US 2017/0248122 A1 · WIND TURBINE FOR USE IN HIGH WINDS

Abstract

A wind energy generation turbine is built to take advantage of high winds in mountain passes and other areas of extreme wind velocity. A windmill section is raised high by support structures. Electricity generators are kept in the base of the windmill to reduce elevated weight. A nozzle or shroud channels wind into a narrow raceway to take advantage of the Venturi effect. Windmill blade tips housed within a circular raceway are strengthened by blade tip connectors and blade spar struts against high wind forces. Windmill blade angle and windmill wind facing are dynamically altered by computerized motors for maximum efficiency. Windmill blade angle and/or generator load maintain ratio of windmill blade tip speed to wind speed for efficiency. Turbine speed translation gears are able to decouple windmill from 60 Hz cycle or use water pumps and gravity to store energy at peak generation times.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A wind turbine energy generation device, comprising:

a windmill, said windmill comprising:
a main turbine shaft;
said main turbine shaft comprising
a turbine shaft rear portion comprising a turbine shaft back end, and
a turbine shaft forward portion comprising a windward-facing turbine shaft front end;
said windmill further comprising a raceway, said raceway comprising a ring circumscribing a central interior space, said raceway ring having an outer surface and an interior surface, said central interior space being a raceway turbine blade area,
said raceway turbine blade area having a windward-facing front opening and a rearward-facing opening, said windward-facing front opening having a first raceway diameter and said rearward-facing opening having a second raceway diameter;
said windmill further comprising a rotor;
said rotor comprising three or more windmill blades arranged in a circular fashion, each windmill blade thus having two adjacent blades;
each said windmill blade comprising a blade root end adjacent said main turbine shaft and a blade tip being the outer end of the windmill blade.

7 more elements

A wind turbine energy generation device, comprising:

a windmill, said windmill comprising:
a main turbine shaft;
said main turbine shaft comprising
a turbine shaft rear portion comprising a turbine shaft back end, and
a turbine shaft forward portion comprising a windward-facing turbine shaft front end;
said windmill further comprising a raceway, said raceway comprising a ring circumscribing a central interior space, said raceway ring having an outer surface and an interior surface, said central interior space being a raceway turbine blade area,
said raceway turbine blade area having a windward-facing front opening and a rearward-facing opening, said windward-facing front opening having a first raceway diameter and said rearward-facing opening having a second raceway diameter;
said windmill further comprising a rotor;
said rotor comprising three or more windmill blades arranged in a circular fashion, each windmill blade thus having two adjacent blades;
each said windmill blade comprising a blade root end adjacent said main turbine shaft and a blade tip being the outer end of the windmill blade;
said rotor further comprising blade tip connector, said blade tip connector being a body stably connecting the blade tip of each windmill blade to the blade top of its two adjacent windmill blades, said blade tip connector comprising at least one of:
a solid ring;
a flexible ring;
a plurality of solid struts;
a plurality of flexible ties;
a ring of cable or chain;
or,
a plurality of sections of cable or chain;
said raceway ring interior surface comprising an interior circumferential groove, and
wherein said windmill blade tips extend into said interior circumferential groove;
said windmill further comprising a plurality of raceway rollers, the plurality of raceway rollers numbering at least one per windmill blade tip;
said windmill further comprising a counterweight situated at the turbine shaft rearward portion;
said wind turbine energy generation device further comprising:
a wind-channeling body having a windward-facing forward opening with a first wind-channel diameter and a rearward-facing opening having a second wind-channel diameter,
said rearward-facing opening being connected with the windward-facing front opening of the raceway turbine blade area,
said first wind-channel diameter being greater than said first raceway diameter,
said wind-channeling body being a bell-shaped nozzle or funnel-shaped shroud;
said wind-channeling body being made of metal, plastic, stiffened cloth or rigid fiber;
said wind turbine energy generation device further comprising:
a plurality of raceway support bodies connecting the raceway to the turbine shaft forward portion,
said plurality of raceway support bodies comprising at least one of:
a raceway support strut, and
a raceway support cable,
said raceway support bodies providing structural support to said raceway and said main turbine shaft;
said wind turbine energy generation device further comprising:
a primary generator, said primary generator being driven by said main turbine shaft;
and,
said wind turbine energy generation device being affixed to a sturdy elevated structure, said sturdy elevated structure being a bridge or a multi-story inhabitable building.
said wind turbine energy generation device further comprising:
a pedestal, said pedestal being a vertical or near-vertical shaft;
a pedestal base;
one or more primary generators located in or below said pedestal base, said primary generators being capable of generating electricity;
said pedestal intersecting with the main turbine shaft such that rotation of the main turbine shaft causes rotation of the pedestal;
said windmill being elevated above said pedestal base by said pedestal;
said pedestal transferring rotational energy to said at least one primary generator;
said main turbine shaft further comprising a rotor assembly sleeve;
said wind turbine energy generation device further comprising:
a pedestal, said pedestal being a vertical or near-vertical shaft;
a pedestal base;
one or more primary generators located in or below said pedestal base, said primary generators being capable of generating electricity;
said pedestal intersecting with the main turbine shaft such that rotation of the main turbine shaft causes rotation of the pedestal;
said windmill being elevated above said pedestal base by said pedestal;
said pedestal transferring rotational energy to said at least one primary generator;
said main turbine shaft further comprising a rotor assembly sleeve;
said pedestal further comprising:
an intersection node situated at the intersection of the pedestal with the main turbine shaft;
and,
a rotating power transfer sleeve which surrounds a portion of said pedestal between said pedestal base and said intersection node;
said rotating power transfer sleeve being connected to said rotor assembly sleeve and being capable of transmitting mechanical energy to said rotating power transfer sleeve from said rotor assembly sleeve.
Said windmill further comprising blade spar struts that begin at said turbine shaft front end and extend to points on each windmill blade that are between each respective windmill blade tip and blade root,
said blade spar struts providing structural support to said windmill blades;
each said windmill blade being a partitioned blade comprising:
a blade spar which is a central axis connecting each windmill blade root to its respective windmill blade tip;
one or more blade ribs which protrude outward perpendicularly from said blade spar;
one or more blade sub-sections, each blade sub-section having multiple edges;
each blade sub-section having a first edge which is connected to the blade spar, a second edge which is connected to a blade rib, and a third edge opposite the first edge which is unattached;
at least one of said blade ribs being independently rotatable about its respective blade spar, and
at least one blade sub-section attached to said independently rotatable blade rib also being independently rotatable about its respective blade spar,
so as to alter the angle of said blade sub-section with respect to the raceway turbine blade area windward-facing front opening;
said wind turbine energy generation device, further comprising:
a blade coordination motor situated at the turbine shaft forward portion, said blade coordination motor having a cable shortening function and a cable lengthening function, and
a blade coordination cable having a forward end and a rearward end, said blade coordination cable forward end being connected to said blade coordination motor such that the blade coordination cable is shortenable by the cable shortening function and lengthenable by the cable lengthening function;
said blade coordination cable rearward end being attached to a windmill blade rib such that said windmill blade rib is rotatable forward via said blade coordination motor cable shortening function and such that said windmill blade rib is rotatable rearward via said blade coordination motor cable lengthening function.

70 more elements

A wind turbine energy generation device, comprising:

a windmill, said windmill comprising:
a main turbine shaft;
said main turbine shaft comprising
a turbine shaft rear portion comprising a turbine shaft back end, and
a turbine shaft forward portion comprising a windward-facing turbine shaft front end;
said windmill further comprising a raceway, said raceway comprising a ring circumscribing a central interior space, said raceway ring having an outer surface and an interior surface, said central interior space being a raceway turbine blade area,
said raceway turbine blade area having a windward-facing front opening and a rearward-facing opening, said windward-facing front opening having a first raceway diameter and said rearward-facing opening having a second raceway diameter;
said windmill further comprising a rotor;
said rotor comprising three or more windmill blades arranged in a circular fashion, each windmill blade thus having two adjacent blades;
each said windmill blade comprising a blade root end adjacent said main turbine shaft and a blade tip being the outer end of the windmill blade;
said rotor further comprising blade tip connector, said blade tip connector being a body stably connecting the blade tip of each windmill blade to the blade top of its two adjacent windmill blades, said blade tip connector comprising at least one of:
a solid ring;
a flexible ring;
a plurality of solid struts;
a plurality of flexible ties;
a ring of cable or chain;
or,
a plurality of sections of cable or chain;
said raceway ring interior surface comprising an interior circumferential groove, and
wherein said windmill blade tips extend into said interior circumferential groove;
said windmill further comprising a plurality of raceway rollers, the plurality of raceway rollers numbering at least one per windmill blade tip;
said windmill further comprising a counterweight situated at the turbine shaft rearward portion;
said wind turbine energy generation device further comprising:
a wind-channeling body having a windward-facing forward opening with a first wind-channel diameter and a rearward-facing opening having a second wind-channel diameter,
said rearward-facing opening being connected with the windward-facing front opening of the raceway turbine blade area,
said first wind-channel diameter being greater than said first raceway diameter,
said wind-channeling body being a bell-shaped nozzle or funnel-shaped shroud;
said wind-channeling body being made of metal, plastic, stiffened cloth or rigid fiber;
said wind turbine energy generation device further comprising:
a plurality of raceway support bodies connecting the raceway to the turbine shaft forward portion,
said plurality of raceway support bodies comprising at least one of:
a raceway support strut, and
a raceway support cable,
said raceway support bodies providing structural support to said raceway and said main turbine shaft;
said wind turbine energy generation device further comprising:
a primary generator, said primary generator being driven by said main turbine shaft;
and,
said wind turbine energy generation device being affixed to a sturdy elevated structure, said sturdy elevated structure being a bridge or a multi-story inhabitable building.
said wind turbine energy generation device further comprising:
a pedestal, said pedestal being a vertical or near-vertical shaft;
a pedestal base;
one or more primary generators located in or below said pedestal base, said primary generators being capable of generating electricity;
said pedestal intersecting with the main turbine shaft such that rotation of the main turbine shaft causes rotation of the pedestal;
said windmill being elevated above said pedestal base by said pedestal;
said pedestal transferring rotational energy to said at least one primary generator;
said main turbine shaft further comprising a rotor assembly sleeve;
said wind turbine energy generation device further comprising:
a pedestal, said pedestal being a vertical or near-vertical shaft;
a pedestal base;
one or more primary generators located in or below said pedestal base, said primary generators being capable of generating electricity;
said pedestal intersecting with the main turbine shaft such that rotation of the main turbine shaft causes rotation of the pedestal;
said windmill being elevated above said pedestal base by said pedestal;
said pedestal transferring rotational energy to said at least one primary generator;
said main turbine shaft further comprising a rotor assembly sleeve;
said pedestal further comprising:
an intersection node situated at the intersection of the pedestal with the main turbine shaft;
and,
a rotating power transfer sleeve which surrounds a portion of said pedestal between said pedestal base and said intersection node;
said rotating power transfer sleeve being connected to said rotor assembly sleeve and being capable of transmitting mechanical energy to said rotating power transfer sleeve from said rotor assembly sleeve.
Said windmill further comprising blade spar struts that begin at said turbine shaft front end and extend to points on each windmill blade that are between each respective windmill blade tip and blade root,
said blade spar struts providing structural support to said windmill blades;
each said windmill blade being a partitioned blade comprising:
a blade spar which is a central axis connecting each windmill blade root to its respective windmill blade tip;
one or more blade ribs which protrude outward perpendicularly from said blade spar;
one or more blade sub-sections, each blade sub-section having multiple edges;
each blade sub-section having a first edge which is connected to the blade spar, a second edge which is connected to a blade rib, and a third edge opposite the first edge which is unattached;
at least one of said blade ribs being independently rotatable about its respective blade spar, and
at least one blade sub-section attached to said independently rotatable blade rib also being independently rotatable about its respective blade spar,
so as to alter the angle of said blade sub-section with respect to the raceway turbine blade area windward-facing front opening;
said wind turbine energy generation device, further comprising:
a blade coordination motor situated at the turbine shaft forward portion, said blade coordination motor having a cable shortening function and a cable lengthening function, and
a blade coordination cable having a forward end and a rearward end, said blade coordination cable forward end being connected to said blade coordination motor such that the blade coordination cable is shortenable by the cable shortening function and lengthenable by the cable lengthening function;
said blade coordination cable rearward end being attached to a windmill blade rib such that said windmill blade rib is rotatable forward via said blade coordination motor cable shortening function and such that said windmill blade rib is rotatable rearward via said blade coordination motor cable lengthening function;
further comprising that the primary generators are controlled by a computer that is capable of at least one of the following;
a) calculating an optimal orientation for the windmill with respect to an oncoming wind;
(b) controlling the direction control motor;
(c) managing primary generator torque and speed;
(d) controlling each primary generator and managing generator back torque;
(e) converting variable frequency power provided by the primary generators to 60 Hz AC electricity synchronized to grid power from an electrical power grid;
(f) controlling reactive power measured by the primary generators;
(g) controlling an output from each primary generator;
(h) controlling the output of all primary generators together;
(i) sensing wind direction when connected to an anemometer, and using information about the wind direction to calculate the optimal for each of blade sub-sections of each of the partitioned blades;
said raceway turbine blade area covering 360 degrees of arc;
and, said three or more windmill blades covering at least 120 degrees of arc.

82 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Wind turbine for use in high winds

Life of this patent

Wind turbine for use in high winds

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20