.

3. A nearshore multi-degree-of-freedom wave energy generation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ball joint consists of a ball and a shaft. The two ball joints are divided into an upper ball joint and a lower ball joint. The ball of the lower ball joint is installed in the ball joint seat of the base, and the shaft end has a flange structure and is installed at the bottom of the housing. The ball of the upper ball joint is installed in the ball joint seat of the float, and the shaft end is installed in the cylindrical thin wall of the sliding plate.

4. A nearshore multi-degree-of-freedom wave energy generation device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The bottom of the housing is closed and the top is open. A buffer spring is installed at each end of a sliding groove inside the housing.

5. A nearshore multi-degree-of-freedom wave energy generation device according to claim 3, characterized in that, Two sets of power generation components are symmetrically installed at the openings of the casing.

6. A nearshore multi-degree-of-freedom wave energy generation device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The bearings are fixedly installed on the left and right sides of the housing opening by retaining rings.

7. A nearshore multi-degree-of-freedom wave energy generation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, During operation, the float is above the sea surface, while the other components work underwater.

8. A nearshore multi-degree-of-freedom wave energy generation device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The float is made of a hollow structure or a material with a density less than that of seawater, so that it has enough buoyancy to float on the sea surface and can move with different degrees of freedom with the waves.

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