Vertical axis wind turbines and related methods of braking
AssigneeUniversity of Cincinnati
InventorShaaban Abdallah
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An exemplary vertical axis wind turbine includes a support structure rotatable about a vertical turbine axis, and at least two blades each operatively coupled to the support structure and pivotable about a respective blade axis between a fixed working position at which the blade receives a first amount of wind force and generates a torque for rotating the support structure about the turbine axis, and a neutral position at which the blade receives a lesser second amount of wind force. An exemplary method of aerodynamically braking a vertical axis wind turbine includes at least one of inhibiting a blade from reaching the fixed working position, or securing the blade in a position other than the neutral position.
Claims20
A vertical axis wind turbine comprising:
- a support structure rotatable about a turbine axis;
- and
- at least two blades, each blade operatively coupled to the support structure and being pivotable about a respective blade axis,
- wherein each of the at least two blades is pivotable between a fixed working position at which the blade receives a first amount of wind force and generates a torque for rotating the support structure about the turbine axis, and a neutral position at which the blade receives a lesser second amount of wind force.
A vertical axis wind turbine comprising:
- a support structure rotatable about a turbine axis;
- a single blade coupled to the support structure and being pivotable about a blade axis between a fixed working position at which the single blade receives a first amount of wind force and generates a torque for rotating the support structure about the turbine axis, and a neutral position at which the single blade receives a lesser second amount of wind force;
- and
- a counterweight coupled to the support structure and adapted to offset a centrifugal force generated by the single blade during rotation of the support structure about the turbine axis.
A method of aerodynamically braking a vertical axis wind turbine, the method comprising:
- obtaining a vertical axis wind turbine including a support structure rotatable about a turbine axis, and at least one blade operatively coupled to the support structure and pivotable about a blade axis between a fixed working position at which the at least one blade is configured to receive a first amount of wind force and generate a torque for rotating the support structure about the turbine axis, and a neutral position at which the at least one blade is configured to receive a lesser second amount of wind force;
- and
- braking rotation of the support structure about the turbine axis by at least one of:
- inhibiting the at least one blade from reaching the fixed working position, such that the at least one blade generates substantially no torque about the turbine axis, or
- securing the at least one blade in a position other than the neutral position so as to inhibit the at least one blade from generating a net torque about the turbine axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.