Wind impeller
OwnerVictor N. Robertsinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wind impeller that includes at least two rotor assemblies mounted to a base for rotation. Each rotor assembly has a plurality of spaced arms extending radially from a rotation axis with a vane attached at the end of each arm. The at least two rotor assemblies are mounted such that the rotors are rotatable through a first region in which the arms of the rotor assemblies converge and intermesh to travel along the same path and a second region in which the arms of the rotor assemblies diverge to travel along separate paths. A baffle plate is mounted to the base for directing wind against the vanes when in the second region to maximize the effective driving force of the wind.
Claims14
A wind impeller comprising:
- a base having a windward end and a leeward end;
- at least two rotor assemblies mounted to the base for rotation, each rotor assembly having a plurality of spaced arms extending radially from a rotation axis with a vane attached at the end of each arm, the at least two rotor assemblies being mounted such that the rotors are rotatable through a first region in which the arms of the rotor assemblies converge and intermesh to travel along the same path and a second region in which the arms of the rotor assemblies diverge to travel along separate paths;
- a baffle member pivotally mounted to the base on a windward side of the rotor assembly for directing a wind blowing in a direction from the windward end of the base toward the leeward end of the base against the vanes when the vanes are in the second region and deflecting the wind away from the vanes when the vanes are in the first region;
- and,
- bias means for urging the baffle member, against the wind, into an inclined position with respect to said base such that, at higher wind speeds, the force of the wind pivots the baffle member into a position where less wind is deflected from the vanes in the first region in which the arms of each rotor assemblies extend in a plane and at least two rotor assemblies are mounted such that the planes of the rotors are at angles to each other and intersect in the first region.
An impeller for harnessing the energy of a wind blowing in a first direction, said impeller comprising:
- a first rotor assembly comprising a first shaft pivotally mounted to a frame for rotation about a first axis and a plurality of vanes fixed to and spaced apart from said first shaft for travel in a first circular path about said first axis, said first axis generally perpendicular to said first direction;
- a second rotor assembly comprising a second shaft pivotally mounted to said frame for rotation about a second axis and a plurality of vanes fixed to and spaced apart from said second shaft for travel in a second circular path about said second axis, said second axis generally perpendicular to said first direction and inclined at an obtuse angle to said first axis;
- said vanes on said first rotor assembly intermeshing with said vanes on said second rotor assembly in a first region of said first and second paths and not intermeshing in second regions of said first and second paths;
- mechanical coupling means between said first and second shafts for maintaining relative intermeshing alignment of said vanes on said first and second rotor assemblies in said first region;
- baffle means for shielding said vanes in said first region from a wind blowing in said first direction;
- and
- power take-off means for removing rotational energy from said first shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.