Wave Power Generator With Inertial Flywheel For Stable Output
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wave energy conversion technologies face challenges in scaling up to utility-scale power generation due to issues with mechanical torque, efficiency, and stability of electrical output, particularly with the Wells turbine, which experiences reduced efficiency and mechanical stress at larger sizes.
Innovation Solution
The development of an electronic inertial power (EiP) wave machine with a modular, scalable design that incorporates a high-inertia flywheel and permanent magnet brushless technology, allowing for efficient electrical generation and stable power output by leveraging rotor inertia and electronic control to manage fluctuations in wave energy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If wave power conversion systems are scaled up to utility-scale power generation, then power output increases, but mechanical stress and efficiency deterioration occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional Wells turbine mechanical system with an electronic inertial power generation system. Wave-driven airflow rotates a turbine connected to a generator, but the key innovation is using electronic control and inertial energy storage to decouple the mechanical stress from the power output scaling. The system uses a generator with electronic control to convert mechanical energy to electrical energy, avoiding the mechanical stress issues that plague scaled-up Wells turbines.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operating parameters by introducing electronic control systems that can dynamically adjust the generation process. The electronic control allows the system to maintain optimal efficiency across varying wave conditions and scales, rather than relying on fixed mechanical parameters that deteriorate when scaled up. This includes controlling the generator output and managing the inertial energy storage parameters.
2Power
If wave power conversion systems are scaled up to utility-scale power generation, then power output increases, but electrical output stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs inertial energy storage as a cushioning mechanism before electrical output instability occurs. The rotational inertia of the generator rotor and any associated flywheel systems store kinetic energy that can be released to smooth out fluctuations in electrical output. This beforehand cushioning allows the system to maintain stable electrical output even when wave energy input varies, preventing the stability deterioration that occurs in scaled-up systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements electronic control systems with feedback mechanisms that monitor and adjust the power generation process in real-time. Sensors detect variations in wave energy input and electrical output, and the electronic control system responds by adjusting generator parameters to maintain stable output. This feedback loop is essential for utility-scale operation where maintaining electrical stability while maximizing power output is critical.
3Device complexity
If traditional Wells turbine is used for wave energy conversion, then simplicity is maintained, but efficiency and scalability are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the purely mechanical Wells turbine system with an electromechanical system. Instead of relying solely on the Wells turbine's bidirectional airflow capability, the system uses a conventional turbine connected to an electric generator with electronic control. This substitution dramatically improves conversion efficiency while the electronic control manages the increased complexity, achieving better productivity without sacrificing excessive simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters by introducing electronic control that can optimize the generation process dynamically. Rather than being constrained by the fixed mechanical characteristics of the Wells turbine, the electronic system can adjust parameters such as generator field current, rotor speed, and power output to maximize efficiency across different operating conditions. This parameter flexibility resolves the trade-off between simplicity and efficiency.
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 EiP wave machine achieves efficient and stable electrical power generation from wave energy, maintaining rotor speed between wave peaks and providing a reliable, fault-tolerant system that can scale to larger sizes without mechanical stress, enhancing energy storage and delivery.
Implementation Method 1
an array of magnets arranged to be evenly spaced and of alternating axial polarity from one another protruding from the outer cylindrical wall of the annular cylinder flywheel such that the magnets move through the circular array of inductor coils as the annular cylinder flywheel rotates with respect to the annular ring track so that the relative motion between the magnets and the inductor coils causes generation of electric currents in the inductor coils
Implementation Method 2
an annular cylinder flywheel structured to form a hollow interior and an outer cylindrical wall having a wide thickness to provide the annular cylinder flywheel with a high inertia
Implementation Method 3
a turbine rotor attached to the annular cylinder flywheel at a particular plane along the hollow interior, the turbine rotor structured to include a disk and a plurality of blades protruding from the disk that pass through the outer cylinder wall of the annular cylinder flywheel into a cavity
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for wave power generation. In one aspect, a wave power generator device includes a stator assembly and a rotor assembly encased within a tube frame. The stator assembly includes an array of inductor coils in a fixed position within a cavity of the tube frame and a plurality of bearings coupled to the tube frame. The rotor assembly includes a turbine rotor having a central hub and peripheral blades coupled to a high inertia annular flywheel that is moveably engaged with the bearings of the stator assembly, and an array of magnets arranged to be evenly spaced and of alternating axial polarity from one another extending from the annular flywheel into the cavity between the array of inductor coils, such that electric currents are produced based on magnetic field interaction of the magnets with the inductor coils during the rotation of the annular flywheel.