Method and apparatus for using wind turbines to generate and supply uninterrupted power to locations remote from the power grid

• US 20030105556A1
• Filed: 10/04/2002
• Published: 06/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ben M. Enis, Paul Lieberman
• Original Assignee: Ben M. Enis, Paul Lieberman
• Inventors: Enis, Ben M., Lieberman, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 6,927,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/286
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/16 for storing compressed air
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 15/10 using gearing not limited to rotary motion, e.g. with oscillating or reciprocating members
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/10 Combinations of wind motors with apparatus storing energy
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/11 storing electrical energy
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/17 storing energy in pressurised fluids
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/18 storing heat
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/257 the wind motor being part of a wind farm
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 6/064 having a gas turbine cycle, i.e. compressor and gas turbine combination
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/1033 Power (if explicitly mentioned)
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/053 Explicitly mentioned power
• 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 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/16 Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wind energy generating and storing system comprising methods and apparatuses for providing energy dedicated for immediate use and energy storage, to provide electrical power on an uninterrupted and continous basis, to locations remote from an electrical power grid. In a large application, the invention contemplates having a predetermined number of windmills dedicated for immediate use, and a predetermined number of windmills dedicated for energy storage, as compressed air energy in one or more high pressure tanks. A hybrid windmill having the ability to simultaneously switch between energy for immediate use and energy storage can also be provided.

Claims

1. A wind energy generating and storage system, comprising:

a plurality of windmill stations located in a predetermined area, wherein said plurality of windmill stations is divided into at least two kinds;

a first kind of windmill station having an electrical generator adapted to supply electrical power for immediate use; and

a second kind of windmill station for storing energy produced by the wind in one or more high pressure tanks, wherein at least one compressor is provided to compress air into said tanks, and at least one expander is provided to release the compressed air from said tanks.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one heating device is provided to heat the compressed air that is released and expanded.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the number of said first kind of windmill stations and the number of said second kind of windmill stations that are provided in said system are based on the wind characteristics of the area where the stations are located and the use characteristics of the area where the energy from the system is used.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said at least one heating device is taken from the group consisting of the following:

a. a device which derives heat from solar energy;

b. a device which derives heat from said at least one compressor;

c. a heating device which uses its own energy source.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein said at least one heating device comprises a heat exchanger having tubes extending through said tanks, wherein a heated fluid can be passed through said tubes to increase the temperature of the air inside said tanks.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a refrigerating device is operatively connected to said system to enable the cold temperatures generated by said compressed air being released and expanded to be used for refrigeration purposes.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein a predetermined number of hybrid stations are provided which can be simultaneously switched between providing energy for immediate use and energy for storage.

8. A method of generating and storing energy, comprising:

providing a predeteremined number of first windmill stations having an electrical generator adapted for providing electrical power for immediate use; and

providing a predetermined number of second windmill stations for storing energy produced by the wind in one or more high pressure tanks, wherein at least one compressor is provided to compress air into said tanks, and at least one expander is provided to release the compressed air from said tanks.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined numbers of said first and second windmill stations used in the method are determined based upon the wind histories of the area where the stations are to be located, and the demand characteristics of the area where the energy from the stations are to be used.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the design of the first and second windmill stations is determined based on a ratio of about 65 percent first windmill stations and 35 percent second windmill stations.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein other design considerations are taken into account, including the size of said one or more tanks, the capacity of the compressor, the capacity of the expander, the total number of windmill stations to be installed, the availability of an auxiliary burner as a back-up energy supply, and the availability of one or more heating devices to heat the compressed air to be released and expanded.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the design takes into account daily wind and energy demand histories for a given location, which are obtained for predetermined periods of the year.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein an estimate is made, based on the daily histories, of the total number of said first and second windmill stations to install, based on the worst mismatched predetermined periods.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein an iterative process is used to determine a system which can provide energy to said given location on an uninterrupted and contious basis, in a cost-effective and energy-efficient way.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the predetemrined periods of the year are seasons.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the method comprises providing a predetermined number of hybrid windmill stations capable of being switched between providing energy for immediate use and energy for storage as compressed air energy.

17. A hybrid windmill system, comprising:

a windmill station having a wind turbine for generating mechanical power;

a mechanical splitter for splitting the mechanical power generated by said windmill station, wherein said splitter is capable of simultaneously apportioning and adjusting the amount of mechanical power between at least two types of converters;

a first converter for generating electricity for immediate use, and a second converter for generating compressed air energy for storage into one or more high pressure tanks.

18. The hybrid system of claim 17, wherein said mechanical splitter comprises a large gear and a plurality of drive gears capable of being engaged and meshed with said large gear, and a first clutch for controlling which of said drive gears engage and mesh with said large gear, and a second clutch to determine to which converter the engaged and meshed drive gears will be mechanically connected.