Fluid Distribution Systems

Abstract

To suppress impact of pressure drop of a fluid which is caused by application of a turbine in a fluid circulation system.SOLUTION: A fluid circulation system includes: a decompression mechanism part for decompressing pressure of circulating fluid; and a turbine installed to the decompression mechanism part and rotating with the fluid circulating in the decompression mechanism part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fluid flow system. [Background technology]

[0002] Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a Savonius turbine is arranged on a water supply pipe to extract energy. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0003] [Non-Patent Document 1] S. Abdolkarim Payambarpour, Amir F. Najafi, Franco Magagnato, Investigation of deflector geometry and turbine aspect ratio effect on 3D modified in-pipe hydro Savonius turbine: Parametric study:, Renewable Energy 148(2020)44-59 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a turbine for extracting energy is applied to a fluid distribution system in which a fluid is circulated through a distribution part such as a distribution pipe, the rotation of the turbine creates resistance to the fluid flow, resulting in effects such as a decrease in the fluid pressure.

[0005] In consideration of the above, an object of the present invention is to suppress the influence of a pressure drop of a fluid caused by the application of a turbine in a fluid distribution system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A fluid circulation system according to a first aspect includes a pressure reducing mechanism that reduces the pressure of a circulating fluid, and a turbine that is provided in the pressure reducing mechanism and rotated by the circulating fluid in the pressure reducing mechanism.

[0007] In this way, in the configuration of the first aspect, a turbine is provided in a pressure reduction mechanism that reduces the pressure of the circulating fluid in the fluid distribution system. Therefore, according to the configuration of the first aspect, the turbine rotates in the pressure reduction mechanism, which is the part of the fluid distribution system where pressure reduction is planned, so that the effect of the pressure drop of the fluid caused by the application of the turbine can be suppressed.

[0008] In the fluid distribution system according to the second aspect, in the first aspect, the pressure reduction mechanism is a governor unit, and the turbine is arranged in the governor unit at an upstream portion in the flow direction upstream of a pressure reduction section that reduces the pressure of the fluid.

[0009] Here, when the turbine is disposed downstream in the flow direction of the governor unit from the pressure reducing section, energy is obtained from the portion of the governor unit where the gas pressure is reduced.

[0010] In contrast, the configuration of the second aspect allows energy to be obtained from the high-pressure portion of the governor unit before pressure reduction by the pressure reduction section. Therefore, the configuration of the second aspect allows not only the kinetic energy (dynamic pressure) of the gas but also its pressure energy (static pressure) to be converted into rotational force within the governor unit. As a result, the configuration of the second aspect allows energy to be obtained from the fluid more efficiently than when the turbine is located downstream of the pressure reduction section in the governor unit in the flow direction.

[0011] In the fluid distribution system according to a third aspect, in addition to the second aspect, the upstream portion is adjacent to the pressure reduction portion on the upstream side of the pressure reduction portion.

[0012] In the configuration of the third aspect, the turbine is disposed upstream of the pressure reduction section and adjacent to the pressure reduction section, so that the turbine and the pressure reduction section can be disposed together.

[0013] The fluid distribution system according to the fourth aspect is the fluid distribution system according to the second or third aspect, and further comprises an adjacent portion adjacent to the upstream portion on the upstream side of the upstream portion, and the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the upstream portion is smaller than the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the adjacent portion and the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the pressure reduction portion.

[0014] In the fourth aspect, the cross-sectional area of ​​the upstream portion where the turbine is located is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the adjacent portion and the cross-sectional area of ​​the pressure reducing portion, thereby increasing the flow velocity of the fluid flowing in the upstream portion, and as a result, energy can be obtained from the fluid with high efficiency.

[0015] In the fluid distribution system according to a fifth aspect, in any one of the second to fourth aspects, the governor unit has a housing that houses the upstream section, the turbine, and the pressure reducing section.

[0016] In the configuration of the fifth aspect, the upstream section, the turbine, and the pressure reducing section are housed in a housing of the governor unit, which makes the configuration more compact than a configuration in which the upstream section, the turbine, and the pressure reducing section are all concentrated within the housing and at least one of the upstream section, the turbine, and the pressure reducing section is located outside the housing.

[0017] A sixth aspect of the present invention relates to the fluid distribution system of the fifth aspect, wherein the governor unit further includes a generator that generates electricity using a rotational force of the turbine, and the generator is housed in the housing.

[0018] In the configuration of the sixth aspect, the generator is housed in the housing, and therefore the upstream section, turbine, pressure reduction section, and generator are all concentrated within the housing, making the configuration more compact than a configuration in which the generator is located outside the housing.

[0019] In a fluid distribution system according to a seventh aspect, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the turbine is supported within the gas pipe as the pressure reducing mechanism so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis direction perpendicular to the pipe axis direction of the gas pipe, and includes first and second blades formed in a hollow hemispherical shape with concave curved surfaces that receive the gas flow, and in a state where the concave curved surface of the first blade faces one side in the pipe axis direction, the concave curved surface of the second blade faces the other side in the pipe axis direction, and the first and second blades are arranged so as to be shifted in a direction perpendicular to the pipe axis direction and the rotation axis direction while partially overlapping each other.

[0020] According to the seventh aspect, the concave curved surfaces of the first and second blades receive the flow of gas, causing the turbine to rotate in a predetermined direction of rotation, with the gas flowing between the first and second blades in an S-shape.

[0021] This makes it possible to convert not only the kinetic energy (dynamic pressure) of the gas in the gas pipe but also the pressure energy (static pressure) into rotational force. As a result, the configuration of the seventh aspect makes it possible to obtain energy from the gas with high efficiency. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] The present invention has the above-described configuration, and therefore has the excellent effect of being able to suppress the influence of a drop in fluid pressure caused by the application of a turbine in a fluid distribution system. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a gas supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the turbine according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the configuration of the turbine according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the turbine according to the embodiment. [Figure 5]FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of the turbine according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view showing the configuration of the turbine according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of gas in the turbine according to the present embodiment and a comparative example. [Figure 8] 10 is a graph showing the evaluation results. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] An example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0025] <Gas Supply System 10> The configuration of a gas supply system 10 according to this embodiment will be described below. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a gas supply system 10 according to this embodiment.

[0026] The gas supply system 10 is a system that supplies gas (i.e., gas). Specifically, the gas supply system 10 is, for example, a system that supplies city gas from a supply source (e.g., a gas manufacturing plant) to consumers (e.g., ordinary homes, commercial facilities, industrial facilities, etc.), and as shown in FIG. 1 , includes a first gas pipe 11, a second gas pipe 12, a governor unit 20, a turbine 50, and a generator 60. Note that in the gas supply system 10, the direction in which gas flows is referred to as the gas flow direction. Furthermore, the gas supply system 10 is an example of a fluid flow system that flows a fluid. The first gas pipe 11 and the second gas pipe 12 are examples of a flow section that flows a fluid. As such, an example of a flow section may be composed of multiple components or may be composed of a single component. Furthermore, gas is an example of a fluid.

[0027] The first gas pipe 11 is disposed on the supply source side (i.e., upstream side in the gas flow direction) of the second gas pipe 12 in the gas supply system 10. The first gas pipe 11 is a gas pipe through which city gas having a higher pressure than the gas pressure in the second gas pipe 12 flows.

[0028] The second gas pipe 12 is arranged on the consumer side (i.e., downstream in the gas flow direction) of the first gas pipe 11 in the gas supply system 10. The second gas pipe 12 is a gas pipe through which city gas having a lower pressure than the gas pressure in the first gas pipe 11 flows.

[0029] The governor unit 20 is disposed between the first gas pipe 11 and the second gas pipe 12 in the gas supply system 10. That is, the governor unit 20 is disposed downstream of the first gas pipe 11 in the gas flow direction and upstream of the second gas pipe 12 in the gas flow direction in the gas supply system 10.

[0030] The governor unit 20 functions as a pressure regulator that regulates the pressure of the gas flowing from the first gas pipe 11 to the second gas pipe 12 between the first gas pipe 11 and the second gas pipe 12. The governor unit 20 is an example of a pressure reducing mechanism. Specifically, the governor unit 20 reduces the pressure of the gas from the first gas pipe 11 and sends it to the second gas pipe 12.

[0031] The governor unit 20 has a gas flow component 26 including a gas pipe 22, a pressure reduction unit 24, and a housing 28. The housing 28 is a component that houses the gas flow component 26 including the gas pipe 22 and the pressure reduction unit 24. The gas pipe 22 is an example of an upstream portion.

[0032] Gas flow component 26 is a component for circulating gas, and includes gas pipe 22 and other components such as gas pipes and valves. Gas flow component 26 circulates gas from inlet 25, to which first gas pipe 11 is connected, to outlet 27, to which second gas pipe 12 is connected (see arrows 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D).

[0033] The pressure reducing section 24 is a component that reduces the pressure of the gas in the governor unit 20. The gas pipe 22 is disposed upstream of the pressure reducing section 24 in the gas flow direction. Specifically, the gas pipe 22 is connected to the pressure reducing section 24 on the upstream side of the gas flow direction. That is, the gas pipe 22 is adjacent to the pressure reducing section 24 on the upstream side of the gas flow direction. The gas pipe 22 has a smaller flow path diameter (i.e., a cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path) than an adjacent section 23 adjacent to the gas pipe 22 on the upstream side of the gas flow direction and a component connected to the gas pipe 22 on the downstream side of the gas flow direction (specifically, the pressure reducing section 24). In this embodiment, the gas pipe 22 is directly connected to the pressure reducing section 24 by, for example, a flange.

[0034] As an example, the pressure reducing unit 24 is composed of a main sleeve and a pilot governor. In the pressure reducing unit 24, when the secondary pressure falls below the set pressure, the pilot governor opens, and the control pressure decreases, causing the main sleeve to open, allowing the fluid on the primary side to flow into the secondary side. On the other hand, when the secondary pressure rises above the set pressure, the pilot governor closes, and the control pressure increases, causing the main sleeve to close, stopping the flow of fluid from the primary side to the secondary side.

[0035] Specifically, the adjacent part 23 is an emergency shutoff valve, and has the function of closing the shutoff valve and stopping the inflow of fluid if the secondary pressure exceeds the set pressure of the shutoff valve for some reason.

[0036] In the governor unit 20, a turbine 50 is disposed relative to the gas pipe 22, as will be described later. The gas flowing through the governor unit 20 is depressurized by the turbine 50 and further depressurized by the pressure reducing section 24. Therefore, the pressure of the gas in the flow paths indicated by arrows 20A and 20B in the governor unit 20, the gas in the flow path indicated by arrow 20C, and the gas in the flow path indicated by arrow 20D gradually decreases in this order. In this way, the turbine 50 is also a component of the governor unit 20 that has a depressurizing function for depressurizing the gas.

[0037] The generator 60 is provided on the outer periphery of the gas pipe 22 (on the upper side in FIGS. 1 and 2). The generator 60 is housed in the housing 28. The generator 60 generates electricity using the rotational force of the turbine 50. Specifically, the generator 60 generates electricity when the turbine 50 rotates a rotary shaft 55 (described later). The power generated by the generator 60 can be used, for example, for continuous remote monitoring of data such as pressure and flow rate measured by a pressure gauge and a flow meter installed in the governor unit 20, and for remote restarting of the system in the event of an earthquake disaster. A connector (not shown) of the generator 60 can be connected, for example, from outside the housing 28.

[0038] <Turbine 50> 2 to 6 are diagrams showing the configuration of the turbine 50. In order to show the configuration of the turbine 50, a part of the gas pipe 22 is cut away in FIG.

[0039] 2 to 6 is a mechanism that converts the energy of the gas flowing through the governor unit 20 into rotational force and extracts the energy. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the turbine 50 is disposed in the gas pipe 22 provided in the governor unit 20. That is, the turbine 50 is disposed in the gas pipe 22 as an upstream portion of the governor unit 20, on the upstream side of the pressure reducing section 24 in the flow direction.

[0040] In this embodiment, the turbine 50 is configured as a so-called Savonius turbine. Specifically, as shown in Figures 2 to 6, the turbine 50 has first blades 51, second blades 52, a first spacer 53, a second spacer 54, and a rotating shaft 55. Hereinafter, the first blades 51 and the second blades 52 may be referred to as "first and second blades 51, 52," and the first spacer 53 and the second spacer 54 may be referred to as "first and second spacers 53, 54."

[0041] The turbine 50 is a vertical-axis turbine, and its rotation axis 55 is disposed along a rotation axis direction Y that is perpendicular to the pipe axis direction X of the gas pipe 22. The first and second blades 51, 52 and the first and second spacers 53, 54 are supported in the gas pipe 22 by the rotation axis 55 so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis direction Y.

[0042] In each drawing, the tube axis direction X is indicated by an arrow X, and the rotation axis direction Y is indicated by an arrow Y. Furthermore, in each drawing, the orthogonal direction Z perpendicular to the tube axis direction X and the rotation axis direction Y is indicated by an arrow Z.

[0043] The first and second blades 51 and 52 are formed in a hollow hemispherical shape having concave curved surfaces 513 and 523 that receive the gas flow. That is, the first and second blades 51 and 52 have hemispherical spaces 518 and 528, the concave curved surfaces 513 and 523 (i.e., inner peripheral surfaces), convex curved surfaces 515 and 525 (i.e., outer peripheral surfaces), and end surfaces 514 and 524.

[0044] The first and second blades 51, 52 (including the concave curved surfaces 513, 523 and the convex curved surfaces 515, 525) are formed in an arc shape in a horizontal cross section (i.e., XZ cross section) as shown in Fig. 6. The inner diameters (i.e., the diameters of the concave curved surfaces 513, 523) and outer diameters (i.e., the diameters of the convex curved surfaces 515, 525) of the first and second blades 51, 52 are maximum at the center in the rotation axis direction Y and gradually decrease from the center in the rotation axis direction Y to one side (i.e., the upper side in Figs. 3 and 4) and the other side (i.e., the lower side in Figs. 3 and 4).

[0045] The thickness of the first and second blades 51, 52 is constant. However, the thickness of the first and second blades 51, 52 may vary. For example, the thickness of the first and second blades 51, 52 may be greatest at the center in the rotation axis direction Y and gradually decrease from the center in the rotation axis direction Y to one side (i.e., the upper side in Figures 3 and 4) and the other side (i.e., the lower side in Figures 3 and 4).

[0046] The first and second blades 51, 52 do not need to be perfectly hemispherical. For example, as described above, the first and second blades 51, 52 may be formed in an arc shape in horizontal cross section, with the inner and outer diameters being maximum at the center in the rotation axis direction Y and gradually decreasing from the center in the rotation axis direction Y to one side (i.e., the upper side in Figures 3 and 4) and the other side (i.e., the lower side in Figures 3 and 4).

[0047] As shown in FIG. 6 , in a state where the concave curved surface 513 and the end face 514 of the first blade 51 face one side in the tube axis direction X (hereinafter referred to as the first state), the concave curved surface 523 and the end face 524 of the second blade 52 face the other side in the tube axis direction X, and the first and second blades 51, 52 are arranged so as to be shifted in the perpendicular direction Z while partially overlapping each other.

[0048] The overlap ratio of the first and second blades 51, 52 relative to the entirety is set to an overlap ratio that does not cause choking in the gas flowing between the first and second blades 51, 52. Specifically, the overlap ratio of the first and second blades 51, 52 relative to the entirety is set in the range of 1% to 80%.

[0049] The choking phenomenon is a phenomenon in which the mass flow rate reaches a plateau when the flow velocity of the gas flowing between the first blade 51 and the second blade 52 reaches the speed of sound. The choking phenomenon is specific to compressible fluids such as gas, and does not occur with incompressible fluids (for example, liquids such as water).

[0050] Specifically, the overlap ratio is calculated by S / D×100 (see FIG. 6 ). S is the dimension of the gap between the first blade 51 and the second blade 52 in the orthogonal direction Z when the turbine 50 is in the first state. D is the overall dimension of the first blade 51 and the second blade 52 in the orthogonal direction Z when the turbine 50 is in the first state. Therefore, D can be understood as the diameter of the rotational trajectory of the turbine 50.

[0051] The first spacer 53 is provided on one side in the rotation axis direction Y (i.e., the upper side in Figures 3 and 4) of the first and second blades 51, 52. The first spacer 53 has a surface 536 on that side formed as a curved surface that is convex toward that side.

[0052] The second spacer 54 is provided on the other side in the rotation axis direction Y (i.e., the lower side in FIGS. 3 and 4) of the first and second blades 51, 52. The second spacer 54 has a surface 546 on the other side formed as a curved surface that is convex toward the other side.

[0053] 3, the turbine 50 is formed into a circular shape by the first and second blades 51, 52 and the first and second spacers 53, 54 when viewed in the pipe axis direction X. Specifically, the circular shape is preferably coaxial with the gas pipe 22. That is, it is preferable that the gap E between the turbine 50 and the inner wall of the gas pipe 22 has a constant dimension in the circumferential direction. Note that D is, for example, 110 mm or more and 120 mm or less, the inner diameter DA of the gas pipe 22 is, for example, 114 mm or more and 124 mm or less, and the gap E is, for example, about 2 mm.

[0054] In the turbine 50, the concave curved surfaces 513 and 523 of the first and second blades 51 and 52 receive the gas flow and rotate in a predetermined rotation direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 6). That is, the gas supply system 10 uses a system in which the turbine 50 rotates due to the drag force it receives from the gas in the gas pipe 22.

[0055] Furthermore, as described above, in the first state of the turbine 50, the concave curved surface 523 and the end surface 524 of the second blade 52 face the other side in the pipe axis direction X, and the first and second blades 51, 52 are arranged to be partially overlapping but shifted in the orthogonal direction Z (see FIG. 6 ). With this configuration, unlike when the turbine 50 does not have an overlapping portion (see FIG. 7C ), an S-shaped gas passage 59 through which gas flows is formed between the first and second blades 51, 52 (see FIG. 7B ). By forming the S-shaped gas passage 59 between the first and second blades 51, 52 in this way, the gas path reverses twice as shown in FIG. 7B , and the resulting reaction force can increase the torque of the first and second blades 51, 52.

[0056] Furthermore, unlike when the turbine 50 is arranged in an open space (see FIG. 7(A)), when the turbine 50 is arranged in the gas pipe 22, which is a closed space (see FIG. 7(B)), the flow is constrained by the gas pipe 22, causing the gas to flow intensively in the gas passage 59. At this time, the expansion of the compressed gas causes the gas flow in the gas passage 59 to become even faster, and a large reaction force is obtained.

[0057] Furthermore, because the gas flow is concentrated in the gas passage 59, the first and second blades 51, 52 have a self-starting property in that they start rotating naturally without the need for a running start from an external motor.

[0058] (Effects of this embodiment) In the configuration of this embodiment, in the gas supply system 10, a turbine 50 is provided for the governor unit 20 that reduces the pressure of the gas in the first gas pipe 11. Therefore, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the turbine 50 rotates in the governor unit 20, which is the part of the gas supply system 10 where pressure reduction is planned, and therefore the effect of the gas pressure drop caused by the application of the turbine 50 can be suppressed.

[0059] In the configuration of this embodiment, the turbine 50 is disposed in the gas pipe 22 as an upstream portion of the governor unit 20 on the upstream side in the flow direction relative to the pressure reduction section 24. Here, when the turbine 50 is disposed in a downstream portion of the governor unit 20 on the downstream side in the flow direction relative to the pressure reduction section 24, energy is obtained from the portion of the governor unit 20 where the gas pressure is reduced.

[0060] In contrast, according to the configuration of this embodiment, energy can be obtained from the gas pipe 22, which is at a high pressure before being reduced in pressure by the pressure reducing section 24 in the governor unit 20. Therefore, according to the configuration of this embodiment, not only the kinetic energy (dynamic pressure) of the gas in the gas pipe 22 but also the pressure energy (static pressure) can be converted into rotational force. As a result, according to the configuration of this embodiment, energy can be obtained from the gas more efficiently than when the turbine 50 is disposed downstream of the pressure reducing section 24 in the governor unit 20 in the flow direction.

[0061] Furthermore, in the configuration of this embodiment, as described above, the turbine 50 is disposed in the gas pipe 22 adjacent to the pressure reduction section 24 on the upstream side of the pressure reduction section 24. Therefore, the turbine 50 and the pressure reduction section 24 can be disposed together.

[0062] In addition, in the configuration of this embodiment, the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the gas pipe 22 in which the turbine 50 is arranged is smaller than the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the adjacent section 23 and the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the pressure reduction section 24, so it is possible to increase the flow velocity of the gas flowing in the gas pipe 22. As a result, it is possible to obtain energy from the gas with high efficiency.

[0063] Furthermore, in the configuration of this embodiment, the gas pipe 22, the turbine 50, and the pressure reducing unit 24 are housed in the housing 28 of the governor unit 20. Therefore, the gas pipe 22, the turbine 50, and the pressure reducing unit 24 are concentrated within the housing 28, making the configuration more compact than a configuration in which at least one of the gas pipe 22, the turbine 50, and the pressure reducing unit 24 is arranged outside the housing 28.

[0064] Furthermore, in the configuration of this embodiment, the generator 60 is housed in the housing 28. Therefore, the gas pipe 22, the turbine 50, the pressure reducing section 24, and the generator 60 are all concentrated inside the housing 28, making the configuration more compact than a configuration in which the generator 60 is disposed outside the housing 28. Because the configuration is thus compact, the governor unit 20 is easier to handle.

[0065] In the configuration of this embodiment, the turbine 50 is a vertical axis turbine, and the rotation axis 55 is disposed along the rotation axis direction Y that is perpendicular to the pipe axis direction X of the gas pipe 22.

[0066] Here, when an axial flow turbine is used as the turbine 50, the rotation axis must be aligned with the central axis of the gas pipe 22. Therefore, in order to extract rotational energy from the gas pipe 22, it is necessary to take measures such as inserting a generator body into the gas pipe 22 or providing a device for converting the rotation axis.

[0067] In contrast, in the gas supply system 10, the turbine 50 is a vertical axis turbine, so the above measures are not necessary and the turbine 50 is easy to install in the gas pipe 22.

[0068] In the configuration of this embodiment, the concave curved surfaces 513, 523 of the first and second blades 51, 52 of the turbine 50 receive the flow of gas, causing the turbine 50 to rotate in a predetermined rotation direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 6). At this time, the gas flows between the first blade 51 and the second blade 52 in an S-shape (see FIG. 7(B)).

[0069] This makes it possible to convert into rotational force not only the kinetic energy (dynamic pressure) of the gas in the gas pipe 22 but also the pressure energy (static pressure). As a result, according to the configuration of the gas supply system 10, energy can be obtained from the gas pipe 22 with high efficiency.

[0070] In the configuration of this embodiment, the overall overlap ratio of the first and second blades 51, 52 is set to an overlap ratio that does not cause the choking phenomenon, in which the mass flow rate plateaus, in the gas flowing between the first and second blades 51, 52. This makes it possible to obtain energy with high efficiency from the gas pipe 22. As mentioned above, the choking phenomenon is a phenomenon specific to compressible fluids such as gas, and therefore this effect is achieved with compressible fluids.

[0071] Specifically, in the configuration of this embodiment, the overlap ratio of the first and second blades 51, 52 to the entire blades is set in the range of 1% to 80%.

[0072] When the overlap rate exceeds 80%, the flow rate of gas flowing between the first blade 51 and the second blade 52 increases, which leads to the following: A gas pocket is formed between the first blade 51 and the second blade 52, which acts as a resistance to the gas flow.

[0073] On the other hand, if the overlap ratio is less than 1%, the flow velocity of the gas flowing between the first blade 51 and the second blade 52 increases, and the following is presumed to occur. That is, if the flow velocity of the gas flowing between the first blade 51 and the second blade 52 increases and the flow velocity reaches the speed of sound, it is presumed that a state in which the mass flow rate plateaus (i.e., choking) occurs. For this reason, it is presumed that if the overlap ratio is less than 1%, the conversion efficiency of converting the energy of the gas in the gas pipe 22 into rotational force decreases.

[0074] In the configuration of this embodiment, as described above, the overlap rate is 1% or more and 80% or less, so energy can be obtained with high efficiency from the gas pipe 22. As described above, the choking phenomenon is a phenomenon specific to compressible fluids such as gas, so this effect is achieved with compressible fluids.

[0075] In this embodiment, the first spacer 53 is provided on one side in the rotational axis direction Y (i.e., the upper side in FIGS. 3 and 4) of the first and second blades 51, 52. Furthermore, the second spacer 54 is provided on the other side in the rotational axis direction Y (i.e., the lower side in FIGS. 3 and 4) of the first and second blades 51, 52.

[0076] As a result, in the turbine 50, the first and second spacers 53, 54 reduce the gap E between the turbine 50 and the inner wall of the gas pipe 22, allowing the gas to flow efficiently between the first blade 51 and the second blade 52. This makes it possible to convert not only the kinetic energy (dynamic pressure) of the gas in the gas pipe 22 but also the pressure energy (static pressure) into rotational force. As a result, according to the configuration of this embodiment, energy can be obtained from the gas pipe 22 with high efficiency.

[0077] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in the first state, the turbine 50 is formed into a circular shape by the first and second blades 51, 52 and the first and second spacers 53, 54 when viewed in the pipe axis direction X, as shown in FIG.

[0078] This allows the gap E between the inner wall of the gas pipe 22 and the turbine 50 to be small over the entire circumferential direction. Therefore, gas flows efficiently between the first blade 51 and the second blade 52. This allows not only the kinetic energy (dynamic pressure) of the gas in the gas pipe 22 but also the pressure energy (static pressure) to be converted into rotational force. As a result, according to the configuration of this embodiment, energy can be obtained from the gas pipe 22 with high efficiency.

[0079] <Modification> In the present embodiment, gas (specifically, city gas) is used as an example of the fluid, but the present invention is not limited to this. Examples of the fluid may include gases other than city gas, and liquids such as water.

[0080] In this embodiment, the turbine 50 is formed in a circular shape when viewed in the pipe axis direction X as shown in Fig. 3 in the first state, but is not limited to this. It may be formed in a non-circular shape. Therefore, the gap E between the turbine 50 and the inner wall of the gas pipe 22 does not need to have a constant dimension in the circumferential direction.

[0081] In addition, in this embodiment, the turbine 50 includes the first and second spacers 53, 54, but this is not limitative. At least one of the first and second spacers 53, 54 may be omitted.

[0082] In addition, in the present embodiment, the turbine 50 is provided in the governor unit 20 as an example of a pressure reducing mechanism, but this is not limiting. For example, the turbine 50 may be provided in an atmosphere release section that is opened to the atmosphere to reduce the pressure of the fluid. That is, an example of a pressure reducing mechanism is not limited to the governor unit 20, and may be, for example, the above-mentioned atmosphere release section, or any other component that reduces the pressure of the fluid.

[0083] In addition, in this embodiment, the turbine 50 is disposed in the gas pipe 22 provided upstream of the pressure reducing section 24 in the governor unit 20, but this is not limiting. The turbine 50 may be disposed in another gas pipe in the governor unit 20, and the turbine 50 can be applied to various gas pipes in the governor unit 20.

[0084] In addition, in this embodiment, the turbine 50 has two blades, namely, the first and second blades 51 and 52, but this is not limiting. The turbine 50 may have three or more blades.

[0085] <Evaluation> In the turbine 50 according to this embodiment, the momentum multiplication factor was defined as an index that represents performance when the overlap ratio is changed, and evaluation was performed (see FIG. 8). Note that the "momentum multiplication factor" refers to the "ratio of the momentum of the fluid flowing in the overlap portion to the momentum of the fluid flowing in the general portion of the pipe," and the "overlap portion" refers to the "region between the first blade 51 and the second blade 52."

[0086] As a result, in the range where the overlap rate is 1% or more and 80% or less, the momentum multiplication factor exceeds 1.0 (see FIG. 8). Therefore, energy can be obtained from the gas pipe 22 with high efficiency.

[0087] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications, changes, and improvements are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the above-described modified examples may be appropriately combined to form a configuration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 10 Gas Supply System 11 First Gas Pipe 12 Second Gas Pipe 20 Governor Unit 22 Gas Pipe 23 Adjacent area 24 Pressure reducing section 25 Entrance 26 Gas flow component 27 Exit 28 Case 50 Turbine 51 First Blade 52 Second Blade 53 First spacer 54 Second spacer 55 Rotation axis 59 Gas passage 60 Generator 513 Concave surface 514 End face 515 Convex curved surface 518 Space 523 Concave Surface 524 End face 536 sides 546 sides

Claims

1. a governor unit that reduces the pressure of the flowing fluid; a turbine provided in the governor unit and rotated by a fluid flowing through the governor unit; Equipped with The governor unit includes: a pressure reducing unit that reduces the pressure of the fluid; an upstream portion disposed upstream of the pressure reducing portion in the flow direction; an adjacent portion adjacent to the upstream portion on the upstream side of the upstream portion; Equipped with the turbine is located in the upstream portion; The cross-sectional area of ​​the upstream portion is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the adjacent portion and the cross-sectional area of ​​the pressure reducing portion. Fluid distribution systems.

2. The upstream portion is adjacent to the pressure reducing portion on the upstream side of the pressure reducing portion. The fluid flow system of claim 1 .

3. The governor unit has a housing that houses the upstream portion, the adjacent portion, the turbine, and the pressure reducing portion. The fluid flow system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The governor unit further includes a generator that generates electricity using the rotational force of the turbine, The generator is housed in the housing. The fluid flow system of claim 3 .

5. The turbine the upstream portion includes a first blade and a second blade supported within the gas pipe so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis direction perpendicular to a pipe axis direction of the gas pipe, the first blade and the second blade being formed in a hollow hemispherical shape with a concave curved surface that receives a gas flow, In a state where the concave curved surface of the first blade faces one side in the tube axis direction, the concave curved surface of the second blade faces the other side in the tube axis direction, and the first blade and the second blade are arranged to be shifted in a direction perpendicular to the tube axis direction and the rotation axis direction while partially overlapping each other. The fluid flow system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The overlap ratio of the first blade and the second blade as a whole is set to an overlap ratio at which choking does not occur in the gas flowing between the first blade and the second blade. The fluid flow system of claim 5 .

7. The overlap rate of the first blade and the second blade relative to the entirety is 1% or more and 80% or less. The fluid flow system of claim 5 .

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