Patent ID: 8564153

Claim:
A wind turbine structure ( 1 ) comprising: a hollow cylindrical main body ( 2 , 2 ′) having an upper part ( 2 ′) and a lower part ( 2 ); a generator part ( 3 ) surrounded by the main body ( 2 , 2 ′) and having an impeller head end near a position for attaching an impeller head ( 21 ); the generator part ( 3 ) comprising: a hollow cylindrical wind turbine rotor body ( 4 ) having an exterior surface with rotor windings or magnets ( 11 ) surrounding the exterior surface; a stator body ( 5 ) surrounding the wind turbine rotor body ( 4 ) and having an inner surface and an exterior surface, with stator windings ( 12 ) on the inner surface of the stator body ( 5 ) facing the rotor windings or magnets on the exterior surface of the wind turbine rotor body ( 4 ); a bearing ( 6 ) surrounding the exterior surface of the wind turbine rotor body ( 4 ) at the impeller head end and rotatably coupling the exterior surface of the wind turbine rotor body ( 4 ) with the inner surface of the stator body ( 5 ); and wherein the stator body ( 5 ) is secured only at the impeller head end to the lower part ( 2 ) of the main body ( 2 , 2 ′), whereas the exterior surface of the stator body ( 5 ) is separated by an air gap (S 2 ) from the upper part ( 2 ′) of the main body ( 2 , 2 ′).