A Vortex-shedding-arrangement, which is prepared to be arranged on a tower of a wind turbine, is provided. Embodiments of the invention even relate to a tower, which is equipped with the Vortex-shedding-arrangement and to a method to equip the tower with the Vortex-shedding-arrangement.

The Vortex-shedding-arrangement according to embodiments of the invention is arranged and prepared to be connected to a surface of a tower. The Vortex-shedding-arrangement is prepared to reduce Vortex-induced-vibrations, acting on the tower and its structure, during the tower-transportation. The vortex shedding arrangement comprises vortex shedding elements and at least one shrink foil. The at least one shrink foil is prepared to fix and to position the vortex shedding elements at specific positions at the tower surface by heat applied to the shrink foil.

A noise-reduction device for a wind turbine and the wind turbine applied thereof are introduced. The noise-reduction device has a body. The body has a connection portion and a spoiler. The connection portion is concavely disposed on one side of the body and corresponds in shape to the wind turbine's blade so as to be fixed to a confronting edge of the wind turbine blade. The spoiler is disposed on the opposing side of the body. As soon as the wind turbine blade is driven by wind, the spoiler stirs air and guides the air across two sides thereof. When guided by the spoiler, airflows turn into vortexes on the wind turbine blade; hence, the chance that the wind turbine will stall and generate noise is greatly reduced.

A vortex hydroturbine includes a tank to be filled with a liquid, such as water. At least one turbine circulates the liquid within the tank and produces a vortex. A central turbine is driven by the circulating liquid and an electric generator is driven by the central turbine for producing electricity to be supplied to a load. A method for operating a vortex hydroturbine is also provided.

A wind turbine is disclosed. The wind turbine may include a discoidal chassis and at least one vane disposed on the discoidal chassis. The discoidal chassis can rotate about a central axis. The discoidal chassis has a first outermost surface with a pitch angle between the central axis and another axis orthogonal to the central axis. The vane is disposed on the first outermost surface. The vane has a concave surface to assist in rotation of the discoidal chassis about the central axis by harnessing wind energy.

A tapered roller bearing (31a) has a plurality of retainer segments (11a, 11d) each having a pocket to house a tapered roller (34a), and arranged so as to be continuously lined with each other in a circumferential direction between an outer ring (32a) and an inner ring (33a). The retainer segment (11a, 11d) is formed of a resin containing a filler material to lower a thermal linear expansion coefficient. In addition, a clearance (39a) is provided between the first retainer segment (11a) and the last retainer segment (11d) after the plurality of retainer segments (11a, 11d) have been arranged in the circumferential direction without providing any clearance. Here a circumferential range (R) of the clearance (39a) is larger than 0.075% of a circumference of a circle passing through a center of the retainer segment (11a, 11d) and smaller than 0.12% thereof at room temperature.

The application relates to unidirectional hydrokinetic turbines having an improved flow acceleration system that uses asymmetrical hydrofoil shapes on some or all of the key components of the turbine. These components that may be hydrofoil shaped include, e.g., the rotor blades (34), the center hub (36), the rotor blade shroud (38), the accelerator shroud (20), annular diffuser(s) (40), the wildlife and debris excluder (10, 18) and the tail rudder (60). The fabrication method designs various components to cooperate in optimizing the extraction of energy, while other components reduce or eliminate turbulence that could negatively affect other component(s).

Devices and methods are provided for harvesting kinetic energy. The devices can include a plurality of dielectric elastomeric membranes, a rigid connector rod, and a mountable support base. Membrane layers have a funnel-shape with a narrow opening portion and a wide perimeter portion. Membrane layers are adjacent to other membrane layers having an opposite orientation defined by the narrow opening portion and the wide perimeter portion. The narrow opening portions are coupled to a first end portion of the connector rod. The wide perimeter portions are fixed in relation to the support base. Application of linear force at a second end portion of the connector rod in a first direction causes at least a first membrane layer to stretch. Application of the force in a second direction opposite to the first direction causes at least a second membrane layer adjacent to the first membrane layer to stretch.

The application relates to unidirectional hydrokinetic turbines having an improved flow acceleration system that uses asymmetrical hydrofoil shapes on some or all of the key components of the turbine. These components that may be hydrofoil shaped include, e.g., the rotor blades (34), the center hub (36), the rotor blade shroud (38), the accelerator shroud (20), annular diffuser(s) (40), the wildlife and debris excluder (10, 18) and the tail rudder (60). The fabrication method designs various components to cooperate in optimizing the extraction of energy, while other components reduce or eliminate turbulence that could negatively affect other component(s).

There is provided a turbine with a turbine body, a support frame, and a generator. The turbine body has a plurality of turbine blades, a shaft defining a rotational axis, and a bottom apex. Each of the turbine blades has a lower edge, and the lower edges taper upward relative to the bottom apex such that the lower edges trace a convex surface as the turbine body rotates about the rotational axis. The support frame is connected to the shaft by an angularly adjustable connection that adjusts the angle of the shaft relative to the support frame. The angularly adjustable connection permits rotation of the shaft about the rotational axis, and the generator is powered by the rotation of the shaft.

A method for controlling a wind turbine includes receiving signals representative of oncoming wind speeds approaching at least a portion of a wind turbine, receiving background noise and signals representative of signal-to-noise ratios corresponding to the signals representative of the oncoming wind speeds, determining an availability-and-atmospheric noise in the signals based on one or more of the signal-to-noise ratios, blade positions of blades of the wind turbine, and the yaw position of a nacelle of the wind turbine, determining a wind incoherence noise in the signals due to a change in the oncoming wind speeds while approaching at least the portion of the wind turbine, determining a net measurement noise in the signals based on the background noise, the availability-and-atmospheric noise, and the wind incoherence noise, and controlling the wind turbine based at least on the signals representative of the oncoming wind speeds and the net measurement noise.