Transverse axis turbine with controllable display

• US 9,309,864 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2011
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ronald Chun Yu Lam
• Original Assignee: Ronald Chun Yu Lam
• Inventors: Lam, Ronald Chun Yu, Lam, Chi Hung Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Younger, Sean J
• Application Number:
  US13/198,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20120034069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,713 Days
• Field of Search: 416/5, 416/60, 416/61, 416/117, 416/119, 416/31, 416/37, 416/41, 415/118, 415/4.2, 415/4.3, 415/4.4, 415/4.5, 415/907, 415/908, 362/35, 404/31, 404/41, 404/73, 405/02
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 3/02 having a plurality of rotors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 3/068 mechanically controlled by the rotor structure
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/00 Adaptations of wind motors for special use; Combinations of wind motors with apparatus driven thereby; Wind motors specially adapted for installation in particular locations hybrid wind-photovoltaic energy systems for the generation of electric power H02S10/12
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/25 the apparatus being an electrical generator F03D9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/25 as advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/30 Wind power
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/74 Wind turbines with rotation axis perpendicular to the wind direction

Abstract

A transverse axis fluid turbine with controllable display components thereof is disclosed. The turbine has a base structure, rotor rotatably attached to the base structure and at least three blades rotatably attached to the rotor. A matrix array of light reflective or emitting elements is mounted on the flat blade surface. The light reflective or emitting elements are controlled by a control unit in such a way that the light reflecting or emitting provides stable still or moving image(s) to its viewer(s) while the turbine is in operation.

Claims

1. A transverse axis fluid turbine with a controllable display, comprising:

a. a base structure;

b. a rotor rotatably attached to the base structure, the rotor having its axis being transverse to the direction of fluid flow;

c. at least three blades rotatably attached to the rotor, each blade extends radially from the rotor and rotates about a longitudinal axis of the blade to a vertical position when the blade is moving in the direction of the fluid flow for maximizing the blade surface area to receive the maximum fluid flow energy, and rotates to a horizontal position for minimizing the blade surface area to minimize the resistance when the blade is moving against the direction of fluid flow;

d. a display component on the surface of the blade, comprising a matrix array of display elements;

e. a control unit being in communication with display component; and

f. a power unit being in communication with the control unit and the display component; and

wherein the control unit controls light intensity of each display element of the display component to provide a stable still or moving image as the blades rotates, and wherein the control unit activates the matrix array of display elements in response to the blade being in a given one of the vertical position or the horizontal position, and deactivates the matrix array of display elements in response to the blade being in a remaining one of the vertical position or the horizontal position.

2. The transverse axis fluid turbine as recited in claim 1 wherein the display elements comprise controllable reflective elements.

3. The transverse axis fluid turbine as recited in claim 1 wherein the display elements comprise light emitting elements or source.

4. The transverse axis fluid turbine as recited in claim 3 wherein the light emitting elements or source are light emitting diodes.

5. The transverse axis fluid turbine as recited in claim 1 wherein the power unit further comprises power generating device in communication with the rotor of the turbine for generating power therefrom.

6. The transverse axis fluid turbine as recited in claim 1 wherein the rotor is extended vertically.

7. The transverse axis fluid turbine as recited in claim 1 wherein the rotor is extended horizontally.

8. The transverse axis fluid turbine as recited in claim 7 further comprising a rotatable platform that rotates the turbine to a fluid flow facing direction.

9. The transverse axis fluid turbine as recited in claim 8 further comprising a directional vane for detecting the fluid flow direction.

10. The transverse axis fluid turbine as recited in claim 1, wherein the control unit controls each display element of the display component to provide a stable still or moving image when viewing the turbine from a direction during a predetermined portion of a rotation cycle of the at least three blades.