FR2476761A1 - Multiple volute static wind power converter - uses volute trunking round vertical axis to collect wind and deliver it vertically to turbine with generator - Google Patents

Abstract

The appts. has a static wind collector with the turbine and generator, which is fully enclosed, and operated by an accelerated air stream. The wind collector comprises volutes placed round a vertical axis to collect wind in the horizontal direction (1) and to turn the wind flow to a vertical direction (4), at the same time accelerating the air. Valves (6) placed at the vertical end of each volute fall if there is no upward wind flow to prevent the air from escaping out a volute on the leeward side of the collector. The air passes vertically through a wind turbine and then to an inverted form of the wind collector which turns the air to the horizontal and exhausts it on the leeward side of the inverted wind collector.

Description

The present invention relates to an aerogenerator whose organization is such that it has no external moving parts and very few mobile elements outside of its turbine and that it operates in an equivalent manner regardless of the wind direction as long that it remains almost horizontal
Wind turbines, using the direct transformation of the wind into the rotational movement of a generator, are generally of two types
- those whose axis of rotation is parallel to the wind direction and whose orientation must be modified as a function of this.

 In this category we find all of the propeller wind turbines with a number of blades of 2 or more, with an orientation plane and therefore self-orientating or with a controlled orientation (windmill).

- those whose axis of rotation is perpendicular to the direction of the wind and, of this milk, vertical and immutable since said direction is always almost horizontal
In this area, there are sets of the "twin-blade tuli pe type with fixed speed or not, or sets with blades directed according to the generatrices of a cylinder, articulated and returned by spring to a position tangential to the cylinder.

There are also anonometers and a multitude of "panemone" type equipment,
All of these types have the following disadvantages
- the collecting surface is merged with the rotating surface. This surface characterizing the theoretical power gives very large dimensions in movement (1m2 a lOm. S α 415 w for a yield of Betz of 1).

- The dimension of these rotating members is important and, in the event of destruction, under strong winds, gives rise to dangerous projections.

- these organs are expensive and rragile (9-blade propellers, etc.)
- the linear speeds at the extremities, even if they are important, ultimately give fairly low angular speeds and require either mechanical multipliers 9 or electric generators which, at powers of a few KW are unusual.

- the vertical axis of rotation, whether that of movement or that of orientation, leads to relative sets
high and requiring serious guying, notably increasing the footprint.

The present invention proposes to overcome these drawbacks by the use of:
- static and omnidirectional collection
- an enclosed generator, working at high speed in an accelerated wind flow,
- a self-supporting, discreet, static structure that can be fully integrated into a construction,
- rotating elements of reduced dimensions.

The generator object of the invention consists of three parts successively vertically in ascending or descending order namely
- a pressure generating area
- an area of accelerated vertical flow
- a vacuum generating area
In one embodiment of the invention, the pressure generating area is constituted as shown in FIG. 1 by a series of scoops (1), six for example, placed one next to the other so that their catchment areas are each distributed on the faces of a polygon (2).

 These scoops are each extended by a vertical duct (3) whose section decreases progressively so as to increase the speed of the air flow and these ducts then open into a common pipe (4). Under these conditions, the assembly placed in a horizontal wind will give a vertical flow in those of the scoops placed facing the wind and which are subjected to its dynamic pressure. Opposite areas will be depressed. The shape of the outlet in the common conduit prevents said depression from generating a reverse flow (5). This prohibition can also be the result of valves placed on the section of each duct and arranged to allow passage in only one direction (6).

 In another arrangement the scoops can be placed tangentially around a cylinder as shown in Figure (2) in this case 1'5 conduits instead of being only bent are helical. The operation is the same, the distribution of prewslolls around; the vertical axis being different. In a way @@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@ scoops facing its face open to the wind will define, for a given speed of the incident wind, the power maximum of the device.

 Other arrangements can be used to achieve the same result, that is to say to generate an upward or downward vertical air flow by regularly or not arranging vertical or quasi-vertical surfaces around the axis of a vertical duct when the assembly is placed in a horizontal wind and varying the sections gradually to increase the speed of said vertical flow. These other arrangements thus generally described are included in the present invention.

 The accelerated vertical flow zone is composed of a conduit in which is placed the receiving member which is generally a turbine linked to an electric generator. In a particular embodiment of the invention, it is a turbine used thanks to the reduction in section, at a speed sufficient to be directly usable. To increase the speed of magnetic flux variation, the pole pieces are placed at the periphery of the turbine and the armature outside. An elegant solution is proposed by the present invention (FIG. 3) and consists in using permanent magnets (%) having between them a disc surface (S) in which are placed flat coils MO) constructed in 2, 3 or n This arrangement also has two advantages: it gives a turbine with high mechanical inertia damping variations in wind of rapid frequency and it gives a linear electrical characteristic, of constant efficiency and with very low self-induction.

 The vacuum-generating area can also be designed in various ways, some of which are described below by way of non-limiting example.

This zone can between similar to the entry zone on condition of placing the valves there to allow the direction of flow only towards the exit (figure Y
It can also be provided (Figure 5) with auxiliary air inlets organized to cause depression by the Venturi or Vortex effect.

Finally, it can be provided in conventional fnrtne of vacuum cleaner stati that of cylinder closed at the top (Figure 6) lost @@@@@ @@@@@@ @@@@@@@@, oblong and cut or punctured. Obviously the surface of the openings is optimized for the entry surface of the pressure generating zone.

 The invention also obviously relates to the case where one of the two zones surrounding the central zone is eliminated, that is to say for assemblies comprising a pressure generating zone and a zone for transformation into electrical or mechanical energy or a zone electrical or mechanical transformation and a depressive area.

 In another embodiment reserved particularly for high power equipment, the sensors can be integrated for example in four main directions, on the faces of a building, designed only for this or not, and the wind flow directed towards the central part of said building, with exhaust at the top, the wind channels can then have a significant length.

 In the case of low power assemblies, it is possible to achieve a modular assembly fixed to the ground, entirely static and the maintenance of which is limited to the bearings of the generator which can be easily dismantled. In areas with a high density of construction, wind turbines can streak placed on buildings.

Claims (4)

 1) An aerogenerator characterized in that it comprises a static d, nission formed by volutes distributed around a vertical axis and delivering a single vertical duct from which they are each separated by a one-way valve.  2) An aerogenerator characterized in that it comprises an exhaust volume formed by a polygonal or circular vertical cylinder whose peripheral surface is perforated.  3) An aerogenerator according to claim 2 characterized in that the5 perforations are asymmetrical forming "punctures" regrowth towards 4) A wind generator according to claims i and 2 and wherein the sensor and the exhaust are separate and can be connected by pipes of any length.