IP Library Granted Patent US 9,057,352
Granted Patent B2
US 9,057,352 · App. 14/157,038 · Granted Jun 16, 2015

Wave power generation device and method of controlling the same

Inventors: Kunio Nakano (Tokyo, JP); Hiroyuki Nakagawa (Akishima, JP); Shogo Miyajima (Akishima, JP); Takashi Kawaguchi (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: MITSUI ENGINEERING & SHIPBUILDING CO., LTD.
F03B15/00F03B13/1845Y02E10/38
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,057,352
App. No.
14/157,038
Granted
Jun 16, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A wave power generation device for synchronizing a vertical movement of a float with all the wave periods, and a method of controlling the same. The device has a controller which controls a torque of a power generator, and the controller is configured to estimate a displacement and a speed of a float from data of a rotation number or a rotation speed of the power generator, to estimate a wave period from the displacement and the speed, and to determine a displacement coefficient corresponding to the wave period from a data table stored in advance, and to transmit a calculated product of the displacement coefficient and the displacement as a torque command to the power generator so as to control a torque of the power generator.

Claims (38)

1. A wave power generation device comprising:

a body;

a float configured to move vertically along the body;

a transmission mechanism configured to convert the vertical movement of the float to a rotary movement; and

a power generator connected to the transmission mechanism, wherein

the wave power generation device has a controller configured to control a torque of the power generator; and

the controller has:

either one of a configuration in which a displacement z and a speed z′ of the float are estimated from data of a rotation number or a rotation speed of the power generator, a wave period is estimated from the displacement z and the speed z′, and a displacement coefficient A corresponding to the wave period is determined from a data table stored in advance or a configuration in which the displacement z and the speed z′ of the float are obtained from an acceleration sensor installed in the float, the wave period is estimated from the displacement z and the speed z′, and the displacement coefficient A corresponding to the wave period is determined from the data table; and

a configuration in which a product calculated from the displacement coefficient A and the displacement z is transmitted as a torque command Tq 1 to the power generator so as to control a torque of the power generator.

2. The wave power generation device according to claim 1 , wherein

the controller has:

a configuration in which a speed coefficient B is determined in addition to the displacement coefficient A corresponding to the wave period from the data table; and

a configuration in which a sum obtained by adding a product of the speed coefficient B and the speed z′ to the product of the displacement coefficient A and the displacement z is transmitted as a torque command Tq 2 to the power generator so as to control the torque of the power generator.

3. A method of controlling a wave power generation device having a body, a float configured to move vertically along the body, a transmission mechanism configured to convert the vertical movement of the float to a rotary movement, a power generator connected to the transmission mechanism, and a controller configured to control a torque of the power generator, the method comprising:

a data obtaining step of causing the controller to obtain a rotation number or a rotation speed of the power generator:

a float state estimating step of estimating a displacement z and a speed z′ of the float from data obtained in the data obtaining step;

a wave state estimating step of estimating a wave period from the displacement z and the speed z′;

a coefficient determining step of determining a displacement coefficient A corresponding to the wave period from a data table stored in advance; and

a torque control step of transmitting a product calculated from the displacement coefficient A and the displacement z as a torque command Tq 1 to the power generator so as to control the torque of the power generator.

4. A method of controlling a wave power generation device having a body, a float configured to move vertically along the body, a transmission mechanism configured to convert the vertical movement of the float to a rotary movement, a power generator connected to the transmission mechanism, and a controller configured to control a torque of the power generator, the method comprising:

a wave state estimating step of causing the controller to obtain a displacement z and a speed z′ of the float from an acceleration sensor installed in the float so as to estimate a wave period from the displacement z and the speed z′;

a coefficient determining step of determining a displacement coefficient A corresponding to the wave period from a data table stored in advance; and

a torque control step of transmitting a product calculated from the displacement coefficient A and the displacement z as a torque command Tq 1 to the power generator so as to control the torque of the power generator.

5. The method of controlling a wave power generation device according to claim 3 , the method further comprising:

a coefficient determining step of causing the controller to determine a speed coefficient B in addition to the displacement coefficient A corresponding to the wave period from the data table stored in advance; and

a torque control step of causing the controller to transmit a sum obtained by adding a product of the speed coefficient B and the speed z′ to the product of the displacement coefficient A and the displacement z as a torque command Tq 2 to the power generator so as to control the torque of the power generator.

6. The method of controlling a wave power generation device according to claim 3 , the method further comprising:

the wave state estimating step of causing the controller to estimate a wave height in addition to the wave period: and

the coefficient determining step of causing the controller to determine at least a displacement coefficient A corresponding to the wave period and the wave height from the data table stored in advance.

7. The method of controlling a wave power generation device according to claim 4 , the method further comprising:

a coefficient determining step of causing the controller to determine a speed coefficient B in addition to the displacement coefficient A corresponding to the wave period from the data table stored in advance; and

a torque control step of causing the controller to transmit a sum obtained by adding a product of the speed coefficient B and the speed z′ to the product of the displacement coefficient A and the displacement z as a torque command Tq 2 to the power generator so as to control the torque of the power generator.

8. The method of controlling a wave power generation device according to claim 4 , the method further comprising:

the wave state estimating step of causing the controller to estimate a wave height in addition to the wave period: and

the coefficient determining step of causing the controller to determine at least a displacement coefficient A corresponding to the wave period and the wave height from the data table stored in advance.

9. The method of controlling a wave power generation device according to claim 5 , the method further comprising:

the wave state estimating step of causing the controller to estimate a wave height in addition to the wave period: and

the coefficient determining step of causing the controller to determine at least a displacement coefficient A corresponding to the wave period and the wave height from the data table stored in advance.

Assignments (4)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Dec 13, 2021
From: MITSUI E&S SHIPBUILDING CO., LTD.
To: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES MARITIME SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 058367/0404 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 7, 2019
From: MITSUI E&S HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
To: MITSUI E&S SHIPBUILDING CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 048530/0970 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 23, 2018
From: MITSUI ENGINEERING & SHIPBUILDING CO., LTD.
To: MITSUI E&S HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 047878/0234 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 18, 2014
From: NAKANO, KUNIO; NAKAGAWA, HIROYUKI; MIYAJIMA, SHOGO; KAWAGUCHI, TAKASHI
To: MITSUI ENGINEERING & SHIPBUILDING CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 032463/0776 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2013-005953 · Jan 17, 2013 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20140197637A1 · Jul 17, 2014