Vertical axis variable geometry wind energy collection system
First Claim
1. A device that transforms the kinetic energy inherent in wind into kinetic energy in the form of mechanical rotation of a mass such that the maximum angular velocity attainable of said rotating mass for a given wind speed is obtained in the minimum time possible through the use of mechanical means comprising:
- (a) a rigid shaft anchored to the earth or some fixed structure so that its orientation is such that its longitudinal axis is approximately vertical and having a plurality of cylindrical bearings attached so that the inner races of said bearings are affixed to the shaft with the outer races of said bearings allowed to rotate freely concentrically about the longitudinal axis of the shaft(b) a hollow cylindrical structure serving as an outer rotor and another hollow cylindrical structure smaller in diameter serving as an inner rotor with the two connected to each other by a plurality of radial support structures serving as spokes between them with the inner rotor being attached to said rigid shaft via connection to a plurality of said outer races of said bearings(c) a plurality of rigid planar surfaces attached to the outside circumference of the outer rotor to form a plurality of sails which when impacted by incident wind will exert a torque upon the outer rotor tangentially to cause the collective rotating mass of sails, cylinders, spokes, and outer bearing races to rotate about the longitudinal axis of said rigid shaft(d) a windshield support structure comprised of a pair of identical circular structures with each having an outer circumferential structure connected to an inner hub by plurality of radial support structures serving as spokes between them with both said circular structures arranged so that the planar area bounded by each circle is oriented horizontally with the two structures some distance apart from each other vertically and being joined together with a plurality of vertical support members with the entire assemblage forming a cagelike structure that is attached to said rigid shaft via connection of said inner hubs to a plurality of said outer races of said bearings at points along the rigid shaft to allow the entire assemblage to rotate freely about the longitudinal axis of said rigid shaft independently of said rotating mass(e) a windshield in the form of a curved planar structure attached to said windshield support structure via a plurality of said vertical support members so that the circular extent of said windshield encompasses 180 degrees of arc and is bounded vertically by the same linear dimension as that of said vertical support members'"'"' longitudinal axes(f) a directional control structure in the form of a rigid planar surface oriented vertically and attached to one vertical edge of said windshield and extending radially outside of and perpendicular to the circumference of said windshield support structure to such extent necessary so as to provide such force as necessary to keep said windshield in a constant attitude with respect to wind direction so as to allow wind pressure to be applied to only one half the frontal area of said rotating mass that is facing into the wind whereby creating assymetric forces to be applied to said attached sails causing said rotating mass to turn in one direction only(g) a hollow cylindrical structure forming a duct with the same inner diameter as that of said outer rotor and a length of approximately four times the diameter of said duct with said duct bent in the middle of said length to form a 90 degree elbow with one half of said duct oriented with its longitudinal axis horizontal and the other half of said duct oriented with its longitudinal axis vertical with the top of the vertical portion of said duct connected to the bottom of said windshield support structure via attachments to said windshield support structure radial support structures with the horizontal portion of said duct having a flared funnel attached to its open end with the horizontal portion of said duct connected to said rigid shaft via connection to said outer race such that the entire duct rotates about the longitudinal axis of said rigid shaft in unison with said windshield support structure whereby the open end of the funnel is always pointed into the wind(h) a plurality of rigid planar structures attached to the outer rotor to inner rotor radial support structures so as to form a plurality of impellor vanes oriented in such a manner so as to provide an additive component of torque to said rotating mass by virtue of the wind being redirected through said funnel and duct and impinging upon said impellor vanes before being exhausted through the open top of said rotating mass.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device to convert the kinetic energy of wind into kinetic energy in the form of a rotating mass (FIG. 9) and to then selectively harvest and convert the kinetic energy of the rotating mass into electrical energy using both permanent magnet and electromagnet generators (FIG. 33). The conversion of the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical kinetic energy of the rotating mass is maximized through mechanical means by varying the physical moment of inertia of the rotating mass programatically based upon real time sensor data (FIG. 27A,27B). The conversion of the kinetic energy of the rotating mass into electrical energy is maximized through the programatical control of the field coil current of the electromagnet generator based upon real time sensor data (FIG. 62).
17 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A device that transforms the kinetic energy inherent in wind into kinetic energy in the form of mechanical rotation of a mass such that the maximum angular velocity attainable of said rotating mass for a given wind speed is obtained in the minimum time possible through the use of mechanical means comprising:
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(a) a rigid shaft anchored to the earth or some fixed structure so that its orientation is such that its longitudinal axis is approximately vertical and having a plurality of cylindrical bearings attached so that the inner races of said bearings are affixed to the shaft with the outer races of said bearings allowed to rotate freely concentrically about the longitudinal axis of the shaft (b) a hollow cylindrical structure serving as an outer rotor and another hollow cylindrical structure smaller in diameter serving as an inner rotor with the two connected to each other by a plurality of radial support structures serving as spokes between them with the inner rotor being attached to said rigid shaft via connection to a plurality of said outer races of said bearings (c) a plurality of rigid planar surfaces attached to the outside circumference of the outer rotor to form a plurality of sails which when impacted by incident wind will exert a torque upon the outer rotor tangentially to cause the collective rotating mass of sails, cylinders, spokes, and outer bearing races to rotate about the longitudinal axis of said rigid shaft (d) a windshield support structure comprised of a pair of identical circular structures with each having an outer circumferential structure connected to an inner hub by plurality of radial support structures serving as spokes between them with both said circular structures arranged so that the planar area bounded by each circle is oriented horizontally with the two structures some distance apart from each other vertically and being joined together with a plurality of vertical support members with the entire assemblage forming a cagelike structure that is attached to said rigid shaft via connection of said inner hubs to a plurality of said outer races of said bearings at points along the rigid shaft to allow the entire assemblage to rotate freely about the longitudinal axis of said rigid shaft independently of said rotating mass (e) a windshield in the form of a curved planar structure attached to said windshield support structure via a plurality of said vertical support members so that the circular extent of said windshield encompasses 180 degrees of arc and is bounded vertically by the same linear dimension as that of said vertical support members'"'"' longitudinal axes (f) a directional control structure in the form of a rigid planar surface oriented vertically and attached to one vertical edge of said windshield and extending radially outside of and perpendicular to the circumference of said windshield support structure to such extent necessary so as to provide such force as necessary to keep said windshield in a constant attitude with respect to wind direction so as to allow wind pressure to be applied to only one half the frontal area of said rotating mass that is facing into the wind whereby creating assymetric forces to be applied to said attached sails causing said rotating mass to turn in one direction only (g) a hollow cylindrical structure forming a duct with the same inner diameter as that of said outer rotor and a length of approximately four times the diameter of said duct with said duct bent in the middle of said length to form a 90 degree elbow with one half of said duct oriented with its longitudinal axis horizontal and the other half of said duct oriented with its longitudinal axis vertical with the top of the vertical portion of said duct connected to the bottom of said windshield support structure via attachments to said windshield support structure radial support structures with the horizontal portion of said duct having a flared funnel attached to its open end with the horizontal portion of said duct connected to said rigid shaft via connection to said outer race such that the entire duct rotates about the longitudinal axis of said rigid shaft in unison with said windshield support structure whereby the open end of the funnel is always pointed into the wind (h) a plurality of rigid planar structures attached to the outer rotor to inner rotor radial support structures so as to form a plurality of impellor vanes oriented in such a manner so as to provide an additive component of torque to said rotating mass by virtue of the wind being redirected through said funnel and duct and impinging upon said impellor vanes before being exhausted through the open top of said rotating mass. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A device to maximize the transformation of kinetic energy derived from wind into electrical energy by mechanically manipulating physical moments of inertia of a rotating mass to optimum physical positions based upon wind speed values derived from sensor data and through selective harvest of such electrical energy through means of electrically controlling the amount excitation current applied to electromagnets of an electromagnetic generator based upon the available kinetic energy value of rotating mass that is being used as the prime mover of said electromagnetic generator with said kinetic energy value being derived mathematically as the product of the measured rotational velocity of said rotating mass multiplied by the square of the real time calculation of the physical moment of inertia of said rotating mass using means comprising:
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(a) a rigid shaft anchored to the earth or some fixed structure so that its orientation is such that its longitudinal axis is approximately vertical and having a plurality of cylindrical bearings attached so that the inner races of said bearings are affixed to said shaft with the outer races of said bearings allowed to rotate freely concentrically about the longitudinal axis of said shaft (b) a hollow cylindrical structure serving as an outer rotor and another hollow cylindrical structure smaller in diameter serving as an inner rotor with the two connected to each other by a plurality of radial support structures serving as spokes between them with the inner rotor being attached to said rigid shaft via connection to a plurality of said outer races of said bearings (c) a plurality of rigid planar surfaces attached to the outside circumference of the outer rotor to form a plurality of sails which when impacted by incident wind will exert a torque upon the outer rotor tangentially to cause the collective rotating mass of sails, cylinders, spokes, all components attached to said cylinders, and outer bearing races to rotate about the longitudinal axis of said rigid shaft (d) a wind speed measuring device capable of providing an electrical output representative of such speed that is compatible to be used as a sensory input to data processing circuitry (e) a power supply device capable of providing necessary power for electronic circuitry used to power and monitor sensory devices as well as power circuitry used to control electromechanical and electronic regulatory devices (f) a plurality of devices attached to said radial support structures with each comprised of a mass and mechanical components that position said mass at variable physical positions along the longitudinal axis of said radial support structure with the shifting masses each controlled by their individual electromechanical mechanisms (g) electronic circuit elements comprising counters, nonvolatile memory devices, a central processing unit, and amplifiers with these elements used to accept as inputs real time wind speed and shifting mass positional data and in turn use predetermined formulae stored in said nonvolatile memory to provide the necessary controls to amplifiers to provide corresponding drive signals to said shifting masses'"'"' electromechanical mechanisms in order to optimize the position of said shifting masses for a given wind speed (h) an electromagnetic generator comprising a plurality of disklike rotor subassemblies mounted on said inner rotor with a plurality of disklike stator subassemblies mounted on static structures attached to said rigid shaft with said electromagnetic generator stator subassemblies constructed and mounted in such a manner so as to allow mounting of said electromagnetic generator stator subassemblies between said electromagnetic generator rotor subassemblies with no resultant physical interference with said inner rotor'"'"'s rotation about the longitudinal axis of said rigid shaft with each electromagnetic rotor subassembly including a plurality of electromagnets that will create magnetic fields when subjected to electric current flowing through their field coils and with each electromagnetic generator stator subassembly including a plurality of armature windings which when subjected to motion relative to and in close proximity to said magnetic fields will produce an alternating current voltage. (i) an angular velocity measuring device capable of providing an electrical output representative of angular velocity of said rotating mass that is compatible to be used as a sensory input to data processing circuitry (j) electronic circuit elements comprising counters, nonvolatile memory devices, a central processing unit, a zero crossing voltage detector, analog-to-digital converters, and amplifiers with these elements used to accept as inputs real time rotating mass angular velocity and shifting mass positional data and in turn use predetermined formulae stored in said memory devices to provide the necessary controls to amplifiers to provide corresponding drive signals to regulate the amount of current flowing through the field coils of said electromagnets in said electromagnetic generator in order to optimize the amount of electrical power harvested for a given amount of kinetic energy produced by said rotating mass (k) a power supply mounted on said rigid shaft which accepts as input alternating current voltages produced by said electromagnetic generator and in turn rectifies, filters, and regulates these input voltages to produce a direct current voltage as an output to be used to supply external loads. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification