Small-scale hydro turbine

Abstract

The present invention provides a small-scale hydro turbine comprising: a shaft connected to a power generation unit; and a plurality of blade parts radially coupled to the shaft. The blade parts include a plurality of columns coupled to the shaft and blades coupled to the columns. Each of the columns includes a body and an extension portion that is slidably coupled to the body and connected to the blade. The plurality of blade parts are coupled to different points on the shaft in the longitudinal direction of the shaft. The blades of the plurality of blade parts sequentially come into contact with water, and are elongated by the weight of the blades and the extension portions after passing the highest point of the rotational path of the blades.

Description

small hydropower turbine

[0001] The present invention relates to a small hydropower turbine.

[0002] With the recent increase in demand for eco-friendly and sustainable energy sources, hydropower is gaining prominence as one of the major renewable energy sources. Small-scale hydropower systems do not require infrastructure such as large-scale dams and can generate electricity by utilizing natural rivers or waterways. As part of these small-scale hydropower technologies, small hydropower turbines can generate electricity using the energy of water flow with a relatively simple structure, making them effective for use in rural areas or regions not connected to the power grid.

[0003] However, existing small hydropower turbine designs suffer from problems such as failing to make efficient contact with the water flow or achieving optimal performance only under constant flow rates or conditions. There is a need for a small hydropower turbine design that can solve these issues and generate electricity with high efficiency in various environments.

[0004] The objective of the present invention is to provide a small hydroelectric turbine capable of increasing power generation efficiency by efficiently contacting the flow of water.

[0005] The problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to those mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0006] A small hydroelectric turbine according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a shaft connected to a power generation unit; a plurality of wing portions radially coupled to the shaft; and the wing portions include a plurality of columns coupled to the shaft and a wing coupled to the column, wherein each column includes a body and an extension portion slidably coupled to the body and connected to the wing, and the plurality of wing portions are coupled to different points on the shaft with respect to the longitudinal direction of the shaft, and the wings of the plurality of wing portions sequentially come into contact with water, and the length of the wing portions may be configured to be extended by the self-weight of the wing and the extension portion when passing the highest point of the rotation path of the wing.

[0007] In addition, the small hydroelectric turbine may include a plurality of columns, a first column and a second column in a 180° direction relative to the circumferential direction of the shaft.

[0008] Additionally, the small hydroelectric turbine may include a weight that is eccentrically positioned at the central axis of the column when the blade is viewed from the axial direction of the shaft.

[0009] Additionally, the small hydroelectric turbine may include a body comprising a slot and a rail disposed in said slot, and an extension comprising a slider located in said slot and a projection protruding from said slider and slidably coupled to said rail.

[0010] In addition, the protrusions of the small hydroelectric turbine can be spherical.

[0011] In addition, the small hydroelectric turbine may include a curved surface where the rail contacts the protrusion.

[0012] According to the present invention, by configuring the wing portions to be arranged at different positions along the longitudinal direction of the shaft so that they sequentially come into contact with water, the size and weight of the small hydroelectric turbine are reduced, and there is an advantage of being able to effectively generate power even in places with low flow velocity and water volume.

[0013] In addition, as the column contracts and expands with rotation, the rotation of the wing can be accelerated by the flow velocity.

[0014] In addition, the rotation of the wing can be accelerated through the weight of the wing.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a small hydroelectric turbine according to an embodiment installed in a waterway,

[0016] FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating a small hydroelectric turbine of an embodiment installed in a river,

[0017] FIG. 3 is a detailed perspective view of a small hydroelectric turbine according to one embodiment,

[0018] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the wing portion viewed from the axial direction of the shaft.

[0019] FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view showing the interior of the column of the wing portion,

[0020] FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating the wing of the wing portion,

[0021] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the rotation process of the wing section.

[0022] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0023] The embodiments of the present invention are provided to more fully explain the invention to those skilled in the art, and the following embodiments may be modified in various different forms, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the following embodiments. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make the disclosure more faithful and complete and to fully convey the spirit of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0024] The terms used herein are for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. As used herein, the singular form may include the plural form unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Additionally, as used herein, "comprise" and / or "comprising" specify the presence of the mentioned features, numbers, steps, actions, parts, elements, and / or groups thereof, and do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, actions, parts, elements, and / or groups. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any one of the listed items and all combinations of one or more of them.

[0025] Although terms such as "first," "second," etc. are used in this specification to describe various components, regions, and / or parts, it is obvious that these components, parts, regions, layers, and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms do not imply a specific order, hierarchy, or superiority, and are used solely to distinguish one component, region, or part from another. Accordingly, the first component, region, or part described below may refer to the second component, region, or part without departing from the teachings of the present invention.

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to drawings that schematically illustrate embodiments of the present invention. In the drawings, variations of the illustrated shapes may be expected, for example, depending on manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to specific shapes of the areas illustrated herein, but should include, for example, variations in shape resulting from manufacturing.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a small hydroelectric turbine (10) according to an embodiment installed in a waterway. Hereinafter, in the drawings, the x-axis represents the width direction of the small hydroelectric turbine (10), the y-axis represents the length direction of the small hydroelectric turbine (10), and the z-axis represents the height direction of the small hydroelectric turbine (10).

[0028] Referring to FIG. 1, a small hydroelectric turbine (10) according to one embodiment can be installed in a waterway (1). The direction of water flow is the x-axis direction in the drawing, and the water can flow from the upper left to the lower right in the drawing. The small hydroelectric turbine (10) is installed in the waterway (1) and can generate electricity by utilizing small hydroelectric resources flowing in the waterway (1).

[0029] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing a different small hydroelectric turbine (10) in one embodiment installed in a river.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 2, a small hydroelectric turbine (10) according to one embodiment can be installed in a river (2). The small hydroelectric turbine (10) can be installed by being coupled to a floating body (3). The floating body (3) is fixed to the bottom of the river via a wire (4). Such a small hydroelectric turbine (10) has the advantage of not significantly altering the flow of the river and not affecting the ecosystem of the river.

[0031] The small hydroelectric turbine (10) described below is exemplified as being installed in a waterway (1) and a river (2), but the present invention is not limited thereto and can be installed in various places where the drop is not large but a certain amount of flow is secured.

[0032] FIG. 3 is a detailed perspective view of a small hydroelectric turbine (10) according to one embodiment.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 3, a small hydroelectric turbine (10) according to one embodiment may include a shaft (200) and a wing section (300) connected to a power generation section (100).

[0034] The power generation unit (100) generates power using the rotational force of the shaft (200). For example, when the shaft (200) rotates, the rotor of the power generation unit (100) rotates, and current is generated by the electromagnetic interaction between the rotating rotor and the stator of the power generation unit (100). The power generation unit (100) may include a transformer module that changes the voltage for the transmission of the generated current.

[0035] The shaft (200) is arranged along the longitudinal direction. The shaft (200) is connected to the power generation unit (100). The shaft (200) is also connected to the wing unit (300). When the wing unit (300) rotates, the shaft (200) rotates together with it.

[0036] A wing portion (300) may be coupled to an end of a shaft (200). The wing portion (300) may include a column (310) coupled to the shaft (200) and a wing (320) coupled to an end of the column (310). A plurality of such wing portions (300) may be provided. For example, the wing portion (300) may include a first wing portion (300A), a second wing portion (300B), and a third wing portion (300C).

[0037] The first wing portion (300A), the second wing portion (300B), and the third wing portion (300C) can be connected to different points (P1, P2, P3) on the shaft (200) along the longitudinal direction. The first wing portion (300A) can be connected to the first point (P1) of the shaft (200). The second wing portion (300B) can be connected to the second point (P2) of the shaft (200), which is located at a predetermined distance from the first point (P1) along the longitudinal direction. And the third wing portion (300C) can be connected to the third point (P3), which is located at a predetermined distance from the second point (P20) along the longitudinal direction.

[0038] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the wing portion (300) viewed from the axial direction of the shaft (200).

[0039] Referring to FIG. 4, the first wing portion (300A), the second wing portion (300B), and the third wing portion (300C) each include a column (310) and a wing (320). At this time, the column (310) may include a first column (310) and a second column (310). Based on the circumferential direction relative to the axial direction of the shaft (200), the first column (310) may be located on one side of the shaft (200), and the second column (310) may be located on the other side of the shaft (200). For example, based on the circumferential direction, the first column (310) and the second column (310) may be arranged at a 180° interval. The first column (310) and the second column (310) may have the same size and shape.

[0040] The wing (320) may include a first wing (320) and a second wing (320). The first wing (320) is connected to the first column (310). The second wing (320) is connected to the second column (310). The size and shape of the first wing (320) and the second wing (320) may be the same.

[0041] The first wing portion (300A), the second wing portion (300B), and the third wing portion (300C) can be connected to different points of the shaft (200) based on the circumferential direction of the shaft (200).

[0042] When viewed from the axial direction of the shaft (200), the first wing portion (300A) may be positioned along the horizontal reference line (L). The third wing portion (300C) may be positioned tilted by a second angle (R2) relative to the horizontal reference line (L). The first wing portion (300A) may be positioned tilted by a first angle (R1) relative to the horizontal reference line (L). Here, the horizontal reference line (L) corresponds to a reference line that passes horizontally through the center of the shaft (200). The second angle (R2) is an angle different from the first angle (R1). For example, the first angle (R1) may be an acute angle, and the second angle (R2) may be 90°.

[0043] Thus, the first wing section (300A), the second wing section (300B), and the third wing section (300C) are positioned differently in the circumferential direction to sequentially bring the wings (320) of the wing section (300) into contact with water. This configuration allows the wing section (300) to rotate even with a small flow rate by reducing the size of the wings (320) of the wing section (300), while increasing the frequency with which the wing section (300) receives water pressure from the flowing water, thereby ensuring sufficient rotational force of the shaft (200) for power generation.

[0044] Although the wing section (300) is exemplified as having three, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the number of wing sections (300) can be varied by considering the flow rate and flow velocity of the place where the small hydroelectric turbine (10) is installed.

[0045] FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view showing the interior of the column (310) of the wing portion (300).

[0046] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the column (310) may include a body (311) and an extension (312). The body (311) is connected to a shaft (200). The body (311) is also connected to the extension (312). The extension (312) may be slidably coupled to the end of the body (311). As the extension (312) moves along the body (311), the length of the column (310) may be varied.

[0047] The body (311) may include a slot (ST) and a rail (RL). The slot (ST) is located inside the body (311). The rail (RL) may be formed concavely in the slot (ST). For example, the shape of the slot (ST) may be cylindrical, and the shape of the rail (RL) may be hollow. The extension (312) may include a slider (SD) and a projection (PR). The slider (SD) may be formed by protruding the end of the extension (312). This slider (SD) is placed in the slot (ST) and reciprocates along the slot (ST).

[0048] The projections (PR) protrude from the surface of the slider (SD) and move along the rail (RL). There may be multiple projections (PR). The slider (SD) is cylindrical, and multiple projections (PR) protrude from the outer surface of the slider (SD) and may be positioned at regular intervals along the outer surface of the slider (SD). These projections (PR) may be spherical.

[0049] One side and the other side of the rail (RL) may each include a curved surface (CV) that contacts a spherical projection (PR). The length of the column (310) may be extended by the length of the rail (RL).

[0050] FIG. 6 is a drawing showing the wing (320) of the wing portion (300).

[0051] Referring to FIG. 6, the wing (320) of the wing portion (300) may be formed in a curved shape to include a three-dimensional curved surface. Flowing water may flow along the curved surface of the wing (320). This wing (320) may contain a weight (W) inside. For example, the weight (W) may be eccentrically positioned on the central axis (CL) of the column (310) when viewed from the axial direction of the shaft (200). The direction in which the weight (W) is located relative to the reference line (L) of the column (310) corresponds to the rotational direction of the wing (320).

[0052] This weight (W) provides an eccentric load to the wing portion (300) from the central axis of the column (310) when it passes the highest point (H) on the rotation path of the wing portion (300). And, by increasing the weight of the wing portion (300), it induces the column (310) to expand or contract during the process of the wing portion (300) rotating.

[0053] Figure 7 is a drawing illustrating the rotation process of the wing portion (300).

[0054] Referring to FIGS. 3, 6, and 7, flowing water pushes the wing (320) to rotate the wing section (300). The wing section (300) rotates by receiving kinetic energy from the flowing water. When the wing section (300) passes the highest point (H), the extension section (312) slides due to the self-weight of the wing section (300) and the extension section (312), and the length of the column section (310) is extended. As the wing section (300) moves toward the water surface (T), it accelerates and the wing section (300) is further extended, and the wing section (300), with its extended length and increased moment, comes into contact with the water. The wing section (300) that has entered below the water surface (T) acquires rotational force as it is pushed by the flowing water.

[0055] As the wing portion (300) pushed by the flowing water rises out of the water surface (T), the length of the column portion (310) is reduced as the extension portion (312) slides due to the weight of the wing portion (300) and the extension portion (312) until it reaches the highest point (H). When the wing portion (300) passes the highest point (H), the length of the wing portion (300) expands due to the load of the weight (W) positioned eccentrically from the central axis of the column (310), and the rotation of the wing portion (300) toward the water surface (T) is accelerated.

[0056] Based on the water surface (T), the rotation of these wing sections (300) proceeds sequentially with time intervals between the first wing section (300A), the second wing section (300B), and the third wing section (300C). For example, after the wing (320) of the first wing section (300A) touches the water surface (T), the wing (320) of the second wing section (300B) touches the water surface (T) after a certain period of time. Next, after the wing (320) of the second wing section (300B) touches the water surface (T), the wing (320) of the third wing section (300C) touches the water surface (T) after a certain period of time. This is because the first wing portion (300A), the second wing portion (300B), and the third wing portion (300C) are connected to different points on the shaft (200) in the longitudinal direction of the shaft (200), and at the same time, are connected to different points on the shaft (200) in the circumferential direction of the shaft (200).

[0057] This small hydroelectric turbine (10) can be installed in small rivers or waterways (1) by miniaturizing its size and weight, and the blades (300) can be miniaturized while significantly increasing the frequency with which the blades (320) come into contact with water, thereby effectively using the energy of flowing water for power generation.

[0058] According to an embodiment of the present invention, by configuring the wing portions to be arranged at different positions along the longitudinal direction of the shaft so that they sequentially come into contact with water, there is an advantage of reducing the size and weight of the small hydroelectric turbine and enabling effective power generation even in areas with low flow rates and water volumes.

[0059] In addition, as the column contracts and expands with rotation, the rotation of the wing can be accelerated by the flow velocity.

[0060] In addition, the rotation of the wing can be accelerated through the weight of the wing.

[0061] Although specific embodiments of the small hydropower turbine of the present invention have been described above, it is obvious that various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention.

[0062] Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the claims set forth below as well as equivalents thereof.

[0063] That is, the aforementioned embodiments should be understood as exemplary in all respects and not limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the claims set forth below rather than by the detailed description, and all modifications or variations derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and equivalent concepts thereof should be interpreted as being included within the scope of the invention.

[0064] The present invention can be used for hydroelectric power generation.

Claims

1. Shaft connected to the power generation unit; A plurality of wing portions radially coupled to the shaft; and The wing portion comprises a plurality of columns coupled to the shaft and wings coupled to the columns, Each of the above columns includes a body and an extension that is slidably coupled to the body and connected to the wing, and The plurality of wing portions are connected to different points of the shaft with respect to the longitudinal direction of the shaft, and The wings of the plurality of wing sections sequentially come into contact with water, and when passing the highest point of the rotational path of the wing, the length of the wing section is extended by the self-weight of the wing and the extension section. Small hydropower turbine.

2. In claim 1, the column comprises a plurality of first columns and second columns in a 180° direction with respect to the circumferential direction of the shaft. Small hydropower turbine.

3. In Paragraph 1, The above wing includes a weight eccentrically positioned at the central axis of the column when viewed from the axial direction of the shaft, Small hydropower turbine.

4. In Paragraph 3, The above body includes a slot and a rail disposed in the slot, and The above extension comprises a slider located in the slot and a projection protruding from the slider and slidably coupled to the rail. Small hydropower turbine.

5. In Paragraph 4, The above protrusion is spherical, Small hydropower turbine.

6. In Paragraph 5, The above rail includes a curved surface in contact with the above protrusion, Small hydropower turbine.

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