Device for transducing of power

A device for converting or transducing wind power into other power, such as electric power. A wheel is rotatably journalled on a shaft (8) in the upper region of a tower (1). The wheel has a number of blades (9) between the shaft (8) and an outer annulus (10) which is located a distance from the shaft (8). The tower (1) is rotatable for positioning the wheel substantially at right angles to the prevailing direction of the wind. A transmission device (26) extends between the annulus (10) of the wheel and the foot of the tower for transducing the transmitted wind power into other power.

The present invention relates to a device for converting and/or transducing power into other power, for example electric power.

According to the state of art, wind power is transduced by means of propeller or screw blades which depart from a shaft which drives a generator by the intermediary of a gear. This solution entails that the mechanical components are subjected to extreme mechanical forces which, naturally, become greater and greater the larger the propeller blades and the higher the tower. The tower has an upper nacelle which is rotary and which houses the mechanical components and the generator as well as the propeller shaft with the propeller or screw blades which are rotary for adjustments of the propeller blades substantially at right angles to prevailing direction of the wind. The extreme mechanical forces also a clear tendency to limit the size of a wind power station according to the state of art, whereby the economic return on wind power is considerably limited. For a truly efficient utilization of wind power, it has proved to be desirable to realise considerably larger wind power plants whereby the tower proper should preferably be 100 m tall perhaps preferably taller in order to permit a considerable thickness of the propeller blades. In addition, the possibilities of a uniform and stable wind speed are greater the higher up in the atmosphere the propeller blades or rotor can be placed.

The task forming the basis of the present invention is to realize a construction which great improves the possibilities of extracting wind power which, moreover, makes for the construction of considerably taller and larger plants than hitherto.

This task is solved according to the present invention in that the device by way of introduction has been given the characterising features as set forth in appended claim. 1.

Through the present invention it is possible to design and build a wind power plant providing the possibility of considerably greater energy yield than is possible to achieve employing a prior art wind power plant. Through the present invention, it is possible to build considerably taller and larger wind power plants than has hitherto been possible according to the state of the art. As a result of the peripheral transmission of the power from the rotor with the aid of one or more belts to a generator or other energy transducer placed in the foot of the tower, it is possible to dispense with many of the mechanical components which are required in prior art wind power plants. The placing of the energy traducers in the foot of the tower greatly contributes in making for the uptake of mechanical forces. The enclosure of the rotor by means of a casing wall also affords a high degree of protection. Further, the rotor proper may be made extremely robust and efficient, since the tips of the blades are rotatably journalled in the annulus and on the rotor shaft or a hub disposed on the rotor shaft. Naturally, the blades must be adjustable for efficiently utilising the prevailing wind speed.

The prototype of the device according to the present invention shown on the Drawings is intended for converting or transducing wind energy into electric power or, as it may also be expressed, may be utilised as a wind power plant for the production of electric power. Principally according toFIGS. 1 and 2, the prototype of the device according to the present invention displays a tower1which is built on a turntable or a foot2. The illustrated prototype of the tower1has two inner posts3and4which extend from the bottom to the top, and two horizontal upper struts5and6between the posts3and4, and a shaft8extends between the horizontal struts5and6and supports a rotor wheel which consists of a number of blades9extending between the shaft8and a peripheral annulus10. The blades9are rotatably disposed direct on the shaft8or on a hub journalled on the shaft8and the annulus10in order for the pitch of the blades9to be adjustable or variable in relation to the prevailing wind speed or some other desirable parameter, e.g, the frequency of produced electric power, with the aid of means per se known for this purpose.

A casing wall11extends from the foot2up over the rotor9with the annulus10and down on the other side thereof to the foot2. The posts3and4and horizontal struts5and6extended out to the casing wall11. The casing wall11has two outer guy wires12and13and two outer stay walls14and15, and also tow inner, intersecting guy wires16and17. The guy wires16and17may be centrally united and may be of duplex design for cooperation with posts3and4and, in such an event, possibly be secured therein.

The turntable2has an engine room18which is recessed down in a platform19, for example, of concrete, which in turn is disposed on a substrate20which may consist of the ground surface, but, naturally, there is nothing to prevent the platform19from having the form of a caisson which is anchored on a sea floor or the like. The turntable2and the machine room18are journalled on a centrally placed shaft21by the intermediary of a bearing22suitable for the purpose. The shaft21is anchored by means of anchors23suitable for this purpose. The turntable2is further journalled on the platform19in the proximity of its periphery by means of suitable sliding or rolling bearings24. They may also be rollers or wheels which cooperate with a path or track and/or a rail.

A generator25is placed in the machine room18and is driven by means of one or more belts26, wires or like which, by the intermediary of suitable bending rollers27,28,29,30extend through the machine room18, along the casing wall11up to the rotor or wheel annulus10, over this and back along the opposing casing wall11to the machine room18. Suitable auxiliary devices may further be provided in the machine room18for maintaining a predetermined tensioning in the belt or belts26.

The machine room18may house all of the equipment which is required for revolving the tower1to the most suitable position possible for the prevailing wind direction and for managing the electric power generated by the generator25, and the power may be extracted from the machine room18via suitable cables through, for example, the shaft21which, in such instance, may be hollow.

The casing wall11is advantageously built from a lattice construction which may wholly or partly be clad with sheet metal. In the casing wall11, there is advantageously provided a channel for the belt or belts26. Rollers are provided in the channel for guiding the belt or belts26. The peripheral wheel annulus extends into the channel in the upper portion of the casing wall11. Both the belt or belts26and the annulus will thus be protected against the action of different types of weather and other factors.

The casing wall11may further be in the form of a drum about the annulus or rotor. The drum may be designed in an aerodynamically suitable manner so that the wind effect on the rotor will be as favourable as possible. The drum is, for example, supported by a suitable lattice construction. It may prove to be appropriate to build a generator around the annulus or the rotor.

FIGS. 6-9show the casing wall111and parts thereof. It will be clearly apparent that the casing wall11is of double wall design and that the belt26or belts are guided in a space therein, which is defined by beams31and32, with the aid of rollers33and34. The inlet edge is shown in greater detail inFIG. 9, the inner wall35being straight and the outer wall36being conical towards the inner wall, while the outlet edge is shown in greater detail inFIG. 7, the outer wall36being straight and the inner wall35being conical out towards the outer wall36. This is of particular importance when the casing wall11surrounds the annulus10as a drum.

FIG. 10shows one embodiment of casing wall11of conical configuration or flaring from the inlet side towards the outlet side, in which event the inlet edge may be sharp as shown, or conical as inFIG. 9, while the outlet edge is conical largely as in FIG.7. Also in this case, the casing wall11may suitably surround the annulus10as a drum.

An enclosure of the annulus10is illustrated in FIG.11.

Many modifications are naturally possible without departing from the inventive concept as defined in the appended Claims. For example, the number of blades9may be substantially optionally selected, from two blades up to the illustrated number of blades or any other number of blades. Further, the configuration of the blades9may be varied, like the rotary mounting of the blades on the shaft8and in the annulus10. The casing wall11, like the stay walls14and15, may display many other configurations than that illustrated. The staying of the tower1may also be varied to a considerable degree, like many of the other details and components shown on the Drawings.