Wave power generation method and device with parallel energy storage units

Abstract

A wave power generation method and apparatus with parallel energy storage units includes a drive unit with a float; an energy storage unit with an input shaft, an output shaft, and a first spring assembly and a second spring assembly respectively connected between the input shaft and the output shaft; the first spring assembly includes a first front clutch, a first torque sensor, a first spring, and a first rear clutch axially connected to each other; the second spring assembly includes a second front clutch, a second torque sensor, a second spring, and a second rear clutch axially connected to each other; and a power generation unit connected to... At the output shaft; a control unit electrically connected to the power generation unit, the first mainspring assembly, and the second mainspring assembly; the buoy and the input shaft are driven by waves. The control unit controls the first front clutch and the second front clutch to selectively engage or disengage simultaneously, and controls the first rear clutch and the second rear clutch to selectively engage, so that the input shaft selectively drives the first mainspring or the second mainspring to store energy. The control unit also controls the first and second mainsprings, which have stored energy, to alternately transmit the stored energy to the power generation unit via the output shaft, so that the power generation unit obtains stable kinetic energy.

Description

Wave power generation method and device with parallel energy storage units This invention relates to a wave power generation method and apparatus, particularly a wave power generation method and apparatus with parallel energy storage units, which enables the power generation units to obtain stable kinetic energy. Traditional thermal power generation produces large amounts of carbon dioxide, one of the main greenhouse gases contributing to rising global temperatures. To reduce the use of thermal power and lower carbon dioxide emissions, various green energy generation methods are now available, such as hydropower, wind power, and solar power. Hydropower can be further subdivided into reservoir-based power generation, tidal power generation, and river-based power generation, which utilize water flow in different ways. There is even wave power generation, which converts the kinetic energy of ocean surface waves into a power source. However, when using wave power generation, the movement of seawater is unstable and can be fast or slow and large or small. Furthermore, the waves have both rising and falling directions. If the wave kinetic energy is used directly to drive the generator, it is difficult to drive the generator stably. Therefore, it is necessary to store the waves mechanically and then drive the generator stably. Chinese Patent Publication No. CN2858990Y, "A Novel Clockwork Wave Power Generation Device," specifically relates to a novel clockwork wave power generation device that effectively converts the energy generated by wave undulations into electrical energy, is clean and environmentally friendly, and conforms to sustainable development. The device is characterized by comprising a main shaft and its coaxially fixedly connected large and small sawing gears and a clockwork, as well as a driving gear and its meshing driven gear, a swing arm and its fixedly connected float. The driving gear and the swing arm are movably connected to the main shaft, and the swing arm is movably connected to the large sawing gear, and the small sawing gear is movably connected to the driving gear in a limiting manner. The aforementioned case did not disclose a technical solution for suspending energy storage after the spring was fully charged. The spring would become fully charged due to continuous transmission from the large saw gear, and would no longer be able to continue operating smoothly. Chinese Patent Publication No. CN2680891Y, "A Wave Power Generation Device," describes a device that utilizes ocean waves to generate electricity. Several impellers and a small flywheel sprocket are fixed on shaft II. A small sprocket and one end of a mainspring are fixed on shaft I, with the other end connected to an energy storage sprocket. Electrically controlled clutches are installed on shaft I. A generator sprocket is fixed on the generator shaft. The small flywheel sprocket is connected to the energy storage sprocket, and the small sprocket is connected to the generator sprocket via chains. By using the energy storage sprocket to drive the mainspring to store energy and cooperating with the electrically controlled clutches, the device overcomes the intermittent, random, and unstable nature of ocean waves, enabling it to generate electricity using the enormous energy of ocean waves. Although the aforementioned case allows some mainsprings to store energy and others to release energy under the action of an automatic electronically controlled clutch, when the stored energy of any mainspring is fully loaded, the flywheel sprocket will continue to tighten the fully loaded mainspring. This may result in the following problems: 1. The flywheel sprocket continuously drives the mainspring, and there is no mechanism to stop the fully loaded mainspring from receiving the drive from the flywheel sprocket. The continuous drive of the flywheel sprocket to the mainspring will cause damage to the mainspring. 2. When the waves are large and fully charge all the springs, the springs that are not fully charged will be forced to continue charging until they are fully loaded. When all the springs are fully loaded, in order to avoid damage to the springs, multiple springs or all the springs must release energy to the sprocket at the same time. This causes the kinetic energy input to the sprocket to suddenly increase. Since the energy release of multiple springs cannot be controlled uniformly, the kinetic energy received by the sprocket will fluctuate, making it impossible to maintain the stable operation of the generator. The generator with different speeds will greatly increase the probability of damage. Therefore, in order to store and store energy by applying wave kinetic energy to a mainspring, and to ensure that the mainspring does not need to resist the resistance brought by the wave when releasing the stored energy, and that the power generation unit can be stably operated by multiple energy-storing mainsprings in turn, the present inventor proposes a wave power generation device with parallel energy storage units, comprising: A drive unit includes a float, a rack and a gear meshing with each other, the rack being connected to the float and extending along a height direction; an energy storage unit includes an input shaft, an output shaft, and a first spring assembly and a second spring assembly respectively connected between the input shaft and the output shaft, the gear being sleeved on the input shaft via a one-way bearing; the first spring assembly includes a first front clutch, a first torque sensor, a first spring and a first rear clutch axially connected to each other; the second spring assembly includes a second front clutch, a second torque sensor, a second spring and a second rear clutch axially connected to each other; a power generation unit connected to the output shaft; and a control unit electrically connected to the power generation unit, the first spring assembly and the second spring assembly. The spring assembly: the float is driven by waves, causing the rack to reciprocate along the height direction and drive the gear. The gear drives the input shaft unidirectionally via the one-way bearing. The control unit uses the sensing results of the first torque sensor and the second torque sensor to control the first front clutch and the second front clutch to selectively engage or disengage simultaneously, and controls the first rear clutch and the second rear clutch to selectively engage. The first front clutch and the first rear clutch do not engage simultaneously, and the second front clutch and the second rear clutch do not engage simultaneously, so that the input shaft selectively drives the first spring or the second spring to store energy. The control unit also controls the first spring and the second spring, which have stored energy, to alternately transmit the stored energy to the power generation unit via the output shaft. Furthermore, the first front clutch is connected to the first torque sensor, the first torque sensor is connected to the first mainspring, and the first mainspring is connected to the first rear clutch; the second front clutch is connected to the second torque sensor, the second torque sensor is connected to the second mainspring, and the second mainspring is connected to the second rear clutch. Furthermore, the drive unit has a universal joint, and one end of the rack is connected to the float via the universal joint. Furthermore, the input shaft has an input shaft gear, the output shaft has an output shaft gear, the aforementioned first mainspring assembly has two first pinions located at opposite ends, and the aforementioned second mainspring assembly has two second pinions located at opposite ends. The aforementioned first mainspring assembly meshes with the input shaft gear and the output shaft gear via the two first pinions, and the aforementioned second mainspring assembly meshes with the input shaft gear and the output shaft gear via the two second pinions. Furthermore, a transmission unit is connected in series between the output shaft and the power generation unit. The transmission unit has a gear set, a drive shaft, and a bevel gear set. The gear set is connected to the drive shaft, the drive shaft is connected to the bevel gear set, and the bevel gear set is connected to the power generation unit. The output shaft drives the drive shaft via the gear set, the drive shaft drives the bevel gear set, and the bevel gear set drives the power generation unit. Furthermore, the first front clutch, the first rear clutch, the second front clutch, and the second rear clutch are electromagnetic clutches. A wave power generation method with parallel energy storage units, comprising the following steps: A wave-driven buoy causes a rack connected to the buoy to reciprocate along a height direction, thereby driving a gear. An energy storage unit has an input shaft, an output shaft, and a first spring assembly and a second spring assembly connected between the input and output shafts, respectively. The first spring assembly includes a first front clutch, a first torque sensor, a first spring, and a first rear clutch axially connected to each other. The second spring assembly includes a second front clutch, a second torque sensor, a second spring, and a second rear clutch axially connected to each other. The gear drives the buoy unidirectionally via a one-way bearing. A control unit uses the sensing results of the first torque sensor and the second torque sensor to control the first front clutch and the second front clutch to selectively engage or disengage simultaneously, and controls the first rear clutch and the second rear clutch to selectively engage, so that the input shaft selectively drives the first mainspring or the second mainspring to store energy respectively. The first front clutch and the first rear clutch do not engage simultaneously, and the second front clutch and the second rear clutch do not engage simultaneously, thereby controlling the first mainspring and the second mainspring, which have the stored energy, to alternately transmit the stored energy to a power generation unit via the output shaft. The following effects can be achieved based on the above technical features: 1. The unstable wave kinetic energy is used to drive any one of the multiple sets of springs to store energy in one direction, so that the spring to store energy can store energy. The control unit controls any one of the stored springs to release the stored energy and stably drive the power generation unit, so that the power generation unit can operate stably and generate electricity continuously. 2. When the spring is storing energy, it can operate without connecting to the output shaft. When the spring transmits the stored energy to the power generation unit through the output shaft, it can operate without connecting to the input shaft. This ensures that the spring is not weakened by reverse forces when storing or transmitting stored energy. 3. The universal joint allows the buoy to tilt arbitrarily to adapt to the waves, which helps the waves drive the buoy smoothly and drive the rack to move back and forth. 4. The torque sensor can detect the torque of the mainspring, preventing it from exceeding the upper limit of the torque that the mainspring can withstand and causing damage. It can also further identify the mainspring that has been charged and the mainspring that is about to be charged, as a basis for controlling the mainspring to charge or release the charged energy. 5. When all the mainsprings have been fully charged, the control unit can stop charging the mainsprings to prevent damage. 6. The control unit, the first front clutch, the first torque sensor, the first rear clutch, the second front clutch, the second torque sensor, and the second rear clutch are all powered by the aforementioned power generation unit. They do not need to rely on external power supply during operation and can achieve completely green energy. 7. The first mainspring assembly, the second mainspring assembly, and the Nth mainspring assembly are arranged in parallel around the input shaft and the output shaft. The number of the first mainspring assembly, the second mainspring assembly, and the Nth mainspring assembly can be appropriately increased or decreased according to the wave size at the implementation location. N is a positive integer of three or more. Based on the above technical features, the main effects of the wave power generation method and device with parallel energy storage units of the present invention will be clearly presented in the following embodiments. Please refer to Figure 1. The wave power generation device with parallel energy storage units of the present invention includes a drive unit 1, an energy storage unit 2, a transmission unit 3, a power generation unit 4, and a control unit 5. Please refer to Figures 1, 2, and 3. The drive unit 1 has a float 11, a rack 12, and a gear 13 that mesh with each other. The rack 12 is connected to the float 11 and extends in a height direction. Specifically, the float 11 is set at sea level and the rack 12 is perpendicular to the sea level. The drive unit 1 has a universal joint 14, and one end of the rack 12 is connected to the float 11 via the universal joint 14. Please refer to Figures 1 and 4. The energy storage unit 2 has an input shaft 21, an output shaft 22, and a first spring assembly 23 and a second spring assembly 24 respectively connected between the input shaft 21 and the output shaft 22. In this embodiment, the input shaft 21 and the output shaft 22 are located on the same axis. The gear 13 is sleeved on the input shaft 21 via a one-way bearing. The first spring assembly 23 includes a first front clutch 231, a first torque sensor 232, a first spring 233, and a first rear clutch 234 axially connected to each other. The second spring assembly 24 includes a second front clutch 241, a second torque sensor 242, a second spring 243, and a second rear clutch 244 axially connected to each other. Specifically, the input shaft 21 has an input shaft... The gear 211, the output shaft 22 has an output shaft gear 221, the aforementioned first mainspring assembly 23 has two first pinions 235 located at opposite ends, the aforementioned second mainspring assembly 24 has two second pinions 245 located at opposite ends, the aforementioned first mainspring assembly 23 meshes with the input shaft gear 211 and the output shaft gear 221 via the two first pinions 235, the aforementioned second mainspring assembly 24 meshes with the input shaft gear 211 and the output shaft gear 221 via the two second pinions 245. The axial connection within the aforementioned first mainspring assembly 23 is such that the first front clutch 231 is connected to the first torque sensor 232, the first torque sensor 232 is connected to the first mainspring 233, and the first mainspring 233 is connected to the first rear clutch 234. Similarly, the axial connection within the aforementioned second mainspring assembly 24 is such that the second front clutch 241 is connected to the second torque sensor 242, the second torque sensor 242 is connected to the second mainspring 243, and the second mainspring 243 is connected to the second rear clutch 244. In this embodiment, the first front clutch 231, the first rear clutch 234, the second front clutch 241, and the second rear clutch 244 are electromagnetic clutches, but this is not a limitation. In the foregoing embodiment, two mainspring components, namely the first mainspring assembly 23 and the second mainspring assembly 24, are used for energy storage, but the invention is not limited to using two sets. Referring to Figure 5, the present invention can also use the first mainspring assembly 23, the second mainspring assembly 24, and an Nth mainspring assembly, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to three, such as a third mainspring assembly 25 and a fourth mainspring assembly 26, which is also a feasible implementation. The first mainspring assembly 23, the second mainspring assembly 24, and the Nth mainspring assembly are arranged in parallel axially around the line connecting the input shaft 21 and the output shaft 22. The number of the first mainspring assembly 23, the second mainspring assembly 24, and the Nth mainspring assembly can be appropriately increased or decreased according to the wave size at the implementation location. Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2. The transmission unit 3 is connected in series between the output shaft 22 and the power generation unit 4. The transmission unit 3 has a gear set 31, a transmission shaft 32 and a bevel gear set 33. The gear set 31 is connected to the transmission shaft 32, the transmission shaft 32 is connected to the bevel gear set 33, and the bevel gear set 33 is connected to the power generation unit 4. The output shaft 22 drives the transmission shaft 32 via the gear set 31, the transmission shaft 32 drives the bevel gear set 33, and the bevel gear set 33 drives the power generation unit 4. The control unit 5 is electrically connected to the power generation unit 4, the aforementioned first spring assembly 23, and the aforementioned second spring assembly 24. Please refer to Figures 1, 4, and 6. A wave power generation method with parallel energy storage units is performed using the wave power generation device of the present invention. The steps include: The pontoon 11 is driven by waves, and the universal joint 14 allows the pontoon 11 to oscillate with the waves, causing the rack 12 to reciprocate along the height direction and drive the gear 13. The gear 13 drives the input shaft 21 unidirectionally via the one-way bearing. The control unit 5 uses the sensing results of the first torque sensor 232 and the second torque sensor 242 to control the first front clutch 231 and the second front clutch 241 to selectively engage or disengage simultaneously, and controls the first rear... Clutch 234 and the second rear clutch 244 are selectively driven, and the first front clutch 231 and the first rear clutch 234 are not driven at the same time, and the second front clutch 241 and the second rear clutch 244 are not driven at the same time, so that the input shaft 21 is selectively driven to the first mainspring 233 or the second mainspring 243 to store energy respectively, and the first mainspring 233 and the second mainspring 243 with the stored energy are controlled to alternately transmit the stored energy to the power generation unit 4 via the output shaft 22. Please refer to Figures 1, 4, and 7. Specifically, the control unit 5, based on the torque measured by the first torque sensor 232 and the second torque sensor 242, can selectively engage or disengage the first front clutch 231, the first rear clutch 234, the second front clutch 241, and the second rear clutch 244, and has the following three operating states: In a first operating state, when the torque measured by the first torque sensor 232 is zero or lower than a preset value, and the torque measured by the second torque sensor 242 exceeds a threshold, the control unit 5 controls the first rear clutch 234 and the second front clutch 241 to disengage, and controls the second rear clutch 244 and the first front clutch 231 to engage, so that the second spring 243 transmits the stored energy to the power generation unit 4 via the output shaft 22, and simultaneously causes the input shaft 21 to store the energy in the first spring 233. The aforementioned "lower than the preset value" refers to a state where the torque is insufficient to drive the output shaft 22; the aforementioned "exceeding the threshold" refers to a state where the torque is sufficient to drive the output shaft 22 and the torque has not reached the upper limit value. Please refer to Figures 1, 4, and 8. In a second operating state, when the torque measured by the second torque sensor 242 is zero or lower than a preset value, and the torque measured by the first torque sensor 232 exceeds a threshold, the control unit 5 controls the first front clutch 231 and the second rear clutch 244 to not engage, and controls the first rear clutch 234 and the second front clutch 241 to engage, so that the first spring 233 transmits the stored energy to the power generation unit 4 via the output shaft 22, and at the same time, the input shaft 21 stores the energy in the second spring 243. Please refer to Figures 1, 4, 9 and 10. In a third operating state, when the torque measured by the first torque sensor 232 and the second torque sensor 242 exceeds the threshold, the control unit 5 controls the first front clutch 231 and the second front clutch 241 to not engage, and controls the first rear clutch 234 and the second rear clutch 244 to engage one of them, so that the first spring 233 and the second spring 243 can take turns transmitting the stored energy to the power generation unit 4 via the output shaft 22. When the torque measured by the first torque sensor 232 is zero or lower than a preset value, the first mainspring 233 is a mainspring awaiting energy storage; when the torque measured by the first torque sensor 232 exceeds a threshold, the first mainspring 233 is a mainspring that has already stored energy. When the torque measured by the second torque sensor 242 is zero or lower than a preset value, the second mainspring 243 is a mainspring awaiting energy storage; when the torque measured by the second torque sensor 242 exceeds a threshold, the second mainspring 243 is a mainspring that has already stored energy. Based on the above description of the embodiments, one can fully understand the operation, use and effects of the present invention. However, the above embodiments are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Simple equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the scope of the patent application and the description of the invention are all within the scope of the present invention. 1: Drive Unit 11: Float 12: Rack 13: Gear 14: Universal Joint 2: Energy Storage Unit 21: Input Shaft 211: Input Shaft Gear 22: Output Shaft 221: Output Shaft Gear 23: First Mainspring Assembly 231: First Front Clutch 232: First Torque Sensor 233: First Mainspring 234: First Rear Clutch 235: First Pinion 24: Second Mainspring Assembly 241: Second Front Clutch 242: Second Torque Sensor 243: Second Mainspring 244: Second Rear Clutch 245: Second Pinion 25: Third Mainspring Assembly 26: Fourth Mainspring Assembly 3: Transmission Unit 31: Gear Set 32: Transmission Shaft 33: Bevel Gear Set 4: Power Generation Unit 5: Control Unit [Figure 1] is a block diagram of the present invention. [Figure 2] is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention. [Figure 3] is a schematic diagram of the appearance of the drive unit of the present invention. [Figure 4] is a schematic diagram of the energy storage unit of the present invention. [Figure 5] is another structural schematic diagram of the energy storage unit of the present invention. [Figure 6] is a flowchart of the present invention. [Figure 7] is a schematic diagram of the operation of this invention. [Figure 8] is a schematic diagram of the operation of the present invention. [Figure 9] is a schematic diagram of the operation of this invention. [Figure 10] is a schematic diagram of the operation of this invention. 1: Drive Unit 2: Energy Storage Unit 23: First Clockwork Component 24: Second Clockwork Component 3: Transmission Unit 4: Power generation unit 5: Control Unit

Claims

1. A wave power generation device with parallel energy storage units includes: a drive unit, a float, and a rack and a gear meshing with each other, the rack being connected to the float and extending along a height direction; an energy storage unit, an input shaft, an output shaft, and a first spring assembly and a second spring assembly respectively connected between the input shaft and the output shaft, the gear being sleeved on the input shaft via a one-way bearing, the first spring assembly including a first front clutch, a first torque sensor, a first spring, and a first rear clutch axially connected to each other, the second spring assembly including a second front clutch, a second torque sensor, a second spring, and a second rear clutch axially connected to each other; a power generation unit connected to the output shaft; and a control unit electrically connected to the power generation unit, the first spring assembly, and the second spring assembly. The buoy is driven by waves, causing the rack to reciprocate along the height direction and drive the gear. The gear drives the input shaft unidirectionally via the one-way bearing. The control unit uses the sensing results of the first torque sensor and the second torque sensor to control the first front clutch and the second front clutch to selectively engage or disengage simultaneously, and controls the first rear clutch and the second rear clutch to selectively engage. The first front clutch and the first rear clutch do not engage simultaneously, and the second front clutch and the second rear clutch do not engage simultaneously, so that the input shaft selectively drives the first spring or the second spring to store energy. The first spring and the second spring, which have stored energy, are controlled to alternately transmit the stored energy to the power generation unit via the output shaft. The wave power generation device with parallel energy storage units as described in claim 1, wherein, The first front clutch is connected to the first torque sensor, the first torque sensor is connected to the first mainspring, and the first mainspring is connected to the first rear clutch; the second front clutch is connected to the second torque sensor, the second torque sensor is connected to the second mainspring, and the second mainspring is connected to the second rear clutch. The wave power generation device with parallel energy storage units as described in claim 1, wherein, The drive unit has a universal joint, and one end of the rack is connected to the float via the universal joint. The wave power generation device with parallel energy storage units as described in claim 1, wherein, The input shaft has an input shaft gear, the output shaft has an output shaft gear, the aforementioned first mainspring assembly has two first pinions located at opposite ends, the aforementioned second mainspring assembly has two second pinions located at opposite ends, the aforementioned first mainspring assembly meshes with the input shaft gear and the output shaft gear via the two first pinions, and the aforementioned second mainspring assembly meshes with the input shaft gear and the output shaft gear via the two second pinions. The wave power generation device with parallel energy storage units as described in claim 1, wherein, A transmission unit is connected in series between the output shaft and the power generation unit. The transmission unit has a gear set, a drive shaft and a bevel gear set. The gear set is connected to the drive shaft, the drive shaft is connected to the bevel gear set, and the bevel gear set is connected to the power generation unit. The output shaft drives the drive shaft via the gear set, the drive shaft drives the bevel gear set, and the bevel gear set drives the power generation unit. The wave power generation device with parallel energy storage units as described in claim 1, wherein, The first front clutch, the first rear clutch, the second front clutch, and the second rear clutch are electromagnetic clutches. A wave power generation method with a parallel energy storage unit includes the following steps: driving a buoy by waves, causing a rack connected to the buoy to reciprocate along a height direction to drive a gear; an energy storage unit has an input shaft, an output shaft, and a first spring assembly and a second spring assembly respectively connected between the input shaft and the output shaft, the first spring assembly including a first front clutch, a first torque sensor, a first spring and a first rear clutch axially connected to each other, the second spring assembly including a second front clutch, a second torque sensor, a second spring and a second rear clutch axially connected to each other, and the gear driving the input shaft unidirectionally via a one-way bearing; A control unit uses the sensing results of the first torque sensor and the second torque sensor to control the first front clutch and the second front clutch to selectively engage or disengage simultaneously, and controls the first rear clutch and the second rear clutch to selectively engage, so that the input shaft selectively drives the first mainspring or the second mainspring to store energy respectively. The first front clutch and the first rear clutch do not engage simultaneously, and the second front clutch and the second rear clutch do not engage simultaneously, thereby controlling the first mainspring and the second mainspring, which have the stored energy, to alternately transmit the stored energy to a power generation unit via the output shaft. The wave power generation method with parallel energy storage units as described in claim 7, wherein, One end of the rack is connected to the buoy via a universal joint. The wave power generation method with parallel energy storage units as described in claim 7, wherein, The input shaft has an input shaft gear, the output shaft has an output shaft gear, the aforementioned first mainspring assembly has two first pinions located at opposite ends, the aforementioned second mainspring assembly has two second pinions located at opposite ends, the aforementioned first mainspring assembly meshes with the input shaft gear and the output shaft gear via the two first pinions, and the aforementioned second mainspring assembly meshes with the input shaft gear and the output shaft gear via the two second pinions. The wave power generation method with parallel energy storage units as described in claim 7, wherein, A transmission unit is connected in series between the output shaft and the power generation unit. The transmission unit has a gear set, a drive shaft and a bevel gear set. The gear set is connected to the drive shaft, the drive shaft is connected to the bevel gear set, and the bevel gear set is connected to the power generation unit. The output shaft drives the drive shaft via the gear set, the drive shaft drives the bevel gear set, and the bevel gear set drives the power generation unit.

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