JP2014084799A - Micro hydroelectric generator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a micro hydroelectric generator capable of improving versatility and installability by being easily installed in various rivers and the like, reducing manufacturing costs, and improving maintainability and reliability.SOLUTION: A micro hydroelectric generator 1 including at least a screw unit 2 rotated by flowing water W, and a power generating mechanism 3 for converting rotary motion of the screw unit 2 into electric energy, further includes an outer cylindrical body 11 having an inflow port 11i to which the flowing water W flows in, at one end portion, and an outflow port 11e from which the flowing water W flowing into the other end, flows out, a rotary cylindrical portion 12 which is rotatably supported inside of the outer cylindrical body 11 and in which the flowing water W passes, a screw unit 2 having a screw blade portion 13 disposed integrally with an inner peripheral face 12c of the rotary cylindrical portion 12, and a power generating mechanism 3 disposed between an outer peripheral face 12f of the rotary cylindrical portion 12 and an inner peripheral face 11c of the outer cylindrical body 11 opposed to the outer peripheral face 12f.

Description

  The present invention relates to a micro hydroelectric generator suitable for use in power generation using flowing water such as a river.

  Conventionally, as a small hydroelectric generator (micro hydroelectric generator) that generates electricity using flowing water such as a river, a hydroelectric generator disclosed in Patent Document 1, a hydroelectric power system disclosed in Patent Document 2, and a patent document 3 and the hydroelectric power generator disclosed in Patent Document 4 are known.

  The hydroelectric generator disclosed in Patent Document 1 is excellent in portability and is intended to provide a generator that converts water current energy such as a river into electric energy. Specifically, a case unit having buoyancy A plurality of rectifying plates, a variable plate, a turbine, a power generation unit, a charging unit, and a guide, and the shape of the case unit is reduced in diameter in the direction from the inflow port to the outflow port, and is curved. The turbine is rotated by the water flow passing through the inside of the unit, and the rotational kinetic energy is converted into electric energy by the power generation unit.

  The hydroelectric power generation system disclosed in Patent Document 2 is intended to provide a hydroelectric power generation system that can generate power using a water flow as an energy source. Specifically, the hydroelectric power generation system is installed on the front side of the converter. The speed increasing duct that increases the speed of water flow in rivers and the like, and the propeller equipped inside, the water flow after speed increasing discharged from the speed increasing duct is captured and rotated to convert the water flow into rotational motion And a generator, etc. are provided inside the enclosure, and the generator is designed to generate electricity using the rotational motion obtained by the converter, and its structure is designed to float on the water surface. A float member for installation at a predetermined position in the vicinity of the water surface, a power generation device is installed above the float member, and a conversion device is installed below the float member.

  In addition, the micro hydroelectric generator disclosed in Patent Document 3 is a hydroelectric generator installed in the middle of a pipeline, with the flow rate or pressure of water flowing through the pipeline in the water conveyance / water supply / distribution pipeline network as a controlled variable. A power generation method for controlling the control amount by operating the number of rotations of the turbine and using surplus pressure associated with the control, and for controlling the opening of a turbine inlet valve installed upstream of the hydropower generator, It has the structure which controls the control amount of the water distribution in the downstream pipe line of a hydroelectric generator to a target value by performing independently the turbine speed control of a hydroelectric generator.

  Further, the hydroelectric generator disclosed in Patent Document 4 incorporates a water turbine having a rotational axis that is orthogonal to the water flow and that is horizontally supported with respect to the water surface and that is rotatably supported at both ends. A means that has a water turbine part whose outer peripheral part forms a rectangular tube shape, and that can generate power by transmitting the rotational force of the water wheel to the generator, and means that can be fixed near the bottom of a water bottom of a river or a dam It has a configuration with

JP 2001-132607 A JP 2002-81362 A JP 2006-22745 A JP 2008-31879 A

  However, the above-described conventional micro hydroelectric generator (small hydroelectric generator) has the following problems.

  First, the overall configuration tends to become complicated, and accordingly, the scale (size) tends to increase. Therefore, the rivers that can be installed are limited, and the versatility is difficult, and it is difficult to say that the installation is easy and the installation is difficult. Moreover, since the overall configuration becomes complicated, an increase in the cost due to an increase in the number of parts and the number of manufacturing steps cannot be ignored, and when installing a large number of micro hydroelectric generators, a great deal of cost is required and sufficient maintainability is provided. In addition, it is difficult to ensure reliability.

  Secondly, since all remain in a fundamental (ideal) configuration, it is insufficient from the viewpoint of practical use. In particular, it is unclear whether sufficient power generation capacity and power generation efficiency can be secured, such as being limited to the disclosure of water turbines having a general propeller shape or the like as means for converting running water into rotational motion, and there is difficulty in practicality.

  The object of the present invention is to provide a micro hydroelectric generator that solves the problems existing in the background art.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a micro hydraulic power generator 1 including at least a screw unit 2 that is rotated by running water W and a power generation mechanism 3 that converts the rotational motion of the screw unit 2 into electric energy. The outer cylinder 11 having an inlet 11i through which the flowing water W flows into one end and the outlet 11e through which the flowing water W flowing into the other end flows out, and the inside of the outer cylinder 11 A screw unit 2 having a rotating cylinder portion 12 that is rotatably supported by the inner surface 12c of the rotating cylinder portion 12, and a screw blade portion 13 that is integrally provided on the inner peripheral surface 12c of the rotating cylinder portion 12. The power generation mechanism 3 is provided between the outer peripheral surface 12f of the rotating cylinder portion 12 and the inner peripheral surface 11c of the outer cylinder 11 facing the outer peripheral surface 12f.

  In this case, according to a preferred aspect of the invention, the outer cylindrical body 11 has a tapered inner peripheral surface 21t whose downstream side is gradually reduced in diameter and whose upstream end is the inlet 11i. And a rear guide tube portion 22 having a tapered inner peripheral surface 22t whose upstream side gradually becomes a small diameter, and a downstream end portion serving as the outlet 11e, and a downstream end portion of the front guide tube portion 21 And both ends of the rotating tube portion 12 are rotatably supported by the upstream end of the rear water guiding tube portion 22, and the front water guiding tube portion 21 and the rear water guiding tube portion 22 are connected at a predetermined interval. And the fixed cylinder part 23 which covers 12 f of outer peripheral surfaces of the rotation cylinder part 12 via the predetermined space S can be provided. Further, the outer cylinder 11 has both ends of the rotating cylinder portion 12 by a pair of front and rear bearings 24 and 25 arranged at the downstream end portion of the front guide tube portion 21 and the upstream end portion of the rear guide tube portion 22. It can be supported freely. Further, the screw unit 2 can be provided with a screw blade portion 13 having a plurality of blade pieces 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d spiraling along the axial direction of the rotating cylinder portion 12, and the screw blade portion. A water passage hole 27 penetrating in the front-rear direction can be provided in the central portion of 13. On the other hand, in the power generation mechanism 3, a plurality of magnets 28 (or coils 29) arranged at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction Fr of the outer peripheral surface 12f of the rotating cylinder portion 12 and fixed to the outer peripheral surface 12f. ), And a plurality of coils 29 (or magnets 28...) That are opposed to the plurality of magnets 28 (or coils 29...), Arranged at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction Fr, and fixed in position. Can be provided. At this time, the power generation mechanism 3 can be provided with yokes 15 arranged along the plurality of coils 29. Further, the power generation mechanism 3 can be provided with a mechanical impedance adjustment function unit 16 that can change the mechanical impedance by changing at least a part of the gap G between the yoke 15 and the magnets 28.

  According to the micro hydroelectric generator 1 according to the present invention having such a configuration, the following remarkable effects can be obtained.

  (1) An outer cylinder 11 having an inlet 11i through which the flowing water W flows into one end and an outlet 11e through which the flowing water W flows into the other end, and an inside of the outer cylinder 11 A screw unit 2 that is supported by a movable body and has a rotating cylinder portion 12 through which running water W passes, and is configured by a screw blade portion 13 provided integrally with an inner peripheral surface 12c of the rotating cylinder portion 12; Since the power generation mechanism 3 disposed between the outer peripheral surface 12f of the rotating cylindrical portion 12 and the inner peripheral surface 11c of the outer cylindrical body 11 facing the outer peripheral surface 12f is provided, the entire configuration is simplified (simple Downsizing and downsizing can be achieved. As a result, it can be installed very easily without special construction for various rivers and the like, and versatility and installation can be improved. In addition, it can contribute to cost reduction associated with reduction in the number of components and production man-hours, and further to improvement in maintainability and reliability.

  (2) According to a preferred embodiment, the outer cylindrical body 11 has a tapered inner peripheral surface 21t having a gradually decreasing diameter on the downstream side, and a front water guiding cylinder portion 21 having an upstream end serving as an inflow port 11i; A rear guide cylinder portion 22 having a tapered inner peripheral surface 22t whose side gradually becomes smaller in diameter and a downstream end portion serving as an outlet 11e is provided, and a downstream end portion and a rear guide portion of the front guide cylinder portion 21 are provided. Both ends of the rotating tube portion 12 are rotatably supported by the upstream end portion of the water tube portion 22, and the front water guiding tube portion 21 and the rear water guiding tube portion 22 are connected with a predetermined interval and rotated. If the fixed cylinder part 23 which covers the outer peripheral surface 12f of the cylinder part 12 through the predetermined space S is provided, the entire outer shape of the micro hydroelectric generator 1 is made a simple cylindrical shape having substantially the same diameter in the axial direction. be able to. As a result, useless protruding portions are eliminated, so that it is possible to easily and surely install in, for example, a water channel having the same width as the outer diameter. Can be used as an installation space for the power generation mechanism 3, so that a motion conversion mechanism with good space efficiency, and further, the power generation mechanism 3 can be constructed.

  (3) According to a preferred embodiment, in the outer cylinder 11, a rotating cylinder is provided by a pair of front and rear bearings 24, 25 arranged at the downstream end of the front water guide cylinder 21 and the upstream end of the rear water guide cylinder 22. If both end portions of the portion 12 are rotatably supported, a stable rotating operation of the screw blade portion 13 by the running water W and further the screw unit 2 can be secured.

  (4) According to a preferred embodiment, if the screw blade portion 13 having a plurality of blade pieces 13a, 13b ... spiraling along the axial direction of the rotating cylinder portion 12 is provided in the screw unit 2, the flowing water W Since the water flow motion can be efficiently converted into the rotational motion of the screw blade section 13, the motion conversion can be performed reliably even in an environment where the speed of the water flow is slow or an environment where the flow rate of the water flow is small.

  (5) By providing a water passage hole 27 penetrating in the front-rear direction in the center portion of the screw blade portion 13 in the screw unit 2 according to a preferred aspect, the flow resistance near the center can be reduced and the rectification can be further improved. Therefore, the rotational performance of the screw blade portion 13 can be further improved, and the passage of dust and the like can be allowed to prevent the dust from staying in front of the screw blade portion 13.

  (6) According to a preferred embodiment, the plurality of magnets 28 arranged on the power generation mechanism 3 at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction Fr of the outer peripheral surface 12f of the rotating cylinder portion 12 and fixed to the outer peripheral surface 12f. (Or coils 29...) And the plurality of magnets 28... (Or (or coils 29...) And arranged at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction Fr and fixed in position. If the magnets 28 ...) are provided, the number of the magnets 28 ... and the coils 29 ... used can be greatly increased, which can contribute to improvement in power generation performance and power generation stability.

  (7) If the yoke 15 arranged along the plurality of coils 29 is provided in the power generation mechanism 3 according to a preferred aspect, the magnetic characteristics in the power generation mechanism 3 can be optimized, so that the power generation performance (power generation efficiency) is further improved. Can be increased.

  (8) If the power generation mechanism 3 is provided with the mechanical impedance adjustment function unit 16 capable of changing the mechanical impedance by changing at least a part of the gap G between the yoke 15 and the magnets 28. Since the magnitude of the mechanical impedance in 3 can be arbitrarily changed (adjusted), an appropriate hydraulic resistance can be set according to the installation environment (flowing water amount, flow velocity, etc.).

Side surface sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of the micro hydraulic power generator which concerns on suitable embodiment of this invention, Front view of screw unit in the same micro hydroelectric generator, The perspective view which fractured | ruptured a part which shows the electric power generation mechanism in the micro hydroelectric generator, Front view of the coil unit in the power generation mechanism, Front view of the magnet unit in the power generation mechanism, External perspective view of the micro hydroelectric generator, An explanatory diagram showing an example of use of the micro hydroelectric generator, Side cross-sectional view showing a modification example of the power generation mechanism in the micro hydroelectric generator, A plan development view showing an extracted part of the coil unit in the modified example, Side sectional view including a partially extracted enlarged view showing another modification example of the power generation mechanism in the micro hydroelectric generator,

  Next, preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be given and described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  First, the configuration of the micro hydroelectric generator 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the micro hydroelectric generator 1 according to the present embodiment has a flow inlet 11i into which flowing water W flows in at one end and a flow from which flowing water W flows into the other end as shown in FIG. An outer cylinder 11 having an outlet 11e, a screw unit 2 that is rotated by running water W, and a power generation mechanism 3 that converts the rotational motion of the screw unit 2 into electric energy are provided.

  In this case, the outer tubular body 11 includes a front water guide tube portion 21, a rear water guide tube portion 22, and a fixed tube portion 23. The front water guide tube portion 21 is formed in a cylindrical shape as a whole, and has a tapered inner peripheral surface 21t that gradually becomes smaller in diameter on the downstream side. As a result, the upstream end opening of the front water guide cylinder 21 becomes the inlet 11 i of the outer cylinder 11. The rear water guide tube portion 22 is formed in a cylindrical shape as a whole, and has a tapered inner peripheral surface 22t having a gradually decreasing diameter on the upstream side. Thereby, the downstream end opening of the rear guide tube portion 22 becomes the outflow port 11 e of the outer tube body 11. Since the basic structure is the same except that the front water guide tube portion 21 and the rear water guide tube portion 22 are opposite in direction, two front water guide tube portions 21 and 21 are prepared, and one of them is used for the front water guide tube portion 21. However, the other can be used for the rear guiding cylinder portion 22.

  Moreover, the fixed cylinder part 23 forms the whole in a simple cylindrical shape, and has a function which connects the front water guide cylinder part 21 and the rear water guide cylinder part 22 at predetermined intervals. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the downstream end portion of the front water guide tube portion 21 is inserted into one end opening of the fixed tube portion 23 and fixed by a plurality of fixing screws 31. Is inserted into the other end opening of the fixed cylinder portion 23 and fixed by a plurality of fixing screws 32..., The outer cylindrical body 11 in which the front water guide cylinder portion 21, the rear water guide cylinder portion 22 and the fixed cylinder portion 23 are integrated. Can be obtained. The material for forming the outer cylinder 11 is not particularly limited, and the front water guide tube portion 21, the rear water guide tube portion 22, and the fixed tube portion 23 are integrally formed of a plastic material, a metal material, a ceramic material, or the like, respectively. Can do. In addition, 33 ... shows the seal ring respectively interposed between the front water guide cylinder part 21 and the fixed cylinder part 23, and between the rear water guide cylinder part 22 and the fixed cylinder part 23.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the screw unit 2 includes a rotating cylinder portion 12 in which the entire flowing water W passes in a simple cylindrical shape, and an inner peripheral surface 12 c of the rotating cylinder portion 12. Is provided with a screw blade portion 13 provided integrally therewith. Then, when assembling to the outer cylinder 11, as shown in FIG. 1, the engagement rings 35 and 36 are respectively attached to the openings at both ends of the rotating cylinder portion 12. The inner peripheral surfaces of the bearings 24 and 25 are respectively attached to the step portions formed on the outer peripheral surface of the 36, and in this state, the outer peripheral surfaces of the bearings 24 and 25 are provided at the downstream end portion of the front water guide tube portion 21. The engaging stepped portion 21j and the engaging stepped portion 22j provided at the upstream end portion of the rear guide tube portion 22 are respectively mounted. Therefore, the rotating cylinder portion 12 can be assembled to the outer cylinder 11 when the outer cylinder 11 is assembled. Thereby, both ends of the rotating cylinder part 12 are rotatably supported inside the outer cylinder 11. As described above, in the outer cylinder 11, both ends of the rotating cylinder portion 12 are provided by the pair of front and rear bearings 24 and 25 arranged at the downstream end portion of the front water guide cylinder portion 21 and the upstream end portion of the rear water guide cylinder portion 22. If the portion is supported so as to be rotatable, there is an advantage that a stable rotating operation of the rotating cylinder portion 12 and the screw unit 2 can be secured.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the screw blade portion 13 has a plurality of (four examples) blade pieces 13 a, 13 b, 13 c, and 13 d that are spiral along the axial direction of the rotating cylinder portion 12. Is provided. The illustrated screw blade portion 13 is inserted into the rotating cylinder portion 12, and the outer portions of the blade pieces 13 a, 13 b, 13 c, and 13 d are provided integrally on the inner peripheral surface 12 c of the rotating cylinder portion 12. In this case, each blade piece 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d may be formed integrally with the inner peripheral surface 12c, or a separately formed piece may be fixed by welding or the like. The four blade pieces 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d are arranged at intervals of 90 ° in the circumferential direction. Further, a water passage hole 27 penetrating in the front-rear direction is provided at the center of the screw blade portion 13.

  As described above, the screw unit 13 is provided with the screw blade part 13 having the plurality of blade pieces 13a, 13b,... Spiraling along the axial direction of the rotating cylinder part 12, and thus the water flow motion of the running water W is screwed. It is possible to efficiently convert the rotational movement of the section 13, and in particular, the movement can be reliably converted even in an environment where the speed of the water flow is slow or an environment where the flow rate of the water flow is small. Further, since the water passage hole 27 penetrating in the front-rear direction is provided in the central portion of the screw blade portion 13 in the screw unit 2, it is possible to reduce the flow resistance near the center and further improve the rectification, and the screw blade portion 13. There is an advantage that it is possible to further improve the rotation of the dust and to allow dust to pass therethrough and to prevent the dust from staying in front of the screw blade portion 13.

  By the way, the inner peripheral surface 21t of the front water guide tube portion 21 is formed in a tapered shape with a gradually decreasing diameter on the downstream side, and the inner peripheral surface 22t of the rear guide tube portion 22 is formed in a tapered shape with a gradually decreasing diameter on the upstream side. The diameter of the rotating cylinder part 12 is smaller than the diameter of the fixed cylinder part 23 located on the outer shell, and as shown in FIG. 1, the outer peripheral surface 12f of the rotating cylinder part 12 and the inner peripheral surface of the fixed cylinder part 23 A predetermined space S is provided between 23c. That is, the fixed cylinder portion 23 covers the outer peripheral surface 12 f of the rotating cylinder portion 12 through the predetermined space S. Therefore, the power generation mechanism 3 is arranged using the predetermined space S provided between the outer peripheral surface 12f of the rotating cylindrical portion 12 and the inner peripheral surface 11c of the outer cylindrical body 11 (fixed cylindrical portion 23) facing the outer peripheral surface 12f. Can be set.

  The power generation mechanism 3 has, as a basic configuration, a plurality of magnets 28 that are arranged at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction Fr of the outer peripheral surface 12f of the rotating cylinder portion 12 and fixed to the outer peripheral surface 12f. The plurality of magnets 28 are opposed to each other and provided with a plurality of coils 29 arranged at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction Fr and fixed in position. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, a ring-shaped coil holder 41 that can be mounted on the inner peripheral surface 11 c of the fixed cylinder portion 23 is prepared, and a plurality of (for example, twelve) coils 29 are provided in the coil holder 41. Is held at regular intervals to constitute the coil unit Uc, and this coil unit Uc is mounted on the inner peripheral surface 11c of the fixed cylinder portion 23. As shown in FIG. 4, the coil 29 is composed of a coil bobbin 29b having an oval core portion and a coil portion 29w formed by winding a magnet wire Mw around the coil bobbin 29b. The coils 29 are connected in series. In addition, 42 indicates a ring-shaped yoke (iron core) attached to the outer peripheral surface of the coil holder 41.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a ring-shaped magnet holder 43 that can be mounted on the outer peripheral surface 12f of the rotating cylinder portion 12 is prepared, and a plurality of (e.g., sixteen) magnets 28 are provided on the magnet holder 43. The magnet unit Um is configured by holding it at regular intervals, and this magnet unit Um is mounted on the outer peripheral surface 12 f of the rotating cylinder portion 12. One magnet 28 is formed in a cylindrical shape as shown in FIG. 3 and is arranged so that the magnetic poles (N) and (S) are alternately positioned. In the example, two magnet units Um and Um are used.

  Next, an assembly method and a usage method of the micro hydroelectric generator 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, when the micro hydroelectric generator 1 is assembled, the screw unit 2 is prepared in advance as an assembly. In this case, the screw unit 2 inserts the screw blade portion 13 into the rotating cylinder portion 12 and fixes the outer portion of the screw blade portion 13 to the inner peripheral surface of the rotating cylinder portion 12 by welding or the like. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, one magnet unit Um is mounted at a predetermined position on the outer peripheral surface 12f of the rotating cylinder portion 12, and is positioned and fixed by welding or the like. Furthermore, the engagement rings 35 and 36 are respectively attached to the opening at both ends of the rotating cylinder portion 12, and the inner peripheral surfaces of the bearings 24 and 25 are respectively provided on the step portions provided on the outer peripheral surfaces of the engagement rings 35 and 36. Installing. Further, the coil unit Uc is positioned and fixed to the inner peripheral surface 11c of the fixed cylinder portion 23 by a fixing screw or welding.

  And as shown in FIG. 1, while attaching the outer peripheral surface of one bearing 24 to the engagement level | step-difference part 21j provided in the edge part inside the downstream of the front water guide cylinder part 21, one end opening of the fixed cylinder part 23 is made. It is mounted on the outer side of the downstream end of the front water guide tube 21 and fixed by a plurality of fixing screws 31. Thereafter, the remaining magnet unit Um is positioned and fixed to the outer peripheral surface 12f of the rotating cylinder portion 12, as shown in FIG. As a result, both sides of the coil unit Uc are sandwiched between the pair of magnet units Um and Um. It should be noted that a slight gap exists between both sides of the coil unit Uc and the magnet units Um and Um.

  Next, the outer peripheral surface of the other bearing 25 is attached to an engagement step portion 22 j provided inside the upstream end of the rear guide tube portion 22, and the rear guide tube portion 22 is inserted into the other end opening of the fixed tube portion 23. Are attached by a plurality of fixing screws 32... Thus, the target micro hydroelectric generator 1 can be obtained. Since the power output lead 45 connected to the coil unit Uc is led out from the micro hydroelectric generator 1, the power output lead 45 includes a power generation processing unit 46 including an AC / DC conversion unit installed outside. To the power storage unit (battery) 47 via

  On the other hand, when the micro hydroelectric generator 1 is used, it may be installed in the running water W of the river 51 or the like as shown in FIG. That is, since the whole form of the micro hydroelectric generator 1 is an integral cylindrical form, it is immersed in the river 51 or the like as it is, and, for example, an inverted U-shaped fixture 61 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the front water guide cylinder 21. The stepped portion 21s and the stepped portion 22s provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rear guide tube portion 22 can be installed at the bottom of the river 51 or the like, or a modified inverted U-shaped fixture 62. By attaching to the step portion 21 s provided on the outer peripheral surface of 21 and the step portion 22 s provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rear guide tube portion 22, it can be installed at a predetermined height from the bottom of the river 51 or the like. Thus, when installing the micro hydroelectric generator 1, various methods (means) can be used. However, since the basic form of the micro hydroelectric generator 1 is an integrated simple form, Can be installed very easily with few fixtures.

  On the other hand, if the micro hydroelectric generator 1 is installed in the river 51 or the like, the flowing water W flows into the front water guiding cylinder portion 21 from the inflow port 11i as indicated by a dotted arrow shown in FIG. At this time, since the inner peripheral surface 21t of the front water guide cylinder portion 21 is formed in a tapered shape with a small diameter on the downstream side, the flow velocity of the running water W rises inside the screw unit 2, that is, inside the rotating cylinder portion 12. Then, the screw blade part 13 and the rotating cylinder part 12 are rotated in the direction of arrow Fr (circumferential direction) in FIG. At this time, since both end portions of the rotating cylinder portion 12 are rotatably supported by the pair of front and rear bearings 24 and 25, a stable rotating operation is ensured. In addition, since the screw unit 2 includes a screw blade portion 13 having a plurality of spiral blade pieces 13 a, 13 b, the water flow motion of the running water W is efficiently converted into the rotational motion of the screw blade portion 13. The Accordingly, in the installed river 51 or the like, motion conversion can be performed more reliably even when the speed of the water flow is slow or the flow rate of the water flow is small. Then, the flowing water W that has passed through the inside of the rotating cylinder portion 12 flows out of the outlet 11e through the inside of the rear guiding cylinder portion 22.

  Further, when the screw blade part 13 rotates, the integral rotating cylinder part 12 also rotates, and the magnets 28 provided on the rotating cylinder part 12 side are in contrast to the coils 29 provided on the fixed cylinder part 23 side. Relative rotation (relative displacement). As a result, an electromotive force is generated from the coils 29, and a power generation output is obtained from the power output lead 45. In this case, the power generation mechanism 3 includes a plurality of magnets 28 fixed at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface 12f of the rotating cylinder portion 12, and the inner circumference of the outer cylinder 11 (fixed cylinder portion 23). Since the plurality of coils 29... Fixed at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of the surface 11 c are provided, the quantity of the magnets 28... And the coils 29. It can contribute to improvement.

  Therefore, according to the micro hydroelectric generator 1 according to the present embodiment, the outlet 11e that has the inlet 11i into which the flowing water W flows into one end and the outlet W that flows into the other end has the outlet 11e. The outer cylinder 11 has a rotating cylinder portion 12 that is rotatably supported inside the outer cylinder body 11 and through which the running water W passes, and an inner peripheral surface 12c of the rotating cylinder portion 12. A power generation mechanism disposed between the screw unit 2 formed by the screw blade portion 13 provided integrally with the outer peripheral surface 12f of the rotating cylindrical portion 12 and the inner peripheral surface 11c of the outer cylindrical body 11 facing the outer peripheral surface 12f. 3, the overall configuration can be simplified (simplified), and downsizing can be achieved. As a result, it can be installed very easily without special construction for various rivers and the like, and versatility and installation can be improved. In addition, it can contribute to cost reduction associated with reduction in the number of components and production man-hours, and further to improvement in maintainability and reliability.

  In particular, the outer cylindrical body 11 has a tapered inner peripheral surface 21t whose downstream side is gradually reduced in diameter, and a front water guiding cylinder portion 21 whose upstream end is an inflow port 11i, and whose upstream side is gradually reduced in diameter. A rear water guide tube portion 22 having a tapered inner peripheral surface 22t and having a downstream end serving as an outlet 11e is provided, and a downstream end portion of the front water guide tube portion 21 and an upstream of the rear water guide tube portion 22 are provided. The both ends of the rotating cylinder portion 12 are rotatably supported by the end portions on the side, the front water guiding cylinder portion 21 and the rear water guiding cylinder portion 22 are connected at a predetermined interval, and the outer periphery of the rotating cylinder portion 12 Since the fixed cylinder portion 23 that covers the surface 12f via the predetermined space S is provided, the entire outer shape of the micro hydroelectric generator 1 can be a simple cylindrical shape having substantially the same diameter in the axial direction. As a result, useless protruding portions are eliminated, and it is possible to easily and surely install in, for example, a water channel having the same width as the outer diameter. Since it can be used as an arrangement space for the mechanism 3, it is possible to construct a motion conversion mechanism with good space efficiency, and further a power generation mechanism 3.

  On the other hand, FIGS. 8 to 10 show modified examples of the power generation mechanism 3 in the micro hydroelectric generator 1 according to the present embodiment.

  8 and 9 show the case where the magnets 28 and the coils 29 are arranged in the radial direction (radial direction) when the power generation mechanism 3 is configured. That is, the power generation mechanism 3 shown in FIG. 1 has magnets 28 and coils 29 arranged side by side in the axial direction, but the power generation mechanism 3 shown in FIG. A plurality of magnets 28 arranged at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction Fr and fixed to the outer peripheral surface 12f, and opposed to the plurality of magnets 28 ... from the outside in the radial direction (radial direction). In addition, a plurality of coils 29 arranged at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction Fr and fixed in position relative to the fixed cylinder portion 23 (outer cylinder 11) are provided. Therefore, the power generation mechanism 3 shown in FIG. 8 differs from FIG. 1 in that the direction of the magnetic poles of the magnets 28 is changed by 90 ° and the direction of the coils 29 is changed by 90 °. This can be implemented in the same manner as in FIG. In this case, the coils 29 and the magnets 28 can be configured as the coil unit Uc and the magnet unit Um, respectively, similarly to FIGS. 4 and 5.

  In FIG. 9, a part of the coil unit Uc is extracted and shown. 9, reference numeral 66 denotes a ring-shaped bobbin holder. The bobbin holder 66 is formed with a plurality of holes 66s... Arranged at regular intervals along the circumferential direction Fr. Can be accommodated (fitted) to constitute the coil unit Uc. The coil 29 includes a coil bobbin 29b and a coil part 29w configured by winding a magnet wire Mw around the coil bobbin 29b. 29s... Shows three through holes formed in the coil bobbin 29b. Further, a ring-shaped yoke 15 disposed along the plurality of coils 29 is disposed between the coil unit Uc and the fixed tube portion 23 (outer tube body 11). Therefore, the coil unit Uc is fixed to the outer cylinder 11 through the yoke 15. Providing such a yoke 15 has the advantage that the power generation performance (power generation efficiency) can be further improved because the magnetic characteristics of the power generation mechanism 3 can be optimized.

  Further, FIG. 10 is obtained by adding a dynamic impedance adjustment function unit 16 to the power generation mechanism 3 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. 8 and 9, the ring-shaped yoke 15 is disposed outside the coils 29, and the coil bobbin 29b has three through holes 29s. The mechanical impedance adjustment function part 16 was added using the holes 29s. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, radial screw hole portions 15 s... Are formed at respective positions of the yoke 15 corresponding to the respective through holes 29 s. The mechanical impedance adjusting screws 16n are screwed together. Therefore, the tips of the mechanical impedance adjustment screws 16n are opposed to the magnets 28, and the distance (gap) G with respect to the magnets 28 can be changed by turning the mechanical impedance adjustment screws 16n with a tool such as a screwdriver. . As described above, if the power generation mechanism 3 is provided with the mechanical impedance adjustment function unit 16 capable of changing the mechanical impedance by changing at least a part of the gap G between the yoke 15 and the magnets 28. Since the size of can be changed (adjusted) arbitrarily, there is an advantage that an appropriate hydraulic resistance can be set according to the installation environment (flowing water amount, flow velocity, etc.). In the illustrated embodiment, the existing through holes 29s are used as they are. However, the through holes 29s may be formed separately. Such a power generation mechanism 3 is not limited to the illustrated form, and can be implemented by various modifications.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment was described in detail, this invention is not limited to such embodiment, It does not deviate from the summary of this invention in a detailed structure, a shape, a raw material, quantity, a numerical value, etc. It can be changed, added, or deleted arbitrarily.

  For example, when the outer cylindrical body 11 is configured, the downstream side has a tapered inner peripheral surface 21t having a gradually smaller diameter, and the upstream end portion becomes the inflow port 11i, and the upstream side has a gradually smaller diameter. And a rear water guide tube portion 22 having a downstream inner end surface 22t and a downstream end portion serving as an outlet 11e. The downstream end portion of the front water guide tube portion 21 and the rear water guide tube portion 22 are provided. The both ends of the rotating cylinder part 12 are rotatably supported by the upstream end part, the front water guiding cylinder part 21 and the rear water guiding cylinder part 22 are connected at a predetermined interval, and the rotating cylinder part 12 is connected. Although the case where the fixed cylinder portion 23 is provided to cover the outer peripheral surface 12f via the predetermined space S is shown, the tapered inner peripheral surfaces 21t and 22t are not necessarily provided, and other various types having the same function are provided. It can be implemented depending on the form. Moreover, although the case where the screw blade portion 13 having a plurality of blade pieces 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d spiraling along the axial direction of the rotating cylinder portion 12 is provided in the screw unit 2 is illustrated, The screw blade part 13 which concerns on a form may be sufficient, and the water flow hole 27 provided in the center part of the screw blade part 13 does not necessarily need to provide. Further, the power generation mechanism 3 includes a plurality of magnets 28 fixed to the outer peripheral surface 12f of the rotating cylinder portion 12 and a plurality of coils 29 fixed in position with respect to the magnets 28. As shown, a plurality of coils 29 fixed to the outer peripheral surface 12f of the rotating cylinder portion 12 and a plurality of magnets 28 fixed in position to the coils 29 may be provided.

  The micro hydroelectric generator according to the present invention can be used in various applications as long as it is in an environment where flowing water exists, including large and small rivers, agricultural waterways, and the like. Further, it may be used alone or in combination with other power generation systems such as a wind power generation system, and can be used as a power source for various uses using natural energy.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1: Micro hydraulic power generator, 2: Screw unit, 3: Power generation mechanism, 11: Outer cylinder, 11i: Inlet, 11e: Outlet, 11c: Inner peripheral surface of outer cylinder, 12: Rotating cylinder part, 12c: inner peripheral surface of the rotating cylinder part, 12f: outer peripheral surface of the rotating cylinder part, 13: screw blade part, 15: yoke, 16: dynamic impedance adjusting function part, 21: front water guiding cylinder part, 21t: tapered shape Inner peripheral surface, 22: rear water guide tube portion, 22t: tapered inner peripheral surface, 23: fixed tube portion, 24: bearing, 25: bearing, 27: water passage hole, 28 ...: magnet, 29 ...: coil, W: running water, S: predetermined space

Claims (8)

  A micro hydroelectric generator comprising at least a screw unit that is rotated by running water and a power generation mechanism that converts the rotational motion of the screw unit into electric energy, and has an inlet through which the running water flows at one end. And an outer cylinder having an outlet through which the flowing water flowing into the other end flows out, a rotating cylinder part rotatably supported inside the outer cylinder and through which the flowing water passes, and the rotation A screw unit having a screw blade portion integrally provided on the inner peripheral surface of the moving cylinder portion, and a power generation disposed between the outer peripheral surface of the rotating cylinder portion and the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder facing the outer peripheral surface. A micro hydroelectric generator comprising a mechanism.   The outer cylindrical body has a tapered inner peripheral surface having a gradually decreasing diameter on the downstream side, and a front water guiding cylinder portion having an upstream end serving as the inflow port, and a tapered inner periphery having an gradually decreasing diameter on the upstream side. A rear water guide cylinder portion having a surface and having a downstream end serving as the outflow port, and the downstream end portion of the front water guide cylinder portion and the upstream end portion of the rear water guide cylinder portion. The both ends of the moving cylinder part are rotatably supported, the front water guiding cylinder part and the rear water guiding cylinder part are connected at a predetermined interval, and the outer peripheral surface of the rotating cylinder part is interposed through a predetermined space. The micro hydroelectric generator according to claim 1, further comprising a fixed cylinder portion for covering.   The outer cylinder body rotatably supports both end portions of the rotating cylinder portion by a pair of front and rear bearings arranged at the downstream end portion of the front guide tube portion and the upstream end portion of the rear guide tube portion. The micro hydroelectric generator according to claim 2, wherein:   4. The micro hydroelectric generator according to claim 1, wherein the screw unit includes a screw blade portion having a plurality of blade pieces spiraling along an axial direction of the rotating cylinder portion.   The micro hydraulic power generator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the screw unit has a water passage hole penetrating in the front-rear direction at a central portion of the screw blade portion.   The power generation mechanism includes a plurality of magnets (or coils) arranged at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the rotating cylinder portion and fixed to the outer peripheral surface, and the plurality of magnets (or 6. A plurality of coils (or magnets) arranged at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction and fixed in position, while facing each other. Micro hydro generator.   The micro hydroelectric generator according to claim 6, wherein the power generation mechanism includes a yoke disposed along the plurality of coils.   8. The micro hydraulic power generator according to claim 7, wherein the power generation mechanism includes a dynamic impedance adjustment function unit capable of changing a mechanical impedance by changing at least a part of a gap between the yoke and the magnet.

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