CA2299154C

CA2299154C - Wind driven turbine

Info

Publication number: CA2299154C
Application number: CA002299154A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Ossama I. I. Yousif
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-02-11
Filing date: 2000-02-11
Publication date: 2003-01-28
Anticipated expiration: 2020-02-11
Also published as: CA2299154A1

Abstract

This invention relates to vertical and horizontal axle wind turbines. In particular, to a device that takes in all the wind cross section facing it, and with minimum loss on frictional and mechanical resistance, puts it to work to spin a generator, for instance. It's superiority is revealed in it's ability to increase wind energy by increasing air density in wind compaction tunnels, then gradually releasing that into smaller wind turbines which can work separately, in pairs, and groups, on one or more generator, and can be stacked in an airtight fashion.
Thus the device can produce at wind velocities from the very low to the structural damaging. The invention is customer innovation driven with a universal, industrial, commercial and retail application.

Description

1 "WIND DRIVEN TURBINE"

2

3 FIELD OF THE INVENTION

4 The present invention relates to wind turbines. In particular to a device that increases wind potential energy by compacting then gradually 6 releasing it from upwind compaction tunnels into downwind expansion blades of 7 wind driven twin turbines to rotate their axles, which in turn rotate electric 8 generators or such similar device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
11 Presently known arts do utilize wind energy to do such work as 12 generating electricity. In doing so, inventors took any of two directions or the 13 combination, thereof. One direction, influenced by the early aeronautic period, 14 used airfoils: vanes, blades, and propellers to rotate an axle in an aerodynamic fashion. The other direction used the wind push to turn turbine blades placed in its 16 path. The former split the defuse wind energy vector into three components, using 17 one only. As a result, efficiency ranged from: 6% to 31 % -'Power From The Wind' 18 - P. C. Putnam, 1948. Inefficiency led to huge designs to boost productivity. The 19 result was: higher cost per kilowatt, long idling time, narrower spans of useful wind velocity, and a safety hazard. Even though the wind push method used the entire 21 wind energy vector cross section, turbine designs still used up a huge portion of it 22 just to overcome resistance. Known arts did not yet invent means of reducing 23 turbine size effectively. In both cases it is noticed that devices marketed today 24 work only as separate units, with a substantial portion of the wind vector cross 1 section passing unused through and around them. In both directions taken by 2 inventors, weight and cost are still high, while productivity is marginal at best.
3 A device is needed which can reduce the size of the moving parts 4 and therefore the idling time and cost. One that can compact the defuse wind energy vector cross section, lower it's start-up limits and increase productivity, 6 while allowing the use of the full wind velocity vector cross section per unit of 7 surface, specially when laterally and vertically stacked. This invention is 8 attempting to do just that.
9 A short patent search revealed a number of related arts. The nearest to this invention was considered: CA # 2,128,167= USP # 5,332,354 of Mr. John 11 Lamont of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Firstly: in trying to combine both the 12 aerodynamic and the wind push methods, Mr. Lamont created conditions for 13 turbulence in a number of places, which he eliminated by wind volume flow control 14 which lowered productivity. Secondly: his device's area of effective wind vector cross section is less than that of the device especially when the secondary 16 housing is in place. Thirdly: perfect stacking is difficult. Fourthly: high productivity 17 is only possible with huge designs that need higher start up wind velocities which 18 are a factor that limits the use of Mr. Lamont's design both spatially and 19 temporally.

2 The present invention is a rectangular twin turbines stackable device 3 that overcomes the mentioned problems and disadvantages. It includes 4 preferably, a pair of side-by-side compaction tunnels, placed lengthwise parallel to the wind direction. These are equal in length and many times longer than 6 their wind entrances total width or height. The upwind side width wall of the 7 device's rectangular housing is removed and replaced by two wind compaction 8 tunnel's entrances which totally and equally occupy it's space. The long walls of 9 the compaction tunnels taper off into exits that are each many times smaller than any of the two wind compaction tunnel's entrances. While the wind compaction 11 tunnel's entrances are air tightly connected by means, to one another and to the 12 wind compaction tunnels, the tunnel's exits downwind, are also each air tightly 13 connected by means, each to a wind turbine housing positioned tangentially and 14 downwind, such that the wind turbines axes of rotation lie in the extension plan of the wind compaction tunnel's long axes either horizontally or vertically.
Axially 16 positioned, in the turbine housings, the two turbine axles are either vertical and 17 closer to one another; or in one aspect of the invention, closer to the neighboring 18 long walls of the rectangular devices housing. And when horizontally built, they are 19 either near the device roof or it's floor. In case of vertical axle designs, one turbine is always elevated above the other to allow for placement of one or more generator 21 or machine.
22 To each axle of the two turbines there are, attached at one edge, by 23 means, four hemispherical or half cylindrical expansion blades positioned 24 degrees one behind the other. The blades concave faces face upwind, while the edges of each blade, not contacting the axle, are snuggishly fitting the inner 1 contours of the turbine housing. By introducing compressed air into an expansion 2 blade concavity through the compression tunnel exit it rotates the turbine axle a 3 quarter revolution, and for the next quarter revolution this blade deflates through a 4 rear exhaust in the turbine-housing wall. The rotation of both turbine axles is transferred, by means, to one or more rotor when both are spinning in the same 6 direction, and to rotate a rotor and a stator in a unique generator, when spinning in 7 opposite directions. In the latter case the device is made to produce at very light 8 wind velocities with minimum idling time. The unique generator is one where both 9 magnet and coil rotate opposite one another.
Where wind is unidirectional, one aspect of the invention may take the 11 shape of a long rectangular building, stretched parallel to the wind vector, with the 12 upwind short side wall moved back to near, the rear wall forming a huge 13 compaction tunnel upwind, and a rear turbines room downwind. Downwind, exits 14 through the moved wall are air tightly connected, by means, to turbine housings.

17 The following drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the 18 present invention:
19 Figure 1 is a front view of two wind driven twin turbine devices, vertically stacked;
21 Figure 2 is a plan view along section A -- A' of Figure 1;
22 Figure 3 is a rear view of Figure 1 with the rear wall removed, 23 showing the main components in the turbines rooms of both devices;
24 Figure 4 is a side view of Figure 1 along section B B' with the main components in the turbines rooms visible;

1 Figures 5a-a are schematics showing five possible turbine-to-2 generator coupling arrangements, arrows showing stacking directions; and 3 Figure 6 is a plan sectional view as in Figure 2 of another aspect of 4 the present invention.

7 Referring to the drawings, particularly to Figures 1 to 5, there is 8 illustrated a vertical stacking of two wind driven twin turbine devices in identical, 9 elongated, rectangular device housings 15 which can be made of light metallic and composite building materials. Each illustrated device comprises a device 11 housing 15 with the short upwind side wall removed and replaced by two equal-12 sized wind entrances 23 that occupy the whole area of the side. Best shown in 13 Figure 2, stretched horizontally downwind and air tightly connected, by means, to 14 each quadrangular wind entrance 23, are wind compression tunnels 16 having flat smooth walls 24 tapering off gradually into wind compression tunnel exits 18 each.
16 The wind compression tunnel exits 18 are each many folds smaller than the 17 corresponding wind entrance 23 (as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the areas of the 18 entrance 23 being about four or more times that of the exit 18) , and slightly 19 elevated one relative the other, to facilitate the positioning of generators 30.
Exits 18 of the wind compression tunnels 16 are each air tightly 21 connected, by means, to a wind turbine housing 9, placed tangentially and 22 downwind from the corresponding wind compression tunnel 16 with the long axis 23 of that wind compression tunnel passing at right angles to the wind turbine 24 housing axis of rotation. The wind turbine housing 9 may be cylindrical or discoid in shape, and positioned vertically or horizontally, and may be nearest or furthest s 1 from the device's long axis plan running between the two-wind compression 2 tunnels 16.
3 Each wind turbine housing 9 has an air exhaust outlet 14 located a 4 quarter revolution downwind from the corresponding wind compression tunnel exit 18 on the circumference of the wind turbine housing 9. The area of the air exhaust 6 outlet 14 is the distance of the wind turbine housing quarter circumference times 7 it's height taken parallel to it's long axis. The wind turbine housing 9 air exhaust 8 outlet 14 penetrates through the device housing 15 rear short wall to the 9 atmosphere.
Wind turbine axles 26, axially placed and freely rotating, by means, 11 in the wind turbine housings 9, extend beyond the wind turbines housings limits, 12 and are supported, by means, at one extremity, allowing their free spinning, while 13 at the other extremity they end in flywheels 25 that facilitate coupling with 14 generators 30 or any other useful appliance. To the portion of each of the axles 26 inside the wind turbine housings 9, are fitted firmly and air tightly, by means, four 16 wind expansion blades 11, positioned 90 degree, one behind the other, and the 17 concave faces always against the wind flow and three blade edges snuggishly 18 touching the inner walls of the wind turbine housing 9 but freely rotating in it.
19 The device's housing 15 is held up in position by self-orienting support means comprising: a pivoting means 17 medially placed upwind, a little 21 distance behind and between the wind entrances 23 of the upwind end of the wind 22 compression tunnels 16; and pairs of rolling means 19 firmly connected to the 23 underside of the device's housing 15 and positioned laterally near the short back 24 wall of the device housing 15.

1 The pivoting means 17 is firmly imbedded in the circular platform 10 2 and penetrates the roof of the device's housing 15, while the rolling means 19 freely 3 move on top of platform 10.
4 The device may take the aspect of Figure 6 when sufficiently strong, unidirectional wind prevails. Then the two wind compaction tunnels 16 are replaced 6 by one compaction compartment occupying most of the device's housing 15 on the 7 upwind side, with the short wall facing the wind removed backward to near the back 8 wall to form downwind turbines room. In this aspect of the invention the compaction 9 compartment exits 18 are located in the inner wall itself and are air tightly connected downwind, by means, to wind turbine housings 9.
11 The wind driven twin turbines device operates both individually and in 12 groups, thus maximizing productivity beyond the scope of any device yet available.
13 The wind entrances 23, occupying all the wind-facing area of the 14 upwind short side wall of the device housing 15 insure the maximum use of the defuse wind energy vector cross section, without energy loss - through bypassing, in 16 or around the device.
17 The upwind portion of the device, in all aspects, concentrates the 18 defuse wind energy vector cross section in two ways: by gradually reducing it to the 19 cross section of the wind compaction compartment or tunnels 16's exits 18, and so raising it's potential energy; and also by compressing it at the exits 18 under the force 21 of the wind mass in the wind compaction tunnels as acted upon by the wind velocity 22 vector cross section at the wind entrances 23 - as such: the bigger the wind velocity 23 and the dimension of entrances 23, relative to the exits 18 the longer the wind 24 compression tunnels 16, and the smoother it's inner walls; the greater is the potential energy at exits 18.

1 The reduced wind turbine dimensions increase efficiency in two ways:
2 by reducing weight therefore cost, and by reducing dimensions and weight, therefore 3 reducing frictional and mechanical resistances necessary to overcome before any 4 production begins. The result expected is less idling time and wider temporal and spatial use.
6 As shown in Figure 5 ( a, d, a ), the present invention designs ability to 7 move one generator 30 with one or more turbines 7 allows the device to commence 8 production at very low wind velocities. Figure 5a illustrates a plurality of turbines 7 on 9 driving a common shaft 22. Figure 5d illustrates one generator driven buy two turbines. Figure 5e illustrates four generators, each being driven by two turbines.
11 On the other hand the device's ability to move one or more generators 12 30 with one turbine as in Figure 5 ( b and c), increases the span of it's use, under 13 conditions of high wind velocities, to near the structural limits. Figure 5b illustrates two 14 generators 30, one turbine per generator. Figure 5c illustrates an alternate arrangement of Figure 5b. These can easily be predicted for any location from 16 meteorological data and wind rose technique. In short, the present invention can be 17 tailored to work efficiently in wind velocities barely exceeding the frictional and 18 mechanical resistance, to wind velocities of hurricane magnitude.
19 The box shape of the device housing permits stacking while the large roof area is ideal for solar panels in calm sunny days. Environmental and safety 21 issues are well served by the invention's production of clean sustainable energy and 22 the small concealed moving parts.
23 Electric energy production, in this invention, is believed to be big 24 enough to serve the needs of the widest spectrum of consumers. Futuristic usage includes: powering and recharging stations for electric vehicles; designer water;
s 1 hydrogen and oxygen production; elimination of sewage water recycling and dumping 2 in rivers, lakes, oceans, and it's use in farming; also ozone layer replenishment; and 3 restoring of atmospheric oxygen lost to internal combustion engines and to the 4 stratosphere through holes made during nuclear events. A vital usage is sighted in the upgrading, by hydrogen fixation, of immoveable hydrocarbons and bitumens;
6 and coal and organic matter liquefaction and conversion to fuels.
7 It is believed here that now a disclosure of the invention's main 8 components, the way it is built, the way it operates, and the main applications and 9 uses are made.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN
EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR PRIVILEDGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS
FOLLOWS:

1. A wind-driven device comprising:
a wind compaction tunnel having a wind entrance, a rectangular exit and enclosing walls extending therebetween, the walls converging from the entrance to an exit, an area formed by the entrance being about four or more times greater than an area formed by the exit, and the walls having lengths which are two or more times longer than the larger of either a width or a height of the entrance for capturing and compacting wind at the exit to the tunnel;
at least one cylindrical turbine housing having a tangential entrance connected to the exit, the housing having an axis offset from the entrance and an exhaust; and at least one turbine rotationally mounted on an axle at the axis of each turbine housing, each turbine having four or more blades extending radially from the axle and into air-tight engagement with the turbine housing wherein compacted wind from the exit enters the entrance and rotates the turbine in the turbine housing at least through one of the four or more blades before the compacted wind reaches the exhaust.

2. The wind driven device of claim 1 further comprising a generator driveably connected to the axle of the turbine.

3. The wind driven device of claim 1 wherein:
the turbine has at least four eqi-spaced radial blades; and the exhaust is located at least one quarter revolution about the axis from the entrance of the housing.

4. The wind driven device of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein two wind compaction tunnels are placed side-by-side and parallel one another, each tunnel having a turbine, the device further comprising a generator having a stator and a rotor, one of which is rotated in one direction by one turbine and the other of which is rotated by the other turbine, in the opposite direction.

5. The wind driven device of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein two wind compaction tunnels are placed side-by-side and parallel one another, a generator having a stator and a rotor; and a turbine for each tunnel, one turbine being rotatable in one direction for rotating the stator, and other turbine being rotatable in the opposite direction for rotating rotor.

6. The wind driven device of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein two wind compaction tunnels are placed side-by-side and parallel one another and having twin turbines, one per tunnel, further comprising twin generators, each generator having a rotor rotated by one of the twin turbines.

7. The wind driven device as described in claim 1, 2 or 3 further comprising self-orienting support means for supporting the device and orienting the wind entrance of the tunnel into the direction of the wind.

8. The wind driven device as described in claim 1 further comprising:
two or more wind compaction tunnels placed in an array and parallel one another, a structure for housing the two or more compaction tunnels; and support means for supporting the structure and orienting the entrances of the tunnels into the direction of the wind.

9. The wind driven device as described in claim 8 wherein the support means comprises:
a pivoting means for rotationally supporting the housing at an upwind end;
a platform into which the pivoting means is supported; and two or more rolling means spacing the structure from the platform downwind of the pivot so that the structure is rollably supported from the platform as the entrances self-orient into the wind.

10. The wind driven device of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the blades are concave facing the tangential entrance of the housing.

11. The wind driven device as described in claim 1, 2 or 3 further comprising two or more turbines per compaction tunnel.

12. A wind-driven device comprising:
at least two wind compaction tunnels placed side-by-side and parallel one another, each wind compaction tunnel having a wind entrance, a rectangular exit and enclosing walls extending therebetween, the walls converging from the entrance to the exit for capturing and compacting wind at the exit of the tunnel;
at least one cylindrical turbine housing per tunnel, each housing having a tangential entrance connected to the exit of the tunnel, the housing having an axis offset from the entrance and an exhaust;
at least one turbine rotationally mounted on an axle at the axis of each turbine housing, each turbine having four or more blades extending radially from the axle into air-tight engagement with the turbine housing wherein compacted wind from the exit of the tunnel enters the entrance of the housing and rotates the turbine in the turbine housing at least through one of the four or more blades before the compact wind reaches the exhaust of the housing; and a generator having a stator and a rotor independently driven by a turbine for each tunnel, one turbine being rotatable in one direction for rotating

13 the stator, and other turbine being rotatable in the opposite direction for rotating the rotor.
l3.The wind driven device of claim 12 wherein:
the turbine has at least four eqi-spaced radial blades; and the exhaust of the housing of the tunnel is located at least one quarter revolution about the axis from the entrance of the housing of the tunnel.

14. The wind driven device of claim 12 or 13 wherein the blades are concave facing the tangential entrance of the housing of the tunnel.