Modular windmill installation
OwnerJerimiah B. Blackinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A windmill installation adapted to extract energy from natural wind currents is disclosed wherein a plurality of individual wind wheel modules are stacked vertically in a tower-like structure and are interconnected with one another to operate in a unitary manner. Each module has a rotor assembly which is disengageable from the rotor assemblies of other modules without interrupting the generation of power from the installation. A rotatable windshield is provided about the rotor assembly for improving output efficiency of the wind wheel and protecting the rotor assembly from damage in the event of excessively high wind speeds. The angular position of the windshield is determined by an automatic control system responsive to wind speed and direction.
Claims14
A windmill installation comprising:
- a base;
- a plurality of wind wheel modules mounted on said base in vertically stacked relation, each module having a wind rotor comprising a hollow shaft and at least one rotor blade affixed to said hollow shaft for producing rotation of said wind rotor;
- a drive shaft for delivering the rotational output of all the wind rotors to a utilization device;
- said drive shaft extending substantially coaxially through said hollow shaft;
- clutch means arranged within the hollow shaft of each rotor for interconnecting such hollow shaft to the drive shaft such that in one direction of rotor rotation the rotor is positively engaged with the drive shaft and in the other direction of rotor rotation the rotor is disengaged from the drive shaft;
- and
- brake means associated with the rotor of each module and engageable with the hollow shaft thereof for stopping the rotation of the rotor of such module independently of the rotors of the other modules, whereby the rotor of one module is adapted to be stopped from rotation without stopping the rotation of the rotors of the other modules.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.