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US 8,573,933 B2Granted
Segmented wind turbine
AssigneeFloDesign Wind Turbine Corporation
InventorsWalter M. Presz, Jr., Michael J. Werle, Thomas J. Kennedy, III, William Scott Keeley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are wind turbines comprising a turbine shroud and optionally an ejector shroud. The shrouds are segmented, or in other words have longitudinal spaces between segments. Such wind turbines have reduced drag load, particularly those loads due to off-axis wind forces.
Claims24
A wind turbine comprising a turbine shroud, the turbine shroud being formed from:
- a plurality of turbine shroud segments, each turbine shroud segment having a cambered cross-section and having a first mixing lobe formed on a trailing edge;
- wherein the turbine shroud segments are spaced circumferentially apart to form a discontinuous airfoil, second mixing lobes being defined by the spaces between the turbine shroud segments, the turbine shroud segments being oriented to produce low pressure on an interior side of the turbine shroud.
A wind turbine comprising:
- a continuous turbine shroud and an ejector shroud located concentrically about an outlet end of the turbine shroud;
- wherein the turbine shroud comprises a leading edge ring member and a plurality of mixing lobes along a trailing edge, the leading edge ring member having an airfoil shape that produces low pressure on an inside of the turbine shroud;
- wherein the ejector shroud is formed from a plurality of ejector shroud segments attached to the turbine shroud;
- and
- wherein the ejector shroud segments are spaced circumferentially apart to form a discontinuous airfoil shape and oriented to produce low pressure on an inside of the ejector shroud.
2 more elements
A method of making a wind turbine comprising:
- (a) providing a wind driven turbine;
- (b) forming a plurality of turbine shroud segments having an airfoil cross-section with a first mixing lobe on a trailing edge;
- and
- (c) disposing the turbine shroud segments about the turbine in circumferentially spaced arrangement to form a segmented turbine shroud, the spaces between the segments defining second mixing lobes, the turbine shroud segments being oriented to produce low pressure on an interior side of the turbine shroud.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.