Non-rotating wind energy generator

• US 9,447,774 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2015
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Northeastern University
• Original Assignee: Northeastern University
• Inventors: Noah, Mitchell, Olsen, Thomas, Thorp, Dylan, Byers, Liam, Weiner, Evan, Taslim, Mohammad
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuevas, Pedro J
• Application Number:
  US14/951,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20160076521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 301 Days
• Field of Search: 290/44, 290/55
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 5/00 Other wind motors controlling thereof F03D7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 5/06 the wind-engaging parts swinging to-and-fro and not rotating
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/00 Controlling wind motors supplying or distributing electrical power H02J, e.g. arrangements for adjusting, eliminating or compensating reactive power in networks H02J3/18; controlling electric generators H02P, e.g. arrangements for controlling electric generators for the purpose of obtaining a desired output H02P9/00
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/25 the apparatus being an electrical generator F03D9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/34 Reciprocating, oscillating or vibrating parts of the magnetic circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1876 with reciprocating, linearly oscillating or vibrating parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/70 Wind energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

In an embodiment of the invention, a non-rotating wind energy generator uses the fluid flow principles of vortex shedding and transverse galloping to generate oscillatory motion of a beam, and alternators, optionally located near both ends of the beam, generate electrical power when the beam is in motion.

Claims

1. A non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus, comprising:

a bluff body operable to initiate and sustain non-rotational oscillatory motion in response to wind energy; and

an alternator system operable to generate electrical energy via the motion of the bluff body.

2. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bluff body comprises:

a frame movably supporting at least one beam;

one or more first springs;

one or more second springs;

wherein the one or more first springs attach a first portion of the frame to a first portion of the beam and the one or more second springs attach a second portion of the frame to a second portion of the beam such that the beam is suspended between the first and second portions of the frame; and

wherein the alternator system comprises at least one electromagnetic coil attached to one of the beam or a third portion of the frame;

at least one magnet attached to one of the third portion of the frame or the beam;

wherein motion of the beam when exposed to wind causes the first electromagnetic coil to pass at least one magnet.

3. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 2, wherein the beam has a D-shape.

4. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 2, wherein the beam is hollow.

5. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 2, further comprising one or more motion guides.

6. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

one or more additional beams;

one or more additional upper springs;

one or more additional lower springs;

wherein the one or more additional upper springs attach a first portion of the additional beam to a third portion of the beam and the one or more additional lower springs attach a second portion of the additional beam to a fourth portion of the beam such that the one or more additional beams are suspended between the first and second portions of the frame.

7. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first portion of the frame is an upper portion, the first portion of the beam is an upper portion, the second portion of the frame is a lower portion, and the second portion of the beam is a lower portion.

8. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 2, wherein the third portion of the frame is a side portion.

9. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 2, wherein the beam is suspended substantially horizontally.

10. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 2, wherein the motion of the beam is substantially vertical.

11. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 2, wherein a surface of the beam is uniformly smooth.

12. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 2, wherein a surface of the beam is partially smooth.

13. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 2, wherein a surface of the beam is uniformly rough.

14. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 2, wherein a surface of the beam is partially rough.

15. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one electromagnetic coil or the at least one magnet is attached to a first end of the beam.

16. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 2, wherein the spring mass is selected to promote self-oscillatory motion.

17. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 2, wherein the beam has a cross-sectional geometry selected from the group consisting of a square, a cylinder, a reversed D-Beam (where the wind is primarily incident on the round portion of the beam rather than the flat portion), and an equilateral wedge in either a “

greater than”

or “

less than”

orientation relative to the incident wind.

18. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 2, wherein the springs are stretched in a resting state.

19. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 2, wherein the beam mass is selected to promote self-oscillatory motion.

20. A method of generating electrical energy from wind energy comprising:

exposing the non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 1 to wind to generate oscillatory motion in response to wind energy; and

generating electrical energy via motion of the non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus using electromagnetic induction.

21. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the alternator system comprises:

at least one electromagnetic coil;

at least one magnet;

wherein motion of the bluff body when exposed to wind causes the first electromagnetic coil to pass the at least one magnet.

22. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one magnet is stationary and the at least one electromagnetic coil is moveable.

23. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one magnet is moveable and the at least one electromagnetic coil is stationary.

24. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bluff body is configured to oscillate based on at least one of vortex shedding and transverse galloping.

25. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one stop configured to limit a range of motion of the bluff body.

26. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bluff body comprises:

a frame movably supporting at least one beam;

one or more springs;

wherein the one or more springs attach a portion of the frame to a portion of the beam; and

wherein the one or more springs are configured to transmit energy.

27. The non-rotating wind energy generating apparatus of claim 26,

wherein the alternator system comprises at least one electromagnetic coil attached to the beam or the frame;

and

wherein the at least one electromagnetic coil attaches to the one or more springs at a first end of the one or more springs and the one or more springs attach to the other of the frame or the beam at a second end of the one or more springs such that the one or more springs transmit energy between the beam and the frame.

28. A method of generating electrical energy comprising:

exposing a bluff body to wind to generate oscillatory motion in response to wind energy using at least one of vortex shedding and transverse galloping; and

generating electrical energy via motion of the bluff body.

29. The method of claim 28, comprising exposing the bluff body to wind to generate oscillatory motion in response to wind energy using vortex shedding and transverse galloping.