Vertical axis wind turbine with computer controlled wings
OwnerChristopher S. Wallachinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for extracting power from a moving fluid, such as the wind. In an illustrative embodiment, the invention is a vertical axis wind turbine with variable-pitch wings, each turned directly by a servomotor under the control of an on-board computer. The computer is continuously updated from onboard transducers which measure wind direction, wind speed, rotor assembly position and rotor assembly speed and calculates each wing's optimum angle of attack at all times and under all conditions. This angle is then sent as a command to each wing's servomotor and the computer executes the control loop again.
Claims26
A vertical axis wind turbine for extracting energy from wind having a direction, said vertical axis wind turbine comprising:
- a tower;
- a shaft that is mounted in said tower;
- a rotor assembly that is attached to said shaft, said rotor assembly comprising at least one spoke;
- at least one wing or blade that is pivotably attached to each said at least one spoke, each at least one wing or blade having a chord line and an angle of attack and being operative to generate lift;
- at least one servomotor, each said at least one servomotor being attached to each said at least one wing or blade and to each said at least one spoke and being operative to adjust the orientation of each said at least one wing or blade relative to said at least one spoke;
- a plurality of sensors that measure a wind direction, a wind speed, a direction of said at least one wing or blade, a speed of said at least one wing or blade, a rotor assembly position and a rotor assembly speed and produce output signals;
- and
- a computer that is operative to iteratively accept said output signals, calculate an apparent wind direction, and send an input signal to each said at least one servomotor to change said angle of attack of each said at least one wing or blade so as to maximize the power output of the vertical axis wind turbine;
- wherein said angle of attack is an angle between said chord line and the said apparent wind direction.
A vertical axis wind turbine for extracting energy from wind having a direction, said vertical axis wind turbine comprising:
- a tower;
- a shaft that is mounted in said tower;
- a rotor assembly that is attached to said shaft, said rotor assembly comprising a plurality of spokes;
- a wing that is pivotably attached to each of said spokes, each said wing having a chord line and an angle of attack and being operative to generate lift;
- each said wing and each of said spokes having a servomotor attached thereto, each said servomotor being operative to adjust the orientation of said wing relative to said spoke;
- a plurality of sensors that measure a wind direction, a wind speed, a direction of said at least one wing, a speed of said at least one wing, a rotor assembly position and a rotor assembly speed and produce output signals;
- and
- a computer that is operative to iteratively accept said output signals, calculate an apparent wind direction, and send an input signal to each said servomotor to change said angle of attack of each said wing so as to maximize the power output of the vertical axis wind turbine;
- wherein said angle of attack is an angle between said chord line and an apparent wind direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.