Wind driven electrical power generating apparatus

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to a wind driven electrical power generating apparatus for driving a generator by rotating a rotor utilizing wind force. Particularly, the present invention relates to a wind driven electrical power generating apparatus for controlling a gear assembly, which connects a rotor and a generator, so that the apparatus operates for a long period of time and at the same time, at optimal power-conversion efficiency. Furthermore, this invention relates to an improvement of a gear assembly employed in a wind driven electrical power generating apparatus and interposed between a rotor and a generator so as to decrease or increase an input rotational speed.

#2. Description of the Related Art

#The nature, principle, and utility of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals or characters.

#In the accompanying drawings:

#FIG. 1A is a schematic elevation of a wind driven electrical power generating apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

#As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a wind driven electrical power generating apparatus comprises a rotor 2, a gear assembly 4 and a generator 6. The rotor 2 is a propeller-type rotor supported on a rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is rotatably supported in a housing 1. The rotating shaft of this rotor 2 is connected to an input shaft of the gear assembly 4. An output shaft of the gear assembly 4 is connected to a rotating shaft of the generator 6. Note that when viewing FIG. 1A from a direction vertical to the plane of the figure, although the left side shaft consisting of the rotating shaft of the rotor 2 and the input shaft of the gear assembly 4, and the right side shaft consisting of the output shaft of the gear assembly 4 and the rotating shaft of the generator 6 are drawn as if the left side and right side shafts constitute one-piece structure or are directly connected to each other, the two shafts may be connected to each other via suitable coupling means or a power transmission mechanism.

#In FIG. 1B, numeral 8 denotes a controller. In addition, a sensor 10 for detecting parameters representing the generating power of the generator 6 is provided in the apparatus. For example, the sensor includes a speed sensor capable of detecting the rotational speed of the output shaft of the gear assembly 4 or the rotating shaft of the generator 6, and/or a current meter, a voltage meter, a power meter and the like for detecting the generating power of the generator 6. A signal from the sensor 10 is supplied to the controller 8. Based on this input signal, the controller 8 supplies a control signal to a gear ratio control mechanism within the gear assembly 4 to vary the gear ratio of the gear assembly 4.

#FIG. 2 illustrates a characteristic diagram indicating the generating power of the generator 6, in which the axis of abscissa stands for wind speed (m/s) and the axis of ordinate stands for generating output power (W). The controller 8 controls the gear ratio of the gear assembly 4 such that the generator 6 operates at as low rotational speed as possible while securely outputting its maximum power.