GB2234298A - Wind-driven power plants - Google Patents

Abstract

In contrast to a normal windmill in which the blades are substantially flat against the wind at a slight angle so that wind impacting on the blades will transfer wind kinetic energy to the blades to rotate the windmill rotor, in this invention the blades are placed at the same angle as the wings of aircraft. If natural or artificial wind, even at low velocity is blown over the blades, the static atmosphere pressure over the blades drops and the blades are pushed from under by the excess atmospheric pressure which can now turn the windmill rotor to do work or produce electric power. It is stated that the system's power output is theoretically infinite and that it is atmospheric pressure potential energy that is the system's power source, the blades acting as pressure de-equalisers to enable the extraction of this energy. <IMAGE>

Description

This invention is a property of the United Nations and all its associated bodies, consequently: The products of this invention are not to be used in any operation or operations concerning war, either hypothetical or actual, by any person or persons, army or armies, group or groups.

The products of this invention are not to be used in any revolutions or in the pursuance of any revolutions.

This invention can only be commercially manufactured by registered companies already involved in manufacturing activities under whose sphere of operation or operations and ceasings the products of this invention might now have to be manufactured. Unless streamlining of production forbids it, any company wishing to commercially manufacture this invention and sell it would have to establish manufacturing in the countries it wishes to sell in.

Specification Bountiful and abundant power from wings Windmills are generally used for extracting power from moving air masses. The total amount of wind energy, E, intercepted by a windmill's propellers can be expressed thus: E = h PV3 A -----------------------------(1) (1) where: P = Air density V = Air's velocity A = The windmill's propeller's surface area.

Equation 1 represents the energy that would be extracted by a windmill were that windmill to have 100% efficiency. The best windmills so far have been able to attain about, 45% to perhaps, 48% efficiency. According to theory, the efficiency of windmills cannot exceed 60%. Air masses colliding with a windmill's propellers impart, 60% of their kinetic energy to the propellers before rebounding to flow away with, 40% of their kinetic energy still left. In equation 1, the energy, E, is kinetic in nature. Since only 60% of wind power is extractable, equation 1 becomes: Pw = 0.6 x i PV3A Pw = 0.3 PV3A ----------------------- (2).

Where: Pw = Power extractable by windmill from wind.

Depending on user requirements, a windmill's power can be taken either via a gearbox or via a straightforward, direct drive output shaft.

Figure la shows an example of a modern type of windmill, it has two modern type propellers la, which are connected to a propeller head 2a. The arrow W indicates the wind direction.

The anticlockwise arrows indicates the windmill's direction of rotation. Figure lb shows a propeller's profile-wind W impacting on the propeller causes it to move in the direction indicated by the arrow M. In Figure la, the propellers are connected to an output shaft 3a, which is connected to a bevel gear 4a, the bevel gear 4a engages another bevel gear, 5a at right angles. The bevel gear 5a is connected to a shaft 6a, the shaft 6a connects into a gearbox 7a; the gearbox 7a is connected to an electric generator 8a which produces power when the wind blows.

Wings and propellers are also used to extract energy from the air, the energy extracted by wings and propellers is not kinetic in nature, it is not wind energy, it is atmospheric pressure's fluidal potential energy: Essentially, wings and propellers act as pressure de-equalising aids: when a wing is propelled through the air or simply has air blown over its top, the atmospheric static pressure on top of the wing falls; the static pressure under the wing being now relatively higher than the static pressure on top of the wing, pushes the wing upwards; it is the atmosphere's pressure that does all the work in pushing the wing up, it is the atmosphere that provides the wing's power of lift: the atmosphere's potential energy is very very high, wings can help in the taping of this energy.

Figure 2a shows a wing operated device whose aim is to tap the atmosphere's static pressure potential energy and convert it into mechanical power which can then be converted to electrical power. The device has two wings Ib which are connected to a propeller head 2b. The propeller head is turned by the forces which the two wings produce. Figure 2b gives the wing's profile representation, the arrows W represent wind blowing onto the wing.Air 18 flows faster over the top of the wing than air 19 under the wing, there is thus low pressure on top of the wing and high pressure under the wing, the difference in pressure manifests itself as a lifting force F. (Rotating aircraft type propellers also pressure de-equaliser and can sometimes be used in this invention for the same purpose that wings are used for). In Figure 2a the wing's propeller head is connected to an output shaft 3b which is connected to a bevel gear 4b; the bevel gear 4b engages another bevel gear 5b at right angles. The bevel gear 5b is connected to a shaft 6b, the shaft 6b connects into a gearbox 7b; the gearbox 7b, is connected to an electric generator 8b which produces power when the wind blows.The engineering equation which represents a closed conventional system's finite power input or power output P can be expressed thus: P = TW ---------------------------- (3) where: T = System's torque W = Angular velocity of closed system's input or output shaft.

Equation 3 indicates that for a finite constant power P an increase in W creates a reduction in torque; equation 3 also indicates that for a reduction in W, the system's torque T will increase; in this way P remains constant.

A wing device or pressure de-equalising device's power output is also the product of torque and W but the condition for a pressure de-equalising device is that torque can remain constant with variations in W. The mechanical power output which a given wingmill is capable of producing can be expressed thus: PL = (h PV2Aw) (R( x 2X Grn ----------- (4) where: PL = Wingmill's mechanical power output ( PV2Aw)(R) = Wingmill torque 2f Grn = W Aw = Wing's surface area R = Wing's radius Gr = Gear ratio (High-increase revs) n = Number of times per second the wing turns (i PV2Aw) = Total lift force on the wings.

Equation 4 is simplified and widely but not unreasonably representative. With R, Aw and P constant, the torque developed by the wings will be proportional to the square of the wind's velocity, this torque will only remain steady and constant if increases in w is achieved by keeping n constant and low then increasing Gr the gearing's ratio. A low rate of wing rotation is represented by a low n; the slower the wing's rate of rotation the lower the value of n:A wing rate of rotation of one rev per second is represented by an n value of 1, a wing rate of rotation of half, or a quarter rev per second would be represented by 0.5 and 0.25 respectively.

It is important that the wings lb rotate as slowly as possible, were they to rotate too rapidly a drag force would build up, this drag force would try to counteract and reduce the wing's lift force, it is thus desirable that n be low. With n low and constant in value, increases in w can be achieved by increases in the gear ratio Gr. Equation 4 refers to a wing's mechanical power output, the arrangement in Figure 2a has been set up for the generation of electric power, electric power will have the same magnitudes as mechanical power produced by the system. If the gearbox 7b and the electric generator 8b were built inside a streamlined railway carriage and the wingmill placed on top of the carriage, it would be possible by propelling the carriage continuously round a closed circular track to produce electric power none stop: power output from the system is far in excess to the power inputed to propel the system. External power is needed to start the system, once operational the external power is cut off, some of the generated power is then diverted and fed into the moving carriage's propulsion's system to sustain it. The excess generated power is fed off through the rails to be made use of. Effectively the arrangement would be a self sustaining power generating system which enables the atmosphere's potential energy to be extracted and made use of.

The sun is the ultimate energy source for the atmosphere's fluidal potential energy.

The efficiency of a wingmill's wings can be increased by the use of lift enhancing devices like flaps and slats or by arranging the wings one behind the other as demonstrated in Figure 3 by the wings 9 and 10.

Rather than being propelled round and round a circular track, a wingmill can be kept stationary and operated instead by either fan blown wind or by blown air: Figure 4 gives the profile of a wing operated by blowing air onto the wing's upper surface.

The special holes 12 and 13 enable air 14 to be blown onto the wing 11.

Some numerical examples help to compare a windmill's power capacities with a windmill's. As an example at a wind velocity of 20 ms-l, a windmill whose surface area A is 15m2 would have the capacity to generate a theoretical maximum power output Pw which can be expressed by equation 2 thus: Pw = 0.3 Pv3A Pw = 0.3 x 1.3 x 203 x 15 Pw = 47000 watts = 47 kw.

A windmill with the same surface area of 15m2 would at the same wind or air flow velocity of 20ms'l have the capacity to generate output powers PL that can be expressed by equation 4 thus: PL = (h PV2Aw) (R) x 2r Grn -----------------(4). (4).

If the wings had a rate of revolution n of one quarter revolution per second and a radius R of 6 meters, then the windmill would with various gearing ratios Gr be able to deliver power outputs PL thus: With Gr = 100 PL = ( x 1.3 x 202 x 15)(6) x 6.28 x 100 x 0.25 PL = 3.7 x 106 watts With Gr = 1000: PL = 37 x 106 watts With Gr = 10,000: PL = 370 x 106 watts.

Gr can be raised and raised to increase the power output add infinitum on and on if there is no gearing friction loss.

Aircraft type or ship like propellers also pressure de-equalise and can sometimes be used in this invention for extracting the atmosphere's potential energy. Figure 5 shows an assembly where a propeller system is used to extract power from the atmosphere; the propeller 17 is connected to an electric motor whose streamlined housing 16 is connected to the end of a horizontal arm 15 is connected to the input shaft 6b of the gearbox 7b. The gearbox 7b connects with the electric generator 8b; when the propeller 17 turns it produces a thrust force which as indicated by the arrows X pulls and drags the arm 15 continuously round. The arm's turning drives the electric generator 8b so that electric power is produced as for the windmill system in Figure 2a.

Claims (1)

1. Claims

   Wings or aerofoils employed as pressure de-equalising devices to be used for the purpose of extracting fluidic potential energy from the atmosphere as described in this invention with reference to the drawings in Figure 2a, Figure 2b, Figure 3, Figure 4 and Figure 5.