Apparatus for receiving and transferring kinetic energy from a flow and wave

• US 20090152870A1
• Filed: 12/14/2007
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Natalia Shreider, Vladimir Anatol Shreider
• Original Assignee: Natalia Shreider, Vladimir Anatol Shreider
• Inventors: Shreider, Natalia, Shreider, Vladimir Anatol
• Granted Patent: US 7,928,594 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/53
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 11/08 for removing foreign matter, e.g. mud
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/20 wherein both members , i.e. wom and rem are movable relative to the sea bed or shore
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 17/06 using liquid flow with predominantly kinetic energy conversion, e.g. of swinging-flap type , "run-of-river", "ultra-low head" F03B13/264 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2250/311 the axes being in line
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2250/323 convergent
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/144 Wave energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/20 Hydro energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/30 Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 415/905 Natural fluid current motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 415/907 Vertical runner axis

Abstract

A tandem axial turbine comprises a front, confusor funnel-shaped runner having inner blades and capable of accelerating and directing an oncoming flow toward a co-axial rear runner which rotates in an opposite direction. A tangential turbine has a hub, blades capable of rotating in relation to the hub between positions across and along the flow, and a propulsion springs for controlling the movement of the blades in relation to the hub and the transfer of the energy. A second tangential turbine comprises a runner having a hub and blades and a shroud capturing the runner from above and around and permitting the blades to dip into water flowing immediately below the hub and an opening of the shroud. A surface vessel comprises a stabilized frame rotatably affixed on a vessel hull about a center of wave induced rocking motions of the vessel and therefore isolated from a rocking motion of the vessel.

Claims

1. An apparatus for converting kinetic energy of a fluid flow in a fluid basin into any useable energy, the apparatus comprising a tandem axial fluid turbine unit adapted to submerge and capable of being maintained in a path of the main flow and comprising:

a relatively widened, rotatable front axial turbine runner assembly capable of facing, directing and speeding an oncoming part of the main flow and comprising;

a plurality of front turbine blade members for receiving energy of the oncoming flow,

a funnel-shaped member supporting and guiding the front blade members and capable of being forced into interaction with the oncoming flow to urge the oncoming flow in converging radial directions and to urge a portion of the main flow that is located immediately downstream of the funnel member in a contrary direction toward the funnel member and having;

a front edge for facing the oncoming fluid flow,

a confusor portion extending from the front edge along the axis and decreasing in a transversal dimension for forcing the oncoming flow and the adjacent downstream flow in converging radial directions, where the confusor portion is operable to move, accelerate and direct the oncoming fluid flow and to form a relatively low pressure zone in the flow immediately adjacent to and downstream of the unit, the zone sucks and further accelerates the oncoming flow in relation to the blade members of the front and rear runner assemblies by means of dynamic pressure of the main flow capable of forcing the oncoming flow against the confusor portion and from the ring portion, and

a rear ring portion that having an edge opening proximate to a point of fluid discharge from the unit and operable to further accelerate the flow in the axial direction by the sucking pressure in the lower pressure zone that is capable of forcing the flow oncoming from the confusor portion in the axial direction;

where

the plurality of front blade members are spaced inside and around and along and fixedly mounted with their outer edges on an inner surface of the confusor portion, each front blade member is extending radially toward the axis and from a leading and trailing blade edge facing the oncoming flow thereof and being located at the front edge of the confusor portion toward an end blade edge located on a plane, the plane being perpendicular to the axis and between the confusor portion and the ring portion, in a direction diverging from the central longitudinal planes of the confusor portion and being opposite an intended direction of rotation of the front runner assembly, and progressively decreasing in a radial dimension from the leading and trailing end to the end blade edge thereof,

whereby directing channels are defined by the confusor portion and the adjacent front blade members extending along and between respective front blade members in converging screw directions about and along the axis so that when the oncoming fluid flows within the front runner assembly, the front runner assembly forms an accelerating screw fluid flow about and along the axis in the diverging directions, thereby the front runner assembly rotates in the opposite intended direction; and

a relatively narrowed, rotatable rear axial turbine runner assembly disposed co-axially in relation to the axis and comprising;

a hub member extending along the axis;

a plurality of rear turbine blade members spaced around and radially outward and fixedly mounted to a surface portion of the hub member and disposed with a clearance within the ring portion of the front runner assembly, each of the rear blade members having a surface portion diverged from the central longitudinal plane for facing transversally the accelerated screw flow oncoming from the front runner assembly, whereby the adjacent rear blade members, the hub member and the ring portion of the front runner assembly configure longitudinal channels diverging from the axial direction in a second direction opposite the first diverging direction and the accelerated and screwed flow within the ring portion is further accelerated in the axial direction by means of sucking into the lower pressure zone and rotates the rear runner assembly with the rear blade members in the intended direction opposite the direction of rotation of the front runner assembly;

an axially disposed pin member supporting the front and rear runner assemblies for relative rotation and having a front end,

a means for connecting the front pin end to stopper objects, where the main flow is moving relative to the stopper objects, capable of maintaining the unit in operative positions in the main flow.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the confusor portion has the cone angle equal to about 30°

to 40° and

each of the front blade members is extending along a line diverging at an angle which increasing in the axial direction from about 30°

to 45°

, and having the radial dimension that being equal to about 25-30% of an inner diameter of the confusor portion.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the front runner assembly comprises a co-axially disposed, conical-shaped, water-cleaning curtain lattice member fixedly mounted with its outer rear edge to and between and ahead of the front edge of the funnel member for retention of weeds and debris'"'"'s carried by the oncoming fluid flow, and with an elongate, lattice-cleaning scraper member located immediately ahead of the lattice member and extending along the cone generatrix of the lattice member and supported rotatably about the axis on the pin member and having the center of gravity being located remotely from the axis and a cutting edge oriented in a direction opposite the direction of rotation of the lattice member thereby the scraper member can rotate in relation to the lattice member in the opposite direction and engage weed and debris delayed by the lattice member to effect their removing.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the axial turbine unit-further comprises a means for converting the kinetic energy of the front and rear runner assemblies into electricity, the converting means comprising:

an electricity generator having first generator part connected to the funnel member and second generator part connected to the hub member for relative rotation by the fluid flow to effect generating of electricity,

a shaft connecting the funnel member to the corresponding generator part,

a shaft connecting the hub member to the other generator part,

a means for increasing speeds of rotation of the parts,

conduits for transferring electricity from the parts toward an user;

wherein the speed increasing means of the front runner assembly comprises;

a vertically disposed, spider-shaped frame for supporting the turbine unit, the frame having a plurality of radially extending consoles and openings therebetween, the horizontal consoles are connected to the stopper objects;

a backward oriented, relatively narrowed gear and support wheels supported rotatably on ends of the consoles;

a frontally and co-axially disposed, relatively widened, circular supporting and guiding rail- and driving gear wheel-shaped portion of the funnel member, the rail and gear portion being engaged with the support and gear wheels;

a number of radially, in relation to the axis, extending shafts supporting the support and gear wheels and being supported rotatably on the consoles,

the number of relatively widened gear wheels supported on inner ends of the radial shafts and engaged with a relatively narrowed gear wheel supported on the shaft of the corresponding generator part.

5. An apparatus for converting kinetic energy of a fluid flow in a fluid basin into any useable energy, the apparatus comprising:

a tangential fluid turbine unit adapted to submerge and capable of being maintained in a path of the main fluid flow and comprising;

a turbine hub member provided with a shaft and rotatable in one direction about a generally horizontal central axis of the unit, the axis being crossing a direction of the main flow;

a turbine shroud member supporting and guiding the hub member;

a plurality of turbine blade members supported on the hub member for receiving and transferring the kinetic energy from an oncoming lower ambient portion of the main flow to the unit to cause the shaft to rotate in the one direction with the blade members, the blade members being movable between a lower position located below the hub member where lower ambient fluid flow dynamic pressure is transferred to the unit and an upper position located above the hub member where relatively less or no upper ambient fluid flow dynamic pressure is transferred to the unit;

wherein each blade member has first and second opposing ends in relationship to respective inside faces of the shroud member, and has an outer side extending between the ends and below the upper ambient flow in the upper position;

a means for maintaining the unit in operative positions within the path of the main flow in relation to stopper objects disposed upstream of the unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each of the blade members has inner and outer side edges extending in a close relationship to the hub member in the second position and the runner assembly comprises a means supporting each of the blade members for lateral oscillation about a generally horizontal pivot axis, the pivot axis being parallel to the axis and within the hub member and the inner edge.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the runner assembly comprises a means for transferring kinetic energy from the blade members to the unit, the transferring means is able to individually control the position of each blade member within a certain range of the pivotal positions and adapted for transferring the kinetic energy from the lower ambient fluid flow as the blade member pivots from the lower to the upper position and pivoting the blade member vice versa and comprising a plurality of pivoting spring members, each of the spring members integrally connected with its end portions to the blade member and to the hub member to effect pivoting of the blade member between stops, each of the spring members is capable of forcing the hub member against the blade member and the lower ambient flow to effect the transferring of the kinetic energy, and a pair of the stops permit pivotal movement of the spring member with the blade member relative to the hub member between the upper and lower positions.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the blade members are fixed on an outer shell wall of the hub member and disposed radially outwardly in relation to the axis, and the shroud member has:

a roof extending along the length and the width and at above of the runner assembly,

a front wall extending down from the roof at ahead and along the length of the runner assembly for facing the oncoming fluid flow and having a lower edge for forming a fluid jet under the front wall in a direction toward a lowermost blade member of the runner assembly,

a rear wall extending down from the roof at behind and along the length of the runner assembly and having a lower edge proximate to a point of fluid jet discharge from the unit,

opposite side walls extending down from the roof between side ends of the front and rear walls at aside of side ends of the runner assembly and having lower edges located on a horizontal plane containing a lower edge of a lowermost blade member of the runner assembly, where an upper portion of the lowermost blade member being on a horizontal plane containing the lower edges of the front and rear walls, and the roof and the front, side and rear walls define an opening from below interior room for accommodating the runner assembly;

shell walls and inner partition walls define end compartments for accommodating the shafts and a means for conversion of kinetic energy of the runner assembly into any useful energy, where the conversion means may be coupled to the shafts and to the shroud member therebetween;

thereby the lower position of the blade members is located below the room and the upper position of the blade members is located within the room.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprises:

a source of compressed air, pipes and controlling valves for connecting the air source and the interior room of the shroud that being functional to displace the air into and out of the room, whereby a lower surface of compressed air body within the room and lower portions of the side walls located below the hub member that define a channel for the speeded, lower ambient water jet to rotate the shafts with the blade members and thereby capable of keeping relatively bigger kinetic energy of the lower ambient water jet;

a shroud interior room-forming front apron member having first and second opposing ends in a close facing relationship to respective inside faces of the side walls and an forward and upward oriented side edge extending between the side walls and being supported pivotally at the upper edge in a close facing relationship on the lower edge of the front wall and capable of floating on the water surface and pivoting about an axis within the lower and upper front edges and parallel to the axis of the runner assembly between a backward oriented horizontal position and a downward oriented position;

a shroud interior room-forming rear apron member having first and second opposing ends in a close facing relationship to respective inside faces of the side walls and a rearward and upward oriented side edge extending between the side walls and being supported pivotally at the upper edge in a close facing relationship on the lower edge of the rear wall and capable of floating on the water surface and pivoting about an axis within the lower and upper rear edges and parallel to the axis of the runner assembly between a forward oriented horizontal position and a downward oriented position;

a sealing packing means located outside on the ends of the apron members for engaging on the inside faces of the side walls to close-off the interior of the room in relation to its exterior and prevent the outflow of air from the room into outside, whereby movement of the air into and out of the room displaces the surface of the water located in the room in a corresponding vertical direction within a radial width of a lowermost blade member of the runner assembly and pivots the apron members follow the water surface about their pivot axes, and thereby changes a depth of sinking of the blade members into the lower ambient water jet and a magnitude of the kinetic energy which being received by the blade members from the water jet.

10. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the hub member comprises numbers of holds for accommodation of an energy-converting means, where the energy-converting means comprising energy-generating parts, the generating parts may be connected individually to the shaft and to the shroud member, and closed tanks for ballast materials controlling buoyancy and balance of the unit in the main water flow that are adapted to be filled up with ballast sand mixed with a thixotropic material, and an energized vibrator means.

11. A water wave-induced, vessel rocking motion control and energy transformation system, comprising:

a surface vessel hull,

a stabilized with its mass and support frame means rotatably affixed on the hull about a determined central point of wave induced rocking, pitching and rolling motions of the vessel, wherein the stabilized frame means is isolated from rocking, pitching and rolling motions of the vessel.

12. The rocking controlling and energy transformation system according to claim 11, wherein the hull comprises:

a number of facilities for containing a ballast sand of an intended constant mass and a ballast water, the ballast water being spreaded within a volume of the sand and capable of being changed in its mass and a position of a center of mass;

an energized bilge pumping equipment for effecting a change of the mass and the position of the center of mass, and

a means for measuring frequencies of the rocking, pitching and rolling motions of the ballasted vessel and determining when to operate an activating means of the bilge pumping equipment to effect tuning of the system into resonance of the rocking motions to effect increasing of the induced generation of the intended energy and into a dissonance of the rocking motions to effect increasing of the restraint of the motions.

13. The rocking control and energy transformation system according to claim 11, wherein the hull of the vessel adapted to generate an energy that comprises boards and a bottom having a circular outer surface.

14. The rocking control and energy transformation system according to claim 11, wherein the vessel comprises a frictionless bearing means supporting the frame means remote from the central point.

15. The rocking control and energy transformation system according to claim 14, wherein the hull has a upward oriented circular, in relation to the central point, surface area, the frame means has a downward oriented, co-pointed surface area, and the bearing means comprises a movable co-pointed bearing retainer member extending between the surfaces, and a plurality of bearing balls connected movably to the retainer member.

16. The rocking control and energy transformation system according to claim 11, wherein the stabilized frame means is adapted to extend down toward below a water line of the hull and has a vertical surface area with its center of dynamic pressure upon adjacent water that located remote from the central point.

17. The rocking control and energy transformation system according to claim 11, comprising:

a number of first rocking motion-restraint and energy-transferring members, each of the first members is supported at its end from the stabilized frame means in a depending relationship and remote from the point,

a number of second rocking motion-restraint and energy-transferring members, each of the second members is supported at its end from the hull remote from the point and capable of being forced into interaction with a corresponding first member, wherein a rocking, pitching and rolling motion of the vessel produces a relative movement between the supported ends of the interacting first member and second member, which movement causes a relative movement between the interacting first member and second member to produce an amplified oscillating motion of the second member to provide intended restraint of the rocking motion about the point and generation of the energy.

18. The rocking control and energy transformation system according to claim 17, wherein each of the number of the first members is rotatably supported for rotation about a first point, and each of the second number of the second members is rotatably supported for rotation about a second point, the first point and the second point being remote from the central point.

19. The control and energy transformation system according to claim 17 and comprising a number of reversible machines, each of the machines is connected to the first member and to the second member therebetween and capable of generating an intended useable energy and restraint the relative movement between the ends of the first and second members.

20. The control and energy transformation system according to claim 19, wherein the machine is a cylinder and sliding vane motor-pump assembly comprising:

a circular cylindrical shaft member having first and second opposing end pin portions and at least one pumping and damping vane portion extending radially, in relation to an axis of the shaft member, between the first and second pin portions, where each of the vane portions has a first end and a second end and an outer edge extending between the first and second edges toward immediately an inner face of a pumping and damping cylinder member of the assembly,

the co-axially disposed pumping and damping cylinder member having two opposing, radially extending end walls that being provided with axial openings generally surrounding the pin portions of the shaft member and a circular cylindrical wall extending between the end walls and having vane portions extending between end walls radially inward and toward immediately an outer face of the shaft member,

a sealing means at the openings and edges of the vane portions of the shaft and cylinder members for engaging on the faces of the cylinder and shaft members to relatively close off interiors between the vane portions of the cylinder and shaft members and prevent the outflow of the fluid materials being compressed from the interiors being reduced into the adjacent interiors being extended;

a valves and pipes for sucking the fluid materials into the interior being extended and exhausting the compressed fluid materials from the interior being reduced toward a reserve tank receiving and storing the compressed fluid materials, where the valves are capable of tuning the generating-pumping system or shutting it down;

the tank provided with valves and pipes for transferring the compressed fluid materials toward an user, where the valves are capable of changing pressure of the stored fluid materials for tuning the generating-pumping system or shutting it down.