WO2015016751A1

WO2015016751A1 - Wind-power and hydropower installations and methods for generating electricity

Info

Publication number: WO2015016751A1
Application number: PCT/RU2014/000576
Authority: WO
Inventors: Андрей Федорович АВРАМЕНКО
Original assignee: Avramenko Andrey Fedorovich
Priority date: 2013-07-31
Filing date: 2014-07-29
Publication date: 2015-02-05
Also published as: RU2546368C2; RU2013135903A

Abstract

Described are a wind-power installation and a hydropower installation, the main element of which installations is a surface in the form of a wing, the body of which is provided with a channel which connects opposing surfaces of the wing. Air or water is sucked into said channel, thus driving the rotation of a turbine and of a power generator connected thereto. The installation can be stationary or mobile.

Description

WIND-POWER AND HYDRO-POWER PLANTS AND METHODS OF PRODUCING ELECTRIC POWER

Technical field

The present invention relates to renewable energy sources, and in particular to the use of moving air masses (wind) to generate energy, in particular electric, as well as small hydroelectric power stations.

State of the art

From the history of wind energy it is known that the world's first wind generator was built by US inventor Charles Francis Bush in 1888, it was a structure 18 meters high, the generator could provide 12 kW of electric power.

In the absence or insufficiency of electric networks, wind power developed rapidly, by the 30s of the 20th century, wind turbines had acquired modern outlines - located on a high tower, a turbine and generator layout in a single building with brakes and transmission, as well as a direction tracking system the wind. Also an indispensable attribute was the use of batteries located below, usually the blades of a wind generator have a span of 20 to 40 meters and rotate at a speed of 10-20 revolutions per minute.

The main problem is the extensive zone of turbulent eddies spreading behind the generator. This does not allow them to be placed close to each other.

Another problem is that such structures are a source of radio interference, as well as the cause of death of birds and insects. In this regard, recently, one of the directions in the search for new solutions in wind energy, which already has a tangible share in the total amount of electricity generated, has been the creation of so-called bladeless wind generators.

One example of such solutions is the Power Windows system, developed at the University of Wollongong, although it can be attributed to the bladeless wind generators with a certain caveat, since it is not about the complete rejection of the blades, but about replacing a large blade with many small ones, which makes it possible to reduce the load on the supporting structures and install them directly on the roofs and walls of buildings.

Another advantage is the modular design and the ability to add and connect the required number of modules in case of increased demand for electricity.

An example of clearly bladed wind generators is the development of Sheer Wind, which has practically nothing to do with traditional ones. This installation is a curved tube of tapering section, which captures the air flow and directs it to the blade of the generator. The design is rather bulky and difficult to orient "downwind".

Another example of a bladeless wind generator is the development of the American company Solar Aero Research (called "Fuller Wind Turbine" by the name of the president of Fuller).

At the heart of this device is a slightly supplemented Tesla turbine, invented in 1913, which was created to generate energy from steam or compressed air, and Fuller adapted a long-standing idea to "tame" wind energy.

Tesla’s turbine is a set of many thin metal disks separated by small gaps, the flow of working fluid or gas flows from the outer edge of the disks and passes through the gaps to the center, 5 spinning and dragging the discs themselves due to the effect of the boundary layer. In the center, the flow exits through the axial hole.

In the Fuller’s turbine, the discs are separated by wing-shaped gaskets, which improves the flow of air and also creates additional torque on the shaft. The turbine itself is installed in

0 box, breathtaking.

Small and micro hydroelectric power stations with capacities of several kilowatts and higher are also finding ever wider application in the local power supply of individual consumers and small towns.

5

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objective of the present invention is to provide a wind power installation, which would have the following advantages over the known.

0 Firstly, it would exclude their drawbacks such as the bulkiness of the structure and the negative impact on environmental damage, including not only the danger noted above for birds and insects, but also loud noise during operation.

Secondly, it would be able to perform it mobile, with: 5 not only for the purpose of moving to another place of work, but also for the purpose of creating or strengthening the wind load due to the oncoming or angular movement of the installation in relation to the wind direction.

Other advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the subsequent disclosure of the invention.

K) The invention is based on a new principle - the construction of a wind power plant based on an aerodynamic surface in the form of a wing. Here, a “wing" is understood to mean an aerodynamic surface, usually intended to create a lift in aircraft due to the difference in the area of one part of the surface relative to the other 15 (upper and lower relative to the ground) and, as a result, due to differences in the speeds and pressures of the air flows flowing around the indicated parts of the wing. According to the invention, it is proposed to connect said parts of the wing surface with an air channel. Due to the pressure difference, part of the air flow enveloping part of the surface of the wing of a smaller area will be sucked into this channel and used to rotate the turbine leading the electric generator. The lifting force acting on the wing allows it to be held in the air without the need for special structures. However, this does not exclude the possibility of fixing the wing on a special structure, such as a tower, support.

A flexible connection, in particular, a cable attached at one end to a wing and the other to a holding device fixed to the ground, can be used as one of the options for “holding” a wind power installation above the ground. The specified cable can be used to attach a cable to it for the sewage of electrical energy to the ground.

In one of the possible embodiments of the invention, the wing and the installation as a whole can be made mobile, in particular mounted on a vehicle moving on land or on water, while the wing can be or is connected with such means by flexible connection.

As one of the options for a mobile vehicle that "tows" a power plant, there may be an aircraft.

Another embodiment of the invention is the use of an aircraft wing, for example, a glider, as an aerodynamic surface, providing not only its flight, but also the generation of electricity by performing in the aircraft wing a channel connecting the upper and lower surface of the wing, which has fluid communication with generator turbine. Electricity consumers in this case can be located directly on aircraft, including the possibility of accumulating electricity in traditional batteries.

The wing according to the invention can be arranged not only horizontally or essentially horizontally, but also vertically or essentially vertically. This is advisable in the case of the presence of ascending air flows, for example, in vertical pipelines. It can also be located in tunnels and mounted on its walls or ceiling.

The principle underlying this invention is also implemented in the case of placing the wing in a water stream, that is, in an embodiment of the invention as a hydropower installation.

A brief description of the graphic materials

The invention will be more clear to experts from the following description and the accompanying drawings, which depict:

In Fig. 1 - side view of the aerodynamic surface (wing);

Fig. 2 - the same with the depicted turbine and generators;

Fig. 3 - the same in the embodiment of the wing with several air ducts and turbines;

Fig. 4 - view of the wing from the side of part of its surface of a larger area;

Fig. 5 - view of the wing from the side of part of its surface of a smaller area;

Fig.6 - an option of the installation location on the support;

Fig. 7 - the same in the installation with two aerodynamic surfaces;

Fig. 8 - the same in the vertical version of several aerodynamic surfaces;

Fig. 9 is an embodiment of the installation of a mobile towed vehicle; Fig. 10 - an option of fixing aerodynamic surfaces in the tunnel;

Fig. 11 is an embodiment of a wing with an adjustable flap.

Fig. 12 - the same, in a different position of the flap.

Fig. 13 - shows one of the options for placing the wing of a hydropower plant in a floating state.

Fig. 14 - the same with the cruel fastening of several wings under water on supports.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, the wind power installation includes: an aerodynamic surface in the form of a wing (1) in the body of which at least one channel (2) is made connecting a part of the surface of the wing (3) of a smaller area with a part of the surface of the wing (4) of a larger area, a turbine (5) driven into rotation by the air flow generated in said channel (2), an electric generator (6) driven by a turbine (5), means of electrical energy drainage from the generator to consumers (not shown), and aerodynamic holding means surface (wing 1) at a certain height above the ground, in particular, in the form of a support (7).

The principle of operation of the installation is as follows. The wing (1) is oriented frontally relative to the direction of movement of the air masses of the wind. As noted above, such tools are traditional for wind generators and therefore are not described here. Due to the difference in the area of the parts (3) and (4) of the wing, the air pressure on the part (3) of the smaller area is greater than the pressure on the part (4) of the larger area, as a result of which air is drawn into the channel (2) connecting these parts of the wing.

The air stream formed in the channel drives the turbine (5) located on its path and, accordingly, the generator (6) through the turbine. The wing (1) can be located not only in an open area, but also “in an enclosed space”, in particular in pipelines, for example in ventilation shafts in which air moves or in tunnels (10). Accordingly, the position of the wing (1) may be different. In an open area, where the winds blow substantially parallel to the surface of the earth, the wing will be located essentially horizontally, while part (3) of a smaller area will face the ground, and part (4) of a larger area will be facing the ground.

When installed in the pipeline, the orientation of the wing will be determined by the orientation of the pipeline, if the pipeline and, accordingly, the air flow in it is located vertically, then the wing (its longitudinal axis) will be oriented essentially vertically.

A variation of this arrangement of the installation is its placement in the tunnels (figure 10).

The vertical or essentially vertical position of the wing (Fig. 8) cannot be excluded when using the installation in an open area, for example, in a mountainous area characterized by ascending air currents.

In addition to the stationary design, the installation according to the invention can be made mobile. In particular, such a design may be appropriate when the wind is low, when the vehicle speed is added to its speed.

Naturally, it is necessary to take into account the energy costs of moving the vehicle itself, as well as the fact that the sewage of generated electric energy can be carried out only on this tool itself (on the consumers located on it and traditional means of energy storage - batteries). Such an embodiment of the invention is shown schematically in FIG. 9, where item 8 is a vehicle and item 9 is a flexible element (cable) connecting the vehicle and the wing (1). It is advisable to use the cable for attaching an electric cable (not shown). The vehicle may be land-based or floating and, finally, be an aircraft, for example, a glider, or a hang glider towing a wing (1). An extreme case of this design is the combination of the aerodynamic surface of the wind power installation and the wing of the aircraft, that is, the execution directly in the wing of the aircraft of the channel (2) and the placement of a turbine (5) that drives an electric generator. Naturally, in this case, the consumers of energy are the means of ensuring the flight of the aircraft and, again, the batteries.

The described installation can be multiplied, firstly, by performing several air ducts in the wing (see FIG. 3), and secondly, by using several aerodynamic surfaces (see Figs. 7 and 8).

Shown in fig. 11 and 12, the embodiment of the installation with a rotatable adjustable flap (I) allows the rotation of the flap to change the ratio of the areas of the parts (3) and (4) of the wing and, as a result, to regulate the lifting force of the wing and the speed of air flow in the channel (2), and therefore, the power provided by the electric generator 6. This is also facilitated by the drag against the air flow provided by the flap when it is turned to the position shown in Fig. 12.

One of the embodiments of the invention is the option of placing the wing described above under water in a water stream (in a river, stream, canal) using the same wing structure (see Figs. 13 and 14). The difference in the areas of the wing parts located opposite to the part of its axis creates a pressure difference between the water on this surface, which ensures the "forcing" of water from one part of the surface ("high" pressure) to another part of the surface through a channel (2) that directs water to the turbine blades (5).

The wing (or wings) can be fixed on a support (Fig. 14) or held in a floating state by flexible elements fixed to the bottom of the pond. The wing can also be attached to a moving vessel, and in this case, it can be held in a submerged position using ballast placed on it.

Industrial applicability

The purge of the model of the proposed installation (the wing used in it) in the wind tunnel showed that the physical principle on which it is based is practically feasible and this invention is industrially applicable.

In addition to the above advantages of the installation and its method of generating electric energy, the following can be indicated.

The possibility of using a high-speed turbine eliminates the need for traditional gearboxes to transmit rotation from the turbine to the generator.

The "flying" version of the installation allows you to place the wing at heights with high wind speeds, which improves its efficiency.

The simplicity of the installation design will positively affect the technology and cost of its manufacture.

An embodiment based on the same principle of a hydropower installation allows providing electricity to consumers in places where the use of water resources is economically preferable to using wind.

Claims

CLAIM

1. Wind power installation containing:

at least one aerodynamic surface in the form of a wing, in which one part of the surface has a smaller area than the part opposite to it relative to the longitudinal axis of the wing, and in the body of which at least one channel is provided, providing an air flow from said part of the wing smaller area to another part of a larger area;

a turbine whose rotor is driven into rotation by an air stream in said channel,

an electric generator driven by said turbine;

means of sewage of electric energy from the generator to consumers and

means of holding the aerodynamic surface above the ground or attaching it to a support.

2. Installation according to claim 1, in which the means of holding the aerodynamic surface above the ground are made in the form of a flexible element attached to it, for example, a cable fixed to the other end on the ground.

3. Installation according to claim 1, made mobile.

4. Installation according to claim 3, towed by a vehicle moving on the surface of the earth or on the water surface.

5. Installation according to claim 3, towed by an aircraft.

6. Installation according to claim 3, in which the aerodynamic surface is a wing of an aircraft, and the consumers of electric energy are located on this device.

7. Installation according to claim 1, in which the means of holding the aerodynamic surface are made to provide its essentially horizontal position relative to the ground.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for holding the aerodynamic surface are made to provide it with a substantially vertical position relative to the ground.

9. Installation according to claim 1, in which the aerodynamic surface is located in the pipeline.

10. Installation according to claim 1, in which the aerodynamic surface is located in the tunnel.

11. A mobile wind power installation comprising:

at least one aerodynamic surface in the form of a wing, in which one part of the surface has a smaller "area than the part opposite to it relative to the longitudinal axis of the wing, and in the body of which at least one channel is provided, providing an air flow from the specified part wings of a smaller area to another part of a larger area;

a turbine whose rotor is driven into rotation by an air stream in said channel,

an electric generator driven by said turbine;

means of sewage of electric energy from the generator to consumers;

a vehicle associated with the specified wing, in particular, a flexible element.

12. Installation according to claim 11, in which the vehicle is ground-based.

13. Installation according to claim 11, in which the vehicle is a ship.

14. Installation according to claim 11, in which the vehicle is an aircraft.

15. A method of generating electricity, including:

the use of an aerodynamic surface in the form of a wing, in which one part of the surface has a smaller area than the part opposite to it relative to the longitudinal axis of the wing, and in the body which is made of at least one channel that provides the flow of air from the indicated part of the wing of a smaller area to its other part of a larger area and which carries a turbine and an electric generator;

the rise of the specified wing above the ground and its orientation relative to the direction of the wind,

actuation by a stream of air inside a channel executed in the body of a wing, a turbine and an electric generator driven by it.

16. The method according to p. 15, in which the wing raised above the ground is fixed on a support.

17. The method according to p. 15, in which the wing raised above the ground is held in the air by means of a flexible element fixed at one end to the wing and the other to the ground.

18. The method according to p. 15, in which the wing raised above the ground is towed by a vehicle moving on the surface of the earth or on the surface of the water while the turbine and electric generator are operating.

19. The method according to p. 15, wherein the wing is towed using an aircraft.

20. The method according to p. 15, in which the wing is used as a wing of an aircraft.

21. Hydropower installation containing:

at least one surface immersed in water in the form of a wing having two parts of a different area located opposite to the longitudinal axis, and

a channel made in the body of the wing connecting the indicated parts: the wings, and a turbine installed inside the wing, driven into rotation by a stream of water in the specified channel;

- an electric generator driven by said turbine, - means of sewage electrical energy to consumers;

- means of keeping the wing submerged in water.

22. Installation according to item 21, which has several of these wings located in series or in parallel with respect to the flow of water.

23. Installation according to item 21 or item 22, in which the means of keeping the wing in the submerged state are made in the form of a flexible element fixed to the bottom of the reservoir.

24. Installation according to claim 1 or p. 2, in which the means of keeping the wing in the submerged state are made in the form of a ballast load placed on the wing.

25. Installation according to Claim 21 or Clause 22, towed by a ship.

26. Installation according to claim 1 or 11 or 21, in which the wing is equipped with a rotatable adjustable flap.

27. Method for the production of electrical energy, including:

the use of a surface in the form of a wing having two opposite parts relative to the longitudinal axis of a different area,

and a channel made in the body of the wing connecting these parts of the wing and a turbine installed inside the wing

immersion of the specified surface in water,

the relative movement of the indicated surface and the surrounding water, in which a stream of water passing through the channel in the body of the wing rotates the turbine and generator.

28. The method according to item 27, wherein said wing is immersed in running water of a river, stream, channel.

29. The method according to item 27, wherein said wing is towed by a ship in a submerged state.