A gear-based kinetic energy recovery power generation device for a floating carrier

Abstract

The application provides a gear transmission-based kinetic energy recovery power generation device for a floating carrier, comprising: a mounting frame fixed to the floating carrier, comprising a base and a top frame parallel to the base; a vibrating mechanism, comprising a first guide rod having one end fixed to the base through a bearing and the other end fixed to the top frame through a bearing, and a mass block movable parallel to the first guide rod; a first transmission mechanism, comprising a rack fixed to the mass block and parallel to the first guide rod, a gear set driven by the rack, and a transmission shaft rotated by being driven by the gear set; and a generator, with the input shaft of the generator connected to the transmission shaft to rotate synchronously. The gear transmission-based kinetic energy recovery power generation device for the floating carrier can be arranged integrally in the dry working environment of the floating carrier, and is not affected by seawater corrosion, impact load, biological attachment and the like, thereby solving the problems of low reliability, high maintenance difficulty and high operation cost caused by the above factors.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a kinetic energy recovery device for wave-driven floating carriers, and more particularly to a gear-driven kinetic energy recovery power generation device for floating carriers. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing demand for energy conservation and emission reduction in ships, the application of energy recovery technology in the marine field has gradually attracted attention. When ships navigate under the influence of waves, they experience multi-degree-of-freedom motions such as heave and pitch. Currently, existing technical solutions for kinetic energy recovery from ships or the marine environment mainly include wave energy utilization devices based on floating body vibration, oscillating mass blocks, and hydraulic or electromagnetic conversion. These devices typically capture the structural motion caused by waves and convert mechanical energy into electrical energy through transmission or power output mechanisms. However, existing technical solutions still have the following shortcomings in practical applications: some devices need to be installed outside the floating platform or in the marine environment, and are subject to long-term effects such as seawater corrosion, impact loads, and biofouling, leading to decreased system reliability, high maintenance difficulty, and high operating costs.

[0003] Furthermore, existing solutions suffer from limited energy conversion efficiency. Most devices rely on linear resonance (e.g., springs) and only achieve high energy capture efficiency within a specific frequency range. However, ocean waves exhibit significant low-frequency (over 90% of wave energy is concentrated in the ultra-low frequency band of 0.05–0.3 Hz) and irregular characteristics, making it difficult for these devices to maintain high efficiency in real-world conditions. Responding to low frequencies requires extremely soft springs (with very small k) or extremely large mass blocks (with very large m), resulting in bulky devices that are difficult to install. Even when tuned to a certain low frequency, efficiency drops immediately if the wave frequency changes significantly. Therefore, linear systems in real-world ocean environments are in a "detuned" state most of the time, exhibiting extremely low efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a gear-driven kinetic energy recovery power generation device for floating carriers, which can be installed as a whole in the dry working environment of the floating carrier and is not affected by seawater corrosion, impact loads and biological adhesion, thereby solving the problems of low reliability, high maintenance difficulty and high operating cost of kinetic energy recovery power generation devices caused by the above-mentioned effects.

[0005] The floating carrier-based kinetic energy recovery and power generation device of the present invention includes:

[0006] Mounting frame, fixed to the floating carrier, including a base and a top frame parallel to the base;

[0007] The vibration mechanism includes a first guide rod with one end mounted to the base via a bearing and the other end mounted to the top frame via a bearing, and a mass block that can move parallel to the first guide rod. The vibration mechanism also includes a plurality of second guide rods arranged on the edge of the mass block and a plurality of springs located between the mass block and the base and correspondingly sleeved on the outside of the plurality of second guide rods. The second guide rods are parallel to the first guide rod.

[0008] The first transmission mechanism includes a rack fixed to the mass block and parallel to the first guide rod, a gear set driven by the rack, and a transmission shaft driven by the gear set to rotate.

[0009] A generator, wherein the input shaft of the generator is connected to the drive shaft for synchronous rotation.

[0010] Preferably, the first transmission mechanism includes two racks with their teeth facing away from each other. The gear set includes two first gears that mesh with the two racks respectively, two rotating shafts that are driven to rotate by the two first gears respectively, two second gears that are driven to rotate by the two rotating shafts respectively, and a third gear that meshes with the two second gears simultaneously and is located between the two second gears. The third gear is rotatably mounted on the transmission shaft, wherein the two first gears are mounted on the rotating shaft through a one-way bearing in the same direction.

[0011] Preferably, the drive shaft is provided with a flywheel.

[0012] Preferably, the mounting frame further includes two opposing side frames and two first mounting beams. The two first mounting beams are arranged in parallel and opposite directions. One end of each of the two first mounting beams is fixed to one side frame and the other end is fixed to the other side frame. The two rotating shafts and the transmission shaft are mounted on the two first mounting beams through two bearings.

[0013] Preferably, the mass block body has a hole at its center, the first guide rod passes through the hole and is coaxial with the hole, and the outer diameter of the first guide rod is smaller than the inner diameter of the hole.

[0014] Preferably, the first guide rod is further provided with a limiting structure to restrict the downward displacement of the mass block.

[0015] Preferably, the mass block includes a mass block body that can move parallel to the first guide rod and a connecting member fixed to the edge of the mass block body. The connecting member is provided with a plurality of linear bearings that are installed in a one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of second guide rods.

[0016] Preferably, the device further includes a second transmission mechanism connected to the vibration mechanism and a rotary magnetic bistable mechanism connected to the second transmission mechanism.

[0017] Preferably, the second transmission mechanism has the same structure as the first transmission mechanism, and the second transmission mechanism and the first transmission mechanism are arranged symmetrically about the vibration mechanism.

[0018] Preferably, the rotary magnetic bistable mechanism includes a fixed housing fixed relative to the base and a bistable shaft with one end inserted into the fixed housing and the other end connected to the transmission shaft of the second transmission mechanism. The inner wall of the fixed housing is fixed with multiple fixed magnets, and the bistable shaft is fixed with multiple rotating magnets that are one-to-one opposite to the multiple fixed magnets. The N pole to S pole of both the fixed magnets and the rotating magnets extend circumferentially.

[0019] Preferably, the portion of the bistable shaft located inside the fixed housing is divided into two sections, front and rear, each section being provided with a set of rotating magnets. The inner wall of the fixed housing is also provided with two sections, front and rear, each section being provided with a set of fixed magnets.

[0020] Preferably, a frisbee for fixing a rotating magnet is provided at each end of the front section of the bistable shaft, and a frisbee for fixing a rotating magnet is provided at each end of the rear section of the bistable shaft.

[0021] Preferably, the fixing magnet is embedded in the inner wall of the fixing housing.

[0022] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0023] 1. The kinetic energy recovery and power generation device based on gear transmission of the floating carrier of the present invention does not need to contact the water body, but captures the kinetic energy generated by the motion of the mass block relative to the floating carrier and converts it into electrical energy. It can be installed as a whole in the cabin of the ship or other dry environment, and is not affected by seawater corrosion, impact load and biological attachment, thus having higher reliability and easier maintenance, thereby reducing operating costs.

[0024] 2. The present invention uses a rotary magnetic bistable mechanism to make the amplitude of the mass block related to whether it crosses the potential barrier. Unlike linear resonant devices, it is not sensitive to frequency. As long as the input accumulated energy exceeds the potential barrier, a complete jump can be triggered, thereby maintaining efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the kinetic energy recovery and power generation device based on gear transmission of the floating carrier of the present invention. One side frame of the mounting frame has been removed from the diagram.

[0026] Figure 2 : Another structural schematic diagram of the kinetic energy recovery and power generation device based on gear transmission of the floating carrier of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3: A schematic diagram of the structure of the floating carrier based on gear transmission kinetic energy recovery and power generation device of the present invention after removing the top frame and part of the fixed shell.

[0028] Figure Labels

[0029] 1. Mounting frame, 11. Base, 111. Fixing plate, 12. Top frame, 13. Side frame, 14a, 14b. First mounting beam, 15a, 15b. Second mounting beam, 16. First fixing platform, 17. Second fixing platform;

[0030] 2 Vibration mechanism, 21 First guide rod, 211 Limiting structure, 22 Mass block, 221 Mass block body, 222 Connector, 23 Second guide rod, 24 Spring;

[0031] 3 First transmission mechanism, 31 Coupling, 32a, 32b First gear, 33a, 33b Second gear, 34 Third gear, 35 Transmission shaft, 36 Flywheel, 37 Rack;

[0032] 4 generators;

[0033] 5 Second transmission mechanism, 51 Coupling, 52a, 52b First gear, 53a, 53b Second gear, 54 Third gear, 55 Transmission shaft, 56 Rack;

[0034] 6. Rotary magnetic bistable mechanism, 61. Fixed housing, 62. Bistable shaft, 63. Fixed magnet, 64. Rotating magnet, 65. Flying disc. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The gear-driven kinetic energy recovery and power generation device for a floating carrier of the present invention can be installed in ships or other marine engineering structures that oscillate with waves, recovering the kinetic energy of the ship or marine engineering structure for power generation. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the device includes a mounting frame 1, a vibration mechanism 2, a first transmission mechanism 3, and a generator 4. The mounting frame 1 is fixed to the floating carrier and includes a base 11 and a top frame 12 parallel to the base 11, wherein the base 11 is fixed to the floating carrier.

[0036] The vibration mechanism 2 includes a first guide rod 21, one end of which is mounted to the base 11 via a bearing, and the other end of which is mounted to the top frame 12 via a bearing. A mass block 22 is movable parallel to the first guide rod 21. The first guide rod 21 forms the skeleton of the entire vibration mechanism 2, and together with the base 11 and the mass block 22, it forms a stable geometric frame. Furthermore, the first guide rod 21 can rotate relative to the mounting frame 1, preventing it from jamming with the mass block 22 when the ship experiences severe oscillations causing it to tilt. In this embodiment, both ends of the first guide rod 21 are mounted to two fixing plates 111 via deep groove ball bearings. One fixing plate 111 is fixed to the base 11, and the other fixing plate 111 is fixed to the top frame 12. The vibration mechanism 2 also includes multiple second guide rods 23 arranged along the edge of the mass block 22, and multiple springs 24 located between the mass block 22 and the base 11 and correspondingly fitted around the exterior of the multiple second guide rods 23. The second guide rods are parallel to the first guide rod and play a primary guiding role under stable ship conditions. When the floating carrier rises, the mass block 22 compresses the spring 24 downward under the action of inertial force. The kinetic energy of the mass block 22 is converted into the elastic potential energy of the spring 24 and stored. When the floating carrier stops rising and begins to fall, the spring 24 releases the stored potential energy and lifts the mass block 22 upward. The spring 24 provides the basic linear restoring force, ensuring that the system is centered when static and bearing most of the energy transfer.

[0037] The first transmission mechanism 3 includes a rack 37 fixed to the mass block 22 and parallel to the first guide rod 21, a gear set driven by the rack 37, and a transmission shaft 35 driven by the gear set to rotate. The mounting frame 1 also includes a first fixed platform 16 fixed to the base 11. The generator 4 is fixedly mounted on the first fixed platform 16. The input shaft of the generator 4 and the transmission shaft 35 are connected to rotate synchronously. In this embodiment, the two are connected by a coupling 31.

[0038] The kinetic energy recovery and power generation device based on gear transmission of the floating carrier of the present invention does not need to contact the water body, but captures the kinetic energy generated by the movement of the mass block 22 relative to the floating carrier. It can be installed as a whole in the cabin of a ship or other dry environment, and is not affected by seawater corrosion, impact loads and biological attachment, thus having higher reliability and easier maintenance, thereby reducing operating costs.

[0039] like Figure 2As shown, the first transmission mechanism 3 includes two racks 37 with their teeth facing away from each other. The gear set includes two first gears 32a and 32b that mesh with the two racks 37 respectively, two rotating shafts driven by the two first gears 32a and 32b respectively, two second gears 33a and 33b driven by the two rotating shafts respectively, and a third gear 34 that meshes with the two second gears 33a and 33b and is located between the two second gears. The third gear 34 is synchronously rotatably mounted on the transmission shaft 35. The two first gears 32a and 32b are mounted on the rotating shafts via one-way bearings in the same direction. With this design, when the mass block 22 rises relative to the floating carrier, the two racks 37 rise. The one-way bearing of one of the first gears 32a causes it to rotate, driving the second gear 33a to rotate, which in turn drives the third gear 34 and the transmission shaft 35 to rotate. The one-way bearing of the other first gear 32b prevents it from rotating, thereby achieving energy recovery when the mass block 22 rises. When the mass block 22 descends relative to the floating carrier, the two racks 37 descend as well. The one-way bearing of the first gear 32b causes it to rotate, driving the second gear 33b to rotate, which in turn drives the third gear 34 and the transmission shaft 35 to rotate. The rotation direction of the third gear 34 is the same as that of the third gear 34 when the mass block 22 is rising. The one-way bearing of the other first gear 32a prevents it from rotating. This allows energy recovery to occur both when the mass block 22 is rising and falling, while maintaining the rotation direction of the input shaft of the generator 4, thus forming a continuous and stable power generation state. In this embodiment, a flywheel 36 is provided on the transmission shaft 34. The flywheel 36 can increase the rotational inertia of the transmission shaft. When the transmission shaft 35 accelerates, the flywheel 36 absorbs and stores some energy, causing the speed of the transmission shaft 35 to rise smoothly. When the driving force of the transmission shaft 35 suddenly weakens, the flywheel 36 immediately releases the previously stored inertial kinetic energy, causing the speed of the transmission shaft 35 to fall smoothly. This avoids voltage instability or jerking caused by drastic fluctuations in the speed of the generator 4's input shaft.

[0040] like Figure 2 As shown, the mounting frame 1 also includes two opposing side frames 13 and two first mounting beams 14a and 14b. The two first mounting beams 14a and 14b are arranged in parallel and opposite directions. One end of each of the two first mounting beams 14a and 14b is fixed to one side frame 13 and the other end is fixed to the other side frame 13, forming a stable frame structure. The two rotating shafts and the transmission shaft are both mounted on the two first mounting beams 14a and 14b through two bearings, that is, one bearing is mounted on one first mounting beam 14a and the other bearing is mounted on the other first mounting beam 14b.

[0041] like Figure 3As shown, the mass block 22 includes a mass block body 221 that can move parallel to the first guide rod 21 and a connector 222 fixed to the edge of the mass block body 221. In this embodiment, the mass block body 221 is a cuboid with a hole at its center. The first guide rod 21 passes through the hole and is coaxial with it. The outer diameter of the first guide rod 21 is smaller than the inner diameter of the hole. Below the mass block 22, the first guide rod 21 is also provided with a limiting structure 211 to restrict the downward displacement of the mass block 22. In this embodiment, this is a metal ring outside the first guide rod 21. The connector 222 is an integral frame surrounding its edge. Four second guide rods 23 are located at the four corners of the connector 222, and each corner has a linear bearing for mounting the second guide rods 23. The linear bearings allow the mass block 22 to move smoothly along the second guide rods 23.

[0042] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the device further includes a second transmission mechanism 5 connected to the vibration mechanism 2 and a rotary magnetic bistable mechanism 6 connected to the second transmission mechanism 5. The base 11 also includes a second fixed platform 17, on which the rotary magnetic bistable mechanism 6 is fixed. The second transmission mechanism 5 has the same structure as the first transmission mechanism 3, and the second transmission mechanism 5 and the first transmission mechanism 3 are arranged symmetrically about the vibration mechanism 2. A completely identical transmission mechanism is arranged on each of the left and right sides. When the mass block 22 moves upward or downward, the gears on the left and right sides simultaneously apply completely equal and opposite lateral forces to the vibration mechanism 2. These two forces cancel each other out, ensuring that the mass block 22 is only subjected to pure vertical axial forces. This significantly reduces the wear of the linear bearing and the second guide rod 23, reduces motion resistance, reduces energy loss caused by friction, and also improves the structural life of the device under turbulent sea conditions.

[0043] like Figure 3 As shown, the rotary magnetic bistable mechanism 6 includes a fixed housing 61 fixed relative to the base 11 and a bistable shaft 62, one end of which passes through the fixed housing 61 and the other end of which is connected to the transmission shaft 55 of the second transmission mechanism 5. In this embodiment, the two are connected by a coupling 51. Multiple fixed magnets 63 are fixed to the inner wall of the fixed housing 61, and multiple rotating magnets 64, each corresponding to one of the fixed magnets 63, are fixed to the bistable shaft 62. The N-pole to S-pole directions of both the fixed magnets 63 and the rotating magnets 64 extend circumferentially, meaning the magnets are circumferentially magnetized.

[0044] When the mass block 22 rises relative to the floating carrier, the two racks 56 rise, and the one-way bearing of one of the first gears 52a rotates it, driving the third gear 54 and the drive shaft 55 to rotate. The one-way bearing of the other first gear 52b keeps it stationary, thus realizing energy recovery when the mass block 22 rises. When the mass block 22 falls relative to the floating carrier, the two racks 56 fall, and the one-way bearing of one of the first gears 52b rotates it, driving the third gear 54 and the drive shaft 55 to rotate. The rotation direction of the third gear 54 is the same as the rotation direction of the third gear 54 when the mass block 22 rises. The one-way bearing of the other first gear 52a keeps it stationary. The second transmission mechanism 5 converts the up-and-down reciprocating motion of the mass block 22 into the rotational motion of the bistable shaft 62, which is always in the same direction, through two one-way bearings installed in the same direction. The mounting frame 1 is also provided with two parallel and oppositely arranged second mounting beams 15a and 15b for mounting the second transmission mechanism 5.

[0045] The rotary magnetic bistable mechanism 6 has two stable angular positions, A and B. At these positions, the magnetic attraction between the fixed magnet 63 and the rotating magnet 64 causes the bistable shaft 62 to tend to stop at those positions. Between the two stable states lies an unstable critical point, a potential barrier. For the bistable shaft 62 to jump from one stable state to the other, sufficient energy must be input to overcome this barrier. In stable state A, the N pole of the rotating magnet 64 aligns with the S pole of the fixed magnet 63, and they attract each other. Starting from stable state A, the bistable shaft 62 is rotated by the gears towards the critical point. The magnetic force initially hinders the bistable shaft 62; after crossing the critical point, the magnetic force abruptly becomes a driving force, accelerating the bistable shaft 62 towards stable state B. When the N pole of the rotating magnet 64 aligns with the S pole of the next fixed magnet 63, they attract each other again, reaching stable state B. The bistable shaft 62 continues to rotate, starting the next cycle. Each time a transition from "steady state A → critical point → steady state B" is completed, the magnetic force performs positive work on the bistable shaft 62, equivalent to an additional energy injection. This energy is transmitted in the reverse direction to the mass block 22 via gears, amplifying its vibration amplitude. The amplitude of the mass block 22 is related to whether it crosses the potential barrier, and is not as sensitive to frequency as a linear resonant device. As long as the accumulated energy input exceeds the potential barrier, a complete transition can be triggered, thus maintaining efficiency.

[0046] like Figure 3As shown, the portion of the bistable shaft 62 located within the fixed housing 61 is divided into front and rear sections, each section being provided with a set of rotating magnets 64. The inner wall of the fixed housing 61 is also divided into front and rear sections, each section being provided with a set of fixed magnets 63. In this embodiment, each set of rotating magnets 64 includes four rotating magnets 64 evenly arranged circumferentially along the bistable shaft 62, and each set of fixed magnets 63 includes four fixed magnets 63 evenly arranged circumferentially along the inner wall of the housing. The fixed magnets 63 are embedded in the inner wall of the fixed housing 61, forming a more reliable fixation.

[0047] At each end of the front section of the bistable shaft 62, a flying disc 65 for fixing a rotating magnet 64 is provided. At each end of the rear section of the bistable shaft 62, a flying disc 65 for fixing a rotating magnet 64 is provided. The flying disc 65 itself has a certain mass. The four flying discs 65 are fixed on the shaft, which can not only fix the rotating magnet 64, but also increase the rotational inertia of the shaft.

[0048] The above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the claims. Various modifications or equivalent substitutions made by those skilled in the art to the present invention within its spirit and scope of protection also fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A gear-driven kinetic energy recovery power generation device for a floating carrier, characterized in that, include: Mounting frame, fixed to the floating carrier, including a base and a top frame parallel to the base; The vibration mechanism includes a first guide rod with one end mounted to the base via a bearing and the other end mounted to the top frame via a bearing, and a mass block that can move parallel to the first guide rod. The vibration mechanism also includes a plurality of second guide rods arranged on the edge of the mass block and a plurality of springs located between the mass block and the base and correspondingly sleeved on the outside of the plurality of second guide rods. The second guide rods are parallel to the first guide rod. The first transmission mechanism includes a rack fixed to the mass block and parallel to the first guide rod, a gear set driven by the rack, and a transmission shaft driven by the gear set to rotate. A generator, wherein the input shaft of the generator is connected to the drive shaft for synchronous rotation.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first transmission mechanism includes two racks with their teeth facing away from each other. The gear set includes two first gears that mesh with the two racks respectively, two rotating shafts that are driven to rotate by the two first gears respectively, two second gears that are driven to rotate by the two rotating shafts respectively, and a third gear that meshes with the two second gears simultaneously and is located between the two second gears. The third gear is rotatably mounted on the transmission shafts, wherein the two first gears are mounted on the rotating shafts via unidirectional one-way bearings.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, A flywheel is provided on the drive shaft.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The mounting frame also includes two opposing side frames and two first mounting beams. The two first mounting beams are arranged in parallel and opposite directions. One end of each of the two first mounting beams is fixed to one side frame and the other end is fixed to the other side frame. The two rotating shafts and the transmission shaft are mounted on the two first mounting beams through two bearings.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mass block body has a hole at its center, and the first guide rod passes through the hole and is coaxial with the hole. The outer diameter of the first guide rod is smaller than the inner diameter of the hole.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first guide rod is also provided with a limiting structure to restrict the downward displacement of the mass block.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mass block includes a mass block body that can move parallel to the first guide rod and a connecting member fixed to the edge of the mass block body. The connecting member is provided with multiple linear bearings that are installed in a one-to-one correspondence with multiple second guide rods.

8. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The device further includes a second transmission mechanism connected to the vibration mechanism and a rotary magnetic bistable mechanism connected to the second transmission mechanism.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The second transmission mechanism has the same structure as the first transmission mechanism, and the second transmission mechanism and the first transmission mechanism are arranged symmetrically about the vibration mechanism.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that, The rotary magnetic bistable mechanism includes a fixed housing fixed relative to the base and a bistable shaft with one end inserted into the fixed housing and the other end connected to the transmission shaft of the second transmission mechanism. Multiple fixed magnets are fixed on the inner wall of the fixed housing, and multiple rotating magnets are fixed on the bistable shaft, which are one-to-one opposite to the multiple fixed magnets. The N pole to S pole of both the fixed magnets and the rotating magnets extend circumferentially.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that, The portion of the bistable shaft located inside the fixed housing is divided into two sections, front and rear, each section being equipped with a set of rotating magnets. The inner wall of the fixed housing is also divided into two sections, front and rear, each section being equipped with a set of fixed magnets.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that, The front end of the bistable shaft is provided with a frisbee for fixing a rotating magnet at each end, and the rear end of the bistable shaft is provided with a frisbee for fixing a rotating magnet at each end.

13. The apparatus according to any one of claims 10-12, characterized in that, The fixed magnet is embedded in the inner wall of the fixed housing.

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