Marine current power generation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9441607-B2
Application number	US-201314059905-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2013
Priority date	Oct 22, 2013
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

In one embodiment, a marine current power generation device has rotary blades, rotating shaft, power generator, guide bearings, thrust collars and thrust bearings. The guide bearing has a second slide surface being slidable relative to the first slide surface of the rotating shaft. The thrust bearing has a fourth slide surface being slidable relative to the third slide surface of the rotary plate of the thrust collar. The materials of the first and third slide surfaces include ferrous materials, stainless materials, Ti, Ti alloy, Co, or Co alloy. The materials of the second and fourth slide surfaces include a resin material filled with a first fibrous member and a second fibrous member. The second fibrous member is smaller than the first fibrous member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A marine current power generation device, comprising:
rotary blades configured to be rotated by a marine current;
a rotating shaft configured to transmit a drive power of the rotary blades, the rotating shaft having a lateral surface being a first slide surface;
a power generator configured to generate electricity by the drive power received from the rotating shaft;
a guide bearing configured to bear a radial load acting in a radial direction of the rotating shaft, the guide bearing having a second slide surface being slidable relative to the first slide surface;
a thrust collar mounted on the rotating shaft and having a rotary plate having a main surface being a third slide surface; and
a thrust bearing configured to bear a thrust load acting in an axial direction of the rotating shaft, the thrust bearing having a fourth slide surface being slidable relative to the third slide surface,
materials of the first and third slide surfaces including ferrous materials, stainless materials, Ti, Ti alloy, Co, or Co alloy, and
materials of the second and fourth slide surfaces including a resin material filled with a first fibrous member and a second fibrous member, the second fibrous member being smaller than the first fibrous member in size.

2. The marine current power generation device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first fibrous member has a diameter between 1 micrometer and 50 micrometers and an aspect ratio between 5 and 100, and the second fibrous member has a diameter between 0.05 micrometer and 1 micrometer and an aspect ratio between 5 and 100.

3. The marine current power generation device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first fibrous member includes a carbon fiber, the second fibrous member includes a ceramics whisker, and the resin material includes polytetrafluoroethylene.

4. The marine current power generation device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the ceramics whisker contains at least one selected from a group consisting of potassium titanate, aluminum borate, zinc oxide, and silicon carbide.

5. The marine current power generation device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a percentage of a total weight of the first and second fibrous members to a total weight of the resin material, the first and second fibrous members is between 5 mass % and 50 mass %.

6. The marine current power generation device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a volumetric ratio of the first fibrous member to the second fibrous member is between 2 to 1 and 10 to 1.

7. The marine current power generation device according to claim 1 further comprising
a bulb configured to seal part of the rotating shaft, the guide bearing, and the thrust bearing to prevent contact to seawater.

8. The marine current power generation device according to claim 7 further comprising
a water supply unit configured to supply seawater to the guide bearing and the thrust bearing.

9. The marine current power generation device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the rotating shaft includes a first base portion and a first slide portion, the first base portion being made from a ferrous material and having a cylindrical shape, and the first slide portion covering a lateral face of the first base portion, having the first slide surface and made from stainless material, Ti, Ti alloy, Co, or Co alloy, and
the rotary plate includes a second base portion and a second slide portion, the second base portion being made from a ferrous material and having a disc shape, and the second slide portion covering a main face of the second base portion, having said third slide surface and made from stainless material, Ti, Ti alloy, Co, or Co alloy.

10. The marine current power generation device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the guide bearing includes a third base portion and a third slide portion, the third base portion being made from a ferrous material, stainless material, Ti, Ti alloy, Co, or Co alloy, and the third slide portion having the second slide surface; and
wherein the thrust bearing includes a fourth base portion and a fourth slide portion, the fourth base portion being made from a ferrous material, stainless material, Ti, Ti alloy, Co, or Co alloy, and the fourth slide portion having the fourth slide surface.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Long Than Trong
• Yamashita Tatsuo
• Kabata Yasuo

Classifications

• Y02E10/28

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F05B2280/10304

  Titanium · CPC title

• F05B2280/105

  Copper · CPC title

• F03B11/06

  Bearing arrangements · CPC title

• F03B17/061 Primary

  with rotation axis substantially in flow direction · CPC title