A prime mover that is powered by the energy of a fluid is provided. Such a prime mover may include a first fairing, a second fairing spaced apart from the first fairing to define a gap therebetween and a blade assembly mounted on a shaft that extends between the first and second fairings. The first
A prime mover that is powered by the energy of a fluid is provided. Such a prime mover may include a first fairing, a second fairing spaced apart from the first fairing to define a gap therebetween and a blade assembly mounted on a shaft that extends between the first and second fairings. The first and second fairings each have a curved peripheral edge for directing a fluid into the gap. When the fluid flows into the gap it contacts the blade assembly to thereby rotate the blade assembly about an axis that is defined by the shaft. The prime mover may be mounted on a cell phone tower and used to generate electricity for powering components of the tower and/or for providing electricity to the power grid.
대표청구항▼
1. A prime mover powered by the energy of a fluid, the prime mover comprising: a blade assembly, turbine, or rotor adapted to convert fluid flow into energy; anda fairing adapted to guide a fluid to the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor, the fairing having a curved peripheral edge that transitions s
1. A prime mover powered by the energy of a fluid, the prime mover comprising: a blade assembly, turbine, or rotor adapted to convert fluid flow into energy; anda fairing adapted to guide a fluid to the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor, the fairing having a curved peripheral edge that transitions smoothly into a substantially flat surface, and the curved peripheral edge being connected to the flat surface outside an area where the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor rotates to form a continuous smooth surface providing a continuous smooth path for fluid flow to follow to said area where the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor rotates and is impacted by the guided fluid, whereby fluid flow impacts said blade assembly, turbine, or rotor to convert the fluid flow to energy, said continuous smooth surface continuing through said area where the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor rotates through to an exit of the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor wherein said fairing has slots or pathways into the fairing that reduce and/or redirect the fluid flow away from the area where the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor rotates to thereby avoid impacting a return section of the blade assembly or rotor and/or to reduce static pressure along a fairing edge furthest from an area of blade rotation. 2. The prime mover of claim 1, further comprising one or more additional fairings spaced apart from the fairing to define a gap therebetween, said fairings each having a curved peripheral edge for guiding a fluid into the gap; the peripheral edge of each fairing transitioning smoothly into a substantially flat continuous surface throughout the area where the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor is impacted by the guided fluid to convert the fluid flow to energy. 3. The prime mover of claim 2, wherein the blade assembly and the fairing fit into an inverted hollow section of the one or more additional fairings. 4. The prime mover of claim 2, wherein the fairing has a first diameter, the one or more additional fairings have a second diameter, and the first diameter is smaller than the second diameter. 5. The prime mover of claim 2, wherein the peripheral edge of each fairing is shaped to direct fluid flow inward toward an area whereby the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor are put into motion by the fluid. 6. The prime mover of claim 2, wherein the height of at least one of the fairings is at least 20% of the height of the gap. 7. The prime mover of claim 2, wherein the height of at least one of the fairings is at least 30% of the height of the gap. 8. The prime mover of claim 2, wherein one fairing comprises a surface of a water tower on which the prime mover is mounted. 9. The prime mover of claim 1, further comprising one or more guide sections that redirect the fluid flow components through the slots to other areas, said one or more guide sections being incorporated within the fairing. 10. The prime mover of claim 1, wherein the blade assembly comprises at least one blade. 11. The prime mover of claim 10, wherein the blade is curved and has a front face and a back face, the front face is concave and the back face is convex, and the front face defines a cavity for catching the fluid. 12. The prime mover of claim 11, wherein the curved blade is hollowed to make one or more passageways to allow fluid flow to be exhausted to one or more additional blades. 13. The prime mover of claim 11, wherein the back face has a curved shape that is adapted to guide the fluid. 14. The prime mover of claim 11, wherein the curved blade further includes a tip that curves into the fluid. 15. The prime mover of claim 11, wherein the blade assembly further comprises an arm that extends from the shaft, and the curved blade is attached to a distal end of the arm. 16. The prime mover of claim 15, wherein the arm is curved, and the curved arm includes a concave side and a convex side. 17. The prime mover of claim 11, wherein the curved blade catches fluid flow in a concavity therein, proximate to a tip of the curved blade, which leads into channels that direct the caught flow to an area between the concavity and an axis about which the curved blade rotates, and ultimately exhausts the fluid flow through the return blade, so as to allow uncaught ambient flow to pass through the space outlined by the channels. 18. The prime mover of claim 11, wherein one or more longitudinal fins protrude from the convex side of the curved blade. 19. The prime mover of claim 1, wherein the blade assembly comprises a flywheel and a plurality of curved blades extending from a peripheral surface of the flywheel. 20. The prime mover of claim 1, wherein the blade assembly comprises a flywheel and plurality of curved blades incorporated within the flywheel. 21. The prime mover of claim 1, wherein the fluid is air. 22. The prime mover of claim 1, wherein the fairing and blade assembly are connected together to rotate as a single unit about a vertical axis. 23. The prime mover of claim 1, wherein the fairing is circular in shape. 24. The prime mover of claim 1 wherein the peripheral edge of the fairing is parabolic or straight. 25. The prime mover of claim 1, wherein a plurality of guide vanes are disposed on the peripheral edges of the fairing. 26. The prime mover of claim 1, wherein the peripheral edge is circular. 27. The prime mover of claim 1, wherein multiple blade assemblies, turbines, or rotors operate on the fairing. 28. The prime mover of claim 27, wherein the multiple blade assemblies, turbines, or rotors are arranged in such a way that the efficiency of the prime mover is increased because of the respective positions of the blade assemblies, turbines, or rotors with respect to each other. 29. The prime mover of claim 1, wherein the fairing acts as a protective covering for operational items and equipment contained therein. 30. The prime mover of claim 1, wherein the fairings and/or blades are aerodynamically textured with divots like a golf ball. 31. A prime mover powered by the energy of air, the prime mover comprising a blade assembly, turbine, or rotor adapted to convert airflow into energy, and a continuous smooth curved planar surface that guides airflow to said blade assembly, turbine, or rotor, that extends from a position proximate to an edge of a building or bluff body, and that creates a continuous smooth path for airflow to flow over, said path being substantially curved-convex up to form a Coanda effect at an inlet to draw in airflow of increased velocity that exists near the edge of the building or bluff body, said planar surface providing a continuous smooth path for the airflow of increased velocity to follow through the area where the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor rotates and is impacted by the guided airflow, whereby airflow impacts said blade assembly, turbine, or rotor to convert the airflow to energy, said continuous smooth surface continuing through said area where the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor rotates through to an exit of the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor. 32. The prime mover of claim 31, wherein the surface is further adapted to form with at least one other surface, which is substantially parallel to said curved planar surface to form a flow guide, a partially enclosed passageway, or fully enclosed passageway to guide airflow of increased velocity through an entirety of the area within said flow guide containing the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor to rotate or otherwise cause motion of said blade assembly, turbine, or rotor. 33. The prime mover of claim 32, wherein the curved planar surface and said at least one other surface are both curved in a same direction at an inlet toward a surface of the building or bluff body wherein the flow guide or passageway encloses a space that has a cross-sectional area that decreases towards an end in which the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor is placed such that the air flow velocity is increased, above that of the entrance velocity to the flow guide or passageway, to the entirety of the area containing the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor. 34. The prime mover of claim 32, wherein one or more sides of an inlet and/or outlet of the flow guide or passageway are curved to accept/discharge airflow from a wider range of directions. 35. The prime mover of claim 32, wherein the flow guide or passageway includes means for preventing objects from exiting an opening in the flow guide or passageway and/or guiding flow around obstacles on the building. 36. The prime mover of claim 32, wherein the blade assembly or rotor has a characteristic swept surface area that is substantially cylindrical. 37. The prime mover of claim 32, wherein multiple blade assemblies, turbines, or rotors operate on or within the flow guide or passageway. 38. The prime mover of claim 37, whereby the multiple blade assemblies, turbines, or rotors are arranged on the surface or within the flow guide or passageway in such a way that the efficiency of the prime mover is increased because of the respective positions of the blade assemblies, turbines, or rotors with respect to each other. 39. The prime mover of claim 32, wherein the flow guide or passageway exit is shaped to reconnect an exit flow with an ambient air stream. 40. The prime mover of claim 32, further comprising an external structure aft of an exit of the flow guide or passageway to reconnect exit flow with an ambient air stream. 41. The prime mover of claim 32, further comprising means for slowing or stopping the blade assemblies, turbines, or rotors. 42. The prime mover of claim 41, whereby the means for slowing or stopping the blade assemblies, turbines, or rotors comprises one or more flaps in the flow guide or passageway. 43. The prime mover of claim 32, wherein the turbine blades or rotor rotate about a horizontal axis oriented parallel to a top edge of the building or bluff body or to the surface of the flow guide or passageway. 44. The prime mover of claim 32, wherein at least one pair of opposing edges of the flow guide or passageway curve or angle in the same direction and or curve in the direction to or from which the fluid will flow. 45. The prime mover of claim 32, wherein the flow guide or passageway and/or blades are aerodynamically textured. 46. A prime mover powered by the energy of a fluid, the prime mover comprising a blade assembly, turbine, or rotor adapted to convert fluid flow into energy, and a surface adapted to guide fluid flow of increased velocity to an entirety of the area containing the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor to rotate or otherwise cause motion of said blade assembly, turbine, or rotor, wherein the surface is further adapted to form a flow guide, a partially enclosed passageway, or fully enclosed passageway to guide fluid flow of increased velocity to an entirety of the area within said flow guide containing the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor to rotate or otherwise cause motion of said blade assembly, turbine, or rotor, wherein at least one path feeds fluid flow back into the flow guide or passageway from within the flow guide or passageway or feeds fluid flow in from an external location. 47. The prime mover of claim 46, wherein an external airflow path, enclosed or open air, is formed outside the flow guide or passageway that is adapted to introduce air back into the flow guide or passageway, to facilitate flow, or to help draw flow through the prime mover. 48. The prime mover of claim 46, wherein the flow guide or passageway further includes vortexers incorporating draw holes or first pathways and feed holes or second pathways that together create a bearing-like vortex to increase fluid flow through the flow guide or passageway to the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor to increase the efficiency of the prime mover. 49. A prime mover powered by the energy of a fluid, the prime mover comprising: a blade assembly, turbine, or rotor adapted to convert fluid flow into energy; andfloating fairings spaced apart from each other to define a gap therebetween and adapted to guide a fluid to the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor, each fairing having a curved peripheral edge that transitions smoothly into a substantially flat surface, and the curved peripheral edge being connected to the flat surface outside an area where the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor rotates to form a continuous smooth surface providing a continuous smooth path for airflow to follow to said area where the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor rotates and is impacted by the guided fluid, whereby airflow impacts said blade assembly, turbine, or rotor to convert the fluid flow to energy, said continuous smooth surface continuing through said area where the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor rotates through to an exit of the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor, further comprising vanes adapted to slow or stop rotation of the fairings while the blade assembly, turbine, or rotor is rotated while floating in water.
연구과제 타임라인
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
이 특허에 인용된 특허 (20)
Brostmeyer,Joseph; Ryznic,John E, Bearing-less floating wind turbine.
Evans Franklin T. (1011 Hunter St. ; Apt. #E4 Baltimore MD 21202-3849), Wind conversion unit having cup shaped flow through blades and a centrifugal speed regulator.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.