IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0895568
(2007-08-23)
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등록번호 |
US-8657575
(2014-02-25)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
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출원인 / 주소 |
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
6 인용 특허 :
28 |
초록
▼
A system and method for harvesting the kinetic energy of a fluid flow for power generation with a vertically oriented, aerodynamic wing structure comprising one or more airfoil elements pivotably attached to a mast. When activated by the moving fluid stream, the wing structure oscillates back and fo
A system and method for harvesting the kinetic energy of a fluid flow for power generation with a vertically oriented, aerodynamic wing structure comprising one or more airfoil elements pivotably attached to a mast. When activated by the moving fluid stream, the wing structure oscillates back and forth, generating lift first in one direction then in the opposite direction. This oscillating movement is converted to unidirectional rotational movement in order to provide motive power to an electricity generator. Unlike other oscillating devices, this device is designed to harvest the maximum aerodynamic lift forces available for a given oscillation cycle. Because the system is not subjected to the same intense forces and stresses as turbine systems, it can be constructed less expensively, reducing the cost of electricity generation. The system can be grouped in more compact clusters, be less evident in the landscape, and present reduced risk to avian species.
대표청구항
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1. A method of harvesting energy from a moving, compressible fluid stream, said method comprising: producing a wing structure comprising a single airfoil element having a leading edge, a trailing edge to which no trim bias member is attached, and a cross-sectional shape that is operative to cause th
1. A method of harvesting energy from a moving, compressible fluid stream, said method comprising: producing a wing structure comprising a single airfoil element having a leading edge, a trailing edge to which no trim bias member is attached, and a cross-sectional shape that is operative to cause the aerodynamic lift of said single airfoil element when it is exposed to the moving, compressible fluid and a stand-off arm that is pivotably connected to said single airfoil element at a pivot that is spaced away from said leading edge;fixing said wing structure to a mast in a vertical orientation to produce a wind fin structure that is operative to yaw about said mast in response to a change in the direction of the moving, compressible fluid stream;exposing said wind fin structure to the moving, compressible fluid stream to produce mechanically-unassisted oscillation, thereby causing said mast to automatically pivot back and forth at an oscillating frequency;converting the back and forth movement into unidirectional rotation to produce motive power; andproviding said motive power to an electricity generator. 2. An apparatus for extracting power from a moving fluid stream having a variable direction of movement, said apparatus comprising: a mast, said mast comprising: a rotatable drive shaft operable for bidirectional rotation supported by a lower tower structure;a wing structure, substantially vertical in orientation that is operative to yaw about said mast in response to a change in the direction of the moving fluid stream and having a vertical extent, a forward portion, an upper end and a lower end, configured to present airfoil surfaces to the moving fluid stream that generate lift first in one direction that is transverse the direction of movement of the moving fluid stream and then in another direction that is opposite said one direction during mechanically-unassisted oscillation of said wing structure in the moving fluid stream, said wing structure comprising: a single symmetrical airfoil having a leading edge and a hinge axis or spar that is spaced away from said leading edge and to which no trim biased member is attached, and at least two stand-off arms or torque arms, each of which stand-off arm or torque arm having two ends, a first end that is fixed to said rotatable drive shaft and a second end that is pivotably attached to a said hinge axis or spar; anda power take-off mechanism that is operative to convert the bidirectional rotation of said rotatable drive shaft to unidirectional rotation in order to provide motive power to an electricity generator. 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said power take-off mechanism is selected from the group consisting of: a pair of overrunning clutches, a bevel gear that is connected to said pair of overrunning clutches, a gearbox that is connected to said bevel gear and an electricity generator that is connected to said gear box, wherein said overrunning clutches and said bevel gear, as a combination, are operative to convert the bidirectional rotation of the said rotatable drive shaft or said rotatable sleeve into unidirectional rotation in order to provide motive power to said gearbox and said electricity generator; anda crank arm that is connected to the forward portion of said wing structure, wherein the oscillating movement of said wing structure is converted into longitudinal back and forth movement of said crank arm, that drives an electricity generator. 4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said single symmetrical airfoil is selected from the group consisting of: a ribbed airfoil comprising symmetrical wing ribs and a skin made of fiber-reinforced plastic, an aircraft fabric covering, aluminum, or ripstop nylon that conforms to said symmetrical wing ribs;a foam core airfoil comprising a molded foam core and a skin made of fiber-reinforced plastic, an aircraft fabric covering, aluminum, or ripstop nylon that conforms to said molded foam core;a framed sheet airfoil; anda self-inflating airfoil. 5. An apparatus for extracting power from a moving fluid stream, said moving stream having a direction of movement over ground, said apparatus comprising: a mast comprising: a rotatable drive shaft operable for bidirectional rotation supported by a tower structure;a wing structure comprising: at least one stand-off arm or torque arm, said stand-off arm or torque arm having two ends, a first end that is fixed to said rotatable drive shaft and a second end that is pivotably attached to a hinge axis or spar, and a single airfoil that is attached to each said hinge axis or spar, said single airfoil having no trim bias member attached thereto; anda power take-off mechanism that is operative to convert bidirectional rotation to unidirectional rotation;wherein said single airfoil is configured to present airfoil surfaces to the moving fluid stream that generate lift first in one direction that is transverse the direction of movement of the moving stream and then in another direction that is opposite said one direction during an oscillation of said single airfoil in the moving fluid stream, which oscillation is mechanically unassisted and is operative to cause said rotatable drive shaft to pivot back and forth; andwherein said pivoting movement is converted by said power take-off mechanism to rotational movement in order to provide motive power to an electricity generator. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said power take-off mechanism is located at ground level and is selected from the group consisting of: a pair of overrunning clutches, a bevel gear that is connected to said pair of overrunning clutches, a gearbox that is connected to said bevel gear and an electricity generator that is connected to said gear box, wherein said overrunning clutches and said bevel gear, as a combination, are operative to convert the bidirectional rotation of said rotatable drive shaft or said rotatable sleeve into unidirectional rotation in order to provide motive power to said gearbox and said electricity generator; anda crank arm that is connected to the forward portion of said wing structure, wherein the oscillating movement of said wing structure is converted into longitudinal back and forth movement of said crank arm, driving an electricity generator. 7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said single airfoil is selected from the group consisting of: a ribbed airfoil, comprising symmetrical wing ribs and a skin made of fiber-reinforced plastic, an aircraft fabric covering, aluminum, or ripstop nylon that conforms to said symmetrical wing ribs;a foam core airfoil, comprising a molded foam core and a skin made of fiber-reinforced plastic, an aircraft fabric covering, aluminum, or ripstop nylon that conforms to said molded foam core;a framed sheet airfoil; anda self-inflating airfoil. 8. An apparatus for extracting power from a moving fluid stream, said apparatus comprising: a mast;a wing structure comprising a combination having one or more horizontally oriented arms that are yawably attached to said mast and a single vertically oriented untrimmed airfoil, said vertically oriented airfoil having a leading edge and a hinge axis or spar that is disposed away from said leading edge and to which said one or more horizontally oriented arms are pivotably attached; anda power take-off mechanism that is driven either directly by a pivoting movement of said mast and said wing structure or by a pivoting movement of said wing structure with said mast remaining stationary;wherein said wing structure is configured to present airfoil surfaces to the moving fluid stream that generate lift first in one direction that is transverse the direction of movement of the moving fluid stream and then in another direction that is opposite said one direction during an mechanically-unassisted oscillation of said wing structure in the moving fluid stream;thereby maximizing the aerodynamic lift of said combination in the moving fluid stream, which in turn maximizes the conversion of the energy of the moving fluid stream into useful power. 9. An apparatus for extracting power from a moving fluid stream that is moving above a ground level, said apparatus comprising: a stationary support tower;a rotatable drive shaft operable for bidirectional rotation that is supported by said stationary support tower;a wing structure comprising at least two stand-off arms or torque arms, each of which stand-off arm or torque arm having two ends, a first end that is fixed to said drive shaft and a second end that is pivotably attached to a hinge axis or spar, and a single symmetrical untrimmed airfoil that is attached to each said hinge axis or spar, said single symmetrical untrimmed airfoil having a leading edge, symmetrically curved sides and a chord length;a power take-off mechanism that is operative to convert bidirectional rotation to unidirectional rotation;wherein said wing structure is configured to oscillate back and forth in the moving fluid stream in a self-sustaining manner that requires no mechanical assist, which oscillation is operative to cause said rotatable drive shaft to pivot back and forth; andwherein said pivoting movement of said rotatable drive shaft is converted by said power take-off mechanism to unidirectional rotational movement in order to provide motive power to an electricity generator. 10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said hinge axis or spar is located between 5 percent and 45 percent of the chord length of said single symmetrical airfoil as measured from said leading edge of said single symmetrical untrimmed airfoil. 11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said wing structure further comprises a single symmetrical untrimmed airfoil having a maximum thickness and a chord length and comprising a forward section that has a symmetrical aeronautical airfoil shape that is preferably from 10 to 30 percent as wide as it is long, said forward section being followed by an elongated, thin, substantially straight trailing section that is an integral extension of said symmetrical aeronautical airfoil shape, said elongated, thin, substantially straight trailing section preferably having a length that is from 25 to 150 percent of the chord length of said symmetrical aeronautical airfoil shape, the two sections forming a concavity where they merge together. 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the maximum thickness of said single symmetrical untrimmed airfoil occurs between 10 percent and 35 percent of the chord length of said single symmetrical airfoil as measured from said leading edge of said single symmetrical airfoil. 13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said power take-off mechanism is located at the ground level and is selected from the group consisting of a pair of overrunning clutches, a bevel gear that is connected to said pair of overrunning clutches, a gearbox that is connected to said bevel gear and an electricity generator that is connected to said gear box, wherein said overrunning clutches and said bevel gear, as a combination, are operative to convert the bidirectional rotation of the said rotatable drive shaft or said rotatable sleeve into unidirectional rotation in order to provide motive power to said gearbox and said electricity generator, anda crank arm that is connected to at least one of the stand-off arms of said wing structure, wherein the oscillating movement of said wing structure is converted into longitudinal back and forth movement of said crank arm, which drives an electricity generator. 14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said single symmetrical untrimmed airfoil is selected from the group consisting of: a ribbed airfoil comprising symmetrical wind ribs and a skin made of fiber-reinforced plastic, an aircraft fabric covering, aluminum, or ripstop nylon that conforms to said symmetrical wing ribs;a foam core airfoil comprising a molded foam core and a skin made of fiber-reinforced plastic, an aircraft fabric covering, aluminum, or ripstop nylon that conforms to said molded foam core;a framed sheet airfoil; anda self-inflating airfoil. 15. A method of generating power comprising: placing the apparatus of claim 2, 5 or 9 in a location that experiences a sustained wind;self starting the oscillating of said wing structure by said sustained wind, thereby causing said rotatable drive shaft or said rotatable sleeve to move back and forth;converting the back and forth movement into unidirectional rotation to produce motive power; andproviding said motive power to an electricity generator. 16. A method of generating power comprising: a step for placing the apparatus of claim 2, 5 or 9 in a location that experiences a sustained wind;a step for self starting the oscillating of said wing structure by said sustained wind, thereby causing said rotatable drive shaft or said rotatable sleeve to move back and forth;a step for converting the back and forth movement into unidirectional rotation to produce motive power; anda step for providing said motive power to an electricity generator.
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