JP7515395B2 - Hydroelectric power generating device and control method thereof - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a hydroelectric power generation device and a control method thereof.

A hydroelectric power generation system is a system that uses the kinetic energy of flowing water to generate electricity. Small hydroelectric power generation systems are installed in waterways such as agricultural irrigation channels, water supply and sewage systems, industrial channels, and small rivers. When a hydroelectric power generation system is installed in such a waterway, the turbine must be lifted out of the waterway during maintenance of the turbine, gears, oil seals, etc. In addition, in emergencies such as high water levels, the turbine must be lifted out of the waterway to prevent overflow and damage to the hydroelectric power generation system.

JP 2020-29776 A (Patent Document 1) discloses a hydroelectric power generation device that includes a rotating beam rotatably supported by a pair of waterway fixed bodies installed on both sides of a waterway, and a rotating base that extends in a cantilever shape with its base end joined to the rotating beam. The rotating base supports a hydroelectric power generation module and can rotate up and down between a submerged position in which the bottom end of the waterwheel is below the water surface of the waterway, and a standby position in which the entire waterwheel is above the water surface of the waterway 1.

JP 2020-29776 A

When the water resistance acting on the water turbine increases due to heavy rain, etc., it becomes difficult to lift the water turbine above the water surface. For this reason, it is necessary to set the drive torque of the lifting device for raising and lowering the water turbine high in advance. This makes it possible to lift the water turbine even if the water resistance acting on the water turbine increases due to heavy rain, etc. However, if the drive torque of the lifting device is set high in advance, power consumption increases unnecessarily when the flow rate of the waterway is low.

The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a hydroelectric power generation device and a control method thereof that allows the water turbine to be raised and lowered even in heavy rain and that can suppress increases in power consumption.

The hydroelectric power generation device disclosed herein comprises a water wheel that rotates using the force of water flowing through a water channel, a generator that generates electricity using the rotational force of the water wheel, and a lifting device that raises and lowers the water wheel in the water channel. The hydroelectric power generation device further comprises at least one of a water level sensor that detects the water level in the water channel and a flow velocity sensor that detects the flow velocity of the water in the water channel, and a control device that controls the drive torque of the lifting device. When the hydroelectric power generation device is equipped with a water level sensor, the control device sets the drive torque so that it increases as the water level increases, and when the hydroelectric power generation device is equipped with a flow velocity sensor, the control device sets the drive torque so that it increases as the flow velocity increases.

The control method of the present disclosure controls a hydroelectric power generation device. The hydroelectric power generation device includes a water wheel that rotates using the force of water flowing through a water channel, a generator that generates electricity using the rotational force of the water wheel, and a lifting device that raises and lowers the water wheel in the water channel. The control method includes a step of detecting at least one of the water level and flow velocity of the water channel, and a step of controlling the drive torque of the lifting device. The controlling step includes a step of setting the drive torque so that it increases as the water level increases when the water level is detected, and a step of setting the drive torque so that it increases as the flow velocity increases when the flow velocity is detected.

According to this disclosure, the waterwheel can be raised and lowered even during heavy rain, and the increase in power consumption can be suppressed.

1 is a perspective view showing a hydroelectric generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a main part of a hydroelectric generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the hydroelectric power generating device when the water collecting plate is raised. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the transmission mechanism when the water collecting plate is lowered. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the transmission mechanism when the water collecting plate is raised. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the hydroelectric power generating device when the water turbine is raised. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the transmission mechanism when the water turbine is lowered. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the transmission mechanism when the water turbine is raised. 1 is a diagram showing the relationship between the flow velocity of water in a waterway and the driving torque of an electric motor required to raise and lower the water turbine and water collecting plate. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the relationship between the water level in the waterway and the driving torque of the electric motor required to raise and lower the water turbine and the water collecting plate. FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between driving torque and driving current output to an electric motor. 4 is a flowchart showing a pulling control by a hydroelectric power generation device. 10 is a flowchart showing a pull-down control by a hydroelectric power generation device. 13 is a flowchart showing a flow of a subroutine of steps S13 and S23.

The following describes an embodiment of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or corresponding parts in the following drawings are given the same reference numbers, and their description will not be repeated. In addition, the modified examples described below may be combined as appropriate.

<Overall configuration of hydroelectric power generation equipment>
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a hydroelectric power generation device 100 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a main part of the hydroelectric power generation device 100 according to this embodiment. The hydroelectric power generation device 100 is installed in a waterway 1. The waterway 1 is an agricultural waterway, an industrial waterway, a small river, or the like. In the waterway 1, water flows along a direction F in the figure.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the hydroelectric power generation device 100 includes a hydroelectric power generation module 2, a water collection plate 3, a support device 4, a lifting device 5, a water level sensor 6, a flow velocity sensor 7, and a control device 8.

The hydroelectric power generation module 2 generates electricity by utilizing the force of water flowing through the waterway 1. The hydroelectric power generation module 2 includes a water turbine 10, a generator 11, a gear box 12, a frame 13, and a support 14.

The water turbine 10 rotates using the force of the water flowing through the waterway 1. Typically, the water turbine 10 includes multiple blades (e.g., five blades). Each of the multiple blades is a horizontal-axis propeller-type rotor, and rotates using the force of the water flowing through the waterway 1.

The generator 11 is configured to generate electricity using the rotational force of the water turbine 10. The generator 11 is, for example, a three-phase synchronous generator. However, the generator 11 is not limited to this, and any generator selected from various known generators can be used. A DC/DC converter and a DC/AC inverter (not shown) are connected to the generator 11, and the power output from the hydroelectric power generation device 100 is adjusted.

The gearbox 12 is connected to the rotating shaft of the water turbine 10. The stand 13 is a stand on which the generator 11 is placed. A horizontal shaft 15 is fixed to the stand 13. The support 14 connects the gearbox 12 and the stand 13 to each other. The support 14 is cylindrical. The rotating shaft of the generator 11 is inserted inside the support 14. One end of the rotating shaft of the generator 11 is connected to the rotating shaft of the water turbine 10 via the gearbox 12. This transmits the rotational force of the water turbine 10 to the generator 11. The stand 13 and the support 14 integrate the water turbine 10, the generator 11, and the gearbox 12.

The water collecting plate 3 collects the water flow in the waterway 1 toward the water turbine 10 in order to increase the amount of electricity generated by the generator 11. Typically, the water collecting plate 3 is positioned upstream of the water turbine 10 in the waterway 1, along the water flow direction, so as not to overlap with the water turbine 10. This causes some of the water that hits the water collecting plate 3 to flow toward the water turbine 10, increasing the water flow passing through the water turbine 10. As a result, the amount of electricity generated by the generator 11 increases.

The water collecting plate 3 is, for example, rectangular. However, the shape of the water collecting plate 3 is not limited to a rectangular shape and may be other shapes. For example, the water collecting plate 3 may have a shape in which a hole is formed in the part that overlaps with the water turbine 10.

The support device 4 supports the hydroelectric power generation module 2 and the water collection plate 3. As shown in FIG. 1, the support device 4 includes a pair of frames 20, 20 and a fixed beam 21. The pair of frames 20, 20 are installed on both shoulders of the waterway 1, respectively. The fixed beam 21 is installed along the width direction of the waterway 1 so as to connect the pair of frames 20, 20 to each other.

The lifting device 5 raises and lowers the water turbine 10 in the waterway 1. Furthermore, the lifting device 5 raises and lowers the water collection plate 3 in the waterway 1. Note that FIG. 1 shows the state when the water turbine 10 and the water collection plate 3 are lowered by the lifting device 5. The lifting device 5 has an electric motor 30, a rotating shaft 31, a drive device 32 (see FIGS. 1 and 2), and a transmission mechanism 33 (see FIG. 2).

The electric motor 30 is, for example, a three-phase AC motor. The rotating shaft 31 is an output shaft that rotates in response to the operation of the electric motor 30.

The drive device 32 outputs three-phase AC current to the electric motor 30 to drive the electric motor 30. The drive device 32 has an inverter circuit. The switching elements that make up the inverter circuit are controlled to be turned on and off, so that three-phase AC current is supplied from the drive device 32 to the electric motor 30.

The transmission mechanism 33 is a mechanism that converts the rotational force of the rotating shaft 31 into the raising and lowering motion of the water turbine 10 and the water collecting plate 3. Details of the transmission mechanism 33 will be described later.

The water level sensor 6 and the flow velocity sensor 7 are installed in the waterway 1. The water level sensor 6 detects the water level in the waterway 1. The flow velocity sensor 7 detects the flow velocity of the water in the waterway 1. The water level sensor 6 and the flow velocity sensor 7 output the detection results to the control device 8.

The water level sensor 6 is, for example, a float-type sensor that detects changes in the water level by a float that rises and falls with the rise and fall of the water level. However, the water level sensor 6 is not limited to a float type, and may be a sensor that detects the water level by other methods. For example, the water level sensor 6 may be various types of sensors, such as an ultrasonic type that detects the water level by receiving ultrasonic waves reflected by the water surface, a capacitance type, or a pressure type. The flow velocity sensor 7 is, for example, a propeller type flow meter or an electromagnetic type flow meter. The water level sensor 6 and the flow velocity sensor 7 may be installed on either the downstream side or the upstream side of the water turbine 10 in the waterway 1.

The control device 8 is configured to include a CPU (Central Processing Unit) as a calculation device, a storage device, and input/output ports for inputting and outputting various signals (none of which are shown). The storage device includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) as a working memory, and storage for saving (ROM (Read Only Memory), rewritable non-volatile memory, etc.). The CPU executes programs stored in the storage device to perform various controls. However, the various controls are not limited to processing by software, and can also be processed by dedicated hardware (electronic circuits).

The control device 8 receives signals from the water level sensor 6 and flow velocity sensor 7 connected to the input port, and controls the lifting device 5 connected to the output port based on the received signals. Specifically, the control device 8 determines a drive current according to the signals from the water level sensor 6 and flow velocity sensor 7. The control device 8 controls the pulse width (PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control) of the switching elements that constitute the inverter circuit of the drive device 32 so that the determined drive current is supplied to the electric motor 30. In other words, the control device 8 calculates a duty ratio for supplying the determined drive current to the electric motor 30, and controls the on/off of the switching elements according to the calculated duty ratio.

Furthermore, the control device 8 controls the timing of raising and lowering the water turbine 10 and the water collection plate 3 according to the status of the hydroelectric power generation device 100.

Furthermore, the control device 8 controls a DC/DC converter and a DC/AC inverter (not shown) so that the desired power is output from the hydroelectric power generation device 100 through power generation by the generator 11.

<Transmission mechanism>
As described above, the lifting device 5 lifts and lowers the water collecting plate 3 in the waterway 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the hydroelectric power generation device 100 when the water collecting plate 3 is raised. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the water collecting plate 3 is lifted and lowered by linear motion in the up and down direction.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the transmission mechanism 33 when the water collecting plate 3 is lowered. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the transmission mechanism 33 when the water collecting plate 3 is raised. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the transmission mechanism 33 has a gear 41 attached to the rotating shaft 31, a pin gear 42, and a pin rack 43 as a mechanism for converting the rotational force of the rotating shaft 31 into the raising and lowering motion of the water collecting plate 3. Furthermore, the transmission mechanism 33 has a clutch (not shown) that switches between disconnection and connection of the gear 41 and the pin gear 42. Figures 4 and 5 show the state when the gear 41 and the pin gear 42 are connected. Note that another gear may be provided between the gear 41 and the pin gear 42. Also, the gear 41 may be a worm gear.

The pin gear 42 meshes with the pin rack 43. The pin rack 43 is positioned at a slight incline from the vertical. The water collecting plate 3 is fixed to the pin rack 43. As a result, when the rotating shaft 31 rotates, the pin gear 42 rotates and the pin rack 43 moves linearly in the vertical direction. As a result, the water collecting plate 3 can be in either a submerged state where at least a portion of it is in the water of the waterway 1 (see Figure 4), or a standby state where the entire plate is located above the water surface of the waterway 1 (see Figure 5).

As described above, the lifting device 5 raises and lowers the water turbine 10 in the waterway 1. Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the hydroelectric power generation device 100 when the water turbine 10 is raised. As shown in Figures 1 and 6, the hydroelectric power generation module 2 rotates around the horizontal axis 15 of the frame 13, causing the water turbine 10 to rise and fall.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the transmission mechanism 33 when the water turbine 10 is lowered. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the transmission mechanism 33 when the water turbine 10 is raised. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the transmission mechanism 33 has a gear 44 attached to the rotating shaft 31 and a gear 45 attached to the horizontal shaft 15 of the frame 13 as a mechanism for converting the rotational force of the rotating shaft 31 into the raising and lowering motion of the water turbine 10. Furthermore, the transmission mechanism 33 has a clutch (not shown) that switches between disconnection and connection of the gears 44 and 45. Figures 7 and 8 show the state when the gears 44 and 45 are connected. Note that another gear may be provided between the gears 44 and 45. Also, the gear 44 may be a worm gear.

When the rotating shaft 31 rotates, the gears 44, 45 rotate, and the base 13 rotates around the horizontal axis 15. The water turbine 10 is connected to the base 13 via the gear box 12 and the support 14. Therefore, as the base 13 rotates, the water turbine 10 rotates around the horizontal axis 15. As a result, the water turbine 10 can be in either a submerged state (see Figure 7) where at least a portion of it is submerged in the water of the waterway 1, or a standby state (see Figure 8) where the entire water turbine 1 is located above the water surface of the waterway 1.

<Drive torque control>
A method of controlling the drive torque of the electric motor 30 by the control device 8 will be described with reference to FIGS.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the relationship between the flow velocity of the water in the waterway 1 and the driving torque _T1 of the electric motor 30 required to raise and lower the water turbine 10 and the water collecting plate 3. Fig. 9 shows the relationship between the flow velocity and the driving torque _T1 when the water level in the waterway 1 is at the reference water level _H0 . The relationship shown in Fig. 9 is obtained by experiment or simulation. The driving torque _T1 may be the minimum value of the driving torque required to raise and lower the water turbine 10 and the water collecting plate 3, or may be a value obtained by adding a predetermined margin to the minimum value.

If the driving torque required to raise and lower the water turbine 10 and the water collecting plate 3 when the water level is the reference water level H ₀ and the flow velocity is the reference flow velocity V ₀ is T ₀ , T ₁ is expressed as T ₁ = k ₁ × T ₀ . The driving torque T ₀ may be the minimum value of the driving torque required to raise and lower the water turbine 10 and the water collecting plate 3 when the water level is the reference water level _H 0 and the flow velocity is the reference flow velocity V ₀ , or may be a value obtained by adding a predetermined margin to the minimum value. As shown in FIG. 9 , the driving torque T ₁ increases as the flow velocity increases. Therefore, the coefficient k ₁ also increases as the flow velocity increases. Furthermore, the rate of change of the driving torque T ₁ and the coefficient k ₁ with respect to the change in the flow velocity also increases as the flow velocity increases.

Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between the water level in the waterway 1 and the driving torque _T2 of the motor 30 required to raise and lower the water turbine 10 and the water collecting plate 3. Fig. 10 shows the relationship between the water level and the driving torque _T2 when the flow velocity in the waterway 1 is the reference flow velocity _V0 . The relationship shown in Fig. 10 is obtained by experiment or simulation. The driving torque _T2 may be the minimum value of the driving torque required to raise and lower the water turbine 10 and the water collecting plate 3, or may be a value obtained by adding a predetermined margin to the minimum value.

Using the driving torque _T0 required to raise and lower the water turbine 10 and the water collecting plate 3 when the water level is the reference water level _H0 and the flow velocity is the reference flow velocity _V0 , _T2 is expressed as _T2 = _k2 × _T0 . As shown in Fig. 10, the driving torque _T2 increases as the water level increases. Therefore, the coefficient _k2 also increases as the water level increases. Furthermore, the rate of change of the driving torque _T2 and the coefficient _k2 with respect to the change in the water level also increases as the water level increases.

The control device 8 prestores first correlation information indicating the relationship between the flow velocity and the coefficient _k1 when the water level is the reference water level _H0 , and determines the coefficient _k1 corresponding to the flow velocity acquired from the flow velocity sensor 7 based on the first correlation information. The first correlation information is created in advance from the relationship shown in Fig. 9. The first correlation information may be a function, a control map, or a lookup table.

Similarly, the control device 8 pre-stores second correlation information indicating the relationship between the water level and the coefficient _k2 when the flow velocity is the reference flow velocity _V0 , and determines the coefficient _k2 corresponding to the water level acquired from the water level sensor 6 based on the second correlation information. The second correlation information is created in advance from the relationship shown in Fig. 10. The second correlation information may be a function, a control map, or a look-up table.

The control device 8 pre-stores the drive torque _T0 required to raise and lower the water turbine 10 and the water collecting plate 3 at a reference water level _H0 and a reference flow velocity _V0 . Using the determined coefficients _k1 , _k2 and drive torque _T0 , the control device 8 calculates the drive torque T required to raise and lower the water turbine 10 and the water collecting plate 3 according to the current flow velocity and water level, according to the following formula (1).
T = _k1 x _k2 x T0 _... equation (1).

Figure 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the drive torque and the drive current output to the electric motor 30. As shown in Figure 11, the drive current is proportional to the drive torque. The control device 8 pre-stores third correlation information indicating the relationship between the drive torque and the drive current, and determines the drive current corresponding to the drive torque T based on the third correlation information. The third correlation information is created in advance from the relationship shown in Figure 11. The third correlation information may be a function, a control map, or a look-up table. The control device 8 controls the drive device 32 so that the determined drive current is supplied to the electric motor 30.

<Processing flow>
The flow of processing related to the raising and lowering of the water turbine 10 and the water collecting plate 3 will be described with reference to FIGS.

Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the lifting control by the hydroelectric power generation device 100. The process shown in this flowchart is called from the main routine and executed repeatedly every predetermined time when the water turbine 10 and the water collecting plate 3 are submerged (see Figure 1). Steps S11 to S13 shown in Figure 12 are executed by the control device 8.

In step S11, the control device 8 executes a predetermined control in a submerged state. For example, the control device 8 controls a DC/DC converter and a DC/AC inverter (not shown) so that the desired power is output from the hydroelectric power generation device 100 by the power generation by the generator 11.

In step S12, the control device 8 determines whether a predetermined lifting condition is met. The lifting condition is set arbitrarily in advance. For example, the lifting condition is a condition that the amount of foreign matter adhering to the water turbine 10 exceeds an acceptable range. The control device 8 monitors the rotation speed of the water turbine 10, and determines that the amount of foreign matter adhering to the water turbine 10 has exceeded the acceptable range when the amount of change in the rotation speed of the water turbine 10 per unit time or the rotation torque of the water turbine 10 exceeds a threshold value. Alternatively, the lifting condition may be a condition that a predetermined time has passed since the water turbine 10 and the water collecting plate 3 became submerged.

If the raising condition is not met (NO in S12), the process returns to step S11. As long as it is determined in step S12 that the raising condition is not met, the power generation control in step S11 is performed continuously.

If the lifting condition is met (YES in S12), in step S13, the control device 8 controls the drive device 32 to lift the water turbine 10 and the water collecting plate 3 to the standby state (see Figures 5 and 8). This causes the hydroelectric power generation device 100 to end the lifting control in Figure 12.

Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the pull-down control by the hydroelectric power generation device 100. The process shown in this flowchart is called from the main routine and executed repeatedly every predetermined time when the water turbine 10 and the water collecting plate 3 are in a standby state. Steps S21 to S23 shown in Figure 13 are executed by the control device 8.

In step S21, the control device 8 executes a predetermined control in the standby state. For example, the control device 8 controls a DC/DC converter (not shown) to reduce the power drawn from the hydroelectric power generation device 100 compared to the submerged state. This reduces the power generation load of the generator 11 compared to the submerged state. In the standby state, foreign objects are more likely to separate from the water turbine 10 that exists above the water surface S. In addition, when the power generation load of the generator 11 is reduced, the water turbine 10 becomes easier to rotate, and the rotation of the water turbine 10 makes it easier for foreign objects to separate from the water turbine 10. Therefore, by reducing the power generation load of the generator 11 in the standby state compared to the submerged state, it is possible to more reliably remove foreign objects. The control device 8 may also put the generator 11 in a state without a power generation load and stop the power generation by the generator 11. This makes it easier for foreign objects to separate from the water turbine 10 due to the rotation of the water turbine 10.

In step S22, the control device 8 determines whether a predetermined reduction condition is met. The reduction condition is set arbitrarily. For example, the reduction condition is that a predetermined time has elapsed since the water turbine 10 and the water collecting plate 3 entered a standby state. The predetermined time is set to be long enough to remove foreign matter from the water turbine 10, but short enough not to excessively reduce the amount of power generation.

If the reduction condition is not met (NO in S22), the process returns to step S21. As long as it is determined in step S22 that the reduction condition is not met, the power generation restriction in step S21 is continued with the water turbine 10 and the water collecting plate 3 maintained in a standby state.

If the lowering condition is met (YES in S22), in step S23, the control device 8 controls the drive device 32 to lower the water turbine 10 and the water collecting plate 3 to a submerged state (see FIG. 1). This causes the hydroelectric power generation device 100 to end the lowering control in FIG. 13.

Figure 14 is a flowchart showing the flow of the subroutines of steps S13 and S23.

In step S31, the control device 8 acquires the flow velocity detected by the flow velocity sensor 7. In step S32, the control device 8 acquires the water level detected by the water level sensor 6.

In step S33, the control device 8 determines a coefficient _k1 corresponding to the obtained flow speed based on the first correlation information. In step S34, the control device 8 determines a coefficient _k2 corresponding to the obtained water level based on the second correlation information. In step S35, the control device 8 substitutes the determined coefficients _k1 , _k2 and the driving torque _T0 into the above equation (1) to calculate the driving torque T required to raise and lower the water turbine 10 and the water collecting plate 3 according to the current flow speed and water level.

In step S36, the control device 8 determines a drive current corresponding to the drive torque T based on the third correlation information. In step S37, the control device 8 controls the drive device 32 so that the determined drive current is supplied to the electric motor 30. Specifically, the control device 8 calculates the duty ratio of the switching elements that constitute the inverter circuit of the drive device 32 according to the determined drive current, and performs PWM control according to the calculated duty ratio.

<Modification>
In the above description, the hydroelectric power generation device 100 includes the water collecting plate 3. However, in the case of the hydroelectric power generation device 100 installed in a narrow waterway 1, the water collecting plate 3 may be omitted. In this case, the driving torque _T0 indicates the torque required to raise and lower the water turbine 10 when the water level is the reference water level _H0 and the flow velocity is the reference flow velocity _V0 . The coefficient _k1 determined by the control device 8 indicates a value obtained by dividing the driving torque of the electric motor 30 required to raise and lower the water turbine 10 at the flow velocity acquired from the flow velocity sensor 7 by the driving torque _T0 . The coefficient _k2 determined by the control device 8 indicates a value obtained by dividing the driving torque of the electric motor 30 required to raise and lower the water turbine 10 at the water level acquired from the water level sensor 6 by the driving torque _T0 .

In the above description, the hydroelectric power generation device 100 includes both the water level sensor 6 and the flow velocity sensor 7. However, the hydroelectric power generation device 100 may include only one of the water level sensor 6 and the flow velocity sensor 7. For example, if there is a correlation between the water level and the flow velocity, the control device 8 can estimate the flow velocity from the water level detected by the water level sensor 6 using information indicating the correlation. Alternatively, the control device 8 can estimate the water level from the flow velocity detected by the flow velocity sensor 7 using information indicating the correlation. Therefore, the control device 8 can calculate the drive torque T from one of the water level and the flow velocity.

The motor 30 is not limited to an AC motor, but may be another type of motor. For example, the motor 30 may be a synchronous motor or a DC motor.

Alternatively, the lifting device 5 may have a pressure motor instead of the electric motor 30. Pressure motors include hydraulic motors and pneumatic motors. In this case, the control device 8 controls the opening of the fluid control valve to adjust the pressure (e.g., hydraulic pressure, pneumatic pressure) in order to drive the pressure motor with a drive torque according to the water level detected by the water level sensor 6 and the flow speed detected by the flow speed sensor 7.

The lifting device 5 may raise and lower the water turbine 10 and the water collecting plate 3 simultaneously, or may raise and lower them at different times. By staggering the timing for raising and lowering the water turbine 10 and the water collecting plate 3, the required drive torque can be reduced.

<Action and Effects>
As described above, the hydroelectric power generation device 100 comprises the water turbine 10 which rotates using the force of water flowing through the waterway 1, the generator 11 which generates electricity using the rotational force of the water turbine 10, and the lifting device 5 which raises and lowers the water turbine 10 in the waterway 1. The hydroelectric power generation device 100 further comprises at least one of a water level sensor 6 which detects the water level in the waterway 1 and a flow velocity sensor 7 which detects the flow velocity of the water in the waterway 1, and a control device 8 which controls the drive torque of the lifting device 5. When the hydroelectric power generation device 100 is equipped with the water level sensor 6, the control device 8 determines the drive torque so that it increases as the water level increases, and when the hydroelectric power generation device 100 is equipped with the flow velocity sensor 7, the control device 8 determines the drive torque so that it increases as the flow velocity increases.

According to the above configuration, the lifting device 5 operates according to a drive torque that corresponds to at least one of the water level and the flow velocity. The drive torque is determined to be greater as the water level increases and greater as the flow velocity increases. Therefore, even if the resistance applied to the water turbine 10 increases due to a high water level or a high flow velocity caused by heavy rain, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the water turbine 10 cannot be raised or lowered due to insufficient torque. Furthermore, when the water level is low and the flow velocity is slow, an unnecessary increase in power consumption can be suppressed.

The hydroelectric power generation device 100 further includes a water collection plate 3 for collecting the water flow at the water turbine 10. The lifting device 5 further raises and lowers the water collection plate 3 in the waterway 1.

With the above configuration, even if the resistance acting on the water collecting plate 3 increases due to a high water level or a fast flow rate caused by heavy rain, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the water collecting plate 3 cannot be raised or lowered due to insufficient torque. Furthermore, when the water level recedes or the flow rate is slow, the water collecting plate 3 can be raised and lowered with low power consumption.

The hydroelectric power generation device 100 includes a water level sensor 6 and a flow velocity sensor 7. The control device 8 determines a coefficient _k1 so that the coefficient k1 increases as the water level increases, and determines a coefficient k2 so that the coefficient _k2 increases as the flow velocity increases. The control device 8 calculates the drive torque T using the product of the coefficients _k1 and _k2 .

With the above configuration, the control device 8 can determine the drive torque T according to the water level and flow rate through simple calculations.

The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments above, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

1 Waterway, 2 Hydroelectric power generation module, 3 Water collecting plate, 4 Support device, 5 Lifting device, 6 Water level sensor, 7 Flow velocity sensor, 8 Control device, 10 Water turbine, 11 Generator, 12 Gear box, 13 Frame, 14 Support, 15 Horizontal shaft, 20 Frame, 21 Fixed beam, 30 Electric motor, 31 Rotating shaft, 32 Drive device, 33 Transmission mechanism, 41, 44, 45 Gear, 42 Pin gear, 43 Pin rack, 100 Hydroelectric power generation device, S Water surface.

Claims (4)

1. A hydroelectric generating device, comprising:
A waterwheel that rotates using the power of water flowing through a waterway,
A generator that generates electricity by utilizing the rotational force of the water turbine;
A lifting device that raises and lowers the water turbine in the waterway;
At least one of a water level sensor that detects the water level of the waterway and a flow velocity sensor that detects the flow velocity of the water in the waterway;
A control device for controlling a drive torque of the lifting device,
The control device sets the driving torque so that it increases as the water level increases when the hydroelectric power generation device is equipped with the water level sensor, and sets the driving torque so that it increases as the flow speed increases when the hydroelectric power generation device is equipped with the flow speed sensor. Further comprising a water collecting plate for collecting the water flow to the water wheel;
The hydroelectric power generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the lifting device further lifts and lowers the water collecting plate in the water channel. The hydroelectric power generation device includes the water level sensor and the flow velocity sensor,
The control device includes:
A first coefficient is determined so as to be larger as the water level becomes higher;
determining a second coefficient so that the second coefficient increases as the flow velocity increases;
3. The hydroelectric power generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive torque is calculated using a product of the first coefficient and the second coefficient. A method for controlling a hydroelectric power generation device including a water turbine that rotates using the force of water flowing through a waterway, a generator that generates electricity using the rotational force of the water turbine, and a lifting device that raises and lowers the water turbine in the waterway,
sensing at least one of a water level and a flow rate of the waterway;
and controlling a drive torque of the lifting device,
The controlling step includes:
determining the driving torque so that the driving torque increases as the water level increases when the water level is detected;
and determining, when the flow velocity is detected, the drive torque so as to increase as the flow velocity increases.

Images