発電螺(Generation spiral)

農村に伝わる螺旋（らせん）水車を原型にした「持ち運べる水力発電機」を、京都の工業高生が考案した。昨秋、高校・大学生が参加した発明コンテストで最高賞に輝いた。将来は、災害時や発展途上国で利用できる技術にしたいと夢見ている。
　「水路があれば、どこでもいつでも最大３００ワットを発電できます」。京都市立伏見工高で８日にあった発表会で、３年生の寺川君が試作品の水車を披露した。　発案のきっかけは２年のとき。工業技術が社会に果たす役割を学ぶ授業で水力発電がテーマになった際、担当の足立先生から螺旋水車の写真を見せられたことだった。　
 螺旋水車は、芯棒に螺旋状の羽根がついた円筒形。水路に入れると水の流れで芯棒が回り、発電する仕組み。脱穀用などの動力源として、戦前までは北陸地方を中心に使われていた。　「螺旋水車を作ってみないか」。足立先生は難問を投げかけてみた。通常の螺旋は鉄製だが、高校にある機材では鉄板を螺旋の形状に加工できない。鉄では重いため、持ち運ぶことも難しい。どうすればいいか。寺川君は１カ月間、考えて、「ふと夕食中にアイデアが浮かんだ」という。
　「はしごのように、２本の針金に糸をたくさん張り、強化プラスチックで糸の部分を固めたらいい！」　斬新なアイデアに、足立先生はうなった。「誰も想像しない方法。見事に線から曲面を作った」　
 水の流れを効率よく発電につなげられる螺旋の角度を調べる実験を重ねるうち、アイデアは「進化」。通常は固定式だが、３５キロほどの重さにすれば大人２人で持ち運べる。螺旋を圧縮できれば、小型化も可能とみる。
　「東日本大震災のような災害でも、これがあれば小川で手軽に発電できる」。水車を川にすむタニシ（田螺）の渦巻く殻に見立て、「発電螺（はつでんにし）」と名付けた。
　このアイデアを昨秋、全国の高校・大学生から公募する「発明＆事業化プランコンテスト・テクノ愛」で披露すると、審査員の京都大教授らから「実用化に向けて将来性がある」と絶賛された。京大生も含む応募５４９件の中から、総合グランプリに選ばれた。
　発電螺の試作品は今年初めに完成。今月２６日には南丹市の水路で実験に乗り出すが、重さはまだ４０～５０キロで、軽量化が課題だ。　高２の頃までは、小学生の頃から通っていた近所の自転車店での就職を考えていた。だが、今回の研究の一環で富山県内に残る螺旋水車を見学し、大学でさらに研究を深めたいと決意した。グランプリ受賞の１週間後、富山大工学部の推薦入試に臨み、合格した。　
 寺川君の夢は、さらに大きく広がった。「アフリカなどにはまだ電気の通ってない村があります。いつか改良した発電螺を持って行き、電気を届けたいです」
　素晴らしいですね。全てのことがうまく運んで良い発想が出てきた感じですね。一か所で大きく発電して電気を送るという発想から個々で発電して使うという観点に転換していく必要も出てくるでしょうから、川のあるところでは十分使用に耐えそうな感じですね。軽量化など様々な改良を加えてアフリカの村に電気を灯すことができるようなってほしいですね。

Industrial high school students in Kyoto was invented, the waterwheel was to prototype the (spiral) "portable hydroelectric generator" spiral transmitted to the rural areas. Award-winning best invention in the contest last fall, high school and college students participated. Have dreamed of the future, you want to available technologies in developing countries and disaster.
"If there is a waterway, you can power 300 watts at any time anywhere." Were presented at the meeting on October 8 at the Kyoto City Fushimi cocoa, you Terakawa grade 3 showed the prototype waterwheel. When triggered the brainchild of two years. Was that when hydroelectric power was the theme of industrial technology in the classroom learning role play in society, was shown a picture of spiral water wheel from the teacher in charge of Adachi.

 Spiral water wheel is cylindrical with a helical blade rod. Mechanism in the flow of water around the core rod, and to generate electricity into waterways. As a power source, such as for threshing, before the war had been used mainly in the Hokuriku region. "Why do not you make a water mill spiral". Adachi teacher saw poses a conundrum. Normal spiral iron but, in the equipment of that high school can not be processed to the shape of a spiral iron plate. Iron is heavy and difficult to carry it. What to do. Terakawa you are one month, thinking that "I have an idea suddenly during dinner."
"Like a ladder, a lot of yarn tension to wire the two, should I consolidate? The part of the yarn reinforced plastic" to new ideas, Adachi teacher growled. "I made a curved surface from the line superbly. A way that does not imagine anyone"

 Overlap of the experiment to investigate the angle of the spiral is connected to the flow of water efficient power generation, "evolution" idea. Is usually fixed, but, if you carry two adults in the weight of about 35 km. See if you can compress the spiral, and can also be miniaturized.
"Disasters like the earthquake in eastern Japan, you can easily power generation in the creek if you have it." Was named to resemble swirling shell (snail) mill pond snails live in the river, and "spiral generator (to power)".
The acclaimed last autumn, and to show off with "love plan contest techno commercialization and invention" to public from college students high school nationwide this idea, "There is a potential for practical application" from his colleagues, Kyoto University of jury was. From among the 549, was elected to the Grand Prix overall application, including raw Kyoto University.
Generation prototype was completed in the west earlier this year. 26 this month, but to embark on experiments in the city of Dandong waterway south, the weight is still 40 to 50 kilograms lighter 's challenge. Up to two days of high, was thinking to work in bike shops in the neighborhood had been through since I was in elementary school. However, I decided to visit the water mill in Toyama Prefecture spiral remain as part of this research, and want to deepen further research at the university. One week after winning the Grand Prix, went into the recommendation of the Faculty of Engineering Admissions Toyamadai, has passed.

 Terakawa is your dream, spread a great deal more. "I went to Africa and there is a village with electricity still does not pass through. The spiral power generation and improved someday, I want to deliver the electricity"
I love it. I feel the idea is all that good work has been carried out. Will come also necessary to shift to the perspective of use and power generation in the individual from the idea of ​​sending electricity to power big in one place, in the presence of the river it is felt likely withstand the full . I want it so that you can light the electricity in the village of Africa plus various improvements, such as weight reduction.