Tangential Flow Machine Baffle Plates for Turbulence Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydroelectric turbines for water-borne vehicles experience high turbulence and stagnation pressure due to their design and number of rotors, leading to significant energy loss when used as generators or when towed by another motor.
Innovation Solution
The tangential flow machine employs baffle plates extending along the main axis of the rotor ring, allowing a small angle of attack and minimizing turbulence, with a jacket housing design that separates the cylindrical core flow undisturbedly, reducing resistance and enabling efficient operation in both propulsion and generator modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple rotors and a tapering Kort nozzle are used, then the turbine can function as both propeller and generator, but high turbulence and stagnation pressure are generated leading to high energy loss
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor is segmented into multiple rotor blades that can be independently positioned at different angles. This allows the turbine to optimize its blade configuration for either propulsion mode or generation mode, reducing energy loss in each specific function while maintaining dual capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor blades are designed to be dynamically adjustable, allowing the turbine to change its operational characteristics based on the desired function. This dynamic reconfiguration enables the system to minimize turbulence and stagnation pressure for the current operating mode, thereby reducing energy loss.
2Power
If rotor blades are designed with larger angle of attack to increase force transfer, then propulsion efficiency improves, but turbulence increases leading to higher resistance
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the rotor blades have different angle of attack values, optimized for their specific local flow conditions. This local optimization allows efficient force transfer in propulsion mode while minimizing turbulence generation, resolving the contradiction between power and harmful effects.
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
This configuration results in reduced flow resistance and stagnation pressure, enabling economical operation with stable and undisturbed flow, and allows for efficient energy conversion and propulsion.
Implementation Method 1
the baffle plates can be situated at a relatively small angle of attack relative to the flow direction. This small angle of attack of the baffle plates ensures that on them, in generator mode, only the inertia of the water mass passing through is acting
Implementation Method 2
this shaping of the baffle plates, especially in interplay with the exterior profile of the jacket housing that tapers toward both of the front sides, makes possible a largely undisturbed separation of a cylindrical core flow from the water body of the body of water in question
Implementation Method 3
the stator and the rotor have means to be able to convert, in known fashion, a turning motion of the rotor into current
Data Source
AI summary
A tangential flow machine can be operated both as electric propulsion and as a generator, having a jacket housing which can have flow passing around it on an outer side, the profile of which is formed on a first front-side opening, and tapers to a second front side, on which a second front-side opening is formed. Between the two front-side openings, there extends a flow path along a main axis, and with an electrical machine, which on the jacket housing has a stator and a rotor that is supported so as to rotate within the stator. The rotor defines a free rotary axis and has a rotor ring and an arrangement of rotor blades which each extend from the rotor ring, radially to a free edge and the free edges of the rotor blades, in the projection direction parallel to the main axis.