초록 ▼

A wind energy systems includes a shroud for each turbine. The shroud is adapted to direct and accelerate wind towards the turbine. A strong adaptable support assembly is provided for securing turbines to a structure. An air glide yaw assembly facilitates rotational movement of the structure allowing

A wind energy systems includes a shroud for each turbine. The shroud is adapted to direct and accelerate wind towards the turbine. A strong adaptable support assembly is provided for securing turbines to a structure. An air glide yaw assembly facilitates rotational movement of the structure allowing the turbines to face oncoming wind. The turbine blades are optimized for use with a shroud.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A wind turbine system comprising: a shroud having an entrance, a throat, and an exit, the entrance having an entrance diameter, the throat having a throat diameter, and the exit having an exit diameter, wherein the entrance diameter is greater than throat diameter; anda rotor assembly comprising

1. A wind turbine system comprising: a shroud having an entrance, a throat, and an exit, the entrance having an entrance diameter, the throat having a throat diameter, and the exit having an exit diameter, wherein the entrance diameter is greater than throat diameter; anda rotor assembly comprising a hub and a plurality of blades attached with the hub, said rotor assembly having a diameter less than the throat diameter and being centered at the throat of the shroud;said rotor assembly being configured to convert wind energy into rotary mechanical movement of the rotor assembly; andsaid rotor assembly being operably coupled with a nacelle, said nacelle comprising an electric generator configured to produce electric power from rotary mechanical movement, said generator comprising a servo motor with a positioning encoder. 2. A wind turbine system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of blades consists of five identical blades, the blades spaced on the hub seventy two degrees apart. 3. A wind turbine system according to claim 1, wherein the throat diameter is about 2% to 20% larger than the diameter of the diameter of the rotor assembly, allowing rotation and deflection of the rotor assembly without contact between the blades and shroud. 4. A wind turbine system according to claim 1, the transition from inlet diameter to throat diameter being smooth and gradual and the pitch of the shroud being about 15 degrees to 60 degrees. 5. A wind turbine system according to claim 1, the shroud being adapted to receive wind having an entrance wind velocity and accelerate the received wind to a throat wind velocity, the throat wind velocity being about 1.25 to 2.5 times the entrance wind velocity. 6. A wind turbine system according to claim 1, further comprising: a support structure; anda horizontal actuator, said nacelle being operably coupled with the horizontal actuator and said horizontal actuator being operably coupled with said support structure, and said horizontal actuator being adapted to controllably move the nacelle between deployed operational and retracted maintenance positions. 7. A wind turbine system according to claim 1, further comprising: a support structure, said nacelle and shroud being operably coupled with the support structure; anda yaw system adapted to rotate the rotor assembly, support structure and nacelle. 8. A wind turbine system according to claim 1, further comprising: a support structure, said nacelle and shroud being operably coupled with the support structure; anda yaw system adapted to rotate the rotor assembly, support structure and nacelle, said support structure being mounted atop said yaw system. 9. A wind turbine system according to claim 1, further comprising: a support structure, said nacelle and shroud being operably coupled with the support structure; anda yaw system adapted to rotate the rotor assembly, support structure and nacelle, said support structure being mounted atop said yaw system, said yaw system comprising an air glide bearing turntable. 10. A wind turbine system according to claim 1, further comprising: a support structure, said nacelle and shroud being operably coupled with the support structure; anda yaw system adapted to rotate the rotor assembly, support structure and nacelle, said support structure being mounted atop said yaw system, said yaw system comprising an air glide bearing turntable, a gearbox, a drive gear, and a motor, said motor driving the gear box, which gear box drives the drive gear, which drive gear drives the turntable. 11. A wind turbine system according to claim 1, said nacelle further comprising a position encoder adapted to produce output signals corresponding to position of the input shaft, and a speedup assembly with a speedup input shaft and an output speedup shaft, said output speedup shaft adapted to rotate at about 1,500 rpm when said speedup input shaft rotates at about 30 to 60 rpm, and said output speedup shaft being coupled with said motor input shaft. 12. A wind turbine system comprising: a shroud having an entrance, a throat, and an exit, the entrance having an entrance diameter, the throat having a throat diameter and the exit having an exit diameter, wherein the entrance diameter is greater than throat diameter;a rotor assembly comprising a hub and a plurality of blades attached to the hub, said rotor assembly having a diameter less than the throat diameter and being centered at the throat of the shroud;said rotor assembly being configured to convert wind energy into rotary mechanical movement of the rotor assembly;said rotor assembly being operably coupled to a nacelle, said nacelle comprising an electric generator configured to produce electric power from rotary mechanical movement;a support structure, said nacelle and shroud being operably coupled to the support structure; anda yaw system adapted to rotate the rotor assembly, support structure and nacelle, said support structure being mounted atop said yaw system, said yaw system comprising a base, an air glide bearing turntable, a gearbox, a drive gear, and a motor, said motor driving the gear box, which gear box drives the drive gear, which drive gear drives the turntable, a central air chamber sandwiched between the air glide bearing turntable and the base, and adapted to receive pressurized gas sufficient to exert an upward force equal to about 0.5 to 1.5 times a weight of the air glide bearing turntable plus a weight supported by the air glide bearing turntable. 13. A wind turbine system according to claim 12, further comprising: a gasket sandwiched between the air glide bearing turntable and the base. 14. A wind turbine system according to claim 13, further comprising: said pressurized gas being compressed air with a dispersed lubricant. 15. A wind turbine system according to claim 14, further comprising: said gasket being a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-based gasket. 16. A wind turbine system comprising: a shroud having an entrance, throat and exit, the entrance having an entrance diameter, the throat having a throat diameter and the exit having an exit diameter, wherein the entrance diameter is greater than throat diameter; anda rotor assembly comprising a hub and a plurality of blades attached to the hub, said rotor assembly having a diameter less than the throat diameter and being centered at the throat of the shroud;said rotor assembly being configured to convert wind energy into rotary mechanical movement of the rotor assembly; andsaid rotor assembly being operably coupled to a nacelle, said nacelle comprising an electric generator configured to produce electric power from rotary mechanical movement, said generator comprising a servo motor having a motor input shaft, and said nacelle further comprising a position encoder adapted to produce output signals corresponding to position of the input shaft. 17. A wind turbine system according to claim 16, further comprising a speedup assembly with a speedup input shaft and an output speedup shaft, said output speedup shaft adapted to rotate at about 1,500 rpm when said speedup input shaft rotates at about 30 to 60 rpm, and said output speedup shaft being coupled with said motor input shaft. 18. A wind turbine system comprising: a shroud having an entrance, throat and exit, the entrance having an entrance diameter, the throat having a throat diameter and the exit having an exit diameter, wherein the entrance diameter is greater than throat diameter; anda rotor assembly comprising a hub and a plurality of blades attached to the hub, said rotor assembly having a diameter less than the throat diameter and being centered at the throat of the shroud;said rotor assembly being configured to convert wind energy into rotary mechanical movement of the rotor assembly;said rotor assembly being operably coupled to a nacelle, said nacelle comprising an electric generator configured to produce electric power from rotary mechanical movement, wherein each of said plurality of blades has a twist of approximately 15° to 25°, with a pitch that varies from about 1° to 5° near the tip to about 15° to 25° near the root, and a chord length that tapers about 75% to 33% from the root the tip. 19. A wind turbine system according to claim 18, further comprising: a support structure, said nacelle and shroud being operably coupled with the support structure; anda yaw system adapted to rotate the rotor assembly, support structure and nacelle.