JP7576865B2 - Hydroelectric Power System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a hydroelectric power generation system.

Hydroelectric power generation is one of the methods of generating electricity using natural energy (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Hydroelectric power generation is a method of generating electricity by converting the potential energy of water into electrical energy, and pumped-storage power generation, in which water is pumped up to high altitudes for generating electricity, is also a type of hydroelectric power generation. Electrical energy obtained through hydroelectric power generation has attracted attention as a renewable energy source that emits almost no carbon dioxide.

JP 2004-251259 A

However, because hydroelectric power plants require abundant water resources, they must be installed in locations geographically far from urban and industrial areas that require large amounts of electricity, and installation locations are limited to mountainous areas with abundant water resources. Furthermore, hydroelectric power plants are large-scale because they require the storage of the large amount of water needed to generate electricity.

The present invention was made in consideration of this current situation, and aims to provide a compact hydroelectric power generation system that can be installed in urban and industrial areas.

This application includes multiple means for solving at least some of the above problems, examples of which are as follows:

In order to solve the above problems, a hydroelectric power generation system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a first pipe having a first water inlet and a first drain outlet at a height lower than the first water inlet, a first Francis turbine that generates power using the water discharged from the first drain outlet, a second pipe having a larger pipe diameter than the first pipe, a second water inlet to which the water discharged from the first Francis turbine is supplied and a second drain outlet at a height lower than the second water inlet, and a Pelton turbine that generates power using the water discharged from the second drain outlet.

The turbine may further include a plurality of branch pipes that branch the water discharged from the second drainage outlet, and the Pelton turbine may include a plurality of coaxial impellers that receive the water discharged from each of the plurality of branch pipes.

The diameter of each of the multiple branch pipes can be made smaller than before branching.

The system may further include a pool for storing water discharged from the Pelton turbine, a chamber connected to the first water inlet and located higher than the first water inlet, a water pumping pipe connecting the pool and the chamber, and a pump for pumping water from the pool to the chamber via the water pumping pipe.

The interior of the chamber can consist of water and a vacuum region extending above the water.

The first water supply port is located below sea level, and seawater can be supplied as the water from the first water supply port.

The Pelton turbine further includes a second Francis turbine that generates power using the water discharged from the second drainage outlet, a third water inlet to which the water discharged from the second Francis turbine is supplied, and a third drainage outlet at a lower height than the third water inlet and having a larger pipe diameter than the second pipe, and the Pelton turbine can generate power using the water discharged from the third drainage outlet.

The chamber is installed on a first floor, the first Francis turbine is installed on a second floor below the first floor, and the first piping can extend from the first floor to the second floor.

The present invention provides a compact hydroelectric power generation system that can be installed in urban and industrial areas.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a hydroelectric power generation system according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a hydroelectric power generation system according to a modified example.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In all drawings for describing an embodiment, the same components are generally given the same reference numerals, and repeated description will be omitted. In the following embodiments, the components (including element steps, etc.) are not necessarily essential, unless otherwise specified or considered to be obviously essential in principle. In addition, when "consists of A," "consists of A," "has A," or "includes A," it goes without saying that other elements are not excluded, except when it is specifically specified that only that element is included. Similarly, in the following embodiments, when referring to the shape, positional relationship, etc. of components, etc., it includes those that are substantially similar or similar to the shape, etc., except when it is specifically specified or considered to be obviously not essential in principle.

Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of a hydroelectric power generation system according to this embodiment. The hydroelectric power generation system 1 is a power generation system constructed in, for example, a building 30 in an urban area. The building 30 is, for example, a building with floors 20 to 23.

As an example, the hydroelectric power generation system 1 includes a chamber 2, pipes 3 to 7, a pumping pipe 8, and a pool 15.

Chamber 2 is a tank for storing water W for power generation, and is installed on the top floor 20. In this example, the height of chamber 2 is set high enough so that the water pressure of water W at floor 20 is greater than atmospheric pressure. This creates a vacuum region V above water W inside chamber 2.

The piping 3 extends substantially vertically downward from the floor 20 to the floor 21 below, and is equipped with a water supply port 3a and a drain port 3b at a lower height. The chamber 2 is located higher than the water supply port 3a, and is connected to the water supply port 3a near the floor 20. As a result, the water W in the chamber 2 falls from the water supply port 3a to the drain port 3b due to its own weight inside the piping 3.

The drain outlet 3b is connected to the Francis turbine 11 near the floor 21. The Francis turbine 11 is a power generating turbine installed on the floor 21, and generates power using the water W drained from the drain outlet 3b.

Pipe 4 has a larger diameter than pipe 3, extends substantially vertically downward from floor 21 to floor 22 below, and has a water inlet 4a and a drainage outlet 4b at a lower height. Water inlet 4a is connected to the Francis turbine 11 near floor 21. Water W used to generate electricity in the Francis turbine 11 falls from the water inlet 4a to the drainage outlet 4b due to its own weight inside pipe 4.

The drain outlet 4b is connected to the Francis turbine 12 near the floor 22. The Francis turbine 12 is a power generating turbine installed on the floor 22, and generates power using the water W drained from the drain outlet 4b.

Pipe 5 has a larger diameter than pipe 4, extends substantially vertically downward from floor 22 to the floor 23 below, and has a water inlet 5a and a drainage outlet 5b at a lower height. Water inlet 5a is connected to the Francis turbine 12 near floor 22. Water W used to generate electricity in the Francis turbine 12 falls from the water inlet 5a to the drainage outlet 5b due to its own weight inside pipe 5.

The drain outlet 5b is connected to the Francis turbine 13 near the floor 23. The Francis turbine 13 is a power generating turbine installed on the floor 23, and generates power using the water W drained from the drain outlet 5b.

Pipe 6 has a larger diameter than pipe 5, extends almost vertically downward from floor 23, and has a water supply port 6a and a drain port 6b at a lower height.

The water inlet 6a is connected to the Francis turbine 13 near the floor 23. The water W used to generate electricity in the Francis turbine 13 falls from the water inlet 6a through the pipe 6 toward the water outlet 6b due to its own weight.

The pipe 7 is connected to the drain outlet 6b and has branch pipes 7a that branch the water W drained from the drain outlet 6b into multiple parts.

A Pelton turbine 14 is provided below the branch pipe 7a. The Pelton turbine 14 is a turbine that generates electricity using the water W drained from the branch pipe 7a. In this example, the Pelton turbine 14 includes multiple impellers 14a, a shaft 14c, and a generator 14d.

Each impeller 14a is coaxially mounted on a shaft 14c, and rotates the shaft 14c by receiving water W. The generator 14d generates electricity through the rotational motion of the shaft 14c.

In this example, an impeller 14a is provided for each branch pipe 7a. This allows the impeller 14a to efficiently receive the water W drained from the branch pipe 7a, improving the power generation efficiency of the Pelton turbine 14.

The water pressure in each branch pipe 7a may be increased by making the pipe diameter of the branch pipe 7a smaller after branching than before branching. This increases the flow rate of the water W discharged from each branch pipe 7a, making it possible to obtain water W with a flow rate sufficient to drive the Pelton turbine 14.

The pool 15 is a tank that stores the water W discharged from the Pelton turbine 14, and is provided, for example, on the first floor or basement of the building 30.

A pump 16 is provided above the pool 15 to pump up the water W in the pool 15. The water W pumped up by the pump 16 returns to the chamber 2 through the pumping pipe 8 and is used again to generate electricity. Note that the electricity used to drive the pump 16 may be, for example, other commercial electricity or pre-stored electricity in addition to or instead of the electricity generated by each of the Francis turbines 11-13 and the Pelton turbine 14.

As described above, the hydroelectric power generation system 1 has pipes 3 to 5, and of these pipes 3 to 5, the pipe located upstream based on the flow of water W corresponds to the first pipe of the present invention, and the pipe located downstream corresponds to the second pipe. For example, pipe 3 corresponds to the first pipe, and either pipe 4 or 5 located further downstream corresponds to the second pipe. Furthermore, the third pipe of the present invention is, of pipes 5 and 6, the pipe located downstream of the second pipe of the present invention. For example, when pipe 4 is the second pipe, either pipe 5 or 6 becomes the third pipe.

The number of pipes and Francis turbines is not particularly limited. In this example, three Francis turbines 11-13 are provided in three stages of pipes 3-5, but any number of Francis turbines may be provided in any number of stages of pipes. Furthermore, in this example, the number of branch pipes 7 is four, but the number of branch pipes 7 can be any number greater than or equal to two.

According to the hydroelectric power generation system 1 described above, each of the Francis turbines 11-13 and the Pelton turbine 14 converts the falling energy of the water W into electrical energy, making it possible to generate hydroelectric power.

In addition, in this hydroelectric power generation system 1, the pipes 3 to 7 ensure the flow paths of water supplied to each of the Francis turbines 11 to 13 and the Pelton turbine 14. Therefore, by housing each of the pipes 3 to 7, the Francis turbines 11 to 13, and the Pelton turbine 14 in a building or other structure, it is possible to construct a compact hydroelectric power generation system 1 that can be installed in urban areas or industrial areas.

Furthermore, by reusing the floors of the existing building 30 as floors 21-23 on which the Francis turbines 11-13 are installed and extending the pipes 3-5 from the upper floors to the lower floors, the hydroelectric power generation system 1 can be constructed while making effective use of the existing building 30.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the pipe diameter of pipe 4 is made larger than the pipe diameter of pipe 3, so the pressure that the water W discharged from the Francis turbine 11 receives in pipe 4 drops sharply. This makes it easier for the water W to be discharged from the Francis turbine 11, improving the power generation efficiency of the Francis turbine 11. Furthermore, the flow rate of the water W falling through pipe 4 increases, so the power generation efficiency of the Francis turbine 12 in the subsequent stage increases. For the same reason, the pipe diameter of pipe 5 is made larger than the pipe diameter of pipe 4, so the power generation efficiency of each of the Francis turbines 12 and 13 improves. Furthermore, the pipe diameter of pipe 6 is made larger than the pipe diameter of pipe 5, so the power generation efficiency of the Francis turbine 13 improves.

In addition, the water W used to generate electricity in each of the Francis turbines 11-13 and the Pelton turbine 14 is stored in the pool 15, and the water W can be pumped up to the chamber 2 by the pump 16, allowing the water W to be used again for generating electricity. Therefore, the hydroelectric power generation system 1 can generate electricity even in urban areas where water resources are scarce.

In addition, because a vacuum region V is formed in the chamber 2, atmospheric pressure does not act on the surface of the water W in the chamber 2. As a result, the amount of water W supplied from the chamber 2 to the pipe 3 is less affected by atmospheric pressure, and fluctuations in the amount of power generation caused by changes in atmospheric pressure due to changes in weather can be suppressed.

When constructing the hydroelectric power generation system 1 in a cold region, it is preferable to use insulating material for the exterior walls of the building 30. Also, insulating material may be wrapped around each of the pipes 3 to 7. This makes it possible to prevent the water W from freezing, preventing each of the Francis turbines 11 to 13 and the Pelton turbine 14 from generating electricity.

<Modification>
Fig. 2 is a configuration diagram of a hydroelectric power generation system 1 according to a modified example. In this modified example, the chamber 2 and the pumping pipe 8 in Fig. 1 are omitted. The entire hydroelectric power generation system 1 is submerged in the sea, and the water inlet 3a of the pipe 3 is set lower than the sea level S. This makes it possible to take in seawater from the water inlet 3a as the water W for power generation. Then, each of the Francis turbines 11 to 13 and the Pelton turbine 14 generates power using seawater, making it possible to make effective use of seawater. The seawater used for power generation is stored in a pool 15 and then discharged into the sea from a drainage port 16a of a pump 16.

1...Hydroelectric power generation system, 2...Chamber, 3-7...Pipes, 3a, 4a, 5a, 6a...Water inlet, 3b, 4b, 5b, 6b...Drain, 7a...Branch pipe, 8...Pumping pipe, 11-13...Francis turbine, 14...Pelton turbine, 14a...Impeller, 14c...Shaft, 14d...Generator, 15...Pool, 16...Pump, 16a...Drain, 20-23...Floor, 30...Building

Claims (5)

a first pipe having a first water inlet and a first drain outlet at a lower height than the first water inlet;
a first Francis turbine that generates power using the water discharged from the first outlet;
a second pipe having a diameter larger than that of the first pipe, the second pipe including a second water inlet to which water discharged from the first Francis turbine is supplied and a second water outlet located at a height lower than that of the second water inlet;
a Pelton turbine that generates electricity using the water discharged from the second outlet;
a pool for storing water discharged from the Pelton turbine;
a chamber connected to the first water inlet and located higher than the first water inlet;
A water pumping pipe connecting the pool and the chamber;
a pump for pumping the water from the pool through the pumping pipe to the chamber;
The interior of the chamber is composed of water and a vacuum region extending above the water.
Hydroelectric power system. 2. The hydroelectric power generation system according to claim 1,
The water discharged from the second drain outlet is further branched into a plurality of branch pipes,
The Pelton turbine has a plurality of coaxial impellers that receive water discharged from each of the plurality of branch pipes.
Hydroelectric power system. 3. The hydroelectric power generation system according to claim 2,
Each of the plurality of branch pipes has a smaller pipe diameter than that before branching.
Hydroelectric power system. 2. The hydroelectric power generation system according to claim 1,
a second Francis turbine that generates power using the water discharged from the second outlet; and
a third water inlet to which water discharged from the second Francis turbine is supplied, and a third drain outlet located at a height lower than the third water inlet, and a third pipe having a diameter larger than that of the second pipe;
The Pelton turbine generates electricity using the water discharged from the third outlet.
Hydroelectric power system. 2. The hydroelectric power generation system according to claim 1 ,
the chamber is disposed above a first floor;
the first Francis turbine is installed on a second floor below the first floor;
The first pipe extends from the first bed to the second bed.
Hydroelectric power system.

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