CABLE TO TEMPORARILY STORE & TRANSPORT KINETIC-ENERGY FROM COLLECTOR TO GENERATOR

Abstract

A temporary kinetic energy storage-holder and energy transfer devise, comprising of a rotating cable preferably of steel, between two fixed rotating points each a thrust bearings and a one direction rotation hub at the kinetic energy source, coupled to at one end to a kinetic energy capturing devise such as wind turbine, water wheel, animal human or any other kinetic energy generating or collector devise, and at the other end, coupled to an electricity generating devise, a generator, directly or via a geared speed modifier to control generator impute. And all this attached to a supporting structure, tower, pole, pipe column or the ground, to transform kinetic energy into electricity.

Claims

1. A power producing fluid turbine consisting of: a tall tower, an energy collector at tower top, an electricity generator at tower base; a twisted rotating cable connected from collector to generator; two thrust bearings on cable one at top the other at bottom; a unidirectional ratchet at tower top.

2. The power producing turbine of claim 1 where the energy collector is a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) with an extended axle into tower top for robust anchoring.

3. The power producing turbine of claim 2 where the cable is twisted in rotation direction, may be loose or taut, of any material capable of performing task preferably high torsion steel.

4. The power producing turbine of claim 2 where the unidirectional ratchet controls the reverse unwinding of the cable.

5. The power producing turbine of claim 2 where the thrust bearings are positively coupled to rotating cable directly or indirectly via VAWT extended axel at top and universal joint at bottom and directly to tower via plates or trusses and maintain a constant distance to each other.

6. The power producing turbine of claim 5 where the top and bottom thrust bearings in conjunction with unidirectional ratchet temporarily stores torque energy in the cable, prevent tension passing to gearing below, and prevent reverse rotation to collector at top.

7. The power producing turbine of claim 2 where the generator may have a geared speed modifier.

8. The power producing turbine of claim 2 where the cable may have additional supports along its length.

9. The power producing turbine of claim 2 where the cable be a torsion spring or a loose set of wires.

10. The power producing turbine of claim 2 where the cable may be couple at ends to rotating elements via universal joints to control rotation misalignments.

11. The power producing turbine of claim 1 where the energy collector be a HAWT with an angled gear to redirect rotational horizontal forces to a downward vertical direction, and concentric with a rotating ball bearing seat at nacelle balance point allows the nacelle free 360 degrees rotation to face the wind via fins or yaw mechanism.

12. The power producing turbine of claim 11 where the cable is twisted in rotation direction and may be loose taut or of any material capable of performing task preferably high torsion steel.

13. The power producing turbine of claim 11 where the unidirectional ratchet controls the reverse unwinding of the cable.

14. The power producing turbine of claim 11 where the thrust bearings are positively coupled to rotating cable directly or indirectly via gear angled vertical extended axel at top and universal joint at bottom and directly to tower via plates or trusses and maintain a constant distance.

15. The power producing turbine of claim 11 where the top and bottom thrust bearings in conjunction with unidirectional ratchet temporarily stores torque energy in the cable, prevent tension passing to gearing below or reverse rotation to collector at top.

16. The power producing turbine of claim 11 where the generator may have geared speed modifier

17. The power producing turbine of claim 11 where the cable may have additional supports along its length.

18. The power producing turbine of claim 11 where the cable be a torsion spring or a loose set of wires.

19. The power producing turbine of claim 11 where the cable is couple at ends to rotating elements via universal joints to control rotation misalignments.

20. The power producing turbine of claim 1 where the tall tower is laid on its side, the energy collector is a water wheel at waters' edge and the generator with optional speed modifier be located away from waters' edge.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1, Turbine 100, shows the devise in a preferred embodiment, the cable in a (VAWT) wind turbine.

[0021] FIG. 2, turbine 200 shows the transfer of a HAWT torque forces from horizontal direction to vertical direction, a variation of the preferred embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] FIG. 1 Turbine 100 along with corresponding reference numbers of parts shows a prefer embodiment of the devise, an apparatus that collects wind kinetic energy, atop a robustly ground secured tall tower 1 structure, via a (vertical axis wind turbine) VAWT 2 positively anchored at tower 1 top via its' extended axel 3 for robust support and transmits this kinetic energy via a rotating twisted cable/torsion-spring 7 positively couple at top to extended axel 3, down to an electric generator 12 that is securely anchored at tower base foundations 14, directly or thru a geared speed modifier 11; this long, twisted in the rotating direction, cable/torsion-spring 7 securely anchored via thrust bearings 5 with plates 10 trusses 9 or the like, directly to tower 1, or indirectly, at top thru the VAWT extended axel 3 and at bottom thru a universal joint 13, to maintain in a fix position and constant cable 7 length between these top and bottom thrust bearings 5, and to prevent cable 7 puling tension forces to pass above to collector 2 and gearing 11 bellow; a unidirectional-ratchet/one-way-hub 4 at tower top positively coupled to tower 1 VAWT 2 and twisted cable/torsion spring 7 directly or thru extended axel 3, controls the reverse rotation and unwinding of the cable 7 at top; additional support bearings 8 may be added to cable 7 coupled to tower via plates 10 or trusses 9 when long and heavy as needed along its length; universal joints 13 may couple cable 7 ends to rotating components to accommodate misalignments of rotation; as the wind pushes the rotation of the VAWT 2 thru extended axel 3 down cable 7 that rotates along the axes of rotation down to the generator 12 thru speed modifier 11 producing electricity in stronger winds, but in lower winds as the VAWT 2 rotates along with the cable 7, the speed modifier 11 electric generator 12 friction stops the rotation at the bottom that continues to accumulate on a twisted tense cable 7 that wants to unwind and decompress but the unidirectional-ratchet/one-way-hub 4 prevents the reverse unwinding, while top and bottom thrust bearings 5 prevent the decompression of the cable 7 while holding this stored kinetic energy that augments and increases with added turns of the VAWT 2, till wind forces are strong enough to overcome this friction at the speed increaser 11 generator 12 at which time all rotating parts start moving producing electricity thru the generator 12, at least for a time with the stored and increased energy in the cable 7, even under no added forces (as it takes less force to rotate a moving object than a static one) but when forces are added above the minimum required to rotate the apparatus then the speed-modifier 11/generator 12 will continue to rotate pushed by the VAWT 2 its extended axis 3 down the rotating cable 7 to the generator 12, generating electricity, for as long as the wind forces are just above this minimum threshold required to rotate the moving apparatus, and the stronger the forces the faster the rotation the more kinetic energy is transformed into electricity via the generator 12 which is the whole point.

[0023] In another embodiment FIG. 2 Turbine 200 depicts another kinetic energy collector, a horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) 15, its horizontal rotating axes 18 coupled to ball bearings 19 anchored at front and back of the nacelle 16. At a point somewhere about the center of gravity balance point of the HAWT 15, an angled geared differential 20 that transfers horizontal torque forces down to vertical direction via a vertical axel 23 that, may also combine thrust bearing 21 and a unidirectional ratchet 4, transfers the rotation forces of the HAWT 15 in one direction only, from the horizontal axis 18 to a vertical axis 23, this short vertical axel 23 acts in the same manner as the VAWT 2 extended axel 3 of FIG. 1 Turbine 100, where the twisted steel cable torsion spring 7 is positively coupled to angled geared 20 via vertical axel 23, this cable 7 extends to the generator 12 in the same manner as in FIG. 1 Turbine 100; concentric with this angled geared 20 vertical axel 23 a ball bearing 17 positively anchored to the tower 1 top and HAWT nacelle 16 are concentric along vertical axis rotation, allows the nacelle 16 to rotate freely, via a yaw or horizontal directional fin 22, 360 degrees to face the wind; this nacelle rotation is totally independent of angled geared vertical or horizontal rotation.

[0024] In another embodiment, not shown, the kinetic energy collector maybe a water wheel, in this case the supporting structure may be lay down on its side not vertical, and all the components which are virtually the same as in FIG. 1 turbine 100 except the collector is a water wheel, all this which can easily be assembled by someone versed in the art, in the same manner and sequence and functionality, but lay down on its side and the wind turbine 2 be replaced by a water wheel and the electricity generating components located far away from the damaging water.

[0025] It should be appreciated that size scale and dimensions of the apparatus are exemplary only and all dimensions scale and size of the parts can vary independent of or in conjunction with one or multiple or all parts of the devise in such a way apparent to one versed in the art.

[0026] The invention has been described herein using specific embodiments for the purpose of illustration only. It will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, however, that the principals of the invention can be embodied in other ways. Therefore the invention should not be regarded as being limited in scope to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but instead fully commensurate in scope with the following claims.