Wind turbine apparatus

Abstract

A new and improved wind turbine apparatus includes a housing assembly which includes an upper housing surface which includes a leading edge and a trailing edge. The upper housing surface is contoured to create a venturi action and to exert a reduced pressure at the trailing edge when wind flows across the upper housing surface from the leading edge to the trailing edge. A vane assembly is supported on a horizontal axle in a location such that vanes of the vane assembly are responsive to wind blowing in a direction from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the upper housing surface and such that the vanes are also exposed to reduced pressure near the trailing edge, whereby the vane assembly is caused to rotate on the horizontal axle. A base assembly supports the housing assembly and the vane assembly. The base assembly includes a circular guide assembly, and the housing assembly includes a guide-contacting portion for riding on the circular guide assembly in a circular movement. The circular guide assembly includes a flange, and the guide-contacting portion includes a guide wheel, supported by the housing assembly, for rolling against the circular guide assembly. An adjustable-pitch vane assembly may be used for adjusting pitch of the vanes with respect to the oncoming wind which contacts the vanes. An angular adjustment lock assembly is provided for locking the housing assembly at a selected angular orientation with respect to wind.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.