Energy conversion system with duplex radial flow turbine

• US 8,286,425 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2010
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dresser-Rand Group Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Dresser-Rand Group Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Maier, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lopez, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/909,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20110252779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 603/98, 415/147, 415/149.1, 415/156, 415/162, 415/165
• US Class Current: 60/398
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/142 which creates an oscillating water column
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/266 to compress air
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/93 on a structure floating on a liquid surface
• 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

Abstract

An energy conversion system, including a wave chamber, and a turbine wheel coupled to a shaft and fluidly coupled with the wave chamber. The energy conversion system may also include a first radial flow passage fluidly coupled with the wave chamber and the turbine wheel, and first vanes disposed at least partially in the first radial flow passage, each of the first vanes being compliantly mounted and pivotal between first and second positions, the first vanes being configured to allow a motive fluid to flow in a first radial direction through the first radial flow passage when the first vanes are in the first position, and the first vanes being configured to substantially prevent the motive fluid from flowing through the first radial flow passage in a second radial direction when the second vanes are in the second position.

Claims

1. An energy conversion system, comprising:

a wave chamber configured to house an oscillating wave column, the oscillating wave column having an upstroke during which the oscillating wave column increases in height and a downstroke during which the oscillating wave column decreases in height;

a turbine wheel having impulse turbine blades and communicating with the wave chamber;

first and second radial flow passages extending radially from the turbine wheel;

first vanes compliantly mounted at least partially in the first radial flow passage, the first vanes being biased toward a closed position and configured to pivot to an open position when impinged by a fluid flowing toward the turbine wheel such that the first vanes block the first radial flow passage during the upstroke and allow fluid to flow through the first radial flow passage during the downstroke; and

second vanes compliantly mounted at least partially in the second radial flow passage, the second vanes being biased toward a closed position and configured to pivot to an open position when impinged by a fluid flowing away from the turbine wheel such that the second vanes block the second radial flow passage during the downstroke and allow fluid to flow through the second radial flow passage during the upstroke.

2. A method for rotating a shaft, comprising:

pivoting first vanes from a first position to a second position to open a first radial flow passage, the first vanes being compliantly mounted in the first radial flow passage;

drawing a motive fluid through the first radial passage in a first radial direction, past a turbine wheel coupled to the shaft, and into a wave chamber;

pivoting the first vanes from the second position to the first position to close the first radial flow passage;

pivoting second vanes from a first position to a second position to open a second radial flow passage, the second vanes being compliantly mounted in the second radial flow passage; and

drawing the motive fluid to flow out of the wave chamber, past the turbine wheel, and through the second radial flow passage in a second radial direction.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising biasing the first and second vanes toward the first position.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein biasing the first and second vanes comprises using a structure disposed at least partially in a low-modulus material.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein:

pivoting the first vanes to the second position comprises pivoting the first vanes when the second vanes are in the first position; and

pivoting the second vanes to the second position comprises pivoting the second vanes when the first vanes are in the first position.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein pivoting the first and second vanes does not require force beyond what is provided by a minimum flow rate of the motive fluid.

7. An energy conversion system, comprising:

a wave chamber;

a turbine wheel coupled to a shaft and fluidly coupled with the wave chamber;

a first radial flow passage fluidly coupled with the wave chamber and the turbine wheel; and

first vanes disposed at least partially in the first radial flow passage, each of the first vanes being compliantly mounted and pivotal between first and second positions, the first vanes being configured to allow a motive fluid to flow in a first radial direction through the first radial flow passage when the first vanes are in the first position, and the first vanes being configured to substantially prevent the motive fluid from flowing through the first radial flow passage in a second radial direction when the first vanes are in the second position, wherein each of the first vanes is substantially aerofoil shaped and includes a head and a tail extending from the head.

8. The energy conversion system of claim 7, wherein each of the first vanes further comprises a low-modulus material disposed at least in the head.

9. The energy conversion system of claim 8, wherein each of the first vanes further comprises a structure at least partially enclosed by the low-modulus material, the structure of each of the first vanes being configured to pivotally secure the head of each of the first vanes.

10. The energy conversion system of claim 9, wherein the structure of each of the first vanes comprises first and second pins spaced apart from one another so that the tail of each of the first vanes is urged to contact the head of an adjacent one of the first vanes.

11. The energy conversion system of claim 7, wherein each of the first vanes further comprises a biasing member disposed in a bore defined in the head, the biasing member configured to urge the tail of each of the first vanes to contact the head of an adjacent one of the first vanes.

12. The energy conversion system of claim 7, further comprising:

a second radial flow passage fluidically coupled to the wave chamber and the turbine wheel; and

second vanes disposed at least partially in the second radial flow passage, the second vanes being compliantly mounted and pivotal between first and second positions, the second vanes configured to allow the motive fluid to flow in the second radial direction through the second radial flow passage when the second vanes are in the first position, and the second vanes configured to substantially prevent the motive fluid from flowing through the second radial flow passage in the first radial direction when the second vanes are in the second position.

13. The energy conversion system of claim 12, wherein the turbine wheel comprises first and second rows of impulse turbine buckets, the first row being aligned with the first radial flow passage and the second row being aligned with the second radial flow passage.

14. An energy conversion system, comprising:

a wave chamber disposed at least at least partially in a body of water; and

a radial flow turbine comprising;

first and second radial flow passages fluidly coupled with the wave chamber;

a turbine wheel coupled to a shaft and positioned between the wave chamber and the first and second radial flow passages;

first vanes disposed at least partially in the first radial flow passage, the first vanes being configured to resiliently pivot to allow a motive fluid to enter the first radial flow passage in a first radial direction and to substantially prohibit the motive fluid from flowing out of the first radial flow passage in a second radial direction; and

second vanes disposed at least partially in the second radial flow passage, the second vanes being configured to resiliently pivot open to allow the motive fluid to flow out of the second radial flow passage in the second radial direction and to pivot closed to substantially prohibit the motive fluid from flowing into the second radial flow passage in the first radial direction, wherein each of the first and second vanes is substantially aerofoil shaped and includes a head and a tail extending from the head.

15. The energy conversion system of claim 14, wherein:

the head of each of the first and second vanes includes a low-modulus material; and

each of the first and second vanes further comprises a structure at least partially enclosed by the low-modulus material, the structure being configured to allow each of the first and second vanes to pivot.

16. The energy conversion system of claim 15, wherein the structure comprises first and second pins spaced apart from one another so that the tail is urged to contact the head of an adjacent vane.

17. The energy conversion system of claim 14, wherein each of the first and second vanes further comprises:

a bore defined in the head; and

a biasing member disposed in the bore and configured to urge the tail to contact the head of an adjacent one of the first or second vanes.