Wind power generator

• US 7,456,510 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2003
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zephyr Fluid Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Zephyr Fluid Solutions LLC
• Inventors: Sato, Kiyoshi, Ito, Ryosuke, Kawakami, Katsushi, Tamura, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ponomarenko; Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cuevas; Pedro J
• Application Number:
  US10/534,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20060249957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,839 Days
• Field of Search: 290/44, 322/10
• US Class Current: 290/44
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/026 for starting-up
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0272 by measures acting on the electrical generator
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/7068 equipped with permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/08 Control of generator circuit during starting or stopping of driving means, e.g. for initiating excitation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

When a wind velocity sensor detects a wind velocity higher than a predetermined level, a timer device starts a waiting timer function during an operation timer period shorter than the waiting timer period. After the waiting timer period is over, the waiting timer function is switched to an operation timer function, and a switching relay switches a generator to a motor only during an operation timer period. Then, a driving circuit performs a start assisting rotation. After the operation timer period is over, the waiting timer period re-starts. This process is repeated. When during this period, the number of rotations of a rotor monitored by a rotation number measuring device, based on the output voltage V_m of a three-phase conduction coil exceeds a predetermined number of rotations, the charging of a battery by a three-phase generator is started.

Claims

1. A fixed angle wing lift type horizontal shaft wind power generating device with a start assisting function, comprising:

a permanent magnet type generator for generating power in connection with a rotation shaft of a rotation wing which is rotated in the forward direction by wind;

a start assistance unit for switching the generator to a motor and performing a start assisting rotation which rotates the rotation shaft in the forward direction; and

a generation restoring unit for restoring the motor to the generator when the start assisting rotation by the start assistance unit is suspended; and

a control unit for repeatedly changing operations of the start assistance unit and the generation restoring unit, the rotation rate of the rotation wing being swiftly increased above a predetermined value,

wherein a regular rotation can be started by the inertia of the start assisting rotation even at the time of winds too weak to rotate an ordinary fixed angle wing lift type horizontal shaft wind power generator alone.

2. The fixed angle wing lift type horizontal shaft wind power generating device according to claim 1, wherein

said start assistance unit comprises a storage battery, a solar cell or an auxiliary wind power generator as a power supply for performing the start assisting rotation.

3. The fixed angle wing lift type horizontal shaft wind power generating device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising

a start assisting rotation time determining unit for determining when said start assistance unit performs the start assisting rotation.

4. The fixed angle wing lift type horizontal shaft wind power generating device according to claim 3, wherein

said start assisting rotation time determining unit further comprises

a wind velocity measuring unit;

and

a first time counting unit, wherein

if wind velocity measured by said start assisting rotation time determining unit is lower than a predetermined velocity, said start assisting rotation time determining unit operates said start assistance unit only during a time counting period of said first time counting unit.

5. The fixed angle wing lift type horizontal shaft wind power generating device according to claim 4, wherein

said start assisting rotation time determining unit further comprises

a second time counting unit, wherein

after the time counting period of said first time counting unit is over, said start assisting rotation time determining unit starts time counting by said second time counting unit, and after the time counting period of said second time counting unit is over, said start assisting rotation time determining unit starts wind velocity time counting by said wind velocity measuring unit.

6. The fixed angle wing lift type horizontal shaft wind power generating device according to claim 5, wherein

the time counting period of said first time counting unit is shorter than the time counting period of said second time counting unit.

7. The fixed angle wing lift type horizontal shaft wind power generating device according to claim 1, wherein

the number of rotations of a windmill is counted using pulsating current of output voltage from a generator when the wind is weak and using pulsating current of charging current when the wind is strong.

8. A method for operating a fixed angle wing lift type horizontal shaft wind power generating device comprising a permanent magnet type generator for generating in connection with a rotation shaft of a rotation wing which is rotated in the forward direction by the wind, a switch unit for switching the generator to a motor, a wind velocity measuring unit, a first time counting unit and a second time counting unit having a time counting period longer than a time counting period of the first time counting unit, comprising:

operating a start assisting function when the wind velocity measuring unit detects a wind velocity lower than a predetermined velocity;

continuing operation of the start assisting function only during a time counting period of the first time counting unit;

suspending the operation of the start assisting function during a time counting period of the second time counting unit and switching the motor to the generator by the switch unit;

monitoring whether the output voltage from a coil stator of the generator is equal to or more than a predetermined voltage during the repetition process;

charging a battery with the output voltage of the generator when having detected a voltage higher than the predetermined voltage in the voltage monitoring process; and

repeatedly changing operations of the start assistance process and the generation restoring process, the rotation rate of the rotation wing being swiftly increased above a predetermined value,

wherein a regular rotation can be started by the inertia of the start assisting rotation even at the time of winds too weak to rotate an ordinary fixed angle wing lift type horizontal shaft wind power generator alone.