Wind turbine

Abstract

The invention relates to a wind power station (1) for energy generation with an axial-flow, rotating, vortex-generating wind concentrator (2) pivot-mounted on a shaft (3), covered by a ring-shaped outer jacket (4) which on its outside features flow channels distributed over 360 and which is equipped concentrator blades (7) in a circular arrangement between the shaft (3) and the ring-shaped outer jacket (4). To create favorable conditions, it is proposed to include sawtooth-shaped, curved edge-vortex-generating guide profiles (5) producing a downstream vortex coil across the entire cross-section of the ring-shaped outer jacket (4).

Claims

1. A wind power station for energy generation comprising an axial-flow, rotating, vortex-generating wind concentrator pivot-mounted on a shaft, covered by a ring-shaped outer jacket, an outside of the ring-shaped outer jacket comprising guide devices distributed over 360, the axial-flow, rotating, vortex-generating wind concentrator being equipped with concentrator blades in a circular arrangement between the shaft and the ring-shaped outer jacket, an axial-flow auxiliary wind concentrator downstream from the axial-flow, rotating, vortex-generating wind concentrator and fitted on an additional shaft, and a fixed, horizontally fitted ring-, diffuser- or laval-nozzle-shaped outer jacket surrounding both the axial-flow, rotating, vortex-generating wind concentrator and the axial-flow auxiliary wind concentrator, wherein the guide devices comprise edge-vortex-generating, curved sawtooth guide profiles producing a down-stream vortex coil across the entire cross-section of the ring-shaped outer jacket, and wherein the axial-flow, rotating, vortex-generating wind concentrator includes cooling wires, the cooling wires running like a grid between the axial-flow, rotating, vortex-generating wind concentrator and the auxiliary wind concentrator, the cooling wires cooling down the respective surfaces and thereby providing increased cooling of the axial air stream.

2. The wind power station according to claim 1, wherein the guide profiles are curved in the longitudinal direction of the profile and, as appropriate, around a longitudinal profile axle.

3. The wind power station according to claim 1, wherein the guide profiles are equipped with wing-tip shaped winglets.

4. The wind power station according to claim 3, wherein the outer jacket, the guide profiles and the winglets have a wing profile, as appropriate.

5. The wind power station according to claim 1, wherein the axial-flow, rotating, vortex-generating wind concentrator has an upwind or downwind design.

6. The wind power station according to claim 1, further comprising flexible, thin-layered solar panels: coating the axial-flow, rotating, vortex-generating wind concentrator, cooling down the surfaces of the axial-flow, rotating, vortex-generating wind concentrator by way of heat dissipation, and cooling the axial air stream flowing through the axial-flow, rotating, vortex-generating wind concentrator.

7. The wind power station according to claim 1, further comprising a generator, wherein the axial-flow, rotating, vortex-generating wind concentrator is motor-operated as a propulsion-generating wind concentrator with a fan via the generator.

8. The wind power station according to claim 1, comprising a dedicated break device for the axial-flow, rotating, vortex-generating wind concentrator.

9. The wind power station according to claim 1, further comprising flexible, thin-layered solar panels coating the fixed, ring-, diffuser- or laval-nozzle-shaped outer jacket for cooling down the surfaces of the fixed ring-, diffuser- or laval-nozzle-shaped outer jacket and the axial air stream by heat dissipation.

10. The wind power station according to claim 1, comprising a design by which the amount of water contained in the humidity of the air which is eliminated in the process of cooling down of the air stream, is drained at the bottom of the fixed ring-, diffuser- or laval-nozzle-shaped outer jacket.

11. The wind power station according to claim 10, comprising a water basin configured to collect the water drained at the bottom of the fixed ring-, diffuser- or laval-nozzle-shaped outer jacket.

12. The wind power station according to claim 1, with the option to motor-operate the axial-flow, rotating, vortex-generating wind concentrator or the auxiliary concentrator via the generator as a propulsion-generating wind concentrator with a fan which makes it possible to also use the system for eliminating water from the air stream during still air and light wind conditions and thereby use it as a dehumidifier.

13. The wind power station according to claim 1, comprising a dedicated break device for the auxiliary concentrator.

14. The wind power station according to claim 1, wherein the axial-flow, rotating, vortex-generating wind concentrator includes cooling loops, the cooling loops running like a grid between the axial-flow, rotating, vortex-generating wind concentrator and the auxiliary wind concentrator, the cooling loops cooling down the respective surfaces and thereby providing increased cooling of the axial air stream.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The technical drawings provide a schematic representation of the invention. The figures show the following:

(2) FIG. 1 is a front view of the wind power station which is the subject matter of this invention with the rotating, vortex-generating wind concentrator in an upwind configuration.

(3) FIG. 2 is a side view of the wind power station which is the subject matter of this invention with rotating vortex-generating wind concentrator in a downwind configuration.

(4) FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the configuration option of the wind power station which is the subject matter of this invention, with rotating vortex-generating wind concentrator and a downwind auxiliary concentrator on a parallel additional shaft with a horizontal, fixed laval-nozzle-shaped outer jacket and installed cooling wires and water collection basin.

(5) FIGS. 4 to 6 show a configuration option of the curved, inward turning sawtooth guide profiles arranged in a circle over 360 degrees in a counter-rotational direction in different views.

(6) FIGS. 7 to 12 provide more configuration options of the curved, inward turning sawtooth guide profiles arranged in a circle over 360 degrees in a counter-rotational direction from different views, and

(7) FIGS. 13 to 21 show design variants of configuration examples according to FIGS. 4-12 with guide profiles featuring a wing section.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(8) A wind power station 1 for energy generation with a rotating vortex-generating wind concentrator 2 mainly consists of an axial-flow, rotating wind concentrator 2 which is pivot-mounted on a shaft 3 with a ring-shaped outer jacket to be able to use the full cross-section of the incoming stream of air.

(9) The outside of the ring-shaped outer jacket 4 features inward-turning, flow-concentrating, vortex-generating flow channels distributed over 360 with sawtooth-shaped guide profiles (5) curled in the rotational direction, and may widen (broaden the cross section) in the direction of the flow.

(10) Between the hub 6 and the ring-shaped outer jacket 4, the wind concentrator 2 has concentrator blades 7 arranged in a circular, radial shape, which depending on the intended purpose of use feature either low-speed or high-speed profiles. Low-speed profiles in this context are defined as wing sections which are designed for low flow speeds. Accordingly, high-speed profiles are designed for higher or high flow speeds.

(11) The vortex-generating guide profiles 5 are intended to force the incoming air to form edge vortices which, behind wind concentrator 2, merge to a vortex coil across the entire cross-section of the wind concentrator 2 through which the air flows. The circulation of air is boosted inside the vortex coil creating an increase in air speed and, hence a negative pressure. In the covered ring surface behind wind concentrator 2, i.e. in the concentrator eye, the local pressure is reduced across the entire cross-section of the ring-shaped outer jacket. Due to the vacuum in the core of the vortex, environmental air is fed in an upstream direction through the wind concentrator 2 as molecules flow at molecular speed in a local vacuum creating independent acceleration. This acceleration improves the roughness lengths with improved energy content of the airstream and balances short-term fluctuations of wind strength between gusts of wind.

(12) As specified in the configuration examples (FIGS. 4 to 12), the vortex-generating, inward turning, curved guide profiles 5 at the tip of the profile may have a variety of shapes and, by using flexible materials, may also be implemented as operated against a spring force or designed to adjust to the airstream by using flexible materials.

(13) Wind concentrator 2 is pivot-mounted on a shaft 3 sitting in a casing which is connected to a generator 11 through a gearbox 9 and coupling 10, converting wind energy to electrical energy. The air feed of the wind power station 1 is controlled by an electric motor 13 that interferes in the stewing ring. As shown in (FIGS. 1 and 2) the wind power station 1 which is the subject matter of this invention is mounted on a steel tube mast 14.

(14) Coaxial to shaft 3, the wind concentrator 2 has a medium displacement element which at the same time serves as a hub 6 for connecting wind concentrator 2, channeling the airstream from the central turbine area where its effectiveness would be very small due to the short distance to the axis of rotation, to the farther outside part of the turbine, thereby additionally increasing the dynamic pressure in front of wind concentrator 2 and, as a consequence, the uplift force of the concentrator blades on the low-speed profiles.

(15) In the configuration variant for solar use, the vertical wind concentrator 2 and the vortex-generating curved guide profiles 5 can be fitted with flexible, thin-layered solar panels for solar energy use. The solar power produced by the solar panels is dissipated and converted to electrical energy.

(16) Wind concentrator 2 also provides the option to be used as a motor-operated propulsion-generating fan wind concentrator 2 by using generator 11, thereby creating a vacuum zone in an upstream direction by reducing the local pressure as a result of the suction effect in the downstream direction; the vacuum also propagates into adjacent local areas of the motor-operated fan wind concentrator thereby further increasing its effectiveness.

(17) In another configuration variant of wind power station 1 which is the subject matter of this invention, wind concentrator 2 may be equipped with a downwind auxiliary wind concentrator 16 mounted on an additional shaft 15, which has an axial flow design such as wind concentrator 2 for a more efficient utilization of wind energy. The auxiliary wind concentrator 16 also operates a generator 11. Both wind concentrators, 2 and 16, are covered by a fixed ring- or diffuser-type outer jacket 17.

(18) A laval-nozzle-shaped design on the incoming air side of outer jacket 17, which is tapered in the flow direction towards wind concentrator 2 and widens to a diffuser shape in a downstream direction towards the auxiliary concentrator 16, provides additional benefits.

(19) The air feed of the wind power station 1 with wind concentrators 2 and 16 aligned parallel to each other, is controlled by an electric motor 13 that interferes in the slewing ring 12. As shown in (FIG. 3), the wind power station which is the subject matter of this invention is mounted on a lattice mast 18.

(20) For a configuration variant for solar use, the ring-, diffuser- and laval-nozzle-shaped outer jacket 17 of the vertically arranged in-line wind concentrators 2 and 16 of wind power station 1 which is the subject of this invention, may be equipped with flexible, thin-layered solar panels for solar energy use. The heat energy produced by the solar panels is released and converted to electrical energy.

(21) Another configuration variant of power station 1 which is the subject matter of this invention according to FIG. 3 provides for the withdrawal of water from the humidity of the air from the airstream to the ring-, diffuser- or laval-nozzle-shaped outer jacket 17. The airstream to the ring-, diffuser- or laval-nozzle-shaped outer jacket is cooled down between wind concentrator 2 and the auxiliary wind concentrator 16 which results in the elimination of water. The water eliminated from the airstream may be collected in a water basin 19 and used for commercial purposes.

(22) For another configuration variant for cooling the air even more to withdraw water from the humidity of the air, it is suggested to equip wind concentrator 2 in an upstream direction and/or the ring-, diffuser- or laval-nozzle-shaped outer jacket 17 with integrated cooling wires 20 or cooling loops which can also be arranged parallel in a grid-shape configuration between in-line wind concentrator 2 and auxiliary concentrator 16.

(23) Wind power station 1 according to FIG. 3 which is he subject matter of this invention, can also be motor-operated by wind concentrator 2 or auxiliary concentrator 16 via its generator 11 providing the option of eliminating water from the air also in times of no or little wind. In this configuration variant, either wind concentrator 2 or auxiliary concentrator 16 are operated as a fan concentrator 2 or 16 with a propulsion-generating effect.

(24) The guide profiles according to FIGS. 4-12 feature a wing section to improve uplift force (rotary drive) and vortex shedding during low wind speeds.