GB2622035A

GB2622035A - A wind turbine and support frame

Info

Publication number: GB2622035A
Application number: GB2212604.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Murphy Gary
Original assignee: Mohun Aldridge Sykes Ltd
Current assignee: Mohun Aldridge Sykes Ltd
Priority date: 2022-08-31
Filing date: 2022-08-31
Publication date: 2024-03-06
Also published as: GB202212604D0

Abstract

Disclosed is a Savonius type wind turbine where the blades 1 are housed within a support frame 2, the dimensions of the support frame are aligned with the dimensions of the top of a shipping container 4, such that the frame can be connected to the container by means of holes which are shaped and located to use twistlock mechanisms 5. The international shipping container shape and size are defined by ISO11611:1984 and subsequent amendments thereof. The holes may be located at the corners of the frame. Pins may be used alongside twistlocks. Also claimed is a connection plate which may use locking bolts that are not standard twistlocks and which may be located in locations other than the corners.

Description

Title: A Wind Turbine and Support Frame Energy cannot be created or destroyed but energy can be changed from one form to another. An example of this is a wind turbine. The energy provided by a gust of wind may be used to drive an electrical generator thus converting the flow of air in to a flow of electrons. The flow of electrons may then be directed via conducting wires to drive equipment such as a motor or a heating element.

There are currently many ways of generating electrical power, such as using wind and hydro energy, fossil fuels, bio-fuels, fuel cells and atomic energy. In today's society, consumers are demanding far more power as new markets for consumer electrical goods expand. Often a nation's power suppliers have difficulty in meeting the demand for electricity required by customers.

Due to the effects of climate change many efforts are being made to generate electricity from renewable energy sources.

Wind turbines provide an established and well proven form of renewable energy generation but a problem with this form of energy generation is the danger of injury to a person or animal which may occur if a person or animal comes in to contact with a rotating turbine blade. For this reason, wind turbines are situated on top of a mast or post in order to position the rotating turbine blades out of reach or in a place where the rotating blades will not come in to contact with a person or animal.

Wind farms are also known to be relatively noisy and have been known to interfere with radar systems if situated close to airports. Due to the rapid development of the renewable energy generation industry, the infrastructure used for the distribution of electricity is not always capable of carrying the required amount of electricity from the point generation to the point of consumption at the time when it is most needed. Connecting large wind farms to the National Grid and transferring energy across large distances is becoming more complicated as the number of wind farms increases.

It is therefore desirable in the industry for there to be smaller, more efficient wind turbines which are just as suitable for use in urban environments as they are in rural environments and offshore windfarms.

A significant amount of effort is currently being made to harness the energy from wind or other fluid flows such as rivers or streams and convert the energy into electricity. To capture and convert large amount of energy from the wind currently requires specific structures to be constructed which usually have to be in remote areas or in situations such as, for example, offshore wind farms. Such remote locations require excessive cable networks and create difficulties in carrying out maintenance procedures. Accordingly, such systems are relatively expensive and involve excavations and delays while waiting for planning permissions.

Therefore, there exists a need for a wind turbine to produce renewable energy and for the wind turbine to be safe to operate on the ground or close to ground and can be used to assist in supplying renewable energy for use in domestic commercial and industrial applications.

The present invention relates to an energy conversion device, particularly, an energy conversion device employing a wind turbine as the source of energy and wherein the wind turbine does not pose a danger to life or limb when in normal use and which may be situated on to the top of a standard or none standard international shipping container. Furthermore, the present invention provides a for a wind turbine which may be easily deconstructed to enable the wind turbine to be moved or relocated and used in different positions and where the connection to the shipping container may be easily released by disconnecting the joint at the twistlock location on the corner of the shipping container.

The present invention relates to an energy conversion device, particularly, an energy conversion device employing a wind turbine as the means of converting the energy from the wind in to electrical energy and wherein the wind turbine is housed within a support means.

The said support means may be a steel frame and wherein the steel frame may be constructed to align with the standard dimensions of an international shipping container.

The alignment of the wind turbine support frame of the present invention and the female part of the twistlocks which form part of the international shipping container provide a means by which the wind turbine and the shipping container may easily and safely be Joined together.

Safety is a paramount consideration when installing a wind turbine. For a wind turbine to be installed safely it normally involves burying in the ground a substantial portion of the wind turbine structure. This is done to prevent a wind turbine from falling over in the wind which could lead to the injury of life or property. Excavations when installing wind turbines could involve relocating drains, electrical cables or gas pipes and this can be so expensive that a project may not be economically viable.

Therefore, there is a need for a wind turbine which can be installed without the need for any excavations, specifically, there is a need for a wind turbine support frame which can be used for the purpose of securely attaching a wind turbine to the outside of an international shipping container.

The distance between the anchor points of the wind turbine of the present invention is substantially the same as the distance between the international shipping containers twistlock positions which enable the wind turbine of the present invention to be precisely made, installed and attached to the shipping container and thereby use the weight of the international shipping containers as a safe, stable and reliable base for the wind turbines of the present invention. This enables the wind turbines of the present invention to be installed without expensive excavation.

A twistlock or twist lock, together with matching corner fixing, as defined in norms including ISO 1161:1984, form a standardized (rotating) connector system, for connecting and securing intermodal, and predominantly ISO-standard international shipping containers. The primary uses are to securely stack containers, for locking them into place on a container ship, semitrailer or rail carriage, for lifting and handling by specific container-handling equipment, like straddle carriers, reach stackers, container-handling forklift, side lifters, and various types of container cranes.

Twist-locks also have to be used when stacking shorter than 40-foot containers, -,ogether with 40 foot (12.2 m) and longer containers. Shorter than 40-foot containers must be joined together horizontally with twist-locks, to form a rigid combined whole of 40-foot length, to make them stackable and be able to support and be supported by an ISO standard 40-or 45-foot container stacked underneath or above them.

The twistlock was developed in Spoken, Washington in the 1950s by transport engineer Keith Tantlinger. The relative obscurity of this invention belies its importance to a more efficient world trade and transport, as the Tantlinger lock made handling and stacking standard containers much easier. Tantlinger later released his patent royalty-free, which enabled the twist-lock to become an industry and international standard.

A major advantage of this approach to attachment is that containers, which may be stored or transported without being inspected for months at a time, do not require any maintenance in order to function effectively. Even with long term exposure to the weather the container remains as simple to move as ever. Only when corrosion is very extensive (to the extent of being easily visible) does the twistlock become dangerous to move the container. The male part (which is more exposed and susceptible to damage) is placed on vehicles and equipment that are inspected very frequently, and will work wi-M all standard containers.

The female part of the connector is the 7x7x4+142 in (180x180x110 mm) corner fixing, which forms each of the eight corners, welded to the container itself, and has no moving parts, only an oval hole in the tops of the four upper corners, and in the bottom of the four lower corners. The hole is an oval 4.9 in (124.5 mm) on the long axis with two flat sides 2.5 in (63.5 mm) apart. The male component is the twistlock, which is fitted to cranes and transport bases. This can be inserted through the hole (it is roughly 4.1 in or 104.1_ mm long and 2.2 in or 55.9 mm wide), and then the top portion (normally pointed to make insertion easier) is rotated 90°, so that it cannot be withdrawn.

The tensile strength of a twistlock is rated at either 20 or 25 tonnes.

Some twistlocks have built-in levers or mechanisms, while simpler versions require tools for installation or removal. Some twistlocks are permanently installed (e.g. on the decks of container ships or on the beds of semi-trailers), while others are temporarily installed and removed as needed, for instance to stack containers securely on ships, or in storage yards.

The present invention incorporates a first part which fits inside of the corner fixing of an international shipping container and second part which fits on the outside of the corner fixing of an international shipping container furthermore, a connecting means may be used to connect the first part with the second part and where the second part may be the wind turbine support frame of the present invention.

For clarity the corner fixing is the female part of the twistlock which is designed to hold the international shipping container safely in place.

According to a one embodiment of the present invention there is provided a wind turbine, of the Savonius wind turbine type, having a rotatable member extending along a longitudinal axis and a plurality of turbine blades extending radially outwards from the rotatable member and spaced apart around the circumference thereof, the rotatable member being arranged such that, in normal use, the longitudinal axis extends in a substantially vertical direction and the blades travel around the longitudinal axis.

In the first embodiment of the present invention it is desirable that the rotatable member and the associated plurality of blades are situated in a substantially vertical direction but in another embodiment of the present invention the rotatable member and the associated blades may be mounted in a substantially horizontal alignment.

The wind turbine of the present invention is used to harness the force from the flow of fluid such as wind. The energy is transformed into mechanical energy, which is then used to provide a force to drive an electrical generator. An electrical control panel controls the system hereinafter described.

In one embodiment of the present invention In one embodiment of the present invention a wind turbine, of the Savonius wind turbine may be supported by a bearing at each end of the rotatable member and the bearings may be held in place by a bearing support means. The bearing support means may be attached to a support plate at each end of the wind turbine and the support plates may in turn be connected to the support frame.

Wind Turbine to drive an electromagnetic generator In one embodiment of the present invention a wind turbine may be provided to drive an electromagnetic generator which in turn may be used to transfer power from one place to another by transmitting electricity using conductive cables.

Wind Turbine to drive a fluid pump In another embodiment of the present invention a wind turbine may be provided to drive a fluid pump which may be used to transfer energy from one place to another wi:hout the use of electrical cables. Pressurised fluid produced by a pump attached to the turbine of the present invention may be used to drive a remote turbine, generator or flywheel.

Connection Cables The power converted by the wind turbine of the present invention may be converted by an electromagnetic generator in to useable electricity. The connection between the wind turbine of the present invention and a device within a dwelling may be made by way of conductive cables. The conductive cables may be fitted with a connection means such as a plug and socket. A plug and socket may be fitted to allow for the disconnection of the wind turbine of the present invention to be disconnected from a device within a dwelling.

A flywheel arrangement Wind turbines convert the energy proved by the wind in to rotational energy and:he rotational energy is then used to drive a shaft which may be connected to an electromagnetic generator or a fluid pump. Wind speeds can very from time to time, at one time a wind speed may have a velocity of five miles per hour and a few seconds later the wind speed can increase with a short gust to for example twenty miles per hour. The gust may be prolonged or it may only exist for a few seconds.

The change in wind speed can result in a change in the magnitude of the power be.ng converted in to usable energy.

One aspect of the present invention provides for a flywheel which is connected to the wind turbine, this connection provides a more stable power conversion system where the magnitude of the power converted in to usable energy does not fluctuate to the same extent as a wind turbine without a flywheel.

The mass of the flywheel acts in such a way as to store power from sudden gusts of wind which is then used to drive the generator when the wind speed subsides.

The wind turbines of the present invention may be connected to one or more flywheels, the flywheels may be directly connected to the wind turbine and attached to a common rotational drive shaft.

Each wind turbine of the present invention rotates upon a central axis and may be connected tangibly or intangibly to a flywheel which may also rotate upon the same axis.

In another embodiment of the present invention a flywheel may be connected to the wind turbine but this may be done using connection means which do not use the same common drive shaft.

The wind turbine of the present invention may be housed within a support means. The support means may have a plurality of support feet, pads or slides fitted to allovv the complete structure to rest steadily once moved in to its operating position. The support frame may also incorporate a canopy to prevent rain and other particles from landing on the operating equipment installed within the structure of the support frame.

The wind turbine of the present invention may be fitted with guarding means to prevent injury to life or property from contact with the rotating turbine blades. The guards may be attached to the wind turbine support frame. The guards may be for example mesh, bars or nets.

An electrical control system may be used to optimise the efficiency of the energy being transferred from the wind turbine to the consumer. The control panel processes signals from a plurality of sensors suitably disposed about the turbines. The signals may be processed by a solid-state circuit in combination with a dedicated central processing unit running a computer program. The electrical control circuit may provide output signals from the control panel, which depend upon signals received from the sensors, and these signals may be used to operate and control a plurality of parameters and devices with the wind turbine system. The electrical control system of the present invention may incorporate hardware for connection to the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) which is a standard developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI).

The wind turbine of the present invention may be used independently or in combination with a remote turbine, generator or flywheel.

The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows how one or more Savonius wind turbines 1, may be housed witdin a support frame 2, and the support frame 2, may be located on top of an international shipping container 4, Figure 1, also shows how a guard or mesh may be located on the wind turbine support frame 2, to prevent contact with the rotating wind turbine blades 1, Figure 1, also shows how a beam 3, which forms part of the support frame 2, may be aligned to rest upon a top corner fixing 5, which is part of the standard twistlock.

Figure 1, also shows how a fluid pump 9, may be attached to the to each wind turbine 1. In another embodiment of the present invention the fluid pump 9, may be replaced with an electrical generator.

Figure 2, shows how precisely locating the beam 3, on top of the corner fixing 5, enables a connecting means 7, to be located to pull together beam 3, and damp 8, which securely attaches beam 3, to the corner fixing 5, Figure 3, shows a close up view of the clamping mechanism which also shows how precisely locating the beam 3, on to the top of the corner fixing 5, enables a connecting means 7, to be located to pull together beam 3, and clamp 8, which securely attaches beam 3, to the corner fixing 5. This connection may be repeated at each twistlock connection point on the top of any standard international shipping container.

Claims

Claims 1. A Savonius wind turbine comprising of a rotaTable member extending along a longitudinal axis and where the rotatable member is connected to a plurality of turbine blades extended radially outwards from the rotatable member and where the rotatable member and plurality of turbine blades are housed within a support frame wherein the dimensions of the support frame are aligned with the dimensions of the top corner fittings of an international shipping container to provide a tangible connection between the wind turbine support frame and the international shipping containers and wherein with fixing holes of the support frame are aligned with the standard dimensions and positions of the twistlock positions of an international shipping container as defined in ISO 1161:1984 and subsequent ISO 1161 amendments.
2. A wind turbine arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least one hole within the frame of the wind turbine support frame aligns with at least one hole within the corner fixing of the international shipping container.
3. A wind turbine arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least one hole within the frame of the wind turbine support may support a pin which extends in to the corner fixing of an international shipping container.
4. A wind turbine arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a twistlock mechanism may be attached to provide a connection between the wind turbine support frame and the corner fixing of an international shipping container.
S. A wind turbine arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a fixing plate is attached to the wind turbine support frame and the fixing plate incorporates a hole which aligns with the hole within the corner fixing of an international shipping container.
6. A connection plate may be used with a locking bolt which is not a standard twist lock to attach the wind turbine frame to the international shipping container.
7. The connection plate and locking bolt may be used to attach the wind turbine frame to the shipping container by griping on a part of the shipping container which is not the corner fixings.