JP2009159664A - Generating set using electric field responsive high polymer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a generating set which uses an electric field responsive high polymer without installing a complicated displacement detecting circuit using a sensor, continuously deforms the electric field responsive high polymer by gentle movement of wind force and hydraulic power and efficiently takes out electrical energy. <P>SOLUTION: A power generation unit 10 is disposed near a rotation axis 17 rotating by kinetic energy of fluid. A piston axis 11 abuts on a cam 18 fixed to the rotation axis 17. Thus, it moves in an axial direction so as to solve the problem. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric field responsive polymer made of a dielectric elastomer, and more particularly to a power generation apparatus using an electric field responsive polymer that generates electric power by kinetic energy of a fluid.

  Over the past decade, most researches on electric field responsive polymers made of dielectric elastomers have focused on use as actuators. When the electric field responsive polymer is placed in a strong electric field, the electric field responsive polymer contracts in the direction of the electric field and expands in a direction perpendicular to the electric field by Coulomb force. Therefore, a kind of variable capacitor having elasticity like rubber is formed by fixing carbon powder or aluminum powder serving as an electrode film on both surfaces of the electric field responsive polymer. When a voltage is applied to this, a positive charge is stored in one electrode and a negative charge is stored in the other electrode. As a result, an attractive force is generated between the electrodes, and the electric field responsive polymer is crushed by this force and expands in the surface direction. The use of this change as an actuator for a robot or the like has attracted attention (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Furthermore, in recent years, global warming has become a serious social problem, and there is no problem of CO ₂ emission, and a power generation device that converts the gentle movement of fluid that is difficult to realize with existing power generation methods such as generators into electrical energy. Development is required.
US Pat. No. 6,781,284 U.S. Pat. No. 6,882,086

  However, it is hardly known that electric field responsive polymers have remarkable performance in power generation, and although there are proposals for application to power generation, practical power generators have not been realized. . One reason for this is that in order to use an electric field responsive polymer as a power generation element, initial electric energy is applied at the initial stage of power generation, that is, with the electric field responsive polymer stretched, and the electric field responsiveness is high. It was necessary to take out the output electrical energy in a timely manner with the molecules relaxed. For this purpose, it is necessary to separately provide a displacement detection circuit for detecting the deformation state of the electric field responsive polymer.

  Furthermore, the lack of a mechanism for efficiently taking out electric energy by continuously deforming the electric field responsive polymer by gentle movement is also an obstacle when using the electric field responsive polymer as a power generation element. It was.

  Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention, that is, the object of the present invention is to realize a power generation device using an electric field responsive polymer without providing a complicated displacement detection circuit using a sensor separately. In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a power generation apparatus that efficiently takes out electric energy by continuously deforming an electric field responsive polymer by gentle movement such as wind power or hydraulic power.

  First, the invention according to claim 1 converts the axial movement of the piston shaft into a force that deforms the electric field responsive polymer, detects the deformation state of the electric field responsive polymer, A power generation unit that switches between supply of initial electric energy to the electric field responsive polymer and output of electric electric energy from the electric field responsive polymer, and boosting the initial electric energy and reducing the output electric energy An electric field responsive polymer comprising: a voltage conversion unit for stepping down; an output of initial energy to the power conversion unit; a storage unit for storing electric energy output from the power conversion unit and discharging to an external load; A power generation unit, wherein a piston shaft of the power generation unit is installed in the vicinity of a rotating shaft that rotates by the kinetic energy of a fluid, and a cam fixed to the rotating shaft; By movement in the axial direction in contact, it is obtained by solving the above problems.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the power generation apparatus using the electric field responsive polymer according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the power generation unit portions are arranged at equiangular intervals on a circumference centered on the rotation axis. By being arranged, the above-mentioned problem is further solved.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the power generation apparatus using the electric field responsive polymer according to claim 2, wherein the smoothing circuit that smoothes the output electrical energy output from the plurality of power generation unit units is the power generation unit. This problem is further solved by being provided between the discharge terminal of the unit and the step-down circuit of the voltage conversion unit.

  The electric field responsive polymer in the present invention is a new material developed by SRI International based in California, USA, and is an elastic thin polymer (such as acrylic resin or silicone resin) ( It has a structure in which a dielectric elastomer) is sandwiched between flexible electrodes that can be expanded and contracted, and is commercially available under the trade name EPAM (Electroactive Polymer Artificial Muscle).

  Here, an outline of the principle of power generation by the electric field responsive polymer will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The electric field responsive polymer 1 is composed of a polymer film 1a such as an acrylic resin or a silicone resin sandwiched between two flexible electrodes 1b and 1c. In the actuation (driving) mode, when a potential difference is applied between the electrodes as shown in FIG. 1, the polymer film 1a contracts in the thickness direction due to the electrostatic force. Stretch in the direction.

  On the other hand, in the power generation mode, as shown in FIG. 2, the movement opposite to that of the actuation (drive) mode, that is, the electric field responsive polymer 1 is subjected to external pressure such as wave force, wind force, hydraulic power and human action, and extension force. To generate electric power by stretching the electric field responsive polymer 1.

  In these modes, the electric field responsive polymer 1 is considered to function like a variable capacitor. When the electric field responsive polymer 1 is stretched by some force, the electric field responsive polymer 1 is given a small amount of electric charge as a source of power generation. This electric charge appears on the surface of the polymer film 1a of the electric field responsive polymer 1. When the film relaxes, the elastic force of the electric field responsive polymer 1 works against the electric field pressure, and as a result, electric energy increases. Microscopically, charges are pushed toward the electrodes 1b and 1c by the elastic force of the polymer film 1a (the thickness of the polymer film 1a increases in the contracted state), and between the charges on the electrodes 1b and 1c. The distance becomes shorter (the plane area decreases in the contracted state).

  Such a change in charge increases the voltage difference. As a result, the amount of electrostatic energy is increased, and electric energy can be supplied to an external load, and the electric field responsive polymer functions as a power generation element.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the axial movement of the piston shaft is converted into a force that deforms the electric field responsive polymer, and the deformation state of the electric field responsive polymer is detected, and the deformation state is detected. A power generation unit that switches between supply of initial electric energy to the electric field responsive polymer and output of electric electric energy from the electric field responsive polymer, and boosting the initial electric energy and reducing the output electric energy An electric field responsive polymer comprising: a voltage conversion unit that lowers voltage; and an output of initial electric energy to the voltage conversion unit, storage of output electric energy from the power conversion unit, and a storage unit that discharges to an external load. In the power generation apparatus used, the piston shaft of the power generation unit is installed in the vicinity of a rotating shaft that rotates by the kinetic energy of the fluid and is fixed to the rotating shaft. For axially moving by contact with, it can be a slow rotary motion, such as windmills or water wheels to generate power.

  According to the invention of claim 2, in synergy with the effect of the invention of claim 1, a plurality of power generation unit portions are arranged at equiangular intervals on the circumference around the rotation axis. As a result, the voltage of the sawtooth waveform corresponding to the number of the power generation unit units that are arranged is output during one rotation of the rotating shaft, so even a slow rotational motion such as a windmill or water turbine is larger. Electric power can be generated.

  In addition, according to the invention according to claim 3, in synergy with the effect of the invention according to claim 2, the smoothing circuit portion that smoothes the output electrical energy output from the plurality of power generation unit portions is the power generation unit portion. Since it is provided between the discharge terminal and the step-down circuit of the voltage converter, the portion exceeding the reference voltage of the voltage waveform on which the sawtooth waveform is superimposed is cut and released at the portion below the reference voltage. As the voltage approaches DC, the utilization efficiency of output electric energy is improved, and power can be supplied to various loads driven by DC.

  The power generation device using the electric field responsive polymer of the present invention converts the axial movement of the piston shaft into a force that deforms the electric field responsive polymer, and detects the deformation state of the electric field responsive polymer, A power generation unit that switches between supply of initial electric energy to the electric field responsive polymer and output of electric electric energy output from the electric field responsive polymer according to the deformation state, and boosts the initial electric energy and A voltage conversion unit for stepping down the output electric energy, and an electric storage unit that outputs initial electric energy to the voltage conversion unit, stores output electric energy from the power conversion unit, and discharges to an external load. The piston shaft of the power generation unit is installed in the vicinity of the rotating shaft that rotates by the kinetic energy of the fluid and comes into contact with a cam fixed to the rotating shaft. Realizes a power generation device that uses an electric field responsive polymer without a complicated displacement detection circuit that uses a sensor and that moves in the axial direction. As long as the electric field responsive polymer can be continuously deformed and the electric energy can be taken out efficiently, any specific embodiment may be used.

  Hereinafter, a power generator using an electric field responsive polymer (hereinafter referred to as EPAM) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  Here, FIG. 3 is an overall configuration diagram of the power generation apparatus using the EPAM that is Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the power generation unit portion indicated by reference numeral 10 in FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the EPAM cartridge, which is a main component of the power generation unit section 10 shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the EPAM cartridge shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a side view showing another embodiment of a charge / discharge terminal used in the power generation unit section 10, and FIG. 8 is a side view of the power generation apparatus using the EPAM shown in FIG. It is an example of a concrete circuit block diagram. For the convenience of explanation, the power generation unit 10 shown in FIG. 4 is upside down from the power generation unit 10 shown in FIG. 3, and the EPAM 12 shown in FIG. 3 is in an extended state. The EPAM 12 shown in FIG. 4 is in a relaxed state.

  First, the power generator using the EPAM according to the first embodiment of the present invention converts the axial movement of the piston shaft 11 into a force for extending or relaxing the EPAM 12 as shown in FIGS. In addition, the power generation unit 10 has a function of switching between the supply of initial electrical energy to the EPAM 12 and the output of output electrical energy from the EPAM 12 according to the deformation state of the EPAM 12.

  Then, the initial electrical energy output from the power storage unit 30 including a storage battery such as a lithium ion battery or a nickel hydride battery or a large-capacity capacitor is boosted by the booster circuit 22 of the voltage conversion unit 20, and the bottom plate 10 a of the power generation unit unit 10. When the charging terminal 13 made of a copper plate or the like fixed to the EPAM plus terminal 16a comes into contact with the charging terminal 13, the EPAM 12 is supplied to the extended EPAM 12.

  On the other hand, when the force applied to the piston shaft 11 is eliminated and the EPAM 12 is in a relaxed state, the EPAM 12 is in a state where the area is small due to the elastic force. As a result, when the discharge terminal 14 fixed to the top plate 10b of the power generation unit 10 and the EPAM plus terminal 16a come into contact with each other, the output electrical energy generated by the EPAM 12 is stepped down by the step-down circuit 24 of the voltage conversion unit 20 and stored. The electricity is stored in the unit 30 and discharged to an external load as necessary.

  A push plate 15 is vertically joined to the piston shaft 11. The piston shaft 11 is installed in the vicinity of the rotating shaft 17 that rotates by the kinetic energy of the fluid, and is a cam fixed to the rotating shaft 17. By abutting 18, it moves in the axial direction and expands or relaxes EPAM 12.

  Here, based on FIG.4 and FIG.5, the structure of the electric power generation unit part 10 is demonstrated in more detail. The power generation unit 10 is supported by a peripheral support member 16c in which a polymer film 12a of an EPAM 12 having a substantially circular shape, and a flexible EPAM plus electrode film 12b and an EPAM minus electrode film 12c bonded thereto are integrated. An EPAM cartridge 16 is provided. At this time, the EPAM plus electrode film 12b and the EPAM minus electrode film 12c are eccentrically joined to the polymer film 12a. An EPAM plus electrode 16d that conducts to the EPAM plus electrode film 12b and an EPAM minus electrode 16e that conducts to the EPAM minus electrode film 12c are provided at positions facing each other across the center of the peripheral support member 16c, that is, a position on one diameter. It has been.

  The EPAM 12 is sandwiched by a central support member 16b made of an insulating material such as a resin at the center thereof, and sandwiched by EPAM plus terminals 16a made of a conductive material such as copper on both outer sides thereof, and by through bolts 16f made of a conductive material. The EPAM plus terminal 16a, the central support member 16b, and the EPAM 12 are fastened together. Furthermore, the EPAM plus electrode 16d and the EPAM plus terminal 16a are connected by a conducting wire 16g, and the two EPAM plus terminals 16a provided so as to sandwich the EPAM 12 are, as described above, through-bolts made of a conductive material. Since the connection is made by 16f, EPAM plus terminals 16a that are connected to the EPAM plus electrode film 12b are arranged on both sides of the center of the EPAM cartridge 16. When the EPAM plus terminal 16a is in contact with the charging terminal 13 or the discharging terminal 14 of the power generation unit section 10, supply of initial electric energy to the EPAM 12 corresponding to the deformation state of the EPAM 12 and output of output electric energy from the EPAM 12 Are switched.

  Next, another embodiment of the EPAM cartridge will be described with reference to FIG. The EPAM cartridge shown in FIG. 6 is different from the EPAM cartridge 16 shown in FIG. 5 only in that two EPAMs are laminated. Is omitted. The EPAM cartridge 16 is disposed so that the two EPAM plus electrode films 12b are in close contact with each other. For this reason, the exposed electrode film of the EPAM cartridge 16 becomes a negative electrode film on both sides, so that electric shock or dielectric breakdown (discharge) due to a high electric field occurs between the EPAM and the housing of the power generation unit unit 10. In addition to avoiding this, since the two EPAMs are connected in parallel, the output electrical energy can be increased.

  Next, another embodiment of the charging terminal 13 and the discharging terminal 14 of the power generation unit 10 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 will be described with reference to FIG. In the charging terminal 13, a charging contact plate 13a is fixed to the bottom plate 10a of the power generation unit portion via a spring member 13b. Similarly, the discharge terminal 14 has a discharge contact plate 14a fixed to the top plate 10b of the power generation unit 10 via a spring member 14b. By adopting such a structure, impact contact between the EPAM plus terminal 16a and the charge terminal 13 and the discharge terminal 14 is avoided, and the contact time between the EPAM plus terminal 16a, the charge terminal 13 and the discharge terminal 14 is long. Thus, it is possible to stably and reliably supply initial electric energy to EPAM and output electric energy from EPAM.

  As the booster circuit 22 and the step-down circuit 24 constituting the first embodiment, a commercially available general-purpose booster circuit and step-down circuit can be used. FIG. 8 shows an example of a specific circuit configuration in FIG. It is described in correspondence with the overall configuration diagram. Therefore, the components corresponding to those shown in FIG. That is, the block denoted by reference numeral 10 in FIG. 8 is a power generation unit section. SW1 corresponds to the EPAM plus terminal 16a and the charging terminal 13 in FIG. 3, and is turned ON when the piston shaft 11 is pushed and the EPAM 12 is in the extended state (that is, the state shown in FIG. 3). It turns OFF when the force applied to the shaft 11 is released. On the other hand, SW2 corresponds to the EPAM plus terminal 16a and the discharge terminal 14 in FIG. 3, and when the force applied to the piston shaft 11 is released and the EPAM 12 is completely contracted by its own elasticity (that is, When the force is applied to the piston shaft 11, it is turned OFF.

  The block denoted by reference numeral 22 in FIG. 8 is a booster circuit for boosting low-voltage electrical energy obtained from the power storage unit 30 and supplying it to the EPAM 12 as initial electrical energy. In the example shown in FIG. 8, primary boosting is performed by an inverter circuit composed of a transistor, a capacitor, a coil, a transformer, etc., and then the output voltage of the inverter circuit is quadrupled by a multistage voltage doubler rectifier circuit composed of a capacitor and a diode. To the power generation unit section 10. Specifically, the voltage of about 3.5 V obtained from the power storage unit 30 is increased to 700 to 800 V by an inverter circuit, and further increased to 4800 to 2800 to 3200 V by a multistage voltage doubler rectifier circuit. Supply. The block denoted by reference numeral 24 is a step-down circuit for stepping down the high-voltage output electrical energy output from the power generation unit unit 10 to a low voltage suitable for charging a storage battery or the like of the power storage unit 30. It is. Here, the voltage is stepped down by a step-down circuit including a pulse generator, a MOSFET, a transformer, and the like.

  Next, Example 2 which is another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The power generation device using the EPAM of the second embodiment is one in which the four power generation unit portions described in the first embodiment are arranged in parallel, and the basic configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment. In FIG. 9 showing the drawing and FIG. 12 showing the arrangement of the power generation units, the block corresponding to the block shown in FIG. Is omitted.

  FIG. 9 is an overall configuration diagram of a power generator using the EPAM of the second embodiment. As is clear from this figure, the power generation apparatus using the EPAM of Example 2 has four power generation units 100a to 100d arranged in parallel. Here, the four power generation units 100a to 100d are collectively referred to as a power generation unit unit 100. As shown in FIG. 12, these four power generation units 100 a to 100 d are arranged at intervals of 90 degrees on a circumference around a rotating shaft 170 that rotates by the kinetic energy of the fluid. Then, the cam 180 fixed to the rotating shaft 170 and the push plates 150a to 150d fixed to the tip ends of the piston shafts 110a to 110d of the power generation units 100a to 100d sequentially come into contact with the rotation of the rotating shaft 170. The piston shafts 110a to 110d sequentially move in the axial direction, and output electric energy is sequentially released from the power generation units 100a to 100d.

  The output waveform of the power generation unit 100 at that time is shown in FIG. This shows an output waveform measured at point A in FIG. 9 when the rotating shaft 170 is rotated once. As is apparent from this figure, a triangular output waveform having a maximum peak value V1 output from the power generation units 100a to 100d is superimposed and measured. Here, as shown in FIG. 11, a smoothing circuit 400 including a capacitor or the like is further provided between the discharge terminal of the power generation unit 100 and the step-down circuit 240 of the voltage converter 200 as shown in FIG. The output waveform is smoothed, and output power having a constant peak value at V2 is obtained. In the second embodiment, the number of power generation units is four, but it is also possible to increase the number of power generation units as necessary to increase the output.

  By adopting a distributed power generation structure provided with a plurality of power generation units as in this embodiment, kinetic energy generated from fluid can be efficiently transmitted to EPAM, and continuous output electrical energy can be obtained. Stable power can be supplied. Further, by adopting a distributed power generation structure, work can be performed for each power generation unit when performing maintenance or the like, and it is not necessary to stop the operation even during power generation operation. Moreover, even if one power generation unit fails, the failed power generation unit can be replaced or repaired while continuing the power generation operation without stopping the power generation operation.

As shown in FIG. 13, the power generator using the EPAM according to the present invention converts the movement of the rotating shaft by the kinetic energy of fluid such as wave power, hydraulic power, wind power, etc. into a force that deforms the EPAM with a very simple configuration. It generates electricity by conversion, has no CO ₂ emissions that cause global warming, and it is difficult to generate electricity with conventional generators. Applicable. Furthermore, because of its small size and light weight, it can be used as a portable device for emergency power supply and outdoor leisure use, and its industrial applicability is extremely high.

The figure explaining the operation principle of the drive mode of the electric field responsive polymer used for this invention. The figure explaining the operation | movement principle of the electric power generation mode of the electric field responsive polymer used for this invention. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The expanded sectional view of the electric power generation unit part shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the EPAM cartridge shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view showing another embodiment of the EPAM cartridge shown in FIG. 5. The side view which showed another embodiment of the charging / discharging terminal used for an electric power generation unit part. FIG. 3 is a specific circuit configuration diagram of the first embodiment. The whole block diagram of Example 2 of this invention. Output waveform at point A in FIG. Output waveform at point B in FIG. FIG. 6 is a layout diagram of a power generation unit according to a second embodiment. The conceptual diagram which shows the utilization example of the electric power generating apparatus of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... Electric field responsive polymer (EPAM)
1a: polymer film 1b (of electric field responsive polymer), 1c: electrode (of electric field responsive polymer)
10, 100 ... power generation unit 10a ... bottom plate 10b (of power generation unit) ... top plate 11, 110a to 110d (of power generation unit) ... piston shaft 12 ... high electric field response Molecule (EPAM)
12a ... polymer film 12b ... EPAM plus electrode film 12c ... EPAM minus electrode film 13 ... charging terminal 13a ... (charging terminal) charging contact plate 13b ... (charging terminal) ) Spring member
14 ... discharge terminal 14a ... discharge contact plate 14b (discharge terminal) spring member (discharge terminal)
15, 150a-150d ... Push plate 16 ... EPAM cartridge 16a ... EPAM plus terminal 16b (for EPAM cartridge) Central support member 16c (for EPAM cartridge) Periphery (for EPAM cartridge) Support member 16d (EPAM cartridge) EPAM plus electrode 16e (EPAM cartridge) EPAM minus electrode 16f (EPAM cartridge) through bolt 16g (EPAM cartridge) conductors 17, 170・ ・ ・ Rotating shaft 18, 180 ・ ・ ・ Cam 20, 200 ・ ・ ・ Voltage converter 22, 220 ・ ・ ・ Booster circuit 24, 240 ・ ・ ・ Step-down circuit 30, 300 ・ ・ ・ Power storage unit 400 ・ ・ ・ Smooth circuit

Claims (3)

The movement of the axial direction of the piston shaft is converted into a force that deforms the electric field responsive polymer, and the deformation state of the electric field responsive polymer is detected, and the initial electric to the electric field responsive polymer is detected according to the deformation state. A power generation unit that switches between the supply of energy and the output of electrical energy from the electric field responsive polymer;
A voltage converter that boosts the initial electrical energy and reduces the output electrical energy;
A power generator using an electric field responsive polymer comprising an output of initial electrical energy to the power conversion unit, a storage of output electrical energy from the power conversion unit, and a storage unit for discharging to an external load. ,
An electric field in which the piston shaft of the power generation unit is installed in the vicinity of a rotating shaft that rotates by the kinetic energy of the fluid and moves in the axial direction by contacting a cam fixed to the rotating shaft. Power generator using responsive polymer.   2. The power generation device using an electric field responsive polymer according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the power generation unit portions are arranged at equiangular intervals on a circumference around the rotation axis.   The smoothing circuit for smoothing the output electric energy output from the plurality of power generation unit units is provided between a discharge terminal of the power generation unit unit and a step-down circuit of the voltage conversion unit. A power generator using the electric field responsive polymer described.

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