Underwater device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016017859-A1
Application number	US-201514870776-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 30, 2015
Priority date	Apr 3, 2013
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A pod of an ocean current power generation device which is serving as an underwater floating-type underwater device is provided with a ballast tank and an air storage tank. When discharging water from the ballast tank, by opening a water discharge valve and driving a water discharge pump, water inside the ballast tank is discharged to the outside through a water conduit. When supplying water, by opening a water supply valve while the water pressure outside the pod is greater than the water pressure inside the ballast tank, water is made to flow from the outside of the pod through an aperture portion, and into the ballast tank via the water conduit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An underwater floating-type underwater device comprising:
a buoyancy adjustment unit that adjusts buoyancy by supplying or discharging water; a water discharge device that discharges water from the buoyancy adjustment unit; and a gas storage device inside which a compressed gas is stored in advance, and that, when water is being discharged from the buoyancy adjustment unit by the water discharge device, supplies its internally stored compressed gas to the buoyancy adjustment unit, and that, when water is being supplied to the buoyancy adjustment unit, receives the supplied gas back into its interior.

2 . The underwater device according to claim 1 , wherein the underwater device is an underwater floating-type ocean current power generation device that is provided with: a turbine that is rotated by a flow of seawater; and a pod that supports the turbine and also houses a power generation unit that generates power using the rotation of the turbine.

3 . The underwater device according to claim 1 , wherein
the buoyancy adjustment unit is supplied with water by the external water pressure outside it, and, when this water is being supplied to the buoyancy adjustment unit, the gas that was supplied to the buoyancy adjustment unit is returned to the interior of the gas storage device via the water that is being supplied by the water pressure.

4 . The underwater device according to claim 2 , wherein
the buoyancy adjustment unit is supplied with water by the external water pressure outside the pod, and, when this water is being supplied to the buoyancy adjustment unit, the gas that was supplied to the buoyancy adjustment unit is returned to the interior of the gas storage device via the water that is being supplied by the water pressure.

5 . The underwater device according to claim 2 , wherein the water discharge device performs the water discharge for the buoyancy adjustment unit in accordance with the rotation speed of the turbine.

6 . The underwater device according to claim 4 , wherein the water discharge device performs the water discharge for the buoyancy adjustment unit in accordance with the rotation speed of the turbine.

7 . The underwater device according to claim 1 , wherein there are provided:
a duct component that formed by a telescopic mechanism that is able to be both extended and contracted, and to be extended as far as the surface of the sea; and a gas compression device that takes in external air through the duct component and compresses this air, and fills the gas storage device with this compressed air.

8 . The underwater device according to claim 2 , wherein there are further provided:
a duct component that formed by a telescopic mechanism that is able to be both extended and contracted, and to be extended as far as the surface of the sea; and a gas compression device that takes in external air through the duct component and compresses this air, and fills the gas storage device with this compressed air.

9 . The underwater device according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the buoyancy adjustment units are arranged horizontally, and the buoyancy adjustment units can be floated upwards or downwards while maintaining a predetermined attitude by the supply or discharge of water to the individual buoyancy adjustment units by the water discharge device and the gas storage device.

10 . The underwater device according to claim 2 , wherein a plurality of the pods are arranged horizontally and the buoyancy adjustment units are provided in each one of the pods,
and the plurality of pods can be floated upwards or downwards while maintaining their attitude horizontally by the supply or discharge of water to the individual buoyancy adjustment units by the water discharge device and the gas storage device.

11 . The underwater device according to claim 4 , wherein a plurality of the pods are arranged horizontally and the buoyancy adjustment units are provided in each one of the pods,
and the plurality of pods can be floated upwards or downwards while maintaining their attitude horizontally by the supply or discharge of water to the individual buoyancy adjustment units by the water discharge device and the gas storage device.

12 . The underwater device according to claim 1 , wherein each buoyancy adjustment unit is provided with a separator apparatus that separates water that is supplied to the buoyancy adjustment unit from gas that is supplied from the gas storage device to the buoyancy adjustment unit.

13 . The underwater device according to claim 2 , wherein each buoyancy adjustment unit is provided with a separator apparatus that separates water that is supplied to the buoyancy adjustment unit from gas that is supplied from the gas storage device to the buoyancy adjustment unit.

Assignees

• Ihi Corp

Inventors

• Handa Norihisa
• Nagaya Shigeki
• Yamane Yoshiyuki

Classifications

• F03B13/10 Primary

  Submerged units incorporating electric generators or motors · CPC title

• F03B17/06

  using liquid flow {with predominantly kinetic energy conversion}, e.g. of swinging-flap type {, "run-of-river", "ultra-low head" (F03B13/264 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F03B13/264 Primary

  using the horizontal flow of water resulting from tide movement · CPC title

• Y02E10/20

  Hydro energy · CPC title

• F05B2270/18

  to control buoyancy · CPC title