ARCHED RIB FOR A TURBINE

Abstract

A rotor having at least two vanes includes a plurality of elongated arched support ribs rigidly connecting at axially spaced intervals to a shaft of the turbine. The arched support ribs are disposed transverse to the shaft and provide a mating face to connect to the entire inner face of the vane. A method of forming the rib is further included.

Claims

1. A rotor having at least two vanes and including a plurality of arched support ribs rigidly connecting at axially spaced intervals along a shaft; each arched support rib including a hub section and an arched rib arm section, the hub section defining a connecting boss for connection to the shaft, and wherein the vanes are connected to the arched rib arm section.

2. The rotor of claim 1 wherein the arched rib arm section includes an arched wing and a mounting arm.

3. The rotor of claim 2 wherein the vanes are mounted along an outer perimeter of the arched wing.

4. The rotor of claim 2 wherein the mounting arm includes a beveled face.

5. The rotor of claim 2 wherein the arched wing and the mounting arm define a wing aperture.

6. The rotor of claim 5 wherein the wing aperture includes structural cross supports.

7. The rotor of claim 3 wherein the vanes are glued or screwed to the outer perimeter of the arched wing.

8. The rotor of claim 1, the connecting boss including a threaded bore defined therein.

9. The rotor of claim 1 including an airfoil shaped portion being disposed intermediate the connecting boss and the balancing mass

10. The rotor of claim 1, wherein the vanes are made of strips or slats, which are either in horizontal or vertical direction, or in any direction between 0 to 90 degrees.

11. A method for mounting a vane to a rotor, the method comprising; connecting an arched rib assembly transverse to a shaft, the arched rib assembly having a central hub defining an opening for engaging the shaft, the arched rib assembly including a rib arm extending radially from the hub and an arched wing connecting at a distal end of the rib arm with the hub, and fastening an interior face of the vane to a mating face of the rib arcuate arm.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein fastening the vanes to the ribs includes glue or screws.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the rib arm is made of a material different from a material forming the arched wing.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the vanes are made of strips or slats, which are either in a horizontal or a vertical direction, or in any direction between 0 to 90 degrees.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a wind turbine;

[0027] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a wind turbine section illustrating the fastenings of the present invention;

[0028] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a rib of the present invention;

[0029] FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a Fastening Rib for a Turbine;

[0030] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the Fastening Rib depicted in FIG. 4;

[0031] FIG. 6 is a front side elevational view of the Fastening Rib depicted in FIG. 4;

[0032] FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the Fastening Rib depicted in FIG. 4;

[0033] FIG. 8 is a rear side elevational view of the Fastening Rib depicted in FIG. 4;

[0034] FIG. 9 is a left side elevational view of the Fastening Rib depicted in FIG. 4; and

[0035] FIG. 10 is a right side elevational view of the Fastening Rib depicted in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The rotor of the present invention is depicted generally in FIG. 1. The rotor 1 according to the invention comprises a pair of elongated flightings or vanes 2a, 2b having a curved, preferably semi-circular, cross section. In this application, flighting and vanes are used interchangeably as are fastenings and ribs.

[0037] The flightings 2a, 2b are arranged axially about a longitudinal, geometrical axis 5 (see FIG. 1) in a symmetrical fashion such that the concave sides of the flightings 2a, 2b partially overlap each other. Thereby an axial passage is defined between the inner edges of the flightings 2a, 2b. The flightings 2a, 2b are twisted in a screw-shaped manner in relation to one another by substantially 180. The length of the rotor 1 is preferably at least four times its diameter.

[0038] A longitudinal shaft 3 is connected at least at one end to a supporting frame 50 in a rotatable manner. The shaft 3 is concentric with the axis 5. As discussed above, the connection may also be pivotable. In that case means are provided for resiliently keeping the rotor 1 in a first axial direction in relation to a supporting frame but allowing the rotor 1 to pivot as a function of the wind strength influencing the rotor 1.

[0039] A plurality of elongated, generally arched-like support ribs 4, rigidly interconnect, at preferably axially equidistant intervals, the inner face of each of the respective flightings 2a, 2b. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the flightings 2a, 2b wrap around the shaft 3. The support ribs 4 can be transverse to the shaft 3 or at angles greater or less than ninety degrees.

[0040] Said ribs 4 are arranged in a substantially perpendicular relationship to the longitudinal axis 5 and their cross section is convex in the upper direction with respect to a vertically mounted rotor 1. The shaft 3 may extend over the whole axial length of the rotor 1 as is the case in FIG. 1.

[0041] The arched rib of the rotor 1 is shown generally at 4 in FIGS. 1 and 3. The arched rib 4 is formed of two major subcomponents; the hub 10 and blade 30.

[0042] The hub 10 of the rib 4 includes a hub body 12. An axial bore 14 is defined in the hub body 12. The axial bore 14 is defined coaxially with the longitudinal axis 5 of the rotor 1.

[0043] A pair of threaded bores 18 penetrate the hub body 12 and intersect the axial bore 14. When the rib 4 is disposed on the shaft 3, bolts (not shown) may be threadedly disposed in the respective threaded bores 18, the end of the respective bolts bearing on the exterior margin of the shaft 3 to fixedly couple the rib 4 to the shaft 3.

[0044] A pair of opposed flighting inner edge supports 20 are preferably formed integral with the hub body 12. Each of the flighting inner edge supports 20 includes an angled support face 21. A blind threaded bore 22 commences at each respective support phase 21 and extends inward into the respective flighting inner edge supports 20.

[0045] A selectable balancing mass 24 may be formed integral with the flighting inner edge support 20. The selectable balancing mass 24 preferably extends radially from the hub body 12. As depicted in FIG. 3, the selectable balancing mass 24 has an inner margin 26 and an outer margin 28. The distance between the inner margin 26 and the outer margin 28 may be varied as desired to suitably affect the mass of selectable balancing mass 24. Other known means may be utilized to affect such mass, such as varying of the exterior margin 29 of the balancing mass 24 and forming the balancing mass 24 of a material having a greater or less mass as desired, for example.

[0046] The blade 30 extends radially outward from the hub 10 and is coupled to the selectable balancing mass 24 at the proximal end 32 of the blade 30. A coupling boss 36 is formed at the distal end 34 of the blade 30. The coupling boss 36 presents a flighting outer edge support face 42 having a blind threaded bore 38 defined therein.

[0047] The blade 30 may include opposing arcuate wings 39 and 40 that connect to the rib 4 at a first end 41 approximate the inner edge support 20 at a second end at the flighting outer edge support face 42 proximate the distal end 34. The arcuate wings 39 and 40 maybe of a single piece or be constructed of multiple segments. The arcuate wings 39 and 40 allow for additional surface area in which to connect to the vane or flighting. The arcuate wings 39 and 40 have an outer face 43 that may be flat or contain connections for attaching the vanes. An inner region 44 is defined by the blade 30 and the arcuate wings 39 and 40. The inner region 44 may be open or may filled with other support structure.

[0048] The ribs 4 are preferably made of metal, whereas the flightings 2a, 2b can be made of metal or plastic. Other combinations of materials may be used or the ribs and flightings could be made of the same material.

[0049] The selectable balancing mass 24 of the hub 10 is selected to suitably balance the rotating mass of the rotor 1. Such balancing takes into account the effects of the mass of the shaft 3, the flighting 2, and the rib 4 itself for a known range of rotational velocities to be experienced by the rotor 1. Further, the mass of the selectable balancing mass 24 is selected such that the resonant frequency of the rotor 1 lies either below or above the range of rotational velocities to be experienced by the rotor 1. Avoiding operation of the rotor 1 in the vicinity of its natural frequency is critical to minimizing potentially destructive resonances in the rotating rotor 1.

[0050] FIGS. 2 and 4-10 illustrate an alternate embodiment of the rib or fastening 100. The arched rib 100 is disposed on the shaft 3 through hub opening 122. Bolts (not shown) may be threadedly disposed in the respective threaded bores, the end of the respective bolts bearing on the exterior margin of the shaft 3 to fixedly couple the rib 100 to the shaft 3.

[0051] Rib 100 includes opposed flighting inner edge supports 120, which are preferably formed integral with the hub body 112. A selectable balancing mass [not shown] may be formed integral with the flighting inner edge support 120 or be attached independently. The selectable balancing mass preferably extends radially from the hub body 112. Other known means may be utilized to affect such mass, such as varying of the exterior margin of the balancing mass and forming the balancing mass of a material having a greater or less mass as desired, for example.

[0052] The rib 100 includes a rib arm 130 that extends radially outward from the hub 112. The rib arm 130 may include opposing arched wing 139 and 140 that connect to the rib 100 at a first end 135 approximate the inner edge support 120 at a second end proximate the distal end 134. The arched wings 139 and 140 maybe of a single piece or be constructed of multiple segments. The arched wings 139 and 140 allow for additional surface area in which to connect to the vane or flighting. The arched wings 139 and 140 have an outer face 141 that may be flat or contain connections for attaching the vanes. A wing aperture 142 is defined by the rib arm 130 and the arcuate wings 139 and 140. The wing aperture 142 is an inner region of the rib 100 that may be open or may be filled with other support structure. Rib arm 130 may also include a slanted inner face 143 and a slanted outer face 144. Rib arm inner face 143 and Rib arm outer face 144 may have a bevel, slant or curvature to increase the aerodynamic aspects of the rib. Likewise, rib arm 140 may have a concave or curved cross section.

[0053] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the individual ribs 100 may be disposed on the shaft 3. The flighting 2a, 2b may then be coupled to the individual ribs 100. The inner margin of flighting 2a is coupled to the outer face 141 of the ribs 139 and 140. The vanes may be comprised of strips or slats, rather than a single piece. The strip or slats are either in horizontal or vertical direction, or in any direction between 0 to 90 degrees angle.

[0054] While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives.