WO1997001707A1 - Tiltable active hydroelectric turbine wheel - Google Patents

Abstract

A tubular turbine for a hydroelectric recycling system forming a hydroelectric generator for recovering water used by a hydroelectric generator producing said water. A recycling unit consists of a linear raiser and a production unit consists of a rotary tubular turbine. These different applications of a single invention are combined in a novel system in which the gravitational force of the water is used synergistically with the opposite force, i.e. buoyancy (Archimedes' principle). The combination of these two devices enables damless micro-stations to be built with restricted-voltage power lines that are buried so that they do not mar the landscape. The invention increases the conventional hydroelectric power generating capacity and thus it is mainly advantageous in that it combines water savings with virtually closed-circuit operation.

Description

 TILTING HYDRAULIC IMPELLER

The hydroelectric technique in use at the end of this millennium has been in a conservative state for more than a century, but it thereby shows its functional reliability, but also its expectation of innovation. Water knows a permanent natural recycling and yet, this hydrodynamic energy is then held back by the prodigious development of thermodynamic energy, especially at the end of this century in its nuclear form. Humanity now has gigantic hydroelectric power stations, disproportionate artificial reservoirs, very high voltage lines that weave themselves over the landscapes. These constructions use the mass and pressure of the waters so potentially and profusely available. We have come to a waste of these resources, to the boost in the generation of electricity with a view to its long-distance transport. The dam prevents the essential ascent of fish, the retention of water silts up suspended waste. Experience today shows that the damage of this operating system has become as great as the benefits. Hydraulic energy deserves better than the use of gravity alone: the simultaneous application of hydrostatic thrust (of the Archimedes principle). The present invention aims not only to improve the productivity of the conventional hydraulic system, but also and above all, to considerably reduce the water consumption necessary for its operation in a recycling system.

The invention relates to the "recycling" of a potential liquid and cold energy, purely hydrodynamic which differs from thermodynamic energy systems. The object of the present invention relates to this saving of water, by association of known hydraulic techniques with the use of the Archimedes thrust represented by a new hydraulic technique. ¹ The invention relates to a process system of production of electricity more modest than the dam system, more efficient and damaging point for the natural environment. The "tubular turbine in hydroelectric recycling system" is in principle intended to cover and supply a business or an isolated place, a village, at most a group of villages or a city. Such a location advantageously allows the transport of low voltage energy and the buried wiring underground. The system can be built far from a watercourse, considering its almost closed circuit operation, with a make-up water flow taken from a stream diversion. Such a system does not compete with conventional hydroelectricity, it replaces it without replacing it could in the near future to replace, for example, the production of nuclear energy which will soon be at the end of its normal use, a limiting condition unknown to hydropower which is also more ecological.

The tubular turbine technique combined with other hydraulic techniques forms a recycling system which is divided into an interdependent group. This group is characterized by devices differentiated by their function, constituting the downstream group for recycling water and the upstream group for producing the same water.

The recycling group is made up of one or a set of boosters, the production group is made up of one or more tubular turbines.

The tubular turbine works alone, or in several, in line on a single level, on different levels, in a superimposed manner, arranged in steps and cascades according to recycling or not. Fig.l shows a system characterized by a well 8 containing a guided elevator and slid under seal along a metal column 12 vertically sealed 14. To this function assigned to the column is added the water collection function and supplying the turbine tank 7-6 16, by the natural communication of the water levels between the upper compartment 10 of the booster and the track the high entry of the open metal column 12. The booster is on the other hand consisting of a lower compartment 9 for gravity emptying, or pump emptying, the volume of which forms a third or a quarter or any other fraction smaller than the upper compartment 10. The successive alternating filling and emptying of booster s '' perform automatically. A tank 13, located at level of filled well 8, collects the water consumed by the turbine. Recycling achieves at least 2/3 of water. This represents a considerable energy saving, and the absolute free use, considering that 1/3 of water at most is restored to nature by gravity. The booster is a proven and proven device in this economic capacity. The technique of a production group consists of tubular turbines (fig. 2 and 3 concerning some details). The tubular turbine 16 is a device which is characterized by the use of the action of the gravity of water passing through a hollow body evolving in the air, supported by the hydrostatic thrust exerted on this empty hollow body evolving in the 'water.

As this body forms tubular blade 1 + 2, there is a hydraulic turbine made up of several similar blades rotating both partly in water and partly in air. Water becoming the energy of passage. in each dawn, that the air replaces alternately under the effect of the rotation.

The rotation of the tubular turbine is then carried out, according to the invention, under the combined action of 4 forces per blade and which are: a hydrostatic thrust from bottom to top, a weighing from top to bottom, a lever action, a reaction of the water at the outlet. The characteristic of each blade is to be made up of a tube device open at each end 1 + 2

It is assembled with other identical blades rotating around a common center. It consists of a blade arm 1 rotating in the water and a blade arm 2 rotating in the air joined together by a hub 3. The tubular turbine is characterized in a device with six, eight , twelve, sixteen, or any number of blades, forming aquatic arms 1 distributed at equal distances and of identical sharing around a hub 3. Fig.4 shows schematically the aquatic arm according to 2 versions, the simplest of which Fig. 4a is characterized by a forearm 17, a rounded right angle bend, a forearm 18 oriented in the direction of rotation by the open inlet directed towards the surface of the water for its taking . The forearm is of equal length at the distance from the axis of the turbine to the full tank level. In a second version fig.4b of the invention, this aquatic arm elbow forms a rounded angle more or less closed acute and the forearm is equal to 2 times the length of the rear arm which performs this measurement from the axis to the reservoir water level. The aquatic arms are joined directly to a hub 3, which is characterized in that it consists of a cylinder section comprising as many elbows as there are arms located on one side and by as many elbows as there are arms located on the other side. A central transmission shaft 4 emerges integral with each closed end portion of the hub. The tube section can be round, oval, flat, triangular, and of different shape and length.

The turbine is characterized in that it rotates from its hub 3 integral with the blades, inside bronze rings or other stainless material, bearings, etc. These rings 5 are adjusted in circular openings provided in the two parallel faces of the tank 6, so that the turbine, provided with its only aquatic arms, can be introduced in assembly by the free release from above the tank.

The turbine is characterized, on the other hand, in a device with six, eight, twelve, sixteen, or any number of blades, forming aerial arms 2 for extending the aquatic arms. This type of aerial arm is of rectilinear constitution, distributed at equal distances and of identical sharing, available on either side at the external outlet of the tank 6. The tube section can be similar in shape to that of the water arms, and consist of a retention swelling at the end, in order to increase the weight of the water which precedes its reactive exit. The length of the air vane arm will be determined during the optimal power search; it is in direct relation to size with the dawn arm. The air vane arm 2 is in principle adjusted by a defined angle relative to the water vane arm 1, which is fixed at more or less 90 °. The precise angle is determined experimentally, according to an internal water circulation at dawn the most economical for the fastest rotation, before the meeting of the arms is blocked. The assembled dawn is characterized by a water inlet consisting of a single free opening at the end of the aquatic arm and, at the other end, the end of the air arm has a 90 ° bend whose free opening achieves the water outlet. This elbow can be extended by the optional retention swelling. The blades are made of PVC tubes or other stainless materials. The reservoir 6 is characterized in that it is made of reinforced concrete or reinforced plastic, of rectangular shape, of a length greater than the blade diameter, and of width equal internally to the passage without blade friction. The corners of the bottom are strongly rounded, in order to regulate the turbulence which results from the rotation of the aquatic arms.

A water inlet is located high up on the upper level. In immersion, the turbine automatically rotates from an axis below the upper constant level of the tank, the height of which is determined according to the size of the aquatic arm 1 chosen. The forearm exit from this level corresponds to the start of the flow of water contained in the entire blade; at the end of the flow, the air arm 2 is located at the vertical base of the hub. Without load the rotation of the tubular turbine persists with the drop in the level in the tank until it reaches the hub. The hydrodynamics of this type of turbine is therefore characterized in that it takes place spontaneously in still water (apart from the need for water or current, which can nevertheless be associated therewith by their own action), between two different levels gravity; by its economy in consumed water, in the fact that it transforms all available water into mechanical energy, without losses by deflection of any flow or pressure. It is also characterized by the presence of a particular permanent motor torque, the line of force of which is equal to the length of the aquatic arm increased by the length of the aerial arm. Models with 12 or more blades are preferably designed in small dimensions; tubes between 50 and 100 mm in diameter, length of the aquatic arms limited between 600 mm and 1200 mm. This reduces the blade diameter between 1500 mm and 2800 mm. This is due to the need for prefabrication of tanks compatible with transportable length and weight. For larger models, from six to twelve blades, in particular with tubes with diameters greater than 100 mm and long arm lengths, the tank is produced right at the place of installation. The diversion of a watercourse by a conical acceleration channel makes it possible to further increase, by a fifth force, the power of the tubular turbine. The water vane arm is then characterized, in this version (c), by a flap device articulated by 90 ° under the effect of the stream on the forearm 18: when the forearm enters upstream at the surface of the water, the watercourse acts on a single or a double flap which opens at the front of the flow and is held there perpendicularly against a stop when the forearm is in the process of outlet downstream of the water surface, this flap folds or folds one against the other (like the wings of a butterfly), is positioned in the direction of the river. The recycling of running water is also possible in this version, but in an independent way and not in a system.

A fourth version (d) of the invention characterizes a device for vacuum (by suction) and overpressure (by discharge), consisting of a turbine pump integrated in each blade, centralized in a tubular bulge section internal to the hub. Each pump is slaved to an electronic distributor of a timely on-off control: so that the hydrostatic thrust acts on the aquatic arm - constituted according to version (b) - in a half-turn of the turbine and that gravity acts on the aerial arm also by a half-turn (minus the top and bottom blind spot concerning the moment of the vertical position of arm position). This process is particularly suitable for the large capacity tubular turbine, because of the volume of water circulating in the blades and the long length of the arms: the only atmospheric pressure being insufficient to ensure the necessary flow speed. The pumps can be supplied with low voltage by a battery integrated in the hub, otherwise by external electricity by means of a rotary switch.

Fig.5 characterizes a fifth version (e) of the invention in tubular rocker turbine system. This device consists of a straight tilting tube 19 hinging in a central location at an angle of about 90 ° perpendicularly around a shaft 20 of rotation common to other identical independent and adjacent rockers. Each rocker is consisting of aquatic section 21 upstream and aerial section 22 downstream, of balanced lengths. The tilting works under the hydrostatic thrust on the aquatic section emptied of a quantity of water previously taken from a basin, and by the gravity of this same quantity of water evacuated through the aerial section on the air side. Each section is at the end made up of a swelling forming ballast 23 of comparable volume, the upstream ballast intended to empty into the downstream ballast, causing each of the sections to tilt from a horizontal position to a vertical position. The water loading action is carried out in the opposite direction: the rocker having passed from the horizontal position to the vertical position, the water in the basin rushes into the aquatic section by an inlet valve

24 open located at the end of upstream ballast to the front of a central valve

25 simultaneously closed, and the rocker returns to the horizontal position. The articulation of the rocker is free during this water load. The place of articulation of the rocker is located below or above the transverse rotation shaft, a wall slot 29 of height corresponding to the angle of flip-flop is sealed by a pleated curtain belted around the tube, keeping the closure flexible and waterproof. An electromagnetic blocking lock 27, located on the aerial side of the wall adjoining the aquatic basin, keeps the rocker in a horizontal arrangement. A flexible pressurization pipe 28 is placed on the upstream aquatic ballast. The discharge of this water confined in the aquatic section is carried out during the inversion of the two valves joined by a control rod, with closing of the inlet valve and opening of the outlet valve. The water then quickly enters the aerial section, until filling the downstream ballast (leaving the aerial section of the tube empty), and the rocker comes into effective action by driving the motor shaft 20 by means of a click. A flap 26 for releasing water terminates the downstream ballast, with the opening directed towards the water retaining wall, so that a reaction effect is produced which allows the aquatic section to tilt in imbalance in tilting view after recharging the aquatic section with water. Continuous turbine rotation requires a minimum of successively active rockers, considering that each rocker performs only 90 °; the number of rockers and their length are only limited by the strength of the building materials. The speed of rotation of the motor shaft depends on the time that each rocker takes to act effectively

The timing of this movement is thus measured only after the passage of water from the aquatic section to the downstream ballast, therefore during the moment when the Archimedes' thrust operates from bottom to top in synergy with gravity operating from top to bottom . The developed power and the generated electrical production force are about double what is usually expected from a hydraulic machine, regardless of the possibility of recycling.

The retention basin is characterized by a wall inclined at an obtuse angle of a few degrees relative to the vertical of the water, to allow the rockers to take the vertical arrangement, high water side and low air side. This construction is straight, with perpendicular reinforcing walls. In the recycling system design, the infrastructure is advantageously made in a square shape, comprising 4 sides of independent rotation shafts. The hydraulic building is surrounded by four discharge ditches communicating with level with deep wells of large diameter serving as elevators of large volumetric capacity.

A sixth version (f) of the invention characterizes a process for recycling the water consumed by tubular rocking turbine (version (e)). Method starting from the principle of doubling the force obtained at the end of the transmission shaft by the fact of the gravity of a body of water in synergy with the Archimedes thrust that determines the volume of this mass substituted by air and that there is sufficient energy development to theoretically raise all the water consumed by rocking turbine, if not partially in practice by technological device (bucket wheel, pumps, etc.)

The hydraulic infrastructure implies, in all cases, a free supply of supply water and a free supply of drain water. This is independent of the possibility of partial or full recycling of this hydraulic energy. Operation of the rocking turbine: The version device (f) of the invention operates in six stages which are broken down into four loading times and two unloading times. These water loading times count as passive states; the fifth time for discharging this water is neutral; only the sixth time appears active, effective state. This time is characterized by the latching of the drive motor shaft, performed on a quarter turn by rocker. The kinetic force developed is then by the Archimedes' thrust exerted from bottom to top under the upstream ballast of the aquatic section relieved of its liquid load, and simultaneously with the weighting exerted from top to bottom of this load passed in the downstream ballast of the aerial section of the rocker: 1st step: The rocker is in vertical position, the valve of the downstream ballast is closed and this ballast is filled with water (the tubular aerial section has remained empty), the central valve of the water shut-off section is still open, the valve of the upstream ballast still closed. An active state of the rocker is terminated.

2nd time: The central valve closes, the valve of the upstream ballast opens, while the valve of the downstream ballast also opens and the retained water escapes violently with a reactive effect perpendicular to the rocker which unbalances and tilts by taking the water through the inlet of the upstream valve. Water fills the aquatic section and the rocker hinges up to a horizontal position against a stop. 3rd time: The valve of the upstream ballast closes on the captive water in the aquatic section.

4th step: The lock advances under the rocker and immobilizes it in this horizontal position. The water loading is ready. 5th time: The valve of the downstream ballast closes and, simultaneously, the central valve opens. Water flows in the overhead section and fills the downstream ballast, while the upstream ballast is emptied.

6th time: The lock is withdrawn from below the aerial section of the rocker which articulates at a right angle to the vertical position in active state. During all these times one (or two) flexible hose kept out of water allowed the atmospheric pressure to act as much for the evacuation of air as for its timely admission.

Fig. representative: 1-2-3-4-5 of: 1 = water blade arm 2 = air blade arm

3 = hub

4 = drive shaft

5 = rotation rings

6 = turbine tank 7 = intermediate tank

8 = booster well

9 = low compartment

10 = high compartment 11 = auxiliary pump 12 = tubular guide column

13 = recovery tank

14 = column sealing

15 = booster

16 = tubular turbine] 7 = aquatic forearm 1§ = aquatic forearm

19 = tubebascμleur

I

20 = rotation shaft

21 = aquatic section 22 = aerial section

23 = ballast

24 = inlet valve

25 = outlet valve

26 = flap 27 = lock

28 = pressurization hose

29 = wall slot

Specific versions of the invention: a-b-c-d-e-f.

Claims

1. In the state of the hydraulic technique, there is the invention of the "booster" and the hydrostatic turbine, which is completed by the invention of the tubular turbine which characterizes a new development. The present invention is characterized by the constitution of a system developed to act in synergy and form, on the one hand, a hydraulic group for the production of electricity and, on the other hand, a hydraulic group for recycling water by maximum recovery of those used. This system is characterized in that the recycling group applies the linear process of raising the water by booster and, in that the production group applies the same functional process but in its rotary mode of tubular turbine, by versions a , b, c, d, e, f, whose version (a) is characterized as a model of tubular turbine (16) made up of any set of independent hollow blades, joined together in a hub (3) dividing into arms aquatic (1) rotating in a water intake tank (6) by these vanes and in aerial aerial arms (2) for leaving water in the air; blades thus animated under the buoyancy of Archimedes by relieving aquatic arms emptying in support of the gravity of this water during its crossing in aerial arms. 2. Device according to claim 1 and the version (a) of diagram in fig. 4a characterized by an aquatic arm (1), of round tubular section or of any other profile, consisting of bent in a rounded right angle or relatively more open, divided into an arm (17) of indefinite length starting from a hub (3) and in the forearm (18) of defined length equal to the height of the center of rotation at the full tank level (6); or, that this device in version (b) of diagram in fig. 4b, is characterized, starting from a hub, of an aquatic arm divided into a bent rear arm more or less acute rounded angle of defined length equal at the height of the center of rotation at the full level of the tank and comprising a forearm of defined length equal to twice this length of the rear arm. 3. Device according to the preceding claims and the versions (a) - (b) of diagram in fig.4a and fig.4b, characterized by an aerial arm (2), of round tubular section or of any other profile, consisting of rectilinear shape of indefinite length ending in a right angle bend, or provided with a tubular swelling of water retention. 4. Device according to the preceding claims, characterized by a hub (3) of equidistant distribution of vanes whose aquatic arms (1) are integral therewith and to which the aerial arms (2) are freely connectable. and angularly adjustable, comprising a central drive shaft (4). 5. Device according to claim 2 and the versions (a) or (b) of diagram in fig.4a and fig.4b, characterizing a version (c) of the invention, consisting of a flap articulating on 90 ° d opening under the upstream action of a stream of water, in place of each aquatic forearm (18), and folding back in the direction of the downstream action of this stream of water. 6. Device according to claim 4 and the version (b) of diagram in fig.4b characterizing a version (d) of the invention, constituted by a hub (3) comprising tubular swellings containing acceleration turbine pumps circulating water for each of the independent blades. 7. Device according to claim 1, characterizing a version (e) of the invention in a group for generating electricity by a rocker type turbine (19) consisting of a rectilinear tube rocking at a right angle around a motor shaft (20), from a vertical position of water loading of a ballast (23) upstream of an aquatic section (21) of the tube maintained in a horizontal position in a water reserve behind an oblique wall by a lock (27) which, when withdrawn, allows the tube to be unbalanced by letting water penetrate into an aerial section (22) and fill a downstream ballast (23), tilting the tube to a new vertical position, under thrust hydrostatic on the upstream ballast lightened with its water load which, by emptying into the downstream ballast, simultaneously exerts a weight ballast preceding the exit of reactive water to unbalance the vertical state. The articulation device is characterized by a through-opening of a tilting tube (19) in the water retaining wall; and characterizing a flexible sealing obturation (29) consisting of a pleated curtain secured to the wall and to the tube at the start of the aerial section (22). 8. Device according to claim 7, characterized by an inlet valve (24) of upstream ballast water (23), by a water shut-off valve (25) instead of a tube preceding the pleated curtain (29) characterized in that the opening of the first valve is linked when the second valve is closed and vice versa to allow this water to flow to the aerial section of the rocker tube which includes a third water outlet valve, formed at the end of the downstream ballast with a right angle opening directed towards the dam wall. 9. Device according to claim 7, characterizing a drive shaft for transmission (20) of the movements carried out by several tilting tubes (19) adjacent, being in free rotation in one direction from above or from below during their loading with water, and being in rotation in the opposite direction latching during their unloading of this water, continuously driving the motor shaft, which can be provided with any rotary device for recovering the water consumed by the rocker turbines. 10. Device according to claim 1, characterizing a group for recycling water by booster (15) consisting of a hollow float divided into two parts including a lower compartment (9) of lower volume than a high compartment (10) of higher volume, sliding freely in sealing along a hollow verticalized guide column (12) fixedly in a well (8); booster which thus characterizes a device intended for filling by its heavy flotation in a water reserve, then its alternate gravity emptying of low compartment which causes the booster to be raised with its high compartment lightened in proportion to the weight of water released in a low place as in a high place, and as the volume of water in the top compartment is recovered by "raising" (communicative elevation to the top entry of the column, during equalization of the stabilized water level in the compartment high with the water level of the tank (6) which supplies the tubular turbine (16).