JP6079413B2 - Vertical shaft turbine bearing device and vertical shaft turbine generator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a bearing device for a vertical axis turbine and a vertical axis turbine generator.

  Vertical shaft turbine generators include those using oil as a lubricant and those using water as a lubricant. In vertical shaft water turbine generators using lubricating oil, there is an increasing concern about the outflow of oil to rivers, and therefore vertical shaft turbine generators using lubricating water are increasing. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a water-lubricated guide bearing device that uses a resin material on a sliding contact surface and supports a rotating shaft of a rotating machine.

JP 2007-255614 A

  According to the vertical axis water turbine generator using lubricating water, since water is used for the lubricant, oil does not flow out into the river. On the other hand, in the vertical axis turbine generator, heat is generated particularly in the bearing device as the main shaft rotates. Also, water evaporates at a lower temperature than oil. For this reason, in vertical shaft turbine generators using lubricating water, periodic water replenishment has been required in order to suppress a drop in liquid level due to evaporation of the lubricating water.

  Here, even in the vertical axis water turbine generator using the lubricating oil, the lubricating oil evaporates although it is less than water. Therefore, in order to suppress evaporation of the lubricating oil, for example, it is conceivable to install a cooling unit inside the oil tank and cool the inside of the oil tank. However, in vertical shaft turbine generators using lubricating oil, if the cooling part is located above the oil level of the lubricating oil, there is a concern that water due to condensation will mix with the lubricating oil, reducing the lubricating performance and damaging the bearing device. Is done. In addition, when water due to condensation is mixed with the lubricating oil, the liquid level of the lubricant mixed with water and oil rises, and there is a concern that the lubricant containing the oil may flow into the river.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology capable of reducing the number of times of water replenishment by suppressing a decrease in the level of lubricating water due to evaporation.

  In the present invention, in order to solve the above-described problems, the cooling unit is installed in the bearing water tank that stores the lubricating water so that at least a part thereof is located above the surface of the lubricating water.

  More specifically, the present invention relates to a bearing device for a vertical shaft water turbine, wherein a bearing that supports a main shaft of the vertical water turbine is installed, and a bearing water tank that contains lubricating water, and at least a part thereof is above the surface of the lubricating water. And a cooling unit that cools the evaporated lubricating water and returns it to the bearing water tank.

According to the present invention, the evaporated lubricating water can be returned to the bearing water tank again by cooling and liquefying the evaporated lubricating water. As a result, it is possible to suppress the lowering of the level of the lubricating water due to evaporation and to reduce the number of times of replenishment compared to the conventional case. It suffices that at least a part of the cooling unit according to the present invention is located above the surface of the lubricating water. When the whole cooling unit is located above the surface of the lubricating water, the cooling unit cools the evaporated lubricating water. That is, the cooling unit performs air cooling. On the other hand, the cooling unit may have the other part positioned below the surface of the lubricating water. In this case, the cooling unit cools the evaporated lubricating water and directly cools the lubricating water in the liquid. can do. That is, the cooling unit can perform air cooling and liquid cooling. By performing both air cooling and liquid cooling, the evaporation of the lubricating water can be more effectively suppressed. As described above, it is conceivable to install a cooling unit inside the bearing oil tank even in a vertical axis turbine generator using lubricating oil. However, in the vertical axis turbine generator using the lubricating oil, the cooling part needs to be positioned below the oil level of the lubricating oil in order to suppress the deterioration of the lubricating performance and the outflow of oil to the river. In contrast, in the present invention, focusing on the use of water as a lubricant, at least a part of the cooling unit is positioned above the surface of the lubricating water, thereby cooling the evaporated lubricating water and cooling the bearing water tank. It reduces to the inside, suppresses the liquid level fall of lubricating water, and can reduce the frequency | count of water replenishment.

  The cooling part is constituted by a refrigerant pipe through which a refrigerant flows, a part of the refrigerant pipe is located above the surface of the lubricating water, and the other part of the refrigerant pipe is located below the surface of the lubricating water. It may be.

  The evaporated lubricating water gas is cooled and condensed on a part of the refrigerant pipe, that is, on the surface of the refrigerant pipe located above the water surface of the lubricating water. On the other hand, the other part of the refrigerant pipe, that is, the part of the refrigerant pipe located below the surface of the lubricating water directly cools the lubricating water in the liquid. Therefore, evaporation of the lubricating water itself can be suppressed. The refrigerant is exemplified by water. The water can be supplied from an iron pipe that draws water from the river. In addition, refrigerant gas (for example, carbon dioxide) etc. can also be used for a refrigerant | coolant.

  Further, the cooling section is constituted by a refrigerant pipe through which water flows, the refrigerant pipe is installed in the vicinity of the side surface in the bearing water tank, and a part of the refrigerant pipe is located above the water surface of the lubricating water, The other part of the refrigerant pipe is a bearing device for a vertical axis turbine according to claim 1, which is located below the surface of the lubricating water.

  By installing the refrigerant pipe near the side surface in the bearing water tank, the lubricating water can be cooled regardless of the bearing structure of the bearing device. In other words, the vertical shaft turbine bearing device according to the present invention can be suitably used not only for a new vertical shaft turbine bearing device, but also for an existing vertical shaft turbine bearing device.

  The refrigerant pipe is preferably made of stainless steel. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of patina and rust can be suppressed. As a result, damage to the bearing sliding surface, which is a concern when patina or rust adheres to the bearing sliding surface, can be suppressed.

  Here, the present invention can also be specified as a vertical axis turbine generator. For example, the present invention provides a bearing water tank in which a bearing that supports the main shaft of a vertical-axis water turbine is installed and that contains lubricating water, and at least a part thereof is located above the surface of the lubricating water. A vertical-shaft turbine generator comprising a cooling unit for cooling, a water turbine connected to one end of the main shaft, and a generator connected to the other end of the main shaft.

  According to the present invention, the evaporated lubricating water can be reduced into the bearing water tank. As a result, it is possible to suppress the lowering of the level of the lubricating water due to evaporation and to reduce the number of times of replenishment compared to the conventional case.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, in the bearing apparatus of a vertical axis | shaft water turbine, the liquid level fall of the lubricating water by evaporation can be suppressed and the frequency | count of water supplementation can be reduced.

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a bearing device for a vertical shaft turbine according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a transparent perspective view of a bearing device for a vertical shaft turbine according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first cooling unit constituting the cooling pipe according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a detailed cross-sectional view of a cooling pipe mounting portion in the vertical shaft turbine bearing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a reduction cycle of lubricating water in the bearing device for a vertical shaft turbine according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 shows a change graph of the water surface position of the lubricating water. FIG. 7 is a transparent perspective view of a bearing device for a vertical shaft turbine according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a transparent perspective view of a bearing device for a vertical shaft turbine according to the third embodiment.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description is an example, and the present invention is not limited to the items described below.

<First embodiment>
<< Configuration >>
FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a bearing device for a vertical shaft turbine according to the first embodiment. Note that different cross-sectional views are shown on the left and right sides of the drawing with respect to the main shaft 4. The right side of FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view at a position including the cooling pipe 7, and the left side of FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view at a position not including the cooling pipe 7. FIG. 2 is a transparent perspective view of a bearing device for a vertical shaft turbine according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first cooling unit constituting the cooling pipe according to the first embodiment. A vertical shaft turbine bearing device 1 (hereinafter also simply referred to as a bearing device) according to the first embodiment constitutes a part of a vertical shaft turbine generator, and includes a bearing water tank 2 and a cooling pipe 3. A generator is provided on the front end side (upper side) of the main shaft 4 of the vertical shaft water turbine, and a blade 61 (also referred to as a runner) of the water turbine 6 is provided on the base end side (lower side) of the main shaft 4. As the main shaft 4 rotates as the blades 61 of the water turbine 6 rotate, the generator generates power.

  The bearing water tank 2 is provided with a bearing 5 that supports the main shaft 4 of the vertical shaft water turbine, and contains lubricating water. The bearing water tank 2 has a cylindrical shape, is formed with an outer wall 21 parallel to the outer surface of the main shaft 4, and an inner wall 22 parallel to the outer surface of the main shaft 4, and the lower ends of the outer wall 21 and the inner wall 22. And a circular lid 24 connected to the upper end of the outer wall 21. In this embodiment, the upper end of the inner wall 22 is designed to be lower than the upper end of the outer wall 21 and higher than the surface of the lubricating water.

  At the center of the bottom surface 23, there is provided a through-hole 25 on the bottom surface having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the main shaft 4 and through which the main shaft 4 of the vertical shaft water turbine passes. The main shaft 4 that passes through the center of the bearing water tank 2 and extends in the vertical direction passes through the through hole 25 on the bottom surface. The bottom surface 23 and the inner wall 22 are connected by a detachable connecting plate 231.

  At the center of the lid 24, there is provided a through-hole 26 of the lid that has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the main shaft 4 and through which the main shaft 4 of the vertical shaft water turbine passes. The main shaft 4 that passes through the center of the bearing water tank 2 and extends in the vertical direction passes through the through hole 26 of the lid. A sealing case 241 for sealing a gap between the main shaft 4 and the lid 24 is installed in the through hole 26 of the lid. The seal case 241 has arms 242 arranged in two upper and lower stages, each of which has a felt (not shown) provided at the tip. A seal case 241 is installed so that the felt at the tip of the arm 242 contacts the outer surface of the main shaft 4, and the gap between the main shaft 4 and the lid 24 is sealed. The lid 24 is provided with a closing plate 243 around an opening 244 through which the cooling pipe 7 for supplying water to the cooling pipe 3 is passed.

The main shaft 4 is connected to a main shaft skirt 41 that protrudes outward in the radial direction and extends downward. The main shaft skirt 41 is positioned with the tip thereof spaced apart from the bottom surface 23, and the portion from the tip to the vicinity of the base is immersed in the lubricating water and rotates together with the main shaft 4. The outer surface of the main shaft skirt 41 is a sliding surface in contact with the bearing sliding portion 51 of the bearing 5. The inner surface of the main shaft skirt 41 is opposed to the outer surface of the main shaft 4 with a space therebetween, and the inner wall 22 of the bearing water tank 2 is interposed in the gap between the outer surface of the main shaft 4 and the inner surface of the main shaft skirt 41.

  The bearings 5 are installed in the vicinity of the outside of the main shaft skirt 41 at predetermined intervals in a radial manner to suppress the shaft runout of the main shaft 4. As shown in FIG. 2, in the first embodiment, six bearings 5 are installed at intervals of 60 degrees. The bearing 5 includes a bearing sliding portion 51, a bearing base 52, a presser 53, a contact plate 54, a guide plate 55, a cotter 56, a bearing support 57, and a pedestal 58, and includes a first bearing mounting base 510 and a second bearing mounting base 520. Is fixed to the inner surface of the outer wall 21 of the vertical shaft turbine. The bearing sliding portion 51 is a sliding surface in contact with the outer surface of the main shaft skirt 41, and is made of, for example, resin. The bearing sliding portion 51 may be made of a composite resin. The bearing slide 52 is fixed to the bearing stand 52. The bearing sliding portion 51 and the bearing base 52 are further fixed by a presser 53 at the upper portion. The bearing sliding portion 51 and the bearing stand 52 fixed by the presser 53 are further fixed to each other in the order of the contact plate 54, the guide plate 55, the cotter 56, and the bearing support 57 from the inside to the outside. The adjacent sliding members 51, the bearing base 52, the presser 53, the contact plate 54, the guide plate 55, the cotter 56, and the bearing support 57 in which adjacent members are fixed to each other are installed on the pedestal 58. It is composed. The bearing 5 is connected to a first bearing mounting base 510 projecting radially outward on the outer surface of the bearing support 57 positioned on the outside. On the other hand, a second bearing mounting base 520 protruding inward in the radial direction is connected to the inner surface of the outer wall 21 of the bearing water tank 2. The first bearing mounting base 510 and the second bearing mounting base 520 are fixed by bolts 59.

  The cooling pipe 3 cools the evaporated lubricating water and directly cools the lubricating water in the liquid. The cooling pipe 3 is composed of three stages of cooling pipes, that is, an upper cooling pipe 31, a middle cooling pipe 32, and a lower cooling pipe 33. The upper cooling pipe 31 is located above the surface of the lubricating water, cools the evaporated lubricating water, and returns it to the bearing water tank 2. The middle cooling pipe 32 and the lower cooling pipe 33 are located below the surface of the lubricating water, and directly cool the lubricating water in the liquid.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cooling pipe 3 is configured by connecting two first cooling units 301 and a second cooling unit 302 that are semicircular when viewed from above. The first cooling unit 301 includes a vertical inlet 34, an L-shaped part 35, a horizontal lower cooling pipe 33, a U-shaped part 36, a horizontal middle cooling pipe 32, a U-shaped part 36, a horizontal upper cooling pipe 31, and an upper stage. It is constituted by a horizontal connecting portion 37 extending from the open end side of the cooling pipe 31. The second cooling unit 302 includes a vertical outlet 38, an L-shaped part 35, a horizontal lower cooling pipe 33, a U-shaped part 36, a horizontal middle cooling pipe 32, a U-shaped part 36, and a horizontal upper cooling pipe 31. The horizontal connecting portion 37 extends from the open end side of the upper cooling pipe 31. By connecting the connection part 37 of the first cooling unit 301 and the connection part 37 of the second cooling unit 302, a continuous cooling pipe 3 is configured. The inlet 34 is connected to a forward pipe that constitutes the cooling pipe 7 from a flexible tube. The outgoing pipe is connected to an iron pipe (not shown) that draws water from the river, and water of, for example, 5 ° C. to 15 ° C. flows. In the forward piping, a strainer (not shown) for removing dust contained in the water is installed. The outlet portion 38 is connected to a return pipe made of a flexible tube. The return pipe is connected to an iron pipe that returns water to the river on the downstream side of the forward pipe, and the cooled water flows. The cooling pipe 3 and the cooling pipe 7 according to the first embodiment are made of stainless steel. However, the material of the cooling pipe 3 and the cooling pipe 7 is not limited to stainless steel.

The cooling pipe 3 is fixed in the bearing water tank 2 by a cooling pipe attachment member 8. The cooling pipe mounting member 8 includes an upper stage support part 81 that supports the upper stage cooling pipe 31, a middle stage support part 82 that supports the middle stage cooling pipe 32, and a lower stage support part 83 that supports the lower stage cooling pipe 33. ,
The cooling pipe to be supported is sandwiched and supported. The lower support portion of the upper support portion 81 also serves as the upper support portion of the middle support portion 82. The upper support portion of the lower support portion 83 also serves as the lower support portion of the middle support portion 82. In each support portion, a clamping through-hole (not shown) through which a clamping bolt 84 penetrates on both sides of the cooling pipe 3 is provided at the same position in the vertical direction. On the other hand, the clamping bolt 84 has such a length that the upper stage support part 81, the middle stage support part 82, and the lower stage support part 83 can be fixed at a stretch. The upper support portion of the lower support portion 83 (in other words, the lower support portion of the middle support portion 82) has a protruding portion 85 that protrudes inward from the other support portions. The projecting portion 85 has a mounting through hole (not shown) through which a mounting bolt 86 for fixing the cooling pipe mounting member 8 to the first bearing mounting base 510 and the second bearing mounting base 520 passes. Is provided. The cooling pipe mounting member 8 is fixed to the first bearing mounting base 510 and the second bearing mounting base 520 by mounting bolts 86.

  Explaining the configuration other than the above, the bearing device 1 is further provided with a thermometer 91, a water level gauge 92, and a shaft runout sensor 93. The thermometer 91 is installed in the bearing device 1 and detects the temperature of the bearing device 1. The water surface gauge 92 is installed in the bearing water tank 2 and detects the water surface position of the lubricating water. The shaft runout sensor 93 is installed on the upper part of the seal case 241 and detects the shaft runout of the main shaft 4. The thermometer 91, the water level meter 92, and the shaft shake sensor 93 are connected to an information processing apparatus (not shown) having a CPU and a memory via a cable, and the detected information is sent to the information processing apparatus.

<< Action and effect >>
Here, FIG. 5 shows a view for explaining a reduction cycle of the lubricating water in the bearing device of the vertical shaft turbine according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, in the bearing device 1 according to the first embodiment, the evaporation of the lubricating water, the condensation of the upper cooling pipe, and the condensed water are repeatedly reduced into the bearing water tank. Specifically, the main shaft 4 rotates with the rotation of the blades 61 of the water turbine 6 so that the generator generates power. Due to the generation of frictional heat or the like accompanying the rotation of the main shaft 4, the temperature of the lubricating water in the bearing water tank 2 rises and the lubricating water evaporates. The evaporated lubricating water gas is cooled and liquefied by contacting the outer surface of the upper cooling pipe 31 in the cooling pipe 3. That is, condensation occurs on the outer surface of the upper cooling pipe 31 located in the air. The condensed water is eventually reduced into the bearing water tank 2. In the bearing device 1 according to the first embodiment, since the second cooling pipe 3 and the third cooling pipe 3 are located below the surface of the lubricating water, the lubricating water is directly cooled in the liquid, and the evaporation itself Is suppressed. Thus, in the bearing device 1 according to the first embodiment, since air cooling and liquid cooling are performed, evaporation of the lubricating water can be more effectively suppressed. As a result, it is possible to suppress the lowering of the level of the lubricating water due to evaporation and to reduce the number of times of replenishment compared to the conventional case.

  Moreover, by making the cooling pipe 3 made of stainless steel, generation of patina and rust can be suppressed. As a result, damage to the sliding surface of the outer surface of the main spindle skirt 41 and the sliding surface of the bearing sliding portion 51, which are concerned by the attachment of patina and rust to the bearing sliding surface, can be suppressed.

  Moreover, in the bearing apparatus 1 which concerns on 1st embodiment, the cooling pipe 3 is being fixed in the bearing water tank 2 with the attachment member 8 of a cooling pipe using the empty space in the bearing water tank 2. FIG. For fixing, a fixing hole for fixing the first bearing mounting base 510 and the second bearing mounting base 520 is used. Further, an outgoing pipe and a return pipe constituting the cooling pipe 7 connected to the cooling pipe 3 are passed through an opening 244 provided in advance in the lid 24. Thus, the bearing device 1 according to the first embodiment can be used for the generator of an existing vertical shaft turbine without changing the main shaft 4 and the bearing 5.

<< Test results >>
Here, the test results of the bearing device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. In this test, the bearing device 1 according to the first embodiment was actually installed, and the temperature of the lubricating water and the water surface displacement were observed. Before the installation of the bearing device 1 according to the first embodiment, the bearing temperature after about one week after the generator was operated was about 38 ° C., but after the installation, the bearing temperature after about one week after the generator was operated. Was confirmed to be stable at about 7 ° C. FIG. 6 shows a change graph of the water surface position of the lubricating water. In addition, it was confirmed that the water surface position of the lubricating water was stable at −10 mm even for one week after the generator was operated, and there was almost no liquid level fluctuation due to evaporation.

<Second embodiment>
FIG. 7 is a transparent perspective view of a bearing device for a vertical shaft turbine according to the second embodiment. The vertical shaft turbine bearing device according to the second embodiment is different in the configuration of the cooling pipe 3 '. Since the other configuration is the same as that of the bearing device 1 according to the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted. The cooling pipe 3 'according to the second embodiment includes an inlet 34', an L-shaped part 35, an approximately circular upper cooling pipe 31 ', a U-shaped part 36, an approximately circular middle cooling pipe 32', and a U-shaped part. 36, a substantially circular lower cooling pipe 33 ', an L-shaped portion 35, and an outlet portion 38' are connected. As in the first embodiment, the upper cooling pipe 31 ′ is installed above the surface of the lubricating water, and the middle cooling pipe 32 ′ and the lower cooling pipe 33 ′ are installed below the surface of the lubricating water. Similar to the first embodiment, the level of lubricating water due to evaporation can be suppressed, and the number of times of water replenishment can be reduced as compared with the conventional case.

<Third embodiment>
FIG. 8 is a transparent perspective view of a bearing device for a vertical shaft turbine according to the third embodiment. The bearing device of the vertical axis turbine according to the third embodiment is different in the configuration of the cooling pipe 3 ″. Since the other configuration is the same as that of the bearing device 1 according to the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted. The cooling pipe 3 ″ according to the third embodiment is constituted by an inlet portion 34 ″, a wavy cooling pipe 39 that swings in the vertical direction, and an outlet portion 38 ″, and is continuous. In the bearing device according to the third embodiment, the upper part of the cooling pipe 3 ″ (for example, the upper third of the corrugated pipe 39) is exposed to the air, and the upper part of the cooling pipe 3 ″ is the surface of the lubricating water. As in the first embodiment, the lowering of the level of the lubricating water due to evaporation can be suppressed by installing the upper part of the cooling pipe ″ below the surface of the lubricating water. Thus, the number of times of water replenishment can be reduced as compared with the conventional case.

<Modification>
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the bearing device 1 is applied to a generator of an existing vertical shaft turbine has been described as an example. However, the bearing device 1 may be used for a generator of a new vertical shaft turbine. In this case, the degree of freedom such as the installation position of the cooling pipe 3 is improved.

  Moreover, you may install the cooling pipe 3 in the inner surface of the outer wall 21 of the bearing water tank 2, for example. Further, a part of the cooling pipe 3 may be installed on the lid 24 of the bearing water tank 2. Further, for example, fins may be installed on the outer surface of the outer wall 21 of the bearing water tank 2 to further enhance the cooling effect. Further, a fan may be installed to further enhance the cooling effect. Further, for example, a heater may be installed on a lid or an outer wall to prevent freezing in winter.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to these, and can include combinations thereof as much as possible.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Bearing apparatus of a vertical shaft water turbine 2 ... Bearing water tank 3 ... Cooling pipe 4 ... Main shaft 5 ... Bearing 6 ... Water wheel 7 ... Cooling pipe 8 ... Installation of a cooling pipe Member 21 ... Outer wall 22 ... Inner wall 23 ... Bottom 24 ... Cover 25 ... Bottom through-hole 26 ... Cover through-hole 41 ... Main shaft skirt 51 ... Bearing sliding Part

Claims (4)

A bearing water tank that supports the main shaft of the vertical shaft water turbine and that contains lubricating water;
A bearing device for a vertical shaft water turbine, comprising at least a part positioned above the surface of the lubricating water, and a cooling unit that cools the evaporated lubricating water and returns it to the bearing water tank.   The cooling part is constituted by a refrigerant pipe through which a refrigerant flows, a part of the refrigerant pipe is located above the surface of the lubricating water, and the other part of the refrigerant pipe is located below the surface of the lubricating water. The bearing apparatus of the vertical axis | shaft water turbine of Claim 1.   The cooling section is constituted by a refrigerant pipe through which water flows, and the refrigerant pipe is installed in the vicinity of the side surface in the bearing water tank, and a part of the refrigerant pipe is located above the water surface of the lubricating water. The other part is a bearing device for a vertical shaft turbine according to claim 1, which is located below the surface of the lubricating water. A bearing water tank that supports the main shaft of the vertical shaft water turbine and that contains lubricating water;
A cooling unit that is at least partially located above the surface of the lubricating water and cools the evaporated lubricating water;
A water wheel connected to one end of the main shaft;
A vertical axis turbine generator comprising: a generator connected to the other end of the main shaft.

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