Apparatus for generating power
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for generating power by utilizing wind produced from the passage of vehicular traffic, said apparatus comprising:
- at least one rotor adapted to rotate bout a vertical axis extending therethrough for capturing said wind;
generator means coupled to said at least one rotor for converting rotational movement of said rotor into a form of energy that an be transmitted to a remote location; and
support means for rotatably supporting said at least one vertical axis rotor, said support means having first and second openings for exposing diametrically opposed sides of each of said at least one rotor;
whereby the motion of the vehicular traffic adjacent said at least one rotor generates said wind, thereby causing said rotor to rotate which in turn causes said generator to generate said energy.
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Abstract
An apparatus for generating power by utilizing the wind produced from the passage of vehicular traffic such as on a highway or freeway includes a plurality of vertical axis rotors mounted vertically within a support structure. Each of the vertical axis rotors is coupled to a generator adapted to convert rotational energy of the rotors into electrical energy. The apparatus is particularly well adapted for placement between two opposing lanes of vehicular traffic in order to provide a barrier which replaces conventional barriers with one adapted to harness a previously unused source of energy.
124 Citations
16 Claims
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1. An apparatus for generating power by utilizing wind produced from the passage of vehicular traffic, said apparatus comprising:
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at least one rotor adapted to rotate bout a vertical axis extending therethrough for capturing said wind; generator means coupled to said at least one rotor for converting rotational movement of said rotor into a form of energy that an be transmitted to a remote location; and support means for rotatably supporting said at least one vertical axis rotor, said support means having first and second openings for exposing diametrically opposed sides of each of said at least one rotor; whereby the motion of the vehicular traffic adjacent said at least one rotor generates said wind, thereby causing said rotor to rotate which in turn causes said generator to generate said energy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An electric power generating system of a type adapted for use in conjunction with a motor vehicle expressway upon which travel a plurality of moving vehicles, the system comprising:
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a support structure including a plurality of cavities said support structure including a first side and a second side, said first and second sides each including openings to expose diametrically opposed sides of each of said rotors; a corresponding plurality of Savonius rotors each adapted for rotational movement about a vertical axis extending vertically therethrough, each of said rotors being rotatably mounted in one of said plurality of cavities; and generator means mounted in said support structure, said generator means being operationally coupled to each of said plurality of rotors, said generator means adapted to convert rotational energy generated by said rotors in response to wind generated from said plurality of moving vehicles into electrical power that can be transmitted to a remote location. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus for generating power by utilizing wind produced from the passage of vehicular traffic, said apparatus comprising:
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at least first and second rotors each adapted to rotate about a vertical axis extending therethrough to generate rotational energy in response to said wind produced from said passage of vehicular traffic; generator means operationally coupled to said first and second rotors, said generator means adapted to convert said rotational energy into a form of energy that can be transmitted to a remote location; support means for rotatably supporting each of said first and second vertical axis rotors; and deflector means for concentrating said wind received from said vehicular traffic towards one of said first and second rotors to thereby increase said rotational energy generated by said one of said first and second rotors. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification