FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is an electricity generation plant . In particular, the object of the present invention is a plant for the generation of electrical energy using the energy produced by the current of rivers, canals or other watercourses .

PRIOR ART

Electricity production systems are known that are based on the use of a flow of water running over the blades of a water wheel to cause the rotation of a shaft to which an electric generator is connected. Examples of water wheels are described in documents CN1757909 and DE202008011923 .

For example, Chinese document CN1757909 describes a power generation system placed on the water surface of a river with a certain flow velocity. The entire system is attached to a vertical column connected to a ship or boat or to a concrete base on land.

The system uses a paddle wheel connected to an electric generator via an axle, where the paddle wheel is immersed in flowing water- and sets it in rotary motion to power an electric generator.

In this document, however, these blades are placed in rotation around a horizontal axis and in a vertical plane.

Another well-known system is described in DE202008011923, which describes a system for generating electricity using the current of a river, canal or other watercourse .

The electricity generator described therein involves a paddle wheel that rotates around a horizontal axis and is connected via a support arm to a support structure built on the bank of a watercourse, all in order to generate electricity using a generator.

Also in this case, the paddle wheel blades are rotated around a horizontal axis in a vertical plane .

Document US 2013/088013 illustrates a system for converting the energy present in water currents into electrical energy, a system that includes a central rotating shaft, a portion of which is immersed below the surrace of the water. A multitude of curved devices are immersed in the water current and are connected via arms to the central rotating shaft, causing the arms and shaft to rotate and drive an electric generator to produce an electrical output .

The curved devices have a 'horn' shape such that the cross-section of the device and its outer edge are shaped to cut through water with minimal resistance to ensure optimized system efficiency.

The central shaft can be coupled to an electric generator located above or below the water level .

US document 2013/195623 illustrates a hydraulic turbine for generating hydraulic energy that comprises a rotating shaft formed in the vertical direction and a plurality of rotating vanes (or blades) installed in the root direction and centered on the rotating shaft to efficiently convert the river’ s hydraulic energy into electrical energy without building a dam. The rotating blades have a cross-section that gradually decreases towards an outer end. One purpose of the present invention is to improve the efficiency of power generation systems using a generator driven by a water wheel.

A further aim of the present invention is to optimize the production of electricity by making the best use of available space .

A further purpose of the present invention is to achieve the above results in a simple and cost-effective manner.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention achieves the above-described purposes by means of a plant for generating electrical energy for civil and industrial uses, wherein said plant comprises an electrical energy generator, wherein said energy generator has a shaft which can be rotated and which is mechanically connected to a rotation shaft of a paddle drive wheel, wherein said paddle drive wheel can be at least partially immersed in a water stream in order to be rotated by the water current flowing through said paddle drive wheel blades, wherein said paddle drive wheel is configured to rotate, with its rotating shaft, about a vertical or substantially vertical axis to rotate the rotating shaft of the electric generator, characterized by the fact that the paddle drive wheel blades of said paddle drive wheel have a prevailing development in a vertical direction so as to affect the flow of water for at least part of the depth of the watercourse, and by the fact that the paddle drive wheel blades have a constant cross-section along a plane substantially perpendicular to the vertical axis .

An advantage of such an embodiment is that the configuration of the paddle wheel allows for the optimization of the use of available space within the watercourse in such a way as to enable the use of plants in which a plurality of paddle wheels can operate side-by- side both in the direction of the water flow and in a direction perpendicular to it .

Further features of the invention can be deduced from the dependent claims .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Further features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent in the light of the detailed description that follows with the help of the accompanying drawing plates :

- Figure 1 schematically illustrates a power generation plant according to an embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 2 illustrates schematically in sectional form a paddle or impeller wheel belonging to the plant in figure 1;

- Figure 3 illustrates the plant of figure 1 in axonometric view and applied to a watercourse;

- Figure 4 schematically illustrates a power generation plant according to an alternative embodiment of the invention; - Figure 5 illustrates schematically in an axonometric view a paddle or impeller wheel belonging to the plant in figure 4;

- Figure 6 illustrates schematically in sectional form a paddle or impeller wheel belonging to the plant in Figure 4; and

- Figure 7 illustrates the plant of figure 4 in an axonometric view and applied to a watercourse .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SCME FORMS OF EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The invention will now be described with initial reference to

Figure 1, 'which schematically illustrates an electrical power generation plant according to a first embodiment of the invention, globally indicated by numerical reference 10.

The power generation plant 10 in Figure 1 has a structure consisting of at least one horizontal cross beam 90 supporting a power generator 80.

The cross beam 90 is, in turn, connected at one end to a first pylon 110 equipped with a support base 130 for ground support 140 of the structure .

The cross beam 90 is, in turn, connected at one end to a second pylon 120 which is partially submerged within a watercourse 200.

The second pylon 120 also provides a base 70 to be supported in the watercourse 200.

A rotating shaft 50 is also attached to the support base 70 of the second pylon 120 with a support foot 60 placed on the upper surface of the support base 70.

The rotating shaft 50 is driven in rotation by a paddle drive wheel 100, which has a plurality of blades 160.

The rotation of the rotating shaft 50 is transmitted to a bevel gear pair 30, which in turn transmits the rotation of the shaft 50 to a shaft 40 belonging to the power generator 80.

The paddle drive wheel 100 is completely or almost completely immersed in water and is configured to rotate around a vertical (or substantially vertical) V axis . Figure 2 schematically illustrates in sectional form a paddle or impeller wheel belonging to the plant of the invention.

The paddle drive wheel 100 has a plurality of blades 160 branching off from a centre 150. The blades 160 of the paddle drive wheel 100 have a constant cross-section along a plane substantially perpendicular to the vertical axis V.

In the example in Figure 2, the number of blades 160 is 6, but this fact is neither limiting nor binding on the invention as a number of blades other than 6 may be used in other embodiments of the invention.

The 160 paddles of the 100 paddle wheel have a prevalent development in a vertical direction so that they affect the water flow for a large part of the watercourse depth. In addition, the configuration of the paddle wheel 100 allows for the optimization of the use of the available space within the watercourse in such a way as to enable the use of systems in which a plurality of paddle wheels can operate side-by-side both in the direction of the water flow and in a direction perpendicular to it. In the operation of the power generation plant 10 of the invention, the current of water flowing in the direction of the arrows in Figure 2, strikes the water-exposed surface of the blades 160 of the paddle drive wheel 100 which, rotating as the driving wheel, sets the rotating shaft 50 in rotation according to the arrow W in Figure 2 .

The rotation of the rotating shaft 50 is transmitted via the bevel gear pair 30 to the shaft 40 belonging to the power generator 80.

This drives the power generator 80 in order to produce electricity for civil and industrial use .

The electricity generator 80 may, for example, be a three-phase generator with a rated output of 500kW and a rated rotational speed of 500rpm.

The gearbox, and in particular the bevel gear pair 30, serves to adapt the speed of the water flow, which depends on where the plant is located, to the engine speed and can be sized accordingly. Figure 4 schematically illustrates a power generation plant according to an alternative embodiment of the invention, globally indicated by the numerical reference 10 ’ .

In figure 4, and in the following figures 5-7, components that are the same or similar to those of the plant in figures 1-3 are indicated with the same numerical references .

The plant 10 ' of Figure 4 has a structure formed by at least one horizontal cross beam 90 supporting an electric power generator 80, cross beam 90 connected at one end thereof to a first pylon 110 provided with a support base 130 for ground support 140 of the structure and, at a second end thereof, to a second pylon 120 which is partially immersed within a watercourse 200.

The second pylon 120 also provides a base 70 to be supported in the watercourse 200.

A rotating shaft 50 is also attached to the support base 70 of the second pylon 120 with a support foot 60 placed on the upper surface of the support base 70. According to this alternative embodiment, the rotating shaft 50 is driven in rotation by a driving wheel with blades 210, which provides a plurality of blades 260.

As can be seen in Figures 5-6, the paddle drive wheel (or impeller) 210 comprises a plurality of paddles 260.

In particular, each blade 260 of the drive wheel 210 has a first straight side 262 departing from a centre 150 of the drive wheel 210 and ending with a second straight side 264 departing from an opposite end of the first straight side 262 and angled with respect to said first straight side 262 by an angle α greater than 90° and less than 180° .

The angle a between the first straight side 262 and the second straight side 264 is such that the second straight side 262 is substantially parallel to the first straight side 262 of the blade 260 immediately preceding according to the direction of rotation W' of the blade 260 (figure 6) .

In an embodiment of the invention, the angle α between the first straight side 262 and the second straight side 264 is 120° .

The length of the second straight side 264 is at least one-third less than the length of the first straight side 262 of blade 260.

The blades 260 of the paddle drive wheel 210 also nave a constant cross-section along a plane substantially perpendicular to the vertical axis V.

Surprisingly, this particular configuration of the paddle drive wheel 210 obtains a particular efficiency, especially at low water flow speeds In the operation of the power generation plant 10 of the invention, the current of water flowing in the direction of the arrows in Figure 7, strikes the water-exposed surface of the blades 260 of the paddle wheel 210 which, rotating as the driving 'wheel, sets the rotating shaft 50 in rotation according to the arrow W ^F in Figure 7 .

The rotation of the rotating shaft 50 is transmitted via the bevel gear pair 30 to the shaft 40 belonging to the power generator 80.

This drives the power generator 80 in order to produce electricity for civil and industrial use .

It is also envisaged that, to protect the paddle drive wheel 100 or the paddle drive wheel 210 from debris or other debris, a protective net 220 is provided.

We wish to specify that the measurements and technical data relating to Plant 10 are given as an example, but not limited to, as the plant may vary in size and shape depending on the location or other contingent factors .

Of course, modifications or improvements may be made to the invention as described without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed below.