Rotor of a wind power installation

Fluid reaction surfaces (i.e. – impellers) – Having positive means for impeller adjustment – Power or manual actuator on non-rotatable part

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Details

416 10, 416212A, 416225, 416136, 416205, F03D 106

Patent

active

047738243

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a rotor of a wind power installation. More particularly, this invention relates to the mounting of vanes on a rotor of a wind power installation.
Heretofore, various wind power installations have been known which employ rotors for generating power from the wind. Generally, the rotors have been provided with vanes which are disposed to rotate about a common axis of rotation. For example, it has been known to provide a rotor with a pair of vanes which are offset by 180.degree. from each other and which have axes inclined relative to a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor by an acute angle.
In such rotors, the vanes are exposed in operation to strong centrifugal forces, which are absorbed by the hub. The hub, therefore, must be of correspondingly heavy construction. As a result, the hub is large, heavy, expensive and fluidically unfavorable as to wind flow.
The invention has as its objects the creation of a rotor of this kind whose hub is relieved of these centrifugal forces and therefore can be built smaller, lighter, and at lower cost.
It is another object of the invention to reduce the size of rotors for converting wind energy.
It is another object of the invention to increase the lift of a rotor for a wind power installation.
Briefly, the invention provides a rotor for a wind power installation which comprises a hub for rotation about an axis of rotation, at least one pair of vanes disposed about the hub with each vane having an axis of rotation inclined relative to a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the hub and a pair of journals each of which rotatably connects the vane to the hub to permit rotation of the each vane about the respective vane axis.
In accordance with the invention, the journals of both vanes are connected with one another by a connecting rod perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the hub. In this respect, the connecting rod is secured between and to the journals in order to absorb centrifugal forces of the vanes during use. In addition, a spherical bearing is disposed between each journal and a respective end of the connecting rod in order to permit rotation of each vane relative to the connecting rod.
During operation, the centrifugal forces of the two vanes are mutually balanced out by the connecting rod. Hence, the hub need absorb only the weight of the vanes and the force components of the wind power.
Preferably the connecting rod may be surrounded by a tubular bushing, by means of which the rod is prestressed by a tensile force. Thereby the long-term strength of the connecting rod, which in operation, under the influence of gravity, is exposed to a pulsating load, is substantially increased.
Further, the space between the connecting rod and the bushing may preferably be provided with lubricating grease to protect against corrosion of the surface of the connecting rod, which would result in a reduction of the long-term strength.
An especially favorable embodiment is obtained by providing the connecting rod at its ends with threads on which threaded rings are screwed to be supported via the inner rings of the bearings on the ends of the bushing.
The outer rings, cooperating with the inner rings of the bearings can then preferably be supported on threaded rings which are screwed into threaded bores formed in the journals.
The bearings may be cup bearings with spherical sliding faces of the bearing rings. It is understood, however, that corresponding antifriction bearings, so-called swivel-joint roller bearings, which permit an inclination of the axes, may be used in their place.
The invention will be explained with reference to a preferred embodiment illustrated schematically in the drawing.
FIG. 1 shows an overall view of a wind power installation with the rotor according to the invention;
FIG. 2, a detail from FIG. 1 with partial section, on a larger scale;
FIG. 3, section III--III from FIG. 2, and
FIG. 4, a section of a part of the hub from FIG. 2, enlarged again.
The wind power installation illustrated in FIG. 1 contains

REFERENCES:
patent: 2146367 (1939-02-01), Berliner
patent: 2809506 (1957-10-01), McDaniel
patent: 3470962 (1969-10-01), Cure
patent: 3640643 (1972-02-01), Monti
patent: 3695780 (1972-10-01), Velkoff
patent: 4029434 (1977-06-01), Kenney
patent: 4186975 (1980-02-01), Schwarz et al.
patent: 4307996 (1981-12-01), Watson
patent: 4534705 (1985-08-01), Selestam et al.

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