TWI867775B - Water wheel with movable blades and hydroelectric power generation equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

A water wheel includes: a wheel body; and a plurality of blades, wherein the blades include: a set of blades rotatably mounted on the outside of the wheel body. A shaft extends from each end of the water wheel, and the shaft sets the water wheel in an area where a fluid passes, so that the fluid pushes each blade to rotate the water wheel. The water wheel cooperates with a generator to form a set of hydroelectric power generation equipment. The blades prevent water splashes from excessively consuming the thrust of the fluid and reduce the resistance of the fluid. The generator receives the kinetic energy of the water wheel to generate electrical energy, thereby improving the efficiency of hydroelectric power generation.

Description

Water wheel with movable blades and hydroelectric power generation equipment

The present invention relates to the field of hydroelectric power generation, and in particular to a water wheel having a plurality of movable blades, which is applied to a hydroelectric power generation device.

The known hydroelectric power generation equipment is to install a water wheel in an area where water flows. The flow of water is used to generate a force that acts on the multiple blades of the water wheel, becoming the power source for the water wheel to rotate. The hydroelectric power generation equipment also has a generator that converts the rotational kinetic energy of the water wheel into electrical energy, and stores or outputs the electricity to the outside world.

The blade is fixed to the outside of the water wheel. When the water wheel rotates, it drives the blade into the water. The flowing water impacts the blade, pushing the water wheel to continue to rotate. When impacting, the local kinetic energy of the flowing water dissipates with the water splash, slowing down the rotation speed of the water wheel. When leaving the water, the blade lifts the flowing water, and the water will hinder the rotation of the water wheel, which relatively reduces the efficiency of hydropower generation.

In view of this, how to improve the efficiency of hydropower generation has become an urgent issue to be solved in this invention.

The inventor of this case proposed a new water wheel, the main purpose of which is to use a hinged or rotating connection method to install multiple blades on the water wheel so that it can move, which can not only avoid excessive consumption of fluid thrust by water splashes, reduce fluid resistance, but also improve the efficiency of hydropower generation.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the water wheel of the present invention comprises: a wheel body; and, a plurality of blades, wherein the blades comprise: a set of blades rotatably mounted on the outside of the wheel body.

Preferably, one side of the blade is connected to a rod, one end of which extends beyond the edge of the blade and maintains a pivotal relationship with the wheel body.

Preferably, multiple rows of pivot holes are formed on the outside of the wheel body, and the rod is pivotally or rotatably connected to the corresponding pivot holes beyond the blade portion.

Preferably, a plurality of first columns and a plurality of second columns are fixed on the outside of the wheel body, and the first columns cooperate with the second columns to limit the swing angle of the blade.

Preferably, a plurality of fixing holes are formed on the outside of the wheel body, and the fixing holes securely fix the first column or the second column locally, and the first column or the second column extends out of the outside of the wheel body and can contact one of the two sides of the blade.

Preferably, the angle is in the range of 1° to 45°.

The water wheel of the present invention also includes: two circular rings, which are arranged in a concentric circle manner to secure the outer peripheries of the two ends of the wheel body; and a plurality of crossbars, which span the outer circumferences of the two circular rings and maintain a pivotal relationship with the rods.

Preferably, the water wheel further comprises: a plurality of supporting rods extending equally from the outer circumferential surface of the two ends of the wheel body, and the supporting rods fix the circular ring.

Preferably, the water wheel also includes: multiple rings of reinforcement parts, which bridge each of the crossbars and do not affect the rotation of the rods.

In addition, a hydroelectric power generation device of the present invention includes: a water wheel, which includes the aforementioned structure, wherein a shaft extends from each end of the water wheel, and the shaft sets the water wheel in an area where a fluid passes, and the fluid drives each blade to rotate the water wheel; a generator, which receives the rotational energy of the water wheel to generate electrical energy; and a transmission system, which transmits the rotational energy of the water wheel to the generator.

In order to make the purpose, features and advantages of the present invention easy to understand, one or more preferred embodiments are given below with detailed descriptions in conjunction with the attached drawings.

10, 50: Water wheel

11: Wheel body

12: Axis

13: hinge

14:Fixing hole

15: Bearing seat

16: Ring

17: Support rod

18: Crossbar

19: Reinforcement parts

20: Leaves

21: Rod

22: First Pillar

23: Second Pillar

24: First position

25: Angle

26: Blades

27: Second position

30: Hydroelectric power generation equipment

31: Shelf

32: Generator

33: Transmission system

34: Wires

35: Shell

40: Ditch

41: Bottom

42: Wall

43: Fluid

44: Inflow direction

45: Outflow direction

46: bulge

47: Concave surface

48:Thrust

49: Force

Figure 1 shows the specific structure of the first embodiment of the water wheel of the present invention.

Figure 2 shows that the first column cooperates with the second column to limit the swing range of the blade.

Figure 3 depicts the connection between the water wheel in Figure 1 and the hydroelectric power generation equipment.

Figure 4 shows the structure of the hydroelectric power generation equipment including the water wheel from the side.

Figure 5 shows the interaction between the blade and the fluid at position a on the right side of Figure 4.

Figure 6 observes the interaction between the blade and the fluid at position b from the lower right of Figure 4.

Figure 7 shows the interaction between the blade and the fluid at position c, just below Figure 4.

Figure 8 is changed to the lower left of Figure 4 to observe the interaction between the blade and the fluid at position d.

Figure 9 observes the interaction between the blade and the fluid at position e from the left side of Figure 4.

Figure 10 shows the specific structure of the second embodiment of the water wheel of the present invention.

Next, the embodiments of the present invention are described in conjunction with the attached drawings. In the attached drawings, the same reference numerals are used to represent the same or similar structures or units. It is foreseeable that the embodiments described are only examples of part of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Other embodiments can be derived based on the examples described, or structures that can be modified or changed as needed are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

In the following description, directional terms such as "up", "down", "left", "right", "front", "back", "inside", "outside" and "side" are only used to refer to the directions of the attached drawings. The use of directional terms is for better and clearer description and understanding of this case. It does not express or imply that the device or component described must have a specific orientation, structure and operation, so it cannot be understood as a limitation on the technical content of this case.

Unless otherwise specified and clearly defined, in the following description, "installed", "connected", "connected" or "located on" should be understood in a broad sense, such as fixed connection, detachable connection, integral connection, mechanical connection, direct connection, indirect connection or connection between two components. For technicians in the field of this case, they can understand the specific meanings of the above terms in various embodiments and even this case based on their general knowledge or experience.

Unless otherwise specified, in the following descriptions, "plurality" means two or more.

In Figure 1, the first embodiment of a water wheel 10 of the present invention has a plurality of movable blades 26, a plurality of first columns 22 and a plurality of second columns 23 installed on a wheel body 11.

In this embodiment, a shaft 12 passes through the wheel body 11, and the two ends of the shaft 12 extend out of the two end surfaces of the wheel body 11 to form an area for fluid to pass through. An outer circumferential surface of the wheel body 11 forms a plurality of hinges 13 and a plurality of fixing holes 14. Three hinges 13 form a row, and each row of hinges 13 is equally divided on the outer circumferential surface of the wheel body 11. Two fixing holes 14 form a group, and the group of fixing holes 14 is around the corresponding hinge 13.

In some embodiments, two shafts 12 are connected to the two ends of the wheel body 11, and the shaft 12 extends out of the end surface of the wheel body 11, which is within the allowable range of the present invention. There are two or four hinges 13 in each row, which is also within the allowable range of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the movable impeller 26 includes: three impellers 20 in a group, and the group of impellers 20 is connected to the outside of the wheel body 11. The movable type referred to here generally refers to pivoting or rotating. Specifically, a rod 21 connects one of the two faces of the impeller 20. The part of the rod 21 that exceeds the impeller 20 forms an external thread, which is screwed to the internal thread of the pivot hole 13 but not locked, so that the impeller 20 and the wheel body 11 can rotate relative to each other. Alternatively, a bearing (not shown) is embedded between the rod 21 and the wall of the pivot hole 13, and the bearing supports the impeller 20 to rotate relative to the wheel body 11.

The connection referred to here generally refers to the technical means of welding to fix the blade 20 on one side of the rod 21.

In Figure 1, the root of the first column 22 is fixed to the fixing hole 14, and the rest of it extends out of the outer surface of the wheel body 11. The first column 22 and the rod 21 are on the same side of the blade 20, so the first column 22 can contact one of the two sides of the blade. The root of the second column 23 is fixed to the other fixing hole 14, and the rest of it extends out of the outer surface of the wheel body 11 and can contact the other side of the blade 20.

The firm means referred to here generally refers to close contact or welding, so that the wall of the fixing hole 14 is combined with the root of the first column 22 or the second column 23.

As shown in Figure 2, the blade 20 is between the first column 22 and the second column 23. With the rod 21 as the center, the blade 20 hits the first column 22 and swings to a first position 24 of a solid line, and the blade 20 is blocked by the second column 23 and swings to a second position 27 of a dotted line. There is an angle 25 between the first position 24 and the second position 27, and the angle 25 is in the range of about 1° to 45°.

As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the area is a ditch 40. The ditch 40 has two walls 42 standing on both sides of a bottom 41 to guide the fluid 43 to pass through. The top surfaces of the two walls 42 are respectively fastened with a bearing seat 15, and the bearing seat 15 is combined with the shaft 12 (see FIG. 1) to support the water wheel 10 to be partially located above the fluid 43, and the rest of the water wheel 10 is immersed in the fluid 43.

In this embodiment, the water wheel 10 maintains a ship-like motion relationship with a generator 32 through a transmission system 33, and together constitutes a hydroelectric power generation device 30 (see Figure 4). Among them, a frame 31 spans the top of the two walls 42, supporting the generator 32 to be fixed steadily above the water wheel 10. A shell 35 is firmly fixed to one of the two walls 42 from the frame 31. In addition to covering the generator 32, it also supports the transmission system 33 to maintain the transmission relationship of kinetic energy, and uses the rotating water wheel 10 to drive the generator 32 to generate electrical energy, which is output to the outside through a wire 34.

In this embodiment, the transmission system 33 is a set of interlocking gears, such as umbrella gears. The set of gears transfers the rotational kinetic energy of the shaft 12 to the rotor of the generator 32. In some embodiments, the transmission system 33 is a combination of a pulley and a belt.

In FIG. 4 , the fluid 43 is water, which flows from an inflow direction 44 to an outflow direction 45. The flow rate of the water usually changes according to the regional environment. In this embodiment, the bottom 41 of the ditch 40 has a ridge 46, and the right side of the ridge 46 is a water-facing surface, which is a concave surface, connecting the low point of the bottom 41 with the high point of the ridge 46, so that the fluid 43 flows into the concave surface 47 along the inflow direction 44 to generate a thrust 48. The ridge 46 forms a concave surface 47 facing the water wheel 10, and the two ends of the concave surface 47 are higher than the central part, which increases the flow speed of water passing over the top of the ridge 46. The left side of the raised portion 46 is a nearly vertical wall, and there is a height difference between the wall and the bottom 41, which can also increase the flow rate of water in the outflow direction 45.

Part of the water wheel 10 is exposed to the water surface, driving multiple groups of blades 20 to rotate in the air. The air generates an air resistance on the group of blades 20. The faster the water wheel 10 rotates, the greater the air resistance. The rest of the water wheel 10 is immersed in water, and the thrust 48 drives multiple groups of blades 20 to change from position a to position e, so that the water wheel 10 rotates around the axis. The water generates a force 49 on the group of blades 20, such as water resistance. The thrust 48 is greater than the sum of the air resistance and the force 49, so that the water wheel 10 can rotate on its own.

When the water wheel 10 rotates, the blade 20, with the rod 21 as the tip, splits the interface between the gas and the liquid like a knife, thereby cutting into the water. The cross-sectional area of the blade 20 in contact with the water is reduced, reducing the amount of water splashes generated and avoiding unnecessary consumption of the thrust 48.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the blade 20 is immersed in the water at position a. The thrust 48 is applied to one of the two sides of the blade 20, so that the blade 20 is close to the first column 22. At this moment, the fluid 43 passes through the gap between the two blades 20 without generating splashes.

As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the blade 20 is immersed in the water at position b. The thrust 48 is applied to the blade 20 to press against the first column 22, driving the water wheel 10 to rotate relative to the channel 40. At this moment, the blade 20 does not rotate relative to the wheel body 11. Although the force 49 applied to the other side of the blade 20 is not enough to offset the thrust 48, it has no effect on the rotation of the water wheel 10.

As shown in Figures 4 and 7, the blade 20 is immersed in the water at position c. The thrust 48 is consumed by the rotation of the water wheel 10 and is equivalent to the action force 49. In this way, the blade 20 may return to between the first column 22 and the second column 23.

As shown in Figures 4 and 8, the blade 20 is immersed in the water at position d. The force 49 added to the gravity of the water is greater than the thrust 48, causing the blade 20 to move away from the first column 22 and deflect toward the second column 23, but of course it cannot lift the water. The fluid 43 passes through the gap between the two blades 20, reducing the resistance of the water.

As shown in Figures 4 and 9, the blade 20 is immersed in the water at position e. The force 49 pushes the blade 20 to resist the second column 23, expanding the gap between the two blades 20 to prevent the fluid 43 from supporting the rotation speed of the water wheel 10.

The blades 20 leave the water and are exposed to the air, receiving air resistance, but it does not affect the continuous rotation of the water wheel 10. The blades 20 cut into the water again like a blade, receiving the thrust 48 of the water, and move from position a to position e again, entering the next cycle.

In Figure 10, based on the first embodiment, the second embodiment of the water wheel 50 is extended to a water wheel. Specifically, the water wheel 50 has two more circular rings 16. The two circular rings 16 secure the outer periphery of the two ends of the wheel body 11 in a concentric circle manner. The term "secure" here generally refers to the outer circumferential surface of the two ends of the wheel body 11 extending with multiple support rods 17 in equal parts, and the support rods 17 secure the outer side of the circular rings 16 by means of adhesion, riveting or screws.

In addition, the water wheel 50 has multiple crossbars 18 and multiple rings of reinforcement 19. The crossbars 18 span the outer circumference of the two rings 16, connecting the two support rods 17 on both sides of the water wheel together, and playing a stabilizing role for the two rings 16. Of course, the top of each rod 21 exceeds the blade 20, thereby connecting the crossbar 18, so that the blade 20 can rotate stably.

In this embodiment, the reinforcement 19 is designed as an integral part. Under the condition that the rotation of the rod 21 is not affected, the reinforcement 19 bridges each of the cross rods 18, which can enhance the structural strength of the water wheel 50. In some embodiments, the reinforcement 19 is a polygonal frame formed by connecting multiple plates into a circle, which is also within the allowable range of the present invention.

Without departing from the broad concept of this case, those familiar with this technology can understand and make changes to the above-mentioned embodiments. Therefore, this case is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification. All modifications made according to the spirit and technical scope of this case should be covered and protected by the text content defined in the scope of the patent application.

10: Water wheel

11: Wheel body

12: Axis

13: hinge

14:Fixing hole

20: Leaves

21: Rod

22: First Pillar

23: Second Pillar

26: Blades

Claims (10)

A water wheel with movable blades, the water wheel (10) comprising: a wheel body (11); two circular rings (16) connecting the two ends of the wheel body (11); a plurality of cross bars (18) respectively connected to the outer edges of the two circular rings (16); and a plurality of blades (26) rotatably mounted between the wheel body (11) and each of the cross bars (18) so that the blades (26) do not extend beyond the two circular rings (16). A water wheel with movable blades as described in claim 1, wherein the blades (26) include: a set of blades (20), one side of the blades (20) is connected to a rod (21), one end of the rod (21) extends beyond the edge of the blades (20) and maintains a pivotal relationship with the wheel body (11). A water wheel with movable blades as described in claim 2, wherein a plurality of rows of pivot holes (13) are formed on the outside of the wheel body (11), and the rod (21) is pivotally or rotatably connected to the corresponding pivot holes (13) beyond the portion of the blade (20). A water wheel with movable blades as described in claim 3, wherein a plurality of first columns (22) and a plurality of second columns (23) are fixed to the outside of the wheel body (11), and the first columns (22) cooperate with the second columns (23) to limit an angle (25) of the blade (20) to swing. A water wheel with movable blades as described in claim 4, wherein a plurality of fixing holes (14) are formed on the outside of the wheel body (11), and the fixing holes (14) are fixed to a local first column (22) or a second column (23), and the first column (22) or the second column (23) extends out of the outside of the wheel body (11) and can contact one of the two sides of the blade (20). A water wheel with movable blades as described in claim 4, wherein the angle (25) is in the range of 1° to 45°. A water wheel with movable blades as described in claim 2, wherein the two circular rings (16) secure the outer peripheries of the two ends of the wheel body (11) in a concentric manner, and the crossbar (18) spans the outer circumferential surfaces of the two circular rings (16) and maintains a pivotal relationship with the rod (21). A water wheel with movable blades as described in claim 7, wherein the water wheel (50) further comprises: a plurality of support rods (17) extending equally from the outer circumference of the two ends of the wheel body (11), and the support rods (17) fix the ring (16). A water wheel with movable blades as described in claim 7, wherein the water wheel (50) further comprises: a plurality of reinforcing members (19), the reinforcing members (19) bridging each of the crossbars (18) without affecting the rotation of the rod (21). A hydroelectric power generation device comprises: a water wheel (10 or 50) as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, with a shaft (12) extending from each end, the shaft (12) setting the water wheel (10 or 50) in an area where a fluid (43) passes, and the fluid (43) drives each blade (26) to rotate the water wheel (10 or 50); a generator (32) receiving the rotational energy of the water wheel (10 or 50) to generate electrical energy; and a transmission system (33) transmitting the rotational energy of the water wheel (10 or 50) to the generator (32).

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