High efficiency wind turbine having increased laminar airflow
AssigneeSkyWolf Wind Turbine Corp.
InventorGerald E. Brock
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wind turbine is provided with turbine blades mounted for axial rotation about an axis. The blades are surrounded by a shroud to define an axial air passage. A conical ring is attached to the shroud and includes vanes for directing the airflow. Plates are attached to the shroud at a position radially outward from the shroud forming an air passage between the shroud and the plates. The plates have gaps between the adjacent plates so that air exiting the downstream opening of the shroud and air moving through the axial air passage between the shroud and the plates are mixed and a portion of the mixed air exits through the gaps.
Claims34
A wind turbine for extracting energy out of an airflow, the wind turbine having an axis of rotation, the wind turbine comprising:
- turbine blades mounted for axial rotation and having a swept area;
- a first shroud surrounding the turbine blades and defining a first axial air passage, the first shroud having an upstream opening and a downstream opening;
- a conical ring attached in the upstream opening, the conical ring having an upstream edge defining an upstream area, and a downstream edge defining a downstream area, the upstream area being larger than the downstream area;
- a plurality of vanes between the upstream area and the downstream area, the vanes generally perpendicular to the swept area of the blades;
- a plurality of plates attached to the first shroud, the plates spaced radially outward from the first shroud, the plates spaced around the circumference of the first shroud and projecting beyond the downstream opening of the first shroud, the plurality of plates forming a second discontinuous shroud;
- the first shroud and the plurality of plates forming a second axial air passage between the first shroud and plurality of plates;
- the plurality of plates having gaps between adjacent plates such that air exiting the downstream opening of the first shroud and air moving through the second axial air passage are mixed and a portion of the mixed air exits through the gaps.
A wind turbine for extracting energy out of an airflow, the wind turbine having an axis of rotation, the wind turbine comprising:
- turbine blades mounted for axial rotation about a hub, the blades having a swept area;
- a first cylindrical shroud surrounding the turbine blades and defining a first axial air passage, the first cylindrical shroud having an upstream opening and a downstream opening;
- a conical ring attached in the upstream opening, the conical ring having an upstream edge defining an upstream area, and a downstream edge defining a downstream area, the upstream area being larger than the downstream area;
- a plurality of vanes between the upstream area and the downstream area, the vanes generally perpendicular to the swept area of the blades;
- a plurality of plates attached to the first cylindrical shroud, the plates spaced radially outward from the first cylindrical shroud, the plates spaced around the circumference of the first cylindrical shroud and projecting beyond the downstream opening of the first cylindrical shroud, the plurality of plates forming a second discontinuous shroud;
- the first cylindrical shroud and the plurality of plates forming a second axial air passage between the first cylindrical shroud and plurality of plates;
- the plurality of plates having gaps between adjacent plates such that air exiting the downstream opening of the first cylindrical shroud and air moving through the second axial air passage are mixed and a portion of the mixed air exits through the gaps.
A wind turbine for extracting energy out of an airflow, the wind turbine having an axis of rotation, the wind turbine comprising:
- turbine blades mounted for axial rotation, the blades having a swept area;
- a first shroud surrounding the turbine blades and defining a first axial air passage, the first shroud having an upstream opening and a downstream opening;
- a conical ring attached in the upstream opening, the conical ring having an upstream edge defining an upstream area, and a downstream edge defining a downstream area, the upstream area being larger than the downstream area;
- a plurality of vanes between the upstream area and the downstream area, the vanes generally perpendicular to the swept area of the blades;
- a plurality of plates attached to the first shroud, the plates spaced around the circumference of the first shroud and projecting beyond the downstream opening of the first shroud, the plurality of plates forming a second discontinuous shroud;
- the plurality of plates having gaps between adjacent plates such that a portion of the air exiting the downstream opening of the first shroud exits through the gaps.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.