Vertical Turbine with Annular Generator and Pot Bearing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing turbine devices for hydropower plants are excessively complex and require significant maintenance, making them costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A compact turbine device design with a non-rotatably coupled rotor and hollow shaft, utilizing a pot-like receptacle with movable bearings and a synchronous generator with permanent magnets, allowing for easy maintenance and operation underwater without the need for complex adjustments or sliding contacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional turbine devices are constructed with complex structures and multiple components, then they can achieve reliable operation, but they require significant maintenance and have short service life
Solution Approach 1:
The turbine device is divided into modular components: a turbine runner with blades, a generator with stator and rotor, and a bearing assembly with lubricant reservoir. This segmentation allows independent maintenance of each module while simplifying the overall structure and reducing maintenance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing assembly integrates the bearing journal, movable bearings, and lubricant reservoir into a single unified component that rotates with the turbine runner. This merging eliminates the need for separate lubrication systems and reduces maintenance complexity while ensuring reliable operation.
2Productivity
If traditional turbine devices use sliding contacts and complex adjustment mechanisms, then they can control power output, but they increase maintenance requirements and reduce service life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces sliding contacts and mechanical adjustment mechanisms with an encoder-based electronic control system. The encoder detects the position of the turbine runner or generator components and sends signals to a controller that adjusts power output electronically, eliminating wear-prone mechanical contacts and reducing maintenance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The turbine device incorporates self-regulating features where the generator's magnetic field automatically adjusts to match the turbine runner's rotation, providing inherent power output control without requiring complex external adjustment mechanisms or sliding contacts that would need maintenance.
3Ease of repair
If the turbine device is designed for easy access to bearing journal, then maintenance becomes simpler, but the overall structure becomes less compact
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing assembly is designed as a separable module that can be independently removed from the turbine runner and generator assembly. This segmentation provides easy access to the bearing journal for maintenance while maintaining a compact overall structure, as the bearing module can be quickly replaced without disassembling the entire turbine device.
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing assembly includes a pre-filled lubricant reservoir that is sealed and prepared in advance. This preliminary preparation allows the bearing journal to be accessed and serviced quickly without requiring complex disassembly procedures, maintaining both compactness and ease of maintenance.
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 design results in a low-maintenance, compact, and efficient turbine device that can operate effectively at low water levels, reducing maintenance efforts and enhancing operational reliability with a long service life.
Implementation Method 1
a generator that converts the mechanical rotational energy of the turbine runner into converts electrical energy, the generator being in particular a ring generator
Implementation Method 2
The bearings run very easily in the lubricant-filled receptacle, but the lubricant remains clean as there is no abrasion
Implementation Method 3
a gas counterpressure area. The water penetrating into the envelope area from below is slowed down by a gas counter pressure inside the envelope
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
Turbine apparatus for a hydroelectric power station, with a turbine impeller, which is capable of rotating about a turbine rotary spindle, which is in particular arranged vertically, with turbine blades (4), which are fitted at an angle with respect to the turbine impeller (3), in particular a fixed angle, with a generator, which converts the mechanical rotation energy of the turbine impeller into electrical energy, wherein the generator is in particular an annular generator (5), with an annular rotor (6) and a stator (7), which is correspondingly arranged in annular fashion, wherein the turbine rotary spindle (2) is coupled to the rotor (6) in such a way that it is fixed against rotation, and the rotation about the turbine rotary spindle (2) takes place by means of a hollow shaft (8), with a pot-like receptacle (9), into which a fixed bearing journal (10) with movable bearings (11) arranged around it is inserted, in particular directly, and the turbine impeller (3) and the rotor (6) are capable of rotating about the bearing journal (10).