Peak-shaving and energy storage mechanisms for smart energy systems

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of power equipment technology, specifically to a peak-shaving energy storage mechanism for a smart energy system. The mechanism includes a water tower, a support plate slidably connected to the inner wall of the water tower, an inlet pipe for injecting water into the inner cavity of the water tower, an outlet pipe for guiding the water from the water tower to a generator, and an elastic mechanism positioned below the support plate to elastically connect the support plate to the inner bottom wall of the water tower. The water tower is located at an altitude higher than the power station reservoir. The upper ends of both the inlet and outlet pipes are located above the support plate. An inlet valve is installed on the inlet pipe, and an outlet valve is installed on the outlet pipe. When water is continuously injected into the inner cavity of the water tower above the support plate through the inlet pipe until the water level exceeds the upper end of the outlet pipe by a certain distance, the support plate begins to slide down at a constant speed under the action of the elastic mechanism, keeping the water level inside the water tower constant. This energy storage mechanism ensures stable generator output power during energy release, reducing the difficulty of controlling the generator's output power when connected to the grid.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of power equipment technology, and more specifically to a peak-shaving energy storage mechanism for smart energy systems. Background Technology

[0002] A smart energy system is a system that integrates various renewable energy sources such as geothermal energy, solar energy, air energy, hydropower, natural gas, municipal tap water, sewage, and industrial wastewater waste heat. It utilizes new technologies such as heat recovery, energy storage, thermal balance, and intelligent control to intelligently balance and control various energy flows, achieving the cyclical utilization of energy. This integrated system meets multiple needs, including cooling and heating, hot water, refrigeration and freezing, drying and heating, aquaculture and planting, snow removal and de-icing, steam generation, and power generation. Peak shaving, energy storage, and intelligent dispatching of the power grid are also important management aspects of a smart energy system. It utilizes the conversion of electricity into other storable energy forms during off-peak hours for storage, and then uses the stored energy to generate electricity and supply power to the grid during peak hours. Pumped hydro storage technology is a commonly used peak-shaving energy storage measure. This technology is implemented by constructing pumped hydro storage power stations, which have an upper reservoir and a lower reservoir. The upper reservoir is built higher than the lower reservoir, and pumps and turbine units are installed between the upper and lower reservoirs, respectively. During off-peak electricity demand, pumps driven by motors draw water from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir, converting electrical energy into potential energy for storage. During peak demand, valves in the upper reservoir are opened, allowing water stored there to flow into the lower reservoir. This water flow drives turbines, converting potential energy into electrical energy to supply power to consumers. Pumped storage power stations have stringent requirements regarding site selection, including topography and geology. Due to geographical limitations, many hydroelectric power stations cannot construct upper reservoirs for energy storage, hindering the effective management of peak-shaving and energy storage by smart energy systems.

[0003] To address the aforementioned issues, prior art disclosed in CN 109881956 B presents a novel pumped-storage energy storage device, comprising: a container wall, an additional counterweight, a large piston, an O-ring piston seal, a waterproof wall, an inlet pipe port, an outlet pipe port, a first valve, and a second valve. During off-peak hours, off-peak electricity drives a hydraulic pump via an electric motor to add filtered water into the energy storage tank through the inlet pipe port. Inside the energy storage tank, the filtered water lifts the large piston to store potential energy, which is adjusted by the additional counterweight. During peak hours, the large piston and additional counterweight, under the influence of gravity, force the water in the energy storage tank out through the outlet pipe port. The forced water flow drives a turbine to generate electricity, converting potential energy into electrical energy. This solves the problem of being unable to construct pumped-storage power stations due to geographical limitations. However, the aforementioned existing technologies place high demands on the pumping equipment. Because the pumping equipment needs to generate high water pressure to inject high-pressure water into the container wall and use the water pressure to lift the large piston upward to store energy, the requirements for the pumping equipment are high. At the same time, in this scheme, when the water body is released to generate electricity for the turbine, the water level and the height of the large piston are constantly changing, and the water flow impact force on the turbine is also constantly changing. The water flow velocity and pressure at the lower end of the outlet pipe are unstable, which leads to unstable power output from the turbine and increases the difficulty of control when the power is connected to the grid. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a peak-shaving energy storage mechanism for smart energy systems, so as to solve the problems of high requirements for pumping equipment, unstable water flow velocity and pressure when generating electricity using stored water, resulting in unstable power output from water turbines and increased difficulty in regulation when connecting power to the grid.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts a technical solution as follows: a peak-shaving energy storage mechanism for a smart energy system, comprising a water tower, a support plate slidably connected to the inner wall of the water tower, an inlet pipe for injecting water into the inner cavity of the water tower, an outlet pipe for guiding the water in the water tower to a generator, and an elastic mechanism disposed below the support plate to elastically connect the support plate to the inner bottom wall of the water tower. The water tower is located at an altitude higher than the power station reservoir. The upper ends of the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are both located above the support plate. An inlet valve is provided on the inlet pipe, and an outlet valve is provided on the outlet pipe. When water is continuously injected into the inner cavity of the water tower above the support plate through the inlet pipe, causing the water level to exceed the upper end of the outlet pipe by a certain distance, the support plate begins to slide down at a uniform speed under the action of the elastic mechanism, so that the water level inside the water tower remains unchanged.

[0006] Furthermore, the elastic mechanism includes multiple layers of spring groups arranged sequentially from top to bottom and an annular plate horizontally arranged between adjacent spring groups. Each spring group includes multiple evenly distributed return springs. The return springs are arranged vertically. The upper end of each return spring in the uppermost spring group is fixedly connected to the support plate, and the lower end is fixedly connected to the annular plate below. The upper end of each return spring in the lowermost spring group is fixedly connected to the annular plate above, and the lower end is connected to the bottom wall of the water tower. The upper end of the return spring in the middle spring group is fixedly connected to the annular plate above, and the lower end is fixedly connected to the annular plate below.

[0007] Furthermore, a limiting block is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the water tower, and a support plate is located below the limiting block. The support plate and the limiting block are in close contact, so that each of the reset springs is in a compressed state. When water is injected above the support plate so that the horizontal plane passes a certain distance above the upper end of the water outlet pipe, the support plate begins to move downward and disengage from the limiting block.

[0008] Furthermore, the spring constant K of the reset spring is:

[0009] K = ρπr 2 gN / n

[0010] Where ρ is the density of the water; r is the inner radius of the water tower; g is the acceleration due to gravity; N is the total number of layers in the spring assembly; and n is the number of return springs in each spring assembly.

[0011] Furthermore, an annular sealing plate is provided on the upper inner wall of the water tower, and the annular sealing plate is sealed and fixedly connected to the inner wall of the water tower. A flexible waterproof cloth tube with open ends is vertically arranged between the annular sealing plate and the support plate. The upper end of the flexible waterproof cloth tube is sealed and fixedly connected to the lower end face of the annular sealing plate, and the lower end of the flexible waterproof cloth tube is sealed and fixedly connected to the edge of the upper surface of the support plate.

[0012] Furthermore, the inner wall of the water tower is vertically provided with guide rods, and the outer circumferential surface of the support plate and the outer circumferential surface of the annular plate are both vertically provided with guide grooves that slide in cooperation with the guide rods.

[0013] Furthermore, multiple limiting posts are evenly distributed on the bottom surface of the support plate and each annular plate to prevent the reset spring from being over-compressed. The upper end of the limiting post is fixedly connected to the support plate or the annular plate, and the lower end of the limiting post is a free end.

[0014] Furthermore, the water tower is a cylindrical body with an open top, and an exhaust vent is provided on the lower side wall of the water tower.

[0015] The working principle of this invention is as follows:

[0016] When the outlet valve on the outlet pipe is closed, during off-peak hours, the water pump, powered by electricity, pumps water from a reservoir located below the water tower through the inlet pipe to the area above the support plate inside the water tower. A flexible waterproof cloth prevents water from leaking into the space below the support plate. Since each return spring is pre-compressed, when water continues to be injected above the support plate until the horizontal plane is a certain height above the upper end of the outlet pipe, the weight of the water above the support plate is balanced by the sum of the elastic forces of each return spring on the support plate. When water continues to be injected, the support plate begins to move downwards and disengage from the limiting block. With N sets of springs and ignoring the influence of the weight of each annular plate on the return springs, after each unit depth of water is injected into the space above the support plate inside the water tower, each spring set is compressed by 1 / N unit depth, and the support plate slides downwards by 1 unit depth, thus maintaining the horizontal plane above the support plate at a certain height. After continuous water injection causes the limiting post on the bottom annular plate to contact the inner bottom wall of the water tower, the water pump stops running, the inlet valve on the inlet pipe is closed, and water injection stops. During peak electricity consumption periods, the outlet valve on the outlet pipe is opened, and the water in the water tower flows out through the outlet pipe to impact the turbine set at the lower position to generate electricity and supplement the power grid. When the water volume above the support plate decreases, under the elastic force of each return spring, the support plate rises at a constant speed according to the water outlet rate to keep the horizontal plane at a certain height.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0018] 1. Since it does not require the pressure generated by a pumping device to lift large heavy objects upwards, the pumping device used in this solution is simpler;

[0019] 2. In this scheme, the height of the water outlet is fixed. According to the water discharge volume, the extension length of each reset spring is automatically matched so that the rising speed of the support plate is automatically matched according to the drainage rate to keep the horizontal position unchanged. This makes the water pressure and flow rate at the lower end of the water outlet pipe stable, further making the impact force of the water flow on the generator impeller more stable, thereby making the generator output power stable and reducing the difficulty of controlling the generator output power when connected to the grid.

[0020] 3. In this scheme, regardless of the total amount of water stored each time, the water pressure and flow rate at the lower end of the outlet pipe remain stable each time during drainage power generation.

[0021] 4. The layered arrangement of multiple spring groups and the multi-point distribution of multiple return springs in each spring group in this scheme can reduce the volume and length of a single return spring while meeting the needs of water storage and energy storage, thereby reducing the manufacturing difficulty of the return spring. The feasibility of the return spring preparation is high, which can meet the water storage and energy storage needs of water towers with different diameters and heights.

[0022] 5. This scheme combines elastic potential energy storage with gravitational potential energy storage, making the release of elastic potential energy and gravitational potential energy stable, easy to control, and highly controllable. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the peak-shaving energy storage mechanism for smart energy systems according to the present invention, taken from the front view.

[0025] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Sectional view of AA.

[0026] Figure 3 for Figure 1 BB section view.

[0027] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of section A.

[0028] Figure 5 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of section B in the middle.

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the peak-shaving energy storage mechanism for smart energy systems after water storage and energy storage according to the present invention.

[0030] The meanings of the labels in the attached diagram are as follows:

[0031] Water tower-10; Annular sealing plate-101; Limiting block-102; Guide rod-103; Vent hole-104;

[0032] Support plate -20;

[0033] Inlet pipe-30; Inlet valve-301;

[0034] Water outlet pipe-40; Water outlet valve-401;

[0035] Annular plate-501; Return spring-502;

[0036] Flexible waterproof fabric sleeve-60;

[0037] Guide groove -70;

[0038] Limiting post -80. Detailed Implementation

[0039] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0040] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the description of the invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.

[0041] This embodiment describes a peak-shaving energy storage mechanism for a smart energy system, such as... Figures 1-6 As shown, it includes a water tower 10, a support plate 20 slidably connected to the inner wall of the water tower 10, a water inlet pipe 30 for injecting water into the inner cavity of the water tower 10, a water outlet pipe 40 for guiding the water in the water tower 10 to the generator, and an elastic mechanism disposed below the support plate 20 so that the support plate 20 is elastically connected to the inner bottom wall of the water tower 10.

[0042] The water tower 10 is located at an altitude higher than the power station reservoir and is used to pump water from the power station reservoir into the water tower 10 for gravity energy storage. The water tower 10 is a cylindrical body with an open top, made of reinforced concrete. Vent holes 104 are provided on the lower side wall of the water tower 10. An annular sealing plate 101 is provided on the upper inner wall of the water tower 10. The annular sealing plate 101 is an annular plate, and its outer wall is sealed and fixedly connected to the upper inner wall of the water tower 10. Multiple limiting blocks 102 are evenly distributed on the inner wall of the water tower 10 below the annular sealing plate 101. The multiple limiting blocks 102 are evenly distributed on a horizontally arranged circle, combined with… Figure 2 As shown, four limiting blocks 102 are evenly distributed on the inner wall of the water tower 10 in this example. In other feasible embodiments, other numbers of limiting blocks 102 can be set as needed. In this embodiment, they will not be listed one by one.

[0043] The upper end of the water inlet pipe 30 is connected to the inner cavity of the water tower 10 above the annular sealing plate 101, and the lower end of the water inlet pipe 30 is located in the water body of the power station reservoir. The water inlet pipe 30 is equipped with a water inlet valve 301 for closing or opening the water inlet pipe 30. The water inlet pipe 30 is equipped with a water pump that is electrically connected to the power grid for pumping water from the power station reservoir into the inner cavity of the water tower 10 through the water inlet pipe 30. The water pump consumes the power grid's electrical energy during the process of pumping water into the water tower 10. The upper end of the water outlet pipe 40 is connected to the inner cavity of the water tower 10 above the annular sealing plate 101. In actual installation, the upper end of the water outlet pipe 40 is set at a position lower than the upper end of the water inlet pipe 30. The water outlet pipe 40 is equipped with a water outlet valve 401 for closing or opening the water outlet pipe 40. The lower end of the water outlet pipe 40 is connected to a generator located at a low position to guide the water stored in the water tower 10 to the generator to impact the generator impeller for power generation. Then, the electrical energy output by the generator is connected to the power grid to supplement the power grid.

[0044] The support plate 20 is a circular plate that slides into the inner wall of the water tower 10. The support plate 20 is located below the limiting block 102. A flexible waterproof cloth tube 60 with openings at both ends is vertically arranged between the annular sealing plate 101 and the support plate 20. The upper edge of the flexible waterproof cloth tube 60 is sealed and fixedly connected to the lower end face of the annular sealing plate 101, and the lower end of the flexible waterproof cloth tube 60 is sealed and fixedly connected to the edge of the upper surface of the support plate 20. When the support plate 20 is located near the limiting block 102, the flexible waterproof cloth tube 60 is in a folded state. When water is injected into the flexible waterproof cloth tube 60 through the water inlet pipe 30, the support plate 20 moves downward, and the flexible waterproof cloth tube 60 gradually extends to match the downward movement of the support plate 20. The flexible waterproof cloth tube 60 prevents water above the support plate 20 from leaking into the space below the support plate 20.

[0045] The elastic mechanism includes multiple layers of spring groups arranged sequentially from top to bottom and an annular plate 501 horizontally arranged between adjacent spring groups. Each spring group includes the same number of return springs 502, which are evenly distributed in a ring. The return springs 502 are vertically arranged. The upper end of each return spring 502 in the uppermost spring group is fixedly connected to the support plate 20, and the lower end is fixedly connected to the annular plate below. The upper end of each return spring 502 in the lowermost spring group is fixedly connected to the annular plate above, and the lower end is connected to the bottom wall of the water tower 10. The upper end of each return spring 502 in the middle spring group is fixedly connected to the annular plate above, and the lower end is fixedly connected to the annular plate below. The stiffness coefficient K of the return spring 502 is:

[0046] K = ρπr 2 gN / n

[0047] Where ρ is the density of the water; r is the inner radius of the water tower 10; g is the gravitational acceleration; N is the total number of layers in the spring group; and n is the number of return springs 502 in each spring group.

[0048] In this embodiment, a total of 4 layers of spring groups are provided, and each layer of spring groups has 6 return springs 502 evenly distributed. Three annular plates 501 are provided between the 4 layers of spring groups. In other feasible embodiments, other numbers of spring groups and other numbers of return springs 502 included in each spring group can be set according to the height and size of the water tower 10. Examples will not be given here. In this embodiment, when no water is added above the support plate 20, the support plate 20 is in close contact with the limiting block 102, causing each return spring 502 to be compressed by a certain distance. At this time, the support plate 20 is subjected to the upward elastic force of each return spring 502. When water is injected above the support plate 20, causing the horizontal plane to pass a certain distance beyond the upper end of the outlet pipe 40, the support plate 20 begins to overcome the elastic force of the return springs 502 and move downward away from the limiting block 102 under the weight of the water.

[0049] To prevent the support plate 20 and each annular plate 501 from rotating during movement, in this embodiment, four evenly distributed rectangular guide rods 103 are vertically arranged on the inner wall of the water tower 10, and guide grooves 70 that slide in cooperation with the guide rods 103 are vertically arranged on the outer circumferential surface of the support plate 20 and the outer circumferential surface of the annular plate 501. To prevent the return springs 502 from being over-compressed and undergoing plastic deformation, multiple limiting posts 80 are evenly distributed on the bottom surface of the support plate 20 and each annular plate 501 to prevent the return springs 502 from being over-compressed. In this embodiment, six vertically arranged limiting posts 80 are evenly distributed on the bottom surface of the support plate 20 and each annular plate 501. In other feasible embodiments, other numbers of limiting posts 80 can be set according to actual needs. The upper end of the limiting post 80 is fixedly connected to the adjacent support plate 20 or annular plate 501, and the lower end of the limiting post 80 is a free end.

[0050] The working principle of this invention is as follows:

[0051] During off-peak electricity hours, the outlet valve 401 on the outlet pipe 40 is closed. Powered by electricity, a water pump pumps water from a reservoir lower than the water tower 10 through the inlet pipe 30, pumping water above the support plate 20 inside the water tower 10. A flexible waterproof sleeve 60 prevents water leakage into the space below the support plate 20. Since each return spring 502 is pre-compressed, when water continues to be injected above the support plate 20, causing the water level to exceed the upper end of the outlet pipe 40 by a certain height, the weight of the water above the support plate 20 and the return springs 502... When the total elastic force on the support plate 20 is balanced, and water continues to be injected, the support plate 20 begins to move downwards and disengage from the limiting block 102. With N sets of springs and ignoring the influence of the weight of each annular plate 501 on the return spring 502, after injecting one unit depth of water into the space above the support plate 20 in the water tower 10, each spring set is compressed by 1 / N unit depth, and the support plate 20 slides downwards by one unit depth, thus maintaining the horizontal plane above the support plate 20 at a constant height. Figure 6 As shown, after continuous water injection causes the limiting post 80 on the bottom annular plate 501 to contact the inner bottom wall of the water tower 10, the water pump stops running, the inlet valve 301 on the inlet pipe 30 is closed, and water injection into the water tower 10 stops. At this time, the water level in the water tower 10 is higher than the upper end of the outlet pipe 40. During peak electricity consumption, the outlet valve 401 on the outlet pipe 40 is opened, and the water in the water tower 10 flows out through the outlet pipe 40 to impact the impeller of the generator set at a low position to generate electricity and supplement the power grid. When the water above the support plate 20 decreases, under the elastic force of each return spring 502, the support plate 20 rises at a constant speed according to the water outlet rate to keep the water level at a certain height, so that the impact force on the generator impeller always remains stable.

[0052] The above are merely embodiments of the present invention, and common knowledge regarding specific structures and characteristics in the solutions is not described in detail here. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the structure of the present invention, and these should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention. These modifications and improvements will not affect the effectiveness of the implementation of the present invention or the practicality of the patent. The scope of protection claimed in this application should be determined by the content of its claims, and the specific embodiments described in the specification can be used to interpret the content of the claims.

Claims

1. A peak-shaving energy storage mechanism for smart energy systems, characterized in that: The system includes a water tower, a support plate slidably connected to the inner wall of the water tower, an inlet pipe for injecting water into the inner cavity of the water tower, an outlet pipe for guiding the water in the water tower to a generator, and an elastic mechanism located below the support plate to elastically connect the support plate to the inner bottom wall of the water tower. The water tower is located at an altitude higher than the power station reservoir. The upper ends of the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are both located above the support plate. An inlet valve is installed on the inlet pipe, and an outlet valve is installed on the outlet pipe. When water is continuously injected into the inner cavity of the water tower above the support plate through the inlet pipe, causing the water level to exceed the upper end of the outlet pipe by a certain distance, the support plate begins to slide down at a constant speed under the action of the elastic mechanism, so that the water level inside the water tower remains unchanged. The elastic mechanism includes multiple layers of spring groups arranged sequentially from top to bottom and an annular plate horizontally arranged between adjacent spring groups. Each spring group includes multiple evenly distributed return springs. The return springs are vertically arranged. The upper end of each return spring in the uppermost spring group is fixedly connected to the support plate, and the lower end is fixedly connected to the annular plate below. The upper end of each return spring in the lowermost spring group is fixedly connected to the annular plate above, and the lower end is connected to the bottom wall of the water tower. The upper end of the return spring in the middle spring group is fixedly connected to the annular plate above, and the lower end is fixedly connected to the annular plate below. The stiffness coefficient K of the return spring is: K= Where ρ is the density of the water; r is the inner radius of the water tower; g is the acceleration due to gravity; N is the total number of layers in the spring assembly; and n is the number of return springs in each spring assembly. The water tower inner wall is fixedly connected to a limiting block, and the support plate is located below the limiting block. The support plate and the limiting block are in close contact, so that each of the reset springs is in a compressed state. When water is injected above the support plate so that the horizontal plane passes the upper end of the water outlet pipe by a certain distance, the support plate begins to move downward and disengage from the limiting block.

2. The peak-shaving energy storage mechanism for smart energy systems according to claim 1, characterized in that: An annular sealing plate is provided on the inner wall of the upper end of the water tower. The annular sealing plate is sealed and fixedly connected to the inner wall of the water tower. A flexible waterproof cloth tube with open ends is vertically arranged between the annular sealing plate and the support plate. The upper end of the flexible waterproof cloth tube is sealed and fixedly connected to the lower end face of the annular sealing plate, and the lower end of the flexible waterproof cloth tube is sealed and fixedly connected to the edge of the upper surface of the support plate.

3. The peak-shaving energy storage mechanism for smart energy systems according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall of the water tower is vertically provided with guide rods, and the outer circumferential surface of the support plate and the outer circumferential surface of the annular plate are both vertically provided with guide grooves that slide in cooperation with the guide rods.

4. The peak-shaving energy storage mechanism for smart energy systems according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom surface of the support plate and each annular plate is evenly distributed with multiple limiting posts to prevent the reset spring from being over-compressed. The upper end of the limiting post is fixedly connected to the support plate or the annular plate, and the lower end of the limiting post is a free end.

5. The peak-shaving energy storage mechanism for smart energy systems according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water tower is a cylindrical body with an open top, and an exhaust vent is provided on the lower side wall of the water tower.

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