Capillary phenomenon-based power generation equipment and method

Abstract

The invention provides a capillary phenomenon-based power generation device and method. The capillary phenomenon-based power generation device comprises a plurality of capillary tubes; a liquid source is stored in the liquid storage container, the liquid suction end of the capillary tube is immersed in the stored liquid source, and the evaporation end of the capillary tube is located outside the liquid storage container; the evaporation device is configured to evaporate the liquid source sucked by the capillary tube; the power generation device is connected with the tube wall of the capillary tube and is configured to generate electric energy and generate power along with the vibration of the tube wall of the capillary tube in the water absorption process of the capillary tube, so that the power generation equipment can be provided with a liquid storage container according to actual power utilization requirements, and is not limited by time, climate and scenes any more; the miniaturization of the power generation equipment is realized, the universality of the power generation equipment is improved, and the cost of the power generation equipment is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of hydropower generation, and particularly to a power generation device and method based on capillary action. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous increase in people's demand for electricity, a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system has been increasingly emphasized. Among them, water resources are a kind of clean energy, which are inexhaustible and can be used continuously. Hydropower generation has played a strong support for the country's economic construction.

[0003] However, hydropower generation usually requires the construction of large reservoirs, with a large one-time investment and relatively limited use. For example, it is affected by time, climate, etc., making the universality of hydropower generation poor.

[0004] Therefore, how to miniaturize hydropower generation and improve the universality of hydropower generation is a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides a power generation device and method based on capillary action to solve the defects of large-scale hydropower generation and poor universality in the prior art.

[0006] On the one hand, the present invention provides a power generation device based on capillary action, which includes: Multiple capillary tubes; A liquid storage container, wherein a liquid source is stored in the liquid storage container, the liquid suction end of the capillary tube is immersed in the stored liquid source, and the evaporation end of the capillary tube is located outside the liquid storage container; An evaporation device configured to evaporate the liquid source inhaled by the capillary tube; A power generation device connected to the tube wall of the capillary tube and configured to generate electric energy and perform power generation along with the vibration of the tube wall of the capillary tube during the water absorption process of the capillary tube.

[0007] According to the power generation device based on capillary action provided by the present invention, the power generation device includes a piezoelectric device and an amplification device; One end of the amplification device is connected to the tube wall of the capillary tube, and the other end of the amplification device is connected to the piezoelectric device; The amplification device is configured to amplify the vibration data of the tube wall.

[0008] According to the power generation device based on capillary action provided by the present invention, the amplification device includes at least one of a single-stage lever, a multi-stage series lever, and a rhombic hinge.

[0009] A power generation device based on capillary action according to the present invention, in the direction from the liquid absorption end to the evaporation end of the capillary, the thickness of the piezoelectric device gradually increases.

[0010] A power generation device based on capillary action according to the present invention, in the direction from the liquid absorption end to the evaporation end of the capillary, the elastic modulus of the capillary wall gradually increases.

[0011] A power generation device based on capillary action according to the present invention, the piezoelectric device includes piezoelectric ceramics and / or polyvinylidene fluoride.

[0012] A power generation device based on capillary action according to the present invention, the power generation device further includes a power conversion device and an energy storage device; The piezoelectric device, the power conversion device and the energy storage device are electrically connected in sequence.

[0013] A power generation device based on capillary action according to the present invention, the capillary wall is a deformable wall.

[0014] A power generation device based on capillary action according to the present invention, the pore size of the capillary is different values in different environments.

[0015] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a power generation method based on capillary action, which is applied to the power generation device described in the above item, and the method includes: Using multiple capillaries to absorb the liquid source from the liquid source in the liquid storage container, and using an evaporation device to evaporate the liquid source inhaled by the capillary, so that the capillary wall vibrates as the liquid source flows; Using a power generation device to convert the energy of the vibration of the capillary wall into electrical energy for power generation.

[0016] The power generation device and method based on capillary action provided by the present invention use multiple capillaries to absorb the liquid source from the liquid source in the liquid storage container, and use an evaporation device to evaporate the liquid source inhaled by the capillary, so that the capillary wall vibrates as the liquid source flows, and use a power generation device to convert the energy of the vibration of the capillary wall into electrical energy for power generation, so that the power generation device can set the liquid storage container according to the actual power consumption demand, and is no longer restricted by time, climate, and scene, realizing the miniaturization of the power generation device, improving the universality of the power generation device, and reducing the cost of the power generation device. Description of the Drawings

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the accompanying drawings required for the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other accompanying drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a power generation device based on capillary action provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is one of the schematic structural diagrams of a power generation device provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is the second schematic structural diagram of a power generation device provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of a power generation method based on capillary action provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Embodiments

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts based on the embodiments in the present invention belong to the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] Capillary action (sometimes called capillary effect, capillary movement, capillary rise, capillary force, or wicking) refers to the process of a liquid source flowing in a narrow space, which can overcome gravity and flow upward without any external force. This phenomenon can occur in plants, between the bristles of a paintbrush, in thin tubes, porous materials (such as paper and plaster), some non-porous materials (such as sand and liquefied carbon fiber), or a biological cell. It occurs due to the intermolecular forces between the liquid source and the surrounding solid surface. If the diameter of the tube or pore is small enough, the surface tension (caused by the cohesion within the liquid source) and the adhesion force between the liquid source and the container wall act together to push the liquid source.

[0021] Based on this capillary action, the present invention provides a power generation device. Specifically, Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a power generation device based on capillary action provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] As Figure 1 shown, the power generation device based on capillary action provided by an embodiment of the present invention may include multiple capillary tubes 11, a liquid storage container 12, an evaporation device 13, and a power generation device 14.

[0023] In a specific implementation process, the capillary 11 is not limited to a thin tube. It can also be a gap between two cylinders or a hole in an object itself, etc. There is no need to list them one by one here. Multiple capillaries 11 can be arranged in an array form. The liquid source 121 is stored in the liquid storage container 12. One end of the capillary 11 immersed in the liquid source 121 serves as the liquid absorption end of the capillary 11, which absorbs the liquid source 121 based on the capillary phenomenon. And the end of the capillary 11 not immersed in the liquid source 121 serves as the evaporation end of the capillary 11, which can be connected to the evaporation device 13, located inside the evaporation device 13, or arranged close to the evaporation device 13, etc. The evaporation device 13 can evaporate the liquid source 121 inhaled by the capillary 11, enabling the capillary 11 to continuously absorb the liquid source 121 from the liquid storage container 12. Among them, the liquid source 121 can be pure water, seawater, ethanol, etc.

[0024] In a specific implementation process, the evaporation device 13 can be an evaporation pan. The evaporation end of the capillary 11 can be directly connected to the corresponding holes provided in the evaporation pan, and the evaporation pan can be heated by solar energy, electric energy, etc., so as to evaporate the liquid source 121 inhaled by the capillary 11.

[0025] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the evaporation device 13 is not limited to the evaporation pan, and can also be other structures. For example, a specific space that can control the wind speed. There is no need to list them one by one here.

[0026] In a specific implementation process, during the process of the capillary 11 absorbing the liquid source 121 in the liquid storage container 12, the tube wall of the capillary 11 deforms and vibrates under the action of the liquid surface tension. Therefore, after connecting the power generation device 14 to the tube wall of the capillary 11, the power generation device 14 can convert the vibration of the tube wall of the capillary 11 into electric energy, so as to generate electricity.

[0027] In a specific implementation process, the number of capillaries 11 can be set according to the actual power generation requirements, and the scale can be freely controlled. The capillary 11 can be made of materials that absorb water but are insoluble in water, such as silica gel, polymer, etc. The power generation device 14 can adopt piezoelectric devices 141 such as piezoelectric wafers, with relatively low cost. In addition, the use of this power generation equipment is not restricted by time, climate, application scenarios, etc., and is flexible and convenient to use, which is more conducive to promotion.

[0028] In a specific implementation process, the specific power generation process is as follows: (1) Multiple capillaries 11 are distributed side by side. One end is immersed in seawater, and the other end is connected to the evaporation pan.

[0029] (2) The capillary 11 draws seawater from the bottom up to the top, and the top evaporation pan evaporates the seawater, causing the seawater to continuously rise.

[0030] (3) When the liquid rises, the piezoelectric sheets around the capillary 11 are subjected to pressure, resulting in charge separation and potential difference.

[0031] (4) By collecting and converting these charges and potential differences, electrical energy is generated.

[0032] This power generation method has the following effects: 1. Sustainability: The liquid serves as a continuous source of energy and there is no problem of energy depletion like that of coal combustion or nuclear energy.

[0033] 2. Environmentally friendly: This technology does not emit harmful gases or produce pollutants, and has less impact on the environment.

[0034] 3. Low cost: The preparation of the thin tubes, holes and piezoelectric materials is relatively simple, and the production cost is low.

[0035] 4. Miniaturization: Tiny devices can be prepared as needed and applied to micro power generation equipment.

[0036] The power generation device of this embodiment uses multiple capillaries 11 to absorb the liquid source 121 from the liquid source 121 in the liquid storage container 12, and uses the evaporation device 13 to evaporate the liquid source 121 inhaled by the capillary 11, so that the tube wall of the capillary 11 vibrates with the flow of the liquid source 121, and uses the power generation device 14 to convert the vibration energy of the tube wall of the capillary 11 into electrical energy for power generation, so that the power generation device can set the liquid storage container 12 according to the actual power consumption demand, and is no longer restricted by time, climate and scenarios, realizing the miniaturization of the power generation device, improving the universality of the power generation device, and reducing the cost of the power generation device.

[0037] In a specific implementation process, during the process of the capillary 11 absorbing the liquid source 121, the surface tension of the liquid source 121 is relatively low, making the vibration energy of the tube wall of the capillary 11 small. Therefore, in order to enable the power generation device 14 to convert more electrical energy, the present invention also provides the following technical solutions: Figure 2 It is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the power generation device provided by the embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2Only a partial structure of the power generation device 14 is shown. Among them, the power generation device 14 may include a piezoelectric device 141 and an amplification device 142. One end of the amplification device 142 is connected to the tube wall of the capillary 11, and the other end of the amplification device 142 is connected to the piezoelectric device 141. The amplification device 142 is configured to amplify the vibration data of the tube wall, thereby increasing the vibration energy of the tube wall of the capillary 11, so that the piezoelectric device 141 can convert more electrical energy. The piezoelectric device 141 includes piezoelectric ceramics and / or polyvinylidene fluoride. The electrical energy of the piezoelectric device 141 can be led out by means of wires or the like to achieve power generation.

[0038] In a specific implementation process, the amplification device 142 includes at least one of a single-stage lever, a multi-stage series lever, and a rhombic hinge. These levers can be made of materials such as carbon fiber and nylon. Figure 2 Taking the single-stage lever as an example for illustration. The single-stage lever may include an input arm 1421 and an output arm 1422. The input arm 1421 and the output arm 1422 are connected by a fulcrum A. The fulcrum A is connected to the tube wall of the capillary 11 or the piezoelectric device 141 through a support structure 1423. The input arm 1421 is also connected to the tube wall of the capillary 11, and the output arm 1422 is connected to the piezoelectric device 141. By controlling the ratio of the input arm 1421 to the output arm 1422, the amplification of the vibration energy of the tube wall of the capillary 11 can be achieved. Among them, the length L1 of the input arm 1421 is greater than the length L2 of the output arm 1422, and the amplification factor is L1 / L2.

[0039] It should be noted that for the multi-stage series lever, only multiple output arms 1422 need to be added on the basis of the single-stage lever, and no further examples will be given here.

[0040] Figure 3 It is the second schematic diagram of the structure of the power generation device provided by the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 Taking the rhombic hinge as an example for illustration. The rhombic hinge may include a first input arm 1424, a second input arm 1425, a first output arm 1426, and a second output arm 1427. One end of the first input arm 1424 and one end of the second input arm 1425 are jointly connected to the tube wall of the capillary 11. The other end of the first input arm 1424 is hinged to one end of the first output arm 1426. The other end of the second input arm 1425 is hinged to one end of the second output arm 1427. The other end of the second input arm 1425 and the other end of the second input arm 1425 are jointly connected to the piezoelectric device 141. By controlling the rhombic angle, the amplification of the vibration energy of the tube wall of the capillary 11 can be achieved. Among them, the amplification factor is , represents the rhombic angle, that is, the angle between the first input arm 1424 and the second input arm 1425.

[0041] In a specific implementation process, a single-stage lever can also be connected in series with a rhombic hinge, or a multi-stage series lever can be connected in series with a rhombic hinge. The corresponding magnification is the product of two magnification factors, and no further examples will be given here.

[0042] In a specific implementation process, only one type of amplification device 142 was used for experiments to obtain the following experimental data. See Table 1: Table 1 Magnification Factors of Different Lever Types

[0043] The above power generation device 14 utilizes a mechanical structure to amplify the vibration energy of the tube wall of the capillary 11. In practical applications, the tube wall material of the capillary 11 can also be improved to increase the vibration energy. For example, flexible materials can be used.

[0044] In actual use, it was found that during the liquid absorption process of the capillary 11, the surface tension of the liquid is different at different heights of the liquid, and the vibration generated by the tube wall is also different. The electrical energy generated by the capillary 11 is also different. Therefore, in this embodiment, the following technical solution is adopted for this discovery: In the direction from the liquid absorption end to the evaporation end of the capillary 11, the thickness of the piezoelectric device 141 gradually increases. That is to say, the capillary 11 can be divided into multiple segments. The closer to the bottom of the liquid storage container 12, the thinner the thickness of the piezoelectric device 141. In this way, it can highly sensitively respond to a lower voltage. That is, the thinner the thickness of the piezoelectric device 141, the lower the bending stiffness, and under the same strain force.

[0045] Under the same strain force, the larger the deformation, the more electrical energy is converted. As the liquid level rises, the voltage is relatively large, and the thickness of the piezoelectric device 141 is thicker, which can avoid overloading of the piezoelectric device 141 and can maintain a stable high-voltage output. That is, the thicker the thickness of the piezoelectric device 141, the higher the bending stiffness, and under the same strain force, the smaller the deformation, preventing fracture and preventing overloading.

[0046] In a specific implementation process, the power generation device 14 further includes a power conversion device and an energy storage device. The piezoelectric device 141, the power conversion device, and the energy storage device are electrically connected in sequence. After the power conversion device converts the voltage, current, etc. of the piezoelectric device 141, it charges the energy storage device so that the energy storage device can supply power to an external load. Among them, an independent current conversion device, a control switch, etc. can be set for each segment, and according to the height of the liquid, the voltage and current of the corresponding segment are controlled and stored in the storage device.

[0047] Based on the above design, experiments were conducted to obtain the experimental data shown in Table 2. Among them, it was divided into 5 segments, which were sequentially recorded as 1 to 5 from low to high. When at a low water level, only the output voltage and current of 1 segment were available; when at a medium water level, the output voltage and current of segments 1 to 3 were available; when at a high water level, the output voltage and current of segments 1 to 5 were available: Table 2 Electrical energy information of dual output under different numbers of segments

[0048] In a specific implementation process, in view of the discovery that "for different heights of the liquid, the surface tension of the liquid is different, the vibration generated by the tube wall is also different, and the electrical energy that the capillary 11 can generate is also different", the present invention also provides the following technical solutions: In the direction from the liquid absorption end to the evaporation end of the capillary 11, the elastic modulus of the tube wall of the capillary 11 gradually increases. That is to say, at the bottom, the elastic modulus of the tube wall of the capillary 11 is small. Under the same strain force, the deformation amount is large, and the converted electrical energy is more. As the liquid height rises, the strain force is restricted, the deformation amount is small, and breakage is prevented. Among them, the process for preparing the capillary 11 with different elastic modules can adopt but is not limited to the following methods: For the lower part, annealing is carried out at a lower temperature to retain smaller grains or more defects, and the elastic modulus is lower; for the higher part, annealing is carried out at a higher temperature to promote grain growth or form a more ordered structure, and the elastic modulus is higher.

[0049] In a specific implementation process, the tube wall of the capillary 11 can also be set as a deformable tube wall, so that the aperture size of the capillary 11 is different in different environments. In this way, the speed of the capillary 11 sucking in the liquid can be controlled, and the required power generation amount can be obtained according to actual needs. Among them, the faster the absorption speed, the more the power generation amount. On the contrary, the slower the absorption speed, the less the power generation amount. For example, in a dark environment, the evaporation rate is slower, and the aperture of the capillary can be set larger; in a sunny environment, the evaporation rate is faster, and the aperture of the capillary can be set smaller.

[0050] Based on the same general inventive concept, the present invention also protects a power generation method based on capillary phenomenon. The power generation method based on capillary phenomenon provided by the present invention will be described below. The power generation method based on capillary phenomenon described below is applied to the power generation device based on capillary phenomenon described above.

[0051] Figure 4 It is a schematic flowchart of the power generation method based on capillary phenomenon provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The power generation method based on capillary phenomenon may include: 401. Use multiple capillary tubes 11 to absorb the liquid source 121 from the liquid source 121 in the liquid storage container 12, and use the evaporation device 13 to evaporate the liquid source 121 inhaled by the capillary tubes 11, so that the tube walls of the capillary tubes 11 vibrate as the liquid source 121 flows; 402. Use the power generation device 14 to convert the energy of the vibration of the tube walls of the capillary tubes 11 into electrical energy for power generation.

[0052] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed to multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment. Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand and implement it without creative labor.

[0053] Through the description of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each embodiment can be implemented by means of software plus a necessary general hardware platform, and of course also by hardware. Based on this understanding, the above technical solutions, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disc, etc., and includes several instructions to enable a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in each embodiment or some parts of the embodiments.

[0054] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements for some of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A power generation device based on capillary phenomenon, characterized in that: include: Multiple capillaries; A liquid storage container, wherein a liquid source is stored in the liquid storage container, the liquid aspiration end of the capillary is immersed in the stored liquid source, and the evaporation end of the capillary is located outside the liquid storage container; an evaporation device configured to evaporate the liquid source sucked into the capillary tube; The power generation device is connected to the tube wall of the capillary tube and is configured to generate electrical energy and generate electricity as the tube wall of the capillary tube vibrates during the water absorption process of the capillary tube.

2. The power generation device based on capillary phenomenon according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power generation device includes a piezoelectric device and an amplifier device; One end of the amplifying device is connected to the wall of the capillary tube, and the other end of the amplifying device is connected to the piezoelectric device; The amplifying device is configured to amplify the vibration data of the pipe wall.

3. The power generation device based on capillary phenomenon according to claim 2, characterized in that: The amplifying device includes at least one of a single-stage lever, a multi-stage series lever and a diamond hinge.

4. The power generation device based on capillary phenomenon according to claim 2, characterized in that: In the direction from the liquid absorption end of the capillary to the evaporation end of the capillary, the thickness of the piezoelectric device gradually increases.

5. The power generation device based on capillary phenomenon according to claim 2, characterized in that: In the direction from the liquid absorption end of the capillary to the evaporation end of the capillary, the elastic modulus of the tube wall of the capillary gradually increases.

6. The power generation device based on capillary phenomenon according to claim 2, characterized in that: The piezoelectric device includes piezoelectric ceramics and / or polyethylene difluoride.

7. The power generation device based on capillary phenomenon according to claim 2, characterized in that: The power generation device also includes an electric energy conversion device and an energy storage device; The piezoelectric device, the electric energy conversion device and the energy storage device are electrically connected in sequence.

8. The power generation device based on capillary phenomenon according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The tube wall of the capillary tube is a deformable tube wall.

9. The power generation device based on capillary phenomenon according to claim 7, characterized in that: The pore size of the capillary is different in different environments.

10. A method for generating electricity based on capillary phenomenon, characterized in that: Applied to the power generation equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the method comprises: A plurality of capillaries are used to absorb a liquid source from a liquid source in a liquid storage container, and an evaporation device is used to evaporate the liquid source absorbed by the capillaries, so that the walls of the capillaries vibrate with the flow of the liquid source; The power generation device is used to convert the vibration energy of the tube wall of the capillary tube into electrical energy to generate electricity.

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