Abstract:
A wind driven turbine device is disclosed that includes a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, a turbine rotor having a plurality of radially distributed turbine rotor blades mounted in the housing for rotation in direct response to atmospheric wind to thereby generate rotary power, a baffle arrangement is also provided for directing wind through the housing from the air inlet to contact the turbine rotor blades from a plurality of angles as internal driving wind.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of Application No. 12/957,599, filed Dec. 1, 2010. That application is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    I. Field of the Invention 
         [0004]    The present invention relates generally to wind driven turbine devices and, more particularly, to a compact wind driven turbine device that combines external and internal airflow to propel the turbine blades in an efficient manner. The turbine system is compact and may be constructed in any desired size. The turbine is designed to power a corresponding electric generator. 
         [0005]    II. Related Art 
         [0006]    Wind driven generators have been known in the art for some time. Wind driven turbines having rotating enclosures that sense and seek the wind direction and align an enclosure inlet with the prevailing wind direction have also been made. Such devices having housings with internal turbines such that the wind is channeled to drive a turbine rotor which may have a plurality of blades or rotor vanes is also known. Such an arrangement is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,332,352 and 5,447,412 to Lamont which include primary and secondary air inlets and a horizontally mounted squirrel cage turbine device which has a plurality of vertical rotor vanes. 
         [0007]    Despite the many varied wind driven turbine devices which have been devised to generate electric power, there remains a need for an inexpensive compact efficient turbine system which has a minimum of moving parts and uses a simplified construction. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention is directed to a wind driven turbine system of simplified construction which enables low cost efficient wind turbine devices to be produced for individual or small scale use. Larger units can also be constructed. 
         [0009]    The system includes a wind driven turbine device which includes a generally hollow housing having an air inlet opening and one or more outlets or exhaust ports. A turbine rotor is provided which has a plurality of radially distributed turbine rotor blades and which is mounted in the housing for rotation in response to atmospheric wind to rotate an output shaft designed to be coupled to a generator for generating power. The housing includes a baffle arrangement for directing wind through the housing from the air inlet opening to contact the turbine rotor blades internally in a back-to-front direction. The turbine rotor is mounted such that the rotor blades are also driven by direct external wind, the two wind sources combining to produce an efficient rotor driving system. 
         [0010]    Preferably the rotor blades have a concave side and a convex side and the external wind and the internal wind address and exert force on the concave side of consecutive rotor blades as the turbine rotor revolves. The internally directed air after encompassing a blade is exhausted through ports beyond the blades which are defined by additional internal baffles. A forward wind deflector or shield protects the exhaust ports from oncoming wind and there is provided one or more directional fins or other conventional means for aligning the turbine system into the wind. The rotor is mounted to rotate a shaft which is mounted using suitable bearings which produce a very quiet efficient operation. 
         [0011]    Preferably the housing and rotor are fabricated of relatively lightweight materials to facilitate directional operation of the device and to reduce the force necessary to rotate the rotor. The housing may be of sheet metal and the rotor blades of a lightweight sheet metal such as aluminum. Suitable plastics may also be used in the construction of the device. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1A  is a side elevational schematic view of a wind driven turbine system in accordance with the invention shown with parts removed to illustrate air flow; 
           [0013]      FIG. 1B  is a side elevational schematic view of the wind driven turbine system of  FIG. 1A ; 
           [0014]      FIGS. 1C and 1D  are front and rear elevational views of the turbine system of  FIG. 1A ; 
           [0015]      FIGS. 1E  is a perspective view of a turbine blade suitable for use in the invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2A  is a bottom perspective view of the turbine system of the invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2B  is a rear perspective view; 
           [0018]      FIGS. 2C and 2D  are front perspective views, 
           [0019]      FIG. 2C  showing an internal exhaust baffle construction 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a side elevational schematic view of an alternate embodiment of the wind driven turbine system of  FIGS. 1A-2D ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a schematic drawing of a turbine drive; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is a front elevational perspective view of a wind driven turbine drive system in accordance with the embodiment of  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]    The following detailed description is given as an example to illustrate the inventive concepts and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Variations may occur to those skilled in the art that remain within the contemplated scope of the invention. 
         [0024]    In  FIGS. 1A-1E  and  2 A- 2 D, there is shown a set of schematic views of a wind turbine in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention. The turbine is shown generally at  10  and includes a generally hollow primary housing  12  which may be manufactured from sheet metal, a suitable plastic material or any other type of construction material suitable for the intended use. In this regard, lightweight materials may be preferred to enable the structure to be more responsive to changes in wind direction. The housing includes a top or upper section  14  that includes an air inlet opening or cowling  16  in an arcuate-shaped direction reversing baffle is shown at  18 . The turbine includes a rotor  20  with arcuate-shaped blades  22 ,  24  and  26 . The rotor is mounted to rotate a suitable output shaft  28  which is mounted for rotation using suitable bearings as at  30  and  32 . The shaft  28  is designed to be coupled to drive an electric generator (not shown) in a well known manner. The generator itself does not form part of the present invention and such hookups to turbines are well known in the art and need no further explanation. 
         [0025]    The wind turbine further includes a pair of forward exhaust baffles  34  and  36  which define exhaust ports for exhausting internally-directed air at  38  and  40 . A front deflector plate is shown at  42 . A directional fin is shown at  44 . It should be noted that the wind turbine system can be mounted at any height or angle that will successfully catch the prevailing wind. The wind turbine system of the invention can even be mounted on a vehicle to provide an additional source of electric power. 
         [0026]    As can readily be appreciated from the drawing figures, direct external wind exerts a force against the blade  26  as shown by the arrow  48  while at the same time, the internally directed air exerts a force against the blade  24  as shown by the arrows  50  thereby, in effect, doubling the effect of the prevailing wind without creating any drag on the rotor blades, this enables the turbine system of the invention to be a compact highly efficient system using a fairly simple construction. 
         [0027]    The turbine rotor  20 , like the housing  12 , is preferably constructed from a lightweight sturdy material such as aluminum or a high-impact plastic material and may even be molded as a single-piece construction. While three blades are shown in the illustrated embodiment, it will be appreciated that the number and shape of the blades used may vary so long as the ability to utilize both internal and externally supplied air is maintained. 
         [0028]    An alternate embodiment of the wind turbine system of the invention is shown in  FIGS. 3 and 5 . The embodiment  100  includes an upper or top member  102 , a downward directing air dam  104  and spaced baffle plates. A further divider member is shown at  112  and a lower or bottom member at  114 . The air dam  104  and baffle plates or air deflectors  106 ,  108  and  110  with member  112  and the top and bottom members  102  and  114  define four internal chambers  116 ,  118 ,  120  and  122  which are open at one end to admit primary wind flow. A baffle  124  in chamber  122  directs air in the opposite direction. Side members are shown at  126  and  128  in  FIG. 5 . Air flow is indicated by the arrows. The angle of the air dam and baffle plates can be varied to best accommodate high and low average wind conditions. 
         [0029]    A rotor is shown at  130  that includes an axle-mounted hub  132  on an axle  134  and a plurality of rotor blades  136  which may have an angled aspect as at  138 . Power booster plates  140  are located between adjacent blades  136  to increase the efficiency of the turbine by increasing the torque of air impacting the blades. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the rotor may be used to drive an alternator using a pair of spaced pulleys  150  and  152  and a belt  154  in a well-known manner. The pulley  150  is attached to the rotor axel  134 . 
         [0030]    As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , the divider member  112  starts toward bottom member  114  and constricts the area of chamber  122  as it approaches baffle  124  which increases the air velocity pushing against the back side of the blades  136 . 
         [0031]    The air deflector  110  has a significant curve that deflects air to impact the blades  136  in an upward angle with reference to  FIG. 3 . Deflector  108  also directs incoming air upward to a lesser degree than deflector  110 . Deflector plate  104  constricts the area in chamber  116  and directs incoming air against the top of blades  136 . 
         [0032]    The multi-chamber embodiment of  FIGS. 3-5  has been found to increase the efficiency of the turbine system. The turbine rotor is entirely inside the structure. 
         [0033]    It will also be appreciated that the wind turbine system of the invention can be made in any desirable size and its efficiency makes it especially adaptable to provide electric power on a relatively small scale as to individual installation such as homes or farms. 
         [0034]    This invention has been described herein in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed to apply the novel principles and to construct and use embodiments of the example as required. However, it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by specifically different devices and that various modifications can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself.