Negative-Pressure Wave Generator Using Venturi Tubes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wave power generators face issues such as wear and maintenance costs due to continuous wave movements, leakage in hydraulic systems, low efficiency due to air density differences in Oscillating Water Column generators, and the need for high waves in overtopping generators, leading to inefficient power generation.
Innovation Solution
A negative-pressure wave generator utilizing a flow-driven assembly with Venturi tubes and a power-generating assembly that leverages the kinetic energy of low-pressure water to drive a turbine, minimizing mechanical wear and maintenance costs, and operating effectively with lower wave heights.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a hydraulic system is used to transfer wave energy into rotation mechanism energy, then the transferring efficiency can reach expectations in the early stage, but the mechanism experiences wear from continuous wave movements and develops leakage problems, causing efficiency to drop over time and increasing maintenance costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the problematic rotation mechanism from the system and replaces it with a direct linear motion system. The piston moves linearly within the cylinder, directly driving the generator without requiring rotational conversion, thereby eliminating wear and leakage issues associated with rotational joints while maintaining high energy transfer efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional hydraulic rotation mechanism with a direct linear-piston mechanism. This substitution eliminates complex mechanical joints and seals that are prone to wear and leakage, while the direct linear motion efficiently transfers wave energy to the generator
2Device complexity
If an Oscillating Water Column generator is used, then the structure is simple and maintenance is easy, but the transferring efficiency is lowered due to air being less dense than seawater
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a piston-cylinder hydraulic system where seawater directly acts on the piston to create linear motion. This approach leverages the density of seawater effectively to drive the generator, achieving high transferring efficiency while maintaining structural simplicity through the direct conversion of wave motion to generator power
3Reliability
If an overtopping generator is used, then the generator rarely breaks down and is easy in maintenance, but it needs wave higher than three meters to reach the transferring efficiency, and there are very few sea areas that can regularly have such high waves
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic piston-cylinder system that adapts to varying wave conditions. The piston moves linearly in response to wave forces of varying magnitude, allowing the system to generate power effectively across a range of wave heights without requiring the extreme three-meter waves needed by overtopping generators, thereby improving adaptability while maintaining reliability
4Device complexity
If a generator that uses water flow from peaks to valleys is used, then the structure is simple and maintenance cost is lowered, but power can only be generated by half of the height of the wave, resulting in low transferring efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous useful action by having the piston respond to both the upward and downward movements of waves. The piston-cylinder system captures energy from bidirectional wave motion, converting both crest and trough movements into useful linear motion that drives the generator, thereby utilizing the full wave height rather than only half of it
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 negative-pressure wave generator achieves high efficiency in power generation with reduced maintenance costs and increased reliability, as most components do not rotate, and the low-pressure system minimizes leakage, making it suitable for various sea areas with middle-level waves.
Implementation Method 1
at least one Venturi tube disposed vertically, each one of the at least one Venturi tube being a hollow tube, and having a top opening disposed in a top end of the Venturi tube; a bottom opening disposed in a bottom end of the Venturi tube; and a throat formed between the top opening and the bottom opening, and being smaller than the top opening and the bottom opening in inner diameter
Data Source
AI summary
A negative-pressure wave generator has a flow-driven assembly and a power-generating assembly disposed in the sea. The flow-driven assembly has multiple Venturi tubes connected to a power generating culvert of the power-generating assembly. The power generating culvert has a generator assembly. When sea water passes, the Venturi tubes generate negative pressure to make the water flow into the flow-driven assembly from the power generating culvert. A large pressure difference is formed between outside sea water out of a turbine disposed in a front end and a chamber disposed in a rear end, and the pressure difference drives the turbine to drive the generator assembly. The transferring efficiency is high and the water in all the flow channels is in low pressure to prevent the water pipes from burst and leakage. The negative-pressure wave generator is simple in structure and solid, lowering the maintenance cost.