US20120321454A1

US20120321454A1 - Wind power generation apparatus

Info

Publication number: US20120321454A1
Application number: US13/160,157
Authority: US
Inventors: Zhi-Xuan YU
Original assignee: SHUN I JENG
Current assignee: SHUN I JENG
Priority date: 2011-06-14
Filing date: 2011-06-14
Publication date: 2012-12-20

Abstract

A wind power generation apparatus includes a wind collecting hood, a rotary shaft, a rotary structure and a wind guiding structure. The wind collecting hood is a hollow circular barrel to form an airflow passage. The rotary shaft is located in the airflow passage of the wind collecting hood. The rotary structure is mounted onto the rotary shaft. The wind guiding structure is fastened to the wind collecting hood and located at the front end of the rotary structure. The wind guiding structure directs direction of airflow and accelerates the airflow to become swirling airflow to directly blow the rotary structure at optimal angles, thus capability of driving the rotary structure to rotate by wind is increased and starting wind power of the rotary structure is reduced. The rotary structure is still rotated at where the wind is smaller to provide electric power.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a wind power generation apparatus and particularly to a wind power generation apparatus operated with small starting wind power.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wind power generation is the purest natural renewable power source, hence is widely accepted by environmental activists. Many types of wind power generation techniques have been proposed in prior art, such as R.O.C. patent Nos. M296920 entitled “Thermal wind power generation apparatus”, M307718 entitled “Vehicle wind power generation apparatus”, M326072 entitled “Self-assembly wind power generation wall”, M329580 entitled “Flow guiding structure to reduce wind resistance” and the like. They all generate electric power through wind power. As they do not produce pollution and are installed at lower costs, thus are well received by people.
All the aforesaid wind power generation apparatus drive blades to rotate via kinetic energy of wind, and then the blades drive a power generator to spin to generate electric power. In order to drive the blades to rotate, wind must reach to a certain degree of strength that is generally called starting wind power. One of most baffling problems encountered by the conventional wind power generation apparatus is that wind generated in most residential areas and environments cannot maintain at a power greater than that of the starting wind for a long duration. As a result, the wind power generation apparatus becomes useless or generates only negligible amount of electric power. This greatly reduces application scope of the wind power generation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a wind power generation apparatus operated with small starting wind power to increase installation possibility and applicability.
To achieve the foregoing object, the present invention provides a wind power generation apparatus that includes a wind collecting hood, a rotary shaft, a rotary structure and a wind guiding structure. The wind collecting hood is a hollow circular barrel to form an airflow passage. The rotary shaft is located in the airflow passage of the wind collecting hood. The rotary structure includes a plurality of airflow receiving blades mounted on the rotary shaft in a spread fashion. The wind guiding structure includes a plurality of airflow guiding vanes arranged in a spread manner and abutting the front end of the rotary structure. The airflow guiding vanes are fastened to the wind collecting hood.
By means of the construction set forth above, the present invention provides many advantages, such as the wind guiding structure can direct direction of airflow which enters from the airflow passage and accelerate the airflow to form swirling airflow to directly blow the rotary structure at optimal angles and drive the rotary structure to rotate. Hence the rotary structure still can be driven by smaller wind to rotate. As a result, the starting wind power is smaller, efficiency and the amount of wind power generation increase, and application scope of the wind power generation also increases.
The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following embodiments and detailed description, which proceed with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments serve merely for illustrative purpose and are not the limitations of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of airflow guiding of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of another structure of airflow receiving blades of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention aims to provide a wind power generation apparatus that includes a wind collecting hood 10, a rotary shaft 20, a rotary structure 30 and a wind guiding structure 40. The wind collecting hood 10 is a hollow circular barrel to form an airflow passage 11, and includes two ends respectively formed at a diameter gradually shrunk towards the center of the wind collecting to form a neck portion 12.
The wind collecting hood 10 can be mounted onto an upright post 50 which includes a rotary portion 51 and a holding portion 52 bridged by a rotary bearing 53 so that the rotary portion 51 can rotate against the holding portion 52.
The rotary shaft 20 drives a power generator (not shown in the drawings) held in the airflow passage 11 of the wind collecting hood 10. The rotary structure 30 includes a plurality of airflow receiving blades 31 mounted on the rotary shaft 20 in a spread fashion. The wind guiding structure 40 includes a plurality of airflow guiding vanes 41 arranged in a spread manner and abutting the front end of the rotary structure 30. The wind collecting hood 10 has a plurality of latch grooves 13 wedged by the airflow guiding vanes 41 to form secured positioning to the wind collecting hood 10. The rotary shaft 20 has one end coupled to the wind guiding structure 40.
Also referring to FIG. 3, each airflow guiding vane 41 has a first inward curved surface 411 and a first outward curved surface 412 opposite to the first inward curved surface 411 to form a rotating curvature. After the airflow 60 is dispersed, the first inward curved surface 411 receives the airflow 60 and changes the direction of the airflow 60 to become swirling airflow 61. It is to be noted that the airflow guiding vane 41 has a greater thickness in the windward direction than the leeward direction so that the airflow guiding vane 41 can withstand greater strength when receiving wind pressure.
Each airflow receiving blade 31 also has a second inward curved surface 311 and a second outward curved surface 312 opposite to the second inward curved surface 311 to form an inverse rotating curvature. The second inward curved surface 311 receives the swirling airflow 61. Similarly, the airflow receiving blade 31 also has a greater thickness in the windward direction than the leeward direction so that the airflow receiving blade 31 also can withstand greater strength when receiving the swirling airflow 61.
Please refer to FIG. 4 for another embodiment of the airflow receiving blades 31. The rotary structure 30 further has a driven ring 32 connected to the airflow receiving blades 31 at positions remote from the center thereof. The driven ring 32 is formed at a desired thickness to increase mechanical rotating efficiency of the airflow receiving blades 31 when receiving the swirling airflow.
By means of the structure set forth above, the airflow 60 passing through the airflow passage 11 is directed by the airflow guiding vanes 41 to become the swirling airflow 61 to directly blow the airflow receiving blades 31 at optimal angles to rotate. Thus the rotary structure 30 still can be driven to rotate even at smaller wind input and is operated at small starting wind power. As a result, the wind power generation apparatus of the invention can be widely installed at varying sites to provide steady and continuous power.
In short, the invention directs the airflow 60 in desired directions and accelerates wind speed to form the swirling airflow 61 to directly blow the airflow receiving blades 31 at the optimal angles to rotate. Hence the starting wind power can be reduced, efficiency and the amount of wind power generation can be increased, and application scope of the wind power generation also can be increased.

Claims

1. A wind power generation apparatus, comprising:

a wind collecting hood which is a hollow circular barrel to form an airflow passage;

a rotary shaft located in the airflow passage of the wind collecting hood;

a rotary structure including a plurality of airflow receiving blades mounted on the rotary shaft in a spread fashion; and

a wind guiding structure including a plurality of airflow guiding vanes arranged in a spread manner and abutting a front end of the rotary structure, the airflow guiding vanes being fastened to the wind collecting hood.

2. The wind power generation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotary shaft includes one end coupled to the wind guiding structure.

3. The wind power generation apparatus of claim 1, wherein each airflow guiding vane includes a first inward curved surface and a first outward curved surface opposite to the first inward curved surface to form a rotating curvature; each airflow receiving blade including a second inward curved surface and a second outward curved surface opposite to the second inward curved surface to form an inverse rotating curvature.

4. The wind power generation apparatus of claim 3, wherein each airflow guiding vane is formed at a greater thickness in a windward direction than a leeward direction.

5. The wind power generation apparatus of claim 3, wherein each airflow receiving blade is formed at a greater thickness in a windward direction than a leeward direction.

6. The wind power generation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wind collecting hood includes a plurality of latch grooves wedged by the airflow guiding vanes to form fastening therewith.

7. The wind power generation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wind collecting hood includes two ends respectively formed at a diameter gradually shrunk towards a center of the wind collecting hood to form a neck portion.

8. The wind power generation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wind collecting hood is mounted onto an upright post.

9. The wind power generation apparatus of claim 8, wherein the upright post includes a rotary portion and a holding portion bridged by a rotary bearing to form rotary coupling therewith.

10. The wind power generation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotary structure further includes a driven ring connected to the airflow receiving blades at positions remote from the center thereof.