Patent ID: 8258647

Claim:
A vertical axis wind turbine comprising: a generator; a central shaft in rotatable communication with the generator and disposed along a central axis of the vertical-axis wind turbine; a bearing for supporting the central shaft axially and radially, the bearing disposed around the central shaft; a vertical-lift-generating mechanism comprising: an upper hub and a lower hub, the upper hub including a plurality of magnets radially-distributed and disposed upon a lower surface of the upper hub and the lower hub including a plurality of magnets radially distributed and disposed upon an upper surface of the lower hub or a lower surface of the lower hub, wherein the plurality of magnets of the lower hub includes a plurality of neodymium magnets and a plurality of electro-magnets and each of the plurality of electro-magnets are independently operable to deactivate, activate with a first polarity, or activate with a second polarity for inducing rotational movement in the central shaft, and wherein the lower hub includes a plurality of magnets of the first polarity and a magnet of the second polarity; a plurality of horizontally-extending struts extending radially from the central shaft; a plurality of blades, each blade disposed at an end of a corresponding strut and oriented substantially vertically.