# US 11,028,820 B2 · Tidal current generating unit

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- Number: US 11,028,820 B2
- Document ID: US11028820B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/688,330
- Filed: 2019-11-19
- Published: 2021-04-15
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2019-10-10
- Assignees: HangZhou JiangHe Hydro-Electrical Science & Technolo
- Applicants: HangZhou JiangHe Hydro-Electrical Science&Technology Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Changlu Liu; Liwei Chen; Zhengming Zhou; Jianfeng Yu; Yinhua Chen; Shanguo Peng; Junsheng Wei; Xue Sun; Chunming Zhao; Yongzhen Cheng; Fang Wang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11028820B2

## CPC

- F03B 3/121: {Blades, their form or construction}
- F03B 13/26: using tide energy
- F03B 3/12: Blades; Blade-carrying rotors
- F03B 3/145: {Mechanisms for adjusting the blades (if the regulation aspect is preponderant, see F03B15/00 and subgroups)}
- F03B 11/06: Bearing arrangements
- F03B 13/264: {using the horizontal flow of water resulting from tide movement}
- F03B 15/00: Controlling (controlling in general G05 {; regulation of plants characterised by the use of siphons F03B13/086})
- F05B 2210/404: bidirectional, i.e. in opposite, alternating directions
- F05B 2220/706: an electrical generator
- F05B 2270/328: Blade pitch angle
- Y02E 10/20: Hydro energy
- Y02E 10/30: Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient
- F03B: MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS (positive-displacement engines for liquid F03C; machines for liquids and gases F01; positive-displacement machines for liquids F04, rotary fluid gearing of the hydrokinetic type F16H41/00)
- F05B: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A tidal current generating unit, including a turbine, a hub, a generator, a bearing set and a fixed flange. The turbine is connected to the rotor of the generator through the hub, and the rotor is rotatably mounted on the outer circumference of the stator of the generator via the bearing set, and the turbine drives the rotating component to rotate to generate electricity. A density of a blade is much smaller than a density of the seawater, such that the blade has a sufficient buoyancy that offsets the gravity of the rotating component in seawater, and the load of the bearing sets is reduced. The blade is a backswept blade and the hydrodynamic central axis of the blade is inclined from a flange central axis of the blade at a first angle, and the blade is able to automatically change the pitch without relying on an external force.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A tidal current generating unit, comprising: a turbine, a hub, a generator, a bearing set and a fixed flange;
wherein the generator comprises a stator and a rotor;
the turbine is connected to the rotor of the generator by the hub; the rotor is rotatably mounted on an outer circumference of the stator of the generator via the bearing set; the stator of the generator is fixedly connected to the fixed flange; a rotating component comprises the hub and the rotor; and the turbine drives the rotating component to rotate to generate electricity;
the turbine comprises a blade, and a density of the blade is much smaller than a density of seawater, such that the blade has sufficient buoyancy that offsets gravity of the rotating component in the seawater, and a load of the bearing set is reduced;
the turbine further comprises a blade stem, a blade stem bearing, a pitch limiter, a forward pitch regulator and a reverse pitch regulator; a root of the blade is fixedly connected to the blade stem; a blade stem hole is radially distributed on the hub, and the blade stem is rotatably mounted in the blade stem hole by the blade stem bearing and is rotatable around a flange central axis of the blade in the blade stem hole;
the pitch limiter comprises a first limiting edge and a second limiting edge connecting with the first limiting edge, the first limiting edge and the second limiting edge are protruding, and surround a rear end of the blade stem;
the forward pitch regulator is arranged at one side of the pitch limiter, and the reverse pitch regulator is oppositely arranged at another side of the pitch limiter;
a rear end of the blade stem is coaxially connected to the pitch limiter; when the blade is pushed by forward tidal currents, the blade, blade stem and pitch limiter are clockwise rotated around the flange central axis of the blade; when the blade is pushed by reverse tidal currents, the blade, blade stem and pitch limiter are counterclockwise rotated around the flange central axis of the blade.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The tidal current generating unit of claim 1, wherein the blade is a backswept blade, and a hydrodynamic central axis of the blade is inclined from a flange central axis of the blade at a first angle; and the blade is hollow and is filled with a light filler inside.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The tidal current generating unit of claim 2, wherein when a flow rate of a tidal current is higher than a threshold value to cause an overload of the generator, a pitch is automatically adjusted by the turbine through a mechanical structure, such that the pitch angle of the blade is adjusted to limit output power of the generator.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The tidal current generating unit of claim 1, wherein the forward pitch regulator comprises a forward baffle, a forward spring and a forward pin; a side of one end of the forward baffle abuts one end of the forward spring; a middle of the other end of the forward baffle is rotatably mounted to the hub by the forward pin, and the forward baffle is rotatable around the forward pin; and the other end of the forward spring abuts the hub; and
the reverse pitch regulator comprises a reverse baffle, a reverse spring and a reverse pin; a side of one end of the reverse baffle abuts one end of the reverse spring; a middle of the other end of the reverse baffle is rotatably mounted to the hub by the reverse pin, and the reverse baffle is rotatable around the reverse pin; and the other end of the reverse spring abuts the hub.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The tidal current generating unit of claim 4, wherein a fixed dome is fixed at a front of the stator, and a rotatable draft tube is provided on an outside of the rotor, and rotates with the turbine and the rotor;
the bearing set comprises a reverse thrust bearing, a forward thrust bearing, a front guide bearing and a rear guide bearing; and
the reverse thrust bearing is mounted between a front end of a central shaft of the stator and a front bracket of the rotor, and the forward thrust bearing is mounted between a rear end of the central shaft of the stator and a rear bracket; and an axial round hole is provided at a center of rear bracket and mounted with the rear guide bearing.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The tidal current generating unit of claim 5, wherein the axial round hole is provided on a center of the hub and mounted with the front guide bearing.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The tidal current generating unit of claim 6, wherein the generator is of an open structure without a sealed compartment; and a sealing layer is respectively provided on electrical surfaces of the stator and rotor.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The tidal current generating unit of claim 7, wherein an outer ring of the reverse thrust bearing is provided with a sediment control ring to prevent sediment from entering the reverse thrust bearing; and
an outer ring of the forward thrust bearing is provided with another sediment control ring to prevent the sediment from entering the forward thrust bearing.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The tidal current generating unit of claim 8, wherein a sediment discharge hole is respectively provided on two opposite ends of an outer wall of the rotor, so that the sediment is discharged outside the generator under a centrifugal force when the rotor rotates.