Epcon energy field system an energy producing conglomerate (EPCAN) system using wind energy, solar panels, and steam turbines

• US 5,206,537 A
• Filed: 09/24/1990
• Issued: 04/27/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ECM International Inc.
• Original Assignee: ECM International Inc.
• Inventors: Alejandro, Jose L. A., Grant, Serge J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellinen, A. D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOOVER, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US07/587,051
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 290/56, 290/52, 290/44, 290/55, 126/437, 126/438
• US Class Current: 290/1.00R
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 1/05 characterised by the type or source of heat, e.g. using nuclear or solar energy
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/10 Assembly of wind motors; Arrangements for erecting wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/007 the wind motor being combined with means for converting solar radiation into useful energy
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/25 the apparatus being an electrical generator F03D9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 6/065 having a Rankine cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/213 of the Savonius type
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2030/133 in the form of flexible elements, e.g. belts, chains, ropes
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 23/30 with lenses
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 23/71 with parabolic reflective surfaces with cylindro-parabolic reflective surfaces F24S23/74
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 30/40 for rotary movement
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 90/00 Solar heat systems not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 10/12 Hybrid wind-PV energy systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/40 Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/46 Conversion of thermal power into mechanical power, e.g. Rankine, Stirling or solar thermal engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

The specification discloses an Energy Producing Conglomerate (EPCON) system using wind energy, solar panels, and steam turbines producing electricity from the kinetic energy of the wind and the thermal energy of the sun. A novel single shaft configuration that supports multiple induction generators which are driven by rotors of four windtraps and/or by steam turbines which receive steam pressure from solar panels. The steam is generated by solar lens panels. Solar parabolic collector dish or a natural gas steam boiler are also contemplated in the EPCON system.

The energy producing field consists of up to a thousand of these windtrap units supported by a common water resource. A system controller supports the system by monitoring wind speeds, sun intensity, and load requirements and activates or deactivates system elements. An interconnect to a utility line and/or energy storage facility is part of the system. The units are mostly pre-fabricated with final installation on site without the need of any heavy equipment making it possible for buyers to install the EPCON system on their own. The windtrap unit along with the solar panels are shipped to the site via a specialized transporter that assists in the installation process. The system is further uniquely designed to be lowered to a relatively safe harbor in the event of excessive wind conditions. System maintenance is also simplified with this feature.

Claims

1. An energy producing system comprising of:

at least one windmill including a support means, a winch structure, an electrical component used to convert DC current to usable AC current, a shaft rotor assembly mounted to support means, said rotor assembly including a plurality of vanes in sets of four windtraps mounted to said rotor assembly and rotatable by the impact of wind, said rotor assembly including a pulley capable of supporting a plurality of two sets of induction generators mounted on the support assembly, with the generator pulleys attached to said flywheel pulley of the rotor assembly by belts, the improvement comprising of a secondary pulley on the said rotor assembly capable of supporting a plurality of steam turbines, with the said steam turbine attached to said secondary pulley of the rotor a mounted on the support assembly and the windmill foundation, said steam turbines so attached as to be able to be removed permitting windmill structure to be taken from a horizontal to vertical position utilizing the attached winch structure;

at least one solar apparatus consisting of a plurality of exoskeletal frames having parallel spaced ribs, means defining a foundation shaft to which a plurality of frames are attached by moveable braces, means for attaching a miniature exoskeletel frame on the outermost position of said shaft on which a solar eye unit may be attached, means defining an axial opening, a foundation shaft disposed in said axial opening, means for rotatably supporting said shaft, and coupling collar within said axial opening, controlled by an on board controller connected electrically to a system controller, having capability of receiving commands to either activate or deactivate from said system controller, said on board controller supplied electricity through conduit lines leading to controller housing where resides a battery bank and inverters to support such activity, said on board controller capable of receiving readings of light intensity from solar eye for positioning plurality of said frames so as to keep surface directly perpendicular to the light rays;

at least two sets of two panels consisting of an open framework lattice having parallel spaced ribs on which is attached tubular cooper or aluminum or other heat absorbent metal arranged in an array of at least two parallel piping lines and means of attaching said piping to said frame, coupling at the end of pipe provides means for interconnect to another pipe of another panel, vertically spaced tiers extending from base frame over the piping providing a harness support for a plurality of lenses so spaced from the piping as to focus light directly onto the piping, said harness and lenses occuring in a series of not more than ten per said pipe line, each panel piping to also have one check valve at the start of the piping from where flow commences, each of said panels has fastener means of attaching to said solar apparatus;

at least one water pump capable of pumping water at a water pressure adequate to support a single solar apparatus supplied by electrical power and activated or deactivated by circuitry controlled by a system controller, said pump connected to tubular aluminum or other usable metal which is in turn connected to the piping of the solar apparatus;

at least two tubular aluminum lines, or other usable tubular metal lines, extending from a plurality of solar apparatus frames, each having at least two said panels, to each of the steam turbines of the windmill;

a system battery bank stored at the system controller housing and means of converting DC current to usable AC current;

control system including means of measuring and analyzing wind velocity, said control system including means of measuring and analyzing light intensity, said control system including means of measuring and analyzing line load, wherein said control system can send electronic signals recognizable by a solar apparatus controller to either activate or deactivate the said solar apparatus and said control system can send electronic signals recognizable by a water pump circuitry to either activate or deactivate the said water pump.

2. An energy producing system of claim 1, wherein each water piping supporting a windmill site has check valves to accept steam from a natural gas boiler, said natural gas boiler controlled by said system controller and said water pump controlled by said system controller.

3. An energy producing system comprising of:

at least one windmill including a support means, a winch structure, electrical components to convert DC current to usable AC current, a shaft rotor assembly mounted to support means, said rotor assembly including a plurality of vanes in sets of four windtraps mounted to said rotor assembly and rotatable by the impact of wind, the improvement comprising of said rotor assembly inserted into the neck housing of a pulley from the top capable of supporting a plurarity of two sets of induction generators mounted on the support assembly, with the generator pulleys attached to said pulley of the rotor assembly by belts, the said shaft assembly is not interconnected within neck housing of pulley, means are provided to interconnect said shaft rotor as well as disconnect said shaft rotor from the pulley of the induction generators, a second shaft rotor assembly mounted to support means, set rotor assembly includes a plurality of steam turbines, with the said steam turbine attached to said secondary flywheel pulley of the rotor a mounted on the support assembly and the windmill foundation, said steam turbines so attached as to be able to be removed permitting windmill structure to be taken from a horizontal to vertical position utilizing the attached winch structure, said shaft rotor inserted into the neck housing of the pulley from the bottom, the said shaft assembly is not interconnected within neck housing of the pulley of the induction generators, means are provided to interconnect said shaft rotor as well as disconnect said shaft rotor from the flywheel pulley of the induction generators;

a plurality of windmill rotor shafts having means to interconnect to the rotor pulley by using a rod insert to grove means of interface, said interconnect is controlled by an elctromagnetic insert within the shaft being further controlled by electronic circuitry capable of activating in one direction the electro-magnetic field or the other, such said means of interconnect and disconnect are controlled by a secondary circuit that can receive radio signals by means of a receiver mounted on top of the wind driven rotor shaft, said electronic circuitry and electro-magnetic induction obtain their electricity from a battery stored within the rotor shaft, said battery being charged by a photo-voltaic battery charger mounted on top of the rotor shaft, radio signals send to the receiver originate with the system controller which has means of transmitting;

at least one solar apparatus consisting of a plurality of exoskeletal frames having parallel spaced ribs, means defining a foundation shaft to which a plurality of frames are attached by moveable braces, means for attaching a miniature exoskeletel frame on the outermost position of said shaft on which a solar eye unit may be attached, means defining an axial opening, a foundation shaft disposed in said axial opening, means for rotatably supporting said shaft, and coupling collar within said axial opening, controlled by an on board controller connected electrically to a system controller, having capability of receiving commands to either activate or deactivate from said system controller, said on board controller supplied electricity through conduit lines leading to controller housing were resides a battery bank and inverters to support such activity, said on board controller capable of receiving readings of light intensity from solar eye for positioning plurality of said frames so as to keep surface directly perpendicular to the light rays;

at least two sets of two panels consisting of an open framework lattice having parallel spaced ribs on which is attached tubular cooper or aluminum or other heat absorbent metal arranged in an array of at least two parallel piping lines and means of attaching said piping to said frame, coupling at the end of pipe provides means for interconnect to another pipe of another panel, vertically spaced tiers extending from base frame over the piping providing a harness support for a plurality of lenses so spaced from the piping as to focus light directly onto the piping, said harness and lenses occuring in a series of not more than ten per said pipe line, each panel piping to also have one check valve at the start of the piping from where flow commences, each of said panels has fastener means of attaching to said solar apparatus;

at least one water pump capable of pumping water at a water pressure adequate to support a single solar apparatus supplied by electrical power and activated or deactivated by circuitry controlled by a system controller, said pump connected to tubular aluminum or other usable metal is in turn connected to the piping of the solar apparatus;

at least two tubular aluminum, or other usable tubular metal lines, extending from a plurality of solar apparatus frames, each having at least two said panels, to each of the steam turbines of the windmill;

a system battery bank stored at the system controller housing and means of converting DC current to usable AC current;

a control system for controlling the system operation, said control system including means of measuring and analyzing wind velocity, said control system including means of measuring and analyzing light intensity, said control system including means of measuring and analyzing line load, wherein said control system can send electronic signals recognizable by a solar apparatus controller to either activate or deactivate said solar apparatus and said control system can send electronic signals recognizable by a water pump circuitry to either activate or deactivate said water pump.

4. An energy producing system of claim 3, wherein each water piping supporting a windmill site has check valves to accept steam from a natural gas boiler, said natural gas boiler controlled by said system controller and said water pump controlled by said system controller.