초록 ▼

A wind energy machine has four rotor chambers formed by perpendicular walls. Each rotor chamber has an intake portion, a reversal portion, a parallel portion, and an exhaust portion. Air flow is reversed in each chamber for every 90 degrees of rotation, such that the intake portion becomes an exhaus

A wind energy machine has four rotor chambers formed by perpendicular walls. Each rotor chamber has an intake portion, a reversal portion, a parallel portion, and an exhaust portion. Air flow is reversed in each chamber for every 90 degrees of rotation, such that the intake portion becomes an exhaust and the exhaust portion becomes and inlet.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A wind energy apparatus, comprising: a fixed base; a housing mounted for vertical rotation with respect to the base; the housing being vertically cylindrical with a planar top, planar bottom and tubular side wall; the side wall having an air permeable section extending about

What is claimed is: 1. A wind energy apparatus, comprising: a fixed base; a housing mounted for vertical rotation with respect to the base; the housing being vertically cylindrical with a planar top, planar bottom and tubular side wall; the side wall having an air permeable section extending about 270 degrees around the housing; the side wall having an air impermeable section extending about 90 degrees around the housing, such that about 270 degrees of the side wall is air permeable and the remaining about 90 degrees of the side wall is air impermeable; a controller for vertically rotating the housing to a desired orientation with respect to atmospheric wind direction, with the controller being responsive to a wind direction sensor; a rotor mounted for vertical rotation within the housing and formed of a plurality of vertical walls forming four chambers; each of the four rotor chambers is formed by the walls into an intake portion, a reversal portion, a parallel portion, and an exhaust portion; the intake portions being offset from a center of the rotor, with air flow from the intake portion turning in the reversal portion about 90 degrees towards the center of the rotor, with air flow from the reversal portion turning further about 90 degrees in the parallel portion to be in a parallel but reversed direction to the intake portion, and with air flow from the parallel portion turning back about 90 degrees in the exhaust portion to be parallel and in the same direction as the reversal portion; and a shaft connected to the rotor for transmitting rotational energy outside the housing. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 with an intake scoop, the intake scoop having an open mouth facing the atmospheric wind direction and walls arranged to direct wind to a scoop outlet adjacent the rotor. 3. The apparatus of claim 2 with the intake scoop being mounted for vertical rotation with respect to the base. 4. The apparatus of claim 3 with the intake scoop being synchronized for co-rotation with the housing in normal operation. 5. The apparatus of claim 4 with the intake scoop outlet being generally aligned with the intake portions of the chambers, to direct wind into the intake portions of the chambers as they pass by the scoop outlet in normal operation. 6. The apparatus of claim 5 with the scoop being rotatable out of alignment with the atmospheric wind direction to stop normal operation of the apparatus. 7. The apparatus of claim 6 with a blocking section which is adjacent to and overlapping the air impermeable section of the housing in normal operation and rotatable independently of the scoop to block wind from the intake portions of the chambers when operation of the apparatus is to be stopped. 8. The apparatus of claim 3 with the rotor chamber walls being interlocking sets of three right-angled walls, each set including two inner walls and an outer wall, the inner walls having radial legs emanating from the center of the rotor connected at right angles to offset legs, and the outer walls having first legs connected at right angles to second legs. 9. The apparatus of claim 8 with drag fins extending from outer surfaces of the outer wall second legs. 10. The apparatus of claim 2 with an electrical generator connected to the shaft. 11. The apparatus of claim 2 with the housing including a platter with a lower peripheral portion supported by lower rollers on the base. 12. The apparatus of claim 11 with the platter having an upper peripheral portion restrained by upper rollers. 13. A wind energy apparatus, comprising: a fixed base; a housing mounted for vertical rotation with respect to the base; the housing being vertically cylindrical with a planar top, planar bottom and tubular side wall; the side wall having an air permeable section extending about 270 degrees around the housing; the side wall having an air impermeable section extending about 90 degrees around the housing, such that about 270 degrees of the side wall is air permeable and the remaining about 90 degrees of the side wall is air impermeable; a controller for vertically rotating the housing to a desired orientation with respect to atmospheric wind direction, with the controller being responsive to a wind direction sensor; a rotor mounted for vertical rotation within the housing and formed of a plurality of vertical walls forming four chambers; each of the four rotor chambers is formed by the walls into an intake portion, a reversal portion, a parallel portion, and an exhaust portion; the intake portions being offset from a center of the rotor, with air flow from the intake portion turning in the reversal portion about 90 degrees towards the center of the rotor, with air flow from the reversal portion turning further about 90 degrees in the parallel portion to be in a parallel but reversed direction to the intake portion, and with air flow from the parallel portion turning back about 90 degrees in the exhaust portion to be parallel and in the same direction as the reversal portion a shaft connected to the rotor for transmitting rotational energy outside the housing; an intake scoop, the intake scoop having an open mouth facing the atmospheric wind direction and walls arranged to direct wind to a scoop outlet adjacent the rotor; with the intake scoop being mounted for vertical rotation with respect to the base; with the intake scoop being synchronized for co-rotation with the housing in normal operation; with the intake scoop outlet being generally aligned with the intake portions of the chambers, to direct wind into the intake portions of the chambers as they pass by the scoop outlet in normal operation; with scoop being rotatable out of alignment with the atmospheric wind direction to stop normal operation of the apparatus; with a blocking section which is adjacent to and overlapping the air impermeable section of the housing in normal operation and rotatable independently of the scoop to block wind from the intake portions of the chambers when operation of the apparatus is to be stopped; with the rotor chamber walls being interlocking sets of three right-angled walls, each set including two inner walls and an outer wall, the inner walls having radial legs emanating from the center of the rotor connected at right angles to offset legs, and the outer walls having first legs connected at right angles to second legs; with drag fins extending from outer surfaces of the outer wall second legs; with an electrical generator connected to the shaft; with the housing including a platter with a lower peripheral portion supported by lower rollers on the base; and with the platter having an upper peripheral portion restrained by upper rollers.