Wind power generation equipment

Abstract

To provide a wind power generator capable of smoothly rotating a vertical rotational shaft.SOLUTION: A wind power generator 1 comprises: a vertical rotational shaft 3 that transmits rotational force to a power generation motor 7; a plurality of arms 4 extending radially from the vertical rotational axis 3 at equal intervals; and a plurality of blades 5 provided at the tip part of each arm 4. The blade 5 has a wind receiving panel (receiving plate) 51 whose outside surface is curved in a concave shape, and a curved airflow storage part 52 formed so as to protrude forward in a rotational direction of the wind receiving panel 51, where the height positions of the blades 5 adjacent to each other in the rotational direction are made different.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vertical-axis wind power generation device.

Background Art

[0002] The types of wind turbines used in wind power generation devices are roughly classified into two types: a horizontal-axis wind turbine in which the rotation axis is horizontal with respect to the wind direction, and a vertical-axis wind turbine in which the rotation axis is vertical with respect to the wind direction. Among these, the vertical-axis wind turbine is non-directional and rotates regardless of the wind direction, has a simple structure and low cost, has advantages such as a slow peripheral speed of the blades and little noise generation, and is expected to be used not only in mountainous areas but also in various regions with low average wind speeds.

[0003] Known vertical-axis wind turbines include a lift type that rotates the wind turbine by the lift generated on the blades and a drag type that rotates the wind turbine by the drag generated on the blades. The latter drag type has the advantage of high responsiveness to changes in the wind because the presence or absence of wind and the rotational speed do not depend on the wind direction. As a wind power generation device equipped with such a drag-type vertical-axis wind turbine, for example, Patent Document 1 is known.

[0004] The wind power generation device described in Patent Document 1 is a wind power generation device having a vertical rotation axis that transmits a rotational force to a wind power generation motor, a plurality of support arms provided at equal intervals radially from this vertical rotation axis, and wind receiving paddles connected to the tips of each support arm. The wind receiving paddle has a concave panel portion that is curved or bent in a concave shape on the outer surface side in plan view, and a leading-edge air flow storage portion that protrudes to the outer surface side along the leading edge portion in the rotational direction of this concave panel portion and whose tip portion is curved or bent toward the trailing edge portion side. The length from the connection portion of the wind receiving paddle with the support arm to the trailing edge portion is formed longer than the support arm.

[0005] In the wind power generation device described in Patent Document 1, when the concave panel portion of any wind-receiving paddle receives wind from the front, the received wind is guided along the outer surface of the concave panel portion from the trailing edge to the leading edge airflow reservoir. As the leading edge airflow reservoir receives the incoming wind, a rotational torque is generated around the vertical rotation axis due to the reaction force against this force, and this rotational torque is transmitted to the vertical rotation axis via the support arm, causing the vertical rotation axis to rotate in one direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5972478 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] However, in the wind power generation device described in Patent Document 1, when any wind-receiving paddle receives wind from the front of the concave panel section and generates rotational torque, the wind that has been received by the leading edge airflow reservoir escapes to the rear from the trailing edge of the concave panel section, becoming an exhaust flow. Since this exhaust flow flows in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the vertical rotation axis, there is a problem that the rotation of wind-receiving paddles adjacent to the upstream side in the rotation direction of the wind-receiving paddle is hindered by the exhaust flow. In particular, when the number of wind-receiving paddles (blades) is five or more, the distance between each support arm supporting the wind-receiving paddle becomes less than 90 degrees, and consequently the distance between two wind-receiving paddles adjacent in the rotation direction becomes narrower, so the effect of the exhaust flow described above becomes greater, and a problem occurs in which the vertical rotation axis fails to start.

[0008] This invention has been made in view of the circumstances of the prior art, and its purpose is to provide a wind power generation device that can reliably rotate its vertical rotation axis even in winds with low wind volume. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve the above objective, one aspect of the present invention is a wind power generation device comprising a vertical rotating shaft that transmits rotational force to a power generation motor, a plurality of arms extending radially from the rotating shaft at equal intervals, and a plurality of blades provided at the ends of each of the plurality of arms, wherein the outer surface of the blades is curved in a concave shape. At the same time, the inner surface is curved in a convex shape. A receiving plate and the rotational direction of the receiving plate Enclosing the leading edge A curved airflow reservoir formed to protrude and , a stepped portion formed by closing the gap between the inner surface of the receiving plate and the airflow storage portion with a partition plate, an upper prevention plate that closes the upper end of the receiving plate and the airflow storage portion, and a lower prevention plate that closes the lower end of the receiving plate and the airflow storage portion, It has the characteristic of having such that the height position of the blades differs between adjacent blades in the rotational direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the wind power generation device of the present invention, the vertical rotation axis can be reliably rotated even with a small amount of wind. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a wind power generation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a front view showing a partially cutaway section of the wind power generation apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a plan view of the wind power generation system according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of a blade provided in a wind turbine according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of the blades of the wind turbine according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the wind power generation device according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wind power generation device according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a front view showing a part of the wind power generation device according to the present embodiment in a broken-away manner, FIG. 3 is a plan view of the wind power generation device according to the present embodiment, FIG. 4 is a plan view of a blade provided in the wind power generation device according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the blade provided in the wind power generation device according to the present embodiment.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a wind power generation device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a shaft support base 2 fixed to a predetermined installation location, a vertical rotation shaft 3 rotatably supported by the shaft support base 2, a plurality of arms 4 radially provided on the vertical rotation shaft 3, and blades 5 provided at the tip ends of the respective arms 4.

[0015] The shaft support base 2 has a cylindrical lower support base 2a and a cylindrical upper support base 2b continuous above the lower support base 2a, and the vertical rotation shaft 3 is supported inside the upper support base 2b by a ball bearing (not shown) or the like. Inside the lower support base 2a, a pair of magnets 6 for making the vertical rotation shaft 3 in a floating state and a power generation motor 7 for generating power by the rotation of the vertical rotation shaft 3 are disposed.

[0016] The pair of magnets 6 are arranged with the same poles facing each other, one being fixed to the side of the vertical rotation shaft 3 and the other being fixed to the side of the lower support base 2a. By making the vertical rotation shaft 3 in a floating state by the repulsive force of these pair of magnets 6, the frictional resistance with the shaft support base 2 is reduced.

[0017] The power generation motor 7 converts the rotational force of the vertical rotation shaft 3 into electric power. In the present embodiment, the rotation shaft of the power generation motor 7 is directly connected to the lower end portion of the vertical rotation shaft 3, but the rotation shaft of the power generation motor 7 may be connected to the vertical rotation shaft 3 via a rotation transmission mechanism having a plurality of gears.

[0018] The vertical rotation shaft 3 is a member that rotates by the wind force received by the blades 5, and is rotatably supported by the shaft support base 2 in a posture facing the vertical direction.

[0019] The arm 4 is a member that transmits the rotational torque generated by the blade 5 to the vertical rotation axis 3, and extends radially from the vertical rotation axis 3 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. In the present embodiment, six arms 4 are provided at two positions spaced apart in the vertical direction of the vertical rotation axis 3 at intervals of 60 degrees in the circumferential direction, and one blade 5 is supported by the upper and lower two arms 4.

[0020] Among these twelve arms 4 in total, the height positions of the six arms 4 provided on the upper stage side are made different alternately along the circumferential direction. Similarly, the height positions of the six arms 4 provided on the lower stage side are also made different alternately along the circumferential direction. As a result, the arms 4 support a total of six blades 5 such that their height positions are different alternately along the circumferential direction. Among these six blades 5, three blades 5 are supported at high positions every other one, and the remaining three blades 5 are supported at low positions every other one. All the blades 5 have the same shape. As shown in FIG. 2, when the height dimension (the length along the axial direction of the vertical rotation axis 3) of the blade 5 is L, the relationship between the height difference ΔL between adjacent blades 5 in the rotation direction and the height dimension L of the blade 5 is set such that ΔL / L≧1 / 10. In the present embodiment, the remaining three blades 5 are arranged at positions approximately L / 3 lower than the three blades 5 arranged at high positions every other one (ΔL / L≒1 / 3).

[0021] The blade 5 is a member that generates a rotational force on the vertical rotation axis 3 by the force received from the wind. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the blade 5 includes a wind-receiving panel (receiving plate) 51 having a rectangular shape in a front view with a concave outer surface, an air flow storage portion 52 extending in the vertical direction along one side end of the wind-receiving panel 51, an upper prevention plate 53 closing the upper end portion of the wind-receiving panel 51, and a lower prevention plate 54 closing the lower end portion of the wind-receiving panel 51.

[0022] The wind-receiving panel 51 is a member that guides the wind received by its concave outer surface 511 toward the front end, and is formed so that its inner surface 512 is curved in a convex shape when viewed from above. In this embodiment, the wind-receiving panel 51 is made of an aluminum plate to reduce weight, but the wind-receiving panel 51 may be made of a metal other than aluminum or plastic, as long as it is lightweight and has sufficient strength.

[0023] The airflow storage section 52 is the part that receives the wind received by the concave outer surface 511 of the wind receiving panel 51 and converts it into rotational force. In this embodiment, to reduce weight, an aluminum pipe material cut in half lengthwise is used. This airflow storage section 52 protrudes forward in a curved shape along the longitudinal direction of the leading edge of the wind receiving panel 51 in the rotational direction, and a part of the airflow storage section 52 surrounds the front end of the wind receiving panel 51 and faces the inner surface 512. By closing the gap between these airflow storage sections 52 and the inner surface 512 of the wind receiving panel 51 with a partition plate 521, a stepped section 55 that bulges inward is formed between the leading edge of the wind receiving panel 51 and the airflow storage section 52.

[0024] The upper prevention plate 53 is a component that prevents the wind received by the outer surface 511 of the wind receiving panel 51 from escaping upward, and the lower prevention plate 54 is a component that prevents the wind received by the outer surface 511 of the wind receiving panel 51 from escaping downward.

[0025] A bracket 8 is fixed to the convex inner surface 512 of the wind-receiving panel 51, and the tip of the arm 4 is fixed to the bracket 8 by a first bolt 9 and a second bolt 10. The wind-receiving panel 51 is supported by the arm 4 with the first bolt 9 as the pivot point, and an elongated hole 11 extending in an arc shape around the first bolt 9 is formed in the bracket 8. The second bolt 10 is inserted through the elongated hole 11 and fixes the arm 4 and the bracket 8. Therefore, by loosening the first bolt 9 and adjusting the mounting angle of the wind-receiving panel 51 relative to the arm 4, and then tightening the first bolt 9 and the second bolt 10 inserted through the elongated hole 11 after such adjustment, the angle of the wind-receiving panel 51 with respect to the rotational direction can be appropriately adjusted in a plan view.

[0026] As shown in Figure 3, the tip of the arm 4 is connected to the center of the total length (P1) of the blade 5 in the rotational direction, and the distance from the connection point with the arm 4 to the rear end of the blade 5 is set to be approximately the same as the distance to the front end. Furthermore, the length of the arm 4 is set to be longer than the distance (P2) between two adjacent blades 5 in the rotational direction. In this embodiment, the length of the arm 4 is set to be approximately twice the total length (P1) of the blade 5, so that the length (P1) of one blade 5 is approximately the same as the distance (P2) between two adjacent blades 5.

[0027] Next, the operation of the wind power generation device 1 according to this embodiment will be described mainly with reference to Figure 6.

[0028] As shown in Figure 6, when the wind is blowing from the bottom to the top of the figure, the blade 5 located on the windward side receives the wind with the concave outer surface 511 of the wind-receiving panel 51 that faces the wind. Hereafter, this blade 5 will be denoted as 5A, and the blades 5 located counterclockwise from blade 5A will be denoted as 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E, and 5F in order.

[0029] The wind-receiving panel 51 of the blade 5A has an outer surface 511 that is curved in a concave shape and inclined toward the front end, so that the wind received is guided along the outer surface 511 from the rear edge to the airflow storage section 52 on the front edge side. The airflow storage section 52 receives the wind guided by the outer surface 511 of the wind-receiving panel 51, and the reaction force to this force generates a counterclockwise rotational torque around the vertical rotation axis 3. At this time, a stepped section 55 that bulges inward is formed between the front edge of the wind-receiving panel 51 and the airflow storage section 52, and the wind guided to the airflow storage section 52 is stirred by the stepped section 55 and becomes turbulent, so the wind received by the outer surface 511 of the wind-receiving panel 51 generates a large rotational torque that pushes the blade 5A toward the front edge. This rotational torque is transmitted to the vertical rotation axis 3 via the arm 4 and becomes a force that rotates the vertical rotation axis 3 counterclockwise as shown in Figure 6.

[0030] Since the blade 5B, positioned downstream of the blade 5A in the direction of rotation, has its leading edge of the wind-receiving panel 51 tilted outward with respect to the wind direction, the outer surface 511 of the wind-receiving panel 51 receives the wind in an inclined position and guides the received wind to the airflow storage section 52 on the leading edge side. At this time, the amount of air that the wind-receiving panel 51 receives is less than the amount of air that the wind-receiving panel 51 of the blade 5A, which is directly facing the wind, receives, the airflow storage section 52 receives the incoming wind and generates a counterclockwise rotational torque around the vertical rotation axis 3.

[0031] In the case of blade 5C, which is positioned downstream of blade 5B in the direction of rotation, the wind is received by the convex inner surface 512 of the wind receiving panel 51. However, since the leading edge of the wind receiving panel 51 is inclined inward with respect to the wind direction, a pushing force is generated in the direction of the wind. As a result, blade 5C rotates the vertical rotation axis 3 counterclockwise in Figure 6 due to the force of the wind.

[0032] The blade 5D, positioned downstream of the blade 5C in the direction of rotation, is the blade located furthest downwind, and the inner surface 512 of the wind-receiving panel 51 receives wind from the front. This wind flows along the convex inner surface 512 of the wind-receiving panel 51, but because the trailing edge of the inner surface 512 is inclined outward with respect to the wind direction, the airflow along the inner surface 512 becomes a force that pushes blade 5D forward.

[0033] The blade 5E, positioned downstream of the blade 5D in the direction of rotation, receives wind on the convex inner surface 512 of the wind-receiving panel 51. However, because the leading edge of the wind-receiving panel 51 is inclined outward with respect to the wind direction, it generates a rotational force in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation (clockwise). However, since the blade 5F is located upwind of the blade 5E, the wind received by the blade 5E is blocked by the blade 5F, so the counter-clockwise rotational force generated by the blade 5D is small.

[0034] The blade 5F, positioned downstream of the blade 5E in the direction of rotation, is adjacent to the blade 5A on the upstream side in the direction of rotation. Because the leading edge of the wind-receiving panel 51 is inclined inward with respect to the wind direction, the blade 5F receives wind from the outer surface 511 and the airflow storage section 52 of the wind-receiving panel 51, generating a rotational force in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation. However, because the outer surface 511 and the airflow storage section 52 that receive the wind have a smooth curved shape relative to the flow, the wind flows along the outer surface 511 and the airflow storage section 52, weakening the rotational force generated in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation.

[0035] Thus, when the six blades 5A to 5F, which are arranged at equal intervals around the vertical rotation axis 3, receive wind from one direction, the force of the wind received from that direction can be converted into a rotational force toward the leading edge of blades 5A to 5D. In addition, blades 5E and 5F receive a rotational force in the opposite direction to the rotation, but this force is sufficiently small compared to the rotational force in the direction of rotation from the other four blades 5A to 5F. Therefore, the vertical rotation axis 3 can be rotated counterclockwise in Figure 6 via the arms 4 that support blades 5A to 5F.

[0036] At this time, for blade 5A, which is located on the windward side and directly facing the wind, the outer surface 511 of the wind receiving panel 51 receives the wind from the front, so the airflow storage section 52 receives a strong wind, and a large rotational torque can be generated by the reaction to this force. However, as shown by the white arrow Z in Figure 6, the wind after being received by the airflow storage section 52 becomes an exhaust flow Z that flows backward from the trailing edge of the wind receiving panel 51, and since this exhaust flow Z flows in the opposite direction to the rotation direction, the rotation of blade 5F, which is adjacent to blade 5A on the upstream side in the rotation direction, is affected by the exhaust flow Z. Although such an exhaust flow Z is also generated for blade 5B, which is adjacent to blade 5A on the downstream side in the rotation direction, the amount of wind flowing into the outer surface 511 of blade 5B is considerably less than that of blade 5A, so the size of the exhaust flow Z discharged backward from blade 5B is small.

[0037] Therefore, in the wind power generation device 1 according to this embodiment, the height positions of the six blades 5A to 5F are arranged alternately along the circumferential direction, thereby reducing the effect of the exhaust flow Z on hindering rotation. For example, in the positional relationship of the blades 5A to 5F shown in Figure 6, if three blades 5A, 5C, and 5E are placed at alternate high positions, and the remaining three blades 5B, 5D, and 5F are placed at alternate low positions, the upper surface of blade 5F will be lower than the upper surface of blade 5A. As a result, the exhaust flow Z discharged from blade 5A to the rear at a position higher than blade 5F will pass above blade 5F without hitting the airflow storage section 52 of blade 5F. Therefore, the effect of the exhaust flow Z on hindering the rotation of blade 5F can be reduced accordingly. Then, as the vertical rotation axis 3 rotates, when blade 5F moves to the position of blade 5A, the upper surface of blade 5E becomes higher than the upper surface of blade 5F, resulting in a lower relative position. Therefore, the exhaust flow Z discharged from blade 5F to the rear at a lower position than blade 5E will pass above and below blade 5E. Similarly, in the case of any of the blades 5A to 5F moving to the windward side, adjacent blades 5 in the direction of rotation will have a difference in height relative to each other, thus reducing the effect of the exhaust flow Z.

[0038] Furthermore, if the height difference between adjacent blades 5 in the rotational direction is too small, the effects described above cannot be fully realized. Therefore, it is preferable that the relationship between the vertical dimension L of a blade 5 and the height difference ΔL between adjacent blades 5 in the rotational direction is set within the range of ΔL / L ≥ 1 / 10. However, if the height difference ΔL between adjacent blades 5 in the rotational direction is too large, the wind power generation device 1 will become larger in the vertical direction. Therefore, it is more preferable that it is within the range of 1 / 2 ≥ ΔL / L ≥ 1 / 10. In this embodiment, the remaining three blades 5 are positioned approximately L / 3 lower than the three blades 5 positioned at a higher position.

[0039] As described above, the wind power generation device 1 according to this embodiment comprises a vertical rotating shaft 3 that transmits rotational force to a power generation motor 7, a plurality of arms 4 that extend radially from the vertical rotating shaft 3 at equal intervals, and a plurality of blades 5 provided at the tip of each arm 4, and these blades 5 have their outer surfaces curved in a concave shape. At the same time, the inner surface is curved in a convex shape. The wind receiving panel (receiving plate) 51 and the rotational direction of the wind receiving panel 51 Enclosing the leading edge A curved airflow storage section 52 that is formed to protrude and Because it has a stepped portion 55 formed by closing the gap between the inner surface of the wind receiving panel 51 and the airflow storage portion 52 with a partition plate 521, an upper prevention plate 53 that closes the upper end of the wind receiving panel 51 and the airflow storage portion 52, and a lower prevention plate 54 that closes the lower end of the wind receiving panel 51 and the airflow storage portion 52, the wind guided along the outer surface 511 of the wind receiving panel 51 from the trailing edge to the airflow storage portion 52 becomes turbulent due to the stepped portion 55, generating a large rotational torque that pushes the blade 5 in the leading edge direction.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the height positions of adjacent blades 5 in the direction of rotation are different, the exhaust flow Z discharged backward from any blade 5 can reduce the influence on the rotation of the blade 5 adjacent to the upstream side in the direction of rotation, and the vertical rotation axis 3 can be rotated smoothly even in winds with low wind volume.

[0041] Furthermore, in the wind power generation device 1 according to this embodiment, the six blades 5 are arranged at equal intervals, and the distance from the connection point with the arm 4 to the rear end of each blade 5 is set to be equal to the distance to the front end. In addition, the length of the arm 4 is set to be longer than the distance between two adjacent blades 5 in the rotational direction. This makes it possible to obtain a large rotational torque to start the vertical rotation axis 3, and all six blades 5 efficiently catch wind from one direction, so that the vertical rotation axis can be reliably rotated even in winds with little wind volume.

[0042] Here, the number of blades 5 is not necessarily limited to 6, but it is preferable that the number of blades 5 be even, as this will result in all blades 5 having a height difference of one blade at a time in the direction of rotation, and opposing blades 5 will be at the same height via the vertical rotation axis 3. Also, if the number of blades 5 increases, the distance between two adjacent blades 5 in the direction of rotation will decrease, and there is a risk that the wind directed toward the blade 5 in the downwind position will be blocked. Therefore, it is most preferable to arrange 6 blades 5 at equal intervals, as in this embodiment.

[0043] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. All technical matters included in the technical concept described in the claims are subject to the present invention. The embodiments described above are preferred examples, but those skilled in the art can realize various alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements from the contents disclosed herein, and these are included in the technical scope described in the appended claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0044] 1. Wind power generation equipment 2-axis support stand 3. Vertical rotation axis 4 Arms 5 feathers 6 Magnets 7. Power generation motor 8 brackets 9. First bolt 10. Second bolt 11 long hole 51 Wind-receiving panel 52 Airflow storage section 53 Upper prevention plate 54 Lower prevention plate 55 Stepped section 511 External surface 512 Inner surface Z Exhaust Flow

Claims

1. A wind power generation device comprising a vertical rotating shaft that transmits rotational force to a power generation motor, a plurality of arms extending radially from the rotating shaft at equal intervals, and a plurality of blades provided at the ends of each of the plurality of arms, The aforementioned feathers are, A receiving plate having an outer surface curved in a concave shape and an inner surface curved in a convex shape, A curved airflow reservoir is formed to protrude so as to surround the leading edge of the receiving plate in the direction of rotation, A stepped portion is formed by closing the gap between the inner surface of the receiving plate and the airflow storage portion with a partition plate, The receiving plate and the upper preventing plate that closes the upper end of the airflow storage section, The receiving plate and the lower end of the airflow storage section are enclosed by a lower prevention plate, It has, The height positions of the blades are made different for adjacent blades in the rotational direction. A wind power generation device characterized by the following features.

2. In the description of claim 1, The aforementioned multiple blades are all set to the same height dimension. A wind power generation device characterized in that, when L is the length dimension of the blade along the axial direction of the rotation axis, and ΔL is the height difference between adjacent blades in the rotation direction, the relationship between L and ΔL is set to ΔL / L ≥ 1 / 10.

3. In the description of claim 1, The number of the aforementioned multiple feathers is even, The opposing blades are set at the same height position via the aforementioned rotation axis. A wind power generation device characterized by the following features.

4. In the description of Claim 3, The number of the aforementioned multiple feathers is six, The tip of the arm is connected to the center of the blade's overall length in the direction of rotation, and the length of the arm is set to be longer than the distance between adjacent blades in the direction of rotation. A wind power generation device characterized by the following features.

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