Energy converter driven by seawater pressure

Abstract

The invention discloses a seawater pressure driven energy converter which comprises a wave collecting hollow floating ball, a piezoelectric laminated structure for collecting mechanical stress of seawater pressure on the wave collecting hollow floating ball is arranged on the outer surface of the wave collecting hollow floating ball, and the piezoelectric laminated structure wraps the whole wave collecting hollow floating ball. A structural waterproof film is arranged on the outer surface of the piezoelectric laminated structure; a small solid ball and a piezoelectric pull type structure are arranged in the wave collecting hollow floating ball, the piezoelectric pull type structure is arranged on a motion path of the small solid ball, and the small solid ball can freely move in the wave collecting hollow floating ball; the piezoelectric pull-type structures are covered with piezoelectric PVDF films, and the wave collecting hollow floating ball is driven by waves to move to drive the solid small ball to generate pressing force on the piezoelectric pull-type structures and the piezoelectric PVDF films, so that electric power is generated. The provided energy converter has high sensitivity and broadband response, and can efficiently convert tiny mechanical vibration or pressure change into electric energy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of clean utilization of marine energy, and in particular to an energy converter driven by seawater pressure. Background Art

[0002] The growth rate of global energy demand far exceeds the supply capacity of traditional fossil fuels. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), by 2050, global energy demand is expected to grow by more than 30%. However, the mining and use of traditional fossil fuels not only lead to resource depletion, but also produce a large amount of greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating global climate change. In addition, the combustion of fossil fuels also releases harmful substances, causing air and water pollution, affecting human health and the ecological environment. The ocean, a vast area covering about 71% of the earth's surface. As the largest natural energy reservoir on earth, it contains huge energy potential and is gradually becoming the key to solving the energy crisis.

[0003] At present, the utilization of ocean energy mainly includes the utilization of tidal energy, wave energy, temperature difference energy, salinity difference energy and ocean current energy. Tidal energy uses the rise and fall of tides to drive turbines to generate electricity, wave energy uses the movement of waves on the sea surface to generate electricity, temperature difference energy uses the temperature difference between the surface and deep layers of the ocean to generate electricity, salinity difference energy uses the salinity difference between seawater and fresh water to generate electricity, and ocean current energy uses the water flow in the ocean to drive turbines to generate electricity. These forms of energy are not only renewable, but also produce almost no greenhouse gases and other pollutants during the conversion process, and are clean and sustainable. In recent years, with the rapid development of science and technology, the development technology of ocean energy has made significant progress. In particular, the application of marine piezoelectric power generation devices has opened up a new path for the efficient utilization of marine energy. Marine piezoelectric power generation devices use the charge effect generated by piezoelectric materials under mechanical stress to convert kinetic energy such as waves and tides in the ocean into electrical energy. This technology is not only environmentally friendly and pollution-free, but also has the characteristics of high efficiency and long life. With the advancement of nanotechnology and materials science, high-performance piezoelectric materials continue to emerge, which has greatly improved the performance of marine piezoelectric power generation devices, gradually reduced costs, and enhanced the feasibility of commercial applications.

[0004] At present, there are two main types of energy collection methods for traditional ocean waves. One is the buoy-PTO device, which consists of floating objects, PTO units, control systems, power electronic equipment, etc. Among them, PTO includes hydraulic motors, mechanical drives, etc. This type of power generation method has problems such as low energy conversion efficiency and environmental pollution caused by hydraulic leakage. The other is the oscillating water column (OWC) device, which includes pneumatic air turbines, turbine drives, etc. This type of power generation method has a certain energy threshold, a large device, and power generation noise pollution. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an energy converter driven by seawater pressure to address the problems of low energy conversion efficiency, environmental pollution, energy threshold, bulky device, noise pollution, etc. existing in current ocean energy conversion devices.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0007] A seawater pressure-driven energy converter comprises a wave-collecting hollow floating ball, wherein the outer surface of the wave-collecting hollow floating ball is provided with at least two piezoelectric laminate structures for collecting the mechanical stress of the wave-collecting hollow floating ball caused by the seawater pressure, the at least two piezoelectric laminate structures wrap the entire wave-collecting hollow floating ball, and the outer surface of the piezoelectric laminate structure is provided with a structural waterproof membrane; at least one solid ball and at least two piezoelectric pull-out structures are provided inside the wave-collecting hollow floating ball, the at least two piezoelectric pull-out structures are provided on the movement path of the solid ball, and the solid ball can move freely inside the wave-collecting hollow floating ball; at least two piezoelectric pull-out structures are covered with piezoelectric PVDF films, and the wave-induced movement of the wave-collecting hollow floating ball drives the solid ball to generate a compressive force on the piezoelectric pull-out structure and the piezoelectric PVDF film, thereby generating electricity;

[0008] The wave collecting hollow floating ball is connected to a seabed structure via ropes, and a control system, a sensor, a controller and a protection device are arranged in the seabed structure.

[0009] Furthermore, the piezoelectric stack structure is composed of at least two electrode layers and at least two piezoelectric PZT material layers alternately stacked, and the number of stacked piezoelectric PZT material layers is 20 to 50; the electrode layer includes a battery positive electrode and a battery negative electrode, and the electrode layer and the piezoelectric PZT material layer are wrapped by a packaging material layer.

[0010] Furthermore, the electrode layer and the piezoelectric PZT material layer are connected by sintering or bonding, the sintering temperature is 1100° C.-1300° C., and the sintering time is 2 h-4 h.

[0011] Furthermore, the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the battery are made of silver, and the packaging material layer is polyurethane or epoxy resin.

[0012] Furthermore, the thickness of the piezoelectric PZT material layer is 30 μm-50 μm.

[0013] Furthermore, the piezoelectric pull-out structure comprises a metal shell and a piezoelectric pull-out structure PZT piezoelectric material layer, and the metal shell is an aluminum shell.

[0014] Furthermore, the piezoelectric pull-out structure PZT piezoelectric material layer and the piezoelectric PZT material layer are both PZT-5H.

[0015] Furthermore, the diameter of the wave-collecting hollow floating ball is 0.5m-1.5m, and the wave-collecting hollow floating ball is made of aluminum alloy material.

[0016] Furthermore, the diameter of the solid ball is 0.1m-0.5m, and the material of the solid ball is stainless steel or aluminum alloy, and the outer surface of the solid ball is wrapped with rubber.

[0017] Furthermore, a transmission line is arranged inside the rope, and the rope is made of nylon or polyester fiber; the sensor and the controller control the floating range of the floating ball, and the protection device includes a rectifier and a voltage stabilizer to control the voltage and current of the output power.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0019] 1. A seawater pressure-driven energy converter, the piezoelectric energy converter provided has high sensitivity and wide-band response, and can efficiently convert tiny mechanical vibrations or pressure changes into electrical energy;

[0020] 2. A seawater pressure-driven energy converter. The piezoelectric energy converter designed by the device is lightweight and compact, without complex mechanical moving parts, which reduces maintenance costs and prolongs service life;

[0021] 3. An energy converter driven by seawater pressure, which is environmentally friendly, does not produce harmful substances, and uses clean, renewable ocean wave energy or water flow energy, helping to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and reduce carbon emissions;

[0022] 4. A seawater pressure-driven energy converter. The piezoelectric energy converter of the device is also highly adaptable and suitable for a variety of marine environments and different wave conditions. It can be used for a variety of applications such as energy harvesting, sensors and monitoring equipment;

[0023] 5. A seawater pressure driven energy converter with low material cost, low installation cost, stable and reliable structure, strong corrosion resistance, modular design making it easy to expand and upgrade, and high overall cost-effectiveness. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this application.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure planing of this application;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the piezoelectric stack structure of the present application.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the piezoelectric dial structure of this application.

[0028] Figure markings: 1-structural waterproof membrane, 2-piezoelectric stacked structure, 3-wave collecting hollow floating ball, 4-piezoelectric pull-out structure, 5-piezoelectric PVDF film, 6-solid small ball, 7-rope, 8-seabed structure, 31-battery positive electrode, 32-battery negative electrode, 33-piezoelectric PZT material layer, 34-packaging material layer, 41-metal shell, 42-piezoelectric pull-out structure PZT piezoelectric material layer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] It should be noted that relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprise a ..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the elements.

[0030] The features and performance of the present invention are further described in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments.

[0031] See also Figure 1-4 , an energy converter driven by seawater pressure, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, it includes a wave-collecting hollow floating ball 3, the outer surface of which is provided with at least two piezoelectric laminate structures 2 for collecting the mechanical stress of the wave-collecting hollow floating ball 3 caused by the seawater pressure, at least two piezoelectric laminate structures 2 wrap the entire wave-collecting hollow floating ball 3, and the outer surface of the piezoelectric laminate structure 2 is provided with a structural waterproof membrane 1; at least one solid ball 6 and at least two piezoelectric pull-out structures 4 are provided inside the wave-collecting hollow floating ball 3, at least two piezoelectric pull-out structures 4 are provided on the movement path of the solid ball 6, and the solid ball 6 can move freely inside the wave-collecting hollow floating ball 3; at least two piezoelectric pull-out structures 4 are covered with piezoelectric PVDF films 5 to improve the power generation efficiency; the wave-collecting hollow floating ball 3 is caused to move by waves, driving the solid ball 6 to generate pressure on the piezoelectric pull-out structure 4 and the piezoelectric PVDF film 5, thereby generating electricity;

[0032] The wave collecting hollow floating ball 3 is connected to a seabed structure 8 via a rope 7, and a control system, a sensor, a controller and a protection device are arranged in the seabed structure 8.

[0033] like Figure 3 As shown, the piezoelectric stack structure 2 is composed of at least two electrode layers and at least two piezoelectric PZT material layers 33 alternately stacked to form an efficient energy conversion unit. The number of stacked layers of the piezoelectric PZT material layer 33 is 20 to 50, within which the overall performance is optimal; the electrode layer includes a battery positive electrode 31 and a battery negative electrode 32, and the electrode layer and the piezoelectric PZT material layer 33 are wrapped by a packaging material layer 34.

[0034] The electrode layer and the piezoelectric PZT material layer 33 are connected by sintering or bonding to ensure the stability and reliability of the structure. The sintering temperature is 1100° C.-1300° C. and the sintering time is 2h-4h. Sintering can provide better structural stability and reliability.

[0035] The positive electrode 31 and the negative electrode 32 of the battery are made of silver, which has good conductivity and adhesion and relatively low cost. The packaging material layer 34 is polyurethane or epoxy resin, which has good waterproof and anti-corrosion properties. The waterproof and anti-corrosion packaging technology is used to ensure the long-term stable operation of the piezoelectric energy converter in the marine environment.

[0036] The thickness of the piezoelectric PZT material layer 33 is 30 μm-50 μm. Within this range, the energy conversion efficiency is the highest.

[0037] like Figure 4 As shown, the piezoelectric pull-in structure 4 includes a metal shell 41 and a piezoelectric pull-in structure PZT piezoelectric material layer 42, and the metal shell 41 is an aluminum shell.

[0038] The piezoelectric pull-out structure PZT piezoelectric material layer 42 and the piezoelectric PZT material layer 33 are both PZT-5H, which has a high piezoelectric coefficient and good corrosion resistance.

[0039] The diameter of the wave collecting hollow floating ball 3 is 0.5m-1.5m, and the wave collecting hollow floating ball 3 is made of aluminum alloy material, which has the characteristics of light weight, high strength and corrosion resistance. The wave collecting hollow floating ball 3 is a hollow structure filled with air to ensure that it can float in the ocean.

[0040] The diameter of the solid ball 6 is 0.1m-0.5m, and the material of the solid ball 6 is stainless steel or aluminum alloy, which has good corrosion resistance and mechanical strength. The outer surface of the solid ball 6 is wrapped with rubber.

[0041] The rope 7 is equipped with a transmission line to generate electricity for transportation and storage. The rope 7 is made of nylon or polyester fiber, which has good corrosion resistance and strength. The sensor and controller control the floating range of the floating ball to ensure the efficient and safe operation of the system. The protection device includes a rectifier and a voltage stabilizer to control the voltage and current of the output power to avoid damage to the power system. It is installed inside the submarine structure 8 to ensure the compactness and reliability of the system. Compared with traditional mechanical structures, the submarine structure 8 is simpler and suitable for a variety of marine environments, including shallow and deep sea areas.

[0042] In another specific embodiment, a piezoelectric energy converter driven by seawater pressure, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, it includes an aluminum wave-collecting hollow floating ball 3 with a diameter of 1 meter, which is filled with air. An energy converter composed of a multilayer PZT-5H piezoelectric stacked structure 2 is installed on the outside of the wave-collecting hollow floating ball 3. The piezoelectric PZT material layer 33 in the piezoelectric stacked structure 2 is 40μm thick and has 30 layers. In addition, silver metal is selected as the electrode layer of the piezoelectric stacked structure 2 with a thickness of 5μm. The piezoelectric PZT material layer 33 and the silver metal electrode layer are stacked alternately, with 30 layers. Sintering at a temperature of 1200°C for 3 hours ensures the stability and reliability of the interlayer connection. Polyurethane material is used for packaging to ensure the long-term stable operation of the structure in the marine environment. The outer structural waterproof membrane 1 of the piezoelectric stacked structure 2 is covered with a polyester fiber material to achieve the waterproof effect of the entire device.

[0043] A stainless steel solid ball 6 with a diameter of 0.2 meters is placed inside the wave collecting hollow floating ball 3. Multiple PZT piezoelectric dial structures 4 are installed inside the wave collecting hollow floating ball 3. The piezoelectric dial structure 4 is an aluminum shell with a thickness of 10mm. The shell contains a group of piezoelectric sheets. Each group of piezoelectric sheets has 30 layers, and the thickness of each piezoelectric sheet is 40μm. The piezoelectric dial structure 4 is covered with a piezoelectric PVDF film 5 with a thickness of 5mm. The solid ball 6 can move freely inside the hollow ball. The movement of the wave collecting hollow floating ball 3 caused by the waves drives the solid ball 6 to generate pressure on the piezoelectric film to generate electricity. This increases the output efficiency of the piezoelectric energy converter.

[0044] The wave collecting hollow floating ball 3 is connected to the seabed through a polyester fiber rope 7, and the rope length is 10 meters. The transmission lines of the piezoelectric stack structure 2 and the piezoelectric dial structure 4 are wrapped inside the rope 7, and are wrapped with waterproof materials to transmit the electricity generated by the piezoelectric material. The seabed structure 8 is installed with an internal control system, including sensors, controllers and protection devices. The sensors and controllers control the floating range of the floating ball to ensure efficient and safe operation of the system. The protection device includes a rectifier and a voltage stabilizer to control the voltage and current of the output power to avoid damage to the power system. It is installed inside the seabed fixture to ensure the compactness and reliability of the system.

[0045] See also Figure 3 , is an enlarged schematic diagram of the piezoelectric stack structure 2 of the present application. When external mechanical energy (such as the up and down movement of ocean waves or water pressure) acts on the stack structure, the structure is deformed. At this time, when the piezoelectric material layer is subjected to mechanical stress (such as compression or tension), the internal dipoles are rearranged, resulting in charge separation inside the material. The charge separation forms opposite charges on the two surfaces of the piezoelectric PZT material layer 33, generating a potential difference. The charges are conducted to the external circuit through the metal electrodes and rectified by the rectifier to convert the alternating current into direct current. The rectified direct current is stabilized by a voltage stabilizer to ensure the stability and reliability of the output electric energy. The stabilized electric energy can be stored in a battery or connected to the power grid for subsequent use.

[0046] See also Figure 4 , is an enlarged schematic diagram of the piezoelectric dial structure 4 of the present application. When the solid ball 6 inside moves with the waves or vibrations, it compresses the metal shell 41 of the piezoelectric dial structure 4. When the arch-shaped shell is subjected to vertical compressive force, the vertical compressive stress will be converted into lateral tensile stress. At this time, the piezoelectric dial structure PZT piezoelectric material layer 42 is fixed to the metal shell 41 of the piezoelectric dial structure 4 and is subjected to lateral tensile stress. The internal dipoles are rearranged, resulting in charge separation inside the material. The charge separation forms opposite charges on the two surfaces of the piezoelectric dial structure PZT piezoelectric material layer 42, generating an electric potential. In addition, the piezoelectric dial structure 4 is covered with a layer of piezoelectric PVDF film 5. When the PVDF material is subjected to mechanical stress, its molecular chains will deform, resulting in the rearrangement of the dipoles. The rearrangement of the dipoles will generate opposite charges on the two surfaces of the material, forming a potential difference. These charges can be collected and utilized through an external circuit, thereby realizing the conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy.

[0047] When working, the seawater pressure generates mechanical stress on the piezoelectric stack structure 2, thereby generating electricity. The wave-collecting hollow floating ball 3 caused by the fluctuation of the seawater drives the solid ball 6 to generate pressure on the piezoelectric dial structure 4 and the piezoelectric PVDF film 5, thereby generating electricity. The electricity is transmitted through the polyester fiber rope 7 and rectified and stabilized by the internal control system of the seabed structure 8.

[0048] The above-mentioned embodiments only express the specific implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the protection scope of the present application. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this field, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the technical solution concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An energy converter driven by seawater pressure, characterized in that: The invention comprises a wave-collecting hollow floating ball (3), wherein the outer surface of the wave-collecting hollow floating ball (3) is provided with at least two piezoelectric laminate structures (2) for collecting the mechanical stress of the wave-collecting hollow floating ball (3) caused by the seawater pressure, the at least two piezoelectric laminate structures (2) wrap the entire wave-collecting hollow floating ball (3), and the outer surface of the piezoelectric laminate structure (2) is provided with a structural waterproof membrane (1); at least one solid small ball (6) and at least two piezoelectric pull-out structures (4) are provided inside the wave-collecting hollow floating ball (3), the at least two piezoelectric pull-out structures (4) are provided on the movement path of the solid small ball (6), and the solid small ball (6) can move freely inside the wave-collecting hollow floating ball (3); at least two piezoelectric pull-out structures (4) are covered with a piezoelectric PVDF film (5), and the wave-induced movement of the wave-collecting hollow floating ball (3) drives the solid small ball (6) to generate a compressive force on the piezoelectric pull-out structure (4) and the piezoelectric PVDF film (5), thereby generating electricity; The wave collecting hollow floating ball (3) is connected to a seabed structure (8) via a rope (7), and a control system, a sensor, a controller and a protection device are arranged in the seabed structure (8).

2. The energy converter driven by seawater pressure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The piezoelectric stacked structure (2) comprises at least two electrode layers and at least two piezoelectric PZT material layers (33) alternately stacked, and the number of stacked piezoelectric PZT material layers (33) is 20 to 50; the electrode layers include a battery positive electrode (31) and a battery negative electrode (32), and the electrode layers and the piezoelectric PZT material layers (33) are wrapped by a packaging material layer (34).

3. The energy converter driven by seawater pressure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The electrode layer and the piezoelectric PZT material layer (33) are connected by sintering or bonding, the sintering temperature is 1100° C.-1300° C., and the sintering time is 2 h-4 h.

4. The energy converter driven by seawater pressure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The battery positive electrode (31) and the battery negative electrode (32) are made of silver, and the packaging material layer (34) is polyurethane or epoxy resin.

5. The energy converter driven by seawater pressure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The thickness of the piezoelectric PZT material layer (33) is 30 μm-50 μm.

6. The energy converter driven by seawater pressure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The piezoelectric pull-out structure (4) comprises a metal shell (41) and a piezoelectric pull-out structure PZT piezoelectric material layer (42), and the metal shell (41) is an aluminum shell.

7. The energy converter driven by seawater pressure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The piezoelectric pull-out structure PZT piezoelectric material layer (42) and the piezoelectric PZT material layer (33) are both PZT-5H.

8. The energy converter driven by seawater pressure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The diameter of the wave-collecting hollow floating ball (3) is 0.5 m-1.5 m, and the wave-collecting hollow floating ball (3) is made of aluminum alloy material.

9. The energy converter driven by seawater pressure according to claim 8, characterized in that: The diameter of the solid ball (6) is 0.1m-0.5m, and the material of the solid ball (6) is stainless steel or aluminum alloy, and the outer surface of the solid ball (6) is wrapped with rubber.

10. The energy converter driven by seawater pressure according to claim 1, characterized in that: A transmission line is arranged inside the rope (7), and the rope (7) is made of nylon or polyester fiber; a sensor and a controller control the floating range of the floating ball, and the protection device includes a rectifier and a voltage stabilizer to control the voltage and current of the output power.

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