RU2559956C1 - Wave energy converter (versions) - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: energy engineering.

SUBSTANCE: wave energy converter comprises a float 2 located on the surface, pivotally connected frames 3, 4. The frame 3 is connected to the float 2 through the rod and is pivotally connected to the shaft 6 of the cylinder located in the array 1 of water. The cylinder communicates with a hydraulic motor 22 connected to the generator. The second frame 4 is pivotally connected to the cylinder. Each frame is made triangular in the form of two levers with a jumper rigidly connected to them. The jumper of the first frame is connected to the shaft 6. The jumper of the second frame 4 is connected to the cylinder. The frames are connected to each other with the bases. The second frame 4 is connected to the rod to the ballast weight 7 located on the bottom.

EFFECT: simplified design and mass of the converter.

3 cl, 9 dwg

Description

An energy converter belongs to the field of energy and can be used to extract electricity from the energy of the movement of waves of the seas and oceans.

Known wave power plant containing a floating body, a mechanical energy converter of sea waves, made in the form of a horizontally mounted carrier, at one end connected to a shaft vertically and pivotally mounted on the body, connected to the rotor of the generator, the stator of which is connected to the floating body, and its other end supplied with mass, and the power plant is equipped with additional floats associated with the housing using telescopic telescopic mechanisms, with the ability to adjust together the length of the floating part of the housing and floats equal to half the wavelength, in addition, the carrier is provided with a telescopic sliding mechanism moving mass relative to the shaft electric drive. The power plant is equipped with a multiplier and an overrunning clutch (RU 2482326 C2, 05.20.2013).

A device is known that uses the energy of sea waves, containing a floating body connected by means of a flexible connecting means to a transducer reciprocating in a linear generator, the floating body being adapted for sailing at sea, and the generator stator adapted for anchoring on the seabed. The device has a guide device mounted at the input of the connecting means in the generator casing and comprises a hollow body having lower and upper openings. The connecting means is adapted to pass through the lower hole and the upper hole of the guide device, and the part of the connecting means located briefly between the said holes is defined as the guided part, while the lower hole is located so that the guided part next to the lower hole is on a straight line with the aforementioned the central axis, and the upper hole is located so that the guided part near the upper hole has the ability to form an angle with the cent cial axis (RU 2478828 C2, 10.04.2013).

A known energy converter of sea waves, comprising an upper float located on the surface of the sea, a hydraulic cylinder and an electric generator with a rotor, reciprocating, and a fixed stator. The rotor is made of permanent magnets. The stator contains inductors. The hydraulic cylinder is installed inside the float and is a double-acting pump. The converter is equipped with a hydraulic vibrator, consisting of a cylinder filled with liquid, along the axis of which a stepped shaft is placed with the possibility of reciprocating motion, mechanically connected with the generator rotor, and hydraulically through the control distribution valve with pressure and drain chambers of the hydraulic cylinder. The vibrator and generator are installed inside the pipe connecting the hydraulic cylinder to the lower float through a depth regulator connected to the seabed. The buoyancy of the float is significantly greater than the buoyancy of the float. The invention is aimed at improving the efficiency of the Converter, which is achieved by converting low-frequency oscillations of the float located on the surface of sea waves into high-frequency oscillations of the rotor of a linear generator relative to a fixed magnetic circuit (RU 2462613 C1, 09/27/2012).

There is a problem of transporting energy carriers from energy converters of sea waves to an energy consumer. For example, a technical solution is known according to the application of Great Britain (GB 2445951 A, 07/30/2008), which provides for the conversion of the energy of sea waves into energy of compressed liquid, which is pumped under pressure into reservoirs located on the shore. However, this technical solution relates to coast-based facilities and cannot be used away from the coast. It is difficult to supply sea-based facilities (sonar buoys, beacons, etc.) from the shore.

To date, a large number of technological schemes, methods and devices for converting wave energy into electricity, comprising turbines, mechanical gearboxes for transmitting reciprocating water to a traditional electric generator, have been developed and practically implemented in the world. A stationary structure and in-depth buoyancy is known, which repeats the movement of waves and converts linear motion into rotational motion, exciting the generator (US 2010/244451 A1, 09/30/2010).

A device with floating and fixed floats, moving relative to each other and transmitting rotational motion to an element that converts rotational energy into electrical energy (KR 20100118597 A, 11/05/2010). Such devices have a complex and expensive design, which reduces the feasibility of their use.

A device for converting energy containing a linear generator and a dynamic inertial energy storage device containing a load and elastic elements is known, while it is assumed that the natural frequency of the generator rotor is comparable to the characteristic frequency of the float in water patent (RU 2037642 C1, 06/19/1995).

A technical solution is also known to the application WO 2009/111077 A2, September 11, 2009, which contains a float with an electric power generator including a housing and an inductor, as well as a moving electromagnetic system and a spring connecting the system to a fixed housing connected to the bottom. The generator may also include elastic control means to match the natural vibrations with the vibrations of the float. Such devices are not able to effectively use the energy of the waves due to the irregularity of the amplitude, phase and direction of movement of the waves, low speed of their vertical movement.

A device is known that contains a float, a rotor of a linear generator and a stator with turns of an electric winding attached to the seabed, and two hydraulic cylinders of different diameters are coaxially located between the float and the generator (US 2004/251692 A1, December 16, 2004). The effectiveness of this technical solution is slightly higher than previous solutions using linear generators, but remains quite low, since the electromagnetic power of the generator depends linearly on the oscillation amplitude, and to the third degree on the oscillation frequency (see M.Ya. Khiterer et al. Synchronous electric reciprocating machines. ”- SPb .: Crown print, 2008, p. 286, p. 181).

Also known is a power plant using the energy of sea waves, characterized in that it contains many devices using the energy of sea waves (RU 2011111560 A, 10/10/2012).

A hydraulic assembly is known for converting wave energy into hydraulic pressure of a working fluid, the assembly comprising a hydraulic cylinder, the housing of which is pivotally connected to the housing of the assembly, and the hydraulic cylinder stem is connected to a rotary valve, which is installed in the cavity of the wave receiver with the possibility of its rotation in the cavity of the latter ("Botton -fixed near-shore devices ”, 4.2.2, p. 12. Status and research and developmend priorities, 2003, International entrgi agency, IEA).

A device for converting wave energy into energy of a compressed working fluid containing a float and a sinker, which are interconnected via a hydraulic cylinder (Wave energy conversion processes, SEASUN, POWER SUSTEMS, WAVE ENERGU RESOURCE AND ECONOMIC ASESSMENT, DELBUOY heaving buoy sustem, fig. 3 -1; 3-11, p. 6-7 (heave), June, 1992).

Known energy converters, in particular, a known float converter with a hydraulic cylinder attached from below, the end of the rod of which is attached to the float, and the end of the body through a flexible cable or rigid metal structure to the ballast weight at the bottom, do not satisfy its efficiency. Since such a converter is characterized by a vertical arrangement of the hydraulic cylinder, which implies a stroke of the piston comparable to the height of the wave. As a result, the hydraulic cylinder must be made too long, which is an expensive solution. In addition, such a hydraulic cylinder is susceptible to breakdowns due to rod bends under lateral loads resulting from lateral displacement of the float. This is especially pronounced with increased excitement. Such a converter easily fails with an increased level of disturbance on the surface, since the lateral displacement of the float leads to excessive loads on the hydraulic cylinder rod, especially in the position that is most out of the housing, and in the future to hydraulic cylinder breakdowns.

Other well-known transducers with floats attached to powerful metal structures located at the bottom, which, when moving behind the float, activate various energy conversion mechanisms, do not meet the strength conditions of these structures, they do not allow to withstand significant in strength and wave directions diverse in direction. Such converters are heavy and have a complex structure.

Of the known devices, close to the device presented in this description is a wave energy transducer comprising a floating object with a transducer of sea wave energy into electrical energy and a working member connected to the transducer with the possibility of relative movement of the working body and the floating object, moreover, the working an organ is a submersible element with positive buoyancy, the projection area of which on a horizontal plane is greater than each of the areas of its projections on two other planes, perpendicular to the first plane and to each other, and which in the working position is located below the bottom of the floating object. The energy converter includes a hydraulic cylinder mounted on a floating object with a rod connected to a submersible element, and a hydraulic motor connected to a generator, a hydraulic accumulator and a tank, which are connected to the hydraulic cylinder cavities through pipelines and check valves. The energy converter includes a turbine connected to the generator and connected to at least one telescopic pump connected to the submersible element. The submersible element is made with at least one pivoting sash. The converter is equipped with articulated links, each of which is located at one end in the corresponding guide groove of the immersion element, and the other end in the corresponding guide groove of the floating object (RU 2012139309 A, 03/27/2014). However, this converter does not meet the requirements of simplicity of design and reliability under conditions of exposure to large waves and currents.

A converter is known in which the motor and generator are mounted on a float, and the lever is connected by a thrust to a ballast weight located at the bottom (CN 1064134 A, 09/02/1992); a converter equipped with a charger for charging an electric battery, which are located in the upper part of the float (RU 2513070 C1, 04/20/2014).

The closest wave energy converter to the converter described in this description is a wave energy converter containing a float located in water, pivotally connected frames, one of which is connected by a rod to the float and pivotally connected to a cylinder rod located in the water array, while the cylinder is in communication with a hydraulic motor connected to the generator, and the other frame is pivotally connected to the cylinder (GR 20110100683 A, 07/11/2013). In this design, the frames are powerful levers, the mass of which is increased in the area of their hinge connection in order to place the generator in this zone, which is largely associated with the complication and increase in mass of the converter.

The technical result of the invention is to simplify the design and mass of the Converter.

The technical result was obtained by a wave energy converter containing a float located on the water surface, articulated frames, the first of which is connected by a rod to the float and pivotally connected to the cylinder rod located in the water array, while the cylinder is in communication with a hydraulic motor connected to the generator, and the second frame pivotally connected to the cylinder, each frame being triangular in the form of two levers with a jumper rigidly connected to them, the jumper of the first frame is connected to the rod, and the jumper of the second frame - with a cylinder, the frames being connected to each other by bases, the second frame is connected by a rod with a ballast weight located at the bottom, and the hydraulic motor and generator are mounted on a float.

The technical result was obtained by a wave energy converter containing a float located on the water surface, articulated frames, the first of which is connected by a rod to the float and pivotally connected to a cylinder rod located in the body of water, while the cylinder is in communication with a hydraulic motor connected to the generator, the second frame pivotally connected to the cylinder, and the hydraulic motor and generator are installed on the shore, with each frame being triangular in the form of two levers with a jumper rigidly connected to them, a jumper of the first frame the ki is connected to the rod, and the jumper of the second frame is connected to the cylinder, the frames being connected to each other by bases, and the second frame is connected by a rod with a ballast weight located at the bottom.

The technical result was obtained by a wave energy converter containing a float located on the water surface, articulated frames, the first of which is connected by a rod to the float and pivotally connected to a cylinder rod located in the water mass, the cylinder being in communication with a hydraulic motor connected to the generator, and the second the frame is pivotally connected to the cylinder, each frame being triangular in the form of two levers with a jumper rigidly connected to them, the jumper of the first frame is connected to the rod, and the jumper of the second frame and - with a cylinder, the frames being connected to each other by bases, the second frame is connected by a rod with a ballast weight located at the bottom, and the converter is equipped with a charger for charging removable electric batteries connected to a generator, while the hydraulic motor, generator and charger are mounted on a float or on the shore.

In FIG. 1 shows a general view of a converter with a hydraulic cylinder;

in FIG. 2 shows connected frames without a hydraulic cylinder, in the expanded state, along arrow A in FIG. one;

in FIG. 3 shows a frame with a hydraulic cylinder, side view;

in FIG. 4 shows frames with a hydraulic cylinder in a spatial image;

in FIG. 5 - position of the energy Converter in the state of the extended rod of the hydraulic cylinder;

in FIG. 6 - position of the energy Converter in the state of the retracted rod of the hydraulic cylinder;

in FIG. 7 is an embodiment of an energy conversion mechanism with a hydraulic cylinder and spring-loaded frames;

in FIG. 8 - electro-hydraulic circuit of the Converter;

in FIG. 9 is a diagram of an energy converter with electric power transmission to an electric network and to an electric accumulator.

The transducer (Fig. 1) is located in the body of water 1 of the sea or ocean and partially it is located on the float 2 connected by a cable or rigid connection to the first upper frame 3, to which the second lower frame 4 is pivotally connected. The second lower frame 4 is pivotally connected to the body 5 of a hydraulic cylinder or a working cylinder filled with oil, and the first upper frame 3 is pivotally connected to the rod 6 of the hydraulic cylinder having a piston. The converter has a ballast weight 7 mounted on the bottom 8 of the sea, and the float 2 by connection 9 is connected to the upper end of the first upper frame 3, and the lower end of the second lower frame 4 is connected by a cable 10 to the ballast weight 7. The piston cavity of the hydraulic cylinder is connected by a hose 11 to the device 12 converting the energy of the working fluid into electricity. The converter shown in FIG. 1, has means, valves, a hydrodistributor (not shown) for supplying, in a given direction, a working fluid under pressure to the device 12. In one embodiment of the converter, the device 12 is installed on the shore 13. The float 2 is a floating body, preferably symmetrical about the vertical axis of rotation , in which buoyancy is ensured by sealed metal or plastic containers filled with air, and strength is supported by a metal frame. The weight of the ballast 7 exceeds the buoyancy of the float by weight and, when placed at the bottom, holds the transducer in the predetermined operating position shown in FIG. 1. The float 2 by the specified connection 9 is connected with the upper frame 3 or a flexible rope, or a rigid rod.

The frames 3 and 4 are pivotally connected by their own sides so that they can rotate around the axis of their articulation. Frames 3 and 4 (Fig. 4) are two metal structures, preferably triangular in shape (Fig. 2), which are rotatably connected relative to each other about an axis 14, which is supported by bearings 15 of the swivel joint of the frames. The frames are connected to each other by bases - their wide sides.

The rod 6 of the hydraulic cylinder (Fig. 4) is connected to the frame 3 by means of a jumper 16, which is rigidly connected to the levers 17 and 18 of the frame 3. The housing 5 of the hydraulic cylinder is pivotally connected to the frame 4 by a jumper 19, rigidly connected to the levers 20 and 21 of the frame 4. The case 5 of the hydraulic cylinder is pivotally connected to the jumper 19. The fastenings of the hydraulic cylinder to the jumpers 16 and 19 are in a plane perpendicular to the axis 14.

In one embodiment of the converter, it is equipped with hydraulic accumulators 20 and 21 (Fig. 8) and a hydraulic motor 22 connected with them. Hoses 23 with the check valves 24 and 25 installed in them, the hydraulic cylinder 5 is in communication with the hydraulic motor 22 and the hydraulic accumulators 20 and 21.

In another embodiment of the converter (Fig. 7), the frames 3 and 4 are spring-loaded with respect to each other in order to return them to their original position. For this, the frames are connected to each other by an elastic element 26 (Fig. 8), which is made in the form of a spring, an elastic rod, or in the form of another known elastic element. The rod and the cylinder body are connected to the frames 3 and 4 by hinges 27 and 28, respectively.

The hydraulic motor 22 is connected to an electric generator 29 (Fig. 1, 9). In one version of the converter, the hydraulic motor 22 and the electric generator 29 connected to it are mounted on the float 2. In another version of the converter, the hydraulic motor 22 and the electric generator 29 are installed on the shore 13. The electric generator 29 in one version of the converter is connected by electric wires 30 to the mains.

The third version of the converter has a hydraulic motor 22, an electric generator 29 connected by electric wires 30 to an electric charging device 31 for charging electric batteries 32. The device 31 is connected to one or more removable electric batteries 32, which are being charged. A hydraulic motor, an electric generator and an electric charging device are mounted in one sealed enclosure and are installed on the float 2 and / or on the shore 13, while one or a plurality of electric accumulators 32 are hermetically mounted on the float and / or shore near the electric charging device 31.

A wave energy converter operates as follows. In the trough of the wave (Fig. 6), the frames 3, 4 and the hydraulic cylinder 5 are in the initial position, and the float 2 is in the lower position. As the height of the wave increases, the float plunges into the wave, moves upward and pulls the upper frame 3 behind it. Since the lower frame 4 is fixed with a ballast weight 7, the frames rotate about axis 14 and their bases are moved apart. As the framework diverges, the rod 6 of the hydraulic cylinder extends, as a result of which the working fluid under pressure is pushed out of the hydraulic cylinder through a hose 11 to the consumer. Further, when the crest of the wave is reached (Fig. 5), the float stops and the movement of the frames and hydraulic cylinder, and at the same time, the working fluid stops. When the wave is on the decline and moves to the lower side, then the float 2 moves down and the hydraulic fluid moves in the opposite direction, providing lower pressure than to raise the float, but enough pressure to flow along the working fluid hose and return the hydraulic cylinder rod, upper frame 3 and float 2 to its original position.

At each moment of the working cycle, a certain pressure is maintained in the hydraulic cylinder, and a downward force acts on the float through the rod and the upper frame. As a result, the float remains constantly in a partially submerged state, maintaining a stable position and pulling the transducer up. When the bottom point of the wave is reached, the cycle repeats.

In the case of using accumulators (Fig. 7), the converter operates as follows. During the rise of the float from the trough of the wave, the rod of the hydraulic cylinder 5 extends upward and pushes the working fluid out of the hydraulic cylinder. Under pressure, it is supplied through a hose 23 to the right, through a non-return valve 24, passes through a hydraulic motor 22, which does useful work by rotating the electric generator 29. Along the way, the liquid under pressure fills the hydraulic accumulator 20 and evens out pressure surges caused by the periodicity of the waves and the supply of working fluid. As the working fluid passes through the hydraulic motor 22, the working fluid accumulates in the hydraulic accumulator 21, the pressure of which is lower than in the hydraulic accumulator 20. When the float reaches the wave crest, the hydraulic cylinder rod stops, but the liquid continues to move through the hydraulic motor 22 due to the accumulated pressure difference between the hydraulic accumulators 20 and 21. When the float moves down, on the decline of the wave, the working fluid begins to return to the hydraulic cylinder 5. In this case, the pressure exerted on the rod acts on the frames 3, 4, and they return aschayutsya original position, holding the rope 10 in a tensioned position, and the float - partially submerged in water, stabilizing converter in the operating position. As the float reaches the trough of the wave, the described cycle of work repeats.

In another embodiment, the converter having the elastic element 26 (Fig. 8), the return of the frames 3 and 4 to its original position is due to the elastic forces of the element 26 after it is stretched. In this case, the transducer operates similarly to the first embodiment, with the difference that during the process of raising the float 2 and extending the frames to the sides relative to axis 14, the elastic element 26 stretches, which accumulates energy, and during the passage of the crest and wave decay, the elastic element acting on frames 3 and 4, expends this energy, returning the frame to its original position. In this version of the transducer, the float is also constantly in a stable state, partially immersed in water, because at every moment of the working cycle a downward force acts on it, either from the pressure of the working fluid or from the action of an elastic element. When this converter is operating, the pressure of the liquid returning to the hydraulic cylinder may be lower in comparison with the first embodiment, since in this case the elastic element performs this return work.

When waves and currents occur that act on the float in the lateral direction, together with the displacement of the float, the upper frame 3 moves, and the lower frame 4 moves with it. The hydraulic cylinder 5 remains fixed between them and, with various joint displacements and movements of the frames, it remains not subject to extraneous force influences in addition to the forces acting on it during operation of the converter.

The units described above for converting wave energy into pressure of the working fluid and into electric energy or other useful work constituting the device 12 may be located on the shore or on a float. If the device 12 is located on the float, then the electricity generated by it is sent ashore to the network via an electric cable 30 (Fig. 9). In the case of using a converter equipped with a charger 31 for charging removable electroaccumulators (Figs. 1, 9), the latter are charged by the current generated by the electric generator. In a charged state, electric batteries are removed from the float or from the shore platform and are used for their intended purpose. In place of the charged charged electric batteries removed discharged electric batteries are installed and the cycle is repeated.

This method of using wave energy is most effective in moving floating vehicles from the energy of electric accumulators in environmentally friendly marine recreation areas, eliminating smoke from the operation of internal combustion engines, which are equipped with small recreational floating equipment. This method of using wave energy is also effective when equipping an energy converter with light, audio, and radio devices in places remote from electric networks for supplying light, sound, and radio signals. The described means of converting wave energy into electric energy of electro-storage batteries essentially made it possible to create a method and a system for supplying energy to floating means with removable (circulating) electric batteries for moving floating means with propulsion from an electric drive.

Simplification of the design of the converter is achieved due to the relatively simple mechanism for pumping the working fluid, which includes rotary interconnected frames connected by a hydraulic cylinder, while this mechanism allows to increase the reliability of the converter by protecting this mechanism from the effects of waves and currents.

Claims (3)

1. A wave energy converter comprising a float located on the surface of the water, articulated frames, the first of which is connected by a rod to the float and pivotally connected to a cylinder rod located in the water body, the cylinder being in communication with a hydraulic motor connected to the generator, and the second frame pivotally connected to the cylinder, characterized in that each frame is triangular in the form of two levers with a jumper rigidly connected to them, the jumper of the first frame is connected to the rod, and the jumper of the second frame is connected to the cylinder moreover, the frames are connected to each other by bases, the second frame is connected by a rod with a ballast weight located at the bottom, and the hydraulic motor and generator are mounted on the float. 2. A wave energy converter comprising a float located on the surface of the water, articulated frames, the first of which is connected by a rod to the float and pivotally connected to a cylinder rod located in the body of water, while the cylinder is in communication with a hydraulic motor connected to the generator, the second frame is articulated connected to the cylinder, and the hydraulic motor and generator are installed on the shore, characterized in that each frame is triangular in the form of two levers with a jumper rigidly connected to them, the jumper of the first frame is connected to rod, and the second bridge framework - the cylinder, wherein the frames are connected with each other bases, and a second frame connected with a thrust arranged at the bottom of the ballast weight. 3. A wave energy converter comprising a float located on the water surface, pivotally connected frames, the first of which is connected by a rod to the float and pivotally connected to the cylinder rod located in the water body, the cylinder being in communication with a hydraulic motor connected to the generator, and the second frame pivotally connected to the cylinder, characterized in that each frame is triangular in the form of two levers with a jumper rigidly connected to them, the jumper of the first frame is connected to the rod, and the jumper of the second frame is connected to the cylinder moreover, the frames are connected to each other by bases, the second frame is connected by a rod with a ballast weight located at the bottom, and the converter is equipped with a charger for charging removable electric batteries connected to the generator, while the hydraulic motor, generator and charger are mounted on the float or on the shore.

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