Micro turbine sheet design for gathering wind energy

• US 7,576,444 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2007
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tamiras Per Pte Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Genedics, LLC
• Inventors: Merritt, Edward, Fein, Gene S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ponomarenko; Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US11/740,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20080150298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 290/1.R, 290/1.A, 290/43, 290/44, 290/54, 290/55, 415/4.2, 415/4.3
• US Class Current: 290/44
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/006 Converting flow of air into electric energy, e.g. by using wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/11 storing electrical energy
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/255 connected to electrical distribution networks; Arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/43 using infrastructure primarily used for other purposes, e.g. masts for overhead railway power lines
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2250/82 Micromachines
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1438 in combination with power supplies for loads other than batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/30 Wind power
• 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 10/76 Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and system for providing an energy gathering sheet to harness and provide energy to destinations, such as homes and businesses. The energy gathering sheet is configured to receive small wind energy gathering devices (e.g., in the micrometer to nanometer range), which are mounted on a single sheet for the purpose of creating efficient and clean energy to meet both small and large power demands. The single sheet of installable wind turbines may be loosely rolled or stacked to protect the integrity of the wind turbines, and are capable of being roiled out for efficient installation.

Claims

1. An energy gathering system, comprising:

an energy gathering sheet having circuit connections configured to receive a plurality of less than one inch in size wind energy gathering devices; and

at least one interface configured to electrically connect to and provide energy to a destination from the energy gathering sheet.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the destination includes at least one of an electrical grid, a residential home, a businesses, and a roadway based alternative energy system.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the sheet is coupled to a vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a protection layer to protect the sheet when rolled or stacked.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the protection layer may be torn away from the sheet.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the sheet includes at least one of polymer, metal, trapped gas, and trapped fluid.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one interface is configured to connect to other energy gathering sheets.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a storage unit configured to store energy harnessed by the sheet;

a processing-unit configured to process information relating to the sheet;

a transmitter configured to transmit the information to a reporting system; and

at least one anchor configured to affix the sheet to a surface.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the information includes information relating to the amount of energy stored in the storage unit.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the at least one anchor is at least one of clamped, locked, interlocked, glued, painted on, adhered, and magnetized to the surface.

11. A method for gathering energy in a roadway energy system, the method comprising:

providing an energy gathering sheet having circuit connections configured to receive a plurality of wind energy gathering devices less than one inch in size;

electrically connecting the energy gathering sheet to a destination; and

providing energy generated by the energy gathering sheet to the destination.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein electrically connecting the sheet to a destination includes connecting at least one of an electrical grid, a residential home, a business, and a roadway based alternative energy system.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising coupling the sheet to a vehicle.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein providing the sheet includes providing a protection layer to protect the sheet when, rolling or stacking the sheet.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the sheet includes at least one of polymer, metal, trapped gas, and trapped fluid.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

storing energy harnessed by the energy gathering devices;

processing information relating to the sheet;

transmitting the information to a reporting system;

coupling the sheet to other sheets; and

affixing the sheet to a surface.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein processing the information includes tracking stored energy levels.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein affixing the sheet to the surface includes at least one of clamping, locking, interlocking, gluing, painting on, adhering, and magnetizing the sheet to the surface.