Patent ID: 11204016

Abstract:
A vertical axis wind turbine is supported by a durable and lightweight composite mast comprising a foam material and a support material, wherein the foam material is either (i) layered within or (ii) distributed among the support material. The foam material may be selected from polyethylene, cross-linked polyethylene, ethafoam, polyester, polyether, ether-like-ester, expanded polystyrene, and/or polyurethane. The support material may be selected from steel, metal, carbon nanotubes, and/or plastics such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polystyrene, polylactic acid, polycarbonate, acrylic, acetal and/or nylon. A mixture ratio between the foam material and the support material may be at least 15:1. The mast may comprise a central core layer of foam and a peripheral layer of the support material. In an embodiment, adjacent layers of the central core layer and the peripheral layers alternate between the core and support materials.