Wind powered electrical generator having a variable speed clutch arrangement
OwnerDennis Grieveinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides an apparatus configured to convert kinetic energy of wind flow into electric energy. The apparatus includes a mast, a primary electric generator mounted on the mast, a secondary electric generator mounted on the mast in a tandem arrangement with the primary electric generator, blades affixed to a rotor shaft of the primary electric generator, a driving clutch affixed to the rotor shaft of the primary electric generator, a driven clutch affixed to a rotor shaft of the secondary electric generator, and endless elongated member connecting the driving clutch with the driven clutch. The apparatus is configured to convert a kinetic energy of a wind flow into an electric energy at one or both of the primary and secondary electric generators.
Claims19
A wind energy harvesting apparatus comprising:
- (a) a mast;
- (b) a first electric generator;
- (c) a second electric generator mounted in a side-by-side spaced apart relationship with said first electric generator;
- (d) blades affixed to a rotor shaft of said first electric generator;
- (e) a clutch arrangement coupled to both of said first and second electric generators, said clutch arrangement comprising a first clutch affixed to said rotor shaft of said first electric generator, a second clutch affixed to a rotor shaft of said second electric generator, an endless elongated member connecting said first clutch with said second clutch, said clutch arrangement being a variable clutch arrangement, wherein said second clutch is a driven clutch having a working diameter thereof increasing with increase in a speed of the wind flow;
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- (f) said wind energy harvesting apparatus configured to convert a kinetic energy of a wind flow into an electric energy at one or both of said first and second electric generators.
A wind energy harvesting apparatus comprising:
- (a) a mast having a top end and an axially opposite bottom end;
- (b) a first electric generator mounted adjacent said bottom end of said mast;
- (c) a first clutch affixed to a rotor shaft of said first electric generator;
- (d) a second electric generator mounted adjacent said bottom end of said mast in a tandem spaced apart relationship with said first electric generator;
- (e) a second clutch affixed to a rotor shaft of said second electric generator;
- (f) an endless elongated member connecting said first clutch with said second clutch, said second clutch and said first clutch being a variable clutch arrangement, wherein said second clutch is a driven clutch having a working diameter thereof increasing with increase in a speed of the wind flow;
- (g) a first shaft mounted for a rotation in a horizontal plane adjacent said top end of said mast;
- (h) blades affixed to one end of said first shaft;
- (i) a first gear mounted on said first shaft for a rotation in a vertical plane;
- (j) a second gear disposed for a rotation in said horizontal plane and in an operative alignment with said first gear;
- (k) a second shaft having one end thereof connected to said second gear and having an axially opposite end thereof connected to said first clutch;
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- (l) whereby said wind energy harvesting apparatus is configured to convert a kinetic energy of a wind flow into an electric energy at one or both of said first and second electric generators.
A wind energy harvesting apparatus comprising:
- (a) a first electric generator;
- (b) a second electric generator mounted in a side-by-side spaced apart relationship with said first electric generator;
- (c) blades affixed to a rotor shaft of said first electric generator;
- (d) a variable clutch arrangement comprising a driving first clutch affixed to said rotor shaft of said first electric generator, a driven second clutch affixed to a rotor shaft of said second electric generator, an endless elongated member connecting said first clutch with said second clutch, each of said first and second clutches includes a pulley defined by a pair of halves mounted for movement to and away from each other along an axis of a respective rotor shaft, a pulley on said second clutch rotates at greater speeds than a pulley on said first clutch when a rotational speed of said blades is at or near a maximum preselected design setting;
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- (e) said wind energy harvesting apparatus is configured to convert a kinetic energy of a wind flow into an electric energy at one or both of said first and second electric generators.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.