Wind-Powered Irrigation Machine
First Claim
1. In an irrigation system having a liquid conduit that spans mobile towers, each of the mobile towers including at least one ground-engaging wheel, the improvement comprising:
- a rotor assembly operable to be rotated by the movement of passing air and thereby produce a rotational output;
a generator of electrical energy,said generator being driven by the rotational output;
an electrical charge source in electrical communication with the generator,said electrical charge source receiving the electrical energy from the generator; and
a motor in electrical communication with the electrical charge source,said motor receiving the electrical energy from the electrical charge source,said motor driving the ground-engaging wheel.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method of moving a mobile tower using wind energy are disclosed for use with an irrigation system. The disclosed improvement includes a rotor assembly operable to be rotated by the movement of passing air, a generator of electrical energy driven by the rotation of the rotor assembly, an electrical charge source in communication with the generator, and a motor to drive a ground-engaging wheel in communication with the electrical charge source. The method of moving the mobile tower includes rotating wind-receiving elements of a rotor assembly with wind energy in passing air, generating electrical energy from the wind energy, and driving a wheel of the mobile tower with a motor powered by the generated electrical energy.
27 Citations
25 Claims
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1. In an irrigation system having a liquid conduit that spans mobile towers, each of the mobile towers including at least one ground-engaging wheel, the improvement comprising:
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a rotor assembly operable to be rotated by the movement of passing air and thereby produce a rotational output; a generator of electrical energy, said generator being driven by the rotational output; an electrical charge source in electrical communication with the generator, said electrical charge source receiving the electrical energy from the generator; and a motor in electrical communication with the electrical charge source, said motor receiving the electrical energy from the electrical charge source, said motor driving the ground-engaging wheel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of moving a mobile tower of an irrigation system, said method comprising the steps of:
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rotating the wind-receiving elements of a rotor assembly with wind energy in the movement of passing air; generating electrical energy from the rotation of the rotor assembly; transmitting the electrical energy to a motor of a mobile tower; and driving the ground-engaging wheels of the mobile tower with the motor. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification