This invention discloses an improved wind turbine suitable for mounting without a wind turbine tower. The wind turbine is based on a rotor with appropriately selected blades. A nozzle and diffuser in the wind flow increase the amount of wind energy available to the rotor. The rotor is interruptibly connected with one or more of a plurality of generators which allows generation at a wide range of wind speeds. The rotor is also interruptibly connected with a co-axial flywheel which allows for storage or use of rotational energy as needed by the availability of wind energy. One or more wind turbines can be grouped together in a common housing. Electricity can also be generated by means of stored energy. The lack of a wind turbine tower and the general compact design allows the wind turbine to be used in close proximity to or on buildings.

A vertical axis wind turbine with improved safety, production efficiency and greater functional wind speed range. A vertical axis wind turbine comprises turbine blades having geometric characteristics of a “yin yang” symbol when viewed from the top down. The turbine blades are configured to form a scoop portion for catching wind. The surface area of the scoop portion may be dynamically configured to accommodate power production in higher wind speed ranges by dynamically furling the blades to reduce the surface area of the scoop portion as RPM begins to exceed a safe limit. First and second permanent magnet rotor arrays are dynamically positioned above and below an array of stator coils to maximize power generation.

A hybrid solar/wind turbine apparatus, which includes a blade and shelf assembly configured to provide wind impulsion and wind capture. The blade and shelf assembly are located between an upper and a lower platform assembly. The blade assembly is helically disposed about an axis, for generating torque. A transmission shaft is in communication with the blade assembly and configured to receive the generated torque. One or more photovoltaic cells are in communication with the blade assembly for photovoltaic energy generation, either alone or in combination, with the torque. A means to integrate and combine the photovoltaic energy generating photovoltaic cells into the wind capturing blade assembly.

A system for capturing the energy of fluid currents, using axial turbines with one free end and the other end fastened to a mechanical element or electric generator, characterized in that the turbines include coil springs, helically twisted plates or crossbeams, complete helical turbines with their shafts or just their blades, which capture the energy of wind or water, with their shaft or fastened end actuating an electric generator or mechanical system. In all cases the blades around the rotation axis of the turbines have an inclination such that they generate a torque in the same direction and the turbines are automatically oriented by the water or air currents, like weather vanes.

A rotary device that converts a linear fluid movement to a rotational fluid movement to generate power includes a front sail and a plurality of sail pairs situated around a shaft. In some embodiments, each of the sail pairs includes oppositely disposed sails in the same longitudinal plane. In some embodiments, the front sail and/or each sail of the sail pairs can include a flap and/or an airfoil.

A turbine system includes a shaft extending along an axis. A first spoke has a first end, attached to the shaft, and a second end. A second spoke has a first end, attached to the shaft, and a second end. A third spoke has a first end, attached to the shaft, and a second end. A turbine blade is attached to the second end of the first spoke, the second end of the second spoke, and the second end of the third spoke. The turbine blade extends continuously circumferentially about the axis. The turbine blade is spaced a distance apart from the axis and in non-contact with the shaft.

A system for pumping water from a lower tank water source 10 that is operable in association with the windmill 12,13 having a tower frame i.e supporting pillar 18, and rotating cylinder 19 connected to the windmill. The system includes a rotating cylinder 19 linked to the windmill which rotates on the rotation of the windmill driven by the wind.The pipes 20 operate through the motion of the rotating cylinder 19 and delivers a flow of compressed water from the lower tank 10 to a point above i.e upper tank 11. The speedometer 21 drives the pipe to intermediate tanks on the basis of the rotation generated by the rotating cylinder 19. The microprocessor 22 automatically switches pipe in various tanks based on the speedometer 21.

A linear generator includes one or more helices, and one or more magnet members movable relative to a first helix to generate electric energy within the first helix. The first helix includes a first coil. The first helix and/or the magnet members have a density less than that of water such that the first helix and/or the magnet members have buoyant properties when the linear generator is at least partially submerged in the water.

A wind harvesting assembly for a wind turbine, having: a Venturi tube having a hollow interior having a first air pressure; an open top end having a first diameter; an open bottom end having the first diameter; a tube length spanning between the open top end and the open bottom end; and a constricted section located above the bottom end, the constricted section adapted to increase a velocity of air passing through by having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter; a plurality of vertical wind turbine blades arranged around the Venturi tube, an outlet disbursement blade assembly disposed below the bottom open end of the Venturi tube and a port fan positioned coaxially with the Venturi tube.

An actuator includes a strand of shape memory material having a length that is variable between a first length corresponding to an undeformed state and a second length corresponding to a state of lengthwise deformation. The strand is arranged to return to the undeformed state when it is heated to a predetermined temperature. The strand includes a fixed end and a mobile end arranged to move between a first and a second position when the variable length of the SMM strand changes. The actuator further includes a heating wire coiled around the strand for heating the strand, the coiled heating wire forming a circular helix, the uniform slope of which is selected so as to avoid any substantial change of the arc length of the circular helix caused by the strand changing its length.