Patent Application
20070274830
This embodiment relates to the description of the invention and the Figures described previously.
This embodiment refers to a monolithic structure achieved by overlapping the modules (2) described above and may reach great heights. It makes use of the surface exposed to the wind from, practically, ground level to the top of the structure.
Each EETT portrayed in the description, occupies a space of about twenty meters wide approximately. This width can accommodate a large rotor, taking into account the gap that must be left between wall and rotor, that is of approximately one hundred and fifty centimeters, so as to not present obstacles to the wind current. The number of modules that can be stacked vertically will depend on the rigidity of the structure, considering that modules of approximately 6 meter high can be used to assemble structures of 50 or 60 meters high or taller.
Current wind turbines have a diameter of sixty to seventy-five meters and are sometimes larger. These wind turbines require the spacing between towers to be three to four times larger than the diameter of the rotor. Said in-between distance, provided the terrain is relatively undulated, could accommodate 12 EETTs object of the invention. These EETTs can be placed in pairs successively assembled, since they do not produce a wake effect in the wind's path. Modular gates (9) will be mounted in the wind intake or outlet, that has an opening slightly larger than the blade's radius, in the manner of sliding doors that have two or more panels and slide horizontally. These gates are housed in the part of the structure that shelters (23) the returning blades from the wind. The gates are installed with the corresponding mechanism to regulate via computer the wind entry during hours of strong winds or when the turbine is not moving. The function of these gates during strong winds is very important, since they regulate the entry of wind at the generator's maximum power. In circumstances that force the wind turbines that are currently in the market to stop operating for safety reasons, the wind turbine object of the invention would be able to continue operating at maximum performance rates.
Due to the structure and the shape of the mouthpiece in which the EETTs are mounted, the wind moves as if it was traversing a tunnel (tunnel system), which increases the wind speed from thirty to thirty-three percent. This is why during moderate or weak winds, these EETTs continue to produce energy, contrary to current wind turbines, which rotors gyrate but are not producing energy.
If the turbine must be stopped, the gates are slide closed and/or the brakes mechanism activated. The brakes mechanism consists in an electrobrake and a disc brake similar to those used by very large tonnage trucks. These brakes can also be operated manually. In this manner, all the necessary operations can be done while sheltered from the inclement weather.
These EETT can reach speeds from twenty-five to thirty rpms, and the speed at the end of the blades would be of about eighty kilometers per hour, as compared to the wind turbines in the market that turn at fifteen to thirty rpms, but due to the length of their blades the speed at the end of the blades is of hundred and seventy kilometers per hour. This fact, together with the wind friction sustained by the underside of the blade at said speeds causes the wear of the materials to be very high.
These EETTs provide many advantages when compared to current wind turbines performance. The swept surface per square meter of terrain is several times lower and therefore the performance is greater. The wind turbines can be placed below or above ground level, but always below the structure that sustains the rotor. These wind turbines can operate at greater wind speeds and do not have to stop due to excess wind, which are the winds that produce more energy. The rotor that transmits power to the turbine does not need a computer, an engine or a rotor wheel to orient the blades in the direction of the wind. The EETTs do not need engines or other mechanisms to rotate the blades or computers to direct these maneuvers, since they can capture wind that moves in all directions. Also, the EETTs do not need a nacelle or counterweights to maintain the rotor's balance. The cables that transport the current produced by the generator do not suffer any torsion whatsoever, since the generator is located in a fixed point. Current generators require, when the rotor has turned three or four times, a computerized mechanism to eliminate the torsion caused to the cable. The length of the cables needed to transport the generator's current to the transformation center would be shorter if the wind turbines were to be built attached, and it would also be easier to execute and access, since the cables for current transportation would be installed in the basements or lower parts of the structure where the generators are housed.
The EETTs have lower impacts on the environment. The EETTs are very quiet because the generator is located at or below ground level, and the noise is attenuated by the insulating provided by the building itself or by the terrain, and also reduced because cooling is achieved with water or oil. The noise produced by the rotor blades is also reduced and dampened because the rotor is located inside the tower. Birds could nest in these buildings without fear of suffering any incident, since one part is protected by the construction and the other part is made opaque by the blades. Also, the turning is done at low speed, which allows the birds to perceive them as a large obstacle, avoiding crashing against them. The EETTs would solely be characterized as a vision of a building of large dimensions.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200601498 | May 2006 | ES | national |
