Claims
- 1. A vertical axis turbine having a turbine rotor with a vertical axis and an outer circumferential rotor boundary and impellers with vertical wind-receiving impeller surfaces, said vertical impeller surfaces extending from the outer circumferential rotor boundary inwardly to form part of an impeller cavity which prevents air from entering centrally within the turbine, said turbine comprising:
- (1) a surrounding circumferential series of vertically deployed deflector vanes mounted between upper and lower end plates that support the turbine rotor,
- (2) each of said vanes being tubular in shape, widening from an edge at its outer circumferential boundary proceeding towards the turbine axis to a vertical surface constituting a base located at the inner boundary of each vane, said base being positioned next to the outer circumferential path of the turbine,
- whereby air arriving from all directions is concentrated and directed against the turbine impeller surfaces and is contained momentarily in the impeller cavity by said base surfaces in a substantially sealed state as the impellers pass by the base of each of said vanes and wherein one of said vanes comprises:
- (a) a closed hollow interior;
- (b) an air inlet; and
- (c) an air outlet positioned at the base of said hollow vane to direct air towards said impeller surfaces,
- whereby when a supply of pressurized air is introduced through the air inlet said air is directed through said air outlet against said impellers as the turbine rotates.
- 2. A turbine as in claim 1 in combination with a source of compressed air.
- 3. A turbine as in claim 2 wherein said compressed air source is a wave-activated compressed air source which provides compressed air in response to wave action.
- 4. A turbine as in claim 3 wherein said wave-activated compressed air source and said turbine are both carried and supported by a vessel anchored on a body of water.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/156,701 filed Nov. 24, 1993 and now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,530.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0167694 |
Jan 1986 |
EPX |
3631709 |
Mar 1988 |
DEX |
7712530 |
Nov 1977 |
NLX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
156701 |
Nov 1993 |
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