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BR-112019013070-B1 - POWER GENERATION DEVICE

BR112019013070B1BR 112019013070 B1BR112019013070 B1BR 112019013070B1BR-112019013070-B1

Abstract

This describes a power-generating apparatus for extracting energy from a water flow. The apparatus comprises a floating body and a turbine assembly coupled to the floating body, including a turbine rotor mounted in a nacelle, and a support structure. The turbine assembly can rotate between a first position and a second position. When the power-generating apparatus is floating on a body of water, in the first position, the nacelle is fully submerged below the water surface; and in the second position, at least part of the nacelle projects above the water surface. The movement of the turbine assembly from the first position to the second position is assisted by buoyancy, for example, by providing the turbine assembly with positive buoyancy or selectively increasing its buoyancy. The movement of the turbine assembly to the second position may be desirable to reduce the draft or drag of the power-generating apparatus, for example, when the power-generating apparatus is being relocated, or to avoid damage during storms. Furthermore, when the turbine assembly is in the second position, it is possible to obtain access to (...).

Inventors

  • Jonathan Meason
  • Calum Miller
  • William Annal
  • Andrew Harrison
  • Axel Bondoux
  • ROSS MCKAY HENDERSON
  • CARN NATHANIEL GEORGE GIBSON
  • CHARLES ANDREW EDWARD TAYLOR
  • JONATHAN IAN BENZIE

Assignees

  • Orbital Marine Power Limited

Dates

Publication Date
20260317
Application Date
20171106
Priority Date
20161222

Claims (20)

  1. 1. POWER GENERATION APPARATUS (1, 100, 301, 401, 501, 701, 901), for extracting energy from flowing water, comprising: a floating body (3, 103, 303, 403, 503, 703, 903), and a turbine assembly (5, 105, 405, 505, 705a, 705b, 905a, 905b) coupled to the floating body; with the turbine assembly comprising a turbine rotor (9, 909) mounted in a nacelle (7, 107, 307, 407, 507, 907), and a support structure (11, 111, 411, 511, 711a, 711b, 911); with the support structure being coupled at its inner end (12, 112, 512) to the floating body, and at its outer end (10, 510) to the nacelle; with the turbine assembly being rotatably movable between a first position and a second position; characterized in that, when the power generation apparatus is floating in a body of water: in the first position, the turbine assembly extends below the floating body and the nacelle (7, 107, 307, 407, 507, 907) is totally submerged below the surface of the water; and in the second position, the turbine assembly extends alongside the floating body and a part of the nacelle projects above the surface of the water.
  2. 2. POWER GENERATION APPARATUS (1, 100, 301, 401, 501, 701, 901), according to claim 1, characterized by comprising a single floating body (3, 103, 303, 403, 503, 703, 903).
  3. 3. POWER GENERATION APPARATUS (1, 100, 301, 401, 501, 701, 901), according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by comprising two or more turbine assemblies (5, 105, 405, 505, 705a, 705b, 905a, 905b), wherein the two or more turbine assemblies are symmetrically arranged around the floating body (3, 103, 303, 403, 503, 703, 903).
  4. 4. POWER GENERATION APPARATUS (1, 100, 301, 401, 501, 701, 901), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the/each turbine assembly (5, 105, 405, 505, 705a, 705b, 905a, 905b) is configured to rotate about an axis (X) that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the floating body.
  5. 5. POWER GENERATION APPARATUS (901), according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the first position, each said turbine assembly (5, 105, 405, 505, 705a, 705b, 905a, 905b) extends below, and to the side of, the floating body.
  6. 6. POWER GENERATING APPARATUS (501, 701, 901), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by comprising a driven mechanism (600, 800, 1000) associated with each turbine assembly (505, 705a, 705b, 905a, 905b), for moving the turbine assembly between the first and second positions; the driven mechanism (1000) being optionally hydraulically actuated, comprising at least one hydraulic cylinder (1002) operatively coupled, optionally rotatably, between the floating body (903) and said turbine assembly (905a, 905b).
  7. 7. POWER GENERATION APPARATUS (901), according to claim 6, characterized in that the driven mechanism (1000) is hydraulically actuated, with each said hydraulic cylinder (1002) being operationally connected between one or another turbine assembly (905a, 905b) and a mechanical coupling arrangement (1008), and with the mechanical coupling arrangement being coupled, at a first end (1012), to the turbine assembly (905), and, at a second end (1016), to the floating body (903), with the distance between the first and second ends of the mechanical coupling arrangement being variable by means of the operation of the hydraulic cylinder.
  8. 8. POWER GENERATION APPARATUS (901), according to claim 7, characterized in that the mechanical coupling arrangement (1008) comprises two or more rotatably interconnected connections (1010) extending from the first end (1012) to the second end (1016), wherein, when the turbine assembly is in the first position, the couplings are optionally aligned between the first and second ends.
  9. 9. POWER GENERATION APPARATUS (901), according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that each hydraulic cylinder (1002) has a shaft that crosses a line described between the first and second ends (1012, 1016) of the mechanical coupling arrangement (1008), at least when the respective turbine assembly (905a, 905b) is near the first position, or along the entire range of motion of the turbine assembly.
  10. 10. POWER GENERATION APPARATUS (901), according to claim 9, characterized in that each hydraulic cylinder (1002) has a shaft extending generally perpendicularly to said line, at least when the respective turbine assembly is near the first position, or along the entire range of motion of the respective turbine assembly (905a, 905b).
  11. 11. POWER GENERATING APPARATUS (1, 100, 301, 401, 501, 701, 901), according to any one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that the driven mechanism (1000) comprises a position measuring apparatus, operable to detect the position of the driven mechanism and thus of/of each turbine set (5, 105, 405, 505, 705a, 705b, 905a, 905b); wherein the driven mechanism is optionally associated with a controller operable to control the driven mechanism, based on information received from the position measuring apparatus, and operable to synchronize the motion of two or more turbine sets.
  12. 12. POWER GENERATION APPARATUS (1, 100, 301, 401, 501, 701, 901), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the/each turbine assembly (5, 105, 405, 505, 705a, 705b, 905a, 905b) defines one or more floating volumes, with the movement of the turbine assembly from the first position to the second position, and/or from the second position to the first position, being assisted by flotation.
  13. 13. POWER GENERATION APPARATUS (1, 100, 301, 401, 501, 701, 901), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the movement towards one or more of the first or second positions is damped by a damper (89, 583) or by a driven mechanism (600, 800, 1000) as described in any one of claims 6 to 9.
  14. 14. TURBINE ASSEMBLY (5, 105, 405, 505, 705a, 705b, 905a, 905b), for a power generation apparatus (1, 100, 301, 401, 501, 701, 901) as described in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that such turbine assembly comprises a turbine rotor (9, 909) mounted in a nacelle (7, 107, 307, 407, 507, 907), and a support structure (11, 111, 411, 511, 711a, 711b, 911), with the support structure being configured to be coupled, at its inner end (12, 112, 512), to the floating body, and coupled, at its outer end (10, 510), to the nacelle; wherein, when coupled to said floating body, during use, the turbine assembly is rotationally movable between a first position and a second position, with the turbine assembly defining one or more floating volumes.
  15. 15. METHOD OF OPERATING A POWER GENERATION APPARATUS (1, 100, 301, 401, 501, 701, 901), comprising a floating body (3, 103, 303, 403, 503, 703, 903) floating on a body of water, and a turbine assembly (5, 105, 405, 505, 705a, 705b, 905a, 905b) as described in claim 14, coupled to the floating body; The turbine assembly comprises a turbine rotor (9, 909) mounted in a nacelle (7, 107, 307, 407, 507, 907), and a support structure (11, 111, 411, 511, 711a, 711b, 911), with the support structure being coupled, at its inner end (12, 112, 512), to the floating body, and, at its outer end, to the nacelle (10, 510); such method being characterized by comprising: rotating the turbine assembly with the aid of flotation, from a first position, in which the turbine assembly extends below the floating body and the nacelle is fully submerged below the water surface, to a second position, in which the turbine assembly extends alongside the floating body and a part of the nacelle projects above the water surface.
  16. 16. METHOD, according to claim 15, characterized in that the power generation apparatus (1, 100, 301, 401, 501, 701, 901) comprises more than one turbine assembly (5, 105, 405, 505, 705a, 705b, 905a, 905b) symmetrically arranged around the floating body (3, 103, 303, 403, 503, 703, 903), with the method comprising moving the turbine assemblies between the first and second positions simultaneously.
  17. 17. METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING A POWER GENERATION APPARATUS (1, 100, 301, 401, 501, 701, 901), for extracting energy from flowing water, characterized by comprising: providing a floating body (3, 103, 303, 403, 503, 703, 903) and a turbine assembly (5, 105, 405, 505, 705a, 705b, 905a, 905b) as described in claim 14, each floating in a body of water; placing an inner end (12, 112, 512) of the floating turbine assembly in a coupling position with the floating body; and coupling the inner end to the floating body.
  18. 18. METHOD FOR DISASSEMBLING A POWER GENERATION APPARATUS (1, 100, 301, 401, 501, 701, 901), for extracting energy from flowing water, the power generation apparatus comprising a floating body (3, 103, 303, 403, 503, 703, 903) and a turbine assembly (5, 105, 405, 505, 705a, 705b, 905a, 905b) as described in claim 14, such method being characterized by comprising: decoupling an inner end (12, 112, 512) of the turbine assembly from the floating body; moving the inner end of the turbine assembly away from a coupling position with the floating body, with the turbine assembly and the floating body each floating, in a body of water.
  19. 19. METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING A POWER GENERATION APPARATUS (1, 100, 301, 401, 501, 701, 901), as described in claim 1, for extracting energy from flowing water, such method being characterized by comprising: providing a floating body (3, 103, 303, 403, 503, 703, 903) comprising a support structure (11, 111, 411, 511, 711a, 711b, 911) coupled at its inner end (12, 112, 512) to the floating body, and a nacelle (7, 107, 307, 407, 507, 907) having a turbine rotor (9, 909), with the floating body and the nacelle floating in a body of water; and place the floating nacelle in a coupling position with the outer end (10, 510) of the support structure, and couple the nacelle to the outer end of the support structure.
  20. 20. METHOD FOR DISASSEMBLING A POWER GENERATION APPARATUS (1, 100, 301, 401, 501, 701, 901), as described in claim 1, for extracting energy from flowing water, the power generation apparatus comprising a floating body (3, 103, 303, 403, 503, 703, 903), a support structure (11, 111, 411, 511, 711a, 711b, 911) coupled at its inner end (12, 112, 512) to the floating body, and a nacelle (7, 107, 307, 407, 507, 907) having a turbine rotor (9, 909) coupled to its outer end (10, 510) of the support structure, such method being characterized by comprising: decoupling an outer end (10, 510) of the nacelle support structure; moving the nacelle away from a coupling position with the support structure, with the floating body and the nacelle each floating in a body of water.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [001] The invention relates to the field of power generation apparatus, for extracting energy from flowing water, and in particular to a floating generation apparatus for use, for example, in the marine environment. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [002] In recent years there has been a movement towards generating energy from renewable energy sources, including the use of mobile devices, such as turbines, to collect energy from the movement of fluids, such as wind, tidal and wave power. [003] Generating energy from a water flow benefits from being able to generate a relatively predictable energy supply, whether from tidal flow or a river. A large number of water-powered electricity generating devices have been proposed, including devices fixed to the seabed, such as the one described in US patent 2015260148 (from Aquantis, Inc.), and floating devices, such as the one described in WO patent 2015/090414 (from Bluewater Energy Services). [004] Floating generators provide a visible warning above the water, indicating that the generator is present, and are generally more able to utilize the faster flows that occur near the water surface (particular tidal flows), and to warn of accommodated changes in water level (particularly tidal changes). [005] Generating devices of this type can be large-scale, particularly for marine and tidal applications, and are therefore expensive to manufacture and deploy. Some of these problems were addressed by the generating device described by the Applicant in document EP 1831544. The generating device described in document EP 1831544 features turbine nacelles that can be positioned close to the main floating vessel, which reduces both the draft and hydrodynamic drag of the generator. However, in some circumstances, it may be desirable to further reduce drag and/or draft. [006] Aggressive conditions below the surface also provide a significant challenge for the use of such generating devices, and there is generally a trade-off between the access costs for maintenance of components that are normally submerged and the engineering costs of devices designed to have very long maintenance intervals. [007] The need remains for generating devices that extract energy from running water that solve or mitigate one or more of these issues. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [008] According to a first aspect of the invention, a power generation apparatus is provided for extracting energy from a water flow, comprising: - a floating body, and a turbine assembly coupled to the floating body; - the turbine assembly comprising a turbine rotor mounted in a nacelle, and a support structure; - the support structure being coupled at its inner end to the floating body, and at its outer end to the nacelle; - the turbine assembly being rotatably movable between a first position and a second position; - wherein, when the power generation apparatus is floating on a body of water: - in the first position, the nacelle is fully submerged below the surface of the water; and - in the second position, at least part of the nacelle projects above the surface of the water. [009] In the first position, the nacelle is submerged and the turbine rotor can be driven by the movement of flowing water passing through the power generating apparatus (for example, tidal or river flow). Moving the turbine assembly to the second position may be desirable to reduce the draft and, in some cases, also the drag of the power generating apparatus, for example, when the power generating apparatus is being relocated. [010] In the second position, at least a portion of the nacelle projects above the water surface, so as to provide access to it for maintenance or repair. This can avoid the need for large and expensive barges/cranes, for example to lift the entire power generation apparatus above the water, thus facilitating more frequent, quick and inexpensive maintenance that would otherwise be impossible. [011] Easier access to the nacelle or support structure can, in turn, facilitate the use of equipment having a shorter service interval, or allow certain devices to be conveniently located in the turbine assembly (such as fluid filters, reservoirs or circuits for lubrication or cooling fluids, or electricity generating equipment). The power generating apparatus of the present invention can therefore avoid some of the design compromises that have been previously required. [012] At least one portion of the nacelle that projects above the water surface in the second position may be provided with an access hatch, providing access to the apparatus housed therein. [013] The power generating apparatus may comprise a single floating body (when compared, for example, with two or more interconnected floating bodies). [014] The power generating apparatus may comprise two or more turbine sets. The turbine rotor of two of these turbine sets may be in counter-rotation. [015] The power generating apparatus may comprise two or more turbine asse