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An example wind turbine diffuser has an expanded outlet area where the diffuser outlet area is greater than it's cross sectional area. The diffuser may be formed of one or more diffuser rings, at least one of which may form a turbine cowling. Each diffuser ring may have an inlet area that is smaller

An example wind turbine diffuser has an expanded outlet area where the diffuser outlet area is greater than it's cross sectional area. The diffuser may be formed of one or more diffuser rings, at least one of which may form a turbine cowling. Each diffuser ring may have an inlet area that is smaller than the outlet area of the directly upstream ring. The portion of an upstream ring outlet which is not occluded by the downstream ring may form a diffuser outlet such that the total outlet area of the diffuser is larger than the cross-sectional area. In another example, the diffuser may comprise at least one diffuser ring and one or more suction slots that are each connected to a vent, which allows air to be removed from the diffuser system.

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1. A horizontal axis wind turbine augmented with a diffuser comprising; a first diffuser ring arranged to form a turbine rotor cowling, the first diffuser ring having an inlet and an outlet, where the outlet area is equal to or greater than the inlet area; andone or more further diffuser rings co-ax

1. A horizontal axis wind turbine augmented with a diffuser comprising; a first diffuser ring arranged to form a turbine rotor cowling, the first diffuser ring having an inlet and an outlet, where the outlet area is equal to or greater than the inlet area; andone or more further diffuser rings co-axial to and downstream from the first diffuser ring, the one or more further diffuser rings each having an inlet and an outlet where the inlet area of each of the one or more further diffuser rings is less than the outlet area of an immediately upstream diffuser ring and the outlet area of each of the one or more further diffuser rings is greater than or equal to the inlet area;wherein a total outlet area of the diffuser is greater than a largest cross-sectional area of the diffuser, provided that the first diffuser ring and all of the one or more further diffuser rings are not rotatable around the horizontal axis; andwherein the diffuser is at least partially constructed from an aero-elastic material and arranged to provide a controlled deformation under wind load. 2. A wind turbine according to claim 1 wherein the diffuser further comprises one or more vent structures and one or more suction slots, where the one or more vent structures are located on the exterior surface of the first diffuser ring and the or each vent structure is connected to one or more suction slots, the suction slots extending substantially radially through the entire thickness of the first diffuser ring. 3. A wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the total diffuser outlet area to the first diffuser ring inlet area is greater than the ratio of the largest diffuser cross-sectional area to the first diffuser ring inlet area. 4. A wind turbine according to claim 2, wherein the vent structures are hollow channel structures shaped to have an aerofoil profile in cross-section. 5. A wind turbine according to claim 1 further comprising a central shaft. 6. A wind turbine according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of radially oriented guide vanes arranged so that a first end is connected to a first part of the diffuser and a second end is connected to a second part of the diffuser or the central shaft, the guide vanes being arranged to provide structural support to the diffuser. 7. A wind turbine according to claim 4, wherein the guide vanes are arranged to reduce twist in airflow passing through the diffuser and are comprised of at least one of pre-rotation vanes, located upstream of the turbine plane and/or post-rotation vanes, located downstream of the turbine plane. 8. A wind turbine according to claim 1 comprising one or more turbine blades to form a first turbine rotor. 9. A wind turbine according to claim 8 wherein the one or more turbine blades forming the first turbine rotor are at least partially constructed from an aero-elastic material and arranged to provide a controlled deformation under wind load. 10. A wind turbine according to claim 1 wherein the diffuser incorporates a vortex generator. 11. A wind turbine according to claim 1 where, in a downstream direction, each of the one or more further diffuser rings has a lower camber than the immediately previous diffuser ring. 12. A wind turbine according to claim 1 wherein the diffuser further comprises one or more slot gaps which extend from the interior surface through at least a partial thickness of the first diffuser ring. 13. A wind turbine according to claim 12 wherein the one or more slot gaps and/or the one or more suction slots is located on a region of the interior of the first diffuser ring which is highly cambered. 14. A wind turbine according to claim 12 wherein the one more slot gaps extend through the entire thickness of the first diffuser ring. 15. A wind turbine according to claim 12 wherein the first diffuser ring incorporates a plenum chamber that is connected to one or more of the slot gaps and/or one or more or the suction slots. 16. A wind turbine according to claim 15 wherein air is actively pumped into or sucked out of the plenum chamber. 17. A wind turbine according to claim 8 wherein the turbine rotor blades are constructed of material which induces turbulence in the boundary layer of the airflow. 18. A wind turbine according to claim 8 wherein the one or more turbine rotor blades have at least one attached turbulator and/or at least one attached vortex generators. 19. A wind turbine according to claim 8 wherein the one or more turbine rotor blades has a partially scalloped structure. 20. A wind turbine according to claim 8 wherein the first turbine rotor is located downstream of the principle vertical axis of the turbine. 21. A wind turbine according to claim 8 further comprising one or more additional turbine rotors each comprising one or more turbine rotor blades mounted co-axial to and downstream of the first turbine rotor. 22. A wind turbine according to claim 17 where the one or more additional turbine rotors is a counter-rotating turbine rotor. 23. A wind turbine according to claim 17 where the one or more turbine blades of the one or more additional turbine rotors is at least partially constructed from an aero-elastic material and arranged to provide a controlled deformation under wind load. 24. A wind turbine according to claim 1 including a generator, the generator comprising a generator stator and a generator rotor, one of the generator stator or generator rotor being fixed to or incorporated within one or more diffuser rings and the other of the generator stator or generator rotor being fixed to or incorporated within the tip of at least one turbine blade. 25. A wind turbine according to claim 1 which is any of: a land based turbine, a sea based turbine or an airborne turbine. 26. A horizontal axis wind turbine augmented with a diffuser comprising: a first diffuser ring arranged to form a turbine rotor cowling, the diffuser ring having an inlet and an outlet, where the outlet area is equal to or greater than the inlet area;one or more vent structures and one or more suction slots, where the one or more vent structures are located on the exterior surface of the first diffuser ring and the one or more vent structures are each connected to one or more suction slots, the suction slots extending substantially radially through the entire thickness of the first diffuser ring; and whereinthe total outlet area of the diffuser is greater than its largest cross-sectional area, provided that the first diffuser ring is not rotatable around the horizontal axis. 27. A wind turbine as claimed in claim 26 wherein the diffuser further comprises one or more further diffuser rings co-axial to and downstream from the first diffuser ring, the one or more further diffuser rings each having an inlet and an outlet where the inlet area of each of the one or more further diffuser rings is less than the outlet area of the immediately upstream diffuser ring and the outlet area of each of the one or more diffuser rings is greater than or equal to its inlet area, provided that the all of the one or more further diffuser rings are not rotatable around the horizontal axis. 28. A horizontal axis wind turbine augmented with a diffuser comprising: a first diffuser ring arranged to form a turbine rotor cowling, the first diffuser ring having an inlet and an outlet, where the outlet area is equal to or greater than the inlet area, provided that the first diffuser ring is not rotatable around the horizontal axis;one or more vortex entrainment devices arranged on a trailing edge of the outlet of the first diffuser ring; andone or more further dynamic, aero-elastic, vortex entrainment devices attached to a further trailing edge of the diffuser. 29. A wind turbine according to claim 28 wherein the diffuser further comprises one or more vent structures and one or more suction slots, where the one or more vent structures are located on the exterior surface of the first diffuser ring and the or each vent structure is connected to one or more suction slots, the suction slots extending substantially radially through the entire thickness of the first diffuser ring.