Power generating system using current around structural body

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10920746-B2
Application number	US-201615188161-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2016
Priority date	Jan 5, 2016
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

The present invention relates to a power generating system utilizing current around a structural body. The power generating system is disposed in a flow field, wherein the streams of the flow field flow along a main fluid flow direction. The power generating system comprises a supporting device and a power generating device. The supporting device comprises a supporting body, wherein at least one of a stream-facing region, a side-stream region, and a vortex region is defined on the supporting body. The power generating device comprises at least one power generating unit and a power storage unit, wherein the power generating unit is disposed in at least one of the stream-facing region, the side-stream region, and the vortex region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power generating system being disposed in an ocean field, wherein streams of the flow field flow along a main fluid flow direction, the power generating system comprises:
a supporting device, including a plurality of supporting bodies having a stream-facing region, a side-stream region, and a vortex region; and at least one tunnel region, wherein the stream-facing region is defined as a surface facing the streams flowing along the main fluid flow direction, the side-stream region is defined as a surface lateral to the streams flowing along the main fluid flow direction, the vortex region is defined as a surface facing away from the streams flowing along the main fluid flow direction, and the at least one tunnel region has a first opening and a second opening and extends through the supporting body, wherein the first opening is disposed in the stream-facing region and the second opening is disposed in the side-stream region or the vortex region so as the streams flow through the tunnel region; a down flow is formed in the stream-facing region when the streams contact the stream-facing region; a lateral flow is formed in the side-stream region when the streams flow through the side-stream region, and a vortex flow is formed in the vortex region; wherein the supporting device is an offshore apparatus having the plurality of supporting bodies configured as a fence structure or a grid structure;
a power generating device being disposed on the supporting device and comprising a plurality of power generating units, wherein the plurality of power generating units is at least disposed on the stream-facing region and the side-stream region, and selectively disposed on the vortex region;
a diversion surface formed in the stream-facing region, the diversion surface diverting the stream into the down flow and guiding the down flow to drive said each of the plurality of power generating units which is disposed in the stream-facing region when the streams contact the diversion surface, wherein the diversion surface extends from the supporting device or is formed by a concave portion of the supporting body; and
a diversion trench being formed in the side-stream region and substantially parallel to the main fluid flow direction of the ocean field, wherein the diversion trench diverts the streams into the lateral flow to increase kinetic energy thereof by converging the lateral flow and to drive each of the plurality of power generating units disposed in the side-stream region;
wherein said each of the plurality of power generating units is selected from a group consisting of a turbine generator, and a vibration generator, and said each of the plurality of power generating units disposed in the stream-facing region is driven to generate power by the down flow.

2. The power generating system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of power generating units is disposed in the vortex region as being the vibration generator driven to generate power by the vortex flow.

3. The power generating system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the power generating device further comprises at least one power storage unit disposed on the supporting body or in the supporting body, and is connected to the plurality of power generating units.

Assignees

• Nat Applied Res Laboratories

Inventors

• Lin Yung-Bin
• Chang Kuo-Chun
• Lai Jihn-Sung
• Tsai Yuan-Shiang
• Chiang Chi-Heng
• Huang Ping-Hsun

Classifications

• F05B2220/32

  in water turbines · CPC title

• Y02E10/74

  Wind turbines with rotation axis perpendicular to the wind direction · CPC title

• F03D3/002

  the axis being horizontal · CPC title

• F03B17/061

  with rotation axis substantially in flow direction · CPC title

• Y02E10/728

  Onshore wind turbines · CPC title