Efficient Energy Storage for Wind Turbines

A wind farm design with onsite hydrogen production and export to mitigate power fluctuations and avoid long-distance transmission costs. The wind turbines have electrolysis units to generate hydrogen using excess wind power. The hydrogen is exported via a shared above-sea-level manifold rather than subsea connections. This allows easier maintenance and prevents corrosion compared to underwater connections. The manifold connects the turbine hydrogen outputs to a common pipeline for transporting the hydrogen produced by the wind farm. This eliminates the need for individual subsea connections from each turbine. The manifold can be housed in a container or installed at the turbine platform or tower.

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Controlling and coordinating operations of a cluster of fluid turbines to improve efficiency and compliance with grid requirements under variable fluid conditions. The method involves storing energy generated below grid threshold levels in a cluster of turbines instead of supplying it to the grid. When turbine output exceeds the grid threshold, the stored energy is released to supplement the grid supply. This allows turbines to continue generating power even in low fluid conditions that fall below grid requirements.

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Clean electricity generation system using kinetic energy conversion. The system has a wind sail and mast that rotates around a fixed axis when wind blows. A piston device with a movable weight connected to the mast rotates along a linear path. The mast rotation moves the weight back and forth. Gravity pulls the weight back. This reciprocal motion pumps fluid in a piston. The pumped fluid is stored and later converted to electricity. The limited rotation span and angular path allows faster piston motion.

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Using wind power to pump water up to a tank, then releasing it to turn hydroelectric generators continuously, even when the wind stops. The invention addresses the intermittency of wind power by storing water in a tank when there's wind, then using gravity to generate electricity continuously. An auxiliary pump powered by the hydro system can fill the tank if wind is low. The wind turbines themselves are shorter and covered to avoid bird strikes. Camouflage covers hide the turbines.

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Decoupled wind turbine that generates hydrogen gas on-site without connecting to the electrical grid. The turbine has an internal hydrogen generation system that allows it to produce hydrogen from wind power without needing grid electricity. The hydrogen is stored in pipes inside or outside the tower. This enables the turbine to operate in remote locations without grid access, converting intermittent wind energy into storable and transportable hydrogen fuel.

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Hydraulic system for wind turbines that replaces the mechanical gearbox with a hydraulic pump and motor. The hydraulic system provides a more compact, lightweight, and durable alternative to gearboxes that lasts longer and requires less maintenance. The system uses a radial piston pump with a multi-lobe concentric cam to convert the low speed rotation of the wind turbine blades into hydraulic energy. This hydraulic energy is then used to drive a hydraulic motor connected to the generator. The radial piston design allows a high number of large diameter pistons in a compact space. The cam produces multiple strokes per revolution to maximize output. The pump also integrates the reservoir and pressure tank into the body for a compact design.

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An arrangement for exchanging hydraulic accumulators in wind turbine hubs that allows safe and efficient replacement without extensive access or disassembly. The arrangement has sliding supports on the hub structure that can move parallel to the accumulator location. An elongated carrier rests on these supports and can be positioned below the accumulator. The accumulator is lowered onto the carrier and removed. The new accumulator is then raised into the hub and lowered onto the carrier. The sliding supports enable access to the accumulator location without requiring extensive disassembly or access to other components in the hub.

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A pipeline power generation system that uses compressed air storage and multi-stage wind turbines in a sealed pipe to reduce the cost of peak shaving power compared to conventional methods. The system stores excess low-demand electricity in compressed air, then releases it through a sealed pipe with multiple wind turbines of decreasing size. The high-speed compressed air flows through the turbines, converting kinetic energy into electricity as wind speed decreases. Mixing atomized water with the air further improves generation efficiency. Multiple parallel systems can be connected to increase total peak power capacity.

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Operating wind turbines to charge auxiliary power sources during low wind conditions instead of idling the main generator. When certain conditions are met, the turbine blades are pitched to a fixed angle for idling. If wind speed exceeds a threshold, the rotor spins to charge the auxiliary power sources without generating main power. This avoids wasting power keeping the main generator running at low speeds.

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Portable wind energy conversion system for generating electricity from wind using micro-scale wind turbines. The system has a user-portable frame that can be mounted on surfaces like roofs or poles. The frame hosts multiple compact wind turbine modules, each containing tiny wind turbines. These turbines generate electricity when wind moves them. The modules can be electrically connected to external storage devices like batteries. This allows the system to store and supply power for offgrid applications. The compact design enables easy transport and deployment.

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Small wind generator system with reduced maintenance, increased reliability, and lower cost compared to conventional wind turbines. It uses a bellows-shaped outer housing that expands and contracts to store and release energy. The bellows has functional elements that actuate expansion/contraction based on heat or other inputs. This allows the bellows to collect waste heat, expand to store energy, then contract to release it. The bellows also harvests energy from its environment like solar or mechanical sources. The bellows can power devices, augment power systems, cool components, or charge batteries. It has potential applications like spacecraft propulsion, robotics, wind turbine energy recovery, and grid backup storage.

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Protecting journal bearings in wind turbines during standstill to avoid damage when wind speeds are too low to turn the rotor. The protection involves using a wind speed monitor to detect when wind speeds exceed a minimum threshold. When this happens, a backup battery switches from low power mode to normal power mode. In low power mode, the battery conserves charge during calm periods. This prevents depletion if the turbine is stationary for long periods. The wake-up signal from the wind speed monitor triggers switching back to normal power mode. This ensures the turbine can restart when winds pick up.

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Layout design for coils in high-temperature superconducting (HTS) generators to reduce perpendicular flux density on the superconducting tape sections. The coils have stacked turns made of HTS tapes where the major sides of the tape substrates are superposed. This creates coil sections with a width parallel to the tape width and a height orthogonal to it. The width-height ratio is between 2 and 5. This configuration significantly reduces the flux density perpendicular to the tapes compared to traditional coils. It allows using HTS tapes without flux diverters in wind turbine generators.

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Off-grid electric system for charging electric vehicles (EVs) using wind power that allows charging of large fleets of EVs without grid connection or with limited grid capacity. The system has multiple wind turbines, an electric storage system, and vehicle charging stations connected by an off-grid power network. An AC-DC converter connects the wind turbine outputs to the network. It allows charging of EVs from wind power or stored energy based on weather forecasts. The system can plan optimal EV charging schedules using forecast wind speeds to balance turbine and storage power.

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Controlling a wind power installation during grid failure to keep it operational. The method involves discharging an electrical store in the uninterruptible power supply when grid power fails. The discharge current is monitored to determine the store's capacity. If the capacity is sufficient, an operating signal is generated, but if insufficient, a warning signal is generated. This allows knowing if the store can still power the wind turbine's azimuth adjustment mechanism.

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A renewable power generation system for electric vehicles like semi-trucks that reduces the need for frequent stops to recharge the battery. The system uses wind turbines and solar panels on the truck and trailer to generate clean electricity. This is stored in a battery pack and supplemented by a backup generator. The truck's electrical system draws power from the battery pack instead of the vehicle battery when it gets low. This allows the truck to keep going longer without recharging. The wind turbines capture wind from multiple directions including the front, top, and between truck and trailer. The solar panels are on the trailer roof and sides.

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Lubrication system for wind turbine gearboxes that provides ample lubrication when the turbine is not connected to the grid. The system uses a separate oil reservoir, siphon, and valves to maintain adequate oil levels in the gearbox when grid power is unavailable. The reservoir has a valve that opens during gridless operation, while the gearbox drain valve closes. A siphon connects the reservoir to the gearbox outlet, adjusting the internal oil level. This allows the gearbox to lubricate itself without external power.

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Fast frequency response method for wind turbines to improve grid stability by utilizing inertial energy stored in the turbine rotor to quickly arrest frequency drops after grid disturbances. The method involves overproducing power from the turbine in response to grid frequency changes, which slows the rotor. A dynamic adaptive gain adjusts the overproduction level based on wind speed and penetration to optimize grid support. This prevents large frequency overshoots and dips compared to fixed gains.

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Rechargeable battery using aluminum ions in aqueous electrolytes for high capacity, low cost, and environmentally friendly energy storage. The battery has an aluminum anode, cathode, separator, and aqueous aluminum salt electrolyte. The aluminum anode is treated to increase hydrophilicity for ion transport. The cathode can be lithium manganese oxide, graphite-graphite oxide, or other materials that accommodate large aluminum ions. The aqueous electrolyte allows high capacity and safety with low cost and environmental impact compared to flammable organic electrolytes. The aluminum-ion battery can be recharged by moving the aluminum ions between electrodes through the separator.

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Gravity field energy storage and recovery system to store and release energy using massive objects in gravitational fields. The system uses mechanical power sources to reposition objects like masses in a gravitational field or buoyant objects in fluids to increase their potential energy. This stored energy can be recovered immediately or indefinitely without loss. The system allows incremental energy storage without efficiency loss. It provides an alternative to batteries for grid-scale energy storage.

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