Systems and methods for generating power through the flow of water

• US 7,605,485 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2008
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mueller International LLC (Mueller Water Products Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Fairfax County Water Authority
• Inventors: Pitchford, Barth Robins, Binning, C. David, Pitchford, William Dudley, Rasmussen, David Lewis, Simon, Robert Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): GONZALEZ, JULIO CESAR
• Application Number:
  US12/038,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20080143109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 290/43, 290/54, 290/1.R, 310/114, 310/103, 310/104, 310/105, 310/268, 603/98, 604/95
• US Class Current: 290/43
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/45 Utility meters networked together within a single building
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 3/12 Meters with nutating members, e.g. discs
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

A system and method for generating and harvesting energy in response to the flow of water through rotating device, such as a nutating or oscillating disk. Mechanical energy from flow of water is converted into electrical energy via an energy conversion unit. For example, the power generation system may be used to power electronic and mechanical devices used in automated meter reading (AMR) systems. The power generator system may recharge a storage circuit that enables long term AMR operations without the need for battery replacement. The power generation system, in various embodiments, can provide additional power for two-way communication and other sensors such as pressure, temperature, water quality and services such as remote shut-off, event-based messaging, and water quality monitoring.

Claims

1. A power generator system comprising:

a rotating device adapted to rotate in response to a flow of water on the rotating device;

a drive magnet operatively coupled to the rotating device and adapted to rotate in response to the rotating device rotating;

a registration magnet operatively coupled to the drive magnet and adapted to rotate in response to the drive magnet rotating;

a power generator operatively coupled to the registration magnet and adapted to harvest and store energy in response to the registration magnet rotating;

a rectifier operatively coupled to an output of the power generator and adapted to convert the energy from an alternating current (AC) to a direct current (DC);

a first power storage device adapted to be charged by an output of the rectifier and a second power storage device adapted to be charged by an output of the first power storage device; and

a processor configured to monitor voltages levels of the first power storage device and second power storage device and cause a transfer of energy from the first power storage device to the second power storage device in the event that the voltage level of the first storage device is above a first threshold and the voltage level of the second storage device is below a second threshold.

2. The power generator system of claim 1 further comprising a power conditioning circuit operatively coupled to the first power storage device and adapted to maintain voltage levels within a specified range.

3. The power generator system of claim 1 wherein the rotating device is one of a turbine, impeller, oscillating disk, blade and shaft assembly, and a nutating disk assembly.

4. The power generator system of claim 1 further comprising a drive shaft operatively coupled to the rotating device at a first end and to the drive magnet at a second end.

5. The power generator system of claim 1 wherein the registration magnet and drive magnet are magnetically coupled.

6. The power generator system of claim 1 wherein the registration magnet and drive magnet are operatively coupled by one of a drive shaft and a gear assembly.

7. The power generator system of claim 1 wherein the power generator further comprises:

a pair of rotors operatively coupled to the registration magnet and adapted to rotate in response to the registration magnet rotating, wherein each rotor comprises at least one magnetic pole; and

a series of coils interposed between the pair of rotors, wherein the rotation of the pair of rotors with respect to the at least one coil produces an alternating current (AC) in the at least one coil.

8. The power generator system of claim 7 further comprising a registration magnet shaft operatively coupled to the registration magnet at a first end and to the rotors at a second end.

9. The power generator system of claim 1, wherein the first power storage device is a super capacitor and the second power storage device is a battery.

10. The power generator system of claim 9, further comprising a charging circuit coupled between the super capacitor and the battery and coupled to the processor, the charging circuit configured to charge the battery in response to a control signal from the processor.

11. The power generator system of claim 1, wherein the rotating device is a nutating disk assembly.

12. The power generator system of claim 1, wherein the power generator is an axial flux permanent magnet generator.

13. A power generator system comprising:

a rotating device adapted to rotate in response to a flow of water on the rotating device;

a drive magnet operatively coupled to the rotating device and adapted to rotate in response to the rotating device rotating;

a registration magnet operatively coupled to the drive magnet and adapted to rotate in response to the drive magnet rotating; and

a power generator operatively coupled to the registration magnet and adapted to harvest and store energy in response to the registration magnet rotating; and

wherein the power generator further comprises;

first and second rotors operatively coupled to the registration magnet and adapted to rotate in response to the registration magnet rotating, wherein each of the first and second rotors comprise a magnetically conducting disk and eight permanent magnets coupled to the magnetically conducting disk spaced approximately 45 degrees apart around the magnetically conducting disk with alternating polarity; and

a stator interposed between the first and second rotors and configured to remain in a stationary position with respect to the first and second rotors, the stator comprising a stator disk and eight coils wired in series and in a single phase configuration, the eight coils spaced approximately 45 degrees apart around the stator disk,

wherein the first and second rotors are rotationally oriented one to another so that the magnets on the first and second rotors align with opposite polarity.

14. The power generator system of claim 13, wherein the permanent magnets are neodymium magnets.

15. The power generator system of claim 13, wherein the permanent magnets are approximately 0.5 inch in diameter and approximately 0.125 inch high.

16. The power generator system of claim 13, wherein the permanent magnets are NdFeB Grade 42 permanent magnets.

17. The power generator system of claim 13, wherein the stator disk comprises a styrene disk coupled to the eight coils.

18. The power generator system of claim 13, wherein each of the eight coils of the stator comprises approximately 400 wraps.

19. The power generator system of claim 13, wherein the first and second rotors and stator are configured so that the first and second rotors are separated by approximately 0.25 on either side of the stator.

20. The power generator system of claim 13, wherein the first and second rotors and stator are approximately two inches in diameter.