Combined wind and solar power generating system
AssigneeSolar Wind Reliance Initiatives (SWRI) Ltd.
InventorRoss D. Armstrong
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An integrated wind and solar solution is provided, including a solar energy collection assembly (100) and a vertical axis wind turbine (400), combined to provide an integrated power output. In preferred embodiments, the vertical axis wind turbine is positioned above the solar energy collection assembly. Concentrating solar mirror collectors (116) are used to direct sunlight to a heat engine (250), which converts the collected heat energy into rotary motion. Rotary motion from the heat engine and from the vertical axis wind turbine preferably are on the same rotating axis (600), to facilitate load sharing between these two sources. A dual axis azimuth-altitude solar panel alignment tracking system is used in order to boost the energy conversion capability of the solar energy collectors.
Claims9
An electrical generating system comprising:
- at least one heat engine;
- a solar energy collection assembly, comprising an array of parabolic mirrors arranged to collect and transmit solar energy to each heat engine, to drive each heat engine;
- a vertical axis wind turbine mounted above the solar energy collection assembly, comprising a number of vertical windmill blades laterally displaced from and rotatable around a central axis;
- wherein there are both inner and outer windmill blades and the windmill blades are supported at upper and lower ends thereof by windmill support struts;
- a common output driveshaft on the same axis as said central axis of said vertical axis wind turbine, connected to be driven by said vertical axis wind turbine and by each said heat engine;
- and
- electricity generation means connected to said common output driveshaft to produce electricity;
- and
- wherein a lower inner blade or windmill support strut is configured to facilitate airflow through heat sinks around a cold piston of the heat engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.