Horizontal axis wind machine with multiple rotors
AssigneeThunderbird Power Corp
InventorRichard K. Sutz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A horizontal-shaft wind machine having improved low wind speed performance and greater overall efficiency consists of multiple rotors, wherein each successive rotor is larger in diameter than the previous rotor moving from the most windward rotor to the most leeward rotor. Each rotor may be coupled to a separate concentric shaft, and all rotors may rotate in the same direction with the output shafts of each rotor coupled via an overrunning clutch to a single shaft, the output of which is used to drive the load. Winglets attached to the leading edge and tip of the rotor sails improve low wind startup torque.
Claims12
A wind machine adapted to extract work from the wind comprising:
- a first rotor shaft having a substantially horizontal axis of rotation;
- a bearing support capable of aligning the axis of rotation of said first rotor shaft with the wind direction;
- a first wind machine rotor rotatable about said first rotor shaft, said first wind machine rotor comprising a first hub attached to said first rotor shaft and a first plurality of sails attached to said hub, said first plurality of sails extending substantially radially outward substantially equidistant from said hub to form a rotor having an outer diameter;
- a second wind machine rotor displaced axially downwind from said first wind machine rotor, said second wind machine rotor comprising a second hub and a second plurality of sails attached to said hub extending substantially radially outward substantially equidistant from said hub to form a rotor having an outer diameter, the outer diameter of said second wind machine rotor being larger than the outer diameter of said first wind machine rotor;
- and
- a single vertical output shaft coupled to the first rotor shaft for extracting power from said first and second wind machine rotors.
A wind machine adapted to extract work from the wind comprising:
- a first rotor shaft having a substantially horizontal axis of rotation;
- a second rotor shaft mounted for rotation concentric to said first rotor shaft
- a bearing support capable of aligning the axes of rotation of said first and second rotor shafts with the wind direction;
- a first wind machine rotor attached to said first rotor shaft, said first wind machine rotor having an outer diameter, said first wind machine rotor being responsive to a flow of wind to rotate in a first rotational direction;
- a second wind machine rotor attached to said second rotor shaft, said second wind machine rotor being displaced axially downwind from said first wind machine rotor, said second wind machine rotor being responsive to the flow of wind to rotate also in the first rotational direction, the outer diameter of said second wind machine rotor being larger than the outer diameter of said first wind machine rotor;
- an overrunning clutch coupling said second rotor shaft to said first rotor shaft;
- and
- a single vertical output shaft coupled to the first rotor shaft for extracting power from said first and second wind machine rotors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.