Rotary kinetic fluid motors or pumps – With means for controlling casing or flow guiding means in... – Natural fluid current force responsive
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-11
2001-08-07
Lopez, F. Daniel (Department: 3745)
Rotary kinetic fluid motors or pumps
With means for controlling casing or flow guiding means in...
Natural fluid current force responsive
C415S004500, C415S062000, C415S908000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06270308
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a wind generator with a rotor which rotates in a horizontal direction and to a rotor for this horizontally rotating wind generator which has a plurality of rotor blades and is connected to a generator.
Known wind driven device are disposed on high masts in order for their large rotors to be directed sufficiently against the wind. In this case the rotors are aligned vertically and rotate about a horizontal axis. As a rule the vertical axis is connected to a driven device. Due to the vertical arrangement, however, unpleasant shadows can form, particularly when the incidence of light is unfavorable. Furthermore, enormously high masts are necessary in order to guarantee adequate performance. The heavy gears by which the rotors are connected to the generator often lead to static problems with the towers. In high winds enormous forces are exerted on the mast, which can lead to fracture.
A windmill which rotates about a vertical axis and is surrounded in some areas by a housing is known from GB 20414587 A. The housing is set into wind by an alignment device so that the rotor blades running the opposite direction to the wind are protected.
A wind generator is known from DE 26 20 862 in which the rotors which rotate about a horizontal axis are fixed by a clamping frame around a mast. In this case each pair of rotors is fixed to the right and the left of the mast and aligned against the wind by the clamping frame which is mounted so as to be rotatable about the mast.
A wind generator which rotates about a vertical axis is known from DD 296 734, wherein the impeller is surrounded by a protective shield in the shape of a circular segment which rotates about the axis of the impeller.
A solar installation is known from DE 196 15 943 which ban be built up as required from a plurality of standard modules, the modules being not only conventional solar modules but also conventional wind generators which rotate about a horizontal axis.
A wind generator is known from DE 38 29 112 which has a rotor which is equipped with blades and is connected to a a generator and which is encased by a housing which can be freely aligned in the desired wind direction. In this case the housing has a funnel-shaped inlet which is provided with air deflectors. The air should be accelerated by an air outlet which is smaller. The inflow funnel is aligned against the wind.
A wheel-like wind generator is known from DE 196 48 632 in which the rotor has a plurality of dish-shaped rotor blades, the windmill being surrounded by a housing which is constructed like the housing of the windmill which is known from the publication DE 38 29 112.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a wind generator which has a high degree of efficiency and is simple to install, and which can be combined with already existing wind driven device. It should also be possible to extend it as required without great technical and financial outlay. A further object consists of the simply fixing of the device on existing towers. Yet a further object consists of avoiding the unpleasant formation of shadows of the conventional windmills. Yet a further object consists of providing a rotor for this device which rotates in the horizontal direction and has optimum aerodynamic characteristics in order to minimize the air resistance of the air which is flowing back.
This object is achieved by the features of claims
1
,
3
,
9
and
20
, particularly by a rotor for a horizontally rotating wind generator which has a plurality of rotor blades and is connected to a generator, wherein the rotor blades are surrounded in some areas by a fairing, the fairing being aligned by alignment means according to the wind direction so that the rotor blades which are running in the opposite direction to the wind direction are always protected.
In order to ensure a high degree of effectiveness, the fairing surrounds and protects at least half of the rotor blades.
In a further embodiment of the rotor according to the invention, the rotor blades are completely surrounded by a fairing, and the fairing has an air inlet and an air outlet and is aligned by alignment means according to the wind direction so that the air inlet is aligned optimally against the wind direction.
For this purpose the fairing is rotatably mounted and is aligned by a fairing alignment device like a weather vane.
In a further embodiment the fairing is aligned by a servomotor which is controlled by a wind sensor.
In order to be able to extent existing wind generators sensibly, the wind generator has means for subsequent fixing on existing masts. This wind generator consists of an annular rotor which rotates in the horizontal direction and has a plurality of rotor blades. The wind generator also includes an annular bearing ring on which the rotor rotates on bearings, wherein the bearing ring extends around the mast and the bearings are fixed on the mast by connecting braces. A reversal of this principle is also conceivable, so that the bearing ring is static and the rotor is connected to bearings which run on the bearing ring.
The connecting braces are designed so that they can be variably fixed on masts of differing thicknesses without the need for substantial structural alterations to be undertaken. The rotor is connected to a generator by way of a gear. The rotor is constructed like a toothed wheel on its inner face which is directed towards the mast, and a second toothed wheel engages in this first toothed wheel and is connected by way of a gear shaft to the generator.
In a further embodiment the transmission of force takes place through a friction drive which transfers the force to the generator by way of a belt and optionally a gear.
The annular construction makes it readily possible to fix on existing masts or on wind generators which are to be installed. In particular a plurality of the described wind generators can be fixed one above the other on a mast. Also joint use of the transformer is conceivable. The segmentation of the rotor and of the bearing ring permits later assembly.
Further advantageous embodiments are set out in the subordinate claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4156580 (1979-05-01), Pohl
patent: 4350900 (1982-09-01), Baughman
patent: 6157088 (2000-12-01), Bendix
patent: 26 20 862 C2 (1977-11-01), None
patent: 296 734 A5 (1991-12-01), None
patent: 196 15 943 A1 (1997-10-01), None
patent: 196 48 632 A1 (1998-04-01), None
patent: 2 041 457 A (1980-09-01), None
Lopez F. Daniel
McAleenan James M
LandOfFree
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