Hydraulic system for a water network and water network comprising such a system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12276246-B2
Application number	US-202118010730-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2021
Priority date	Jun 24, 2020
Publication date	Apr 15, 2025
Grant date	Apr 15, 2025

Abstract

A hydroelectric facility for generating electrical energy from the flow of water circulating in a water network, includes at least one cross-flow pico-turbine mounted on a shaft extending perpendicular to a direction of the water flow, the pico-turbine including a substantially annular blade installed in the water flow in order to generate a mechanical energy of rotation, at least one generating unit, installed outside of the water flow and coupled to the shaft of the pico-turbine in order to transform the mechanical energy of rotation into electrical energy, at least one measurement and control unit, installed outside of the water flow, connected to the generating unit, controlling the distribution of the collected electrical energy as well as the rotation of the pico-turbine depending on the characteristics of the water flow.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hydraulic system for generating electrical energy from a water stream in a hydraulic network, comprising:
at least one cross flow pico-turbine mounted to a shaft extending perpendicularly to a direction of said water stream, said at least one cross flow pico-turbine including a substantially annular shaped blade installed in the water stream to generate mechanical rotational energy, the substantially annular shaped blade including at least two circular arc blades mounted end to end, and the shaft of the pico-turbine being mounted at a single point of the annular blade, at a junction between the ends of the two circular arc blades,
at least one generator unit, installed out of the water stream and coupled with the shaft of the pico-turbine to transform the mechanical rotational energy into electrical energy,
at least one control unit, installed out of the water stream, connected to the at least one generator unit, controlling distribution of the electrical energy collected as well as a rotation of the at least one cross flow pico-turbine as a function of characteristics of the water stream, and

an adaptive base plate, installed out of the water stream, which keeps the shaft of the at least one cross flow pico-turbine radial with respect to the direction of the water stream, and which supports the control unit as well as the at least one generator unit.

2. The hydraulic system according to claim 1 , further comprising a measurement unit configured to make a measurement of the flow rate of the water stream.

3. The hydraulic system according to claim 2 , wherein the measurement unit is adapted to determine the direction of the water stream.

4. The hydraulic system according to claim 1 , wherein the substantially annular shaped blade has a cross-section in the form of a wing profile.

5. The hydraulic system according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one measurement sensor mounted in the adaptive base plate.

6. The hydraulic system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one generator unit includes a brushless DC generator connected to a microcontroller.

7. The hydraulic system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one control unit includes a telecommunication module capable of exchanging data with a remote processing system.

8. The hydraulic system according to claim 1 , further comprising a device for storing electric power produced.

9. The hydraulic system according to claim 1 , further comprising a clip system capable of holding the adaptive base plate around a pipe in which the water stream circulates.

10. The hydraulic system according to claim 1 , further comprising a sealed casing in which at least the at least one generator unit and the at least one control unit are housed.

11. A water network including at least one pipe of a pipe network in which a water stream circulates, the water network comprising at least one hydraulic system according to claim 1 , mounted in said at least one pipe of the water network, the at least one cross flow pico-turbine being housed inside the at least one of pipe and the at least one generator unit and at least one control unit being housed outside said at least one of pipe.

12. The water network according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one pipe includes a flow-through opening, having dimensions adapted to the external dimensions of the at least one cross flow pico-turbine so as to allow passage of the substantially annular shaped blade inside the at least one pipe, the flow-through opening being capable of having the shaft of the at least one cross flow pico-turbine passing therethrough.

13. The water network according to claim 12 , wherein the adaptive base plate of the hydraulic system, includes a lower surface forming a plug around the shaft of the at least one cross flow pico-turbine, capable of hermetically closing the flow-through opening.

14. The water network according to claim 11 , wherein the adaptive base plate of the hydraulic system, includes a lower surface of rounded shape, adapted to fit snugly an external wall of the at least one pipe.

15. The water network according to claim 11 , wherein the substantially annular shaped blade of the at least one cross flow pico-turbine includes an external radius greater than at least ⅔ of an internal radius of the at least one pipe in which the pico-turbine is housed.

16. The water network according to claim 11 , wherein the hydraulic system is installed in a manhole of said network, on an existing pipe.

17. A hydraulic system for generating electrical energy from a water stream in a hydraulic network, comprising:
at least one cross flow pico-turbine mounted to a shaft extending perpendicularly to a direction of said water stream, said pico-turbine including a substantially annular shaped blade installed in the water stream to generate mechanical rotational energy, the substantially annular shaped blade including two circular arc blades, having a same radius, mounted end to end, and the shaft of the pico-turbine being mounted at a single point of the annular blade, at a junction between the ends of the two circular arc blades,
at least one generator unit, installed out of the water stream and coupled with the shaft of the pico-turbine to transform the mechanical rotational energy into electrical energy,
at least one control unit, installed out of the water stream, connected to the generator unit, controlling distribution of the electrical energy collected as well as the rotation of the pico-turbine as a function of the characteristics of the water stream, and
an adaptive base plate, installed out of the water stream, which keeps the shaft of the at least one cross flow pico-turbine radial with respect to the direction of the water stream, and which supports the control unit as well as the at least one generator unit.

Assignees

• Ecole Nat Du Genie De Leau Et De Lenvironnement De Strasbourg
• Univ Strasbourg
• Centre Nat Rech Scient

Inventors

• Dellinger Nicolas
• Dellinger Guilhem
• Vasquez José

Classifications

• F05B2250/82

  Micromachines · CPC title

• F05B2220/20

  within closed fluid conduits, e.g. pipes · CPC title

• Y02E10/20

  Hydro energy · CPC title

• Y02E60/16

  Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids · CPC title

• F03B13/00 Primary

  Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus (if the apparatus aspects are predominant, see the relevant subclasses for such apparatus, e.g. H02K7/18); Power stations or aggregates (incorporating only machines or engines of positive-displacement type F03C; hydraulic engineering aspects E02B; {combinations with wind energy converters F03D9/008}) · CPC title