HARVESTING ENERGY FROM FLUID FLOW

• US 20180351480A1
• Filed: 05/30/2017
• Published: 12/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Ahmad, Talha Jamal, Arsalan, Muhammad, Black, Michael J., Noui-Mehidi, Mohamed Nabil
• Granted Patent: US 10,367,434 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0085 Adaptations of electric power generating means for use in boreholes
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 17/065 the flow engaging parts having a cyclic movement relative to the rotor during its rotation
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 35/04 with moving coil systems and stationary magnets
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/185 using fluid streams
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 35/101 with mechanical input and electrical output, e.g. generators, sensors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/20 Hydro energy

Abstract

The bluff body attaches to an elastic mount and is capable of generate vortex shedding when the elastic mount orients the bluff body in a flow-line traverse to a fluid flow and vibrates in response to the vortex shedding. A harvester is located within the bluff body and is capable of generating power above a specified threshold in response to the vibration.

Claims

1. An elastic bluff body, comprising:

an elastic mount;

a bluff body attached to the elastic mount and configured to generate vortex shedding when the elastic mount orients the bluff body in a flow-line traverse to a fluid flow and vibrates in response to the vortex shedding ; and

a harvester located within the bluff body and configured to generate power above a specified threshold in response to the vibration.

2. The elastic bluff body of claim 1, wherein the harvester vibrates at a resonance frequency of the elastic bluff body.

3. The elastic bluff body of claim 1, wherein the flow-line comprises a wellbore.

4. The elastic bluff body of claim 1, wherein the bluff body comprises a cylinder.

5. The elastic bluff body of claim 1, wherein the harvester comprises a piezoelectric harvester or a magnetostrictive harvester.

6. The elastic bluff body of claim 1, wherein the harvester comprises a cantilever beam configured to oscillate in response to the vortex shedding.

7. The elastic bluff body of claim 1, wherein the bluff body comprises a substantially conical shape, the bluff body pivotally connected to the elastic mount, the bluff body configured to oscillate in response to vortex shedding.

8. The elastic bluff body of claim 7, wherein the bluff body comprises a permanent magnet and the harvester comprises an iron rod and a metallic coil around the iron rod.

9. The elastic bluff body of claim 1, wherein the harvester comprises a cylinder with a metallic coil circling a circumference of the cylinder.

10. The elastic bluff body of claim 9, wherein the elastic bluff body is conical and connected to the elastic mount, the harvester configured to oscillate in response to the vortex shedding.

11. The elastic bluff body of claim 1, wherein the elastic mount is a first elastic mount, the bluff body is a first bluff body, and the harvester is a first harvester, the elastic bluff body further comprising:

a second elastic mount separate from the first elastic mount;

a second bluff body attached to the second elastic mount and configured to generate vortex shedding when the second elastic mount orients the second bluff body in the flow-line traverse to the fluid flow and vibrates in response to the vortex shedding; and

a second harvester located within the second bluff body and configured to generate power above a specified threshold in response to the vibration.

12. The elastic bluff body of claim 11, wherein the second bluff body and the second harvester comprise a substantially identical natural frequency to the first bluff body and the first harvester respectively.

13. A method comprising:

inducing an oscillating vortex with a bluff body and a harvester within the bluff body in response to flowing a fluid across the bluff body; and

generating electrical power in response to inducing the oscillating vortex.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein generating electrical power comprises vibrating a cantilever beam within the bluff body in response to inducing the oscillating vortex, the cantilever beam comprising a magnetostrictive harvester or a piezoelectric harvester.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the bluff body comprises a substantially conical shape, the bluff body pivotally connected to an elastic mount, the bluff body configured to oscillate in response to vortex shedding.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

storing the electrical power within a battery or capacitor; and

powering a device by the stored electrical power.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the device comprises a sensor or communication device.

18. A system comprising:

a flow-line configured to house a fluid;

an elastic mount attached to an inner surface of the flow-line;

a cylindrical bluff body attached to the elastic mount and configured to generate vortex shedding when the elastic mount orients the bluff body in a flow-line traverse to a fluid flow and vibrates in response to the vortex shedding;

a harvester located within the bluff body, the harvester comprising a cantilever beam configured to generate power above a specified threshold in response to the vibration, the cantilever beam comprising a piezoelectric or magnetostrictive material;

a power rectification and conditioning circuit coupled to the cantilever beam;

an electrical storage device coupled to the power rectification and conditioning circuit; and

an electricity using device coupled to the electrical storage device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the cylindrical bluff body is a first cylindrical bluff body, wherein the harvester is a first harvester, wherein the cantilever beam is a first cantilever beam, and wherein the system further comprises:

a second cylindrical bluff body configured to be placed transversely within the flow-line, the second cylindrical bluff body configured to generate an oscillating vortex within the flow-line in response to a fluid flowing across the second cylindrical bluff body, the second bluff body configured to be positioned downstream and parallel of the first bluff body at a distance appropriate for a synchronous vortex shedding mode; and

a second harvester located within the second cylindrical bluff body, the harvester comprising a second cantilever beam configured to generate power above a specified threshold in response to the vibration, the cantilever beam comprising a piezoelectric or magnetostrictive material.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the power rectification and conditioning circuit is coupled to the second cantilever beam.