Device for converting flow energy into electrical energy

• US 7,498,683 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2004
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wilhelm Landwehr
• Original Assignee: Wilhelm Landwehr
• Inventors: Landwehr, Wilhelm
• Primary Examiner(s): Ridley; Richard W L
• Assistant Examiner(s): KRAUSE, JUSTIN MITCHELL
• Application Number:
  US10/931,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20060055174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,644 Days
• Field of Search: 290/43, 290/44, 743/80, 743/81, 744/12.R, 744/13, 744/14, 744/21.R, 74/37, 74/892, 474/72, 474/23, 474/7, 474/148, 474/152, 474/156
• US Class Current: 290/43
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/264 using the horizontal flow of water resulting from tide movement
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/20 Arrangements for mounting or supporting wind motors; Masts or towers for wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 15/00 Transmission of mechanical power
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 15/10 using gearing not limited to rotary motion, e.g. with oscillating or reciprocating members
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/70 Bearing or lubricating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/25 the apparatus being an electrical generator F03D9/22 takes precedence
• 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: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/728 Onshore wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19642 Directly cooperating gears
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/1987 Rotary bodies

Abstract

A device for converting flow energy of a fluid into electrical energy, said device comprising:

• • h) a rotor (1) which can be driven by the fluid and comprises rotor shaft (2),
  • i) an electric generator (16, 17) comprising a generator shaft (6),
  • j) a gear system comprising a gear shaft (4; 4′) for transferring a rotational movement of the rotor shaft (2) to the generator shaft (6),
  • k) a support structure (30),
  • l) a carrier structure (20) which forms a rotor bearing (2a) for the rotor shaft (2), a gear bearing (4a; 60) for the gear shaft (4; 4′) and a generator bearing (6a) for the generator shaft (6);
  • m) and an adjusting bearing (40; 75) which adjustably bears the carrier structure (20) relative to the support structure (30);
  • n) wherein at least one of the gear shaft (4; 4′) and the generator shaft (6) is arranged lower than the adjusting bearing (40; 75).

Claims

1. A device for converting flow energy of a fluid into electrical energy, said device comprising:

a) a rotor which can be driven by the fluid and comprises a rotor shaft,

b) an electric generator comprising a generator shaft,

c) a gear system comprising a gear shaft for transferring a rotational movement of the rotor shaft to the generator shaft,

d) a support structure,

e) a carrier structure which forms a rotor bearing for the rotor shaft, a gear bearing for the gear shaft and a generator bearing for the generator shaft;

f) and an adjusting bearing, including at least one bearing member, the at least one bearing member is positioned between and bearingly engaging the support structure and the carrier structure such that the adjusting bearing adjustably bears the carrier structure relative to the support structure;

g) wherein at least one of the gear shaft and the generator shaft is arranged lower than an uppermost bearing member of the adjusting bearing.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gear shaft is offset transversely to the rotor shaft.

3. The device as set forth in any claim 1, wherein the rotor shaft drives the gear shaft by means of cylindrical gears, each arranged external to its respective meshing partner.

4. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the rotor shaft and the gear shaft are arranged side by side along an axis pointing transversely with respect to the rotor shaft.

5. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gear shaft and the generator shaft are arranged side by side along an axis pointing transversely with respect to the rotor shaft.

6. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the generator shaft is offset transversely to the gear shaft.

7. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gear shaft drives the generator shaft by means of cylindrical gears, each arranged external to its respective meshing partner.

8. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gear shaft comprises two cylindrical gears arranged axially adjacently, wherein the rotor shaft drives one of the cylindrical gears, and wherein the other drives off to the generator shaft.

9. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gear system comprises a number of gear shafts which are supported by the carrier structure and arranged lower than the uppermost bearing member of the adjusting bearing.

10. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gear system comprises a number of gear shafts and the rotor shaft drives the gear shafts by means of cylindrical gears, each arranged external to its respective meshing partner.

11. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gear system for transferring the rotational movement comprises cylindrical gears which are in engagement with each other in pairs.

12. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gear system for transferring the rotational movement comprises a belt or chain drive comprising at least one belt or chain, and two cylindrical gears coupled by the at least one belt or chain.

13. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gear system is a cylindrical gear system.

14. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gear system comprises gear wheels which transfer the rotational movement of the rotor onto the generator, and wherein the carrier structure forms a gear space in which at least part of the gear wheels are arranged.

15. The device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the gear wheels can be exchanged via the gear space.

16. The device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the gear shaft can be exchanged via the gear space.

17. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein all the gear wheels of the gear system which transfer the rotational movement of the rotor onto the generator are arranged on the same side of the gear system.

18. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gear bearing is fluidically separated from the gear wheels of the gear system by a suitable configuration of the device.

19. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the rotor in the adjusting bearing can be adjusted about an adjusting axis pointing transversely to the rotor shaft.

20. The device as set forth in claim 19, wherein the adjusting bearing is a radial bearing which is formed about the adjusting axis and supports an operating force of the device acting radially with respect to the adjusting axis, and wherein the weight of the carrier structure is supported in an axial bearing formed about the adjusting axis.

21. The device as set forth in claim 20, wherein at least one of the gear shaft and the generator shaft is arranged higher than the axial bearing.

22. The device as set forth in claim 20, wherein at least one of the gear shaft and the generator shaft is arranged lower than the axial bearing.

23. The device as set forth in claim 19, wherein the adjusting bearing is a combined axial-radial bearing which is formed about the adjusting axis and supports an operating force of the device acting radially with respect to the adjusting axis and supports the weight of the carrier structure.

24. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein a damping is formed to reduce the transfer of structure-borne noise between the support structure and the carrier structure.

25. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein a number of roll bodies and at least one running path for the roll bodies form a bearing for the carrier structure, one of the carrier structure and the support structure forming the at least one running path and the roll bodies being attached to the other.

26. The device as set forth in claim 25, wherein the roll bodies are provided with an elastic damping.

27. The device as set forth in claim 25, wherein the positions of the roll bodies relative to the at least one running path can be adjusted and the roll bodies can thus be moved into contact with the at least one running path and/or moved away from the running path.

28. The device as set forth in claim 27, wherein the roll bodies are connected to one of the carrier structure and the support structure, such that each can be pivoted via a pivoting arm.

29. The device as set forth in claim 28, wherein a rocker or an eccentric forms the pivoting arm.

30. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the adjusting bearing is formed by means of at least one sliding bearing or at least one roll bearing, the at least one roll bearing comprising running paths and roll bodies which roll off on the running paths and are guided by the running paths.

31. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein a bearing formed by a number of roll bodies and at least one running path secures the carrier structure against moving counter to the weight force.

32. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the rotor bearing, gear bearing and the generator bearing is formed as a shaft bearing in a receptacle of the carrier structure.

33. The device as set forth in claim 32, wherein the receptacle is provided individually for the at least one of the rotor bearing, gear bearing and the generator bearing.

34. The device as set forth in claim 32, wherein the receptacle protrudes through the carrier structure.

35. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein a carrier trunnion of the carrier structure forms at least one of the rotor bearing, the gear bearing and the generator bearing.

36. The device as set forth in claim 35, wherein the carrier trunnion is detachably connected to a carrier block of the carrier structure.

37. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the carrier structure forms a joint element of an adjusting joint formed with the support structure, and wherein the carrier structure comprises a carrier unit which is formed in one piece or pre-jointed from parts which are fixedly connected to each other.

38. The device as set forth in claim 37, wherein the carrier unit forms the gear bearing.

39. The device as set forth in claim 37, wherein the carrier unit forms the rotor bearing.

40. The device as set forth in claim 37, wherein the carrier unit forms the joint element.

41. The device as set forth in claim 37, wherein the carrier unit forms the generator bearing.

42. The device as set forth in claim 37, wherein at least one other of the gear bearing, the rotor bearing and the generator bearing is formed by a separate bearing housing fixedly connected to the carrier unit.

43. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the rotor is a wind rotor.

44. The device as set forth in claim 43, further comprising a tower protruding up from a foundation, wherein the support structure is fixedly connected to the tower.

45. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the device is a tidal power station and the rotor is a water turbine.