generator

Abstract

We provide a generator that is driven by water pressure. [Solution] The drive mechanism of this generator 141 comprises a pair of bellows pump chambers 102 and 112 in which bellows pumps 101 and 111 are arranged, a pair of piston chambers 122 and 132 in which pistons 121 and 131 are arranged in conjunction with the expansion and contraction of the bellows pumps 101 and 111, and crankshafts 123 and 133 that convert the reciprocating motion of the pistons 121 and 131 into rotational force of the rotating shaft 142 of the generator 141. The pair of bellows pump chambers 102 and 112 are located below the water surface 300, while the piston chambers 122 and 132, crankshafts 123 and 133, and the generator 141 are located above the water surface 300. Therefore, maintenance of the generator 141 is easy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a generator provided with a drive mechanism for driving a rotating shaft of the generator.

Background Art

[0002] The inventor of the present application has previously proposed a generator that drives the rotating shaft of the generator using water pressure (Patent Document 1 below). As shown in FIG. 5, the drive mechanism of this generator includes a pair of bellows pump chambers 221 and 231 in which bellows pumps 222 and 232 are arranged, a pair of piston chambers 226 and 236 in which pistons 227 and 237 are arranged, and crankshafts 228 and 238 that convert the reciprocating motion of the pistons 227 and 237 into the rotational force of the rotating shaft 241 of the generator 240. The generator 240 and the piston chambers 226 and 236 are arranged in water. The bellows pump chambers 221 and 231 also have only the tips of the drainage towers 224 and 234 protruding from the water surface 300, and the other parts are present in water.

[0003] Slide doors 223 and 233 that slide electrically are provided at the upper ends of the main bodies of the bellows pump chambers 221 and 231, and these slide doors 223 and 233 are controlled such that when one of them is open, the other is closed. The pair of piston chambers 226 and 236 communicate with each other at the lower ends. Further, the lower part of the bellows pump chamber 221 and the upper part of the piston chamber 226 are connected by a pipe 225 through which air can flow. Similarly, the lower part of the bellows pump chamber 231 and the upper part of the piston chamber 236 are connected by a pipe 235 through which air can flow.

[0004] In this drive mechanism, as shown in Figure 5, when the sliding door 233 of one bellows pump chamber 231 is closed, the sliding door 223 of the other bellows pump chamber 221 is open. As a result, water enters the bellows pump chamber 221, and the water pressure pushes down the bellows pump 222 in the bellows pump chamber 221. Consequently, some of the air accumulated in the bellows pump 222 is sent through the pipe 225 to the piston chamber 226, causing the piston 227 in the piston chamber 226 to descend.

[0005] As the piston 227 in piston chamber 226 descends, the air that was below the piston 227 flows into the adjacent piston chamber 236, pushing up the piston 237 in piston chamber 236. As a result, the air above the piston 237 is sent through pipe 235 to the bellows pump chamber 231, pushing up the upper end of the bellows pump 232 in the bellows pump chamber 231. Consequently, the water present at the upper end of the bellows pump chamber 231 is discharged into the atmosphere from the drainage tower 234. During this process, the movement of the descending piston 227 in piston chamber 226 and the ascending piston 237 in piston chamber 236 causes the crankshafts 228 and 238 to rotate, and consequently the rotating shaft 241 of the generator 240 rotates, generating electricity.

[0006] Next, when the sliding door 233 of the bellows pump chamber 231 opens and the sliding door 223 of the bellows pump chamber 221 closes, water enters the bellows pump chamber 231, and the water pressure pushes down the bellows pump 232 in the bellows pump chamber 231, causing the piston 237 in the piston chamber 236 to descend and the piston 227 in the piston chamber 226 to rise, pushing up the upper end of the bellows pump 222 in the bellows pump chamber 221, and the water present at the upper end of the bellows pump chamber 221 is discharged into the atmosphere from the drainage tower 224. During this process, the crankshafts 238 and 228 rotate in conjunction with the movement of the descending piston 237 in the piston chamber 236 and the ascending piston 227 in the piston chamber 226, and the rotating shaft 241 of the generator 240 continues to rotate in the same direction, resulting in continuous power generation. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. Publication (Patent Application 2024-030740) [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] However, in the configuration shown in Figure 1, the generator 240 operates underwater, making it difficult to safely extract the generated electricity. Furthermore, maintenance work on the generator 240 is challenging, hindering the construction of a large-scale power generation system. This invention aims to solve these problems and provide a generator that enables the construction of large-scale power generation systems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention relates to a generator equipped with a drive mechanism for driving the rotating shaft of the generator, This drive mechanism comprises a pair of bellows pump chambers in which a bellows pump is arranged, a pair of piston chambers in which a piston that moves in conjunction with the extension and retraction of the bellows pump is arranged, and a crankshaft that converts the reciprocating motion of the piston into rotational force of the rotating shaft of the generator. The pair of bellows pump chambers are located below the water surface, while the pair of piston chambers, the crankshaft, and the generator are located above the water surface. Each of the pair of bellows pump chambers has a sliding door that opens and closes the water inflow passage into the bellows pump chamber, and a drainage tower that serves as a water discharge passage from the bellows pump chamber when the sliding door is closed, and each of the sliding doors is controlled to alternately allow water to flow into the pair of bellows pump chambers. Furthermore, a pipe through which air flows is installed between the bellows pump chamber and the piston chamber, and as the bellows pump or the piston moves, air moves between the bellows pump chamber and the piston chamber through the pipe. Furthermore, a passage is provided between the pair of piston chambers for compressed air from one piston chamber, compressed by the movement of the piston, to flow into the other piston chamber.

[0010] In this configuration, the generator is positioned above the water surface along with a pair of piston chambers and a crankshaft, making it easy to extract the electricity generated by the generator and to perform maintenance work on the generator.

[0011] Furthermore, in this invention, two buildings housing each of the bellows pump chambers are installed in the water at intervals, with foundations provided on the seabed, and a tower structure is installed on the roof of each of the buildings. A building housing the pair of piston chambers, crankshaft, and generator is installed so as to straddle the two ends of the tower structure that protrude from the water surface, and the pipes and drainage channels protruding from each of the buildings installed in the water are arranged inside the tower structure.

[0012] This configuration allows the piston chamber, crankshaft, and generator to be stably mounted above the water surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The generator of the present invention allows for easy maintenance and enables the construction of large-scale power generation systems. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] A first cross-sectional view showing the generator and its drive mechanism according to the present invention. [Figure 2] A second cross-sectional view showing the generator and its drive mechanism according to the present invention. [Figure 3] A diagram showing the relationship between the generator of the present invention and the piston and crankshaft that drive it. [Figure 4] A diagram showing a bellows pump chamber installed underwater, a tower-like structure built above it, and a piston chamber installed above water at the tip of the tower. [Figure 5]Cross-sectional view showing the generator disclosed in Patent Document 1 and its drive mechanism.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the drive mechanism of the generator of the present invention includes a bellows pump chamber 102 provided with a bellows pump 101, a bellows pump chamber 112 provided with a bellows pump 111, a piston chamber 122 provided with a piston 121, a piston chamber 132 provided with a piston 131, and crankshafts 123 and 133 that convert the reciprocating motion of the pistons 121 and 131 into the rotational force of the rotating shaft 142 of the generator 141.

[0017] Among these, the bellows pump chambers 102 and 112 are arranged in water, and the piston chambers 122 and 132 and the crankshafts 123 and 133 are arranged above water together with the generator 141.

[0018] The bellows pump chamber 102 includes an electric slide door 103 that opens and closes the water inlet passage into the pump chamber, and the bellows pump chamber 112 includes an electric slide door 113 that opens and closes the water inlet passage into the pump chamber. The slide doors 103 and 113 are respectively controlled to alternately repeat "open" and "close" of the inflow path, and when one is "open", the other is "closed".

[0019] Also, a pipe 104 through which air circulates is provided between the bellows pump chamber 102 and the piston chamber 122. Similarly, a pipe 114 through which air circulates is provided between the bellows pump chamber 112 and the piston chamber 132. The pipe 104 connects the lower end of the bellows pump chamber 102 and the upper end of the piston chamber 122, and the pipe 114 connects the lower end of the bellows pump chamber 112 and the upper end of the piston chamber 132.

[0020] Furthermore, the lower part of piston chamber 122 is electrically connected to the lower part of piston chamber 132 through the guide passage 150.

[0021] Furthermore, the bellows pump chamber 102 has a drainage tower 105 which serves as a water discharge channel for the bellows pump chamber 102 when the sliding door 103 is closed, and the bellows pump chamber 112 has a drainage tower 115 which serves as a water discharge channel for the bellows pump chamber 112 when the sliding door 113 is closed. The drain tower 105 extends upward from the upper end of the bellows pump chamber 102, with its tip exposed above the water surface 300. Similarly, the drain tower 115 extends upward from the upper end of the bellows pump chamber 112, with its tip exposed above the water surface 300. Therefore, the water discharged from the drainage towers 105 and 115 is released into the air and then mixes with the water surrounding the bellows pump chambers 102 and 112.

[0022] In this drive mechanism, as shown in Figure 1, when the sliding door 113 of the bellows pump chamber 112 closes and the sliding door 103 of the bellows pump chamber 102 opens, water from around the bellows pump chamber 102 flows into the bellows pump chamber 102. As a result, the water pressure of the incoming water compresses the bellows pump 101, and the air inside the bellows pump 101 is sent through the pipe 104 to the piston chamber 122, causing the piston 121 in the piston chamber 122 to descend.

[0023] As the piston 121 descends, the air beneath the piston 121 is pushed into the piston chamber 132 through the passage 150, causing the piston 131 to rise. As the piston 131 rises, the air above the piston 131 is sent through the pipe 114 to the bellows pump chamber 112, causing the bellows pump 111 in the bellows pump chamber 112 to expand. Therefore, the water inside the bellows pump chamber 112, with the sliding door 113 closed, is discharged into the air from the drainage tower 115.

[0024] During this process, the movement of the descending piston 121 in the piston chamber 122 and the rising piston 131 in the piston chamber 132 causes the crankshafts 123 and 133 to rotate, which in turn causes the rotating shaft 142 of the generator 141 to rotate, resulting in the generation of electricity by the generator 141.

[0025] Figure 3 shows the relationship between the generator 141 and the pistons 121, 131 and crankshafts 123, 133 that drive it.

[0026] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 2, when the sliding door 113 of the bellows pump chamber 112 opens and the sliding door 103 of the bellows pump chamber 102 closes, the bellows pump chambers 121, 122 and the piston chambers 132, 133 perform the opposite operation to that shown in Figure 1. In other words, water from around the bellows pump chamber 112 flows into the bellows pump chamber 112, compressing the bellows pump 111. The air inside the bellows pump 111 is then sent into the piston chamber 132, causing the piston 131 to descend and the piston 121 to rise. As a result, the air above the piston 121 is sent into the bellows pump chamber 102, causing the bellows pump 101 to expand, and the water inside the bellows pump chamber 102, with the sliding door 103 closed, is discharged into the air from the drainage tower 105.

[0027] During this process, the downward movement of the piston 131 and the upward movement of the piston 121 cause the crankshafts 123 and 133 to rotate in the same direction as in Figure 1, thereby causing the rotation axis 142 of the generator 141 to rotate in the same direction as in Figure 1, and allowing the generator 141 to continue generating electricity.

[0028] Figure 4 illustrates an installation configuration of the generator and drive mechanism according to the present invention. Here, a rectangular parallelepiped first building 151 housing a bellows pump room 102 and a rectangular parallelepiped second building 152 housing a bellows pump room 112 are installed underwater at intervals, with foundations laid on the seabed. On the roofs of the first building 151 and the second building 152, respectively, tower-like structures 161 and 162 are installed.

[0029] Then, a third building 153 is constructed to straddle the two protruding ends of these structures 161 and 162, and the piston chambers 122 and 132, the crankshafts 123 and 133, and the generator 141 are housed inside this third building 153.

[0030] Furthermore, the pipe 104 connecting the bellows pump room 102 and the piston room 122, and the drainage tower 105 extending from the bellows pump room 102 to the water surface, are located inside a tower-like structure 161 installed on the roof of the first building 151. The pipe 114 connecting the bellows pump room 112 and the piston room 132, and the drainage tower 115 extending from the bellows pump room 112 to the water surface, are located inside a tower-like structure 162 installed on the roof of the second building 152.

[0031] This structure allows for the stabilization of the piston chamber, crankshaft, and generator, which are positioned above the water surface. [Industrial applicability]

[0032] The generator of the present invention is capable of generating electricity by utilizing changes in water pressure and can be widely used as a clean power generation method. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 101 Bellows pump 102 Bellows pump room 103 Sliding door 104 pipes 105 Drainage tower 111 Bellows pump 112 Bellows pump room 113 Sliding door 114 pipes 115 Drainage tower 121 Piston 122 Piston chamber 123 Crankshaft 131 Pistons 132 Piston chamber 133 Crankshaft 141 Generator 142 Rotation axis 150 Passageways 151 Building 1 152 Building 2 153 Building 3 161. Structure of a tower 162. Structure of a tower 221 Bellows pump room 222 Bellows pump 223 Sliding door 224 Drainage tower 225 pipe 226 Piston chamber 227 Piston 228 Crankshaft 231 Bellows pump room 232 Bellows pump 233 Sliding door 234 Drainage Tower 235 pipe 236 Piston chamber 237 Pistons 238 Crankshaft 240 generators 241 Rotation axis 300 water surface

Claims

1. A generator equipped with a drive mechanism for driving the rotating shaft of the generator, The drive mechanism comprises a pair of bellows pump chambers in which a bellows pump is arranged, a pair of piston chambers in which a piston that moves in conjunction with the extension and retraction of the bellows pump is arranged, and a crankshaft that converts the reciprocating motion of the piston into rotational force of the rotating shaft of the generator. The pair of bellows pump chambers are located below the water surface. The pair of piston chambers, the crankshaft, and the generator are arranged above the water surface. Each of the pair of bellows pump chambers has a sliding door for opening and closing the water inflow passage to the bellows pump chamber, and a drainage tower used to discharge water from the bellows pump chamber when the sliding door is closed. Each of the sliding doors is controlled to alternately allow water to flow into the pair of bellows pump chambers. Between the bellows pump chamber and the piston chamber, a pipe is installed which serves as a passage for air that moves between the bellows pump chamber and the piston chamber in accordance with the deformation of the bellows pump or the piston. A passage is provided between the pair of piston chambers for the air compressed by the piston in one piston chamber to flow into the other piston chamber. A generator characterized by the following features.

2. The first and second buildings, each housing one of the aforementioned bellows pump rooms, are installed underwater. A tower-like structure is installed on the roof of each of the first and second buildings. A third building housing the pair of piston chambers, crankshaft, and generator is installed straddling the tips of the two tower structures that protrude above the water surface. The pipes and drainage channels protruding from the first building and the second building are located inside the structure of the tower-like structure installed on the rooftops of the first building and the second building, respectively. The generator according to claim 1.

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