Autonomous Power Supply System within a Building Utilizing the Circulating Energy of Pipe Fluids

Abstract

The present invention relates to an autonomous power supply system within a building utilizing the circulating energy of a pipe fluid, capable of independently supplying power to devices used within the building by utilizing the energy of a fluid circulating in a cooling water pipe within the building. To solve the above problem, the autonomous power supply system within a building utilizing the circulating energy of a pipe fluid according to the present invention comprises: a cooling tower installed on one side of the building to supply cooling water; cooling water pipes that circulate and supply cooling water to the building through the cooling tower; a turbine unit installed on the cooling water pipes to generate electricity using fluid energy; a rectifier that converts the alternating current produced by the turbine unit into a direct current; a power converter that adjusts the direct current through the rectifier to match the charging power; and an energy storage device that stores the power converted through the power converter. The present invention includes a power supply device that converts direct current power stored in the energy storage device into alternating current power and selectively supplies it to the user side in place of grid power, wherein the power supply device controls the use of power stored in the energy storage device from grid power automatically when the charging rate of the power stored in the energy storage device is greater than or equal to a preset charging rate, and controls the use of grid power automatically when the power stored in the energy storage device falls below a preset charging rate.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an autonomous power supply system within a building utilizing the circulating energy of a pipe fluid, and more specifically, to an autonomous power supply system within a building utilizing the circulating energy of a pipe fluid that can save energy and reduce carbon emissions by utilizing the energy of a fluid circulating in the building to self-supply a certain portion of the electricity used within the building. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, large buildings such as data centers or hospitals are equipped with air conditioning systems to maintain a constant indoor temperature, and these systems are equipped with refrigerant pipes through which cooling water circulates.

[0003] However, the utilization of fluid energy flowing through these cooling water pipes has not been realized, and therefore, power generation systems utilizing fluid energy within the pipes have recently been developed.

[0004] As a prior art for the above purpose, a power generation system utilizing the kinetic energy of a flowing fluid disclosed in Registered Patent Publication No. 2554945 (hereinafter referred to as the 'Patent Document') is disclosed.

[0005] The above patent document comprises: a rotary power generation unit that generates power by means of the flowing fluid, provided in a fluid flow path through which a fluid supplied at high pressure from a fluid supply facility that produces, stores, and supplies fluid; a power generation unit that generates power by receiving power generated from the rotary power generation unit; and a conversion unit that converts the power generated through the power generation unit into usable power, wherein the rotary power generation unit comprises a pipe that mediates the transmission of fluid, provided between a first supply pipe that transmits fluid supplied from the fluid supply facility and a second supply pipe that transmits fluid to a facility or device requiring fluid; a propeller that rotates by means of the flowing fluid, provided inside the pipe; and a conversion shaft provided on the propeller that converts the rotational power of the propeller in a set direction, and wherein the power generation unit comprises a power generation unit body; The power generation system utilizing the kinetic energy of the flowing fluid includes a stator provided in the body of the power generation unit and connected to the conversion shaft to convert rotational power into electrical energy, and further includes a rotational water flow forming unit provided between the first supply pipe and the pipe to increase the rotational power of the propeller by forming a rotational water flow in the direction of the propeller located at the rear end, wherein the rotational water flow forming unit comprises a first ratchet bearing having an outer ring shape formed with a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the first supply pipe or pipe and arranged to rotate clockwise around the central axis of the pipe, and a rotational water flow forming member having a structure in which the front is coupled to the inner ring of the first ratchet bearing and the diameter gradually narrows toward the rear.

[0006] However, the above patent document converts the fluid flow energy of a fluid flowing along a pipe into rotational energy and converts the converted rotational energy into electrical energy to produce electricity in an environmentally friendly manner, but it is difficult to maintain stable power generation because it has a high dependence on the fluid flow rate. In addition, since the propeller is installed inside the pipe facing the direction of fluid flow, there is a loss of fluid pressure caused by the propeller. Consequently, when applied to cooling water pipes in a building, there is a problem in that the cooling water cannot circulate quickly due to the pressure loss of the fluid inside the pipe, thereby reducing the cooling efficiency of the cooling water.

[0007] In addition, there is a problem of reduced power generation efficiency because additional power is applied to circulation pumps, etc., to compensate for the lost fluid flow rate (pressure) and to circulate the fluid.

[0008] Therefore, there is a need to develop a power supply system utilizing fluid energy within pipes with an improved structure that can self-supply the power required for various devices used in a building while minimizing fluid pressure loss within the pipes. Prior art literature

[0009] KR 10-2554945 B1 (2023. 07. 07.)KR 10-2894066 B1 (2025. 11. 27.)KR 10-2025-0055503 A (2025. 04. 24.)KR 10-2145589 B1 (2020. 08.) 11.) The problem to be solved

[0010] The present invention was devised to solve the problems associated with conventional power generation systems using pipe fluids as described above. The objective of the present invention is to provide an autonomous power supply system within a building utilizing the circulating energy of pipe fluids, which can independently supply power to devices used within the building by utilizing the energy of the fluid circulating through the cooling water pipes within the building, thereby saving energy and reducing carbon emissions. means of solving the problem

[0011] An autonomous power supply system within a building using the circulation energy of a pipe fluid according to the present invention for solving the above problem comprises: a cooling tower installed on one side of a building to supply cooling water; a cooling water pipe that circulates and supplies cooling water to the building through the cooling tower; a turbine unit installed on the cooling water pipe to produce electricity using fluid energy; a rectifier that converts the alternating current produced by the turbine unit into a direct current; a power converter that adjusts the direct current through the rectifier to match the charging power; an energy storage device that stores the power converted through the power converter; and a power supply device that converts the direct current stored in the energy storage device into alternating current and simultaneously selectively supplies it to a user side as a substitute for grid power, wherein the power supply device controls the use of the power stored in the energy storage device from grid power when the charging rate of the power stored in the energy storage device is greater than or equal to a preset charging rate, and controls the use of grid power when the power stored in the energy storage device falls below a preset charging rate.

[0012] And the turbine unit of the present invention comprises: a rectangular box-shaped main body having a space of a predetermined size formed inside; an inlet pipe located on one side of the main body to communicate with the main body, through which cooling water and water flow in from a pipe; an outlet pipe located on the other side of the main body to communicate with the main body, through which cooling water and water flowing into the main body are discharged; a semicircular first housing located on one side of the upper part of the main body, having a receiving space of a predetermined size formed in communication with the interior of the main body; a semicircular second housing located on the other side of the lower part of the main body, having a receiving space of a predetermined size formed in communication with the interior of the main body; a first turbine blade of a predetermined size installed to rotate via one side of the interior of the main body through the first housing; a second turbine blade of a predetermined size installed to rotate via the other side of the interior of the main body through the second housing; and a speed-increasing gear unit installed on one side of the main body to increase and output the rotational speed input by the rotational operation of the first and second turbine blades. Another feature is that it includes a generator installed on one side of the above-mentioned speed-increasing gear unit to produce power by the input rotational power.

[0013] In addition, the present invention is further characterized by the installation of a vertical partition plate that partitions the space between the first and second turbine blades within the internal space of the main body.

[0014] In addition, the partition plate of the present invention is further characterized in that one end facing the inlet pipe is formed in a "V" shaped cross-section. Effects of the invention

[0015] According to the present invention, by utilizing the energy of the cooling water flowing along the cooling water pipes within the building (e.g., the transfer pressure of a pump, the natural gravity of the cooling water), a certain portion of the power required to operate various devices (e.g., electricity for common facilities) provided within the building can be self-sufficient. Furthermore, since the generated power is stored through an energy storage system and then supplied, there is an advantage in that fluctuations in power supply caused by fluctuations in fluid energy can be reduced. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0016] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an example of an autonomous power supply system within a building using the circulating energy of a pipe fluid according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a turbine unit according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view showing an example of a turbine unit according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a front view showing an example of a turbine unit according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a drawing showing an example of a speed-increasing gear unit according to the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0017] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] The present invention aims to provide an autonomous power supply system within a building using the circulating energy of a pipe fluid, which can self-supply power to devices used within the building by utilizing the energy of the fluid circulating in the cooling water pipes within the building. As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention includes a cooling tower (10), a cooling water pipe (20), a turbine unit (30), a rectifier (40), a power converter (50), an energy storage device (60), and a power supply device (70).

[0019] A cooling tower (10) is configured to cool a heat medium installed on one side of a building (1), and the cooling tower (10) is configured to bring heated cooling water into contact with air, thereby causing a portion of the water to evaporate and dissipating heat from the cooling water.

[0020] This cooling tower (10) is configured such that when hot cooling water flows into the upper part of the cooling water body and is sprayed downward, it comes into contact with air while passing through the internal filling material, and in this process, some of the water evaporates to remove heat, and the water cooled by the evaporation of heat is collected again and circulated through the cooling water pipe (20) described later.

[0021] Additionally, the cooling tower (10) can be classified into a natural cooling type or a fan cooling type depending on the method of cooling the cooling water, and the cooling tower (10) according to the present invention can be easily implemented among various types of cooling towers (10) known to those skilled in the art, and accordingly, a detailed description of the configuration of the cooling tower (10) is omitted.

[0022] The cooling water pipe (20) is configured to form a circulation path so that cooling water circulates between the building (1) and the cooling tower (10), and a circulation pump (not shown) may be installed on the cooling water pipe (20) to maintain a constant circulation of cooling water.

[0023] The turbine unit (30) is installed on the cooling water pipe (20) and is configured to produce electricity using the fluid energy of the cooling water circulating along the cooling water pipe (20).

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, this turbine unit (30) comprises a rectangular box-shaped main body (31) having a space of a predetermined size formed inside, an inlet pipe (32) located on one side of the main body (31) to communicate with the main body (31) and through which cooling water and water flow in from a pipe, an outlet pipe (33) located on the other side of the main body (31) to communicate with the main body (31) and through which cooling water and water flowing into the main body (31) are discharged, a semicircular first housing (34) located on one side of the upper part of the main body (31) and having a receiving space of a predetermined size formed in communication with the interior of the main body (31), a semicircular second housing (35) located on the other side of the lower part of the main body (31) and having a receiving space of a predetermined size formed in communication with the interior of the main body (31), and a first of a predetermined size installed to rotate via one side of the interior of the main body (31) through the first housing (34). It includes a turbine blade (36), a second turbine blade (37) of a predetermined size installed to rotate via the other side of the interior of the main body (31) through the second housing (35), a speed-increasing gear unit (38) installed on one side of the main body (31) to increase the rotational speed input by the rotational operation of the first and second turbine blades (36, 37) and output it, and a generator (39) installed on one side of the speed-increasing gear unit (38) to produce power by the rotational power input.

[0025] Here, the main body (31) is formed such that its internal space has a width equal to or relatively smaller than the diameter of the cooling water pipe (20) connected through the inlet pipe (32) and the outlet pipe (33), and thus, even considering the installation space of the first and second turbine blades (36, 37) formed by the first and second housings (34, 35), the internal space formed by the main body (31) and the first and second housings (34, 35) is configured so that it does not excessively exceed the cross-sectional area of ​​the cooling water pipe (20), thereby reducing the loss of fluid energy (flow velocity) that occurs during the process of cooling water and water flowing into the main body (31).

[0026] Additionally, as shown in FIG. 4, the first and second turbine blades (36, 37) are installed by inserting them through the first and second housings (34, 35) so that only a maximum 180° area of ​​the first and second turbine blades (36, 37) is partially exposed on both sides in the up-down or front-back directions centered on the main body (31), thereby structurally preventing the cooling water and water from directly pressurizing the reverse blade side opposite to the rotational direction of the first and second turbine blades (36, 37) to maintain a predetermined pressure during the process of circulating along the cooling water pipe (20), thereby preventing rotational resistance.

[0027] At this time, even if the cooling water flows into the first and second housings (34, 35) along the first and second turbine blades (36, 37), it flows in one direction according to the rotation of the first and second turbine blades (36, 37) and is discharged again toward the outlet pipe (33). As a result, the resistance generated during the process of the cooling water rotating the first and second turbine blades (36, 37) is reduced, so the loss of fluid pressure (energy) generated during the process of rotating the first and second turbine blades (36, 37) is relatively reduced.

[0028] In addition, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, a partition plate (P) is installed along the length of the interior of the main body (31) so that the interior space on both sides is partitioned based on the first and second turbine blades (36, 37), and the cooling water flowing into the interior through the partition plate (P) is divided into the spaces on both sides by the partition plate (P) and passes through, thereby structurally preventing unnecessary vortices from being formed by the rotational movement of the first and second turbine blades (36, 37).

[0029] At this time, the partition plate (P) may have one end adjacent to the inlet pipe (32) formed in a "V" shaped cross-section so that cooling water or water can be distributed and flow in both directions without significant resistance.

[0030] Additionally, the speed-increasing gear unit (38) includes first and second driving gears (G1, G2) of a predetermined diameter, each connected to the rotation shafts (S1, S2) of the first and second turbine blades (36, 37) as shown in FIG. 6; a driven gear (G3) of a predetermined diameter, located between the first and second driving gears (G1, G2) and connected to the rotation shaft (not shown in the drawing) of the generator (39); a first interlocking gear (G4) of a predetermined diameter, located between the first driving gear (G1) and the driven gear (G3) so that they rotate in conjunction with each other and mesh with each other; and second and third interlocking gears (G5, G6) that cause the second driving gear (G2) and the driven gear (G3) to rotate in conjunction with each other so that their rotation directions match.

[0031] And the first and second driving gears (G1, G2) are formed with a relatively larger diameter compared to the driven gear (G3) and the first, second, and third interlocking gears (G4, G5, G6), and the driven gear (G3) and the first, second, and third interlocking gears (G4, G5, G6) may have the same diameter as each other, or the diameter of the driven gear (G3) may be formed to be relatively smaller compared to the diameter of the first, second, and third interlocking gears (G4, G5, G6).

[0032] Through the above configuration, the cooling water is introduced through the inlet pipe (32) and then discharged back into the piping through the outlet pipe (33), and in the process, passes through the first and second turbine blades (36, 37) installed inside the main body (31) and rotates. In this way, the rotational force of the first and second turbine blades (36, 37), which rotate in opposite directions due to the fluid pressure (energy), is accelerated and transmitted toward a single generator (39), thereby ensuring a sufficient rotational speed to maintain power generation by the rotational power of the first and second turbine blades (36, 37).

[0033] The rectifier (40) is configured to convert the alternating current produced by the turbine unit (30) into a direct current. This rectifier (40) can be appropriately selected from among various types of rectifiers that are known and widely used for ease of implementation by a person skilled in the art, and therefore, a detailed description of the configuration of the rectifier (40) is omitted.

[0034] The power converter (50, DC-DC converter) is configured to adjust the DC power converted through the rectifier (40) to match the charging power, thereby stabilizing the power and improving its quality. This power converter (50) can be appropriately selected and implemented by a person skilled in the art from among various types of power converters (50) that are known and widely used, so that it can be easily implemented. Therefore, a detailed description of the configuration of the power converter (50) is omitted.

[0035] An energy storage device (60, ESS) is configured to store power converted through a power converter (50), and such an energy storage device (60) can be configured to be controlled by a battery management system (BMS) that monitors cell voltage, controls charging and discharging, prevents overcharging, and manages temperature.

[0036] The power supply device (70) is configured to convert direct current power stored in the energy storage device (60) into alternating current power and, at the same time, selectively supply power to the user side instead of grid power. This power supply device (70) can be configured to automatically control the use of power stored in the energy storage device (60) from grid power when the charging rate of the power stored in the energy storage device (60) is greater than or equal to a preset charging rate, and conversely, to automatically control the use of grid power when the power stored in the energy storage device (60) falls below a preset charging rate.

[0037] Additionally, the power supply unit (70) can be configured to integrate and control the operation of the BMS of the energy storage unit (60), the cooling tower (10), and the circulation pump on the cooling water pipe (20), thereby allowing the production, storage, and use of electrical energy to be managed efficiently.

[0038] Meanwhile, although the above description only shows and explains that one turbine unit (30) is installed on each cooling water pipe (20), it can be changed so that they are installed on the upstream side where cooling water is supplied and the downstream side where it is recovered, respectively, based on the cooling tower (10).

[0039] Alternatively, it can be changed so that two or more turbine units are connected in series.

[0040] In addition, although it was described and explained above that electricity is produced solely by the fluid energy of the cooling water circulating through the cooling water pipe (20), it can be additionally installed and operated on the water pipes installed inside the building.

[0041] As explained above, the present invention utilizes the energy of cooling water flowing along cooling water pipes within a building (e.g., pump transfer pressure, natural gravity of the cooling water) to partially self-supply the power required to operate devices installed within the building, and furthermore, since the generated power is stored and supplied through an energy storage system, fluctuations in power supply caused by fluctuations in fluid energy can be reduced.

[0042] For the convenience of explanation, drawings illustrating preferred embodiments and configurations shown in the drawings have been described above using reference numerals and names; however, as this is merely one embodiment according to the present invention, the scope of the rights should not be interpreted as being limited to the shapes shown in the drawings and the names assigned thereto. It is considered entirely obvious that modifications to various shapes predictable from the description of the invention and simple substitutions with configurations having the same function fall within the scope of modifications that a person skilled in the art can easily implement. Explanation of the symbols

[0043] 1: Building 10: Cooling tower 20: Cooling water piping 30: Turbine unit 31: Main body 32: Inlet pipe 33: Outlet pipe 34: First housing 35: Second housing 36: First turbine blade 37: Second turbine blade 38: Speed-increasing gear unit 39: Generator 40: Rectifier 50: Power converter 60: Energy storage device 70: Power supply unit G1: First drive gear G2: Second driving gear G3: Driven gear G4: 1st linkage gear G5: 2nd linkage gear G6: 3rd Interlock P: Partition Plate S1: First rotation axis S2: Second rotation axis

Claims

Claim 1 A cooling tower (10) installed on one side of a building (1) to supply cooling water; a cooling water pipe (20) that circulates and supplies cooling water to the building (1) through the cooling tower (10); a turbine unit (30) installed on the cooling water pipe (20) to produce electricity using fluid energy; a rectifier (40) that converts the alternating current produced by the turbine unit (30) into a direct current; a power converter (50) that adjusts the direct current to match the charging power through the rectifier (40); an energy storage device (60) that stores the power converted through the power converter (50); and a power supply device (70) that converts the direct current stored in the energy storage device (60) into alternating current and simultaneously selectively supplies it to the user side as a substitute for grid power; wherein the power supply device (70) is configured such that when the charging rate of the power stored in the energy storage device (60) is greater than or equal to a preset charging rate, the power stored in the energy storage device (60) is automatically used from the grid power. Controls, and when the power stored in the energy storage device (60) falls below a preset charging rate, controls the system to automatically use grid power. The turbine unit (30) comprises: a rectangular box-shaped main body (31) having a space of a predetermined size formed inside; an inlet pipe (32) located on one side of the main body (31) to communicate with the main body (31) and through which cooling water and water flow in from a pipe; an outlet pipe (33) located on the other side of the main body (31) to communicate with the main body (31) and through which cooling water and water flowing into the main body (31) are discharged; a semicircular first housing (34) located on one side of the upper part of the main body (31) and having a receiving space of a predetermined size formed in communication with the interior of the main body (31); a semicircular second housing (35) located on the other side of the lower part of the main body (31) and having a receiving space of a predetermined size formed in communication with the interior of the main body (31); and through the first housing (34) of the main body (31). A first turbine blade (36) of a predetermined size installed to rotate via one side of the interior;An autonomous power supply system within a building utilizing the circulation energy of a pipe fluid, characterized by comprising: a second turbine blade (37) of a predetermined size installed to rotate via the other side of the interior of the main body (31) through the second housing (35); a speed-increasing gear unit (38) installed on one side of the main body (31) and increasing the rotational speed input by the rotational operation of the first and second turbine blades (36, 37) to output; and a generator (39) installed on one side of the speed-increasing gear unit (38) to produce power by the input rotational power. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 An autonomous power supply system within a building utilizing the circulation energy of a pipe fluid, characterized in that, in claim 1, a vertical partition plate (P) is further installed in the internal space of the main body (31) to partition the space between the first and second turbine blades (36, 37). Claim 4 An autonomous power supply system within a building utilizing the circulation energy of a pipe fluid, wherein, in claim 3, the partition plate (P) is characterized in that one end facing the inlet pipe (32) is formed in a "V" shaped cross-section.

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