Wave power generation device installed on quay

Abstract

To provide a wave power generation device that does not require a direction discrimination device for discriminating between rising and falling of waves, does not require switching between the operation of a first electromagnetic clutch and a second electromagnetic clutch by the direction discrimination device, can transmit driving torque to a generator, does not require an independent power source, and is highly reliable.SOLUTION: Two sets of combinations of racks and pinions are provided, where a combination A is provided with a one-way clutch A 6a that rotates when waves rise, to transmit rotational torque to a speed-increasing mechanism 4, and idles when the waves fall, and a combination B is provided with a one-way clutch B 6b that idles when the waves rise, and transmits rotational torque to the speed-increasing mechanism 4 when the waves fall.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wave power generation device that generates electricity by utilizing the energy of ocean waves. The device is installed on a quay or the like, and generates electricity by transmitting the movement of a float that moves up and down due to waves to a generator. [Background technology]

[0002] Various wave power generation devices have been proposed that have a support part that is moored in the water with its axial direction vertical, and a float that is arranged so that it can move up and down along the support part, and generate electricity by utilizing the energy generated when the float moves up and down due to the vertical movement of the water surface.

[0003] The wave power generator of Patent Document 1 is a wave power generator having a support part 30 erected in the sea as shown in Figure 6, a movable part supported by the support part 30 and moving up and down on the sea surface, and a generator 61, in which a rack 32 is provided on either the support part 30 or the movable part, and a first pinion gear 52 and a second pinion gear 55 meshing with the rack 32 on the other, a first electromagnetic clutch 53 connecting a first gear 54 that rotates the generator 61 to the first pinion gear 52, a second electromagnetic clutch 56 connecting a second gear 57 that rotates the generator 61 to the second pinion gear 55 via a direction reversal gear 58 that reverses the rotation direction, and a direction discrimination device 51 that discriminates the rotation direction of both pinion gears, and when the direction discrimination device 51 determines that both pinion gears are rotating in the forward direction, it connects the first electromagnetic clutch 53, and when it determines that they are rotating in the reverse direction, it connects the second electromagnetic clutch 56. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 7160877 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the wave power generation device of Patent Document 1 is provided with a direction discrimination device 51 that discriminates the rotation direction of both pinion gears, and uses complex control to connect the first electromagnetic clutch 53 when it is determined that both pinion gears are rotating in the forward direction, and connect the second electromagnetic clutch 56 when it is determined that they are rotating in the reverse direction.

[0006] Because the waves change between rising and falling within a few seconds, a direction discriminator 51 is required to distinguish between these two, and when considering the lifespan of the device over 10 or 20 years, this poses a major issue in terms of the reliability and durability of the direction discriminator 51, first electromagnetic clutch 53, and second electromagnetic clutch 56. Furthermore, because there is no generated power at startup, the need for a separate power source to operate the direction discriminator 51, first electromagnetic clutch 53, and second electromagnetic clutch 56 is also an issue.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a wave power generation device that does not require a direction discrimination device to distinguish between rising and falling waves, and that can transmit driving torque to a generator without switching the operation of the first electromagnetic clutch and the second electromagnetic clutch using a direction discrimination device, does not require a separate power source, and is highly reliable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the wave power generation device described in claim 1 of the present invention has two sets of rack and pinion combinations, combination A is a one-way clutch A that rotates when the waves rise and transmits rotational torque to the speed-up mechanism and spins freely when the waves fall, and combination B is a one-way clutch B that spins freely when the waves rise and transmits rotational torque to the speed-up mechanism when the waves fall. In this configuration, when the float rises due to waves, the connected rack A also rises, and when pinion A rotates, one-way clutch A transmits the rotation to the speed-increasing mechanism. Meanwhile, rack B also rises, rotating pinion B. One-way clutch B rotates freely and does not transmit the rotation to the speed-increasing mechanism. When the float descends due to waves, the connected rack A also descends, and when pinion A rotates, one-way clutch A spins freely and does not transmit rotation to the speed-increasing mechanism. Meanwhile, rack B also descends, rotating pinion B. One-way clutch B transmits rotation to the speed-increasing mechanism.

[0009] In the wave power generation device described in claim 2, the one-way clutch A and the pinion A are arranged and connected concentrically, and the one-way clutch B and the pinion B are also arranged and connected concentrically, and both are inserted into the first stage shaft of the speed increasing mechanism. With this configuration, one-way clutch A and one-way clutch B transmit rotational torque to the first-stage shaft of the same speed-up mechanism when the waves are rising and falling, and inertia force is also added, so when the rotational torque is switched between one-way clutch A and one-way clutch B, the generator can rotate smoothly without large fluctuations in rotation speed.

[0010] The wave power generator described in claim 3 houses a one-way clutch in the center, has an Ω-shaped cross section with an opening in the radial direction, and is fixed by tightening a screw around the outer periphery of the one-way clutch in the opening. Furthermore, the cross section in the axial direction is L-shaped, and a clutch-pinion fixing block is provided with the pinion fixed to a circular surface perpendicular to the axis. In this configuration, the one-way clutch and the pinion work together to transmit rotational torque to the first stage shaft of the speed increasing mechanism.

[0011] The wave power generator described in claim 4 has two clutch-pinion fixing blocks inserted into the first-stage shaft of the speed-up mechanism, and movement prevention rings are provided in the middle and on both sides of the two clutch-pinion fixing blocks to prevent them from moving in the axial direction. When the clutch and pinion fixing block begins to move axially, the movement prevention ring prevents it from moving, allowing it to remain in the correct position.

[0012] In the wave power generation device described in claim 5, one-way clutch A and one-way clutch B consist of a fixed part that is inserted and fixed onto the first stage shaft of the speed increasing mechanism and has a connecting screw on its surface, and a bicycle freewheel that has a sprocket, has a one-way clutch function, and is equipped with a screw for connecting to the fixed part, and pinions A and B have cutouts that match the shape of the freewheel sprocket, and consist of pinion fixing plates that sandwich and fix the sprocket housed in this cutout from both sides to prevent it from moving, and the two freewheels rotate in different directions to transmit rotational torque force. In this configuration, when waves cause the float to rise, pinion A rotates. Because pinion A is connected to sprocket A at its notch, freewheel A transmits its rotation to fixed part A, which also rotates the first-stage shaft of the speed-increasing mechanism. This in turn rotates the generator. Meanwhile, pinion B of combination B also rotates, but freewheel B spins freely, and no rotational force is transmitted to the first-stage shaft of the speed-increasing mechanism. Conversely, when float A descends, pinion A of combination A rotates in the opposite direction. Freewheel A, which is connected to sprocket A at its notch, spins freely, and no rotational force is transmitted to the first-stage shaft of the speed-increasing mechanism. Meanwhile, when pinion B rotates, freewheel B, which is connected to it, rotates and transmits its rotation to the first-stage shaft of the speed-increasing mechanism via fixed part B. In this way, electricity is generated both when waves are rising and when they are falling. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, there are two rack and pinion combinations: combination A is a one-way clutch A that transmits rotational torque when the waves rise and spins freely when the waves fall, and combination B is a one-way clutch B that spins freely when the waves rise and transmits rotational torque to the speed-up mechanism when the waves fall.This eliminates the need for a sensor to distinguish between rising and falling waves, and allows the transmission of rotational torque or the spinning freely.Nor is a first electromagnetic clutch or a second electromagnetic clutch required.Furthermore, the device can be started without generated power, eliminating the need for a separate power source.

[0014] According to the present invention, one-way clutch A and pinion A are arranged and connected concentrically, and one-way clutch B and pinion B are also arranged and connected concentrically, and both are inserted into the first-stage shaft of the speed-up mechanism. Therefore, when the waves rise and fall, one-way clutch A and one-way clutch B transmit rotational torque to the same first-stage shaft of the speed-up mechanism, and with the addition of inertia force, the generator can rotate smoothly without large fluctuations in rotation speed when the rotational torque is switched between one-way clutch A and one-way clutch B.

[0015] According to the present invention, the one-way clutch is housed in the center, has an Ω-shaped cross section with a radial opening, and is fixed by tightening a screw around the outer periphery of the one-way clutch into the opening. Furthermore, the axial cross section is L-shaped, and a clutch-pinion fixing block is provided with the pinion fixed to a circular surface perpendicular to the axis, so that the one-way clutch and pinion become one unit and can transmit rotational torque to the first-stage shaft of the speed-increasing mechanism.

[0016] According to the present invention, two clutch-pinion fixing blocks are inserted onto the first-stage shaft of the speed-increasing mechanism, and movement prevention rings are provided in the middle and on both sides of the two clutch-pinion fixing blocks to prevent them from moving axially.If they begin to move axially, the movement prevention rings will prevent them from moving, and they will remain in the correct position.

[0017] According to this invention, by providing two combinations of a bicycle freewheel with one-way clutch functionality and a pinion coupled with a notch that matches the shape of the freewheel sprocket, the rotational torque generated by rising and falling waves can be transmitted to a speed-increasing mechanism to rotate a generator and generate electricity. Industrially produced bicycle freewheels with one-way clutch functionality can be used as is. Bicycle freewheels are inexpensive, contributing to reduced costs for the device. Furthermore, there is no need for a first electromagnetic clutch or a second electromagnetic clutch; electricity can be generated by rotating the generator. Furthermore, although there is no generated power at startup, the device can start normally without electricity, and does not require a separate power source. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a wave power generation device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of a wave converter according to the present embodiment; [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view of the one-way clutch according to the present embodiment; [Figure 4] A perspective view of the wave clutch pinion fixing block according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view of the freewheel and its surroundings according to the present embodiment; [Figure 6] 1 is a perspective view of a drive converter of a conventional wave power generation device; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Preferred embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the inventions according to the claims, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. [Example]

[0020] This will be explained using FIG. 1 and FIG. The wave power generator is made up of a float 1 that rises to the surface of the sea and moves up and down due to the waves, two racks A2a and B2b that are connected to the float 1 and move up and down, two pinions A3a and B3b that rotate with the up and down movement of the racks A2a and B2b, a speed-up mechanism 4 that increases the rotation speed of the pinions A3a and B3b, a generator 5 that rotates with the speed-up mechanism 4 and generates electricity, a one-way clutch A6a that is installed at the rotation center of the pinion A3a and transmits power to the speed-up mechanism 4, and a one-way clutch B6b that is installed at the rotation center of the pinion B3b and transmits power to the speed-up mechanism 4. In this configuration, when the rack A2a rises due to waves and the pinion A3a rotates, the one-way clutch A6a transmits the rotational torque force to the speed increasing mechanism 4, and when the rack A2a falls due to waves, the one-way clutch A6a causes the pinion A3a to spin freely. When the rack B2b rises due to waves, the one-way clutch B6b causes the pinion B3b to spin freely, and when the rack B2b falls due to waves, the one-way clutch B6b causes the pinion B3b to spin freely. 6b transmits the rotation of the pinion B3b to the speed increasing mechanism 4. When the waves rise and fall, the speed increasing mechanism 4 rotates, and the generator 4 can generate electricity.

[0021] The following description will be made with reference to Figure 3. Note that the same functional members as those in the above-described embodiment are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. The one-way clutch A 6 a and the pinion A 3 a are concentrically arranged and connected, and the one-way clutch B 6 b and the pinion B 3 b are also concentrically arranged and connected. Both are inserted into the first stage shaft 7 of the speed increasing mechanism 4 . In this configuration, when the waves rise and fall, the one-way clutch A6a and the one-way clutch B6b transmit rotational torque to the first-stage shaft 7 of the same speed-up mechanism 4, and inertial force is also added, so when the rotational torque is switched between the one-way clutch A6a and the one-way clutch B6b, the generator 5 can rotate smoothly without large fluctuations in rotation speed.

[0022] Next, a description will be given with reference to Figure 3. Note that the same functional members as those in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals and the description will be omitted. In combination A, the one-way clutch A6a is housed in the center, has an Ω-shaped cross section with openings 8 in the radial direction, and is fixed by tightening the outer periphery of the one-way clutch A6a with screws 9. Furthermore, the cross section in the axial direction is L-shaped, and a clutch-pinion fixing block 11 is provided with a circular surface 10 perpendicular to the axis to which the pinion A3a is fixed. In this configuration, the one-way clutch A6a and the pinion A3a are integrated to transmit rotational torque to the first-stage shaft 7 of the speed increasing mechanism 4.

[0023] Next, a description will be given with reference to Figure 4. Note that the same functional members as those in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals and the description will be omitted. A clutch-pinion fixing block A11a on the left side and a clutch-pinion fixing block B11b on the right side are inserted onto the first-stage shaft 7 of the speed-increasing mechanism. A movement prevention ring A12a is provided to the left of the clutch-pinion fixing block A11a, a movement prevention ring B12b is provided between the clutch-pinion fixing block A11a and the clutch-pinion fixing block B11b on the right side, and a movement prevention ring C12c is provided to the right of the clutch-pinion fixing block B11b. In this configuration, by providing anti-movement rings 12 in the middle and on both outsides of the clutch-pinion fixing block A11a and the clutch-pinion fixing block B11b, when movement in the axial direction begins, the anti-movement rings 12 prevent movement, and the block can remain in the appropriate position.

[0024] Next, a description will be given with reference to Figure 5. Note that the same functional members as those in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals and the description will be omitted. A fixed part A13a with a connecting screw is inserted and fixed to the left side of the first-stage shaft 7 of the speed-increasing mechanism; a bicycle freewheel A15a with a sprocket A14a and a screw on its inner periphery that connects to the fixed part A13a and functions as a one-way clutch; a pinion A3a with a cutout A17a that matches the shape of the sprocket A16a of the freewheel A15a; and a pinion fixing plate A18a that sandwiches and fixes the sprocket A14a housed in the cutout A17a of the pinion A3a from both sides to prevent it from coming off. A similar part is inserted and installed on the right side of the first-stage shaft 7 of the speed-increasing mechanism, and is labeled B. The freewheel A15a and freewheel B15b transmit rotational torque in opposite directions. In this configuration, when the rack A2a rises due to waves, the pinion A3a rotates, which in turn rotates the freewheel A15a, rotating the first-stage shaft 7 of the speed-increasing mechanism via the connected fixed part A13a. This in turn rotates the generator 5. Meanwhile, the pinion B3b of combination B rotates in the opposite direction, and the freewheel B15b with sprocket B16b spins freely in this direction. Therefore, power is not transmitted to the first-stage shaft 7 of the speed-increasing mechanism. Conversely, when waves cause the float 1 to descend, the pinion A3a of combination A rotates in the opposite direction. The freewheel A18a with sprocket A16a spins freely via the notch A17a, and no power is transmitted to the first-stage shaft 7 of the speed-increasing mechanism. Meanwhile, when the pinion B3b rotates, the freewheel B18b with sprocket B16b rotates via the notch B17b, transmitting the rotation to the first-stage shaft 7 via the fixed part B. In this way, electricity is generated as waves rise and fall. [Industrial Applicability]

[0025] The quay-mounted wave power generation device of the present invention can be used as a power source device on quays, breakwaters, etc. that do not have electricity. [Explanation of symbols]

[0026] 1 float 2a Rack A 2b Rack B 3 Pinion 3a Pinion A 3b Pinion B 4 Speed-up mechanism 5. Generator 6 One-way clutch 6a One-way clutch A 6b One-way clutch B 7 First stage axis 8 Openings 9 screws 10 Circular surface perpendicular to the axis 11 Clutch and pinion fixing block 11a Clutch and pinion fixing block A 11b Clutch and pinion fixing block B 12 Anti-movement ring 12a Anti-movement ring A 12b Anti-movement ring B7 12c Anti-movement ring C 13 Fixing parts 13a Fixing part A 13b Fixed part B 14 sprockets 14a sprocket A 14b sprocket B 15 Freewheel 15a Freewheel A 15b Freewheel B 16 sprockets 16a sprocket A 16b sprocket B 17 Cutout 17a Notch A 17b Notch B 18 Pinion fixing plate

Claims

1. a one-way clutch A that transmits rotational torque to the speed-up mechanism when the rack A rises due to the waves, and causes the pinion A to spin freely when the rack A descends due to the waves; and a one-way clutch B that transmits rotational torque to the speed-up mechanism when the rack B rises due to the waves, and causes the pinion B to spin freely when the rack B descends due to the waves.

2. 2. A quay-mounted wave power generation device as described in claim 1, wherein one-way clutch A is arranged concentrically with pinion A to control the rotation of pinion A, one-way clutch B is arranged concentrically with pinion B to control the rotation of pinion B, and one-way clutch A and one-way clutch B are both inserted into the first-stage shaft of the speed-up mechanism.

3. The quay-mounted wave power generator of claim 1, further comprising a clutch-pinion fixing block having an L-shaped cross section in the axial direction and a circular surface perpendicular to the axis on which the pinion is fixed, the one-way clutch being housed in the center and having an Ω-shaped cross section with an opening in the radial direction and a screw tightening the outer periphery of the one-way clutch.

4. 2. A quay-mounted wave power generator according to claim 1, wherein two clutch-pinion fixing blocks are inserted into the first-stage shaft of the speed-up mechanism, and movement-preventing rings are provided at the middle and both outside of the two clutch-pinion fixing blocks to prevent the two clutch-pinion fixing blocks from moving in the axial direction.

5. 2. A quay-mounted wave power generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one-way clutch A and one-way clutch B comprise a fixed part which is inserted and fixed onto the first-stage shaft of the speed-increasing mechanism and has a connecting screw on its surface, and a bicycle freewheel which has a sprocket, has a one-way clutch function, and is provided with a screw for connecting to the fixed part; the pinions A and B comprise pinion fixing plates which have cutouts that match the shape of the sprocket of the freewheel and which sandwich and fix the sprocket housed in the cutouts from both sides to prevent it from moving; and the two freewheels transmit rotational torque in mutually different directions.

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