초록 ▼

Disclosed is a renewable energy extraction device and methods for producing renewable energy from flowing air or water. The renewable energy extraction device captures a relatively large amount of flowing water or atmospheric air and increases speed of the captured water or air by decreasing flow cr

Disclosed is a renewable energy extraction device and methods for producing renewable energy from flowing air or water. The renewable energy extraction device captures a relatively large amount of flowing water or atmospheric air and increases speed of the captured water or air by decreasing flow cross sectional area in the flow direction. An energy extraction component is used to extract energy of the high-speed water or air and convert it to rotational mechanical energy on a power shaft. A rotation direction control mechanism is used to make the power shaft always rotate in one direction, without coming to a stop, for ocean applications. The mechanical energy of the power shaft is transmitted to an electric generator, pump, compressor, or any other rotary equipment. After extraction of its energy, the captured air or water is released to its original source at a downstream location.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A renewable energy extraction device for river application, comprising: (a) an inlet compartment, with a relatively large opening and reducing cross sectional area in the flow direction, capable of capturing all or a portion of the river flow rate, and increasing speed of the captured water as it

1. A renewable energy extraction device for river application, comprising: (a) an inlet compartment, with a relatively large opening and reducing cross sectional area in the flow direction, capable of capturing all or a portion of the river flow rate, and increasing speed of the captured water as it flows through the inlet compartment;(b) a high-speed flow compartment which receives high-speed flowing water from the inlet compartment;(c) an energy extraction component including a wheel rotor, wheel structure, and multiple paddles to extract energy from the high-speed water that flows through the high-speed flow compartment;(d) a power shaft which is engaged with the wheel rotor by keys, or other similar means, and receives the extracted energy in the form of rotational mechanical energy;(e) an exit compartment which receives water from the high-speed flow compartment and releases it to the original source of water downstream;(f) rolling-contact bearings, sleeve bearings, or a combination of both, that may be attached to the walls of the inlet, high-speed flow, or exit compartments, to support the rotating shafts;(g) flow restriction device(s), attached to any of the inlet, high-speed flow, or exit compartments to control flow of water through the compartments;(h) an electric generator, to receive the rotational mechanical energy of the power shaft and convert it to electrical power;(i) a brake system, for stopping the rotating shafts that are all connected to each other;(j) a transmission system, to adjust rotational speed of rotating shafts;(k) a flywheel, to store the rotational energy of the power shaft and minimize fluctuation in its rotational speed;(l) spacer shafts, to connect two adjacent shafts;(m) couplings, to connect two adjacent shafts;(n) means to control or prevent axial movements of rotating shafts;(o) screening devices, to be attached to the inlet and exit compartments to prevent debris or any other undesired particles and objects from passing through;(p) a lower structural platform to which all inlet, high-speed flow, and exit compartments are attached;(q) an upper structural platform, on which all equipment and instrumentation can be mounted and provides a working area for crew; and(r) a structure, connecting lower platform to the upper platform. 2. A renewable energy extraction device according to claim 1, wherein said lower and upper platforms may be built from metal, non-metal materials, concrete, or a combination of them, and fixed into the ground. 3. A renewable energy extraction device according to claim 1, wherein said lower and upper platforms can be built on a floating structure, with means to keep the floating structure in place while allowing it to move up and down as water level changes, and aligned with the flow direction. 4. A renewable energy extraction device according to claim 1, wherein said single inlet and exit compartments are used with multiple high-speed flow compartments and energy extraction components. 5. A renewable energy extraction device according to claim 1, wherein said energy extraction component is a single-stage or multiple-stage axial-flow water turbine submerged in water that is flowing through the high-speed flow compartment, with means to transmit extracted power to other components that are mounted on the upper platform. 6. A renewable energy extraction device according to claim 5, wherein said single inlet and exit compartments are used with multiple high-speed flow compartments and energy extraction components. 7. A rotation direction control mechanism for ocean application, comprising: (a) a power shaft, which supports the energy extraction component and receives the extracted energy in the form of rotational mechanical energy;(b) an energy extraction component including a wheel rotor which rotates idle (freely) relative to the power shaft, wheel structure, and multiple paddles, to extract energy from the high-speed water that flows through the high-speed flow compartment;(c) a ratchet-like cylinder, that is concentric with the power shaft and engaged with it by keys or other similar means;(d) a slotted cylinder, which is concentric with the power shaft but rotates idle (freely) relative to it;(e) two extended-slotted cylinders, that are concentric with the power shaft and can rotate idle (freely) relative to it, and are attached to the wheel rotor or wheel structure or both, one on each side, by fasteners;(f) an extended ratchet-like cylinder, that is concentric with the power shaft but rotates idle (freely) relative to it;(g) a slotted disk that is concentric with the cylindrical section of the extended ratchet-like cylinder, but rotates idle (freely) relative to it;(h) an internally-geared cylinder, that is concentric with the power shaft and engaged with it by keys or other similar means;(i) an inner gear that is concentric with the second cylindrical section of the extended ratchet-like cylinder, and is engaged with it by keys or other similar means;(j) peripheral gear, used in multiple quantities, to transfers rotation and power from the inner gear to the geared section of the internally-geared cylinder;(k) peripheral gear support, used in multiple quantities, which could be an axle or spindle, to support the peripheral gear;(l) synchronizer, used in multiple quantities, that could be an axle or stud bolt with its associated nuts and washers, to connect an extended-slotted cylinder to the slotted cylinder or the slotted disk;(m) power transmission element, used in multiple quantities, that could be an axle or stud bolt with its associated nuts and washers, that can slide on curved surfaces of the ratchet-like cylinder or extended ratchet-like cylinder while moving up and down in slots of the slotted disk, slotted cylinder, and extended slotted cylinder;(n) noise absorbing component, used in multiple quantities, which could be a sleeve (jacket), from plastic, rubber, or any other noise absorbing material(s), to be used around some or all surfaces of the power transmission elements to absorb noise of contact between contacting components;(o) spring, used in multiple quantities, attached to both the ratchet-like cylinder and the extended-ratchet-like cylinder to keep the sliding power transmission elements always in contact with surfaces of the ratchet-like cylinder and the extended-ratchet-like cylinder;(p) means to control or prevent axial movements of all components; and(q) rolling-contact bearings, sleeve bearings, or a combination of both, to support the rotating shafts. 8. A rotation direction control mechanism according to claim 7, wherein said extended ratchet-like cylinder and inner gear are combined to make a single piece, by directly cutting gear teeth on the cylindrical section of the extended ratchet-like cylinder, with the combined single piece be engaged with the peripheral gears. 9. A renewable energy extraction device for ocean application, comprising: (a) an inlet compartment, with a relatively large opening and reducing cross sectional area in the direction of the incoming flow, capable of capturing a relatively large amount of flowing water and increasing speed of the captured water as it flows through the inlet compartment;(b) a high-speed flow compartment which receives high-speed flowing water from the inlet compartment;(c) a rotation direction control mechanism, which also includes a power shaft, wheel rotor, wheel structure, and multiple paddles to extract energy from the high-speed water that flows through the high-speed flow compartment, and produce rotation in only one direction independent of the direction of flow of water through the high-speed flow compartment;(d) an exit compartment which receives water from the high-speed flow compartment and releases it to the original source of water downstream;(e) rolling-contact bearings, sleeve bearings, or a combination of both, that may be attached to the walls of the inlet, high-speed flow, or exit compartments, to support the rotating shafts;(f) flow restriction device(s), attached to any of the inlet, high-speed flow, or exit compartments to control flow of water through the compartments;(g) an electric generator, to receive the rotational mechanical energy of the power shaft and convert it to electrical power;(h) a brake system, for stopping the rotating shafts that are all connected to each other;(i) a transmission system, to adjust rotational speed of rotating shafts;(j) a flywheel, to store the rotational energy of the power shaft and minimize fluctuation in its rotational speed;(k) spacer shafts, to connect two adjacent shafts;(l) couplings, to connect two adjacent shafts;(m) means to control or prevent axial movements of rotating shafts;(n) screening devices, to be attached to the inlet and exit compartments to prevent debris or any other undesired particles and objects from passing through;(o) a lower structural platform to which all inlet, high-speed flow, and exit compartments are attached;(p) an upper structural platform, on which all equipment and instrumentation can be mounted and provides a working area for crew; and(q) a structure, connecting lower platform to the upper platform. 10. A renewable energy extraction device according to claim 9, wherein said lower and upper platforms may be built from metal, non-metal materials, concrete, or a combination of them, and fixed into the ground. 11. A renewable energy extraction device according to claim 9, wherein said lower and upper platforms can be built on a floating structure, with means to keep the floating structure in place while allowing it to move up and down as water level changes, and aligned with the flow direction. 12. A renewable energy extraction device according to claim 9, wherein said single inlet and exit compartments are used with multiple high-speed flow compartments and rotation direction control mechanisms. 13. A renewable energy extraction device for air application, comprising: (a) an inlet compartment, with a closed contour except at its inlet and outlet, with a relatively large opening and with reducing cross sectional area in the flow direction, rigid or foldable, built from rigid or foldable materials, capable of capturing relatively large amounts of flowing atmospheric air, increasing speed of the captured air as it flows through the inlet compartment;(b) a high-speed flow compartment, rigid or foldable, built from rigid or foldable materials with a closed contour except at its inlet and outlet, which receives high-speed flowing air from the inlet compartment for extraction of its energy;(c) an exit compartment, rigid or foldable, built from rigid or foldable materials, which releases the captured air back to the atmosphere after its energy is extracted;(d) an energy extraction component, a single-stage or multistage axial-flow air or wind turbine, with its associated shaft that is considered as the power shaft, to extract energy of the captured air and convert it to the rotational mechanical energy on the power shaft;(e) flow restriction device(s), attached to any of the inlet, high-speed flow, or exit compartments, to control flow of air through the compartments;(f) an electric generator to convert the mechanical energy of the power shaft to electrical power;(g) a brake system, for stopping the rotating shafts that are all connected to each other;(h) a transmission system, to adjust rotational speed of rotating shafts;(i) a flywheel, to store the rotational energy of the power shaft and minimize fluctuation in its rotational speed;(j) spacer shafts, to connect two adjacent shafts;(k) couplings, to connect two adjacent shafts;(l) screening devices, to be attached to the inlet and exit compartments to prevent debris or any other undesired particles and objects from passing through; and(m) a rigid or foldable frame or structure on which all of the compartments and components of the renewable energy extraction device, and their required instrumentation, are mounted. 14. A renewable energy extraction device according to claim 13, wherein a central duct with multiple inlet compartments and check valves (directional valves) are used on a stationary structure to capture air that may approach the renewable energy extraction device from any direction, with the central duct supplying the air captured by all inlet compartments to the single high-speed flow compartment. 15. A renewable energy extraction device according to claim 13, wherein two units of said renewable energy extraction device are mounted back-to-back on a rigid or foldable rotary structure, with attaching rigid or foldable sheets to the rotary structure to increase the magnitude of the wind forces acting on it, thus making the rotary structure rotate by wind forces and align itself with the wind direction, and with means to lock (anchor) the rotary structure to a stationary structure at a desired angle. 16. A renewable energy extraction device according to claim 15, wherein said rotary structure can rotate on a rigid or foldable stationary structure that can be secured to the ground or a foundation by fasteners, ropes, cables, chains, or wires, and with addition of lubricated or non-lubricated flat surfaces, rollers, or motorized or manually driven wheels, that can be attached to the stationary and rotary structures, to allow the rotary structure rotate on the stationary structure easily in order to align itself with the wind direction. 17. A renewable energy extraction device according to claim 16, wherein an electric generator sharing mechanism is added so the two renewable energy extraction device units can transmit their power to a single electric generator. 18. A method of generating power according to claim 14, wherein a rotation direction control mechanism is used to allow power generation in ocean applications. 19. A method of generating power according to claim 14, wherein two renewable energy extraction device units are used with stationary and rotary structures, with or without the electric generator sharing mechanism, and with or without a central duct with multiple inlet compartments and check valves, to allow power generation in air applications. 20. A method of generating power for river applications, comprising the steps of: (a) using an inlet compartment with a relatively large opening to capture a relatively large amount of flowing water, increase speed of the captured water that is flowing through the inlet compartment by reducing the cross sectional area of the inlet compartment in the direction of the incoming flow;(b) directing the captured water, that leaves the inlet compartment with a high speed, to a high-speed flow compartment for extraction of its energy;(c) using an energy extraction component, with its associated shaft (considered as the power shaft), within the high-speed flow compartment to extract energy of the high-speed water and convert it to the rotational mechanical energy on the power shaft;(d) directing the captured water, after energy extraction, to an exit compartment for its release to the original source of water at a downstream location;(e) using flow restriction means to control magnitude of flow rate of water that passes through any of the inlet, high-speed flow, and exit compartments;(f) using screening means, to be attached to the inlet, high-speed flow, and exit compartments, to prevent undesired particles and objects that might be carried by the flowing water from entering any of the inlet, high-speed flow, and exit compartments;(g) transmitting the rotational mechanical energy of the power shaft to an electric generator, pump, compressor, or any other rotary equipment;(h) using the electrical power of the electric generator for local needs or for delivery to a power grid;(i) using a brake system, for stopping the rotating shafts that are all connected together;(j) using a transmission system, to adjust rotational speed of rotating shafts;(k) using a flywheel, to store the rotational energy of the power shaft and minimize fluctuation in its rotational speed;(l) using spacer shafts, to connect two adjacent shafts;(m) using couplings, to connect two adjacent shafts; and(n) using universal joints to transmit power if adjacent shafts do have the same axes of rotation.