Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F03D—WIND MOTORS
  • F03D1/00—Wind motors with rotation axis substantially parallel to the air flow entering the rotor 
  • F03D1/04—Wind motors with rotation axis substantially parallel to the air flow entering the rotor  having stationary wind-guiding means, e.g. with shrouds or channels
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F03D—WIND MOTORS
  • F03D3/00—Wind motors with rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the air flow entering the rotor 
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
  • F05B—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
  • F05B2240/00—Components
  • F05B2240/10—Stators
  • F05B2240/12—Fluid guiding means, e.g. vanes
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
  • Y02E10/70—Wind energy
  • Y02E10/72—Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
  • Y02E10/70—Wind energy
  • Y02E10/74—Wind turbines with rotation axis perpendicular to the wind direction

Definitions

• the inventor has studied examples of present state of the art wind turbines of the propeller type, in particular, as they are now in common use. At their apparently low levels of efficiency, another approach had to be made, to better utilize presently well known and commonly applied principles of fluid mechanics and aerodynamics, to improve our ability to extract maximum energy potential from the wind.
• First is the matter of concentrating wind pressure over the entire addressable frontal exposure of its turbine blades, and directing all of the available wind energy toward driving the turbine blades.
• Second is to have the main driven surfaces of its turbine blades situated within the outer thirty percent of the radius between axle center and the outer tips of its turbine blades. This feature greatly increases torque, and ultimate recovery of energy.
• the first improvement over present state of the art is the matter of concentrating the wind energy driving force within the outer 30 percent of the radius between axle center and the outer tips of our turbine rotor blades.
• a half sphere shape including the outer surface of the turbine rotor extends forward from the rear of the turbine rotor, in line with axle center, and displaces more than seventy percent of the frontal area of the wind turbine.
• a second improvement is achieved by deployment of the said half sphere shape, including the outer face of the turbine rotor, centered in line with axle center, beginning at the rear face of the said rotor, and extending forward of the turbine rotor from axle center, to front dead center of the said half sphere shape.
• the portion of the said half sphere shape extending forward from the turbine rotor is mounted in a fixed stationary position, and does not rotate.
• This increases incoming wind speed as the wind spreads over the said half sphere shape, and that is a common principle of physics.
• the wind speed increase lowers the operating wind speed threshold quite significantly, as a clear advantage over present state of the art.
• the wind speed increase at the surface of the said half sphere shape is % C x R, and that ratio is 1.5707 to 1. That figure is reduced due to surface tension, drag, or friction against flow, and the well known system referred to as Reynolds numbers could be used to determine the approximate drag factor.
• the inventor's engineering consultants suggest that the net velocity increase is 46%, and the resulting increase in available kinetic energy amounts to 1.46 cubed, or 311%.
• the third improvement over present state of the art is the matter of using as many as twenty four comparatively short and properly curved turbine blades of adequate front to back depth, and pitch angle, to achieve maximum torque drive, and further assure that no wind is going to get past the blades, and must drive them all. Blade length must be adequate to catch or encounter all of the wind mass that has been speeded up. This consideration should be rather exact, as a blade length reaching beyond the faster moving wind mass, is going to be entering a slower moving wind mass, which will create drag, resulting in some efficiency loss. This situation provides maximum capture of wind energy, which is converted to the highest amount of torque at our driven axle.
• a fifth, or further potential improvement over present state of the art is the placement of a series of radially and evenly spaced thin airfoils on the periphery of the stationary forward portion of the half sphere, beyond the turbine rotor.
• the said airfoils would curve incoming wind in a spiral fashion around the half sphere stationary head, in the same direction that the turbine rotor is turning.
• the advantage to be gained is that a more open turbine blade pitch can be used with much the same effect as a more closed off blade pitch. This can eliminate the necessity for mechanical means of changing blade pitch when higher speed winds are encountered.
• the blade pitch is an average of forty degrees
• the said airfoils can be retracted inward, to zero effect, and the wind turbine rotor blades will then operate at their forty degree pitch.
• the airfoils can also be made of flexible material which can be progressively curved or bent like a spring. In that case the airfoils would not be retractable, and would remain in place at zero curvature, longitudinally, which would be much the same as being retracted to the point of no affect.
• the said airfoils are an improvement over present state of the art, where mechanical means are used to vary blade pitch to access incoming wind more efficiently and safely, and to go to neutral, in the case of excessive wind speeds.
• mechanical pitch control or failure of a governor system could lead to serious damage to the wind turbine.
• Figure 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as mounted on the rotatable top of its support tower platform, with turbine rotor and 24 rotor blades.
• the turbine rotor has a curved face, being the rearward portion of what would be a completed half sphere shape, including a stationary front portion, separately supported, and mounted closely in front of the said turbine rotor.
• a close general outline of the outside edge of the path of the wind mass displaced by the spherical head is shown in its broadening arc form, and as it would address a complete cross section of the blades of the wind turbine. This is shown as a broken line arc, from the front center of the stationary portion of the spherical head shape, to the outer tips of the turbine rotor blades.
• Figure 2 is a frontal view of the same preferred embodiment of the invention, as mounted on the rotatable top of its support tower platform, with turbine rotor and 24 rotor blades.
• Figure 3 is a side view of the wind turbine, showing relative positions of 12 curved airfoils on the stationary frontal projection of its spherical head, which can be recessed to full closure, and zero effect. They would serve the purpose of curving the oncoming direction of the wind, in the rotational direction of the turbine rotor blades, to add the effect of 20 or more degrees to fixed turbine rotor blades for the purpose of eliminating any necessity for pitch control.
• Figure 4 is a frontal view of the wind turbine, showing relative positions of the same 12 curved airfoils as illustrated in figure 3.
• Figure 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as mounted on the rotatable top of its support tower platform, where we have the stationary portion of its spherical head 1 , and the rotating portion of its spherical head 2, which is also the outer facing of its rotor 3.
• airfoil shaped structural support beams 8 for the stationary portion of its spherical head section and its front end axle bearing, then we have the stationary portion of its structural support tower (column) 9, and broken line representing the outer periphery of the volume expansion area of wind displaced by the said spherical head 10, and undulating lines 11, to indicate turbulence expected behind turbine rotor 3, which would be common to exhausted wind behind the blades of the wind turbine.
• Figure 2 is a frontal view of the wind turbine, showing the stationary front section of the half sphere shape 1 , rotating curved outer circumferential surface 2, of turbine rotor 3, being the remainder of the said half sphere shape. Then we have turbine blades 4, of which there are twenty four in this embodiment. Also shown are support struts 8, for the stationary frontal portion of the said half sphere shape and front axle bearing, and rotatable top base mount 7, for the wind turbine, and then stationary support tower 9, which would extend to ground level.
• Figure 3 is an angularly offset side view of another preferred embodiment of the wind turbine, showing relative positions of twelve comparatively thin and retractable airfoils 12, placed upon and within the stationary frontal projection 1, of the half spherical shape of more than seventy percent of the radius from axle center to the inside edges or bottom ends of its comparatively short turbine blades 4.
• the conical projection of its rear body or encasement 5, segmented, as may be necessary for purposes of efficient manufacturing of such projection and then the somewhat cylindrical and aerodynamically shaped lower extension 6, of its outer body and wall surrounding its supporting structural elements and internal entry port, and extending downward to its rotatable base 7, on top of its supporting tower structure 9.
• Figure 4 is a direct frontal view of the same preferred embodiment as described in figure 3, where we can observe curved retractable airfoils 12, and their relationship to the turbine blades 4, and we can further see the essential struts 8, supporting the front axle bearing of the turbine, and carrying the stationary frontal portion of half spherical shape 1 , at the front of the wind turbine. Then we can see further the aerodynamically shaped front end of the bottom extension of the rear housing or embodiment of the wind turbine 6, and then we have rotatable base support 7, and stationary support tower 9.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Sustainable Development (AREA)
• Sustainable Energy (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Wind Motors (AREA)

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Publications (1)

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Cited By (18)

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Citations (5)

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• 2004
  • 2004-05-19 CA CA002467199A patent/CA2467199A1/en not_active Abandoned
• 2005
  • 2005-05-17 AU AU2005243553A patent/AU2005243553A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2005-05-17 EP EP05745332A patent/EP1766230A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2005-05-17 WO PCT/CA2005/000766 patent/WO2005111413A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2005-05-17 CN CNA2005800221499A patent/CN101014765A/zh active Pending
  • 2005-05-17 RU RU2006145035/06A patent/RU2386854C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2005-05-17 US US11/569,340 patent/US7726935B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2005-05-17 KR KR1020067026597A patent/KR20070028426A/ko not_active Ceased
  • 2005-05-17 JP JP2007516914A patent/JP2007538189A/ja active Pending
  • 2005-05-17 CN CN200910159497A patent/CN101639037A/zh active Pending

Patent Citations (5)

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