252 patents in this list
Updated: June 20, 2024
Wind turbine blade shape optimizations are at the forefront of enhancing the performance and efficiency of wind energy systems. By employing advanced aerodynamic principles and innovative design techniques, these optimizations aim to maximize energy capture and operational stability.
This article examines the latest developments in blade shape optimization, tackling key challenges such as minimizing turbulence, improving lift-to-drag ratios, and sustaining structural resilience in diverse wind conditions.
These cutting-edge design improvements promise to deliver substantial gains in the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of wind turbines, fostering greater adoption of wind power as a sustainable energy solution.
Kyung Hee HAN, 2024
Vertical axis wind turbine generator with improved torque and noise performance compared to traditional vertical axis wind turbines. The generator has a vertical rotor shaft and multiple blades attached. The blades are divided into fixed and movable sections. The movable sections can close or open a central wind hole in the fixed sections. This allows optimizing blade pressure and torque. When backwind blows, the movable sections close the wind hole to maximize pressure. When headwind blows, they open the wind hole to minimize pressure. This reduces counter-torque from wind forces and noise compared to traditional vertical axis wind turbines.
Anatolij Viktorovich Leoshko, 2024
A vertical axis wind turbine design that improves efficiency by optimizing the airflow path and reducing turbulence. The turbine has a rotor with blades inside a conical body, surrounded by a stator with curved vanes. An upper impeller is inside the top of the rotor. A diffuser above the stator has an upper disc rigidly connected to a lower disc. A lower impeller is inside the rotor base. A fan wraps blades around the rotor top. The impeller and fan spacings are optimized for efficiency. The curved vanes, conical rotor, and spaced impeller/fan reduce turbulence compared to a horizontal axis turbine. The diffuser captures upward airflow.
Kyung Hee HAN, 2024
Vertical axis multi-stage wind turbine generator with reduced counter-torque wind pressure and improved stability for high wind speeds. The turbine has multiple stages of rotor blades mounted vertically between conical guide plates. Each rotor blade has a ball-netted wind hole that can open or close depending on wind direction. When the blade is accelerating into the wind, the hole opens to increase blade speed. When the blade is decelerating, the hole closes. This allows higher blade speeds and reduces counter-torque force compared to fixed wind holes. The turbine also has reinforcing poles between the guide plates to withstand high winds.
NTN Corporation, 2024
A windmill design that improves rotation energy conversion efficiency compared to conventional windmills. The windmill has a blade with a front edge and rear edge, and a supporting member that connects the blade and shaft. The supporting member has a front end and rear end. A straight line passing through the middle of the supporting member and parallel to the radial direction intersects the blade chord line at the rear edge midpoint. This configuration balances centrifugal forces on the blade and supports them more efficiently.
Alfred FINNELL, 2024
A wind turbine blade design with improved efficiency and bird safety. The turbine has a central hub with spokes connecting to a peripheral rim. Blades are mounted inside the rim near the edge. This reduces stress on the blades compared to cantilevered designs. The interior edge gap between blades and hub prevents birds flying into the blades. The blades rotate at a constant angle of attack. This optimizes power extraction by matching blade tip speed to the wind. The blades are adjustable for blade length variation.
Jan Wisniewski, 2024
Vertical axis wind turbine rotor with optimized blade twist for improved efficiency. The rotor has aerodynamic profiles with distinct leading and trailing edges that operate at blade speeds greater than 1.5 times the incoming wind speed. The blade twist is optimized by having a smaller angle shift between the trailing edge at ΒΌ and Β½ blade height compared to the Β½ and ΒΎ heights. This reduces flow separation and vortex formation for better lift generation. The blade twist along the whole rotor height should be at least 90% of the full angle divided by the number of blades, preferably 100-120%.
Rikiya ABE, 2024
Vertical axis wind turbine design that reduces fatigue in the main shaft compared to conventional vertical axis turbines. The turbine has a vertical shaft with horizontal arms extending out at equal intervals. Wings are attached to the arm tips and extend up/down. The wings have uniform cross sections and lengths around the circumference. This projection onto a virtual circular ring around the shaft reduces shaft torque fluctuations compared to wing configurations with gaps.
Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, 2024
Wind apparatus that maximizes the amount of kinetic energy captured from an air flow by changing the aerodynamic behavior of its blades over time in response to the air flow. The apparatus has blades that move along curved guides when hit by wind, rotating to optimize capture. This allows the blades to respond to changing wind directions and speeds, increasing energy capture compared to fixed blade designs. The blade motion is transmitted through mechanisms to turn shafts and generate electricity.
Ching-Cheng HUANG, 2024
Turbine design for wind power generation that improves efficiency by allowing blades to expand and close as the turbine rotates. The blades pivot on a rotary shaft and have stoppers to limit expansion angles. Elastic members connect the blades to the shaft. In the expanded position, the blades face the stoppers to capture more wind force. In the closed position, the blades are near the shaft to reduce drag. This eliminates negative power during blade reversal. The turbine can be integrated in a channel structure where the blades touch the walls when closed. The blades expand when diverted fluid flows between the walls. This allows high fluid speed entry and extraction. The turbine also integrates anti-friction members and cover sheets for pivotal motion.
Kuninori Tsuda, 2024
Impeller design for wind turbines that improves power generation efficiency and noise reduction. The impeller has blades that widen outwards towards the outer edge. The blade leading and trailing edges form overlapping segments on the front and rear sides of the impeller in the front view. This configuration allows more wind area capture without increasing blade count. The wider blade shape also reduces noise by smoothing airflow transition. The impeller can be used in a streamlined wind tunnel to further enhance efficiency.
Maini Renewables Private Limited, 2024
Rotating airfoil design for rotating systems like wind turbines and propellers that improves efficiency compared to conventional airfoils. The rotating airfoil has a concave working surface for lift generation and a convex section connected by motion transmitting members. The concave surface has veins for boundary layer effect. This allows autorotation, rapid fluid displacement, and retardation. The veins create a disturbed layer on the surface reducing direct fluid-blade interaction and drag. The convex section connects to the power generator.
J. Hench Consulting, Inc., 2024
Mastless vertical axis wind turbine without a central mast that generates energy by rotating conical sails under tension from a bottom platform and a top attachment. The conical shape increases stability in high winds. The sails rotate about a vertical axis under wind force. The bottom is tethered to a platform that rotates with the sails. The top is attached to a stationary frame that stays fixed. This allows the sails to rotate while the frame stays stationary. Stationary sails outside the rotation range redirect airflow to increase swept area. The mastless design eliminates the need for a central mast.
University of Cincinnati, 2024
Vertical axis wind turbine with compound blades that provide more consistent torque compared to conventional savonius turbines. The compound blades have both a primary and secondary concave section. This configuration allows the blades to generate torque in both directions as they rotate, reducing torque variation and improving efficiency.
David Papini, 2024
A wind-powered generator designed for residential and portable applications that can be used in locations where wind turbines may not be feasible due to constraints like neighbor complaints, housing regulations, or insufficient wind. The generator has a unique housing shape and dual rotor design that allows it to efficiently harness low wind speeds. The housing has a curved leading section and a straight trailing section. The rotors are sized and positioned to maximize power output. A smaller rotor in the trailing section reduces wind interference. The rotors drive internal generators that combine output. The generator can be mounted directly on buildings or portably. A voltage converter adjusts output.
Velocity Wind Turbines, LLC, 2024
Wind turbine rotor design for cross-flow applications that improves efficiency and reduces vibrations compared to conventional Savonius-style turbines. The rotor has primary blades around a central axis and secondary blades positioned between the primary blades. The secondary blades are smaller than the primary blades. This configuration allows the secondary blades to capture additional wind energy and redirect it into the primary blades, enhancing overall performance. It also concentrates the force of the wind on the primary blades, reducing return drag and vibrations compared to having more primary blades.
Airborne Motorworks Inc., 2024
Compact and efficient friction-limiting turbine gyroscope for converting fluid flow energy into electrical power. The gyroscope has aerodynamically shaped spokes that rotate the gyroscope when fluid flows over them. The spokes expand/contract using shape memory alloys to adjust cross-section. The blades also rotate about their center of pressure. A computer monitors fluid changes to optimize energy capture. This reduces losses and wear compared to traditional turbines.
Robert Lothar Montieth, 2024
A vertical-axis wind turbine with spherically shaped blades that captures more wind energy and allows for turbulent updraft capture, especially useful for rooftop installations. The blades have a concave inner surface and convex outer surface, forming a spherical shape when viewed from the top and bottom. This shape increases drag on the concave side and reduces drag on the convex side, allowing more wind capture. The spherical shape also compresses airflow through the center of the turbine, increasing its velocity as it exits. The open center of the turbine allows for efficient flow through the spherical blades.
Rakesh Aggarwal, 2023
A wind turbine system with adjustable blades that can optimize drag and lift forces for higher efficiency, lower wind speeds, and reduced damage. The system has multiple blade assemblies with pivoting sub-blades. A main control unit adjusts the sub-blade angles during rotation to optimize forward drag and lift. This is done by rotating the blade shafts using primary control arrangements. The sub-blades open and close using secondary control arrangements. This allows partial or full blocking of wind flow. The blade panel design with adjustable sub-blades enables higher efficiency at lower speeds, protection against high winds, and smoother torque output during gusts.
KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS, 2023
A vertical axis wind turbine blade design to improve performance by delaying blade stall. The blade has a leading edge slat with a curved hollow channel extending from the slat to the blade surface. An airflow blocker obstructs the channel. This creates a suction effect that helps prevent flow separation and stall. The slanted leading edge with the curved channel and blocker allows reattachment of the airflow. The design allows higher angles of attack before stall compared to conventional blades.
Wei Li, 2023
A wind turbine with adjustable vanes and jibs to optimize power extraction in changing wind conditions. The turbine has a rotatable mast with a generator at one end. The mast is held by a frame that can rotate with the wind. The frame has vanes that can open or close to control airflow. Additional jibs extend from the vanes to further adjust wind resistance. Actuators toggle the vane and jib positions to keep the turbine aligned with the wind. This allows consistent power output even as wind direction changes. The turbine can also raise or lower the mast height using a buoy base in water to optimize wind speeds at different elevations.
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