Serpentine wind turbine

A floating marine wind turbine installation, comprising:

• at least one horizontal axis type rotor;
• a tower/driveshaft, that rotates in its entirety, as a unit, having a basal end, and an upper section;
• a base, comprising;
• an upper end, a lower end, a floatation means, a downward force means, a base rotation resistance means, a load, and a cantilevered bearing means:
• wherein:
• said horizontal axis type rotor is substantially coaxially mounted to, and rotationally coupled to, said upper section of said tower/driveshaft:
• said floatation means acts to push said tipper end of said base upward, and;
• said downward force means acts to pull said lower end of said base downward;
• whereby said base is maintained in a generally upright orientation;
• said cantilevered bearing means supports said tower/driveshaft, substantially from said basal end, in a cantilevered, rotationally free manner, whereby said tower/driveshaft projects substantially upward from said base;
• whereby the detent position of said upper section of said tower/driveshaft having said attached rotor is to be aimed substantially straight upward, subject to modification by the forces of the wind and gravity thereupon;
• said load is rotationally coupled to said tower/driveshaft;
• whereby:
• said horizontal axis rotor, and said tipper section, are blown in a downwind direction;
• whereby said upper section, where said horizontal axis type rotor is attached, is caused to become sufficiently parallel to the wind that said horizontal axis type rotor is caused thereby to rotate;
• said rotor causing said tower/driveshaft to rotate;
• said rotating tower/driveshaft driving said load;
• said base rotation resistance means acting to counter the torque of the rotating tower/driveshaft, substantially preventing said base from rotating along with said tower/driveshaft.

A new type of windmill, comprising:

• a base means comprising:
• a mounting means, for being supported proximate a surface;
• a rigid bearing support means, attached to said mounting means;
• a cantilevered bearing means, securely retained by said rigid bearing support means;
• a resiliently flexible tower/driveshaft, having a basal end, said tower/driveshaft being supported, proximate said basal end, in a cantilevered, rotationally free manner, by said cantilevered bearing means, and projecting upward therefrom, the detent shape of said tower/driveshaft being substantially straight;
• a fluid reactive rotor, coaxially mounted to said tower/driveshaft, at some distance from said basal end;
• wherein said tower/driveshaft is caused by gravity, and the force of the wind, to bend over in a gene rally downwind direction;
• whereby, due to said bending, said rotor is caused to become sufficiently properly aligned with the wind to be caused thereby to undergo rotation, causing said tower/driveshaft to rotate, along its entire length, however it may bend, whereby useful power, in the form of shaft rotation, is extracted from said basal end.

A windmill, comprising:

• a tower/driveshaft;
• a multiplicity of horizontal axis type rotors, coaxially mounted at spaced intervals to a section of said tower/driveshaft, rotationally coupled thereto;
• a cantilevered bearing means, supporting said tower/driveshaft with rotational freedom, whereby said tower/driveshaft projects substantially upward from said cantilevered bearing means;
• a base, to generally support said windmill;
• a directionally compliant means;
• wherein:
• said directionally compliant means allows said section of said tower/driveshaft, and said attached rotors, to be caused by the force of the wind to be blown to a substantially downwind position, relative to said base;
• whereby:
• said section of said tower/driveshaft is caused to become aimed in a direction that is sufficiently parallel to the wind that said coaxially mounted horizontal axis type rotors are caused to become sufficiently properly oriented to the wind that they are caused thereby to undergo rotation;
• said rotation of said rotors causing said tower/driveshaft to undergo rotation;
• whereby useful power, in the form of shaft rotation, is drawn from said rotating tower/driveshaft proximate said base.

A fluid reactive motor, comprising:

• a rotor, substantially having a longitudinal axis of rotation, said axis being oriented substantially perpendicular to the flow of a fluid;
• wherein:
• said rotor comprises a substantially cylindrical tube, said cylindrical tube comprised of an open latticework structure comprising a geometric pattern of interconnected struts;
• those of said struts not perpendicular to said axis being aerodynamically shaped and disposed to function as fluid reactive blades, operating on the Darrieus principle, to impart rotation to said rotor, substantially about said axis of rotation.

A fluid reactive rotor for providing a tractive force for a fluid borne vehicle, comprising:

• a resiliently flexible shaft, having a basal end, and a longitudinal axis;
• a multiplicity of propeller type rotors, coaxially attached, and rotationally coupled, to said shaft, at spaced intervals along said shaft;
• wherein:
• said spaced intervals being of sufficient distance to allow sufficient intermixture of substantially undisturbed fluid with the downstream effluent of each said rotor, before that effluent encounters the next said rotor, to sufficiently dilute said effluent, whereby each of said rotors interacts with a substantial proportion of undisturbed fluid;
• said propeller type rotors being shaped and disposed to exert a pulling force, when undergoing rotation, on said shaft, in a direction substantially away from said basal end;
• whereby, when said shaft is projected from proximate said vehicle into said fluid, substantially from said basal end, and caused to rotate about its own said longitudinal axis, said rotors are caused thereby to exert a sufficient force on said vehicle to influence its position relative said fluid.

A windmill for extracting power from wind, comprising:

• a base means, said base means comprising a bearing means and a load;
• an elongate torque transmission means, having a longitudinal axis of rotation and generally having two ends;
• a horizontal axis type rotor, having an axis of rotation;
• said rotor comprising atmospherically buoyant blades having a positive buoyancy, said buoyancy of said blades serving to elevate said rotor;
• wherein:
• said elongate torque transmission means is retained with rotational freedom proximate one said end by said bearing means;
• said elongate torque transmission means is rotationally coupled to said load;
• said horizontal axis type rotor is coaxially attached to said elongate torque transmission means at some distance from said one end;
• whereby:
• said elongate torque transmission means substantially extends from said base means to said rotor;
• said rotor is blown downwind of said base means;
• said axis of rotation of said rotor is thereby caused to become aimed sufficiently parallel to the wind that said rotor is caused thereby to rotate;
• said rotation of said horizontal ax is type rotor causes said elongate torque transmission means to rotate about its own said longitudinal axis of rotation;
• said load is driven by said rotation of said elongate torque transmission means.

A windmill comprising:

• a base means, said base means comprising a first bearing means and a load;
• an elongate torque transmission means, having a longitudinal axis of rotation and generally having a basal end and a distal end;
• a horizontal axis type rotor, having an axis of rotation;
• a substantially non-rotating atmospherically buoyant lifting body having a positive buoyancy, and further having a second bearing means;
• wherein:
• said elongate torque transmission means is retained with rotational freedom proximate said basal end by said first bearing means;
• said elongate torque transmission means is retained with rotational freedom proximate said distal end by said second bearing means, whereby said elongate torque transmission means is suspended from said lifting body, said buoyancy of said lifting body serving to elevate said rotor and at least a portion of said elongate torque transmission means;
• said elongate torque transmission means is rotationally coupled to said load;
• said horizontal axis type rotor is coaxially attached to said elongate torque transmission means at some distance from said basal end;
• whereby:
• said elongate torque transmission means substantially extends from said base means to said rotor;
• said lifting body and said rotor are blown downwind of said base means;
• said axis of rotation of said rotor is thereby caused to become aimed sufficiently parallel to the wind that said rotor is caused thereby to rotate;
• said rotation of said horizontal axis type rotor causes said elongate torque transmission means to rotate about its own said longitudinal axis of rotation;
• said load is driven by said rotation of said elongate torque transmission means.

A windmill comprising:

• a base means, said base means comprising a first bearing means and a load;
• an elongate torque transmission means, having a longitudinal axis of rotation and generally having a basal end and a distal end;
• a horizontal axis type rotor, having an axis of rotation;
• a substantially non-rotating aerodynamic lifting body having aerodynamic lift, and further having a second bearing means;
• wherein:
• said elongate torque transmission means is retained with rotational freedom proximate said basal end by said first bearing means;
• said elongate torque transmission means is retained with rotational freedom proximate said distal end by said second bearing means, whereby said elongate torque transmission means is suspended from said lifting body, said aerodynamic lift of said lifting body serving to elevate said rotor and at least a portion of said elongate torque transmission means;
• said elongate torque transmission means is rotationally coupled to said load;
• said horizontal axis type rotor is coaxially attached to said elongate torque transmission means at some distance from said basal end;
• whereby;
• said elongate torque transmission means substantially extends from said base means to said rotor;
• said lifting body and said rotor are blown downwind of said base means;
• said axis of rotation of said rotor is thereby caused to become aimed sufficiently parallel to the wind that said rotor is caused thereby to rotate;
• said rotation of said horizontal axis type rotor causes said elongate torque transmission means to rotate about its own said longitudinal axis of rotation;
• said load is driven by said rotation of said elongate torque transmission means.