The invention relates to a hydro/aero power plant using the potential energy of water.

The specification of application CN 201246283 discloses a system for converting wind energy into water energy. The system consists of a pool, a water pump driven by a wind rotor, a high pressure water tank, a water turbine and an electric generator. The water pump, driven by a shaft coupled with the wind rotor through a gear, transfers water to the high pressure tank. The high pressure tank has an outlet opening connected via a pipe to the turbine. Water discharged from the turbine flows into the pool.

The power plant according to the present invention comprises at least two upper water tanks whose outlet openings are connected to the bottom of a manifold and at least one water turbine connected to a power generating device. Installed within the bottom of each upper tank are elastic air cushions equipped with decompression means. The cushions have siphons with check valves to suck air, said siphons connected to the atmosphere, and a second conduit with a check valve connected, via a compressed air system, to a compressed air tank.

The wind power plant comprises a column made of at least two segments, each wind column segment comprising a vertical axis water turbine. The axles of the wind rotors have at their ends half-couplings to connect the axles with each other and with a power transmission shaft.

In case of large water level difference (head) between the upper tanks and the lower tank an intermediate tank is installed, one side of which is connected through the lower section of the pipeline to a pump located in the lower tank, and the other side of the intermediate tank is connected, via the top section of the pipeline, to a manifold which feeds water to the upper tanks, whereas the top section of the pipeline is supplied by the pump, and each of the pumps is coupled by way of the power transmission shaft with a separate wind power plant. The manifold, which feeds water, is equipped with pipe stubs with solenoid valves located above each of the upper tanks. The upper tanks are equipped with at least two sensors for the maximum and the minimum water level.

Installed on the transmission shaft is an electrically controlled coupling that connects the power transmission shaft via a gear, compressor, a compressed air tank and an air turbine with a power generator. Where the terrain conditions allow, a retention tank is installed above the upper tanks, said tank provided with discharge pipes located above the upper tanks, equipped with solenoid valves connected to water level sensors located in the upper tanks.

The power plant can operate in continuous mode since it is able to store energy in form of water and compressed air. In the absence of sufficiently strong wind, water stored in the upper tanks feeds the water turbine. When wind power exceeds the power needed to pump water into the upper tanks, excess wind energy is used to fill the compressed air tank intended for electricity production when there is deficit of water in the upper tanks. This solution allows for dual utilization of the potential energy of water: once as water column pressure on the air cushions, and the other time in the form of kinetic energy that drives the turbines.

The invention is shown in an exemplary embodiment in the attached drawing, where Fig. 1 shows a schematic arrangement of the power plant components, Figure 2 is a simplified diagram of the power plant with an intermediate water tank, without the air plant, and Fig.2A is a simplified diagram of the power plant with a retention tank, and Fig. 3 shows a segment of the wind column.

Three top water tanks 1 have discharge pipes 2 in their bottoms, with solenoid valves 3, connected to manifold 4 to which a downcomer conduit 5 is attached which supplies water to a water turbine 6 coupled with a power generator 7. Located below the water turbine 6 is the lower tank 8, into which an intake pipe 9 of pump 10 is introduced. Pump 10 is connected, through pipeline 11, to a top manifold 12 which supplies water through pipes 13 to each of the upper tanks 1. Pipe stubs 13 are equipped with solenoid valves 14, controlled by at least two sensors 15 placed in the upper tanks 1, which set the minimum and the maximum water levels.

EXAMPLE 1 (basic)

Pump 10 is driven by a transmission shaft 16 of the wind power plant, said shaft being a segmented column 17 assembled from two segments 18 each provided with a vertical axis wind turbine 19, said shaft's axle having on its ends half-couplings 19a which enable assembling and connecting of the segments 18. The skeleton 20 of a segment is a truss structure, having feet 21 for connecting individual segments 18.

The transmission shaft 16 has an electrically controlled coupling 22 which couples, alternately or jointly, the pump 10 and an air compressor 23. The air compressor 23 is connected through the compressed air tank 24 and air turbine 25 to a power generator 26. The compressed air tank 24 is connected, through a check valve 27, to an air system 28, connected to which are, through check valves 29, air cushions 30 installed at the bottoms of the upper tanks 1. The air cushions 30 have coatings made of an elastic material. The air cushions 30 are equipped with decompression means 31. The internal space of the air cushions 30 is connected to the atmosphere via siphons 32 with check valves 33.

The pump 10, driven by the wind power plant by way of a transmission shaft 16, feeds water to the manifold 12 which has pipe stubs 13 located above the upper tanks 1, through which pipe stubs water is poured into each of the upper tanks 1. As soon as one tank 1 is full, a solenoid valve 14 controlled by the maximum level sensor 15 of the first tank 1 shuts the flow from that pipe stub and, at the same time, a solenoid valve 14 opens at the next upper tank 1. The upper tanks 1 filling cycle sequence is repeated and ceases in case of no wind. Water column in upper tank 1 presses onto an air cushion 30 which flattens and thus air is pushed out from the inside of the cushion 30. By water pressure, compressed air is fed through a check valve 27 to a compressed air tank 24, and air forced out of therefrom drives an air turbine 25, to which a power generator 26 is connected. When water column pressure in the upper tank 1 is low, the air cushion 30 increases its volume by the action of decompression means 31, the cushion being filled through a siphon 32 with atmospheric air.

Water flows out from the filled tank 1 until the low level is reached, signalled by sensor 15 whose signal closes the solenoid valve 3 that shuts water flow from that upper tank 1, and opens a solenoid valve 3 of the next upper tank 1 where currently water level is the highest.

When the hydro/aero power plant produces a surplus power, a compressor 23 is started using a coupling 22, to feed the compressed air tank 24. The compressed air stored is available for use in need to produce electric energy.

The filling and emptying sequence order for the upper tanks 1, as well as switching on/off the coupling 22, are controlled by electric systems not shown in the drawing. EXAMPLE 2 (large head) If, due to terrain conditions, there is a large difference (head) between the levels in the upper tanks 1 and the level in the lower tank 8, it is preferred to install an intermediate tank 34 connected on one side, through the lower section of pipeline 35, to the pump 10, and on the other side through the upper section of pipeline 36 to the top manifold 12 that feeds water to the upper tanks 1. The top section of pipeline 36 has a separate pump 37, and each of the pumps 10 and 37 is connected via a transmission shaft 16 to an individual segmented column 17.

EXAMPLE 3

In particularly preferred conditions, a retention tank 38 is placed above the upper tanks 1, said retention tank having discharge pipes 39 with electrically controlled valves 40, whose outlets are located above the upper tanks 1.

List of numerals used in the drawing:

1- upper tank

2 - discharge pipe

3 - solenoid valve

4 - bottom manifold

5 - downcomer conduit

6 - water turbine

7 - power generating device

8 - lower tank

9 - intake pipe

10 - pump

11 - pipeline

12 - top manifold

13- pipe stub

14 - solenoid valve

15 - sensor

16 - transmission shaft

17 - segmented column - segment

- wind turbine

a - half coupling

- skeleton

- foot

- electric coupling

- compressor

- compressed air tank

- air turbine

- power generator

- check valve

- air system

- check valve

- air cushion

- decompression means - siphon

- check valve

- intermediate tank

- lower section of the pipeline - upper section of the pipeline- pump

- retention tank

- discharge pipes

- valves