Hydrokinetic Rotor with Variable Blade Orientation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Hydrokinetic rotors with mechanically united blades and rings exhibit suboptimal performance across the entire range of rotational speeds from 0 to 50 revolutions/minute.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating radial axes between the inner and outer rings, with blades rotatable around these axes and limiting means such as stops on the rings to control blade movement, allowing for adjustable blade positioning based on flow direction and speed, enhancing performance across the speed range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If blades are mechanically united to the inner ring and outer ring with a predetermined fixed inclination, then the structure is simple and robust, but the performance is not optimal across the entire speed range from 0 to 50 revolutions/minute
Solution Approach 1:
The blade inclination angle is changed from fixed to variable. Each blade can rotate around its radial axis to adjust its inclination angle dynamically according to the rotational speed of the rotor, optimizing performance across different operating conditions while maintaining structural integrity through the radial axis connection between inner and outer rings
2Ease of manufacture
If the blade inclination is fixed at a predetermined value, then the manufacturing and assembly are simplified, but the performance varies and is not optimal across different rotational speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The blade system transitions from a statically fixed inclination to a dynamically adjustable inclination through rotation around radial axes, allowing optimization of energy conversion efficiency at different rotational speeds while maintaining relatively simple assembly through standardized radial axis connections
Solution Approach 2:
The inclination angle parameter of the blades is made variable rather than fixed. By allowing blades to rotate around their radial axes, the inclination angle can be adjusted as a variable parameter to match optimal values for different rotational speed ranges, improving energy conversion efficiency without complicating the basic assembly structure
3Device complexity
If all blades have the same fixed inclination, then the rotor structure is symmetric and simple, but it cannot adapt to varying flow conditions and rotational speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor structure maintains its simple symmetric form with blades arranged around the radial axes, but gains adaptability through the dynamic rotation capability of each blade around its radial axis. This allows each blade to independently adjust its inclination to adapt to varying flow conditions and rotational speeds while preserving the overall structural simplicity
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 solution improves rotor performance by allowing blades to adapt their inclination and positioning in response to varying flow conditions, maintaining efficient energy conversion across the entire range of rotational speeds, from 0 to 50 revolutions/minute, regardless of flow direction.
Implementation Method 1
The rotor (14) is rotatable about a longitudinal axis (X) corresponding substantially to the flow direction. The hydrokinetic device is adapted to transform the kinetic energy of a flowing stream of a liquid into electric energy
Implementation Method 2
at least one portion of at least one blade has a cross section as per the plane perpendicular to the radial direction, a profile having a thick portion and a thin portion
Data Source
AI summary
This hydrokinetic rotor is arranged to be rotated by a flow of a liquid. This rotor comprises of an inner ring, an outer ring and at least one blade extending between the inner ring and the outer ring in a radial direction (R), the inner rings and the external rings being centered on a same longitudinal axis (X).This rotor comprises of at least one radial axis extending radially between the inner ring and the outer ring, and at least one blade is movable around the respective radial axis. The rotor comprises of the limitation means of the movement in rotation of at least one blade mentioned above around its respective radial axis.