RU2221933C2 - Method of and device for using energy of sea waves - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: electrical engineering. SUBSTANCE: invention relates to method and device designed for conversion of energy of sea waves into electric energy. To take up wave energy, floating elements are used and to transmit said energy to actuating mechanism, vertical rods secured on floating members and gear train are used. Floating elements are arranged in guide shafts made openwork. Forces of waves acting onto floating elements are transmitted to main shaft by means of toothed racks acting onto ratchet gears installed on shafts. Said toothed racks are installed inside box rods for travel. Toothed racks are brought into meshing with ratchet gear when floating elements move upwards and are brought out of meshing when floating elements move downwards. Floating elements are arranged inside shafts, rods are fitted on floating elements, rack is installed inside rod for moving by cutouts over rollers, ratchet gear is installed on shaft and it comes into meshing with toothed rack in its lower position relative to rod and it comes out of meshing in upper position. EFFECT: increased efficiency, provision of serviceability. 5 cl, 2 dwg

Description

 The invention relates to the field of hydropower, and in particular to the conversion of the kinetic energy of sea waves into electricity.

 There are a number of methods for converting the energy of sea waves into electrical energy, for example, according to patents RU 2004842 C1, RU 2153443 C2, in which the rotation of the gear mounted on the main shaft is obtained from the action of each wave on buoyancy or at each roll from the swing of the pendulum mechanism on the wave, only one tooth. With such an intermittent and slow rotation of the main shaft, the generation of practically tangible electricity is impossible. Other methods, for example, pumping air into the installation casing by swinging the installation on the waves and rotating the turbine with this air (patent RU 311040) or using the impact of a breaking wave on the wheel blades (patent RU 2004841), also do not justify their practical use due to the very low coefficient of useful action (COP).

 The prototype adopted a method of using the energy of sea waves, used in French patent 2319784 A, MCP 7 F 03 B 13/18. This method includes the perception of wave energy using buoyancy and the transfer of this energy to the actuator using a gear mechanism consisting of a vertical rod with teeth, mounted vertically buoyant, and gears.

 The disadvantage of this method is the imperfection of the transmission of mechanical energy to the actuator. Since the teeth made on the rod are in constant engagement with the gear, the gear rotates in the forward and reverse directions when raising and lowering buoyancy on the wave, and at the same time the gear stops stopping when the buoyancy reaches the top and bottom of the wave. This mode of operation cannot provide effective acceleration of the actuator, and therefore, sufficient power to justify the cost of manufacturing and using such a device. The possibility of several gear mechanisms such as modules working on the common main shaft of the actuator is excluded due to the impossibility of ensuring their synchronous operation due to the simultaneous swing of buoyancy at different waves and at the same time the permanent coupling of the rod teeth with the corresponding gears. The reversible nature of the rotation of the axis of the gear creates additional difficulties in the implementation of the use of the resulting energy. And these difficulties in the device according to the patent of France 2319784 And not overcome. His description does not give a complete picture of the entire sequence of transmission and conversion of wave energy.

 The objective of the present invention, a method, is to increase the efficiency and ensure the operability of a device using the energy of sea waves.

 The proposed method consists in the fact that the buoyancy, perceiving the energy of the waves, is placed in the guide shafts that are openwork, the forces of the waves acting on the buoyancy are transmitted to the main shaft using gear racks, the teeth of which are made in the form of dogs, by acting on the ratchets gears that are installed on the main shaft, while the gear racks are installed inside the rods, which are box-shaped and fastened to buoys parallel to the guide shafts, gear racks are engaged with ratchet and gears while moving upward buoyancy and remove them out of engagement with the buoyancy movement down accumulate mechanical energy on the line of the main shaft with the handwheel and transmit it via a reduction gear to an electrical generator.

 Figure 1 shows the elements used in the method: buoyancy 1, guide shaft 2, rod 3, gear rack 4, ratchet gear 5, main shaft 6, flywheel 7, gear 8, shaft of electric generator 10 and electric generator 11.

 In contrast to the known method, in which only the reverse rotation of the main shaft is possible, with stops twice during one buoyancy swing period, in the proposed method, the rotation of the main shaft is carried out in one direction, which ensures the flywheel is accelerated. The proposed method allows you to install any required number of pairs of "gear rack - ratchet gear" on one line of the shaft and thus achieve a given installation power, and using the gearbox (in the drawing it is presented in a simplified form "flywheel rim 7 - gear 8"), increase the number revolutions of the generator 11 to the value required for industrial power generation. The simultaneous disordered swing of buoyancy 1 on the waves when using the proposed method not only does not lead to a malfunction of the installation, but, on the contrary, contributes to a more uniform acceleration and maintenance of the rotation of the flywheel 7. The stroke of the rack 4 was chosen to raise it using buoyancy 1 because when buoyancy is pushed out 1 wave up, energy can be obtained from the wave. When lowering the buoyancy 1 downward, the wave does not have any other effect on the buoyancy, besides keeping it afloat, and the energy of freely falling buoyancy is much less than the energy reported by the wave.

 The invention according to French patent 2319784 A was taken as a prototype of the device as being closest to the one proposed in terms of functional parameters, containing similar elements.

 The objective of the invention is a device is to constructively implement the proposed method.

 A special case of the device is shown in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a general view, and in Fig. 2, buoyancy with parts located on it.

 The device consists of buoyancy 1 (Fig. 1), guide shafts 2, rods 3, gear racks 4, ratchet gears 5, main shaft 6, flywheel 7, gear 8, threaded rim 9, shaft of electric generator 10, electric generator 11, intermediate shaft 12 , satellite gears 13, thrust bearings 14, guide housings 15, anti-friction pads 16, eyebolts 17, connecting bars 18 (FIG. 2), axles 19 and 20, rollers 21, rods 22, discs 23 and a supporting structure (not shown )

 The buoyancy is made in the form of a parallelepiped. In the center of buoyancy 1, a box-shaped rod 3 is fixed on top parallel to its lateral sides and a through pipe 24 is welded into the buoyancy (Fig. 2), in which the rod 22 with an earring 25 at its upper end is placed. A disk 23 is mounted at the lower end of the stem 22 perpendicular to its axis. In the toothed rack 4, arcuate guide cutouts 26 are made, into which the rollers 21 are passed on the axles 20. The axles 20 are fixed on the sides of the stem 3. On the sides of the stem 3, outside it places of installation of the rollers 21, anti-friction linings 16 are installed with a gap between them and the gear rack 4, providing free movement of the rack. An eyelet 17 is installed on the upper part of the rod 3. An opening is made in the lower part of the gear rack 4. Axes 19 are missed into this hole, the holes of the slats 18 and the earring 25. Thus, the gear rack 4 is pivotally connected to the rod 22. This flexible connection provides free movement of the gear rack inside the rod 3. The main shaft 6 (figure 1), the intermediate shaft 12 and the shaft of the generator 10 is parallel to each other and arranged horizontally. The main shaft 6 and the intermediate shaft 12 are installed in the thrust bearings 14 and are connected by satellite gears 13. A flywheel 7 is mounted on the main shaft 6, on the rim of which there are teeth for engaging with the gear 8, which is mounted on the shaft 10. The guide shafts 2 are made of openwork for smooth washing off by waves, they are installed perpendicular to the main shaft 6. On the inside of the guide shafts, in their corners, pads 16 are made of antifriction material, for example, UGET (high-strength carbon fiber reinforced plastic Research Institute of Structural Materials "Prometheus"), for which the lubricant is water. The buoyancy 1 is located inside the guide shafts 2 with the possibility of movement in the vertical direction. The guide shafts 2 and casings 15, on the inside of which antifriction pads are also installed (not shown), are located in such a way that when the buoyancy 1 moves up, the gear racks 4 are meshed with ratchet gears 5, and with calm water the average height mark of the shafts 2 located at the surface of the water. In this case, the average height mark of the gear racks 4 is at the level of the axis of the ratchet gear 5. The heights of the guide shafts 2 and rods 3 are selected based on the usual wavelength in the installation area of the device. All fixed elements of the device are rigidly interconnected by parts of the supporting structure (not shown), which is mounted on a stationary (near the shore) or floating (with retractable supports or anchors) platform. The number of modules consisting of a guide shaft 2, buoyancy 1 with parts mounted on it, ratchet gear 5 on one side of the main shaft 6 and the same elements with the addition of an intermediate shaft 12 and satellite gears 13 on the other hand, is set as much as is necessary for providing a given generator power or multiple generators. The installation of gear racks 4 on both sides of the main shaft 6 increases the kinematic stability of the device. For compact placement of large power plants on one platform, several lines of the main shafts are installed.

 In the lower buoyancy position, 1 toothed rack 4 and the rod 22 with the disk 23 are also in their lower position under the action of gravity, the toothed rack 4 is engaged with the ratchet gear 5 and abuts buoyancy through the straps 18. When the buoyancy is raised by 1, the toothed gear the rack 4 tightens the main shaft 6 through the ratchet gear 5 with a force equal to the gravity of the water in the volume of the buoyancy part 1 flooded by the wave above its waterline. Moreover, the greater the resistance of the main shaft 6 to its rotation by the rail 4, the more buoyancy 1 is immersed in water, and, accordingly, the force pushing the buoyancy 1 up and contributing to overcoming the resistance of the main shaft 6 to its rotation increases. Thus, in a self-regulating mode, the "hydraulic booster" is naturally turned on. Having reached the crest of the wave, buoyancy 1 stops moving up and begins to fall down. The action of the gear rack 4 on the ratchet gear 5 also ceases. Now the untwisted ratchet gear 5 acts on the gear rack 4, which slides with its teeth on the ratchet gear 5 and moves it inside the shaft 3. At the same time, the gear rack 4 is pushed up by the rod 22 under the influence of the disk 23 water resistance due to the movement of buoyancy 1 down. As a result of the action of these forces, as well as its own inertia, the rack 4 with its arcuate cutouts 26 rolls along the rollers 21, finally moves away from the ratchet gear 5 and takes its upper position with respect to the rod 3. When it reaches buoyancy 1, the wave stops its downward movement, and the action of the oncoming water flow to the disk 23. The toothed rack 4 by inertia and under the action of its gravity falls down relative to the stem 3 and again engages with the ratchet gear 5, occupying the original th position for tightening the main shaft 6 at a subsequent increase in buoyancy 1. The described twisting of the main shaft 6 is possible only on one side of it. Coordination in the direction of rotation of rotation from the opposite side is carried out using the intermediate shaft 12 and satellite gears 13. The flywheel 7 accumulates mechanical energy reported by all installed modules, evens out the rotation of the main shaft 6 and at the same time serves as part of the gearbox.

 If it is necessary to withdraw from the operation of any module, the corresponding buoyancy 1 with the rod 3 rises beyond the eye 17 and is fixed in this position by one of the known methods. The gear rack 4 is forcedly lifted up and fixed in this position using a temporary insert placed between the buoyancy 1 and the lower edge of the gear rack 4.

 A device mounted on the ground, such as a stationary platform, is the most stable and therefore preferable to moving ones. However, in some cases, mobile sources of electricity are needed to temporarily power consumers in a given area or to use the excitement most favorable for generating electricity generated in different areas at different times. For these cases, the supporting structure is mounted on a floating platform with retractable supports or anchors.

 To establish the regime of the most optimal use of wave energy, the supporting structure connecting the elements of the device into a single unit is rotatable around a vertical axis using one of the known methods.

 To eliminate damage to the device due to the influence of waves of destructive force or adverse ice conditions, to eliminate the influence of tidal phenomena, as well as to carry out repair work, the supporting structure connecting the elements of the device into a single unit is made with the possibility of raising and lowering one of the known methods.

 Since the excitement occurs in large water spaces for the vast majority of the time, the mass use of the proposed device will not only provide electricity to coastal areas, but also transfer it to the country's general energy system, which will lead to the saving of valuable fuel resources and labor costs for their extraction, as well as significantly improve the environmental situation.

Claims (5)

1. The method, including the perception of the energy of sea waves using buoyancy and the transfer of this energy to the actuator using vertical rods mounted on the buoyancy, and gear transmission, characterized in that the buoyancy, perceiving the energy of the waves, are placed in the guide shafts, which perform openwork transmit energy to the actuator using gear racks, which are installed in box-shaped rods with the possibility of movement in them, and ratchet gears, which are installed on the main shaft, with the rods are parallel to the guide shafts, gears are engaged with ratchet gears when the buoyancy is moving upwards and they are disengaged when the buoyancy is moving downward, they accumulate mechanical energy on the main shaft line, which is placed horizontally using the flywheel and transfer it through the gearbox to electric generator. 2. The device for implementing the method according to claim 1, containing buoyancy with rods mounted on them, a gear and bearing structures, characterized in that the buoyancy is placed in the guide shafts, which are openwork, the rods are box-shaped, and gears protruding outwardly are installed inside the rods rails with the ability to move them using guide cuts in the gear racks and rollers installed inside the rods, in the depth of the rods until the teeth are sunk, the gear transmission is made in the form of a pair of gear rack - ratchet gear, while the gear racks on one side of the main shaft, which is located horizontally, engage with ratchet gears mounted directly on the main shaft, and on the other hand engage with ratchet gears mounted on auxiliary shafts, which are located parallel to the main shaft and connected to the main shaft by satellite gears, through pipes are welded into the center of the buoyancy, into which the rods are passed, the discs are installed at the lower ends, and the upper There are earrings with which, as well as axes and paired slats, the rods are connected to the lower ends of the gear racks in which the corresponding holes are made, a flywheel is installed on the main shaft, on the rim of which there are teeth that are part of the gearbox that transfers mechanical energy from the main shaft to an electric generator, box-shaped rods are included in the guides of the casing, antifriction linings are installed on all fixed parts of friction pairs, and the main and auxiliary shafts are mounted on thrust bearings, all stationary elements of the device are rigidly interconnected by parts of the supporting structure, which is mounted on a fixed or floating platform, while the floating platform is equipped with extendable supports or parking anchors, the heights of the guide shafts and gear racks correspond to the usual wavelength in the operating area of the device, and with calm water the average mark the heights of the guide shafts are located at the level of the water surface and the average elevation of the gear racks is at the level of the axis of the ratchet gears. 3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that several lines of the main shaft are installed on one supporting structure. 4. The device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that its supporting structure is mounted on the platform with the possibility of rotation around a vertical axis. 5. The device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that its supporting structure is made with the possibility of its raising and lowering.

Images