Abstract:
A wind energy apparatus has a shaft, a plurality of masts extending radially outwardly of the shaft, a plurality of dihedral sails respectively affixed to the plurality of masts, and a plurality of lanyards respectively connected to an outward surface of the plurality of dihedral sails. A controller is connected to the lanyards for contracting and extending the lanyards relative to the position of the masts. A generator is interconnected to the shaft for producing electrical energy relative to a rotation of the shaft.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS 
   Not applicable. 
   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not applicable. 
   NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
   Not applicable. 
   REFERENCE TO AN APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC 
   Not applicable. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to wind energy generators. More particularly, the present invention relates to the blade structure of wind generator apparatus. Additionally, the present invention relates to blades of the wind generator apparatus in which the blades are formed of dihedral sails. 
   2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98 
   As fossil fuel supplies dwindle, renewable energy sources will be called upon more and more to produce power. One ubiquitous source of renewable energy is wind. Even a gentle breeze has substantial energy. Wind energy increases exponentially with wind velocity. Thus, a wind of eleven miles per hour has ⅓ more energy than a wind of ten miles per hour. 
   The class of devices which attempt to capture and utilize wind energy are known generally as wind motors or wind energy generators. The best known device of this class, the common windmill, has been used for centuries to derive mechanical energy from wind. The typical windmill has a set of blade-like vanes projecting radially from the end of a horizontal shaft. These vanes are elevated atop a supporting tower. The vanes and their associated horizontal shaft are free to rotate about a vertical axis so that a rudder-like arrangement can keep the vanes facing into the prevailing wind. The vanes are twisted in a manner which causes wind to impart a torque, and hence a rotational motion to them. The turning of the vanes turns the horizontal shaft which is typically geared to the vertical shaft which transmits the rotational energy to the ground level. 
   A contemporaneous version of the wind energy generator operates propellers or other suitable wind force collectors projecting radially in a horizontal plane from a vertically-disposed central shaft or support. Wind force collectors on the wind energy generator move with the wind for half a rotation and against the wind during the other half of the rotation. In order for wind to create a net force imbalance, wind force collectors must present more aerodynamic resistance while moving with the wind than while moving against the wind. It is well known to devise such wind force collectors by taking advantage of the fact that wind force collectors rotating in a horizontal plane present one profile while moving with the wind and the opposing profile while moving against the wind. Accordingly, wind force collectors have been provided with wind traps, shaped as cups or as hemispheres, whose open sides have high aerodynamic drag, face into the wind when moving with it and whose closed sides, having relatively low aerodynamic drag face the wind while moving against it. 
   One of the major problems associated with wind energy generators is the problem of wind drag loads on the blades. These loads severely limit the efficiency of the electrical generating system and they increase with increasing revolutions per minute of the blades. In the past, these undesirable effects of wind drag have been reduced by varying the blade pitch angle at the root of the blade, in a manner similar to aircraft propellers. This is accomplished through the use of complicated and expensive rotor hub assemblies which vary the pitch angle of the blade. 
   Blade designs operate on either the principal of drag or lift. For the drag design, the wind literally pushes the blades out of the way. Drag-powered wind turbines are characterized by slower rotational speed and high torque capabilities. The lift design of such wind turbines employs the same principle that enables airplanes, kites, and birds to fly. The blade is essentially an airfoil or wing. When the airflow passes the blade, a wind speed and pressure differential is created between the upper and lower blade surfaces. The pressure of the lower surface is greater and thus acts to “lift” the blade. The blades are attached to a central axis, such as in a wind turbine rotor, and the lift is translated into rotational motion. Lift-powered wind turbines have much higher rotational speed than drag types and therefore are better suited to electrical energy generation. Unfortunately, there are still strong drag effects which adversely affect the operation of such blade-type wind energy generators. 
   In the past, various patents have issued relating to wind turbines that utilize sail-type blades. U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,127, issued to Feldman, describes a vertical axis sail-bladed wind turbine. A plurality of flexible sail blades are attached to a vertically extending, rotatable shaft by upper and lower blade attachment devices. A power-absorbing leg device is coupled to the rotatable shaft. The flexible sail blades are deployed and stabilized in operation by the centrifugal forces produced in response to rotation of the blades about the vertical axis of the shaft. The sail blades are formed of elongate flexible sail panels. Flyweights are disposed between and secured to the ends of pairs of the sail panels. The blade is deployed so as to optimize energy capture. U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,386, issued to the same inventor, teaches that each of the sail panels is formed of a membrane of a woven or non-woven fabric, plastic or other material. A leading edge strength member, formed of a flexible cable of suitable material, is attached to the leading edge of the sail panel. The leading edge member is enclosed in a suitably-shaped aerodynamic fairing. The leading and trailing members take on the concave shape of the membrane edges to which they are attached. The curvatures of the leading edges of the panel will be correspondingly less than that of the trailing edges of the panels. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,362, issued to Rineer, describes another type of vertical axis wind-driven rotor assembly. This sails of this assembly are articulated to provide driving and feathering airfoil positions. The airfoils are triangular in shape with an apex extending downwardly. The degree of feathering action takes place as a result of wind pressure. This causes the panels to remain in an intermediate position between the extremes of articulation. The point of pivotal mounting of the airfoils is selected with regard to the center of the airfoil panel to assure that center of pressure is behind (with respect to the direction of rotation of the rotor) a line connecting the points of pivotal mounting of the air foil panels. As such, the configurations of the airfoils will be adjusted depending on the pressure exerted by the wind. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,472, issued to Hogue, teaches another type of sail-bladed windmill wheel in which the sails are mounted around a horizontally extending rotor. In high winds, a drawbar extension allows the angles of the blades to increase to a point where the area that the wind wheel presents to the wind is significantly reduced. The force of the wind behind the wheel is limited to a value that the wind wheel support surfaces can withstand. As the blade angle of the sail increases beyond the optimum, the sail becomes less and less efficient in capturing energy from the wind. As such, the sails will detach under those circumstances when excess wind is encountered by the sails. 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a wind energy generator apparatus which minimizes the amount of drag affecting the blades. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a wind energy generator apparatus which maximizes the capture of wind and the force exerted by the wind on the blades. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a wind energy generator apparatus which minimizes the cost of the blade structure. 
   It is a further object of the present invention to provide a wind energy generator apparatus which facilitates the ability to recover energy from the apparatus and to facilitate the ability to repair and/or replace the generator mechanisms. 
   It is still another object of the present invention to provide a wind energy generator apparatus which maximizes the aerodynamic characteristics of the blades and the supporting structure. 
   These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is a wind energy generator apparatus that comprises a first mast having a dihedral sail affixed thereto, a second mast having a dihedral sail affixed thereto, a third mast having a dihedral sail affixed thereto, a controller connected to each of the dihedral sails for controlling an orientation of the dihedral sails relative to a position of the masts, and a generator for producing electrical energy relative to a rotation of the masts. A shaft is connected to the masts such that the masts extend radially outwardly of the shaft. 
   In the present invention, the controller includes a first lanyard that is connected to the dihedral sail of the first mast, a second lanyard connected to the dihedral sail of the second mast, and a third lanyard connected to the dihedral sail of the third mast. The controller serves to extend and retract the respective lanyards relative to the position of the respective masts. The first lanyard is connected to a corner of the dihedral sail of the first mast. The second lanyard is connected to a corner of the dihedral sail of the second mast. The third lanyard is connected to a corner of the dihedral sail of the third mast. Each of the dihedral sails has a first edge extending along a length of the respective mast. Each of the dihedral sails includes a second edge that extends at an acute angle with respect to the mast to the corner thereof. Each of the dihedral sails has a plurality of ribs extending thereacross. These ribs extend generally transverse to the respective mast so as to maintain a proper cupped configuration when the lanyard is retracted. 
   In the present invention, a pole is interconnected to the shaft so as to support the masts at a desired location above the earth. The generator is positioned adjacent to a bottom of the pole. Each of the masts is cone-shaped with a wide diameter proximal to the shaft and a narrow diameter distal the shaft. The controller serves to retract one of the dihedral sails while another of the dihedral sails is extended. 
   The present invention is also a blade for a wind turbine that comprises a mast, a dihedral sail having a first edge affixed to and extending along the mast and a second edge extending at an acute angle from one end of the first edge so as to terminate in an outward corner of the dihedral sail, a lanyard connected to this corner of the dihedral sail, and a controller cooperative with the lanyard for extending and retracting the lanyard. The controller serves to move the dihedral sail between an open configuration and a cupped configuration. The mast is cone-shaped with a wide diameter at one end and a narrow diameter at an opposite end generally adjacent to the juncture of the first edge with the second edge of the dihedral sail. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the wind energy apparatus in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown the wind energy generator apparatus  10  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The wind energy generator apparatus  10  has a first mast  12  with a dihedral sail  14  affixed thereto. The wind energy generator apparatus  10  also includes a second mast  16  having a dihedral sail  18  affixed to and extending outwardly therefrom. Additionally, the wind energy generator apparatus  10  has a third mast  20  with a dihedral sail  22  affixed thereto. Each of the masts  12 ,  16  and  20  extends radially outwardly of a shaft  24 . The shaft  24  is pivotally connected at  26  to the top of a pole  28 . A generator  30  is cooperative with the shaft  24 . The generator  30  is located adjacent to the bottom of the pole  28 . A controller is cooperative with each of the sails  14 ,  18  and  22  so as to control an orientation of the respective dihedral sails  14 ,  18  and  22  relative to a position of the masts  12 ,  16  and  20 . The controller includes a first lanyard  30  that is connected to the dihedral sail  14 . The controller also include a second lanyard  32  that is connected to the dihedral sail  18 . Additionally, and furthermore, the controller includes a third lanyard  34  that is connected to the dihedral sail  22 . Each of the lanyards  30 ,  32  and  34  will extend from a mechanism associated with shaft  24 . The controller serves to extend and retract the lanyards  30 ,  32  and  34  relative to a position of the respective masts  12 ,  16  and  20 . 
   The mast  12  is generally cone-shape with a wide diameter at the shaft  24  and a narrow diameter at an opposite end thereof. The dihedral sail  14  has one edge  36  affixed to and extending longitudinally along the mast  12 . The dihedral sail  14  has a second edge  38  which forms a juncture with the first edge  36  adjacent to the narrow diameter end  40  of the mast  12 . The second edge  38  extends to a corner  42  formed at an end of the second edge  38  opposite the end  40  of mast  12 . The lanyard  30  is connected to the corner  42  of the dihedral sail  14 . 
   The second mast  16  is similarly cone-shaped with a wide diameter affixed to the shaft  24  and a narrow diameter at opposite end  44 . The dihedral sail  18  has one edge  46  which extends longitudinally along the mast  16 . A second edge  48  extends from the end  44  of the mast  16  outwardly from the mast at an acute angle. The lanyard  32  is connected to a corner  50  of edge  48  opposite the end  44  of mast  16 . 
   The third mast  20  is also cone-shaped with a wide diameter at the shaft  24  and a narrow diameter at an opposite end  52 . The first edge  54  of the dihedral sail  22  extends longitudinally along the mast  20 . A second edge  56  extends at an acute angle from the first edge  54  and from the end  52  of mast  20 . The second edge  56  extends to a corner  58  opposite to the end  52  of mast  20 . The lanyard  34  is connected to the corner  58  of the dihedral sail  22 . 
   It can be seen that each of the sails  14 ,  18  and  22  has a plurality of ribs  60  extending thereacross in generally transverse relationship to the respective masts  12 ,  16  and  20 . These ribs extend from the respective masts  12 ,  16  and  22  to the second edge  38 ,  48  and  56  of the respective dihedral sails  14 ,  18  and  22 . These ribs  60  are formed of carbon filaments that are particularly configured so as to maintain each of the dihedral sails  14 ,  18  and  22  in a cupped configuration when the respective lanyards  30 ,  32  and  34  are retracted. As such, the ribs  60  provide structural integrity to the respective dihedral sails  14 ,  18  and  22 . 
   In  FIG. 1 , it can be seen that the shaft  24  is pivotally mounted at  26  to the top of the pole  28 . The generator  30  is connected adjacent to the bottom of the pole  28 . A torque tube will extend through the interior of the pole  28  so as to transfer rotational energy of the shaft  24  as rotational energy to the generator  30 . Since the generator  30  is located adjacent to the bottom of the pole  28  and generally at the surface of the earth, generator  30  can be easily connected to supply power, can be easily repaired and can be easily replaced. As such, the wind energy generator apparatus  10  of the present invention avoids the need for hoists, cranes, lifts and other devices that would be otherwise required to maintain and/or replace equipment located at the top of the pole  28 . 
   In  FIG. 1 , it can be seen that the sail  14  is formed into a cupped configuration by retracting the lanyard  30  toward the shaft  24 . This draws the corner  42  toward the shaft  24  and creates the cupped configuration of the dihedral sail  14 . The lanyard  32  associated with the dihedral sail  18  is extended so that the dihedral sail  18  has a generally open configuration. The lanyard  34  is intermediately retracted so as to draw the dihedral sail  22  into a semi-cupped configuration. The ribs serve to set the curvature when the lanyard is drawn in. As such, the sail  14  will cup to a predetermined curvature. The ribs  60  serve to maintain it in this cupped shaped. As the turbine tacks into the wind, the ribs  60  serve to assure that the dihedral sail avoid collapse. As such, the use of the ribs  60  enhances the torque-producing capability of the wind energy generator apparatus  10 . 
   In  FIG. 1 , it can be seen that the dihedral sail  14  is fully cupped so as to receive the full force of the wind. As such, the mast  12  receives the full power associated with the wind energy and transfers such power to the shaft  24 . The dihedral sail  18  is in a feathered condition. The lanyard  32  is relaxed so that only a small amount of rotational torque is created. The dihedral sail  22  is not fully cupped. As such, it provides reduced torque. The shape of the particular blades associated with the wind energy generator apparatus  10  of the present invention serve to reduce the drag coefficient of the blade because of the way the wind fills the curvature of the dihedral sails. One dihedral sail is emptying as another is filling. The sails of the present invention are cupped to a 22° angle relative to the center line of the oucell and the direction of the wind. As such, the wind flows directly into the cupped portion of the sails. 
   In the wind energy generator apparatus  10  of the present invention, wind will get caught in the cup formed by the dihedral sail. As such, it receives the maximum force of the wind. This cupped blade will rotate until the next blade comes into the fill angle. As such, there are two blades that are gaining pressure between 116° to 120°. At 120°, the dihedral sail starts to empty so that the next blade can start to fill. At 40°, the blade starts to receive the maximum amount of pressure. In particular, dihedral sail  14  is at maximum force while dihedral sail  18  is emptying and while dihedral sail  22  is starting to fill. Power spikes occur every 120° of motion. The sum of the pressures will equal the amount of torque which is produced by the wind energy generator apparatus  10 . 
   The blades of the wind energy generator apparatus  10  are “pushed” around in a circle instead of being lifted as in the nature of conventional blades. The sails  14 ,  18  and  22  of the present invention do not rely on external surfaces for torque. The wind only pushes on the interior surfaces of the respective sails. The effective wind-receiving area is the entire surface area of the interior of the sail. The filling and emptying process of the present invention can occur without turbulence so as to create the requisite torque for the production of energy. 
   The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof. Various changes in the details of the illustrated construction can be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the true spirit of the present invention. The present invention should only be limited by the following claims and their legal equivalents.