Folding wave-energy-harvesting mechanism for generating electricity to power an underwater vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12037094-B2
Application number	US-202217881608-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2022
Priority date	Aug 31, 2021
Publication date	Jul 16, 2024
Grant date	Jul 16, 2024

Abstract

A folding wave-energy-harvesting mechanism for an underwater vehicle includes an underwater-vehicle main body and a wave-energy-harvesting-device main body. The wave-energy-harvesting-device main body includes a hydrofoil assembly and a yaw assembly. The first state of the hydrofoil assembly is a folding state, and the second state is an unfolding state. The first state of the yaw assembly is the folding state, and the second state is the unfolding state. The wave-energy-harvesting-device main body further includes a driving assembly and an energy-storage assembly. The driving assembly is configured to switch the hydrofoil assembly and the yaw assembly in the first state and the second state to each other. The energy-storage assembly is configured to store the wave energy harvested by the hydrofoil assembly. When the hydrofoil assembly and the yaw assembly unfold, the hydrofoil assembly increases the efficient area for wave-energy harvesting.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A folding wave-energy-harvesting mechanism for an underwater vehicle, comprising:
a wave-energy-harvesting-device main body, wherein the wave-energy-harvesting-device main body is arranged on an underwater-vehicle main body of the underwater vehicle,
wherein the wave-energy-harvesting-device main body comprises a hydrofoil assembly and a yaw assembly, each of the hydrofoil assembly and the yaw assembly comprising a first state and a second state;
the first state of the hydrofoil assembly and the first state of the yaw assembly are each a folded state, and the second state of the hydrofoil assembly and the second state of the yaw assembly are each an unfolded state;
the wave-energy-harvesting-device main body further comprises a driving assembly and an energy-storage assembly;
the driving assembly is configured to move the hydrofoil assembly to switch between the first state and the second state of the hydrofoil assembly, and the driving assembly is configured to move the yaw assembly to switch between the first state and the second state of the yaw assembly; and
the energy-storage assembly is configured to store wave energy harvested by reciprocal rotation of the hydrofoil assembly around a transmission shaft of the wave-energy-harvesting-device main body, the reciprocal rotation being generated in response to excitation forces of waves.

2. The folding wave-energy-harvesting mechanism for the underwater vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrofoil assembly comprises a hydrofoil membrane and a plurality of connecting rods;
the plurality of the connecting rods are hinged with each other to form at least one parallelogram-shaped folding structure;
the first state of the hydrofoil assembly comprises a state in which the at least one parallelogram-shaped folding structure is folded, and the second state of the hydrofoil assembly comprises a state in which the at least one parallelogram-shaped folding structure is unfolded;
the hydrofoil membrane wraps on the at least one parallelogram-shaped folding structure, and the hydrofoil membrane is a foldable material;
when the hydrofoil assembly is in the first state, the hydrofoil membrane is folded; and
when the hydrofoil assembly is in the second state, the hydrofoil membrane is unfolded.

3. The folding wave-energy-harvesting mechanism for the underwater vehicle according to claim 2 ,
wherein the yaw assembly comprises a first rod member, a second rod member, and a yaw membrane;
a first end of the first rod member is hinged to a middle of the second rod member; each of the first rod member and the second rod member is hinged to the driving assembly;
the yaw membrane is arranged between the second rod member and the hydrofoil assembly, and the yaw membrane is a foldable membrane;
when the yaw assembly is in the first state, the yaw membrane is in a folded state; and
when the yaw assembly is in the second state, the yaw membrane is unfolded.

4. The folding wave-energy-harvesting mechanism for the underwater vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein when each of the hydrofoil assembly and the yaw assembly is in the second state, the yaw membrane is perpendicular to the hydrofoil membrane.

5. The folding wave-energy-harvesting mechanism for the underwater vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein a second end of the first rod member and one end of the second rod member are adjacent to the driving assembly, and the second end of the first rod member and the one end of the second rod member are connected to the hydrofoil assembly by a positioning pin.

6. The folding wave-energy-harvesting mechanism for the underwater vehicle according to claim 5 ,
wherein the energy-storage assembly comprises a transmission shaft, a change-speed gearbox, and a generator;
the transmission shaft drives and is connected to a first end of the change-speed gearbox, and a second end of the change-speed gearbox drives and is connected to the generator;
the transmission shaft is fixedly provided with a rotating hinge;
a sliding hinge is rotatably and slidably arranged on the transmission shaft;
the first rod member and a first connecting rod are hinged to the rotating hinge, wherein the first connecting rod is connected to the first rod member; and
the second rod member and a second connecting rod are hinged to the sliding hinge, wherein the second connecting rod is connected to the second rod member.

7. The folding wave-energy-harvesting mechanism for the underwater vehicle according to claim 6 ,
wherein the driving assembly comprises a screw rod, a stepping motor, a nut, and a baffle;
the baffle is fixedly connected to the sliding hinge, and the baffle is fixedly connected to the nut;
the screw rod is screwed to the nut, and the screw rod passes through the nut; and
the stepping motor drives the screw rod to rotate.

8. The folding wave-energy-harvesting mechanism for the underwater vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the wave-energy-harvesting-device main body comprises:
a first partitioning board, a second partitioning board, a third partitioning board, a fourth partitioning board, a bottom board, a fifth partitioning board, a counter-flow board, and a top cover board;

the first partitioning board, the second partitioning board, the third partitioning board, the fourth partitioning board, the bottom board, and the top cover board are coordinated to form a rear cabin; and
the rear cabin is configured for accommodating the energy-storage assembly.

9. The folding wave-energy-harvesting mechanism for the underwater vehicle according to claim 8 ,
wherein the bottom board, the fifth partitioning board, the counter-flow board, and the top cover board are coordinated to form a front cabin, and
the front cabin is configured for accommodating an active assembly.

10. The folding wave-energy-harvesting mechanism for the underwater vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein a side, facing away from the counter-flow board, of the fifth partitioning board is provided with a position-limiting block.

Assignees

• Univ Shanghai Jiaotong

Inventors

• Chen Weixing
• Lu Yunfei
• Li Shaoxun
• Zhang Weidong
• Gao Feng

Classifications

• F03B13/14

  using wave energy · CPC title

• B63B1/30

  retracting or folding {(B63B1/244 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B63H1/36

  swinging sideways, e.g. fishtail type · CPC title

• B63G8/08

  Propulsion ({schnorkels B63G8/36;} nuclear propulsion B63H21/18; submerged exhausting apparatus F01N13/12) · CPC title

• Y02E10/30

  Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient · CPC title