Wind turbine assembly

A wind turbine assembly for covering wind energy into electrical energy includes a housing that is positioned adjacent to a roadway. An intake chute is integrated into the housing and the intake chute is oriented to face oncoming traffic on the roadway thereby facilitating the intake chute to direct wind produced by the oncoming traffic into the housing. A wind turbine is rotatably disposed within the intake chute such that the wind turbine is rotated by the wind produced by the oncoming traffic. A generator is positioned in the housing and the generator is in mechanical communication with the wind turbine. The generator is rotated when the wind turbine rotates to convert wind energy into electrical energy.

(b) CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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(d) THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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(d) STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

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(g) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to wind turbine devices and more particularly pertains to a new wind turbine device for converting wind energy into electrical energy. The device includes a housing that is buried adjacent to roadway and an intake chute that is integrated into the housing. The intake chute is oriented such that wind produced by oncoming traffic on the roadway enters the intake chute. A wind turbine is rotatably disposed in the intake chute and the wind turbine is rotated by the wind entering the intake chute. A generator is disposed in the housing and the generator is mechanically coupled to the wind turbine such that the wind turbine rotates the generator for converting wind energy into electrical energy.

The prior art relates to wind turbine devices including a wind draft generator comprising a housing that has an elongate hexagonal shape which is positioned adjacent to a roadway and which an air conduit extending through the housing and an air turbine rotatably disposed in the housing which is rotated by wind produced by traffic on the roadway. The prior art discloses a wind generator that includes a roadway with a trench running along a middle of the roadway for capturing wind from traffic traveling along the roadway and a wind turbine disposed within the trench. The prior art discloses a wind generator which includes a base buried under ground adjacent to a roadway, a stanchion extending upwardly from the base, a cylindrical housing positioned on the stanchion and a wind turbine positioned in the cylindrical housing. The prior art discloses a wind generator that includes a plurality of wind turbines each rotatably disposed on a trailer and a plurality of deflectors attached to the trailer for directing wind through the wind turbines. The prior art discloses a wind generator that includes a traffic barrier, a track attached to an upper edge of the traffic barrier and a plurality of wind turbines attached to the track.

(h) BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing that is positioned adjacent to a roadway. An intake chute is integrated into the housing and the intake chute is oriented to face oncoming traffic on the roadway thereby facilitating the intake chute to direct wind produced by the oncoming traffic into the housing. A wind turbine is rotatably disposed within the intake chute such that the wind turbine is rotated by the wind produced by the oncoming traffic. A generator is positioned in the housing and the generator is in mechanical communication with the wind turbine. The generator is rotated when the wind turbine rotates to convert wind energy into electrical energy.

(j) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As best illustrated inFIGS.1through6, the wind turbine assembly10generally comprises a housing12that is positioned adjacent to a roadway14. The roadway14may be a highway or any other public roadway upon which motorized vehicles16commonly travel. The housing12has a bottom wall18, a top wall20and an outer wall22extending between the top wall20and the bottom wall18and the outer wall22has a plurality of intersecting sides24such that the housing12has a rectilinear shape. The top wall20has an opening26extending into an interior of the housing12and the opening26is positioned closer to a back side28of the outer wall22than a front side30of the outer wall22.

As is most clearly shown inFIGS.5and6, the housing12is buried in the ground32such that the top wall20of the housing12is exposed. The housing12has a generator chamber34that is positioned within the housing12. The generator chamber34rests on the bottom wall18. Furthermore, the generator chamber34is positioned closer to the front side30of the outer wall22than the back side28of the outer wall22.

An intake chute36is integrated into the housing12and the intake chute36is oriented to face oncoming traffic38on the roadway14thereby facilitating the intake chute36to direct wind produced by the oncoming traffic38into the housing12. The intake chute36has an upper wall40and a rear wall42and the rear wall42has a planar portion44which is perpendicularly oriented with the upper wall40having the planar portion44extending downwardly from a rear edge46of the upper wall40. The rear wall42has a curved portion48which has a terminal edge50and the curved portion48curls toward the planar portion44of the rear wall42such the terminal edge50is directed toward the planar portion44of the rear wall42at a point spaced downwardly from the upper wall40. Moreover, the curved portion48defines a throat52between the terminal edge50and the planar portion44of the rear wall42and the curved portion48defines a turbine space54that is positioned beneath the throat52.

The intake chute36has a forward wall56which has a first portion58that is perpendicularly oriented with a second portion60. The first portion58extends upwardly from the terminal edge50of the curved portion48of the rear wall42such that the first portion58lies on a plane that is oriented parallel with the planar portion44of the rear wall42. The second portion60lies on a plane that is oriented parallel with the upper wall40of the intake chute36such that the upper wall40and the second portion60define an air opening62into the intake chute36. The intake chute36has a first lateral wall64and a second lateral wall66each extending between the upper wall40and the second portion60of the forward wall56such that each of the first lateral wall64and the second lateral wall66bounds the air opening62.

The turbine space54is positioned within the housing12such having the planar portion44of the rear wall42and the first portion58of the forward wall56extending upwardly through the opening26in the top wall20of the housing12. Additionally, the intake chute36is oriented such that the air opening62is directed toward the front side of the outer wall22of the housing12. In this way the wind produced by the oncoming traffic38enters the air opening62and passes through the throat52and into the turbine space54.

A wind turbine68is rotatably disposed within the intake chute36such that the wind turbine68is rotated by the wind produced by the oncoming traffic38. The wind turbine68is positioned within the turbine space54and the wind turbine68has a rotational axis extending between a first sidelong side70and a second sidelong side72of the outer wall22of the housing12. The wind turbine68has a plurality of vanes74and the vanes74are spaced apart from each other and are distributed around a full circumference of an outer surface76of the wind turbine68. Each of the vanes74has a forward side78that is perpendicularly oriented with the outer surface76of the wind turbine68and the forward side78of each of the vanes74is open. Each of the vanes74has a rearward side80angling between the forward side78and the outer surface76of the wind turbine68. Furthermore, each of the vanes74is oriented such that the forward side78of the vanes74is directed toward the throat52when the wind turbine68rotates thereby facilitating the forward side78of the vanes74to capture the wind directed through the throat52thereby facilitating the plurality of vanes74to rotate the wind turbine68.

A first pulley82is attached to the wind turbine68and the first pulley82has a rotational axis that is collinear with the rotational axis of the wind turbine68. A generator84is positioned in the housing12and the generator84is in mechanical communication with the wind turbine68. The generator84is rotated when the wind turbine68rotates to convert wind energy into electrical energy. Additionally, the generator84is positioned within the generator chamber34. A second pulley86is attached to the generator84and a belt88extends around the first pulley82and the second pulley86. In this way the first pulley82is mechanically coupled to the second pulley86thereby facilitating the wind turbine68to rotate the generator84.

A power cord90is electrically coupled to the generator84and the power cord90extends outwardly through the outer wall22of the housing12. The power cord90is electrically coupled to a power storage device92for storing electrical energy produced by the generator84. The power storage device92may be an existing electrical grid operated and maintained by a municipal electrical company. Furthermore, the power storage device92may be a battery or any other type of storage device commonly employed for storing electrical energy.

In use, the wind produced by oncoming traffic38on the roadway14enters the intake chute36and travels into the turbine space54in the intake chute36when the oncoming traffic38passes by the housing12and the intake chute36. In this way the wind68turbine is rotated by the wind. The wind turbine68rotates the generator84thereby facilitating the wind energy to be converted into electrical energy. Furthermore, the electrical energy produced by the generator84is stored in the power storage device92. In this way clean electrical energy is produced from wind energy without requiring the use of conventional wind turbines that commonly threaten wildlife as well as occupying large amounts of land that could otherwise be employed for farming or other agricultural activities. Additionally, the wind turbine68can be rotated by natural wind when the natural wind is moving in an appropriate direction to enter the intake chute36.