Electric generator device actuated by a fluid flow

• US 20090001731A1
• Filed: 07/16/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile Per Azioni
• Original Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile Per Azioni
• Inventors: Perlo, Piero, Ottella, Marco
• Granted Patent: US 7,592,712 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/55
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 16/00 Arrangements in connection with power supply of propulsion units in vehicles from forces of nature, e.g. sun or wind electric propulsion with power supply from forces of nature, e.g. sun or wind B60L8/00; marine propulsion by wind motors driving water-engaging propulsive elements B63H13/00; wind motors specially adapted for installation on vehicles F03D9/32
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/02 having a plurality of rotors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/10 Assembly of wind motors; Arrangements for erecting wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/70 Bearing or lubricating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/007 the wind motor being combined with means for converting solar radiation into useful energy
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/11 storing electrical energy
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/25 the apparatus being an electrical generator F03D9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/32 on moving objects, e.g. vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/35 within towers, e.g. using chimney effects
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/7068 equipped with permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/133 with a convergent-divergent guiding structure, e.g. a Venturi conduit
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/213 of the Savonius type
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/40 Use of a multiplicity of similar components
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/911 already existing for a prior purpose
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 39/063 Permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 21/14 with magnets rotating within the armatures
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2213/12 Machines characterised by the modularity of some components
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/09 with magnetic bearings
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/14 Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/183 wherein the turbine is a wind turbine adaptation of a wind turbine to an electric generator F03D9/25
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 : Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/728 : Onshore wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 : Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin

Abstract

An electric generator device comprising a panel bearing one or more electric generating machines each including a stator and a rotor concentric and substantially co-planar. The rotor is supported in rotation by the stator and presents a central part bearing one or more blades of a fan. A flow of fluid causes the fan and in consequence the rotor (R) to rotate. The rotor bears along its periphery a plurality of magnetic poles whose magnetic fields link with windings borne by the stator, for the induction of an electric current in the windings. The rotor is supported in rotation within the stator through magnetic means of support.

Claims

1. Electric generator device, comprising a panel bearing one or more generators each comprising an electric generator machine including a stator and a rotor, in which the rotor, acting as an inductor, is in the form of a ring holding a distribution of magnetic poles along its periphery and having a central part bearing one or more blades of a fan and in which the stator is in the form of a ring surrounding the rotor and bearing windings capable of linking the magnetic field generated by said magnetic poles when the rotor is caused to rotate by a fluid flow actuating said fan and in which the rotor is supported in rotation by the stator through means of support of the magnetic type.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the rotor presents a central opening solely occupied by one or more blades of a fan destined to be actuated by a fluid flow directed parallel to the axis of the rotor.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein the rotor bears a fan projecting axially from the body of the rotor and the stator, and destined to be actuated by a fluid flow substantially orthogonal to the axis of the rotor.

4. Device according to claim 1, wherein said means of support of the magnetic type consists of one or more magnetic bearings comprising an annular permanent magnet borne by the stator, and a ring borne by the rotor disposed concentrically within the ring borne by the stator and comprising a permanent magnet or a paramagnetic material such as aluminium.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein said means of support of the magnetic type comprises one or more windings borne by the stator facing on to magnetic poles borne by the rotor.

6. Device according to claim 1, wherein both the rotor and the stator present intermediate cylindrical portions disposed concentrically within each other, and conical end portions diverging outwards, and in that the magnetic poles of the rotor and the windings of the stator are borne by said cylindrical portions of the rotor and stator, and that said means of magnetic support are provided in correspondence with said diverging conical end portions.

7. Device according to claim 6, wherein each rotor-plus-stator unit incorporates three electric generating machines with rotor magnetic poles and stator windings predisposed both in correspondence with said cylindrical portion and in correspondence with said diverging conical end portions of rotor and stator.

8. Device according to claim 1, wherein the stator bears one or more windings capable of producing a magnetic field to control the relative position between rotor and stator.

9. Device according to claim 4, wherein some or all of the permanent magnets comprise thin layers of granular composite material for example Sm—

Co—

Fe.

10. Device according to claim 1, wherein the stator is constituted of composite material SMC.

11. Device according to claim 10, wherein the composite material SMC is of variable density and permeability obtained for example through inclusion of elementary particles (magnetic domains) of variable density.

12. Device according to claim 11, wherein the magnetic composite SMC is ordered, that is the elementary magnetic domains are included in the inorganic or organic polymeric matrix according to a predetermined order capable of defining a preferential direction of the magnetic flux.

13. Device according to claim 1, wherein the windings of the stator are in “

ironless”

configuration that is to say without ferromagnetic structures to channel the magnetic flux.

14. Device according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic poles are disposed in a “

Halbach array”

configuration, possibly without the presence of the iron ring.

15. Device according to claim 1, wherein the body of the fan is of material selected from among ultra-light plastic material, nano-composites for example of the montmorrillonite type or polymeric type with carbon nano-tubes or in general fibrous carbon polymer material.

16. Device according to claim 1, wherein the panel is supported by a supporting structure with possibility of orienting it with regard to the wind.

17. Device according to claim 16, wherein the panel is divided into sub-units orientable in the wind independently of each other.

18. Device according to claim 1, wherein the panel bears a single wind turbine and is associated with a street-lamp structure, to supply power to the luminous source with which the street-lamp structure is equipped.

19. Device according to claim 1, wherein the output terminals of each generator are connected to an energy management unit each through a respective rectifying bridge, the circuit connecting the generators also including a DC/DC regulator-converter and a DC/AC regulator and converter, as well as an energy storage unit for example consisting of a battery, said energy management unit being predisposed to manage the connection of individual electric generators to each other, in such a manner that connections may be made in series or in parallel, as well as managing energy transfer among the elements in the circuit such as for example from the generators to the storage unit, or from the generators to the converters or from the storage unit to the converters, said energy management unit being predisposed to activate and manage the converters to provide energy at one or more loads.

20. Device according to claim 19, wherein said energy management unit is predisposed to set up a connection in parallel among the generators inserting a DC/DC converter of the voltage-regulated boost type at the output from each generator and from each respective rectifier in such a manner as to have the same output voltage from each rectifier-boost unit.

21. Device according to claim 19, wherein said energy management unit is predisposed to make a connection in series among the generators and in that a DC/DC converter of the boost type is predisposed in order to obtain the desired bus voltage.

22. Device according to claim 1, wherein it is predisposed to be mounted on a car to supply electric loads when the engine is switched off.

23. Device according to claim 22, wherein it is mounted flush with the roof, bonnet or boot of the car, and brought into operation through an automatic or a manual device.

24. Device according to claim 23, wherein it is predisposed to supply power to a heating or air-conditioning system when the engine is switched off, to provide conditions of minimum comfort even before the engine is switched on.

25. Device according to claim 23, wherein it is predisposed to recharge the electric battery of the car when the engine is switched off.

26. Device according to claim 23, wherein it is predisposed to supply power to entertainment devices (for example car stereo) for long periods when the engine is switched off.

27. Device according to claim 1, wherein the device is inserted into a duct in which a fluid flow exists between two zones at different pressures and/or temperatures.

28. Device according to claim 27, wherein it is inserted inside a chimney in civil or industrial applications for the recovery of the energy provided by flows of smoke or hot air.

29. Device according to claim 27, wherein it is inserted inside a chimney through which hot air flows are generated by an external heat source, for example the sun'"'"'s rays.

30. Device according to claim 1, wherein the device is predisposed to be installed along a road to provide an independent power supply to street illumination systems or luminous street panels.

31. Device according to claim 1, wherein it is predisposed to provide a power supply to electronic devices such as portable computers, cellular telephones, personal entertainment devices or games.

32. Device according to claim 1, wherein the device is predisposed to be used as an independent generator of energy for camping activities.

33. Device according to claim 1, wherein the device is predisposed to be used as a buffer system for emergency illumination in homes.

34. Device according to claim 1, wherein the device is predisposed to be used as a recharging station for ultra-light electric vehicles.

35. Device according to claim 3, wherein it has a vertical rotation axis transversal with regard to the direction of flow of air, hot air or fluid that causes it to rotate, in the presence of an electric generating machine of annular type and a pair of magnetic bearings entirely situated on the base of the device.

36. Device according to claim 35, wherein the pair of magnetic bearings comprises a magnetic bearing situated at the base of the device and a magnetic bearing situated at the top of the device.

37. Device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic system for rectifying, regulating and managing energy consists of one or more position sensors, of a control system and of an active bridge or inverter, capable of causing the device to operate as a generator of fluid flows, for example air.