Power generation apparatus utilizing water current energy
OwnerChikao Hashimotoinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
To an installation base fixed to the seabed surface, a vertical cylindrically shaped rotating body is attached to be able to rotate. Mounting frames are attached in a radially manner from the outer circumference of the rotary body. At the top side positions of the mounting frames, pressure receiving plates of flat plate shapes, of a specific gravity slightly smaller and lighter than seawater, and giving rise to buoyancy are attached by butterfly joints to be able to pivot. Further, stoppers and stoppers stopping the pressure receiving plates to within an angular range from slightly below the horizontal or 4° to the substantially vertical or 90° are provided. The rotation of the rotary body is increased to turn the power generator.
Claims3
-2. (canceled)
A power generation apparatus utilizing water current energy comprising
- an installation base installed in the sea or a freshwater body,
- a rotary body mounted to said installation base to be able to rotate, and
- a power generator generating power by rotation of said rotary body with respect to said installation base, wherein
- a rotary shaft axis of said rotary body is set in a vertical direction becoming substantially perpendicular to a flow plane of water current in the sea or in the freshwater body where it is set,
- said rotary body has a plurality of mounting frames attached from the rotary body radially, said mounting frames have first ends of flat-plate-shaped pressure receiving plates attached to the mounting frames to be able to pivot at top side positions offset from said rotary shaft axis, and a specific gravity of said pressure receiving plates is set slightly smaller than the specific gravity of the seawater or freshwater where the apparatus is set so as to enable generation of buoyancy in said pressure receiving plates in the sea and freshwater body,
- stoppers are provided for limiting the ranges of angle of pivot of said pressure receiving plates,
- output power of said power generator is transmitted by cable to the land close to said installation base or a ship on the sea or freshwater body,
- the force generated at said pressure receiving plates due to the tidal current or water current in the sea or freshwater body, the buoyancy of said pressure receiving plates, and said stoppers enable the rotary body to be reliably made to rotate and generate power,
- an angular range over which said pressure receiving plates pivot is 4° to 90° in range downward from a locus plane in the case where ends of the mounting sides of said pressure receiving plates rotate about said rotary shaft axis,
- a specific gravity of said pressure receiving plates, obtained by dividing the mass of said pressure receiving plates by the mass of that volume of pure water at 4° C., is made 0.95 to 0.99 of the specific gravity of the seawater or freshwater set in, and
- said rotary body is a circular cross-section vertical cylinder provided at said installation base to be able to rotate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.