Hydraulic power generation equipment
The water pressure power generation device addresses instability in existing systems by using underwater turbines and pumping pipes to manage water flow and drainage, ensuring stable power output and efficient energy conversion.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023109171
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-07-03
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-24
- Estimated Expiration
- 2043-07-03
AI Technical Summary
Existing water pressure power generation systems face challenges in maintaining stable power output due to environmental fluctuations and issues with water accumulation leading to system shutdowns, particularly when drainage mechanisms like outflow pipes clog.
A water pressure power generation device is designed with an underwater installation that uses multiple water hushes and pumping pipes to facilitate water inflow and outflow, incorporating a turbine and generator system to convert kinetic energy into electrical power, with a water level sensor to manage water levels and prevent overflows.
The system efficiently generates power by draining water post-use, reducing resistance and enhancing energy efficiency while maintaining stable operation by managing water inflow and outflow, thus overcoming environmental variability.
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Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a hydraulic power generating device that generates electricity by utilizing water pressure. [Background technology]
[0002] In recent years, clean power sources that do not use fossil fuels, such as solar and geothermal power generation and hydrogen fuel cells, have been attracting attention in consideration of the global environment. Among these, power sources that use seawater can utilize wave power and water pressure, and various methods have been considered. However, since power generated from natural energy sources is constantly changing depending on various conditions in the surrounding environment, such as weather, topography, time of day, etc., it has been difficult to maintain a stable output. Therefore, there was a need for a power generation structure that could utilize water pressure, which is less affected by the surrounding environment, and continue to generate stable power.
[0003] In order to solve the above problems, a technical proposal has been made as described in JP 2018-84147 A (Patent Document 1). That is, Patent Document 1 proposes a technical proposal in which an impeller is rotated by a discharge flow from a pipeline to rotate a turbine. However, the only drainage means within the casing is the outflow pipe, and if the ejector, which is the negative pressure generating means, or the outflow pipe itself becomes clogged with foreign matter, water will continue to accumulate within the casing and the impeller will stop rotating, so the above problem is not yet solved.
[0004] The applicant then came up with the idea of creating a power generation device that utilizes water pressure, focusing on the kinetic energy generated when water flows into a space. He developed a hydraulic power generation device in which water is made to flow into a power generation unit placed underwater, and the generated kinetic energy is used to rotate a turbine to generate electricity, while the flowing-in water can be discharged to the outside using compressed air or a water pump. This has led to the proposal of the "hydraulic power generation equipment" of the present invention. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-84147 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0006] In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a water-disposed Inside the case Water is poured into A power generation unit disposed in the housing The objective of the present invention is to provide a hydraulic power generation device that generates electricity by rotating a turbine using the generated kinetic energy, and that can discharge flowing-in water to the outside using compressed air or a water lifting pump. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a hydraulic power generating apparatus that is disposed underwater, comprising: Disposed in the housing A power generation unit; It penetrates the housing and allows external water to flow into the housing. one or more water inlets; To pump and drain water that has entered the housing and one or more pumping pipes. The power generating unit includes: Water pressure of the water discharged from the water inlet The pumping pipe is a cylindrical pipe having a hollow portion extending vertically, and is disposed so that an upper end having a drainage port is located above the water surface, and a lower end having an inlet is located below the turbine in the power generating unit. Water flowing in from a water inlet connected to the water is pumped into the pumping pipe. Water pressure After the turbine rotates and electricity is generated, the water is discharged to the outside from a drain outlet via a pumping pipe by a specified pumping means.
[0008] The present invention also employs a feature that the power generation unit is provided with a water level sensor. Effect of the Invention
[0009] According to the hydraulic power generation device of the present invention, the water after power generation is pumped through a pumping pipe and discharged to the outside, which makes it possible to reduce the resistance of water pressure, etc. applied when discharging the water after power generation compared to when the water is directly discharged into the water using a drainage pump, thereby contributing to increased energy efficiency.
[0010] In addition, according to the hydraulic power generation device of the present invention, the power generation unit is equipped with a water level sensor, making it possible to check the water level at all times or at any time. Even if the amount of water flowing in exceeds the amount of water discharged, it is possible to take measures such as reducing or stopping the inflow based on the measured water level, or increasing the amount of water discharged in advance. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a hydraulic power generating device according to the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0012] The hydraulic power generating device according to the present invention comprises: Chassis By injecting water into The power generation unit installed in the housing Its greatest feature is that it generates electricity and the water that flows in is pumped up to the surface through a pumping pipe before being discharged. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a hydraulic power generating device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0013] The hydraulic power generation device according to the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, but can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention, i.e., within the scope of shapes, dimensions, materials, etc. that can achieve the same functional effects.
[0014] The hydraulic power generating device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a hydraulic power generating device according to the present invention. A hydraulic power generating device 1 according to the present invention is basically composed mainly of a power generating unit 10, a water inlet 2, and a water lifting pipe 20.
[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the hydraulic power generating device 1 is a device that is placed underwater, and has a casing that prevents water from entering from any other source than the water inlet 2. 3 to Thus, the housing 3 covers the entire power generation unit 10 and a part of the pumping pipe 20. There is no particular limitation on the shape of the housing 3, and for example, it may be a substantially rectangular parallelepiped having a height approximately equal to that of the power generation unit 10. There is also no particular limitation on the size of the housing 3, but in consideration of the amount of water flowing in from the water inlet 2 and the amount of water discharged by the pumping pipe 20, the size is determined so that at least the water flowing in from the water inlet 2 and stored in the lower part of the housing 3 will come into contact with the lower ends of the blades 14 described below in a short period of time and will not interfere with the rotation of the blades 14.
[0016] The power generating unit 10 is disposed within the housing 3, and is a unit in which the turbine 12 rotates to generate power in the generator 11. The specific structure of the power generation unit 10 can be any conventional method and is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a main shaft 13 to which blades 14 are connected is axially fixed to a generator 11, and the kinetic energy generated when water collides with the blades 14 causes rotation about the main shaft 13, and this rotation is transmitted to the generator 11 to generate electricity.
[0017] The generator 11 is a device that generates electricity by rotating a turbine 12 . There is no particular limitation on the specific structure of the generator 11, but an AC generator is generally used. Although not shown, the electric power generated by the generator 11 is transmitted to a transformer facility, a power storage facility, or the like connected downstream.
[0018] The turbine 12 is a device that is composed of a main shaft 13 and blades 14 , and the rotation of the turbine 12 causes the generator 11 to generate electricity. The turbine 12 is composed of a main shaft 13 that is axially attached to the generator 11 and blades 14 that are provided on the main shaft 13 and rotate when they collide with water that flows in from the water inlet 2 . There are no particular limitations on where the turbine 12 is installed as long as it is a location where rotational energy can be transmitted to the generator 11, but providing the turbine 12 in a location close to the generator 11 makes it possible to suppress attenuation of the rotational energy provided from the main shaft 13 to the generator 11. Also, as shown in Fig. 1, providing the turbine 12 below the generator 11 makes it possible to prevent problems such as electric leakage and corrosion that may occur when the generator 11 comes into contact with the water flowing in from the water inlet 2.
[0019] The main shaft 13 is axially attached to the generator 11 and converts the kinetic energy applied to the blades 14 into a rotational force and transmits it to the generator 11 . The main shaft 13 converts the kinetic energy generated when the water flowing in from the water inlet 2 collides with the blades 14 attached to the main shaft 13 into lateral rotation with the main shaft 13 as the central axis, and transmits the rotational force to the generator 11. There is no particular limitation on the method of installing the main shaft 13 as long as one end is journaled to the generator 11, but a preferable embodiment is one in which the other end of the journaled main shaft 13 is journaled to a base 15 or the like fixed to the bottom surface of the housing 3 so as not to move freely, as shown in Fig. 1. By adopting such an embodiment, it is possible to prevent the main shaft 13 from moving freely in conjunction with the rotation of the blades 14, and to fix the collision point with the blades 14 with respect to the water that flows in from the water inlet 2 and provides kinetic energy in the same direction, thereby obtaining stable rotation.
[0020] The blades 14 rotate the main shaft 13 by colliding with the water flowing in from the water inlet 2, and a plurality of blades are provided on the main shaft 13. There are no particular limitations on the shape, size, or number of blades 14, but these will be determined taking into consideration the kinetic energy obtained by collision with the water flowing in from the water inlet 2, and the air resistance that may occur during rotation. In addition, there is no particular limitation on the method of connecting the blades 14 to the main shaft 13, but in addition to the mode in which the blades 14 are provided via a plurality of arms fixed to the main shaft 13 as shown in Fig. 1, a mode in which the blades 14 are directly connected to the main shaft 13 is also suitable. By adopting such a mode, the impact generated when the blades collide with the inflowing water can be transmitted directly to the main shaft 13 without being applied to the connection part with the arms, which contributes to increasing the power generation efficiency.
[0021] The water inlet 2 is connected to the water and allows water to flow toward the blades 14 . The water inlet 2 is provided penetrating the housing 3, and is for allowing water to flow from underwater outside the housing 3 toward the blades 14. The water that flows in from the water inlet 2 flows in while maintaining pressure due to the surrounding pressure (water pressure), imparts kinetic energy to the blades 14 by colliding with the blades 14, and also falls to the bottom of the housing 3 due to gravity and is stored there. There is no particular limitation on the size of the water inlet 2, but since the amount of water flowing in increases in proportion to the size of the water inlet 2, the size is set within a range that does not exceed the amount of discharge by the water lift pipe 20. There is also no particular limitation on the position of the water inlet 2, but it is preferable to have the water inlet in one or several places in consideration of the collision position with the blade 14. For example, as shown in Figure 1, it is preferable to have the water inlet in two places, near the upper end and near the lower end of the blade 14, so that the pressure applied to one blade 14 is equal above and below. Although not shown, it is also possible to consider an embodiment in which the water inlet 2 is provided with a control unit capable of opening and closing the opening. By adopting such an embodiment, it becomes possible to open and close the water inlet 2 according to the power generation status and the amount of water stored in the housing 3, and it also becomes possible to close the water inlet 2 temporarily to perform work when there is a malfunction or maintenance of the equipment disposed in the housing 3.
[0022] The water pumping pipe 20 is a cylindrical pipe equipped with an inlet 22 and a drainage outlet 23, and serves to pump up water stored in the lower part of the housing 3 and drain it above the water. The lifting pipe 20 is a cylindrical pipe having a hollow portion extending vertically, with a drain outlet 23 at its open upper end and an inlet 22 near its lower end, and extends from near the bottom of the housing 3 located below the turbine 12 in the power generation unit 10 through the top surface of the housing 3 to above the water surface. Water stored in the lower part of the housing 3 is pumped up to the water surface by a predetermined pumping means by allowing water stored in the bottom surface of the housing 3 to flow in through the inlet 22 provided near the lower end of the lifting pipe 20, and is then drained from the drain outlet 23, which is the upper opening. In addition, one or more lifting pipes 20 are provided in the housing 3 for a drainage function. Possible structures for use as the water pumping means include, but are not limited to, a structure for pumping water via a pumping screw 21 operated by compressed air generated by a compressor 31 or an external electric power 27, or a structure for pumping water inside a pumping pipe 20 by a pumping pump 26 operated by an external electric power 27. For example, as shown in Fig. 1, a mode employing a plurality of structures is also suitable, such as disposing a pumping pipe 20 equipped with a pumping screw 21 and a pumping pipe 20 equipped with a pumping pump 26. There is no particular limitation on the shape of the pumping pipe 20, but when the pumping screw 21 is provided inside the pumping pipe 20, the pumping function can be improved by making the outer diameter of the pumping screw 21 and the inner diameter of the pumping pipe 20 approximate each other. At the upper end of the pumping pipe 20, as shown in FIG. 1, the pumping effect can be improved by making the pipe 20 substantially L-shaped so that the pumped water can be moved horizontally and discharged. In this case, by providing an inclination toward the water surface, it is possible to prevent backflow of water and accumulation of foreign matter that has flowed in with the water. In addition, at the lower end of the pumping pipe 20, the pipe 20 is provided below the power generation unit 10, at least below the turbine 12, so that the water can flow in smoothly through the inlet 22. The length of the pumping pipe 20 is not particularly limited as long as it is long enough to provide the inlet 22 near the bottom of the housing 3 and the outlet 23 above the water surface, and although not shown, an embodiment in which an extendable mechanism is provided as necessary is also suitable. Furthermore, the diameter of the pumping pipe 20 is not particularly limited either, and is determined in consideration of the pumping capacity of the pumping screw 21 and the pumping pump 26, the number of pumping pipes 20 provided in the housing 3, etc.
[0023] The inlet 22 allows the water stored at the bottom of the housing 3 to flow into the water lifting pipe 20 . The installation position of the inlet 22 is not particularly limited, and if the lower end of the pumping pipe 20 is open, the lower end is provided as the inlet 22, and if the lower end is closed, the inlet 22 is provided on the side surface near the lower end. The inlet 22 is preferably located at a position where water stored at the bottom of the housing 3 can flow into the pumping pipe 20, and in particular, the closer the lower part of the opening of the inlet 22 is to the bottom of the housing 3 (particularly the bottommost part of the stored water). There is also no particular limit to the diameter of the inlet 22, but by making the diameter such that at least the same amount of water as the maximum amount of water flowing in from the water inlet 2 can flow into the pumping pipe 20, it becomes possible to prevent the water level of the water stored at the bottom of the housing 3 from rising. In this case, if there are multiple lifting pipes 20, by making the size and diameter of each inlet 22 the same, the amount of water flowing into the lifting pipes 20 becomes uniform, making it easier to grasp the amount of water discharged.In addition, the load on the lifting screw 21, lifting pump 26, etc. provided as the lifting means becomes almost the same, making maintenance such as part replacement easier.
[0024] The drain outlet 23 is for discharging the water pumped up through the pumping pipe 20 by the pumping means onto the water. The drain outlet 23 is provided at the upper end opening of the lifting pipe 20, and discharges water pumped up from the bottom of the housing 3 by the lifting screw 21, the lifting pump 26, etc., toward the water. Although there is no particular limitation on the diameter of the drain outlet 23, making it equal to or larger than the diameter of the lifting pipe 20 makes it possible to prevent backflow into the lifting pipe 20 during drainage. Also, making it a diameter that allows at least the average amount of water pumped to be discharged onto the water surface makes it possible to smoothly discharge the pumped water. The drain outlet 23 is installed at a position higher than the water surface so that the water being discharged does not flow back into the lifting pipe 20 via the drain outlet 23.
[0025] The lifting screw 21 is a structure employed as one of the lifting means provided in the lifting pipe 20, and lifts the water that has flowed into the lifting pipe 20 via the inlet 22 up to the water surface. The pumping screw 21 has a pumping structure that causes water stored at the bottom of the housing 3 to flow into the pumping pipe 20 through the inlet 22, and then pumps the water above the water level and discharges it by operating the pumping structure. There is no particular limitation on the power used when the pumping structure of the pumping screw 21 is operated, and possible modes include generating electricity using the generator 11 or an external power source 27 described later, using a battery installed inside or outside, and using the pressure of compressed air, etc. The pumping structure of the pumping screw 21 is also not particularly limited, and it is sufficient to use a conventionally known one. For example, a preferred mode is one that uses an Archimedes screw, which is capable of forming a helical pumping screw 21 having approximately the same diameter as the inner wall of the pumping pipe 20 as shown in Figure 1 and continuing to rotate, so that the water scooped up at the lower end of the pumping screw 21 is pumped up along the inner wall of the pumping pipe 20 in a helical shape by the centrifugal force generated with the rotation of the pumping screw 21, and rises to the upper end of the pumping screw 21. Furthermore, there is no limitation on the length or installation method of the pumping pipe 20 in which the pumping screw 21 is inscribed, the structure or rotation speed of the pumping screw 21, etc., as long as the pumping can continue from the vicinity of the lower end to the vicinity of the upper end of the pumping pipe 20, and in addition to the embodiment in which the pumping screw 21 is provided in the hollow part of the pumping pipe 20 arranged in a substantially vertical direction as shown in Figure 1 and pumps water directly upward, a mode in which a plurality of pumping pipes 20 are connected with an inclination and extended upward is also suitable, although not shown. For example, by adopting a pumping pipe 20 in which the screw is formed with a helical angle of 30 degrees and extended obliquely upward (preferably 75 degrees to 80 degrees), and rotating the pumping screw 21 at a rotation speed in the range of 300 rpm to 400 rpm, it is possible to increase the pumping efficiency compared to the case in which the pipe is arranged in a substantially vertical direction.
[0026] There is no particular limitation on the power required to operate the water-pumping screw 21 employed as the water-pumping means, but a preferred embodiment is one in which a power chamber 24 is provided at a predetermined location in the water-pumping pipe 20 as shown in FIG. 1, and the water-pumping screw 21 is operated by the power provided in the power chamber 24. There is no particular limitation on the type of power provided in the power chamber 24, but possible configurations include, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, a rotating blade 25 is provided in the power chamber 24, and compressed air is discharged toward the rotating blade 25 to rotate it, and the rotational force is transmitted to the pumping screw 21 as power, and, although not shown, a pumping pump 26 is provided in the power chamber 24, and the pumping pump 26 and the pumping screw 21 are started using an external power source 27 generated by a solar power generation device or the like to pump water. The location of the power chamber 24 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, provided near the bottom of the water pumping pipe 20 to form a single water pumping pipe 20 as shown in Fig. 1, or provided near the upper and lower ends of the water pumping screw 21 to transmit power. The size of the power chamber 24 is also not particularly limited, and is determined based on the sizes of the rotor blades 25 and the water pumping pump 26, and the size required for the rotation of the rotor blades 25.
[0027] Although not shown, when using a power source using compressed air, it is also preferable to provide one or more vent holes penetrating the top surface of the power chamber 24 and the bottom surface of the water lifting pipe 20, so that the compressed air flowing into the power chamber 24 flows into the water lifting pipe 20 through the vent holes. By adopting such a configuration, air enters the water being pumped and rises inside the water lifting pipe 20 toward the drainage outlet 23, decreasing the water pressure and increasing the volume of the air, which is expected to have an excellent effect of pushing up the water being pumped. In addition, the buoyancy of the air flowing into the water lifting pipe 20 is applied to the water lifting screw 21, making it possible to reduce the load on the rotation of the water lifting screw 21.
[0028] The compressed air used to rotate the rotor blades 25 may be discharged from a compressed air tank filled with compressed air, or a compressed air unit 30 including a compressor 31 and air piping 32 may be provided, and the compressed air generated by the compressor 31 may be discharged into the power chamber 24 via the air piping 32. By adopting such an embodiment, it becomes possible to handle the discharge of compressed air over a long period of time, which contributes to the stable operation of the pumping pipe 20.
[0029] There is no particular limitation on the structure of the compressor 31 provided in the compressed air unit 30, and it is sufficient to use a conventionally known structure (reciprocating, rotary, centrifugal, etc.) for compressing air and generating compressed air by increasing the pressure to a predetermined pressure (for example, 0.7 MPa), and there is no particular limitation on the location or number of compressors. In addition, it is also preferable to use a plurality of cylindrical pipes other than the present invention, and a mechanism for generating compressed air by moving a piston up and down using the water pressure that increases or decreases by injecting and discharging water into the cylindrical pipes, as the compressor 31. By employing such a mechanism, it is possible to generate the power required for the present invention using only a structure that makes maximum use of natural energy.
[0030] The compressed air generated by the compressor 31 is sent to the power chamber 24 via an air pipe 32 . The air piping 32 extends from the compressor 31 at the base end to the power chamber 24 at the tip, and is preferably disposed along the outer wall of the water lifting pipe 20. The tip of the air piping 32 is provided at a position where compressed air can be blown to the rotor blades 25 while passing through the power chamber 24.
[0031] When compressed air is used as a power source for generating power in the power chamber 24, a rotor blade 25 is provided in the sealed space within the power chamber 24. If the power chamber 24 is provided at the bottom of the water-pumping pipe 20 as shown in Figure 1, the rotating blades 25 are directly connected to the lower end of the water-pumping screw 21, and are rotated by blowing compressed air onto the rotating blades 25, and the rotational force is transmitted to the lower end of the water-pumping screw 21. There is no particular limitation on the rotating members such as the shaft and the propeller provided on the rotating blades 25, and it is sufficient to use conventionally known members. In addition, there is no limitation on the size of the rotating blades 25, but by forming the size of the rotating members to be smaller than the inner diameter of the water lifting pipe 20, it is possible to configure the lowest part of the water lifting pipe 20 as the power chamber 24.
[0032] A preferred embodiment is one in which a discharge nozzle 33 is provided at the tip of an air pipe 32 that blows compressed air to the rotary vanes 25 . There are no particular limitations on the shape and size of the discharge nozzle 33, and they are determined in a range that takes into consideration the load on the rotary blades 25 and that does not fall below the rotation speed required for the operation of the pumping screw 21.
[0033] When using compressed air as the power source, the rotation speed of the rotary vane 25 provided in the power chamber 24 may decrease due to the compressed air generating capacity (pressure boosting capacity, etc.) of the compressor 31 used or pressure loss due to bending points in the air pipe 32 or connections between pipes, etc., making it difficult to meet the required rotation speed of the water pumping screw 21 connected to the rotary vane 25. In that case, as shown in Fig. 1, a compressor 31b other than the compressor 31 is provided, and one or more power chambers 24b are provided at predetermined locations of the water pumping pipe 20 (locations where power can be transmitted to the water pumping screw, such as the upper end of the water pumping screw 21), and compressed air generated by the compressor 31b is sent into the power chamber 24b via the air pipe 32b, and the compressed air is blown from the discharge nozzle 33b to the rotary vane 25b, causing rotation, and increasing the rotation speed of the water pumping screw 21 connected to the rotary vane 25b. By adopting this embodiment, it is possible to increase the rotational force transmitted to the water lifting screw 21, making it easier to achieve the required rotational speed.
[0034] The water lifting pump 26 is a structure employed as one of the pumping means provided in the water lifting pipe 20, and lifts the water that has flowed into the water lifting pipe 20 via the inlet 22 up to the water surface. The water pump 26 has a pumping structure therein and causes water stored at the bottom of the housing 3 to flow into the water pump 26 through the inlet 22, and then pumps and discharges the water by operating the pumping structure to flow out above the water. There is no particular limitation on the power used when the pumping structure of the pumping pump 26 is operated, and possible modes include generating electricity using the generator 11 or an external power source 27 described below, or using a battery installed inside or outside. There is also no particular limitation on the pumping structure of the pumping pump 26, and it is sufficient to use a conventionally known one.
[0035] There are no particular limitations on the external power source 27 that operates the pumping pump 26, and possible configurations include power generation using natural energy such as sunlight, wind, and wave power, as well as storing surplus electricity during late-night hours in a battery or using it as is as a power source. A power transmission cable 28 arranged along the outer wall of the pumping pipe 20 is used to transmit electricity from the external power source 27 to the pumping pump 26.
[0036] When the pumping capacity of the lifting pump 26 is insufficient, it is also preferable to provide a lifting pump 26b at the top of the lifting pipe 20 (where water can be discharged to the drain 23) as shown in Fig. 1 to achieve the required pumping capacity. It is also preferable to provide a plurality of lifting pumps 26 at predetermined locations on the lifting pipe 20, and perform the operation of pumping water from below upwards by the lifting pumps 26 multiple times to achieve the required pumping capacity before discharge. By adopting such an embodiment, it is possible to distribute and reduce the burden on the lifting pumps 26 when pumping water.
[0037] 1 may be provided at a predetermined location on the inner wall of the housing 3. By adopting such an embodiment, it becomes possible to grasp the storage state of the water that has flowed into the housing 3, and it becomes possible to take measures such as stopping the inflow of water before the water level reaches a level that interferes with the rotation of the turbine 12. There is no particular limitation on the installation position of the water level sensor 34, but it is preferable to install it at the lower limit and upper limit of the storage in the housing 3, and more preferably, to install it at the water level danger part, which is a place above the upper limit of the storage and before the contact with the blade 14. By adopting such an embodiment, if the water level sensor 34 at the lower limit of the storage is OFF, it is possible to stop the power in the power chamber 24 until the water level sensor 34A turns ON, thereby reducing the power consumption required for pumping. If the water level sensor 34B at the upper limit of the storage is ON, the amount of pumping by the pumping pipe 20 is increased or the inflow from the water inlet 2 is stopped, thereby performing a water level lowering process until the water level sensor 34B turns OFF. In addition, if the water level sensor 34C at the water level danger part turns ON, it is possible to take measures such as emergency stopping the power generation unit 10 to prevent the blade 14 from breaking due to contact with the water surface, and contacting the administrator as a malfunction that does not cause the water level to drop.
[0038] The operation of the hydraulic power generating device 1 consisting of the above components will be described with reference to FIG. First, an operation mode relating to power generation performed by injecting water into the housing 3 will be described. When a water inlet 2 provided on a housing 3 disposed underwater is opened, surrounding water flows under water pressure toward the blades 14 inside the housing 3. When the flowing water collides with the blades 14, kinetic energy is generated, and the blades 14 rotate around the main shaft 13 to which the blades 14 are connected. The main shaft 13 transmits the rotational force generated by the rotation of the blades 14 to the generator 11 to which the main shaft 13 is attached, and the generator 11 generates electricity using the rotational force transmitted from the main shaft 13.
[0039] Next, an operation for discharging water accumulated in the housing 3 will be described. The water that flows into the housing 3 from the water inlet 2 collides with the blades 14 and then falls to the bottom of the housing 3 due to gravity, where it is stored. As a means for discharging the stored water, a pumping pipe 20 equipped with a pumping screw 21 is disposed in the housing 3, and the pumping screw 21 is powered by a structure that is linked to the rotation of a rotating blade 25 provided in a power chamber 24, thereby operating the pumping structure. First, compressed air sent from the compressed air unit 30 flows into the power chamber 24, rotating the rotor blades 25 provided in the power chamber 24, and the pumping screw 21 provided in the pumping pipe 20 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the rotor blades 25. Water stored in the housing 3 flows into the pumping pipe 20 from an inlet 22 provided on the lower side of the pumping pipe 20, and is scooped up by the lower end structure as the pumping screw 21 rotates. The water scooped up by the pumping screw 21 is pumped upward along the inner wall of the pumping pipe 20 in a spiral shape due to the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the pumping screw 21. The water pumped up to the vicinity of the upper end of the pumping pipe 20 changes its flow path horizontally along the bent part because the upper end of the pumping pipe 20 is formed in a substantially L-shape, and is discharged into the water from a drain outlet 23 at the uppermost end of the pumping pipe 20.
[0040] Although the basic configuration and operation of the hydraulic power generating device 1 according to the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment or the configuration shown in the drawings. For example, a large-scale housing 3 in which a plurality of power generating units 10 are arranged is submerged in the sea, and seawater used in each of the power generating units 10 is discharged above or under the sea using a number of water-raising pipes 20, thereby enabling a large-scale and stable supply of electricity.
[0041] As described above, according to the hydraulic power generation device 1 of the present invention, power is generated by the generator 11 by flowing water into the casing 3, and the flowing water can be discharged above the water by the pumping means in the pumping pipe 20, making it possible to replenish the energy required for power generation by pressurized water. [Industrial Applicability]
[0042] The hydraulic power generating device of the present invention generates electricity using pressurized water while also being able to continuously discharge the water used for power generation, so it can be installed in the sea, lakes, dams, etc., as long as there is a place deep enough to provide water pressure sufficient to rotate a turbine. Therefore, it is believed that the "hydraulic power generating device" of the present invention has great industrial applicability. [Explanation of symbols]
[0043] 1. Hydraulic power generation equipment 2 Water inlet 3. Chassis 10 Power generating units 11. Generator 12 Turbine 13 Spindle 14 Blades 15 Foundation 20. Pumping Pipe 21 Lifting screw 22 Inlet 23 Drain 24 Power room 25 Rotor 26 Water Pump 26b Water pump 27 External power supply 28 Power Cables 30 Compressed Air Unit 31 Compressor 31b Compressor 32 Air piping 32b Air piping 33 Discharge nozzle 33b Discharge nozzle 34 Water level sensor 34A Water level sensor (lower limit of storage) 34B Water level sensor (upper storage limit) 34C Water level sensor (dangerous water level section)
Claims
1. A hydraulic power generation device disposed underwater, comprising: The water supply system comprises a power generation unit disposed in a housing, one or more water inlet ports provided through the housing to allow external water to flow into the housing, and one or more water pumping pipes for pumping and discharging the water that has flowed into the housing, The power generation unit is provided with a turbine that rotates by the water pressure of the water discharged from the water inlet; The lifting pipe is a cylindrical pipe having a hollow portion extending vertically, and is disposed so that an upper end portion having a drainage outlet is located above the water surface, and a lower end portion having a water inlet is located below the turbine of the power generation unit; A hydraulic power generation device characterized in that the water flows in through a water inlet connected to the water, causing a turbine to rotate and generating electricity, and then the water is discharged to the outside through a drainage outlet via a specified pumping means via a pumping pipe.
2. 2. The hydraulic power generating device according to claim 1, wherein the power generating unit is provided with a water level sensor.
Citation Information
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