Windtrap for power development
OwnerMatthew P. Whelaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wind power generator comprises a shaft operatively mounted in a support frame for rotation about a substantially vertical axis. A wing arm is fixedly mounted on the shaft and extends radially outward therefrom. Finally, a windtrap assembly is disposed proximal an outer end of the wing arm. The windtrap assembly includes respective upper and lower windtrap panels pivotably connected to the wing arm. The upper and lower windtrap panels are capable of folding together to cooperatively assume a low-drag configuration when the windtrap assembly is moving in an up-wind direction, and further capable of opening away from each other to cooperatively assume a high-drag configuration when the windtrap assembly is moving in a down-wind direction.
Claims13
A windtrap for power development comprising;
- a support frame:
- a shaft operatively mounted in the support frame for rotation about a substantially vertical axis:
- a wing arm fixedly mounted on the shaft and extending radially outward therefrom
- a windtrap assembly disposed proximal an outward end of the wing arm. the windtrap assembly including respective upper and lower windtraps panels pivotably connected to the wing arm such that the upper and lower windtrap panels are capable of folding together to cooperatively assume a low-drag configuration when the windtrap assembly arm is moving in an up-wind direction and further capable of opening away from each other to
- cooperatively assume a high-drag configuration when the windtrap assembly is moving in a down-wind direction, each of said upper and lower windtrap panels in turn comprising:
- a substantially rigid frame member including respective pivot holes:
- and
- a flexible sail member secured to said frame members:
- a spring element operatively connected between said wing arm and said lower windtrap panel, said spring element partially supporting said lower windtrap panel, whereby, when the windtrap assembly is moving in an up-wind direction the force of the wind can lift the lower windtrap panel to an approximately horizontal position to thereby minimize drag, and when the windtrap assembly is moving in a down-wind direction the force of the wind can move the lower windtrap unit downwards to maximize drag.
A windtrap for power development comprising:
- a support frame;
- a shaft operatively mounted in the support frame for rotation about a substantially vertical axis;
- a wing arm fixedly mounted on the shaft and extending radially outward therefrom:
- a windtrap assembly disposed proximal to an outward end of the wing arm, the windtrap assembly including respective upper and lower windtrap panels pivotably connected to the wing arm such that the upper and lower windtrap panels are capable of folding together to cooperatively assume a low-drag configuration when the windtrap assembly arm is moving in an up-wind direction, and further capable of opening away from each other to cooperatively assume a high-drag configuration when the windtrap assembly is moving in a down-wind direction:
- wherein.
- each of said upper and lower windtrap panels comprises a generally rectangular panel of substantially rigid material and said windtrap assembly further comprises a pair of side panels secured to respective opposite ends of said upper and lower windtrap panels, each of said side panels comprising a pair of generally triangular side panel elements pivotally connected to each other along a first hinge-line, and to respective ones of said upper and lower panels along respective second and third hinge-lines, whereby, when the windtrap assembly is moving in a downwind direction the windtrap assembly opens into a high drag box-like form, and when the windtrap assembly is moving in an upwind direction the windtrap assembly collapses into a flattened low drag form.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.