Wind Turbine For Facilitating Laminar Flow
AssigneeMagnelan Technologies Inc.
InventorRudolph Oelofse
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Vertical axis wind turbines are provided having foil design and geometry that facilitates lift, torque and laminar flow along a 360 degree radial. Contemplated foils are non-planar, and have a chord length that is at least three times greater than a distance between a trailing end of a leading foil, and a leading end of a trailing foil. Additionally or alternatively, the foils are located away from a turbine axis at a distance that is about 2.9-3.5 times greater than a chord length of the foils. In some embodiments, the foils are circumferentially distributed via one or more laminar stall vanes.
Claims17
A circular-oriented laminar flow facilitating turbine, comprising:
- at least a leading and trailing circumferentially distributed foils, which rotate about an axis, and are sized and spaced to facilitate a laminar flow between the foils;
- the leading and trailing foils having leading edges at distances R1 and R2, respectively, from the axis;
- the leading and trailing foils having chords C1 and C2, respectively;
- the leading and trailing foils are spaced apart by a distance S;
- wherein R2 is within 10% of R1, and C2 is within 10% of C1;
- wherein R1:C1 is between 2.9 and 3.5, inclusive;
- wherein C1:S is at least 3:1, inclusive;
- and
- wherein the leading foil has a high pressure portion and a low pressure portion, and wherein at least 90% of the high pressure portion is curved in a manner that facilitates the laminar flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.