Axial Flow Turbine Buoyancy Control for Compliant River Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water turbines require significant civil and structural engineering, leading to high capital costs and are not easily deployable or maintainable in natural water sources like rivers and marine currents.
Innovation Solution
A compliant attitude and neutral buoyancy system for an axial flow turbine apparatus, featuring a flexible coupling and buoyancy adjusting component, allowing the rotor mechanism to align with water flow and maintain stability, with a power take-off device for energy conversion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If traditional water turbine systems are used, then power generation capability is achieved, but civil and structural engineering works become massive and capital cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies neutral buoyancy principles to counteract the weight of the turbine system. The turbine assembly is designed to be neutrally buoyant in water, eliminating the need for massive support structures to hold the weight of the turbine components. This allows the turbine to be supported by water buoyancy rather than heavy civil engineering works.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical support structures with a water-based support system. Instead of using heavy land-based turbines connected to civil infrastructure, the system uses water-buoyant turbines that are supported and positioned by the water itself, substituting mechanical support with hydrostatic support.
2Power
If traditional water turbine systems are used, then power generation is achieved, but ease of deployment and maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic positioning system where the turbine can move vertically and horizontally in response to water conditions. The neutral buoyancy design allows the turbine to be easily positioned at different depths and locations by adjusting buoyancy forces, making deployment and maintenance operations much simpler compared to fixed installations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the buoyancy parameter to control the turbine's position and deployment. By adjusting the buoyancy of the turbine assembly, operators can easily raise or lower the turbine for maintenance, deployment, or relocation without requiring complex mechanical lifting systems or shutdown procedures.
3Strength
If rigid turbine structures are used, then structural strength is maintained, but adaptability to flow conditions and turbulence deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a dynamically adjustable turbine system that can change its orientation and position in response to varying flow conditions. The turbine assembly can pitch and yaw to optimize its alignment with water flow, and can move to different depths to avoid turbulence or adverse conditions, maintaining both structural integrity and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters such as turbine orientation angles, depth position, and rotational speed to adapt to different flow conditions. The neutral buoyancy design allows rapid parameter changes without structural stress, enabling the turbine to optimize performance in varying water currents and turbulence levels.
4Power
If heavy turbine components are used, then power generation capacity increases, but ease of relocation and transport deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses neutral buoyancy to counteract the weight of heavy turbine components. By designing the turbine assembly to be neutrally buoyant, high-power components can be transported and relocated easily because the water supports their weight, eliminating the need for heavy lifting equipment and reducing transport costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical lifting and transport systems with water-based buoyancy support. Instead of using cranes, trucks, or other heavy machinery to move and position turbine components, the system uses the water's buoyant force to support and relocate the turbine assembly, making high-power components as easy to move as lighter equipment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system efficiently captures energy from water flow while minimizing structural damage and enabling easy deployment, maintenance, and relocation with reduced material mass and cost.
Implementation Method 1
the rotor support system is configured to provide neutral buoyancy to a turbine apparatus including a rotor mechanism, wherein the position of the rotor mechanism in a body of water is stable and does not rise or fall
Implementation Method 2
Compliant attitude means the elongated shaft is substantially free (compliant) to pivot in a manner which allows axial alignment of the shaft relative to the direction of flow
Implementation Method 3
an axial flow turbine apparatus comprises a rotor mechanism and a rotor support system, which is operable to support and control the position and alignment of the rotor mechanism relative to the direction of flowing water
Implementation Method 4
The flexible coupling may comprise a section of flexible material connected to the first end of the elongated shaft, wherein the flexible material is of given stiffness or spring constant, and is operable to maintain the assembly of the elongated shaft and the rotor mechanism in a compliant attitude and to transmit axial torque
Data Source
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AI summary
A turbine apparatus (10) for deployment in a waterway, comprises a rotor support system (12), a rotor mechanism (14) and a power take-off device (16). The rotor support system (12) is operable to support and align the rotor mechanism (14) with a direction of flow of flowing water in the waterway. Deployment of the turbine apparatus (10) in flowing water generates power. The rotor support system (12) includes an elongated shaft (13), which includes a buoyancy adjusting component (17); a flexible coupling (15) at a first end; and the rotor mechanism (14) being attachable to a second free end of the elongated shaft (13). The flexible coupling (15) facilitates connection of the first end of the elongated shaft to a support structure and facilitates a substantially freely yawing connection of the axial flow turbine apparatus to a support structure located in the waterway in which the turbine apparatus is deployed. The flexible coupling (15) also controls pitching motion of the turbine apparatus (10) relative to the support structure; and in use, permits a predetermined range of yawing motion of the turbine apparatus relative to the support structure; and responds to changes in flow of the flowing water, to maintain the turbine apparatus (10) with a compliant attitude, thereby maintaining alignment of the axis of the elongated shaft and the rotor mechanism with the direction of flow. The buoyancy adjusting component (17) being operable to maintain the deployed turbine apparatus with substantially neutral buoyancy relative to the waterway in which the turbine apparatus is deployed.