Patent Application
20110229304
The present invention relates to a wind turbine system rotatable about a plurality of vertical axes, and having a configuration specifically designed to greatly increase the efficiency of wind energy utilization without unreasonably adding to the process or to the cost of manufacture.
Wind generated turbines of various designs and configurations, including those which employ vertical axes, are well known. Yet a significant disadvantage of these wind turbines is that their blades, which are designed to accept the ongoing wind, are configured such that the full force of the wind cannot at all times act on the blades themselves. For instance, wind turbine blades are situated such that as their respective shafts rotate, a subsequent blade in the direction of the rotation blocks its predecessor as it moves into position to catch ongoing wind. Blades which are not positioned to receive ongoing wind can actually be a detriment to providing wind power to operate the turbine. In fact, it has been estimated that in excess of eighty percent of the energy of wind or moving air which engages and acts upon blades used in wind turbines is lost as a result of these conditions and the deflection and the slippage of air from the tips and/or trailing edges of the blades. The deflection or change of direction of moving air also wastefully reduces much of the energy carried by the wind. When redirected air slips from or leaves the blades, significant energy is lost. As a result, most wind powered turbines are inefficient and oft times ineffective.
Much of the cause of the loss of wind energy is occasioned by the fact that there is little or no control of the blades of wind turbines in relation to each other. The blades of wind turbines are generally designed to rotate freely and as fast as the wind moves them, in the direction the wind is blowing. Current wind turbines have no coordination between rotating blades nor is any effort made to configure blades to operate at maximum efficiency, that is to capture and turn into energy as much of the wind as possible.
It is thus the object of the present invention to provide a wind turbine system which overcomes the limitations and disadvantages of prior wind turbine devices.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a wind turbine which utilizes a plurality of rotor units to efficiently and effectively capture wind flow and use this flow at near one hundred percent efficiency.
These and other objectives are accomplished by the present invention, a wind turbine system which utilizes three vertical shaft rotor units, each rotor unit consisting of three blades. The rotor units are synchronized such that the blades of each unit are maintained at twenty degree intervals, so as to capture head on wind at maximum efficiency. The front rotor unit comprises baffles which appropriately redirect airflow to the rotor units. A stabilizing fin is provided to ensure that the wind turbine system is always headed into the prevailing wind. The system achieves near one hundred percent efficient use of ongoing ambient wind.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention, itself, however, both as to its design, construction and use, together with additional features and advantages thereof, are best understood upon review of the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The wind turbine system of the present invention comprises three rotor units: forward rotor unit 2, left rear rotor unit 12 and, right rear rotor unit 22. Rotor unit 2 comprises vertical rotor unit shaft 3. Three blades 4, 5, and 6, spaced 120° apart, extend from collar bearings 7 and 8 around shaft 3. In like fashion, rotor unit 12 comprises vertical rotor shaft 13. Three blades 14, 15, and 16, spaced 120° apart, extend from collar bearings 17 and 18 around shaft 13. Rotor unit 22 comprises vertical rotor shaft 23. Three blades 24, 25, and 26, spaced 120° apart, extend from collar bearings 27 and 28 around shaft 23.
Rotor units 2, 12, and 22 are vertically mounted by means of their respective shafts 3, 13, and 23, between top bracket plate 30 and control housing 32. The rotor units are mounted in triangular configuration between the top bracket and the control housing.
Curved baffle plate 33, having two sets of vertically oriented slots 34 and 35 extend from shaft 3 of rotor unit 2, substantially at the front of wind turbine system 1. Curved baffle plate 36, having two sets of vertically oriented slots 37 and 38, extend from shaft 3, substantially at the rear of the wind turbine system. Airflow deflectors 40 and 42 extend from shafts 13 and 23 respectively of rotor units 12 and 22. The airflow deflectors are also curved, and are solid, having continuous, uninterrupted surfaces, free from slots or other openings.
Vertical pole 46, located equidistant between shafts 3, 13, and 23, extends through control housing 32 and top bracket 30. In this manner, wind turbine system 1 is mounted atop pole 46. Fin stabilizer 48 rotatably extends from pole 46, via control arms 49 and 50.
The three rotor units 2, 12, and 22 are synchronized such that their respective, corresponding blades are always 20° apart. That is (with specific reference to
The following chart lists the angular orientation of each blade of rotor units 2, 12, and 22, as they rotate 360°, beginning with position 1, the position in which the blades in
The blades in rotor units 2, 12 and 22 are synchronized at the above described 20° separation by means of the synchronize gear/chain system depicted in
As the blades of rotor units 2, 12, and 22 rotate, shafts 3, 13, and 23 are rotated, and so too are pinion gears 62, 63, and 64. This rotative action serves to rapidly rotate power output pinion gear 68, via gear chains 66 and 67, the drive pinion gear 69 which leads to an alternator or similar power generating device.
Wind generated airflow is utilized with almost 100% efficiency by wind turbine system 1. With specific reference to
Again with reference to
Expanding this analysis to the other blades, it can be seen that blade 6 of rotor unit 2 will only be impacted minimally by the residual airflow 74 which is directed out of rotor unit 2 through slots 37 in baffle plate 36. Discharged residual airflow 78 from rotor unit 22 is expelled through slot 38 of baffle plate 36 and does not effect blade 6. The wind utilization efficiency of blade 6 is 17%. Blade 5 of rotor unit 2 experiences virtually no benefit from any wind generated airflow, so its efficiency in this position is 0%. Discharged residual airflow 80 is expelled from rotor unit 2 through slots 35 of baffle plate 33.
Deflector 40 of rotor unit 12 effectively expels discharged residual airflow 82 from blade 15 out of the rotor unit. Blades 14 and 16 are substantially unaffected by wind airflow and so their efficiencies are each 0%, when in the position depicted in
Blade 24 of rotor unit 22 is at an angle of 340°, almost, but not quite, at the horizontal 0° angle, which represents 100% efficiency. Blade 24 receives head on airflow 70 as well as secondary airflow 74 directed from rotor unit 2 through slots 37 of baffle plate 36. It thus operates at 94% efficiency in this position. Like deflector 40, discussed alone, deflector 42 expels discharged residual airflow 84 from blade 24 out of rotor unit 22. Blades 25 and 26 are substantially unaffected by wind airflow and so their efficiencies are each 0%, when in the position depicted in
The sum of the wind use efficiencies of the three rotor units 2, 12, and 22 is 288% (blade 4—77%; blade 6—17%; blade 15—100%; blade 24—94%). Since the maximum cumulative wind use efficiency can only be 300% (100% for each of the three rotor units), the current invention provides a system which has an overall efficiency of 96% (288/300).
Line 1 in the Position column of the following chart, memorializes these results. The chart itself lists the efficiencies of the system of the present invention, at thirty six angular positions of the blades of each rotor unit. The average wind use efficiency is approximately 285.5%, for an overall efficiency of 95.1%, a result heretofore not achieved by any practical, working wind turbine system.
Certain novel features and components of this invention are disclosed in detail in order to make the invention clear in at least one form thereof. However, it is to be clearly understood that the invention as disclosed is not necessarily limited to the exact form and details as disclosed, since it is apparent that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.
