Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02595272 2007-08-01
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1 BACKGROLIND OF 'IIiE-1NfJl~N''r"fON
2 1. Field of the Invention
3 The present invention relates to a generator, and more particularly to a
4 wind turbine that functions at low wind speeds, in turbulent air flows and =
without being broken at high wind speeds.
6' 2. Description of Related Art
7 Wind generators are machines for converting kinetic energy from wind
8 into electricity, and are developed into various types to adapt to different
9 circumstances.
A wind generator comprises a post, a blade assembly and a generator.
11 The post is mounted vertically. The generator is mounted on the post to
generate
12 electricity. The blade assembly is mounted rotatably on the generator and
is
13 rotated horizontally by the wind to allow the generator to function.
14 Howeverr, such kind of wind generators suffer from pulsating torque
produced during each revolution and their efficiency is reduced by drag
created
16 when the blade rotates into the wind. The wind generators are also
inappr.opriate
17 to mount in high plaaes, meaning they must operate at slower wind speeds
near
18 the ground, thereby causing inconvenience and resulting in lower energy
19 extraction efficiency.
To ovcrcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a wind
21 generator to obviate or mitigate the aforementioned problems.
22 SiIMARY QEnM iNVRNTION
23' The main objective of the present invention is to provide a wind
24 generator that can work in any turbulent or slow airflow condition.
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1 Another objective, the wind generator has a blade assembly that
2 automatically balances the loads of blades of the blade assembly, to prevent
the
3 wind generator from being damaged.
4 Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will
become more apparent from the following dctailed description when taken in
6 conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
7 131ZiFF DFSG TPTT_ON QF THE D AWINGS
8 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a wind generator in accordance with the
9 present invention;
Fig. 2 is a top view of the wind generator in Fig. 1;
I 1 Fig.. 3 is an exploded perspcctive view of the wind generator in Fig. 1;
12 Fig. 4 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a blade assembly of
13 the wind generator in Fig. 1;
14 Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the blade assembly of the wind
generator in Fig.'1;
16 Fig. 6 is a side view in pardal section of the wind generator in Fig.1;
17 Fig. 7 is an operational side view of the blade assembly in Fig.5, being
18 pushed by a high wind speed;
19 Fig. 8 is an operational side view of the blade assembly in Fig.5 being
pushed by a low wind speed; and
21 Fig. 9 is an operational side view of the blade assembly in Fig.l moving
22 against an air flow.
23 DETAIL=Rn M-SCRiP"T'lON OF TMR PRFFFRRFri F1yiBODIlVIENT
24 With reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the wind generator in accordance with
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I present invention comprises a post (10), a rail (20), a blade assembly (30),
a stay
2 assembly (40), a generator asscmbly (60) and an optional accelerating motor
3 (70).
4- The post (10) may be tubular, is securely mounted on a surface of a
building, a ground or such like, and has a top and at least two support bars
(11)
6 perpendicularly attached diametrically ncar the top of the post (10).
7 The rail (20) is annular and is mounted on the support bars (11) of the
8 post (10).
9 The blade assembly (30) is mounted rotatably on the top oftne post (10),
is pushed by the wind to rotate relative to the post (10) and has a base (31),
a
1I bearing (32) and multiple blades (33).
12 With further reference to Fig. 6, the base (31) is an open container, may
13 be cylindrical and has a bottom opening (310). The bottom opening (310) is
14 rotatably mounted around the top of the post (10) and has an inner surface
and
multiple inner teeth (311) formed around the inner surface of the bottom
opening
16 (310).
17 The bearing (32) is mounted in the bottom opening (310) of the base
18 (31)and on the top of the post (10) to facilitate the rotation of the base
(31).
19 With fiuther reference to Fig. 5, the blades (33) radially protrude from
the base (31) at a predetermined angle relative to each other, and each blade
(33)
21 has a control wing (34), a fixed wing (35), multiple relief valves (36) and
a load
22 equalizer (50). A preferred embodiment comprises four blades (33),
23 The control wing (34) has a distal end, a luff edge, a luil'surface, a
leech
24 surface, multiple vents (340) and mulaple slats (341). The vents (340) are
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I formed through the control wing (34). The slats (341) are mounted pivotably
on
2 the luff surface, and corresponding to and controllably opening or closing
the
3 vents (340) to adjust the resistance of the corresponding blade (33). Each
slat
4(341) has a leech surface and a plurality of valve holes (342) formed through
the
'5 'slat (341).
6 The fixed wing (35) is mounted along the luff edge of the control wing
7(34) at a predetermined angle and has a distal end, a luff surface, a leech
surface,
8 a leech edge, a plurality of valve holes (350), multiple telescopic struts
(351), a
9 wheel bracket (352) and a wheel (353).
The valve holes (350) are separately formed through the second leaf
11 (35).
12 The telescopic struts (351) are pivotably mounted on the leech surface of
13 the fixed wing (35) and each telescopic strut (351) has a shaft connected
to the
14 corresponding slat (341) and controllably optns or closes the corresponding
slat
.15 (421) of the corresponding vent (340) of the control wing (34).
]t; The wheel bracket (352) is mounted securely on the leech edge near the
17 distal end o#'the fixed wing (35) and corresponds to the rail (20). The
wheel (353)
18 is mounted rotatably in the wheel bracket (352) to facilitate rotation of
and
19 stttbilizethe blade assembly (30). The rteliefvalves (36) aXe mounted
pivotally on
the leech surfaces of the slats (341) and the fixed wing (35), and correspond
to
21 and selective cover the valve holos (342)(350). With further reference to
Figs. 8
22 and 9, When the wind direction is conflict with the rotation of the blade
assembly
23 (30), the rclicf valves (36) open the valve holes (342)(350) of the slats
(341) and
24 the fixed wing (35) to reduce the wind resistance. Otherwise, when the wind
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direction is according with the rotation of the blade assembly (30), the
relief
2 valves (36) close the valve holes (342)(350) of the slats (341) to increase
the
3 wind force applying in the blades (33).
:=' 4
Each load equalizer (50) comprises a sensor (51) and a track (52), a
5 weight (521) and a threaded rod (522) and is mounted on each corresponding
6 blade (33).
7 The sensor (51) is mounted in the wheel bracket (352) and detects the
8 load of the wheel (353).
9 The track (52) is mounted securely on the leech surface of the fixed wing
(35) of the blade (33).
11 The weight (521) is mounted movably on the track (520). The threaded
12 rod (522) is rotatably mounted to the track (520) and through the weight
(521),
13 and is controlled by the sensor (51) to rotate and thereby adjust the
position of
14 the weight (521) on the track (520) to balance the loads on the wheels
(353) of all
blades (33).
16 The stay assembly (40) comprises multiple struts (41) and multipic
17 windlasses (42).
18 The struts (41) are mounted securely to the top of the base (31) and form
19 an apex. The windlasses (42) are mounted securely at the apex of the struts
(41)
and respectively correspond to the blades (33) of the blade assembly (30), and
21 each windlass (41) has a string (420) connected to the distal end of the
control
22 wing (34) of the corresponding blade (33) and controllably pull the
23 corresponding blade. Therefore, the distal ends of thc blades (33) of the
blade
24 assembly (30) are supported to maintain an equal load on the wheels (353).
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1 Thc generator assembly (60) comprises a translator (61), a generator (62)
2 and at least one transmission pipe (63). The translator (61) is mounted
securely
3 on the post (10) near the top of the post (10) and has a rotatable gear
wheel (610)
4 engaged with the inner teeth (311) of the bottom opening (310) of the base
(31)
:5 and rotates simultaneously with the blade assembly (30) to retrieve kinetic
6 energy from wind. The generator (62) is mounted securely on the post (10)
and is
7 capable of converting the kinetic energy to electricity. The transmission
pipe (63)
8 connects the translator (61) to the generator (62) and may use oil pressure
to
9 transmit the energy from the translator (61) to the generator (62),
The accelerating motor (70) is mounted securely near the top of the post
11 (10) and has an active gear (71) engaged with the inner teeth (311) of the
bottom
12 opening (310) of the base (31), such as to assist the rotation of the blade
13 assembly (30) when wind velocity is too low.
14 Accordingly, the wind generator in accordance with present invention is
less susceptible to breakage by pulsating torque produced during each
revolution
16 and drag created when the blade (33) rotates into the wind. The wind
generator is
17 stably operated in places with high air turbulence or slow airflow, and has
a high
18 energy extraction efflciency.
19 Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present
invention have been set forth in the foregoing description together with
details of
21 the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative
only.
22 Changes may be made in detail especially in matters of shape, size and
23' anrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full
extent
24 indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended
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claims are expressed.
