An oscillating water column wave energy conversion device that can adapt to wave conditions

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the technical field of wave energy power generation, and discloses a novel oscillating water column wave energy conversion device that can adapt to wave conditions. The front wall of the device can move forward and backward and rotate, and the front and rear positions of the front wall can be adjusted according to the incident wave conditions, so that the natural frequency of the oscillating water column in the device matches the incident wave, thereby ensuring that the device can have a good wave energy capture efficiency under waves of different frequencies; a hydraulic energy catcher is connected to the top of the front wall, and one end of the hydraulic energy catcher slides on a guide rail to absorb the kinetic energy generated by the rotation of the front wall, further improving the energy capture effect of the wave energy device. Based on the characteristic of being able to change the width of the air chamber of the oscillating water column wave energy device, the present invention improves the wave frequency adaptability of the device, so that it can achieve efficient conversion of wave energy under conditions of incident waves of different frequencies, and the swingable front wall can further improve the energy capture effect of the device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of wave energy power generation, and in particular to a novel oscillating water column wave energy conversion device capable of adapting to wave conditions. Background Art

[0002] Wave energy is considered to be a renewable energy source with good application prospects. It has the advantages of high energy density, good stability and high predictability. The wave energy power generation device mainly consists of two parts: energy capture device and power output system. Based on the working principle of wave energy conversion device and power output system, it can be divided into three categories: oscillating water column type, oscillating body type (oscillating float type, pendulum type, raft type and duck type, etc.) and wave-riding type. The oscillating water column wave energy device has the advantages of simple structure and strong reliability. It is highly respected internationally. In some areas of the world with high wave energy density, such as Europe, North America and Japan, the oscillating water column wave energy device is particularly widely used.

[0003] The main structure of the oscillating water column wave energy device is the air chamber and the turbine generator system, which are connected through the orifice at the top of the air chamber, and use air as the medium for energy conversion. Under the action of waves, the water column in the air chamber oscillates up and down, forcing the air above the air chamber to form a reciprocating airflow at the orifice, thereby driving the turbine generator system to work. Relevant studies have shown that when the incident wave is close to the natural frequency of the oscillating water column, the water column will resonate. At this time, the flow rate and flow rate of the gas at the orifice are the highest, and the wave energy conversion efficiency is also the highest. The air chamber structure of the traditional oscillating water column wave energy device is basically fixed, so the natural frequency of the oscillating water column is also fixed, but the frequency component of the incident sea wave is complex and changeable. Therefore, the effective bandwidth of the traditional oscillating water column wave energy device is narrow, and it only has good performance under specific wave conditions. In addition, under extreme wave conditions, the front wall of the traditional device is subjected to greater force and has lower reliability. The present invention aims to improve the wave energy conversion efficiency by proposing a new type of oscillating water column wave energy device that is adaptive to wave conditions and adjusting the air chamber width according to the incident wave frequency so that the natural frequency of the water column is close to the incident wave frequency; and in extreme sea conditions, since the front wall is movable, it can buffer the wave load, reduce the impact load on the device, and improve the survivability of the device. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the existing structure, the present invention proposes a novel oscillating water column wave energy conversion device which can adapt to wave conditions. The front wall of the device can move forward and backward and rotate, and the front and rear positions of the front wall can be adjusted according to the incident wave conditions so that the natural frequency of the oscillating water column in the device matches the incident wave, thereby ensuring that the device can have a good wave energy capture efficiency under waves of different frequencies; a hydraulic energy catcher is connected to the top of the front wall to absorb the kinetic energy generated by the rotation of the front wall, thereby further improving the energy capture effect of the wave energy device.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows: a novel oscillating water column wave energy conversion device capable of self-adapting to wave conditions, comprising an air chamber, a control system, a laser wave surface displacement sensor and a hydraulic energy harvester;

[0006] The air chamber is composed of a movable front wall, air chamber side walls, an air chamber top plate and an air chamber rear wall.

[0007] The air chamber top plate is provided with air holes with grooves; the turbine power generation system is connected to the air holes;

[0008] A front wall guide rail is provided on the side wall of the air chamber; the movable front wall is connected to the front wall guide rail through a connecting shaft, so that the movable front wall can move forward and backward and swing;

[0009] The top of the movable front wall is connected to a connecting rod; the connecting rod passes through the groove; hydraulic energy catcher guide rails are arranged on both sides of the groove; one end of the hydraulic energy catcher is connected to the connecting rod, and the other end slides on the hydraulic energy catcher guide rail;

[0010] A sealing device is arranged inside the air chamber, which is closely connected with the movable front wall, the side walls of the air chamber, the top plate of the air chamber, and the rear wall of the air chamber to prevent the air in the air chamber from escaping from the gap between the movable front wall and the side walls of the air chamber and the groove, and ensure that the air flow only passes through the air holes;

[0011] A laser wavefront displacement sensor and a control system are installed on the top plate of the air chamber; the laser wavefront displacement sensor and the movable front wall are connected to the control system respectively; the laser wavefront displacement sensor detects the incoming wave information, and feeds back the wave period and wave height information to the control system, and the control system obtains the air chamber width that matches the incident wave frequency according to the principle that the conversion efficiency of the wave energy device is the highest when the incident wave frequency is the same as the natural frequency of the oscillating water column in the air chamber, controls the movable front wall to move on the front wall guide rail, and adjusts the air chamber width to a corresponding position, so that the oscillation frequency of the water column in the air chamber matches the wave frequency;

[0012] Under the action of waves, the waves are transmitted through the bottom of the movable front wall into the air chamber to form a water column that oscillates up and down. The up and down vibration of the water column forces the gas inside the sealing device closely connected to the air chamber to compress and expand. The reciprocating airflow drives the turbine power generation system through the air holes to realize energy conversion. At the same time, under the action of waves, the movable front wall and the connecting rod swing around the connecting axis, driving the hydraulic energy capture device to do work, converting the swinging kinetic energy of the movable front wall into electrical energy.

[0013] Front wall limiters are arranged at both ends of the groove to limit the distance that the movable front wall moves forward and backward.

[0014] Beneficial effects of the invention: Based on the characteristic of being able to change the width of the air chamber of the oscillating water column wave energy device, the invention improves the wave frequency adaptability of the device, so that it can achieve efficient conversion of wave energy under conditions of incident waves of different frequencies, and the swingable front wall further improves the energy capture effect of the device. The overall fixed structure ensures the reliability of the device, and the movable front wall can buffer the impact load under extreme sea conditions, thereby improving the survivability of the wave energy conversion device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of a new oscillating water column wave energy conversion device that can adapt to wave conditions.

[0016] Figure 2 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of a new oscillating water column wave energy conversion device that can adapt to wave conditions.

[0017] In the figure: 1 air chamber; 2 air hole; 3 movable front wall; 4 connecting shaft; 5 control system; 6 front wall guide rail; 7 laser wavefront displacement sensor; 8 hydraulic energy catcher guide rail; 9 hydraulic energy catcher; 10 sealing device; 11 front wall limiter; 12 groove; 13 air chamber rear wall; 14 air chamber top plate; 15 air chamber side wall; 16 connecting rod. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The specific implementation of the present invention is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and technical solutions.

[0019] A novel oscillating water column wave energy conversion device capable of self-adapting to wave conditions comprises an air chamber 1, a hydraulic energy collector 9, a laser wave surface displacement sensor 7 and a control system 5; an air hole is provided at the top of the air chamber 1 for connecting to a turbine power generation system;

[0020] The air chamber 1 is composed of a movable front wall 3, an air chamber side wall 15, an air chamber top plate 14 and an air chamber rear wall 13; the air chamber rear wall 13 is a fixed rear wall;

[0021] Two sections of front wall guide rails 6 are arranged on both sides of the air chamber 1 so that the movable front wall 3 can move forward and backward within a certain range. The control system 5 is arranged on the top of the air chamber top plate 14 and can control the forward and backward movement of the movable front wall 3; the laser wavefront displacement sensor 7 is used to measure the external incident wave conditions; the top of the movable front wall 3 is connected to a hydraulic energy catcher 9 to absorb the kinetic energy of the swing of the movable front wall 3.

[0022] When in use, the laser wavefront displacement sensor 7 feeds back the wave frequency parameters of the incident wave to the control system 5, and adjusts the movable front wall 3 to the position with the best working efficiency corresponding to the incident wave frequency, so that the new oscillating water column wave energy conversion device that can adapt to wave conditions can absorb waves more effectively. Under the action of waves, on the one hand, the water column in the air chamber 1 vibrates up and down, forming a reciprocating airflow at the air hole at the top of the air chamber 1, and the airflow drives the turbine power generation system to work, thereby realizing the conversion of wave energy into electrical energy; on the other hand, the movable front wall 3 rotates, and the hydraulic energy collector 9 converts the kinetic energy of the movable front wall 3 into electrical energy.

[0023] The bottom of the air chamber rear wall 13 is fixed to the seabed.

[0024] The movable front wall 3 is connected to the guide rail by a sealing device 10, so that water and gas cannot pass through.

[0025] Furthermore, the sealing device 10 can be made of light, soft and high-strength materials.

[0026] The air chamber 1, the air chamber rear wall 13, and the movable front wall 3 can be prefabricated with steel or reinforced concrete.

[0027] Example

[0028] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown, the novel oscillating water column wave energy conversion device capable of adapting to wave conditions comprises an air chamber 1, a control system 5, a laser wavefront displacement sensor 7 and a hydraulic energy collector 9; the air chamber 1 is composed of a movable front wall 3, an air chamber side wall 15, an air chamber top plate 14 and an air chamber rear wall 13, the top of which is provided with an air hole 2, and the air chamber side wall 15 is provided with a front wall guide rail 6; a sealing device 10 is arranged on the inner side of the air chamber 1, and is closely connected with the movable front wall 3, the air chamber side wall 15, the air chamber top plate 14 and the air chamber rear wall 13, so as to prevent the air in the air chamber 1 from passing through the gap between the movable front wall 3 and the air chamber side wall 15, and The groove 12 opened in the top air chamber top plate 14 runs out, ensuring that the air flow only passes through the air hole 2; the movable front wall 3 is connected to the front wall guide rail 6 through the connecting shaft 4 so that the movable front wall 3 can move back and forth and swing within a certain range; a connecting rod 16 is vertically fixed to the top of the movable front wall 3 to connect the movable front wall 3 with the hydraulic energy catcher 9, and the hydraulic energy catcher 9 is placed on the hydraulic energy catcher guide rail 8, and the hydraulic energy catcher 9 can move back and forth with the movable front wall 3; the front wall limiter 11 limits the distance that the movable front wall 3 moves back and forth, ensuring that the movable front wall 3 moves within a certain range.

[0029] Under the action of waves, the waves penetrate into the air chamber 1 through the bottom of the movable front wall 3 to form a water column that oscillates up and down. The up and down vibration of the water column forces the gas inside the sealing device 10 that is closely connected to the air chamber 1 to compress and expand. The reciprocating airflow drives the turbine power generation system through the air hole 2 to realize energy conversion. The laser wavefront displacement sensor 7 can detect the incoming wave information and feed back the wave period, wave height and other information to the control system 5. The control system 5 calculates the width of the air chamber 1 that matches the incident wave frequency according to the principle that the conversion efficiency of the wave energy device is maximized when the incident wave frequency is the same as the natural frequency of the oscillating water column in the air chamber 1. The movable front wall 3 is controlled to move on the front wall guide rail 6, and the width of the air chamber 1 is adjusted to a suitable position so that the oscillation frequency of the water column in the air chamber 1 matches the wave frequency, thereby increasing the flow rate and flow of the gas and achieving the purpose of improving the energy conversion efficiency. In addition, under the action of waves, the movable front wall 3 and the connecting rod 16 will swing around the connecting shaft 4, driving the hydraulic energy capturer 9 to do work, converting the swinging kinetic energy of the movable front wall 3 into electrical energy. By capturing energy through the oscillation of the oscillating water column and the swinging of the movable front wall 3, the wave energy capture efficiency of the wave energy device can be further improved.

Claims

1. An oscillating water column wave energy conversion device that can adapt to wave conditions, characterized in that: The novel oscillating water column wave energy conversion device capable of self-adapting to wave conditions comprises an air chamber (1), a control system (5), a laser wave surface displacement sensor (7) and a hydraulic energy collector (9); The air chamber (1) is composed of a movable front wall (3), air chamber side walls (15), an air chamber top plate (14) and an air chamber rear wall (13); An air hole (2) and a groove (12) are provided on the air chamber top plate (14); a turbine power generation system is connected to the air hole (2); A front wall guide rail (6) is provided on the air chamber side wall (15); the movable front wall (3) is connected to the front wall guide rail (6) via a connecting shaft (4), so that the movable front wall (3) can move forward and backward and swing; The top end of the movable front wall (3) is connected to a connecting rod (16); the connecting rod (16) passes through the groove (12); hydraulic energy catcher guide rails (8) are arranged on both sides of the groove (12); one end of the hydraulic energy catcher (9) is connected to the connecting rod (16), and the other end slides on the hydraulic energy catcher guide rail (8); A sealing device (10) is arranged inside the air chamber (1) and is closely connected to the movable front wall (3), the air chamber side wall (15), the air chamber top plate (14), and the air chamber rear wall (13) to prevent the air in the air chamber (1) from escaping from the gap between the movable front wall (3) and the air chamber side wall (15) and the groove (12), thereby ensuring that the air flow only passes through the air hole (2); A laser wavefront displacement sensor (7) and a control system (5) are installed on the air chamber top plate (14); the laser wavefront displacement sensor (7) and the movable front wall (3) are respectively connected to the control system (5); the laser wavefront displacement sensor (7) detects incoming wave information and feeds back wave period and wave height information to the control system (5); the control system (5) obtains the width of the air chamber (1) that matches the incident wave frequency based on the principle that the conversion efficiency of the wave energy device is highest when the incident wave frequency is the same as the natural frequency of the oscillating water column in the air chamber (1), controls the movable front wall (3) to move on the front wall guide rail (6), and adjusts the width of the air chamber (1) to a corresponding position so that the oscillation frequency of the water column in the air chamber (1) matches the wave frequency; Under the action of waves, the waves penetrate through the bottom of the movable front wall (3) into the air chamber (1) to form a water column that oscillates up and down. The up and down vibration of the water column forces the gas inside the sealing device (10) that is closely connected to the air chamber (1) to compress and expand. The reciprocating airflow drives the turbine power generation system to operate through the air holes (2), thereby realizing energy conversion. At the same time, under the action of waves, the movable front wall (3) and the connecting rod (16) swing around the connecting shaft (4), driving the hydraulic energy collector (9) to do work, thereby converting the swing kinetic energy of the movable front wall (3) into electrical energy.

2. The oscillating water column wave energy conversion device capable of self-adapting to wave conditions according to claim 1, characterized in that: Front wall limiters (11) are provided at both ends of the groove (12) for limiting the distance that the movable front wall (3) can move forward and backward.

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