Vortex resonance wind turbine

• US 9,444,372 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2011
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deutecno, S.L.
• Original Assignee: Deutecno, S.L.
• Inventors: Yaez Villarreal, David Jesus
• Primary Examiner(s): Dougherty, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Addison, Karen B
• Application Number:
  US13/811,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20130119826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,870 Days
• Field of Search: 310/339, 290/43
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 5/06 the wind-engaging parts swinging to-and-fro and not rotating
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/25 the apparatus being an electrical generator F03D9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/08 recovering energy derived from swinging, rolling, pitching or like movements, e.g. from the vibrations of a machine
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/706 an electrical generator
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/122 Vortex generators, turbulators, or the like, for mixing
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/407 through piezoelectric conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/188 adapted for resonant operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/70 Wind energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

Wind turbine consisting of an anchoring to the ground or to a base and a mast, the natural oscillation frequency of which is purposely adjusted to the frequency of appearance of the air vortices or eddies produced after the collision of a laminar and stationary airflow against the surface thereof. The aeroelastic energy thus absorbed is converted into electrical energy due to the use of materials with high electromechanical coupling.

Claims

1. A vortex resonance wind power generator, comprising:

a capturing element that captures wind energy, said capturing element being anchored to a stationary base, the capturing element being arranged so that stationary and laminar airflow incident on said capturing element is transformed into a turbulent flow, forming vortices or eddies, the capturing element being shaped so that the vortices or eddies resulting from the transformation of the laminar airflow incident on the capturing element appear in a synchronized manner along the entire length of said capturing element, and wherein the natural frequency of oscillation of the capturing element is configured to increase and decrease in response to increases and decreases in airflow to match or synchronize with the frequency at which vortices appear, and wherein movement of the capturing element is configured to be converted into electrical energy.

2. The vortex resonance wind power generator according to claim 1, wherein the wind energy capturing element consists of a mast having a section and geometrical configuration that allows the intentional transformation of the stationary and laminar airflow into a turbulent airflow consisting of vortices or eddies.

3. The vortex resonance wind power generator according to claim 2, wherein the capturing element has a height of more than one meter.

4. The vortex resonance wind power generator according to claim 1, wherein the capturing element comprises a mast having a circular cross section.

5. The vortex resonance wind power generator according to claim 4, wherein the capturing element has a height of more than one meter.

6. The vortex resonance wind power generator according to claim 4, wherein said mast has a diameter which varies along a longitudinal direction of the mast.

7. The vortex resonance wind power generator according to claim 6, wherein the capturing element has a height of more than one meter.

8. The vortex resonance wind power generator according to claim 6, wherein the diameter of the mast increases as a function of height.

9. The vortex resonance wind power generator according to claim 8, wherein the capturing element has a height of more than one meter.

10. The vortex resonance wind power generator according to claim 1, wherein the capturing element has a height of more than one meter.

11. The vortex resonance wind power generator according to claim 1, wherein the capturing element includes an elastic material that allows the capturing element to oscillate.

12. The vortex resonance wind power generator according to claim 11, wherein the natural frequency of oscillation of the capturing element is varied to match or synchronize with the frequency at which vortices appear by delivering energy to the capturing element.

13. A vortex resonance wind power generator, comprising:

a capturing element that captures wind energy, said capturing element being anchored to a stationary base, said capturing element being arranged so that stationary and laminar airflow incident on said capturing element is transformed into a turbulent flow, forming vortices or eddies, the capturing element having a circular cross section and a diameter that increases in a longitudinal direction from a bottom of the capturing element toward a top of the capturing element, as a function of the height thereof.

14. The vortex resonance wind power generator according to claim 13, wherein the capturing element is shaped so that the vortices or eddies resulting from the transformation of the laminar airflow incident on the capturing element appear in a synchronized manner along the entire length of the capturing element.

15. The vortex resonance wind power generator according to claim 14, wherein the capturing element is configured such that a natural frequency of oscillation of the capturing element can be varied in response to changes in airflow to match the frequency at which the vortices appear.

16. The vortex resonance wind power generator according to claim 13, further comprising piezoelectric elements for conversion of movement of the capturing element into electrical energy.

17. The vortex resonance wind power generator according to claim 13, wherein the capturing element has a height of more than one meter.

18. The vortex resonance wind power generator according to claim 17, wherein the capturing element has a height of more than four meters.

19. A vortex resonance wind power generator, comprising:

a capturing element that captures wind energy, said capturing element being anchored to a stationary base, said capturing element being arranged so that stationary and laminar airflow incident on said capturing element is transformed into a turbulent flow, forming vortices or eddies, and wherein the capturing element is shaped so that the vortices or eddies resulting from the transformation of the laminar airflow incident on the capturing element appear in a synchronized manner along the entire length of said capturing element, and wherein the natural frequency of oscillation of the capturing element is configured to increase and decrease in response to increase and decrease in airflow to match or synchronize with the frequency at which vortices appear, and wherein movement of the capturing element is configured to be converted into electrical energy.