A multi-pontoon floating photovoltaic wave-resistant structure based on lever principle

Abstract

The application discloses a multi-float floating photovoltaic wave-resistant structure based on a lever principle, which comprises a central float, a plurality of peripheral floats for mounting photovoltaic panels distributed around the central float, and a plurality of connecting arms connecting the central float and the peripheral floats, wherein one end of the connecting arm is hingedly connected with the central float, the other end is hingedly connected with the peripheral float, and the middle part is connected with seabed bedrock through a mooring rope, so that when the peripheral float or the central float floats upward, the connecting arm can be driven to rotate in a vertical plane around the fulcrum formed at the connecting position of the mooring rope and the connecting arm. The application adopts the lever principle, thereby limiting the movement range of the peripheral float and the central float, and further improving the stability of the whole photovoltaic platform.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of offshore power generation equipment technology, and in particular to a multi-buoy floating photovoltaic wave-resistant structure based on the lever principle. Background Technology

[0002] Floating photovoltaic (PV) platforms are an innovative renewable energy technology that installs solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation systems on the surface of water bodies such as oceans, lakes, and reservoirs. They utilize a floating structure to support PV modules, enabling power generation on water. This technology offers advantages such as saving land resources and improving power generation efficiency, making it particularly suitable for areas with limited land resources or abundant water resources.

[0003] Current floating structures generally adopt pontoon structures with high overall rigidity. Under the action of waves, the overall vertical movement is large, and there is a lack of measures to dissipate the energy of the waves. This places high demands on the strength and installation structure of the pontoon structure itself and the photovoltaic panels installed on it. At the same time, the large-amplitude vibration of the whole also reduces the power generation efficiency of the photovoltaic panels and the service life of the platform. 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 multi-buoy floating photovoltaic wave-resistant structure based on the lever principle, which solves the problems of large stiffness, large response to sea waves, and poor stability of existing offshore floating photovoltaic platforms.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A multi-buoy floating photovoltaic wave-resistant structure based on the lever principle includes a central buoy and multiple peripheral buoys distributed around it for installing photovoltaic panels, as well as multiple connecting arms connecting the central buoy and each peripheral buoy. One end of each connecting arm is hinged to the central buoy, and the other end is hinged to the peripheral buoys. The middle part is connected to the seabed bedrock through a mooring rope. When the peripheral buoys or the central buoy float upward, they can drive the connecting arms to rotate in the vertical plane around the fulcrum formed by the connection between the mooring rope and the connecting arm.

[0006] As an optimization, the central pontoon has a cylindrical structure, the length direction of the connecting arm is arranged radially along the central pontoon, the peripheral pontoons have a cuboid structure and are arranged in the fan-shaped area between two adjacent connecting arms, and the peripheral pontoons are respectively hinged to the two adjacent connecting arms.

[0007] As an optimization, the connecting arms consist of 8 evenly distributed around the central buoy. Within the fan-shaped area between each adjacent connecting arm, there are 3 sets of peripheral buoys that are parallel in length and spaced apart. The length direction of the peripheral buoys is perpendicular to the bisector of the central angle of the fan-shaped area.

[0008] As an optimization, the peripheral float is hinged to the connecting arm via a hydraulic damper. The hydraulic damper includes a cylinder and a piston rod coaxially and telescopically mounted in the cylinder. The cylinder is filled with hydraulic oil, and the piston of the piston rod divides the cylinder into two chambers, which are connected by a throttling damping orifice. The end of the cylinder away from the piston rod is hinged to the connecting arm, and the end of the piston rod away from the cylinder is hinged to the peripheral float, allowing relative vertical movement between the peripheral float and the connecting arm.

[0009] As an optimization, the cylinder of the hydraulic damper is provided with a protruding structure and a cavity in the protruding structure. An axial-flow generator is installed in the cavity. The throttling damping orifice is located in the protruding structure and connects the two chambers in the cylinder and the cavity, so that when the piston rod reciprocates, the hydraulic oil can flow back and forth through the axial-flow generator in the cavity to drive the axial-flow generator to generate electricity.

[0010] As an optimization, the connecting arm is a truss structure, and its height gradually increases from both ends to the middle.

[0011] As an optimization, the maximum height position of the connecting arm corresponds to the connection position of the mooring rope.

[0012] As an optimization, a rope length adjustment device and a tension sensor are installed on the mooring rope, and the tension sensor is connected to a control system that controls the operation of the rope length adjustment device.

[0013] As an optimization, the rope length adjustment device includes a housing connected to the seabed via a traction rope, and a winch installed inside the housing. The end of the mooring rope opposite to the connecting arm extends into the housing and is wound around the winch. The winch has a cylindrical structure, and a rotating shaft driven by a motor is coaxially installed inside it. The motor is connected to the control system. The inner wall of the winch is provided with ratchet teeth, and correspondingly, a pawl that engages with the ratchet teeth is provided on the rotating shaft. When the motor is not working, the rotating shaft is in a locked state. When the motor drives the rotating shaft to rotate, the pawl can disengage from the teeth. The winch is connected to the housing via a spring, so that the winch is always subjected to a torque that tightens the mooring rope. When the pawl engages with the ratchet teeth, it can prevent the winch from rotating in the direction of loosening the mooring rope.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following advantages: This invention, By setting up a central buoy and peripheral buoys, with the central buoy flexibly connected to the peripheral buoys via a connecting arm, the connecting arm can rotate to form a lever structure under the constraint of the mooring ropes. Under the action of waves, the up-and-down movement of the peripheral buoys can act on the central buoy through the connecting arm, causing the central buoy to move in the opposite direction, increasing the displacement volume and thus increasing the buoyancy it receives. This, in turn, acts on the peripheral buoys, thereby limiting the range of movement of the peripheral buoys and improving the stability of the entire photovoltaic platform. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is the front view of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a top view of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the hydraulic damper in this invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the rope length adjustment device in this invention; In the diagram, 1 is the central buoy, 2 is the peripheral buoy, 3 is the connecting arm, 4 is the mooring rope, 5 is the hydraulic damper, 51 is the raised structure, 52 is the throttling damping orifice, 53 is the axial-flow generator, 6 is the rope length adjustment device, 61 is the outer shell, 62 is the winch, 63 is the shaft, and 64 is the pawl. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] For specific implementation: see [link / reference] Figures 1-5 , An embodiment of a multi-buoy floating photovoltaic wave-resistant structure based on the lever principle includes a central buoy 1 and multiple peripheral buoys 2 distributed around it for installing photovoltaic panels, as well as multiple connecting arms 3 connecting the central buoy 1 and each peripheral buoy 2. The central buoy 1 has a larger self-weight and drainage volume, while the peripheral buoys 2 have a smaller self-weight and drainage volume. One end of each connecting arm 3 is hinged to the central buoy 1, and the other end is hinged to the peripheral buoys 2. The middle part is connected to the seabed bedrock through a mooring rope 4. When the peripheral buoys 2 or the central buoy 1 floats upward, it can drive the connecting arm 3 to rotate in the vertical plane around the fulcrum formed by the connection between the mooring rope 4 and the connecting arm 3.

[0018] Specifically, in this embodiment, the central buoy 1 has a cylindrical structure, and the connecting arm 3 is arranged radially along the length of the central buoy 1. The connecting arm 3 has a truss structure, and its height gradually increases from both ends to the middle. The maximum height of the connecting arm 3 corresponds to the connection position of the mooring rope 4, and this connection position is further away from the central buoy 1, so that the lengths on both sides of the fulcrum of the connecting arm 3 are different, that is, the length on the side closer to the central buoy 1 is greater than the length on the other side. The peripheral buoy 2 has a cuboid structure and is arranged in the fan-shaped area between two adjacent connecting arms 3, and the peripheral buoy 2 is hinged to the two adjacent connecting arms 3 respectively. More specifically, the connecting arms 3 consist of 8 evenly distributed around the central buoy 1. Within the fan-shaped area between each adjacent connecting arm 3, there are 3 sets of peripheral buoys 2 that are parallel in length and spaced apart. The length direction of the peripheral buoys 2 is perpendicular to the bisector of the central angle of the fan-shaped area. The photovoltaic panels are installed on the peripheral buoys 2. The electricity generated by the photovoltaic panels can be directly connected to the energy storage device on the coast via a cable, or the energy storage device can be integrated into the central buoy 1 and then connected to the power facilities on the coast via a cable.

[0019] The peripheral float 2 is hinged to the connecting arm 3 via a hydraulic damper 5. The hydraulic damper 5 includes a cylinder and a piston rod that is coaxially and telescopically mounted in the cylinder. The cylinder is filled with hydraulic oil. The piston of the piston rod divides the cylinder into two chambers, which are connected by a throttling damping orifice 52. The end of the cylinder away from the piston rod is hinged to the connecting arm 3, and the end of the piston rod away from the cylinder is hinged to the peripheral float 2, so that the peripheral float 2 and the connecting arm 3 can move relative to each other in the vertical direction. Specifically, in this embodiment, to further utilize the energy of ocean waves, the cylinder of the hydraulic damper 5 is provided with a protruding structure 51, and a cavity is provided in the protruding structure 51. An axial-flow generator 53 is installed in the cavity. The throttling damping orifice 52 is located in the protruding structure 51 and connects the two chambers in the cylinder and the cavity, so that when the piston rod reciprocates, the hydraulic oil can flow back and forth through the axial-flow generator 53 in the cavity, driving the axial-flow generator 53 to generate electricity. Specifically, the structure of the axial-flow generator 53 can be an axial-flow micro generator that can adapt to bidirectional fluid flow, that is, it can generate electricity in both forward and reverse rotation. This motor structure is existing technology and will not be described in detail. In this way, by using the flow of hydraulic oil in the hydraulic damper 5 to drive the axial-flow generator 53 to generate electricity, the energy of ocean waves is further utilized. At the same time, the axial-flow generator 53 further improves the damping effect and the energy dissipation effect, thereby efficiently realizing the dissipation and utilization of ocean wave energy.

[0020] This invention sets up a central buoy 1 and peripheral buoys 2, with the central buoy 1 flexibly connected to the peripheral buoys 2 via a connecting arm 3. Under the constraint of the mooring rope 4, the connecting arm 3 can rotate. Under the action of waves, the up-and-down movement of the peripheral buoys 2 can act on the central buoy 1 through the connecting arm 3, causing the central buoy 1 to move in the opposite direction, increasing the displacement volume and thus increasing the buoyancy it receives. This, in turn, acts on the peripheral buoys 2, thereby limiting the range of movement of the peripheral buoys 2 and improving the stability of the entire photovoltaic platform.

[0021] Specifically, in this embodiment, the central pontoon 1 has a large bottom area and is located at the center of the entire floating structure. It can be integrated with other laying or transformer power transmission equipment and has a large self-weight. At the same time, it is subject to a large balance of buoyancy and gravity, which makes its vertical stability better. The peripheral pontoons 2 are smaller in volume and more economical.

[0022] The eight connecting arms 3 can be regarded as levers, with the connection point between the middle and the mooring rope 4 as the fulcrum. They are connected to the bedrock at the bottom of the ocean through three mooring ropes 4, which restricts the movement of the overall structure. The two ends are respectively hinged to the central buoy 1 and the peripheral buoy 2. The connection with the peripheral buoy 2 is through a hydraulic damper 5, which allows a certain degree of stretching or compression. The principle is to convert the large mechanical energy of the outside into the heat energy generated by the internal liquid flowing in the small space and rubbing against the pipe wall.

[0023] The eight connecting arms 3 are variable cross-section I-shaped steel structural members. The I-shaped cross-section is highest near the fulcrum and decreases towards both ends. Ribs are used to reinforce the connection nodes with the buoys and mooring lines. In addition, the fulcrum positions are chosen to be closer to the peripheral buoys 2 and farther from the central buoy 1. This lever arm arrangement allows a smaller vertical displacement of the peripheral buoys 2 to cause a larger vertical displacement of the central buoy 1, further enhancing the overall stability.

[0024] Since the entire structure is towed by the mooring rope 4, and due to the uncertainty of wave fluctuations, the conventional mooring rope 4 is prone to breakage or fatigue damage under the cyclic load of the waves. At the same time, in order to ensure the restraining effect of the mooring rope 4 on the connecting arm 3, this embodiment is equipped with a rope length adjustment device 6 and a tension sensor on the mooring rope 4. The tension sensor is connected to the control system that controls the operation of the rope length adjustment device 6.

[0025] Specifically, the rope length adjustment device 6 can use a traditional electric winch, but it has a large structural weight and high power consumption, which is not conducive to energy saving and installation. Therefore, in this embodiment, the rope length adjustment device 6 includes a housing 61 connected to the seabed by a traction rope, and a winch 62 installed in the housing 61. The end of the mooring rope 4 facing away from the connecting arm 3 extends into the housing 61 and is wound around the winch 62. The winch 62 has a cylindrical structure, and a rotating shaft 63 driven by a motor is coaxially installed inside it. It is connected to the control system; the inner wall of the winch 62 is provided with ratchet teeth, and correspondingly, the shaft 63 is provided with a pawl 64 that cooperates with the ratchet teeth. When the motor is not working, the shaft 63 is in a locked state. When the motor drives the shaft 63 to rotate, the pawl 64 can disengage from the teeth of the ratchet teeth; the winch 62 is connected to the outer shell 61 through a spring, so that the winch 62 is always subjected to the torque that tightens the mooring rope 4. When the pawl 64 cooperates with the ratchet teeth, it can prevent the winch 62 from rotating in the direction of loosening the mooring rope 4.

[0026] When there are no waves, the winch 62 keeps the mooring rope 4 taut under the action of the spring, ensuring the stability of the entire floating structure. When waves cause the entire floating structure to rise, the tension of the mooring rope 4 increases. At the same time, the engagement of the pawl 64 and the ratchet restricts the reverse rotation of the winch 62, thereby tightening the connecting arm 3, improving the fulcrum effect, and allowing the connecting arm 3 to rotate better. When the tension sensor detects that the tension of the mooring rope 4 exceeds the set threshold, i.e., when the wave amplitude is large, the control system controls the motor to rotate, thereby rotating the shaft 63. This causes the pawl 64 to disengage from the ratchet's groove, unlocking the rope. At this time, the winch 62 rotates in the reverse direction, loosening the mooring rope 4. When the tension of the mooring rope 4 decreases to a certain value, the shaft 63 rotates in the reverse direction, and the pawl 64 engages in the ratchet's groove, locking the rope and preventing further loosening of the mooring rope 4, thus preventing the mooring rope 4 from breaking. When the waves cause the entire floating structure to descend, the tension of the mooring rope 4 decreases. The winch 62, under the action of the spring, tightens the mooring rope 4, ensuring its tautness. As the mooring rope 4 continues to shorten, the buoyancy of the entire device increases until it exceeds the tension threshold of the mooring rope 4. Then, the motor drives the shaft 63 to rotate, loosening the mooring rope 4 again. This ensures that the tension of the mooring rope 4 remains within a safe range, and also ensures that the entire device remains in a relatively stable position and draft.

[0027] When in use, if waves come and cause the peripheral floats on one side to move upward rapidly, the central float should move downward due to the lever principle. However, the volume of water displaced by the central float as it moves downward will increase, increasing the buoyancy on the float and restricting its continued downward movement. At the other end of the lever, the upward movement of the peripheral floats will also be restricted accordingly, making the float more stable and preventing mechanical damage to the photovoltaic panels on it.

[0028] Assuming the waves cause the peripheral buoys on one side to move rapidly downwards, the downward-moving buoys will transmit the downward force to the central buoy through the rods. The central buoy moves upwards, and the buoyancy it experiences decreases. Due to its greater self-weight, it is restricted from moving upwards, which in turn restricts the peripheral buoys from continuing to move downwards, making the buoys more stable.

[0029] At the same time, when the surrounding pontoons float, there will be relative vertical movement between the surrounding pontoons and the connecting arm, which will stretch or compress the piston rod of the hydraulic damper, thereby driving the hydraulic oil in the cylinder to flow back and forth in the throttling damping orifice, flushing the axial flow generator in the cavity to generate electricity, thus realizing the full utilization and dissipation of wave energy.

[0030] In summary, the entire structure of this invention reduces the impact of wave energy on the photovoltaic platform through a flexible, wave-compliant approach, rather than using a completely rigid structure to resist all wave energy. The large scale of the structure allows the vertical motion effects of localized waves on the photovoltaic panels to be transferred to a large, stable central pontoon via eight rigid members, and further mitigated by a hydraulic damper to absorb energy and cope with the waves.

[0031] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will be able to make various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to these embodiments without departing from the principles and basis of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Therefore, the embodiments of the present invention are merely illustrative examples and should not be construed as limiting the present invention in any way.

Claims

1. A multi-buoy floating photovoltaic wave-resistant structure based on the lever principle, characterized in that, The system includes a central buoy and multiple peripheral buoys distributed around it for mounting photovoltaic panels, as well as multiple connecting arms connecting the central buoy and the peripheral buoys. One end of each connecting arm is hinged to the central buoy, and the other end is hinged to the peripheral buoys. The middle part is connected to the seabed via mooring lines. When the peripheral or central buoys float upwards, they can cause the connecting arms to rotate in a vertical plane around the fulcrum formed by the connection between the mooring lines and the connecting arms. Under the action of waves, the up-and-down movement of the peripheral buoys can act on the central buoy through the connecting arms, causing the central buoy to move in the opposite direction, increasing its displacement volume and thus increasing the buoyancy it receives. This, in turn, acts on the peripheral buoys, limiting their range of motion and thus improving the stability of the entire photovoltaic platform. The central buoy has a cylindrical structure, the connecting arm is arranged radially along the length of the central buoy, the peripheral buoy has a cuboid structure and is arranged in the fan-shaped area between two adjacent connecting arms, and the peripheral buoy is hinged to the two adjacent connecting arms respectively. The peripheral float is hinged to the connecting arm via a hydraulic damper. The hydraulic damper includes a cylinder and a piston rod coaxially and telescopically mounted within the cylinder. The cylinder is filled with hydraulic oil. The piston of the piston rod divides the cylinder into two chambers, which are connected by a throttling damping orifice. The end of the cylinder facing away from the piston rod is hinged to the connecting arm, and the end of the piston rod facing away from the cylinder is hinged to the peripheral float, allowing relative vertical movement between the peripheral float and the connecting arm. The cylinder of the hydraulic damper has a protruding structure with a cavity within it. An axial-flow generator is installed in the cavity. The throttling damping orifice is located within the protruding structure and connects the two chambers in the cylinder to the cavity, allowing hydraulic oil to flow back and forth through the axial-flow generator in the cavity during piston rod reciprocating motion, driving the generator to generate electricity. A rope length adjustment device and a tension sensor are installed on the mooring rope. The tension sensor is connected to a control system that controls the operation of the rope length adjustment device. The rope length adjustment device includes a housing connected to the seabed via a traction rope. A winch is installed inside the housing. The end of the mooring rope away from the connecting arm extends into the housing and is wound around the winch. The winch has a cylindrical structure, and a motor-driven shaft is coaxially installed inside it. The motor is connected to the control system. The inner wall of the winch has ratchet teeth, and correspondingly, a pawl that engages with the ratchet teeth is provided on the shaft. When the motor is not working, the shaft is locked. When the motor drives the shaft to rotate, the pawl can disengage from the teeth. The winch is connected to the housing via a spring, so that the winch is always subjected to a torque that tightens the mooring rope. When the pawl engages with the ratchet teeth, it can prevent the winch from rotating in the direction of loosening the mooring rope.

2. The multi-buoy floating photovoltaic wave-resistant structure based on the lever principle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting arms consist of eight evenly distributed around the central buoy. Within the fan-shaped area between each adjacent connecting arm, there are three sets of peripheral buoys that are parallel in length and spaced apart. The length direction of the peripheral buoys is perpendicular to the bisector of the central angle of the fan-shaped area.

3. The multi-buoy floating photovoltaic wave-resistant structure based on the lever principle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting arm is a truss structure, and its height gradually increases from both ends to the middle.

4. The multi-buoy floating photovoltaic wave-resistant structure based on the lever principle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The maximum height of the connecting arm corresponds to the connection position of the mooring rope.

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