US 4,330,714 AGranted

Wind turbine system

OwnerOtto J. M. Smithinventor

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Abstract

A wind turbine system utilizes a bicycle wheel type turbine having airfoils mounted on various spoke pairs. The vertical yaw axis lies in the horizontal projection of the airfoils to offer better control of the system; for example, automatic stowage in the case of excessive wind is provided since the superstructure of the turbine provides a torque around the vertical yaw axis which moves the wheel into a stowed position. At the same time, the wheel diameter can be made larger and thus heavier since the drive connection to the generator also helps support the weight of the wheel, since it is a rim drive. Greater electrical generation is also provided since an air scoop facing into the wind allows the effective generator capacity to be increased with air velocity. Lastly, the radial rate of change of the angle of the airfoils can be closely controlled.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A wind turbine system comprising:

a turbine wheel with a substantially horizontal axle and including an exterior rim and airfoils mounted between said rim and said axle;
a pair of axle bearings for supporting said wheel for rotation when acted upon by the wind, said bearings lying on the opposite sides of the projection of said airfoils onto a plane through said axle, one of said axle bearings being designated the upwind bearing and the other of said axle bearings being designated the downwind bearing;
a rigid structure;
and
a supporting base rotatable on said rigid structure around a vertical yaw axis for supporting said pair of axle bearings so that said vertical yaw axis passes through a horizontal plane through said horizontal axle substantially between said pair of axle bearings and so that said vertical yaw axis passes between the plane of said rim and another plane through said downwind bearing parallel to the plane of said rim, with a significant distance between said vertical yaw axis and said plane of said rim.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.