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US 5,669,758 AGranted
Wind turbine
OwnerLarry D. Williamsoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wind turbine having a central deflecting cone and a shroud surrounding the cone. The shroud in cooperation with the cone direct air flow to turbine blades which extend across the narrowest gap between said shroud and said cone. The wind turbine is rotatably supported at the apex of the cone such that wind passing through the blades causes the turbine to spin. A transfer gear box near the apex of the cone causes rotation of a power transmission shaft which also acts as the support tower for the turbine. The shroud is made of a fabric material and assumes its proper shape under the influence of the wind passing through the turbine.
Claims16
A wind turbine comprising:
- an apical support structure including a cylindrical shaft having a first end and a second end, a first flange provided at said first end of said cylindrical shaft, a hollow substantially frustoconical portion having a wide mouth and a narrow end attached to said second end of said cylindrical shaft, said substantially frustoconical portion defining a concavity;
- a support rod having a first end and a second end, said first end of said support rod located within said concavity and attached to said narrow end of said substantially frustoconical portion, a second flange provided at said second end of said support rod;
- a first support ring surrounding said support rod and axially located between said first end of said support rod and said second end of said support rod;
- first set of support cables, each one of said first set of support cables extending between said second flange and said first support ring;
- second set of support cables, each one of said second set of support cables extending between said substantially frustoconical portion and said first support ring, said first set of support cables and said second set of support cables being under tension to thereby maintain said first support ring in a fixed position relative to said support rod;
- a fabric cover covering said second set of support cables to thereby form a central substantially conical fairing;
- a second support ring concentric with and having a larger diameter than said first support ring;
- a plurality of turbine blades extending between said first support ring and said second support ring;
- a third support ring concentric with and having a larger diameter than said second support ring and being positioned closer to said substantially frustoconical portion relative to said second support ring when wind having a speed greater than or equal to a predetermined value is passing through said wind turbine;
- a third set of support cables extending between said third support ring and said substantially frustoconical portion;
- a fabric ring extending between said third support ring and said second support ring, said fabric ring essentially assuming the shape of a truncated parabola when wind having a speed greater than or equal to a predetermined value is passing through said wind turbine to thereby form a shroud for said plurality of turbine blades, said third set of support cables being under tension and in cooperation with said fabric ring maintaining said third support ring in a fixed position relative to said support rod when wind having a speed greater than or equal to a predetermined value is passing through said wind turbine;
- and
- a rotatably supported stub shaft fixedly attached to said first flange, whereby said shroud in cooperation with said conical fairing direct the wind toward said plurality of turbine blades thereby imparting rotational motion to said wind turbine to thereby derive usable power in mechanical form from the wind.
10 more elements
A wind turbine comprising:
- a central substantially conical fairing having an apex and a base;
- a shroud substantially having the shape of a truncated parabola with a wide end and a narrow end, said narrow end being coplanar with the base of said conical fairing and said wide end being axially positioned between said apex of said conical fairing and said base of said conical fairing;
- and
- a plurality of turbine blades extending between said base of said conical fairing and said narrow end of said shroud, said wind turbine being rotatably supported at said apex of said conical fairing, whereby said shroud in cooperation with said conical fairing direct wind toward said plurality of turbine blades thereby imparting rotational motion to said wind turbine to thereby derive usable power in mechanical form from the wind.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.