Wind turbine based energy storage system and method using heavy weighted devices

A system for making and storing energy using wind power, said system comprising:

• (a) a support platform;
• (b) one or more turbine rotors on said support platform, each turbine rotor comprising:
• a rotatable vertical shaft extending from said platform;
• at least one bearing for said vertical shaft;
• and
• at least three rotor vanes disposed for rotation about said vertical shaft, each rotor vane being substantially box-shaped with four solid sides and a front and rear side disposed in a radial vertical plane, said front side being substantially open faced and said rear side having an opening covered by a flap that can be moved with a directional passage of wind through said rotor vane;
• (c) at least one railcar configured and disposed to move on an inclined track from a first low point to a second, raised point;
• (d) means for connecting said turbine rotors to said railcar for moving said railcar by wind rotation of said turbine rotors;
• (e) means for extracting energy from said system when said railcar is allowed to return from said second, raised point to said first low point;
• and
• (f) means for storing said extracted energy, said storing means including one or more generators connected to said system.

A method for making and storing energy using wind power, said method comprising:

• (a) providing a system that includes:
• (i) a support platform;
• (ii) one or more turbine rotors on said support platform, each turbine rotor comprising:
• a rotatable vertical shaft extending from said platform;
• at least one bearing for said vertical shaft;
• and
• at least three rotor vanes disposed for rotation about said vertical shaft, each rotor vane being substantially box-shaped with four solid sides and a front and rear side disposed in a radial vertical plane, said front side being substantially open faced and said rear side having an opening covered by a flap that can be moved with a directional passage of wind through said rotor vane;
• (iii) a heavily weighted device configured and disposed to move from a first low point to a second, raised point;
• (iv) means for connecting said turbine rotors to said heavily weighted device for moving said heavily weighted device by wind rotation of said turbine rotors;
• and
• (v) means for extracting energy from said system when said heavily weighted device is allowed to return from said second, raised point to said first low point;
• (b) positioning said system in an area with sufficient wind current to rotate the vertical shaft of said turbine rotors and move said heavily weighted device from said first low point to said second, raised point;
• (c) lowering said heavily weighted device from said second, raised point back to said first low point and extracting energy from said system thereby.