This present invention relates to an electricity generating plant more particularly to a large-scale vertical-axis hybrid turbine system comprised essentially a vertical-axis rotor system featuring a large flywheel secured in an enclosure system such as a building, a floating vessel and the like and equipped with plurality of electric generator sets attached to the spindle of said rotor.
This present invention relates also to a flywheel and more to a vertical-axis segmented flywheel system comprises a stationary vertical-axis spindle member equipped with plurality of lateral lever members which levers each suspended by at least one cable or stay member to a state of equilibrium against gravity.
Again this present invention relates to a flywheel and more to a vertical-axis segmented rimmed flywheel system comprising of the above mentioned segmented flywheel with some of the said lever members known further as spoke members are connected to a rim member and together encloses the lever members respectively inside and in between said spoke members.
Finally this present invention relates to a rotor and more to a vertical-axis rotor system comprising of the above mentioned segmented rimmed flywheel systems having the rim engaged with and rotationally driven by at least one stationary drive assembly.
My observation was and particularly from application files I saw at the patents offices, most electricity generating plants are powered by thermal energy derived from either: coal, nuclear, natural gas or petroleum, which unfortunately considered by experts potentially catastrophic or at least in ways hazardous to the environment. We're all aware of these issues and something has to be done.
Other generators are powered by kinetic energy such as hydro-electric plants and wind turbines which contrary to thermal energy generates renewable electricity. However hydro-electric which is considered to be our best source of energy so far are insufficiently to supply the demand and it's unreasonable to alter nature if there's a way.
Wind turbines thanks to the wind turbine industries are probably our next best source of renewable energy despite having its limitations—its moving blades as critics say are dangerous to flying wildlife, physically too large and noisy for relatively small power it delivers leading to most units are installed offshore adding to the cost. Certainly there is a need for a much better wind turbine design.
While kinetic energy from wind or water has been employed for century in the production of electricity, not much done commercially on solid materials such a flywheel, yet flywheels has been in cars, windmills and flywheel energy storage devices.
Small size flywheel energy storage devices are common on computers safeguarding it from potential power interruption while large size are used by power companies stabilized the power grid—saving them money as it stored the otherwise wasted electric energy during the low demand periods for later use.
However flywheels used in any power generation systems regardless of size and configuration are all monolithic in structure or at least the rim are build respectively as a single rigid piece member.
Unfortunately a large monolithic flywheel is quite difficult to transport and potentially dangerous to operate, as large spinning flywheel can break apart in unpredictable size flying debris and large fragment can tremendously damage the surrounding making these prior flywheels departs from the present invention.
This present invention is a large-scale vertical-axis hybrid turbine, rotor and flywheel system with features to generate renewable energy cost effectively and reliable, environmentally friendly, upgradable, modular and buildable closer to the end consumers comprising at least:
an enclosure system,
a vertical-axis rotor system and,
plurality of appropriate electric generator set members.
The said enclosure system is in the form of building or large floating vessel and the like, respectively with at least one module space that includes bottom floor member, upright or plurality of spaced apart upright members, optional top or ceiling member and preferably three optional intermediate floor respectively known as lower, middle and upper intermediate floor member each with a spindle raceway at the central-axis—all constructed of reinforced concrete or equal.
Part of the upright member preferably is a utility shaft member that houses the elevator, stair and the like—to facilitate the movement of hardware, crews, etc. during and after the construction period.
The spaced apart uprights further function as vane members and in between respective uprights, a shutter member is provided. Each shutter is provided with closing-means preferably in communication with the anemometer member installed generally on top of the enclosure for the purpose of regulating the volume and the speed of the wind passing through and which particular shutter has to be close or open which benefit the system.
The vertical-axis rotor system is provided essentially comprises a stationary vertical-axis spindle member, plurality of lateral lever members and the respective stay members. Lever has a long slender body with mountable end, effort end and preferably with integral bridge or bridges made preferably of fiber composite materials. The mountable end is mounted one above or below the other to the said spindle with its long body extended peripherally wherever desired and suspended by stay member into a state of equilibrium against gravity with the said bridge attached by means to the adjacent lever member of the same height—unitary into a large vertical-axis segmented flywheel assembly.
A rim assembly is provided preferably made from layers of elongated reinforced hard rubber strips through which spoke members are connected and together encloses the lever members respectively inside and in between—unitary into a large vertical-axis segmented rimmed flywheel assembly.
Plurality of stationary drive assembly are provided, each equipped with electric motor and drive rollers which rollers rotationally engaged with the said rim assembly so as the rim rotates, the said spoke members respectively pushes the respective lever members along with—unitary into a vertical-axis rotor system.
Plurality of electric generator set members are provided preferably wired power-grid-ready, each mounted on the respective said floor member either in coaxial with or spaced apart attached by respective drive means to the said spindle member—unitary and finally into a vertical-axis hybrid wind turbine system.
The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The elevator 51a is provided to facilitate the movement of parts and equipments during the construction period and makes the future maintenance work safe and easy;
The walls 58 further serves as vane members directing the prevailing wind 60 into and eventually creating a vortex 60a inside the enclosure system—which benefits could be appreciated later. The volume and speed of the wind 60 is controlled by the opening size of the respective shutter 53 which respectively equipped with a closing-means (53a not shown in the drawings) and in communication with the anemometer 52 to selectively close and/or open only a particular shutter that has the strongest wind passage beyond a predetermined limit;
The spindle 66 comprises a series of cylinder parts 66a to 66e, plurality of hubs 66f, spacer members 66g and an appropriate nut and bolts connecting means 66h, 66j. An appropriate anchor means 66k's are provided at the upper end of cylinder 66e,
The spindle 66 further is provided with a shoulder 66m and 66n,
The said hubs 66f are usually shaped circular disposed one above the other and are relatively small flywheels itself. Some hub could be made much bigger from the rest and with or without said lever member attached, however hubs could also made out of upright rectangular shaped plates disposed radial from the axis of said spindle and with means to accommodate plurality of respective lever or spoke members 69, 71 mounted one above the other;
Plurality of lever member 69 are provided
The said stay members 70 each having one end connected to a means 69d of the lever member, the opposite end connected to the respective anchor means 66k of the spindle member 66;
Plurality of spoke members 71 are provided
The said stay members 72 each having one end connected to a means 71d of the spoke member, the opposite end is connected to the respective anchor means 66k of the spindle member 66;
It is within the scope of the present invention that both lever and spoke member 69 could also have a much wider body instead of just being slender and also less in the number of count;
Rim assembly 73 is provided
The actuator member 74e not shown in the drawing is in communication with the speed of the rotor, respectively moved the motor member 74c with the roller 74d against the rim while the rotor is in motion and also moved the motor 74c upward off the rim once the speed of the rotor drops below limit, operation details described later;
With the rotor system fully in place each respective floor members 61, 63, and 64 are out-fitted with six vertical-axis electric generator set 76 mounted to the respective floor and circumferentially spaced apart about the spindle 66,
Each actuator member 76e not shown in the drawings is also in communication with the speed of the rotor, respectively engaged the idler member 76d while the rotor running at speed but moved back releasing the tension of the drive belt 76c once the speed of the rotor drop below limit and until it gained back its speed;
Considering there are twelve said stationary drive assemblies 74 in the system which are in communication with the control station member also not shown in the drawings control the operation of the power system only after the rotor gets initially started—preferably manually. The control station member is programmed project specific and its details are not within the scope of the invention;
However as an example on how the system works—this particular program is designed to for the system to run in three different operating modes as follow: initial start, acceleration, generation and braking mode;
The program accordingly groups the twelve drive assemblies into six pairs and each pair having two assemblies spaced 180 degrees apart. Three of the pair acts as the operating pair and the other three are back-ups;
At the acceleration mode twelve said drives 74 are running but takes placed only after the initial start, with all generator belts 76c released. The initial mode is preferably done manually preventing the high speed drive roller 74d from burning the said rim assembly 73. Then once the rotor reached closer to its operating speed each generator drive belt 77c start engaging one after the other and then all said drives 74 changes from acceleration mode to generation with the back-up pair switched off;
At generation mode only the three operating drives alternating each other at 20 minutes interval are programmed to run with the spinning rotor and making sure only one pair at a time is operating. However in the event the rotor speed drops below the speed limit, the back-up pair comes into recue until the rotor has able to recover its speed;
In the braking mode all twelve drives 74 stops running and with the weight of the motor members 74c on the rim 73 gradually making the rotor come to stop. Finally once the rotor stop the actuator member 74e upwardly retracts the drive motor (74c) clearing the rim ready for the next initial start;
Back to
108 MW or 108,000,000 watt-hours equal to 30,000
Gearboxes, frictions on bearings, rim being in contact with
drag on the rotor which is subjected to wind vortex - - - 0 to say, 30,000N,
Total system load equals - - - 18,000 to say, 48,000N;
Drag calculation is based on the equation:
F=½pv2CA (1)
where
which equate to;
Kinetic energy of a flywheel is determined by the equation:
E=½mr2w2=J or N·m, (2)
where:
which equate to,
This 15,789 MW power input by the flywheel seems too much for a relatively small 108 MW output. In a fuel based power plant maybe this is not acceptable but on a renewable energy powered system with no fuel cost involved . . . this power input with equivalent force of 438,600N at the rim I believed is necessary and will keep the rotor system running until the next favorable wind speed comes by;
A one horsepower electric motor has a torque equal to 75 kgf-m/s and expressed by the equations:
T=rF (3)
where
which transposed, expanded and equate to:
Therefore the theoretical horsepower at 80% efficiency to overcome the system load of 48,000N without wind intervention is expressed by the equation:
Hp=L/F/E (5)
where
which equate to;
Knowing that the theoretical required horsepower is 2.86 Hp gives us the idea on how much horsepower the system cost effectively requires and considering that the rotor system has plenty of potential energy and has backup drives, therefore my recommendations are as follow:
However some of the data herein are assumes and more works has to be done. But in case said 5% turned out in reality to be say 20% or even 30%, I believed the power system is still relatively very good option;
Wind energy although essential to the system is not consistence and calculations are not included herewith. However the application of wind energy as stated above will allow the system to use smaller motors beneficial to the operation;
Doubling the speed of the rotor system with a bigger roller drive member 74d corresponding increases its kinetic energy of the flywheel by four times. Then the mass assemblies which are easily upgradable can provide either for a lighter or a heavier flywheel as reasonably required.
The flywheel assembly with the top of the spindle member 78a is connected in series with modified parts comprising two removable spindle members 78b, 78c, three axle assemblies 78d, 78e and 78f which axle respectively attached to the respective floor 63, 64 and 65;
Optional sail assemblies are also provided to the system in places where wind is fairly reasonable.
This application claimed the benefit of what is shown and described in previous applications: 61/214,151 filed Apr. 20, 2009; 61/278,813 filed Oct. 13, 2009 and Ser. No. 12/799,202 filed Apr. 20, 2010.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/US2010/002738 | 10/13/2010 | WO | 00 | 4/3/2012 |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
61214151 | Apr 2009 | US | |
61278813 | Oct 2009 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 12799202 | Apr 2010 | US |
Child | 13261251 | US |