Hydroelectric Inflow Dam System by CCRES

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

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Hydroelectric Inflow Dam System

Field of Invention
This invention relates to a hydroelectric power generating dam system by channeling hydraulic flow from a water catchment area into a hollow inflow column to generate hydroelectric power.

This invention uses the basic principle of hydro electric production, as found principally in conventional dam constructions using Pelton turbines, Francis turbines and Kaplan turbines.

Background
Hydropower is a proven technology and is also the largest source of renewable green energy accounting for about 20% of all electricity produced globally. Hydro-electric power plants are large and usually involve huge capital investments. They also affect the local ecology once the associated dams are flooded.
Smaller Micro hydropower system, which generates less than 100kw will be cost effective to produce renewable energy in the rural areas which are near streams and rivers.

Comparative advantages of the Invention
The existing hydroelectric dam channels water into an intake pipe and converts static hydro energy into hundreds of MW of dynamic hydro energy by rotating the turbine and generators whilst the novelty of the inflow dam column is to channel water into each column and convert the dynamic hydro energy into electric power in the micro capacity of tens of kW.

Others advantages compared to conventional dam-based and tide-based hydro electric systems:

a. Flexibility: Flexible in size, configuration and can manufactured installed and operated in one model for different sites with minimum investment.

b. Scalability: Several units can be expanded on the same site for accrued or scalable performance, while covering only a small surface area.

c. Nature force: Using still water, gravity & nature water pressure. No dependence from waves and currents.

d. Portability: No ecological footprint: The system can be installed, serviced and eventually removed without the need to construct an ecologically damaging dam and other infrastructures.

e. No interruption of operation: Installation of a network using several Inflow Dam units can be maintained on a unit per unit basis, without need for a complete system interruption.

f. Maintenance: Low maintenance costs

g. Proven realizable technologies: Use of proven technologies without violating any basic physics and engineering principles. In other words, there is no technological incertitude associated with the system. More info at http://solarserdar.blogspot.com.

Design A: Hydroelectric Inflow Dam

This design provides another hydroelectric generating system solution that can supply hundreds of kilowatts, if not megawatts to supplement an existing hydroelectric power plant. It is possible to plan for a future water catchment area, such as a smaller body of stored or running water to generate electricity in addition to flood control and/or irrigation.

It comprises of a basic power generating system, a pre manufactured inflow dam body and a discharge piping system.

The uniqueness of the invention is that it operates within the water catchment area and is built higher than the highest water level. The inflow dam walls are formed with nozzles so that jets of water that flow into the internal cavity are imparted to the impellers of the turbine for rotation. The connected generator hence generates electricity. Water downstream of the turbine flows into a discharge channel before it is released to a lower ground by gravity or siphon. The inflow dam and discharge pipe are formed modularly.

There are a few variations, for example the nozzles are arranged in two or more circumferential rows and correspond with the number of turbine sections. The nozzles are elongate and they generate water jets with cross-sectional area corresponding to each elongate impeller of the turbine.

The inflow dam has a rotatable sleeve supported on the shoulder. In use, the nozzles are in register with the apertures. When the apertures and the nozzles are not in register, water is prevented from flowing through the nozzles, for example, during maintenance.

The sleeve for controlling the water flow through the nozzles of the inflow dam may be arranged rotatable within the inflow dam column or outside the inflow dam column. Another variation is the sleeve being slidable vertically (up and down) within or outside the inflow dam column. The choice of the sleeve depends on the shape of inflow dam design.

Design B: Hydroelectric Inflow Dam - (Submerged Inflow Dam System)

In this design, the inflow dam is submerged in the water and the internal cavity of the inflow dam is filled with water flowing from the top to rotate the impellers of the turbine to generate electricity. The discharge channel after the turbine acts like a draft tube and it helps create suction and increases the dynamic hydraulic flow and head.

The sleeve is operable to extend above the top end of the inflow dam so that water is prevented from entering the inflow dam during maintenance. A seal may be provided between the sleeve and the external surface of the inflow dam. When in use, a fluid cylinder may control the sleeve for regulating the head and the amount of water flow to the turbine.

Design C: Hydroelectric Inflow Dam - (Network System)

This system allows a user to select a number of designs A or B Hydroelectric inflow dam systems to operate according to the demand in electricity and availability of water head/hydraulic flow. This allows some of the inflow dams to be closed for maintenance without disrupting the supply of electricity from the hydro-electric system.

Design D: Hydroelectric Inflow Dam - (Galaxy System)

The Network System (Design C) forms only one or part of the galaxy hydroelectric inflow dam networks systems.

The advantage of the design is that it is not necessary to build a dam that will affect the local ecology. These social and environmental costs often outweigh the benefits from the traditional hydropower system.

Many reservoirs are built to store drinking water. However, only a small percentage is sent to the desalination plant while the rest remain untouched. The Hydro-electric Inflow Dam System can turn this high percentage of unused water into hydro-power while using it as a controller to control the output water flow similar to a water tap.

Using potential gravitation energy, water resources from the reservoirs are used to power the hydro-electric generator by moving it from reservoir A to reservoir B. The final destination will be the water desalination plant or re-channelling it back to the 1st reservoir or sea. Water can also be moved to a new area or country to form a new reservoir.More info at http://solarserdar.blogspot.com.

About the company

Mr Lam Teng Choy (Henry), is the founder of M/S IP Management Pte Ltd, which is a firm dedicated to commercialise Mr Lam’s inventions. The company has notably developed a novel hydropower production architecture called the “Inflow Dam”, where modular, portable Inflow units with turbine produce electricity with no ecological footprints. The system can be installed in still water basins, channels, tidal reservoirs and in other locations such as two or more reservoirs at different elevations. Mr. Lam owns international patent application PCT/SG 2009/000247 filed on 10.7.2009.

Henry Lam owns another invention relating to Ocean and Wind renewable energy. This IP discloses various forms of water and wind currents converter devices, for example, to tap surface waves, surface-currents, under-currents and flowing currents.

In the second invention, he uses a fundamental mechanical “Double acting rack and rake wheel” device to convert various components of ocean waves and fluid currents, including wind currents, into electricity. These devices can potentially produce million megawatts of power. These inventive devices are disclosed in patent application PCT/SG 2010/000281 filed on 26.7.2010.

About the Inventor and His Spirit:

Mr Lam Teng Choy (Henry) inventions are in relation to devices that harness the energy from the Hydro, Ocean and Wind power. This includes the Hydroelectric inflow dam and Conversion of Kinetic Energy of Fluid Currents into Electricity.

Whilst impact of his inventions has only become recognizable after filing his 2 patents in the years 2009 and 2010, he has, during his free time, worked on engineering aspects of his concepts. Many of his designs, such as the modular and portable Hydroelectric inflow dam to minimise the ecological impact proved to be a revolutionary idea. Some of his inventions provide stimulating sparks to other researchers. As an inventor, Lam has gone beyond his limitations in terms of education, and thought of interesting ideas and concepts. Hence, he has invented various renewable energy converter devices.

Lam was born into a humble family. His early childhood was spent in a rental flat with his parents and 3 brothers. He later joined the SAF Boys School for 2 years at the age of 15. He proceeded to become a full time Army Guards Specialist in the next 10 years and completed his service in year 1990.

In 1988, he got married and now has 3 children. He worked as a sales personal in the medical field, did products packaging, and ready mix concrete before he became a property agent, which is his present job.

His curiosity and interest in scientific observations were stimulated by shortage of supply of fuels and environmental impact to the world. In 2002, Lam had an opportunity to build a prototype of a solar power system together with an expert holding a PhD and his team in a workshop. He learnt the basic knowledge of motors and generators. At the workshop, he learnt more about renewable energy. He was also picked up some skills like planning, purchasing and building a prototype system.

Lam is always curious about renewable energy in nature. His curiosity further reinforces his desire to find the underlying reason behind the difficulty of harnessing nature’s power. His earlier concept of the Hydroelectric inflow dam system was inspired from water collection at the HDB lift upgrading site and a canal in his neighbourhood. It inspired his interests in renewable energy, in particular, Ocean, hydro and wind power.

Although Lam’s primary job position is a housing agent, his curiosity on this subject coupled with his little engineering knowledge and acute observation lead to the development of his inventive concepts for which he is proud of.

Lam has no former education in renewable energy, and his inventions are largely ignored by others. Lam’s approach to his inventions was the result of intense observations and detailed information obtained from the internet and school science textbooks. His tools of investigation are almost exclusively visual and unconventional imagination.

Lam drawings on various renewable energy converter devices become his masterpieces. These drawings are the results of hard work of an inquiring mind and imagination. His approach is not scientific, that is devoid of experimentation or the testing of theories, but the result of broad appreciation about environmental impact and motivation to provide useful and practical solutions.

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES ( CCRES )