Extendable rotor blades for power generating wind and ocean current turbines within a module mounted atop a main blade
AssigneeClipper Windpower Technology, Inc.
InventorJames G. P. Dehlsen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power generating system wherein a turbine is mounted on top of a tower or tethered underwater. The turbine includes a rotor having a main blade section connected to a rotor hub and an extender housing mounted on a top surface of the main blade section. The extender housing has an extender blade stored therein. An adjusting device positions the extender blade between a retracted position within the extender housing and an extended position to expose more or less of the rotor to the fluid flow. A generator is connected to the turbine for generating electrical energy.
Claims14
A fluid-flow power generating system, characterized by:
- a turbine mounted on a structure that is held stationary with reference to a fluid flow;
- said turbine including a rotor with a root blade, said turbine being positioned on said structure such that said rotor is in alignment with fluid flow direction;
- said root blade having an airfoil contour defined by a leading edge, a trailing edge, a top surface and a bottom surface;
- a housing fixedly mounted to one of said top and bottom surfaces of said root blade and located externally thereof;
- an extender blade supported by said housing and slidably mounted therein;
- an extension mechanism attached to said extender blade
- such that said extender blade is variable in length to provide a variable diameter rotor;
- a rotor control connected to said extender mechanism, which adjusts power capture and loading of said rotor through extension and retraction of said extender blade to increase and decrease the cross-sectional area of fluid flow swept by said rotor;
- and,
- an electrical generator connected to said turbine for generating electrical energy.
A fluid-flow power generating system comprising:
- a turbine mounted on a structure that is held stationary with reference to said fluid flow;
- said turbine including a rotor having a root blade connected to a rotor hub;
- said root blade having an airfoil contour defined by a leading edge, a trailing edge, a top surface and a bottom surface;
- a pod fixedly mounted on said top surface of said root blade;
- an extender blade slidably mounted in said pod;
- an extension mechanism attached to said extender blade;
- wherein said extender blade and said extension mechanism are located in a said pod, and wherein said extender blade is variable in length to provide a variable diameter rotor;
- said turbine being positioned on said structure such that said rotor is in alignment with fluid-flow direction;
- said extender blade being moveable between a position at least partially retracted and an extended position relative to said pod;
- and,
- a generator connected to said turbine for generating electrical energy.
A fluid-flow power generating system comprising:
- a turbine mounted on a structure that is held stationary with reference to said fluid flow;
- said turbine including a rotor having a root blade having an airfoil contour defined by a leading edge, a trailing edge, a top surface and a bottom surface;
- a fixed extender blade housing externally mounted on either said top surface or said bottom surface of said root blade;
- said turbine being positioned on said structure such that said rotor is in alignment with fluid flow direction;
- said rotor including an extender blade that is variable in length to provide a variable diameter rotor, said extender blade being stored in said extender blade housing;
- said extender blade being moveable between a position at least partially retracted within said extender blade housing and an exposed position relative to said extender blade housing;
- an adjusting mechanism anchored to said extender blade housing and connected to said extender blade in said extender blade housing;
- and,
- a generator connected to said turbine for generating electrical energy.
For use with a turbine including a rotor having a root blade connected to a rotor hub, said root blade having an airfoil contour defined by a leading edge, a trailing edge, a top surface and a bottom surface, a fluid-flow power generating method comprising steps of:
- A. mounting said turbine on a structure that is held stationary with reference to said fluid flow, said turbine including a rotor having a root blade connected to a rotor hub;
- B. mounting an extender blade that is variable in length to provide a variable diameter rotor and an extension mechanism in a fixed housing located externally on either said top surface or said bottom surface of said root blade;
- C. maintaining said turbine in alignment with fluid-flow direction;
- D. moving said extender blade between a position at least partially retracted in said housing and an extended position relative to said root blade housing by activating said extender mechanism;
- and,
- E. converting an output of said turbine to electrical energy.
A fluid-flow power generating system including a rotor comprising:
- a root blade having an airfoil contour defined by a leading edge and a trailing edge and surfaces including a top surface and a bottom surface;
- a housing located outwardly of and fixedly mounted to one of the top and bottom surfaces of said root blade;
- an extender blade slidably mounted in said housing;
- and
- an extension mechanism attached to said extender blade, wherein a length of extension of said extender blade from said housing is variable to provide a variable diameter rotor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.