A linear-motion guiding device is disposed on the wall of the container. The wind turbine includes, at the lower end of the support column, a support-column lower end member capable of being fixed to the linear-motion guiding device. A slider of the linear-motion guiding device is provided with a guide member, and a bolt is inserted through a bolt insertion hole in the support-column lower end member and is screwed into a threaded hole in the guide member. The apparatus includes an attachment guide part including a stepped bolt and a flanged step part, the attachment guide part being configured to guide the support-column lower end member to a position and an attitude in which the bolt insertion hole in the support-column lower end member is aligned with the threaded hole in the guide member when the support-column lower end member is not fixed to the slider.

A pitch control method and system of a symmetrical-airfoil vertical axis wind turbine collects data by an anemometer, an anemoscope and an angle sensor, outputs an optimum pitch angle based on a control law of a pitch angle and controls the pitch angle to be the optimum pitch angle through a pitch control actuator. In addition to input variables of the control law such as a wind velocity v.sub.in and a blade azimuth angle Ψ, constants such as a rotation radius R, a rotation velocity Ω of the blade and aerodynamic coefficients c.sub.1, c.sub.2 and c.sub.3 are also related. A Reynolds number has little influence on three aerodynamic coefficients c.sub.1, c.sub.2 and c.sub.3. The pitch actuator controls the adjustment rods to realize the automatic pitch control of the blades. An expression of the control law of the pitch is concise, the calculation time is short, and a response speed is fast.

A cutter blade for a mower is disposed inside a housing of the mower and rotatably driven about a vertical axis. The cutter blade includes a blade body a blade portion provided at least at a part of a rotational direction-wise front end portion of the blade body, and a wind generating portion provided at least at a part of a rotational direction-wise rear end portion of the blade body, the wind generating portion extending more upwards than the blade portion. A thickness of the wind generating portion at the rotational direction-wise rear end portion is smaller at least partially than a thickness of the remaining part of the wind generating portion.

A high performance hybrid turbine is provided which has an impeller towards which a fluid flow of water, air, or other fluid is conveyed for rotation of the impeller around an axis of rotation. The impeller exploits the thrusts that the fluid flow exerts on the elements constituting the impeller and the thrusts generated by a certain number of airfoils provided inside the elements of the impeller. The high performance hybrid turbine, if used as a wind turbine, can operate at much higher wind speeds than conventional wind turbines.

A system with a first turbine rotating in a first direction and a second turbine rotating in a second direction, wherein there is negative clearance associated with blades of the first turbine and the blades of the second turbine.

A span-wise extending pin for joining blade segments of a rotor blade includes a distal portion having a length defined by a first end and an opposing, second end. The distal portion has a conical shape extending for at least a portion of the length thereof for providing ease of insertion of the pin into a pin joint slot of one of the first and second blade segments. The pin also includes a pin portion adjacent to the distal portion. The pin portion includes a first section and a second section. The second section is configured for securing within a beam structure of the first blade segment. The first section extends span-wise from a receiving end of the beam structure. The pin also includes a proximal portion having at least a rod member that extends span-wise through and secures together the pin portion and the distal portion.

A rotor assembly comprises a rotor having a plurality of blades and an axis about which the rotor rotates, each blade being spaced from the axis of the rotor such that there is a gap between the axis and an inner edge of each blade through which fluid can flow, and inner and outer edges of each blade lying in and defining a blade plane and each blade being offset from the axis of the rotor such that the axis does not lie in the blade plane; a casing partially surrounding the rotor, the casing having a first opening to permit a fluid flow into or out of the casing in a direction generally perpendicular to the rotor axis; and a second opening at an axial end of the casing to permit a fluid flow into or out of the casing in a direction generally parallel to the rotor axis.

A method and device is provided for increasing the efficiency of jet drives by recuperating effective power from the propulsion flow. A ducted propeller in the propeller housing, driven by a driving engine via a drive shaft, conveys the fluid for the jet drive out of the interior V.sub.i of a radial turbine. The fluid is accelerated axially and ejected backwards against the direction of travel. This creates thrust. Because the pressure in the interior of the turbine decreases, new fluid from the environment flows directly via the blades of the rotating radial turbine from the outside to the inside, thereby driving them. A guide apparatus is missing. The power of the radial turbine is transmitted via a transmission to the drive shaft of the propeller, which relieves the driving engine and increases the efficiency of the jet drive. The invention is particularly suitable for electric drives.

A fabric and a method for making the same. The fabric includes a layer of unidirectionally oriented carbon fibre filaments sandwiched between a first layer of glass fibre rovings and a second layer of glass fibre rovings. The first layer of glass fibre rovings and the second layer of glass fibre rovings are linked by a connecting material.

A material (such as potassium hydroxide or ammonia) capable of reacting with ambient carbon dioxide to produce fertilizer is placed in the path of ambient air movement. Desirably the material is associated with a fabric which in turn is associated with a vane of a vertical axis wind turbine, the turbine performing useful work as well as supporting the material which produces a fertilizer. A misting system controlled by a controller may automatically apply a water mist to the material if the humidity is below a predetermined level. The fabric with produced nitrogen and/or potassium fertilizer may be placed directly into contact with soil, or shredded first, or burned to produce energy and an ash (and the ash applied to the soil). The wind turbine may have a convenient, versatile mounting system with three adjustable legs supporting a central component, and the spokes of the wind turbine may be slotted for easy assembly with vanes.