GB2462469A - Venturi inlet wind turbine - Google Patents

Abstract

A wind turbine comprises a venturi inlet 7 which focuses the wind onto a bladed rotor. The wind turbine may be mounted on a mast 8, a squat tubular under-frame base, on a flat roof of a high-rise building, or a ridge line or hip of a pitched roof. The venturi inlet 7 may comprise a truncated cone, or up to three con-axially aligned truncated cones. The venturi inlet may instead comprise a deltoid (elongated) opening (figures 4-8). When mounted on a pitched roof the venturi inlet may comprise a triangular structure (figures 10 & 11). When mounted on a squat tubular under-frame base the venturi inlet may comprise a circular arrangement split into six hexagonal cells which focus the wind towards the centre of the circle where it is deflected upwards onto the bladed rotor which has a vertical axis (figures 12-14).

Description

Integrated Advanced Wind Turbines (Series 2) These developments relate to earlier inventions to enhance the performance of mast mounted wind turbines, novel pitched roof installations of a wind turbine system, a dynamic wind turbine system for flat roofed high rise structures exploiting wind flows up and over buildings, and furthermore an additional innovation is submitted for ground based venturi induced wind turbines to produce sub megawatt or megawatt outputs.

The presently available wind turbine designs for kilowatt output whilst generating electrical power to some level, still have not achieved the best outputs from the available wind as could be attained from' the appliance of the venturi effect and its resolution through geometrical forms, and their internal designs.

This latest objective of higher wind flows of kinetic energy focussed by the venturi effect is relating to the earlier formats proposed, but dealing with the wind and surface interaction of fast air in the geometric venturi chamber, the understanding of which has caused a further series of drawings, as a result of tests and modelling; showing new details to expedite inflow, transit and exhaust of wind through the turbine.

This part of the comprehensive innovations will now be solely by way of example and with reference to drawings be described in which; Figure 1 shows a part cut away multi coned enturied wind turbine in an expanded view, with alternator and forward assy. separated from turbine boom, at 2 shows alternator housing, at 3 shows braced tubular fabricated arm connecting boom to turbo fan rim, at 4 shows corrugated rim to seat 3 with inner smooth liner to contain sweep of turbo fan blades without contact, at 5 shows * telescopic boom tail to ensure centre of gravity at swivel pin for varying weights of power units, at 6 shows adjusting guys for turbine mast stability and anchorage, at 7 shows the outer trunkated cone supporting 2 inner trunkated cones, at 8 shows the swivel pin and unit support, at 9 shows stabilising and support wires between directing fin and leading edge of the outer trunkated cone.

Figure 2 shows a frontal view of the wind inlet multi trunkated coned venturi, with internal spacer rods as fixings, at 1 shows forward edges of trunkated coning, at 2 shows quadrant fixing of spacer rods.

Figure 3 shows an abstracted plan view of the turbo fan rim, its connecting braced tubular arms, linking to the alternator housing at the front end of the turbine boom.

Figure 4 shows a delta form venturi chamber in isometric view, at 1 shows an aerofoil stiffening banding at the venturi inlet, at 2 shows one of four internally fitting focussing ducts, at 3 shows support wires connectors, at 4 shows the corrugated rim to the turbo fan housing -the remainder of the drawing is as at Figure 1 Figure 5 shows a section a -a of Figure 4 showing the inner 4 focussing ducts into the fan area enclosed by the corrugated rim and its smooth liner. 2.

Figure 6 shows an isometric view of a modular section of linear venturied triangular recess fitted at and banding the parapet level of flat roofs of high rise buildings, at 1 shows the ducting plates focussing wind thrust to the outlet at 2, which would be piped into a centrally fixed turbine unit.

Figure 7 shows a plan view of the module, at 1 shows the projecting edge of the module to collect vertical wind flows off the building as well as horizontal gusts.

Figure'8 shows an elevation view of the modular section on the parapet level Figure 9 shows the bulkhead in side view, perforated to balance the wind thrusts along the line of modular venturis at the parapet.

Figure 10 shows an elevation view of two hooded opposing half diamond formed venturi chambers, fitted at ridge level of a pitched roof, at 1 shows the two focussing plates to the fast air inlet to supply accelerated wind to an inner fitted, enclosed loft turbine, via trunking; at 2 shows the fast air inlet penetra -ting into the chamber to avoid ingress of air/rain mixes into the trunicing, at 3 shows drain holes to run off rain entry, at 4 shows service access plate for airborne debris removal.

Figure 11 shows an elevation view of a rhomboid formed two part venturied system, fitted at the hip end of a pitched roof, at 1 shows an articulated hooded entry point for wind flow up the hip, at 2 shows four focussing inner fitted plates to feed two separated inlet trunicing points for the ridge and hip chambers other details as at Figure 10.

Figure 12. shows the plan view of a hexagonal large island turbine with four radiating venturi ducts per segment focussing the wind to a central point, over which is fitted a multibladed fan and alternator unit; the island generator is for flat roof installat-ion on high rise structures; at 1 showing the venturi marshalling duct plates at one cell, at 2 shows the inner flap valve array, at 3 shows the bracing for the flared forward edges of the wind intake at the circumference, at 4 shows the line of the orange peel segment reversed form to direct the upflow of wind into the turbo fan blade part of the unit, fittec above.

Figure 13 shows a part elevation of the island system wind turbine with a squat tubular underframe, anchored to the flat roof slab through forged steel straps banding the tubework at the base of the frame,at 1 shows part of the generator section -the distrib-utor, at 2 shows the sub frame supporting the island system, at 3 shows the forged steel strapping securing the unit to the flat roof deck.

Figure 14 shows a cut away view of an above fitted wind turbine, and one venturi cell focus point, showing a reverse orange peel segment secured at the focus of the ducting venturi work to direct upwards fast air flow into the turbo fan generator above.

Figure 15 shows an elevation view of a hangar style powerful wind turbine, with 20 metre diameter blades, of metal plate with induced rigidity by corrugating presswork on the blades, the sect -ion at b -b shows the focussing aerofoil finned walls,,this turbine should multiply wind speed substantially to sub megawatt or megawatt levels for use in moderate meteorological climates.

Figure 16 shows an elevation view of a hangar style powerful wind turbine as an alternative design for use in severe weather locat-ions, the section c -c shows the focussing aerofoiled curving walls for the most aerodynamic surfacing for wind flows. 3.

Figure 17 shows a detail enlarged, in isometric, of the connection between the fan blade rim and the alternator housing tube at the forward end of the boom for the mast mounted wind turbines, at 1 is the alternator housing socket, at 2 shows the braced connecting arm with triangular folded winged bracing at three positions on th -e arm, the forward part of the arm is welded to a piece of curved tube seating on the valley part of the corrugated rim secured by four bolts & locknuts etc., at 3 is shown the corrugated outer rim for strength when electro welded to the inner liner, at 4 is shown the inner liner rim against the corrugated outer, at 5 is shown a flat triangular steel plate to counter torsional movement from wind buffetting, welded to the arm and the tube piece seating in the corrugated trough.

Figures 18,19, & 20, shows detail to the wind turbine venturi sys-tem for pitched roofs, at ridge level fixture; in three drawings, at 1 shows an elevation view at ridge level, at 2 shows drop strap -s to secure the unit to the rafters, at 3 shows foam rubber pads for sound deadening and bearings, at 4 shows a part spherical mesh filter against airborne debris or avian intrusion, at 5 shows a degree cut off at the focus zone of the venturi ducting, at 6 shows the layout of the drop straps and sound/bearings pads, at 7 shows the ductwork for the venturi effect, at B shows a service hatch to remove airborne debris. 4.

Claims (7)

1. Claims 1. A wind generated turbine system variant for mast mounted wind turbines, a squat tubular underframe supported island wind turbine fixed to flat roofs on high rise buildings, a parapet level fitted wind turbine system for tall stuctures, pitched roof wind turbines installed at ridge lines and hips, and finally a hangar styled wind turbine system of two types, all of which exploit the wind speed accelerating properties of the venturi effect enhanced with focussing wind flow channels into the venturi point.
2. 2. A wind turbine generator, mast mounted, according to claim 1, where the multi bladed rotor is enclosed in a corrugated rim for-ward of which is a nest of spaced cones, which focus flow at the rotor, causing the incoming wind to stream efficiently and lessen drag effect, the wind exit is facilitated by the minimum obstruct -ion of four tubular arms to minimise drag, and fitting to a tubu -lar socket to contain the alternator within, in a close fit.
3. 3. A wind turbine generator, mast mounted, according to claim 1, where the multi bladed rotor is enclosed in a corrugated rim for- ward of which is a deltoid formed opening diminishing to the dia- meter of the multi bladed rotor, the inner space of the delta fu-nnel is equally divided by four vertical ducts that taper to a focal point forward of the rotor, to marshall the wind flow for efficient utilisation by the rotor, the wind exit is as at claim 2.
4. 4 An island wind turbine system, supported on a squat tubular underframe base, according to claim 1, where a circular layout is divided into six hexagonal cells, the inner spaces of the cells divided equally by a ductwork of vertical panels,,the outer edge flared to course wind flow into the venturi ducting, at the inner point of the cell forward of the focussing ducts, an up curving spherical segment is fitted, to direct wind flow upward into an above fitted distributor through flap valves and into the rotor blades over which is the alternator unit and above a bird/leaf screen mesh.
5. 5. A parapet level wind turbine system according to claim 1, for flat rood application, where recessed triangular boxwork is fixed at parapet level to band the elevations of a building, to collect the wind force across and rising up from a high rise building, in each triangular module a projecting hood is fitted to intercept wind up flow, and focussing plates are fitted to expedite cross-wind flows into the exit point and onto the pipeworic feeding into a central distributor or two, over which are fitted the generators receiving accelerated wind from the piped network off the parapets venturis, bulkheads between the triangular modules are perforated to balance the wind thrusts across the structure.
6. 6. A pitched roof wind turbine according to claim 1, is fitted at ridge level, hooded at its opening, half diamond in shape, and may be secured to rafters via drop straps, the unit resting on dense rubber foam to sound proof and protect the roof covering, the venturi effect of the form is enhanced by two ducting plates, 5.Claims continued.inducing the wind stream into flow channels towards the trunking connector feeding an inner roof void enclosed turbine unit, the exhaust wind may be exitted through the soffit or eaves venting; at erraced roofs thses turbine innovations may be fitted at ridge level to cover opposite wind flows, at hipped roofs a rhomboid form of a two chambered venturi may be fitted at the ridge/hip junction, with similar ducting plates to focus flows, plus an articulating hip inlet is desirable to cover varying roof angles, this system if fitted at either end of the roof can cover flows from four directions, the sides of these forms are sloped to def -lect wind, the sides at the trunking area are given weep holes to clear rain entering the unit, and nearby is fitted service access points to clear debris, the trunking spigot is covered by a spherical mesh to stop airborne matter entering the trunking.
7. 7. 1 hangar styled wind turbine according to claim 1, is a less aesthetically intrusive high performance wind turbine, with a metre diameter rotor, able to generate power to sub-megawatt levels and above, through the venturi principle assisted further by the marshalling and focussing effect of channels within the venturi hall; two examples are proposed, one of equally spaced finned walling ducts for moderate meteorological environments, the other unit with curved aerodynamic walling for extreme climate deployment and large yield requirement, the blades of these rotors, as metal, may be press corrugated along their length to counter flexing and ease rotor bearing load using a lighter blade weight, and less complex to manufacture than existing large turbine blades.