Patent ID: 6278197
Filing Date: 2001-08-21
Classification: F03D,F05B,H02K,Y02E

Abstract:
Wind turbine apparatus comprising:a hub assembly including inner and outer coaxial shafts, the inner shaft having an outer peripheral surface, the outer shaft having an inner peripheral surface spaced from the outer peripheral surface of the inner shaft;first bearing means supporting the outer shaft for rotation about a generally horizontal axis;second bearing means supporting the inner shaft on the outer shaft for rotation about the axis of rotation;an armature winding on the outer shaft;a plurality of magnets on the inner shaft at a plurality of circumferentially spaced locations, each adjacent pair of the magnets being separated with a dielectric spacer;a first set of rotor blades mounted on the inner shaft at a plurality of circumferentially spaced locations and extending radially away from the axis of rotation, the first set of rotor blades positioned on the inner shaft for rotating the inner shaft in a first direction about the axis of rotation when subjected to wind-induced air flow;a second set of rotor blades mounted on the outer shaft axially spaced from the first set of rotor blades at a plurality of circumferentially spaced locations and extending radially away from the axis of rotation, the second set of rotor blades positioned on the outer shaft for rotating the outer shaft about the axis of rotation in a second direction opposite the first direction when subjected to wind-induced air flow;thereby generating electrical power as the armature winding on the outer shaft and the plurality of magnets on the inner shaft rotate in opposite directions.