Teeter mechanism for a multiple-bladed wind turbine
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorRobert H. Perkinson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A teeter mechanism for a multiple-bladed wind turbine includes a rotor shaft operable to rotate about a first axis. A spherical member is rotatable about the first axis along with the rotor shaft. A plurality of turbine blades is mounted to a rotor hub. The rotor hub rotationally drives the rotor shaft, and is operable to teeter about the spherical member such that the rotor hub rotates about the first axis in a first position and rotates about a second axis offset from the first axis in a second, teeter position.
Claims22
A teeter mechanism for a multiple-bladed wind turbine, comprising:
- a rotor shaft operable to rotate about a first axis;
- a spherical member rotatable about the first axis along with the rotor shaft;
- a rotor hub for mounting a plurality of turbine blades to rotationally drive the rotor shaft, wherein the rotor hub is operable to teeter about the spherical member such that the rotor hub rotates about the first axis in a first position and rotates about a second axis offset from the first axis in a second, teeter position;
- and
- a pin roller fastened to the spherical member and received into a slot within the rotor hub, the pin roller being operable to translate rotation of the rotor hub to rotation of the rotor shaft.
A teeter mechanism for a multiple-bladed wind turbine, comprising:
- a rotor shaft operable to rotate about a first axis;
- a center post coaxially aligned with the rotor shaft;
- a yoke plate adjustably secured on the center post such that an axial position of the yoke plate on the center post is variable, the yoke plate being rotatable about the first axis along with the rotor shaft;
- a rotor hub rotatable about the first axis in a first position and rotatable about a second axis offset from the first axis in a second, teeter position;
- and
- at least three turbine blades extending radially outward from the rotor hub, each turbine blade having a pin and a base plate, each pin extending from its corresponding base plate into an opening in the yoke plate, such that each base plate is operable to add or subtract pitch angle to its corresponding turbine blade as function of teeter angle.
A teeter mechanism for a multiple-bladed wind turbine, comprising:
- a rotor shaft operable to rotate about a first axis;
- a yoke plate rotatable about the first axis along with the rotor shaft;
- a rotor hub rotatable about the first axis in a first position and rotatable about a second axis offset from the first axis in a second, teeter position;
- at least three turbine blades extending radially outward from the rotor hub, each turbine blade having a pin and a base plate, each pin extending from its corresponding base plate into an opening in the yoke plate, such that each base plate is operable to add or subtract pitch angle to its corresponding turbine blade as function of teeter angle;
- a spherical member rotatable about the first axis along with the rotor shaft, wherein the rotor hub teeters about the spherical member in the second, teeter position;
- and
- a pin roller fastened to the spherical member and received into a slot within the rotor hub, the pin roller being operable to translate rotation of the rotor hub to rotation of the rotor shaft.
A method of facilitating teeter in a wind turbine, comprising:
- receiving a spherical member into a rotor hub, the rotor hub having at least three radially extending turbine blades;
- receiving a pin roller fastened to the spherical member into a slot within the rotor hub, the pin roller being operable to translate rotation of the rotor hub to rotation of a rotor shaft;
- rotating the rotor hub and plurality of turbine blades to rotationally drive the rotor shaft about a first axis;
- and
- teetering the rotor hub about the spherical member such that the rotor hub and plurality of turbine blades rotate about a second axis, offset from the first axis, in response to wind shear.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.