Power plants – Pressure fluid source and motor – Utilizing natural energy or having a geographic feature
Patent
1997-09-08
1999-08-17
Nguyen, Hoang
Power plants
Pressure fluid source and motor
Utilizing natural energy or having a geographic feature
416228, 416237, 416240, 416242, F16D 3102
Patent
active
059376449
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a device for extracting energy from moving water, air or any other fluid or gaseous medium and in particular, to a device for extracting energy from waves, lateral tide flow, river flow, wind, or a combination of any of these so as to drive turbines and power generators etc.
Numerous devices have previously been developed for extracting energy from the previously mentioned sources. Some examples include simple water wheels, propellers used as turbines, Pelton turbines, Kaplan turbines, Francis turbines and cross-flow turbines. All of these devices fall into one of three categories--they are either radial, axial, or cross-flow turbines. As such, they constitute various solutions to extracting energy from various sources. However, in environments having uneven flow characteristics, such as would be found in wave environments, turbulent river or tidal flows, or turbulent air flows resulting from uneven surrounding contours of ground or local obstructions, such devices are not particularly efficient. This is because such devices are unable to extract energy from any vector of particle velocity flow that is not co-axial or co-planar with the designed axis or plane of operation, or when the velocity of particles in zones of turbulence falls below that required to input energy to the turbine. In wave environments this is a particular disadvantage because a large percentage of the water particles will either not impact on the working surfaces of the devices or will not impact in the desired direction and thus the kinetic energy of such particles is wasted. Accordingly, it can readily be appreciated that devices designed to be responsive to particle movement in only one vector flow direction will only extract a small proportion of the energy of any wave. This means that there is a large proportion of a wave's energy that is not captured by such devices and is consequently lost. Due to this limitation devices of the type described in prior patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,021,815, U.S. Pat. No. 2,367,765, are relatively inefficient and have not proved to be very successful.
International Publication No. WO 87/04401 discloses a wave energy device which utilises aero-foil or hydrofoil elements which are arranged to rotate a rotor. It is recognised in this specification that the flow direction is not always constant and reference is made to harnessing of energy from shore waves where the direction of flow is reversed. An arrangement is proposed which can operate in regions of forward and reverse flow. The devices disclosed in that specification however cannot properly utilise those components of flow which are perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor.
The present invention seeks to provide an efficient and improved device for extracting the kinetic energy contained in moving fluid or gas, particularly when such movement contains irregularities of velocity and direction. More particularly, a preferred arrangement of the present invention seeks to capture a high percentage of the kinetic energy contained in the proportion of fluid or gas movement which is unpredictable in both velocity and direction, and convert that energy to a uniform rotational form, via, for example, a shaft or common central axis so as to drive a power generator, pump or other device.
Australian Provisional Patent Application Nos. PL5603/92 and PL8677/93 describe novel blade assemblies which have resultant forces produced thereon when placed in flows of fluid, particularly turbulent flows such as those experienced in wave motion. The resultant forces can be used to produce force for propulsion of a vessel or the like or for the purpose of power generation. The invention described herein utilises an improved form of the blade assemblies disclosed in those patent applications and is primarily concerned with improvements and enhancements which enable more efficient power generating devices to be made.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided an energy conversion apparatus comprising:
a sha
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Derwent Abstract Accession No. 93-051894/06, Class Q 51 Q 55, SU 1719710A Mar. 15, 1992.
Patent Abstract of Japan M 1699 p. 1, Jul. 6, 1992.
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