Ocean current power generating device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10355557-B2
Application number	US-201715483242-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2017
Priority date	Apr 5, 2017
Publication date	Jul 16, 2019
Grant date	Jul 16, 2019

Abstract

The invention discloses an ocean current power generator disposed in the ocean. The ocean current power generator includes two power generators, a foil floating member and a control unit. Each of the power generators includes an impeller, and the ocean current drives the impellers to rotate to generate electricity. The foil floating member is connected to the two power generators, and the foil floating member includes a front body and a rear body. The control unit is configured to control the amount of sea water in the front body or the rear body, so as to adjust the center of gravity of the foil floating member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ocean current power generating device, disposed in the ocean, the ocean current power generating device comprising
two power generators, each of the power generators including an impeller, wherein the ocean current drives the impeller to rotate to generate electricity;
a foil floating member, connected to the two power generators, and the foil floating member including a front body and a rear body; and
a control unit, configured to control the amount of seawater in the front body and in the rear body so as to adjust the center of gravity and an attitude of the foil floating member, so that a depth of the ocean current power generating device can be controlled by the hydrodynamic force of the ocean current.

2. The ocean current power generating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the front body includes a front chamber, the rear body includes a rear chamber, and the foil floating member further includes a central chamber, disposed between the front chamber and the rear chamber, so as to receive the control unit.

3. The ocean current power generating device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the foil floating member further includes a plurality of bulkheads, disposed in the front chamber to divide the front chamber into a plurality of spaces, wherein each of the bulkheads includes a bottom portion and a through hole, and the through hole is disposed near the bottom portion and communicates with the spaces.

4. The ocean current power generating device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the volume of the front chamber is equal to the volume of the rear chamber.

5. The ocean current power generating device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the front body includes a front vent valve and a front water valve, which are communicated with the front chamber, and the rear body includes a rear vent valve and a rear water valve, which are communicated with the rear chamber;
wherein the control unit controls the front vent valve and the rear vent valve to open to discharge the air in the front chamber and the rear chamber, and the control unit controls the front water valve and the rear water valve to open, so as to import seawater into or discharge seawater from the front chamber and the rear chamber.

6. The ocean current power generating device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the foil floating member further includes a communicating tube, communicated with the front chamber and the rear chamber, so as to allow seawater to flow between the front chamber and the rear chamber.

7. The ocean current power generating device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the foil floating member further includes a high-pressure gas pipe, communicated with the front chamber and the rear chamber, and the control unit includes a high-pressure gas generator;
wherein the high-pressure gas generated from the high-pressure gas generator flows to the front chamber or the rear chamber through the high-pressure gas pipe, so as to push seawater to flow in the communicating tube.

8. The ocean current power generating device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein when the high-pressure gas generator inflates the front chamber, seawater in the front chamber flows into the rear chamber through the communicating tube, so that the center of gravity of the foil floating member moves toward the rear chamber, and the front body of the foil floating member tilts upward relative to a horizontal plane.

9. The ocean current power generating device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein when the high-pressure gas generator inflates the rear chamber, seawater in the rear chamber flows into the front chamber through the communicating tube, so that the center of gravity of the foil floating member moves toward the front chamber, and the front body of the foil floating member tilts downward relative to a horizontal plane.

10. The ocean current power generating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the front body includes a first chamber, a second chamber and a first communication valve, the rear body includes a third chamber, a fourth chamber and a second communication valve, the first chamber is communicated with the second chamber through the first communication valve, and the third chamber is communicated with the fourth chamber through the second communication valve.

11. The ocean current power generating device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the foil floating member further includes a plurality of bulkheads, disposed in the first to the fourth chambers, wherein each of the bulkheads includes a bottom portion and a through hole, and the through hole is disposed near the bottom portion.

12. The ocean current power generating device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the front body includes a front vent valve and a front water valve, communicated with the first chamber, and the rear body includes a rear vent valve and a rear water valve, communicated with the third chamber;
wherein the control unit controls the first communication valve, the second communication valve, the front vent valve and the rear vent valve to open to discharge the air in the first to the fourth chambers, and the control unit controls the front water valve and rear water valve to open, so as to import seawater into or discharge seawater from the first to the fourth chambers.

13. The ocean current power generating device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the foil floating member further includes a communicating tube, communicated with the first chamber and the third chamber, so as to allow seawater to flow between the first chamber and the third chamber.

14. The ocean current power generating device as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the foil floating member further includes a high-pressure gas pipe, communicated with the first to the fourth chambers, and the control unit includes a high-pressure gas generator;
wherein the high-pressure gas generated from the high-pressure gas generator flows to at least one of the first to the fourth chambers through the high-pressure gas pipe.

15. The ocean current power generating device as claimed in claim 14 , wherein when the control unit controls the first communication valve and the second communication valve to open, the high-pressure gas generator transmits the high-pressure gas to the first chamber and the third chamber to push seawater in the first chamber and the third chamber to respectively flow into the second chamber and the fourth chamber, so that the center of gravity of the foil floating member moves toward the second chamber and the fourth chamber.

16. The ocean current power generating device as claimed in claim 14 , wherein when the control unit controls the first communication valve and the second communication valve to open, the high-pressure gas generator transmits the high-pressure gas to the second chamber and the fourth chamber to push seawater in the second chamber and the fourth chamber to respectively flow into the first chamber and the third chamber, so that the center of gravity of the foil floating member moves toward the first chamber and the third chamber.

17. The ocean current power generating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ocean current power generating device further includes four piston mechanisms, configured to import seawater into or discharge seawater from the foil floating member, wherein two of the piston mechanisms are disposed in the front body, and the other two piston mechanisms are disposed in the rear body.

18. The ocean current power generating device as claimed in claim 17 , wherein each of the piston mechanisms comprises
a receiving space, formed in

Assignees

• Univ Nat Taiwan

Inventors

• Chiu Forng-Chen
• Guo Jen-Hwa
• Tsai Jing-Fa
• Kouh Jen-Shiang
• Chen Jiahn-Horng
• Hsin Ching-Yeh

Classifications

• F05B2220/706

  an electrical generator · CPC title

• F05B2240/93

  on a structure floating on a liquid surface · CPC title

• F05B2270/20

  to optimise the performance of a machine · CPC title

• Y02E10/22

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F03B13/10

  Submerged units incorporating electric generators or motors · CPC title