Patent Application
20070036650
This invention generally relates to a lighted rotor and a system that employs the lighted rotor. Particularly, this invention relates to a lighted vertical axis rotor and a system that employs lighted vertical axis rotors.
A turbine coverts the flow energy in a fluid into rotational energy. A wind turbine converts wind energy into rotational energy. The rotor on the wind turbine converts the linear motion of wind into rotational energy and rotates about a rotational axis in operation. This rotational energy has numerous applications, including for example, driving a generator, a pump, or an anemometer. There are two types of wind turbines: the horizontal axis wind turbine and the vertical axis wind turbine. The horizontal axis wind turbine employs a horizontal axis rotor. The horizontal axis rotor converts the linear motion of wind that is substantially in a direction that is parallel to the rotational axis of the horizontal axis rotor into rotational energy. Representative examples of a horizontal axis wind turbine include a propeller-type windmill and a pinwheel, which is a wind-driven rotating toy.
The vertical axis wind turbine employs at least one vertical axis rotor. The vertical axis rotor converts the linear motion of wind that is substantially in the directions that are perpendicular to the rotational axis of the vertical axis rotor into rotational energy. A representative rotor comprises at least one working surface, which the wind pushes against. Many representative rotor designs employ a large number of working surfaces. Examples of the working surface of a rotor include for example: a rotor blade, a rotor sails, or an anemometer cup. An axle on the rotational axis of the rotor links the rotor to the other structure of the wind turbine. The axle is a part of the rotor in some rotor designs and not a part of the rotor in some other rotor designs. Vertical axis rotors are rotors that are designed to be suitable for vertical axis operations. Unlike a horizontal axis rotor, a vertical axis rotor is not efficient in converting the linear motion of wind in the direction parallel to the axis of rotation into rotational energy and therefore not suitable for horizontal axis operations. Similarly, horizontal axis rotor is not suitable for vertical axis operations because it is not efficient in converting the linear motion of wind in the directions perpendicular to the axis of rotation into rotational energy. In windmill applications, a horizontal axis wind turbine requires a mechanism to align the horizontal axis rotors with the wind direction for the horizontal axis wind turbine to work properly but a vertical axis turbine does not need such mechanism. This is a well know advantage of a vertical axis wind turbine.
Representative examples of a vertical axis rotor include but are not limited to the Savonius rotor disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,697,574 and U.S. Pat. No. 1,766,765 both to Savonius, the split Savonius rotor, the cup anemometer rotor, the Darrieus rotor disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,835,018 to Darrieus, the H-Darrieus rotor, the V-Darrieus rotor, the Giromill rotor, the flapping plate rotor, or the plate rotor. There are a large number of patents that teach vertical axis wind turbine, including for example: U.S. Pat. No. 1,697,574 and U.S. Pat. No. 1,766,765 both to Savonius, U.S. Pat. No. 1,835,018 to Darrieus, U.S. Pat. No. 2,596,726 to Rydell, U.S. Pat. No. 3,093,194 to Rusconi, U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,909 to Yengst, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,274 to Gilman. Vertical axis wind turbine designs are readily adaptable to work in any moving fluid such as water. A vertical axis rotor may be employed in a vertical axis turbine for any fluid, including for example, air or water. Further, some vertical axis rotors may be driven to move a fluid, including for example, air or water, in a direction or directions that are substantially perpendicular to their axes of rotation. The rotational axis of a rotor, including a vertical axis rotor, may be oriented in any direction, including the vertical direction and horizontal directions.
According to an embodiment of the invention, a lighted vertical axis rotor comprises a rotor that is suitable for vertical axis operations and at least one light source on the rotor. A lighted vertical axis rotor system, including for example a light vertical axis wind turbine, comprises a support structure, a rotor that is suitable for vertical axis operations and rotatably attached to this support structure, and at least one light source on the rotor. In selected embodiments, the support structure is suitable to be mounted on, for example, a vehicle, a vehicle window, a vehicle antenna, the top of a vehicle antenna, a vehicle window mounted flag assembly, the top of a vehicle window mounted flagpole, the trunk of a vehicle, or the hood of a vehicle.
A better understanding of the invention may be gained from the consideration of the following detailed descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
In the description that follows, like parts are indicated throughout the specification and drawings with the same reference numerals. The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments illustrated herein.
Optionally, base 101, a support structure, may be adapted for permanent or removable attachment to on a object such as, for example: a house, a window, a door, a roof top, a flat surface, a vehicle, including for example, on a vehicle window, on a vehicle antenna, on the tip of a vehicle antenna, on a vehicle-window-mounted flag, on the tip of the flagpole of a vehicle-window-mounted flag, on the trunk, on the hood, on a boat, on a bicycle, and on a car. Support structures that include a hook or a clip may be employed to latch on to a window, a door, the trunk or the hood of a vehicle, and other objects. This type of support structure design is employed in numerous commercial off-the-self products, such as a vehicle-window-mounted flag. Support structures that include a magnet may be employed to removably attach this type of support structure to an object made form a ferromagnetic metal, including for example the body of a car or truck. There are numerous commercial of-the-self products the employ this type of support structure. Support structures that have a hole for receiving a rod or the tip of a rod may be used to attach this type of support structure to an antenna, a flagpole, and a rod shaped object mounted on a vehicle. There are numerous commercial of-the-self products, including for example an antenna ball, that employ this type of support structure. Locking screws are commonly employed in this type of support structure. Although the above support structure types are primarily employed for removable attachment to an object, they can be easily adapted for permanent attachment to the object; for example, by applying an adhesive. Because support structures that are suitable for attaching to an object are widely known to one skilled in the art, they do not require further explanation.
There are numerous variations to the embodiments discussed above which will be trivial to the one skilled in the art. Examples of these variations include but not limited to:
Although the embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and that the form has been described, it is readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/707,860 filed on Aug. 13, 2005, which is incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60707860 | Aug 2005 | US |
