Patent ID: 6734576
Filing Date: 2004-05-11
Classification: B60K,B60L,B63H,F03B,F03D,F05B,Y02B,Y02E,Y02T

Abstract:
Apparatus for generating electrical energy from a flowing medium of wind or water comprising:a stationary supporting structure, a rotary structure supported for unidirectional rotation on said fixed structure, a rotary shaft supporting said rotary structure and rotatably supported by said fixed structure, said rotary structure comprising a plurality of panels each having an open frame and a plurality of vanes supported by said frame, said vanes comprising thin rigid plate members, each of said vanes having a opposite side edges and being rotatable supported at one of said side edges by said open frame for pivotable movement between an open position perpendicular to said frame and a closed position in a plane of the frame, said vanes being supported from said frame solely at said one of said side edges thereof so that top and bottom edges of the vanes are free and unrestrained such that when the vanes are in closed position and exposed to the flowing medium, the vanes will exert a rotational force on the frame to produce rotation of the rotary structure, a system for pivotably moving said vanes in synchronism between said open and closed positions including an aligner cable connecting said vanes at side edges thereof opposite said side edges at which said vanes are rotatably supported by said frame to synchronize rotation of the vanes as the vanes move between closed and open positions, oscillatory stops between said frame and said vanes to block rotatable movement of said vanes in the closed position and permit rotatable movement of the vanes to said open position, said aligner cable synchronizing movement of said vanes and limiting the angular movement to said open position, said rotary shaft extending outwardly from said frame, and supporting said frame so that its lower edge is free and the frame can undergo free travel without restriction, and means for generating electrical energy from rotation of the frame and the rotary shaft.