Rotary Device, for Instance an Air Mover Such as a Fan, a Propeller or a Lifting Rotor, a Water Turbine or a Wind Turbine

• US 20160152327A1
• Filed: 07/08/2014
• Published: 06/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eco-Logical Enterprises B.V.
• Original Assignee: Eco-Logical Enterprises B.V.
• Inventors: Bertels, Augustinus Wilhelmus Maria
• Granted Patent: US 10,479,489 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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: B64C 11/001 Shrouded propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/20 Rotorcraft characterised by having shrouded rotors, e.g. flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/26 Ducted or shrouded rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/29 Constructional aspects of rotors or rotor supports; Arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 11/02 Casings spiral or volute casings F03B3/186
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/00 Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus if the apparatus aspects are predominant, see the relevant subclasses for such apparatus, e.g. H02K7/18; Power stations or aggregates incorporating only machines or engines of positive-displacement type F03C; hydraulic engineering aspects E02B; combinations with wind energy converters F03D9/008
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/02 having a plurality of rotors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/04 having stationary wind-guiding means, e.g. with shrouds or channels F03D9/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/065 characterised by their construction elements F03D13/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/20 Arrangements for mounting or supporting wind motors; Masts or towers for wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/25 the apparatus being an electrical generator F03D9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/255 connected to electrical distribution networks; Arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/06 the pump being electrically driven F04D25/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/066 Linear Motors
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/325 for axial flow fans blade mountings F04D29/34, blades F04D29/38
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/522 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/33 : Shrouds which are part of or which are rotating with the rotor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/20 : Hydro energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 : Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/728 : Onshore wind turbines

Abstract

A rotary device comprises a frame with a guide for flowing medium, a rotor with a number of blades, whereby a relation is obtained between the flowing medium and the rotation of the rotor, and energy converting means, the one part of which is connected to the frame and the other part to the rotor. The device has the feature that the end zones of the blades are connected to a ring, the ring has a radial section with the shape of an isosceles triangle or trapezium, the medium guide has an encircling recess, the form of which corresponds to the form of the ring and the ring fits with clearance into the recess, permanent magnets are added to the truncated conical surfaces, electromagnets debouch on both the corresponding surfaces of the recess, this such that the ring and the frame together form an annular induction motor or an electric generator.

Claims

1. Rotary device for converting one form of energy to another form of energy, which forms of energy are electrical energy and the energy of a flowing medium, the device comprising:

a frame with an inlet and an outlet and a rotation-symmetrical guide for the flowing medium extending between the inlet and the outlet;

a rotor supported rotatably at least during operation by said frame and having a central hub and a number of blades which are connected to said hub in angularly equidistant arrangement and which extend at least more or less in radial direction, which blades all have a form such that a relation between the flowing medium and the rotation of the rotor is obtained; and

energy converting means, the one part of which is connected fixedly to the frame and the other part is connected fixedly to the rotor;

characterized in that

the rotor comprises a concentric ring to which the end zones of the blades are connected;

the ring has two equal truncated conical surfaces with mutually opposite orientations, has for instance a radial section with at least partially the general shape of an isosceles triangle or trapezium, the base of which extends parallel to the central axis, also the rotation axis, of the rotor and the sides of which converge outward;

the medium guide has an encircling recess, the form of which corresponds to that of the ring such that the ring fits with clearance into the recess;

permanent magnets are added to each of the truncated conical surfaces corresponding to said sides, which magnets are placed angularly equidistant and the poles of which debouch on said surfaces;

the poles of the electromagnets, each with a core and a coil, equally placed equidistantly on the permanent magnets debouch on both the corresponding surfaces of the recess;

this such that the ring with the permanent magnets and the frame with the electromagnets together form an annular induction motor or an electric generator;

an electronic unit is added to the electromagnets which is configured to supply the electromagnets with alternating currents such that through the electromagnetic interaction between the electromagnets and the permanent magnets the rotor is driven rotatingly, or which is configured to convert the currents induced in the electromagnets by throughflowing medium during rotating drive of the rotor to a form of electric current suitable for a user, for instance for exporting back to the electricity grid; and

the electronic unit is also configured to supply the electromagnets with alternating currents such that the rotor is suspended magnetically during operation.

2. Device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein

the rotor ring is assembled from

two identical part-rings which each consist of a strip of material with the shape of a part of a circular arc, the free ends of which are connected to each other such that each strip has the form of the outer surface of a truncated cone, which thus modelled strips are connected with their outer circular peripheral zone to each other;

and

a third and optionally a fourth part-ring, each consisting of a strip of material which is curved to a round form and mutually connects the respective free circular inner edges and outer edges of the first two part-rings; and

the end zones of the blades are connected to the third part-ring.

3. Device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the rotor is manufactured by injection moulding of plastic.

4. Device as claimed in claim 3,

wherein the rotor is assembled from two parts manufactured by injection moulding and subsequently connected to each other, which parts are connected to each other over adjacent surfaces of the ring corresponding to the main plane of the ring, and also over adjacent surfaces of the hub parts.

5. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each coil comprises:

a stack of electrically insulating carriers disposed in register, each with at least one electrically conductive track present thereon which forms at least one winding of the coil, which tracks debouch on the outer side of the respective carriers and are connected to each other electrically such that the windings formed by the tracks together form the coil, which carriers have registered through-holes through which the ferromagnetic core extends.

6. Device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the permanent magnets of each truncated conical surface are received in an adhesive strip adhered to this surface.

7. Device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the core of each electromagnet comprises grains of niobium, iron, ferrite or other ferromagnetic material embedded in a plastic, for instance polyetherimide.

8. Device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the half-apex angles of the truncated conical surfaces have a value of 45°

±

15°

.

9. Device as claimed in claim 1,

comprising an inflow grill which is placed upstream of the inlet and which comprises a pattern of baffles placed and formed such that the channels bounded by these baffles have directions corresponding to the directions of the relevant local part-flows of the medium.

10. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blades are connected under bias to the hub and to the ring.

11. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of blades amounts to 12-26.

12. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least the inner surface of the ring has a streamlined shape.

13. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the end zones of the blades connect smoothly to the inner surface of the ring.

14. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upstream part of the active surface of the guide has a radial sectional form largely corresponding to a quarter of an ellipse, the longitudinal axis of which extends parallel to the central axis of the rotor.

15. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flow guide has a form on the downstream side such that the downstream airflow through the device is free of dead zones.

16. Device as claimed in claim 1, comprising a stationary, substantially rotation-symmetrical nose element which is disposed fixedly relative to the frame or forms part of the rotor and which is disposed upstream relative to the hub and has an outer surface which widens from its front side to its rear side and which connects at its rear side to the hub in rheologically smooth manner.

17. Device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the longitudinal section of the outer surface has more or less the form of a parabola, the extreme of which is situated at the upstream end of the nose element.

18. Device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the nose element is disposed fixedly relative to the frame and is supported by the frame via spokes.

19. Device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the spokes are formed rheologically.

20. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame is provided with a collar of channels which via a collar of openings guide medium part-flows from the area of the downstream medium flow at increased pressure into the clearance between the ring and the walls of the recess such that these part-flows flow along the poles of the electromagnets and the permanent magnets and thus cool these electromagnets and the permanent magnets and leave the clearance at reduced pressure in the area of the upstream medium flow.

21. Device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the outflow zone of the part-flows has a deflection zone by which the part-flows are deflected such that they acquire a radial directional component and a longitudinal directional component in the direction of the medium flow through the device.

22. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotor is supported by the frame via auxiliary bearing means.

23. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the peripheral zone has on its outflow side a convergent annular protrusion which is formed by two mutually connecting concave surfaces which on their sides remote from the protrusion transpose smoothly into the largely toroidal, convex other surface of the peripheral zone.

24. Device as claimed in claim 23, wherein the annular protrusion protrudes little or not at all beyond the plane defined by the furthest downstream part of the convex surface of the peripheral zone.

25. Device as claimed in either one of the claim 23 or 24, wherein the downstream part of the hub has a gently tapering rotation-symmetrical form, the end surface of which has an encircling concave form such that the peripheral zone is sharp and in the centre is situated a tip, the apex of which lies at least roughly in the plane of the peripheral zone.

26. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein electric heating means are added to the blades so that the device can serve as heating device, the heating means being supplied with alternating current which comes from the secondary coil of a rotary transformer added to the rotor, the primary coil of which is added to the frame and is supplied by a source of alternating current.

27. Device as claimed in claim 26, wherein the electric heating means comprise wires, tracks or at least one cover layer of resistance material, such as constantan or inconel, present on the surfaces of the blades.

28. Frame, which comprises spaces for accommodating a number of devices as claimed in claim 1, which devices can be slid into and out of the spaces, wherein electric coupling means are added to each space and to each device, whereby each inserted device can be coupled electrically to the electronic unit.

29. Manned or unmanned aircraft, comprising

a frame;

at least one device as claimed in claim 1 supported by said frame and serving as propeller or lifting rotor,

optionally a receiver for feeding to the electronic unit control signals coming from control signals transmitted by a remotely placed transmitter, and

an energy source, for instance a rechargeable battery, which provides the electronic unit with electrical energy during operation.

30. Aircraft as claimed in claim 29, wherein the number of devices serving as propeller or lifting rotor is even, and the rotors of said devices have rotation directions opposed pairwise to each other.

31. Aircraft as claimed in claim 29 or 30, wherein the or each device is tiltable in two independent directions under the control of the electronic unit such that, in addition to a vertical lift force, a horizontal thrust is also obtained during operation.

32. Aircraft as claimed in any of the claims 29-31, wherein the frame has a peripheral zone with an aerodynamic form such that an additional lift force occurs during horizontal displacement.

33. Aircraft as claimed in claim 32,

wherein the peripheral zone has on its underside a convergent annular protrusion which is formed by two mutually connecting concave surfaces which transpose on their sides remote from the protrusion into the largely toroidal, convex other surface of the peripheral zone.

34. Aircraft as claimed in claim 33, wherein the annular protrusion protrudes little or not at all beyond the plane defined by the lower part of the convex surface of the peripheral zone.

35. Aircraft as claimed in any of the claims 30-34 with a device according to any of the claims 16-19, wherein the downstream part of the hub has a slightly tapering rotation-symmetrical form, the end surface of which has an encircling concave form such that the peripheral zone is sharp and in the centre is situated a tip, the apex of which lies at least roughly in the plane of the peripheral zone.

36. Aircraft as claimed in any of the claims 29-35, wherein the energy source comprises solar cells.