Patent Application
20190353042
The present disclosure relates to an exhaust air energy recovery system for reusing exhaust air and natural wind energy to generate electricity.
Wind/air turbines convert kinetic energy from air into mechanical torque by creating a lift force when air flows past blades of the turbine. The lift force creates torque that can rotate a shaft to which the blades are attached. By coupling an electrical generator with the turbines, energy may be extracted from air flow to product electrical energy. Many conventional wind turbines use blades with variable blade pitch to maximize energy extraction from the wind by adjusting the blade pitch based on the velocity of the wind. However, these turbines are often very expensive and prone to failure.
Air turbines can also be used to extract energy from waste air exhausts of buildings, ducts, mines, furnaces, servers, and the like. However, most of the existing systems that produce electrical energy from exhaust air are inefficient at extracting energy from moving air. Some systems require activation of an air compressor and/or an air motor to drive a generator. As such, additional energy is used to pressurize the exhausted air. Other systems require a large number of conventional turbine blades having the same pitch. Such blades are often inefficient at transferring air flow into torque, which significantly limits overall efficiency.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an exhaust energy recovery system to capture maximum exhaust air flow in order to generate a sufficiently large amount of electricity and/or mechanical power.
In an embodiment, an exhaust air energy recovery system configured for efficiently extracting energy from an exhaust stack of a building, duct, mine, server, or the like. The system includes an exhaust stack through which exhaust air moves and a turbine assembly connected to the exhaust stack by one or more legs. The turbine assembly is configured to generate energy from the exhaust air, and the turbine assembly includes a generator configured to convert energy based on the exhaust air; a turbine rotor connected to the generator; and a hub portion interposed between the generator and the lower blade plate. The turbine rotor is configured to be rotated and includes an upper blade plate selectively connected to an opposing lower blade plate; a plurality of adjustable blades extending radially outward from the upper blade plate; a plurality of moveable portions configured to change the pitch angles of the adjustable blades, wherein each of the moveable portions have a first end and a second end, and wherein the first end of each of the moveable portions is selectively attached to an upper surface of the upper blade plate and the second end of each of the moveable portions is selectively interlocked with at least a portion of one of the adjustable blades.
In some embodiments, each of the moveable portions is equidistant from a center portion on the upper blade plate and each of the moveable portions include an opening across the outer diameter of the second where, wherein the adjustable blades are selectively interlocked in the openings on the second end of the moveable portions.
The above, as well as other advantages of the present disclosure, will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description when considered in light of the accompanying drawing in which:
In is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative orientations and step sequences, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed and defined herein. Hence, specific dimensions, directions or other physical characteristics relating to the various embodiments disclosed are not to be considered as limiting, unless expressly stated otherwise.
Disclosed herein is an energy recovery generator system for capturing exhaust air flow and natural wind energy to generate electricity and/or mechanical power. The energy recovery system is configured to efficiently extract energy from various sources, such as a building exhaust, a duct exhaust, a mine exhaust, and the like.
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The turbine rotor 150 may have a plurality of adjustable blades 160 and a hub portion 170 that connects the turbine rotor 150 with the energy recovery generator 180. The adjustable blades 160 extend radially outward from an upper blade plate 190. The upper blade plate 190 may have a plurality of spaced apertures 125 for entraining air in a vortex for better plume dispersal/distance from sources of exhaust flow, such as buildings. In some examples, the upper blade plate 190 has an outer diameter of between about 7 and 20 inches.
In an embodiment, the energy recovery generator 180 is an electrical generator configured to convert kinetic energy caused by movement of the turbine rotor 150 into electrical or mechanical energy. In a non-limiting example, the energy recovery generator 180 is an axial flux permanent magnet generator. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the energy recovery generator 180 may be other types of generators.
In some embodiments, the outer diameter of the energy recovery generator 180 is between about 6 and 16 inches in order to reduce airflow restriction throughout the system 100. In the embodiment illustrated in
In an embodiment, the turbine rotor 150 further includes a plurality of moveable portions 192 selectively attached to a surface of the upper blade plate 190. As best shown in
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The exhaust flow 130 may proceed from the exhaust stack 110 to the turbine rotor 150. The rotation of the turbine rotor 150 can then be directly transferred to the energy recovery generator 180 without any additional equipment.
In some embodiments, three telescopically-adjustable legs 120 are each attached at a first end 122 to a portion of the turbine assembly 140 and at a second end 124 to a portion of the exhaust stack 110. In an embodiment, the turbine assembly 140 is spaced from the top of the exhaust stack 110 at a distance of about 1.5 times the outer diameter of the exhaust stack 110. One of ordinary skill in the art would understand that there may be more or less than three legs 120 in various orientations.
The exhaust flow 130 may be provided by an air conditioning, a heating, or a ventilation system. The exhaust flow 130 may also come from the exhaust stack 110, which may be horizontal, vertical, or at another angle relative to the ground. The exhaust flow 130 is the air discharged from any system or the exhaust stack 110 where the exhausted air is not being put to any applicable usage. Generally, the exhaust flow 130 is characterized by constant or near constant velocity.
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The pitch angle of the adjustable blades 160 is affected by the upper blade plate 190 and the lower blade plate 191. The pitch angles of the adjustable blades 160 may be varied via the moveable portions 192. In some examples, the pitch angles of the adjustable blades 160 may vary between about 0 and 50 degrees and in some examples, the pitch angle of the adjustable blades 160 between about 40 and 50 degrees. By varying the pitch angles of the adjustable blades 160 as disclosed herein, there is much greater efficiency in conversion of the kinetic energy of the incoming exhaust flow. In some embodiments, the adjustable blades 160 can rotate at about 500 revolutions/minutes.
Electricity generated by the energy recovery system 100 disclosed herein may be used to reduce the electrical power requirements of operating current air conditioning, heating, and ventilation systems.
The figures provided herein are merely representational and may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions thereof may be exaggerated, while others may be minimized. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. It will, of course, be understood that, although particular embodiments have just been described, the claimed subject matter is not limited in scope to a particular embodiment or implementation. Likewise, an embodiment may be implemented in any combination of systems, methods, or products made by a process, for example.
In the preceding description, various aspects of claimed subject have been described. For purposes of explanation, specific numbers, systems, and/or configurations were set forth to provide a thorough understanding of claimed subject matter. In other instances, features that would be understood by one of ordinary skill were omitted or simplified so as not to obscure claimed subject matter. While certain features have been illustrated or described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes or equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that claims are intended to cover all such modifications or changes as fall within the true spirit of claimed subject matter.
This patent application claims priority to and the benefit of the filing date of provisional patent application having Application No. 62/672,197, filed on May 16, 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62672197 | May 2018 | US |
