Diffuser augmented wind turbines
AssigneeAnakata Wind Power Resources s.a.r.l.
InventorBen David Wood
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An example wind turbine diffuser has an expanded outlet area where the diffuser outlet area is greater than it's cross sectional area. The diffuser may be formed of one or more diffuser rings, at least one of which may form a turbine cowling. Each diffuser ring may have an inlet area that is smaller than the outlet area of the directly upstream ring. The portion of an upstream ring outlet which is not occluded by the downstream ring may form a diffuser outlet such that the total outlet area of the diffuser is larger than the cross-sectional area. In another example, the diffuser may comprise at least one diffuser ring and one or more suction slots that are each connected to a vent, which allows air to be removed from the diffuser system.
Claims29
A horizontal axis wind turbine augmented with a diffuser comprising;
- a first diffuser ring arranged to form a turbine rotor cowling, the first diffuser ring having an inlet and an outlet, where the outlet area is equal to or greater than the inlet area;
- and
- one or more further diffuser rings co-axial to and downstream from the first diffuser ring, the one or more further diffuser rings each having an inlet and an outlet where the inlet area of each of the one or more further diffuser rings is less than the outlet area of an immediately upstream diffuser ring and the outlet area of each of the one or more further diffuser rings is greater than or equal to the inlet area;
- wherein a total outlet area of the diffuser is greater than a largest cross-sectional area of the diffuser, provided that the first diffuser ring and all of the one or more further diffuser rings are not rotatable around the horizontal axis;
- and
- wherein the diffuser is at least partially constructed from an aero-elastic material and arranged to provide a controlled deformation under wind load.
A horizontal axis wind turbine augmented with a diffuser comprising:
- a first diffuser ring arranged to form a turbine rotor cowling, the diffuser ring having an inlet and an outlet, where the outlet area is equal to or greater than the inlet area;
- one or more vent structures and one or more suction slots, where the one or more vent structures are located on the exterior surface of the first diffuser ring and the one or more vent structures are each connected to one or more suction slots, the suction slots extending substantially radially through the entire thickness of the first diffuser ring;
- and wherein
- the total outlet area of the diffuser is greater than its largest cross-sectional area, provided that the first diffuser ring is not rotatable around the horizontal axis.
A horizontal axis wind turbine augmented with a diffuser comprising:
- a first diffuser ring arranged to form a turbine rotor cowling, the first diffuser ring having an inlet and an outlet, where the outlet area is equal to or greater than the inlet area, provided that the first diffuser ring is not rotatable around the horizontal axis;
- one or more vortex entrainment devices arranged on a trailing edge of the outlet of the first diffuser ring;
- and
- one or more further dynamic, aero-elastic, vortex entrainment devices attached to a further trailing edge of the diffuser.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.