Power generation device

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an inexpensive power generation device using compressed air. [Solution] A power generation device 100 comprising: a water tank 1 for storing water; a first gear 2 disposed directly below the water surface of the water tank; a second gear 3 disposed at a bottom part of the water tank 1; a circular chain 5 connecting the first gear 2 and the second gear 3; a plurality of capsules 4 arranged at equal intervals on the chain 5; a compressed air supply port 7 installed in the second gear 3; a pulley 18 for transmitting rotation of the second gear 3; a pulley belt 16 for transmitting rotation of the pulley 18; and a generator 17 for generating power by rotation of the pulley belt 16. When the water is stored in the water tank 1 and each of the plurality of capsules 4 arranged at equal intervals reaches the second gear 3, each of the plurality of capsules 4 is supplied with compressed air from the compressed air supply port 7, each of the plurality of capsules 4 supplied with compressed air floats, and thereby the chain 5 is rotated, the pulley 18 is rotated to cause the pulley belt 16 to rotate, and according to the rotation of the pulley belt 16, the generator 17 generates power. Selected drawing: FIG. 1

Description

power generation equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to a power generation device that uses compressed air.

[0002] Currently, in order to prevent global warming, the world is trying to stop using fossil fuel resources and reduce CO ２ Efforts are being made to reduce the generation of CO2 and increase clean energy. There are various methods of generating electricity from natural energy, such as hydroelectric power, solar power, wind power, and geothermal power, but because such power generation varies depending on the situation, for example, compressed air is produced by wind power generation and the produced compressed air is stored as surplus energy.

[0003] One way to utilize the stored compressed air as surplus energy is to generate electricity using a turbine, but this method only has a power generation efficiency of 60-70%, resulting in energy loss.

[0004] Therefore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-369487 discloses a power generation device that "includes two drive cylinders 11, 12 that are driven using the expansion energy of compressed air, a crank mechanism 13, valve mechanisms 14, 15 that control the timing of air supply and exhaust to the drive cylinders 11, 12, linear power generation units 16, 17, and compressed air supply means 18 that supplies compressed air to the drive cylinders 11, 12, and is driven by the expansion energy of the compressed air to generate electricity in the linear power generation units 16, 17."

[0005] However, the above-mentioned devices are expensive, and there is a demand for power generation devices that utilize lower cost compressed air.

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-369487

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive power generating device that uses compressed air.

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the power generation device of a first aspect has a water tank for storing water, a first gear positioned just below the water surface of the water tank, a second gear positioned at the bottom of the water tank, a circular chain connecting the first gear and the second gear, a plurality of capsules arranged at equal intervals on the chain, a compressed air supply port installed on the second gear, a pulley for transmitting the rotation of the second gear, a pulley belt for transmitting the rotation of the pulley, and a generator that generates electricity by the rotation of the pulley belt, wherein water is stored in the water tank, and when the plurality of capsules arranged at equal intervals reach the second gear, compressed air is supplied from the compressed air supply port, and the plurality of capsules supplied with the compressed air each float up, causing the chain to rotate, and the rotation of the pulley causes the pulley belt to rotate, and the rotation of the pulley belt causes the generator to generate electricity.

[0009] In order to solve the above problem, the power generation device of the second aspect is the same as that of the first aspect, in that when each of the multiple capsules moves just below the water surface, the compressed air expands to a volume equal to the volume of the capsule.

[0010] The present invention is constructed and operates as described above, and therefore can provide an inexpensive power generating device that utilizes compressed air.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a power generating device. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a power generating device. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional conceptual view illustrating the state in which the second shaft portion penetrates the water tank via the bearing waterproof cover. FIG. 4 is an enlarged conceptual view of FIG. 5. FIG. 6 is a front conceptual view of the second shaft portion and the bearing waterproof cover. FIG. 7 is a conceptual view showing the state in which the chain and capsule are attached via mounting brackets. FIG. 8 is a conceptual view of another water tank. FIG. 9 is a graph of the change in volume of air inside a capsule in water in a power generating device.

[0012] The power generation device 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The power generation device 100 of this embodiment has a water tank 1 capable of storing water. When water is stored in the water tank 1, the depth of the water tank 1 is preferably at least 30 meters. The upper part 1a of the water tank 1 has a louver (vent) 12 for discharging air from the capsule 4 (described later) and a water supply port 13 for supplying water to the water tank 1. A drain port 14 is also provided in the lower part 1B of the water tank 1. A water receiving tank 15 is provided underground below the foundation C of the water tank 1. Note that the term "water" is intended to include not only freshwater but also seawater and other liquids.

[0013] Furthermore, in the power generating device 100 of this embodiment, when water is stored and filled, the first gear 2 and the second gear 3, which are gears, are arranged on the bottom of the water and directly below the water surface on a vertical line through the center of the water tank 1. In this way, it is preferable to arrange the first gear 2 in a position where it is not exposed to the water surface when the water tank 1 is filled with water. It is also preferable that the first gear 2 and the second gear 3 are gears of the same shape.

[0014] The first gear 2 has a first shaft portion 2a, which is a shaft portion that serves as the center of rotation. The second gear 3 has a second shaft portion 11, which is a shaft portion that serves as the center of rotation. The distance between the first shaft portion 2a and the second shaft portion 11 is preferably within 30 m, and the first gear 2 and the second gear 3 are connected by a circular chain 5. The diameter of the first gear 2 and the second gear 3 is preferably about 10 m. The second shaft portion 11 is hollow and cylindrical, and serves as a pipe that circulates compressed air to a plurality of air supply pipes 9, which will be described later.

[0015] The second shaft 11 is positioned to penetrate the water tank 1 and maintain watertightness. That is, in a cross-sectional view, a bearing 50 is placed in the hole 1c of the water tank 1, the second shaft 11 is placed in the bearing 50, and approximately circular waterproof covers 60, 60 are placed to sandwich the water tank 1. The waterproof cover 60 has waterproof grease G applied to multiple locations, and is fitted with a first O-ring 61 with a large diameter and a second O-ring 62 with a small diameter, which are O-rings that come into contact with the water tank 1 and are fixed in place with multiple bolts B. A third O-ring 63 is further placed around the second shaft 11, maintaining watertightness to prevent water leakage.

[0016] A plurality of air pipes 9 for supplying compressed air 8 are connected to the second gear 3 disposed at the bottom of the water tank 1. The air pipes 9 are hollow cylindrical pipes, and the compressed air 8 can be circulated through the plurality of air pipes 9 from the second shaft 11.

[0017] A plurality of air supply pipes 9 are arranged radially from the second shaft portion 11 as the center, and in this embodiment, the plurality are arranged radially at intervals of, for example, a central angle of 45 degrees in a cross-sectional view. A compressed air supply port 7 is arranged at the tip of each air supply pipe 9. A plurality of compressed air supply ports 7 are arranged radially from the second shaft portion 11 arranged at the center of the second gear 3 to the outer periphery of the second gear 3. A capsule 4, which will be described later, is connected to the compressed air supply port 7 when arranged in the 9 o'clock direction (270 degrees clockwise) of the second gear 3 as viewed in a cross-section (see FIG. 1 ). This point will be described later.

[0018] For example, when the plurality of air supply pipes 9 arranged radially around the second gear 3 are positioned in the 4:30 direction (135 degrees clockwise) of the second gear 3, the compressed air supply ports 7 arranged at the ends of the air supply pipes 9 supply compressed air 8 into the capsule 4 through a tubular receiving pipe 40. An end 41 of the receiving pipe 40 is arranged inside the capsule 4, and a check valve is arranged at the end 41. The check valve is configured to close with a spring. The receiving pipe 40 is also arranged inside a capsule mounting hardware 6, which will be described later. Therefore, when the connection between the compressed air supply ports 7 and the receiving pipe 40 is released, airtightness is maintained, thereby preventing the compressed air 8 inside the capsule 4 from flowing back. In particular, it is preferable to have a packing 45 at the portion where the receiving pipe 40 and the compressed air supply port 7 come into contact.

[0019] When the second gear 3 further rotates counterclockwise and is positioned at the 3 o'clock position (90 degrees) in cross section, the connection between the compressed air supply port 7 and the receiving pipe 40 is released.

[0020] It is preferable that the compressed air 8 is supplied from the compressed air supply port 7 to the capsule 4 when the angle of the second gear 3 is between 135 degrees and 90 degrees (4:30 to 3:00) (see compressed air supply section 10 in FIG. 1 ). This will be described later.

[0021] In this case, by matching the spacing between the arc portions obtained by dividing the circumference of the substantially circular second gear 3 into eight parts with the spacing between the capsules 4, the positions of the multiple compressed air supply ports 7 arranged on the second gear 3 and the receiving pipes 40 arranged on the multiple capsules 4 can be aligned. In this case, the compressed air supply ports 7 can be connected to the receiving pipes 40, and compressed air 8 can flow into the capsules 4 from the receiving pipes 4, thereby minimizing leakage of the compressed air 8. Furthermore, the bottoms 4a of the capsules 4 are open. To prevent compressed air from leaking from the bottoms 4a of the capsules 4 when the compressed air 8 flows in and to store the compressed air 8 within the capsules 4, the rotation of the second gear 3 can be controlled by the diameter (pulley ratio) of the pulley 18 to supply the compressed air 8. A speed reducer (not shown) may also be used. Since the pulley output increases inversely proportional to the amount of speed reduction, increasing the pulley diameter allows power generation without changing the rotational speed of the generator, so the amount of power generation does not change due to speed reduction.

[0022] In addition, in this embodiment, the connection part between the capsule 4 and the compressed air supply port 7 is located in the middle part of the capsule 4, but when the capsule 4 orbits the second gear 3, the capsule mounting hardware 6 moves, so the capsule 4 is stabilized.

[0023] In this embodiment, there are preferably 24 capsules 4, and a bullet- or teardrop-shaped configuration is preferred to minimize water resistance as the capsules 4 ascend through the water. The capsules 4 are fixed at equal intervals to the chain 5 by capsule mounting hardware 6. The capsule mounting hardware 6 is attached to the chain 5 by mounting bolts 65, 65, and the cylindrical receiving tube 40 described above is disposed inside the capsule mounting hardware 6. The capsules 4 are also attached by second capsule mounting hardware 70, 70, which are disposed above and below the capsule mounting hardware 6, respectively, and attached to the chain 5 by mounting bolts 71, 71. In this manner, the capsules 4 are attached to the chain 5 by the capsule mounting hardware 6 and the second capsule mounting hardware 70, 70. The capsule mounting hardware 6 has a movable part 80, which is intended to accommodate misalignment when connecting the capsules 4 and the capsule mounting hardware 6.

[0024] The compressed air 8 is supplied to the capsule 4 at the bottom of the water so that the volume of the compressed air 8 is equal to the volume of the capsule 4 when it reaches just below the water surface.

[0025] The compressed air 8 inside the capsule 4 expands until it reaches just below the water surface, increasing its buoyancy. Just below the water surface, the volume of the compressed air 8 reaches its maximum, and so does its buoyancy. When the capsule 4 rises to just below the water surface, the capsule 4 turns sideways, and air is released from the open bottom 4a of the capsule 4.

[0026] After that, the capsule 4, from which the air has been released, loses buoyancy and descends while pointing downward. It is preferable that the capsule 4 be made of synthetic resin. As will be described later, when the capsule 4 again reaches the compressed air supply section 10 (between A and B, see FIG. 1 ) between 135 degrees and 90 degrees of the second gear 3, compressed air 8 is supplied to the capsule 4. As compressed air 8 is sequentially supplied to the capsules 4, the capsules 4 rise one after another, causing the chain 5 to rotate and the second gear 3 to rotate. This causes the pulley 18 (see FIG. 2 ) connected to the second shaft portion 11 of the second gear 3 to rotate, which in turn causes the generator 17 connected to the pulley belt 16 and outside the water tank 1 to rotate and generate electricity.

[0027] In the device of the present invention, the rotation speed of the second gear 3 is not high, but for example, 4 m ３ When 24 capsules 4 with a capacity of 10.5 m are installed and compressed air 8 is supplied to 10 capsules, the total volume of air inside the capsules 4 (black area) is approximately 22.5 m ３ Buoyancy ρvg = 1,000 x 22.5 x 9.8 = 220,500 N If the capsule's ascent speed is 1 meter per second, the energy is 220,500 N m / s, and since 1 N m / s = 1 watt, this is equivalent to generating 220,500 watts (220.5 kW) of electricity.

[0028] 2 is a plan view of four power generation devices 100 arranged side by side in this embodiment. The other water tank 200 has a round tubular interior 210, which is designed to utilize the water flow generated by the rotation of the capsules 4 and chain 5. The capsules 4 and chain 5 are not shown.

[0029] The compressed air 8 can be produced in advance by driving an air compressor 21 using, for example, surplus energy generated by wind power generation. The produced compressed air 8 is stored in a compressed air storage tank 20. The compressed air 8 is controlled by a compressed air supply unit 19 (compressor) to maintain a constant pressure and supply rate, and stable compressed air 8 is sent to a first compressed air feed pipe 23. The first compressed air feed pipe 23 is inserted into the second shaft portion 11 of the second gear 3 and does not rotate. The first compressed air feed pipe 23 has a slit-shaped cutout with a width equal to the diameter of the compressed air feed pipe 9 in a compressed air supply section 10 (between A and B, see Figure 1) between 135 degrees and 90 degrees (between 4:30 and 3:00) of an arc obtained by dividing the circumference of the first compressed air feed pipe 23 into eight parts along the axis around which the compressed air feed pipe 9 rotates within the second shaft portion 11. While the opening of the compressed air supply pipe 9 of the second shaft portion 11 is in contact with the slit-shaped cut hole of the first air supply pipe 23, compressed air 8 can be supplied from the compressed air supply pipe 9 to the capsule 4.

[0030] Compressed air 8 is supplied to capsule 4 from second shaft 11 of second gear 3 through the valve (with check valve) of compressed air supply pipe 9 and compressed air supply port 7, and then from end 41 of receiving pipe 40 equipped with a check valve. As described above, second shaft 11 of second gear 3 extends outside water tank 1, and second shaft 11 is connected to pulley 18, and pulley belt 16 is wound around pulley 18, connecting to generator 17. This causes generator 17 to generate electricity.

[0031] FIG. 7 is a graph showing the change in the volume of air inside the capsule 4 in water, with the x-axis representing water pressure (P) and the y-axis representing volume (V).

[0032] The capsule volume of the compressed air 8 in the capsule 4 is set to 4.0 m ３ This is the change in volume of the compressed air 8 in the capsule 4 from a depth of 100 m (11 atmospheres) to a depth of 0 m (1 atmosphere). There is no significant increase in volume from a depth of 100 m to a depth of 30 m, but it becomes more noticeable from a depth of 30 m. This value is calculated by Boyle's law as follows: １ P １ =V ２ P ２ It can be calculated as follows.

[0033] Capsule 4 is 1.0m deep at a depth of 30m ３ The volume just below the water surface when compressed air 8 is injected (V ２ ) can be calculated as follows: (V １ ) Volume of compressed air 8 at a depth of 30 m: 1.0 m ３ (P １ ) Atmospheric pressure at a depth of 30m: 4 atmospheres (V ２ ) Volume of compressed air 8 at water depth 0: 4.0 m ３ (P ２ ) Atmospheric pressure at depth 0: 1 atmosphere

[0034] As a result of the above, the volume of compressed air 8 on the water surface is 4 m ３ ​The total volume change in the shaded area from a depth of 30 m (4 atmospheres) to a depth of 0 m (1 atmosphere), where the volume change is particularly large, can be calculated by integrating the following formula.

[0035] According to Archimedes' principle, buoyancy = ρVg is proportional to the volume of an object in water. ３ The total volume of compressed air 8 that changes until it reaches the water surface is 5.5452 m as a result of Equation 3. ３ Therefore, it is 5.5452m ３ ÷1.0 m ３ (Supplied compressed air 8) = 5.5452 times. The stored energy of the compressed air 8 when injected into the capsule 4 is confined within the capsule 4, and almost no energy loss occurs during injection.

[0036] The power generation device 100 of this embodiment uses compressed air 8 as its energy source, and since the water tank 1 is filled with water once, only a small amount of make-up water is required, which has little impact on the environment. Furthermore, compared to conventional power generation facilities, it is not large-scale and only requires space to place the water tank 1, so it can be installed without location restrictions.

[0037] A plurality of power generation devices 100 of this embodiment can be arranged, and the amount of power generation can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the number of capsules 4, the capacity of the capsules 4, and changing the sizes of the first gear 2 and the second gear 3. Furthermore, if the power generation devices 100 can be mass-produced and spread throughout the country, the cost of power generation can be reduced.

[0038] ​​Compressed air 8 is produced using surplus electricity from existing power generation while controlling air compressor 21 from control room 22, and the compressed air 8 is stored in compressed air storage tank 20. The stored compressed air 8 is circulated to second shaft portion 11 via first compressed air supply pipe 23, and then circulated to compressed air supply pipe 9 via second shaft portion 11 and supplied to each of the plurality of capsules 4, thereby generating electricity as described above. By driving power generation device 100 of this embodiment in accordance with demand in this way, power loss can be eliminated, and electricity charges can be significantly reduced in some cases.

[0039] In the power generation device 100 of this embodiment, the compressed air 8 in the capsule 4 is supplied at the bottom of the water and expands as the capsule 4 rises. The buoyancy of this expanded air is utilized for power generation, thereby improving power generation efficiency.

[0040] In the case of solar power generation, in order to eliminate unevenness in the amount of power generated due to weather fluctuations, compressed air 8 is produced using surplus electricity from the generated power and stored in the compressed air storage tank 20, and the stored compressed air 8 is used to generate electricity in the power generation device 100 of this embodiment, thereby enabling continuous energy production and a stable supply of power. In addition, electricity rates can be reduced. The same applies to surplus electricity generated by wind power generation.

[0041] Similarly, compressed air 8 produced using wave power or surplus electricity other than that from thermal power plants can be produced and stored in the compressed air storage tank 20, and low-cost electricity from the power generation device 100 of this embodiment can be used to produce hydrogen by electrolyzing water, thereby achieving the government's goal of low-cost and CO2-free hydrogen production. ２ By reducing imports of fossil fuels as much as possible, Japan will be able to reduce CO2 emissions by producing and supplying green hydrogen, which does not emit CO2. ２ The device of this embodiment will reduce the generation of CO ２ This will help to realize a green hydrogen society that reduces CO2 emissions and helps prevent global warming.

[0042] REFERENCE SIGNS 1 Water tank 2 First gear 3 Second gear 4 Capsule 5 Chain 6 Capsule mounting hardware 7 Compressed air supply port 8 Compressed air 9 Compressed air supply pipe 10 Compressed air supply section 11 Second shaft 12 Louver 13 Water supply port 14 Drain port 15 Water tank 16 Pulley belt 17 Generator 18 Pulley 19 Compressed air supply section 20 Compressed air storage tank 21 Air compressor 22 Control room 23 First compressed air supply pipe 100 Power generation device

Claims

1. A power generation device comprising: a water tank for storing water, a first gear positioned just below the water surface of the water tank, a second gear positioned at the bottom of the water tank, a circular chain connecting the first gear and the second gear, a plurality of capsules arranged at equal intervals on the chain, a compressed air supply port installed on the second gear, a pulley for transmitting the rotation of the second gear, a pulley belt for transmitting the rotation of the pulley, and a generator that generates electricity by the rotation of the pulley belt, wherein water is stored in the water tank, and compressed air is supplied from the compressed air supply port to the plurality of equally spaced capsules when they reach the second gear, and each of the plurality of capsules supplied with compressed air floats up, causing the chain to rotate, and the rotation of the pulley causes the pulley belt to rotate, and the rotation of the pulley belt causes the generator to generate electricity.

2. The power generating device according to claim 1, wherein when each of said plurality of capsules moves just below the water surface, said compressed air expands to a volume equal to that of said capsule.

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