Station for collecting wind energy

A fixed station for wind energy conversion, regardless of wind direction, comprising:

• wall means providing an upright tubular column that is fixed in regard to translation, rotation and tilt, said column having means providing an upper inlet, a lower outlet and a transmission conduit extending between the inlet and the outlet;
• a plurality of inlet valve means angularly distributed about the periphery of the column inlet, each such inlet valve being constructed and arranged to admit wind impacting the column exterior to enter the column, but prevent wind which has entered the column from exiting the column, so that the wind which enters the column is directed to the transmission conduit;
• a wind energy conversion system comprising:
• a plurality of shafts coaxially journalled for independent rotation in said column;
• each shaft having a wind energy conversion device mounted thereon which, when impacted by the wind is caused to turn, thus rotating the corresponding shaft;
• and rotary-power take-off means operatively connected to said shafts;
• said wind energy conversion devices being located in said transmission conduit;
• a plurality of outlet valve means angularly distributed about the periphery of the column outlet, each such outlet valve being constructed and arranged to exhaust wind impacting it from the column interior, and to prevent wind impacting the column exterior from entering the column;
• a plurality of normally-biased-closed safety-valve means provided in the column wall means, for dumping excess wind pressure from the transmission conduit to prevent the impact of excessive wind pressure on the wind energy conversion devices;
• auxiliary power means operatively connected with at least one of the wind energy conversion devices for overcoming inertia and thus initiating rotation of the respective wind energy conversion devices should the impacting wind be insufficiently strong to do so;
• flywheel means journalled for rotation on the column;
• and
• clutch means for selectively engaging the flywheel means with the wind energy conversion system for storing the effect of wind power above a predetermined threshold power, and for utilizing the stored excess power to rotate said shafts when said shafts would otherwise rotate more slowly.