Wind turbine heat generating apparatus

• US 4,596,209 A
• Filed: 02/13/1985
• Issued: 06/24/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Henry W. Haslach Jr
• Original Assignee: Henry W. Haslach Jr
• Inventors: Haslach, Henry W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): BENNETT, HENRY A
• Application Number:
  US06/701,115
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 126/247, 122/26, 237/1 R
• US Class Current: 122/26
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 15/10 using gearing not limited to rotary motion, e.g. with oscillating or reciprocating members
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/22 the apparatus producing heat
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/28 the apparatus being a pump or a compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F24V 40/10 the fluid passing through restriction means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier

Abstract

An apparatus for converting wind energy into heat in a manner that a wind turbine operates at its optimal tip speed ratio in varying windspeeds. An accelerometer is employed in conjunction with the wind turbine to vary the size of a discharge orifice in relation to the acceleration of the wind turbine. The wind turbine drives a positive displacement pump which is submerged in a fluid to force the fluid through the discharge orifice so that the energy of the pressurized fluid is converted into useful heat.

Claims

1. An apparatus for converting wind energy into heat in a manner that a wind turbine operates at its optimal tip speed ratio in varying windspeeds comprising:

a wind turbine;

a fluid reservoir adapted to receive a fluid material;

a positive displacement pump operatively positioned in said fluid reservoir and driven by said turbine;

inlet and outlet means for said fluid operatively associated with said pump;

a discharge orifice in fluid communication with said outlet means; and

means operatively connected to said wind turbine to vary the size of said discharge orifice in relation to the velocity and acceleration of said wind turbine.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means to vary the size of said discharge orifice includes an accelerometer apparatus operatively connected to a shaft of said wind turbine.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said accelerometer includes:

a multiplicity of arm members secured to said shaft of said wind turbine with one-half of said arm members defined by pivotal extension sections;

cable members attached at one end to each said pivotal sections;

at least one said discharge orifice in fluid communication with said outlet means; and

at least one cap member slidably received over said discharge orifices; and

means interconnecting said cable members at their other ends to said cap members.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said accelerometer is further defined by pulley members operatively attached to one-half of said arm members and engaged by said cable members and said interconnecting means includes a slider member slidably received on said shaft of said wind turbine and below said arm members, said slider member being interconnected to said cap members.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said cap members are connected to said slider member by means of rotatable ball members.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said positive displacement pump is defined by a central drive gear mounted for rotation on said shaft of said turbine and at least one pinion gear rotatably mounted to meshingly engage said central drive gear.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a heat exchanger operatively associated with said fluid reservoir.

8. In a compact and highly efficient apparatus for converting wind energy into heat wherein a wind turbine operates at its optimal tip speed ratio in varying windspeeds, said wind turbine adapted to be operatively connected to a positive displacement pump operatively positioned in a reservoir containing a fluid said pump having inlet and outlet means with the outlet means in fluid communication with a discharge orifice, said wind turbine having a rotatable drive shaft with said drive shaft adapted to be connected to said positive displacement pump, the improvement comprising:

accelerometer means operatively connected to said drive shaft and to said discharge orifice to vary the size of said orifice in relation to the rotational speed and acceleration of said wind turbine.

9. The improvement of claim 8 wherein said accelerometer means includes slidable members operatively positioned with respect to said pump outlet means.

10. The improvement of claim 9 wherein said slidable members are defined by cap members having discharge slots.

11. The improvement of claim 10 wherein said accelerometer means further includes a multiplicity of arm members operatively connected to said shaft of said wind turbine with one-half of said arm members defined by pivotal extension sections;

cable members attached at one end to each said pivotal section;

said discharge orifice is represented by at least two discharge orifices with said cap members slidably received over each discharge orifice; and

means interconnecting said cable members at their other ends to said cap members.

12. The improvement of claim 11 wherein said accelerometer means is further defined by pulley members operatively attached to one-half of said arm members and said interconnecting means includes a slider member slidably received on said wind turbine shaft and below said arm members, said slider member being interconnected to said cap members.