Offshore Water Intake Hydropower Plant for Uninterruptible Supply
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hydropower plants are dependent on disruptable water supplies, such as river water affected by precipitation and vulnerable to overuse from agriculture and downstream demands, necessitating a reliable and uninterrupted water source.
Innovation Solution
A hydropower plant with an offshore water supply system utilizing intake structures on the continental shelf, underground penstocks, and turbines in an underground turbine room, independent of precipitation and relying on the ocean as a continuous water source.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hydropower plants use river water supply dependent on precipitation, then the system is simpler and easier to implement, but the water supply becomes disruptable and unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the water intake structure from the river environment and relocates it to the offshore continental shelf. The intake towers are positioned in ocean water rather than river water, eliminating dependence on precipitation-based river flow while maintaining the hydropower generation function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces underground penstocks as intermediary conduits that transport water from the offshore intake towers through the continental shelf to the turbines. This intermediary system allows the plant to access stable ocean water supplies while isolating the generation facility from the variable river environment.
2Reliability
If hydropower plants rely on stored water supplies, then the system can regulate water flow, but the water supply becomes vulnerable to overuse by diversions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the water source from the river system entirely and relocates it to the ocean. By taking the water supply out of the river basin, the system eliminates vulnerability to agricultural diversions, city water demands, and habitat requirements that affect river water supplies.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a terrestrial river-based water supply to an offshore ocean-based water supply. This dimensional shift from land-based to marine-based water sourcing creates a separate, independent water source that is not subject to terrestrial water management conflicts.
3Reliability
If hydropower plants use offshore water intake towers, then the water supply becomes uninterruptible and independent of precipitation, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the water intake, storage, and delivery functions into an integrated offshore system. The intake towers, underground penstocks, and turbine facilities work as a unified system, combining multiple functions into a single coherent infrastructure that eliminates the need for separate river diversion structures and surface reservoirs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent positions the turbine machine floor at a lower elevation than the continental shelf base, creating a gravitational potential difference that drives water flow through the underground penstocks. This equipotentiality principle uses the natural elevation difference between the offshore intake and the turbine location to enable continuous water flow without additional pumping.
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
Provides an uninterruptible water supply, reducing environmental impact and eliminating the need for dams, while ensuring consistent power generation.
Implementation Method 1
The water supply has offshore water intake towers connected to underground penstocks, turbines, and a tailrace. The plant does not rely on precipitation; it relies only on the ocean as the unlimited water supply.
Implementation Method 2
at least one turbine (16), mounted on a turbine machine floor (34) in an underground turbine room (14) having an elevation lower than the base, the at least one turbine (16) having an inlet port coupled to the outlet of the at least one underground penstock (12)
Data Source
AI summary
A hydropower plant with offshore water supply includes at least one water intake structure, underground penstock, turbine, and tailrace. The water intake structure has a base built on a continental shelf of a water body and a water intake at an elevation above the base. The penstock has an inlet connected to the base and an outlet. The turbine is mounted on a turbine machine floor in an underground turbine room at an elevation lower than the base. The turbine has an inlet port connected to the penstock outlet and an outlet port connected to the tailrace. The inlet receives fluid from the water intake; the inlet port receives fluid from the outlet of the penstock; and the tailrace receives fluid from the inlet port and conveys the fluid to the water body.