Improved wind farm turbine

Abstract

A wind turbine 10 comprises a turbine column 12, one or more rotatable shafts 11, and a turbine 13 coupled proximate to the first end of each shaft 11. A plurality of generators 15 are housed in the

Description

Background There are well-documented problems with fossil fuels that are currently used to generate power globally. These problems include their availability being non-renewable, their environmental impact both in acquiring and when used resulting in greenhouse emissions and other forms of pollution, and the question of sustainability as the supplies become more limited and the damage from the growing pollution levels worsen. This has led to the increased investigation of alternative energy sources. In particular, there is a need for the convenient transportation of high-energy-density fuels, the energy density of electric power in the form of cells, batteries, and similar storage devices is relatively low whereas the energy density of fossil fuels, particularly petroleum-based fossil fuels, is relatively high. This has led to the increased investigation of hydrogen as a fuel. However, whilst hydrogen as a fuel is very energy-dense when it is transported it is necessary to do so in containers, such as high-pressure containers in this ridge greatly reduces the energy density (the number of Joze of energy per kilogram). However, there is a question of how this hydrogen can be produced and transported efficiently. Additionally, the storage and transportation should preferably not use the same fossil fuels we wish to replace. Another possible power source that is commonly used is wind farms, which use a plurality of wind turbines to convert kinetic energy from the wind into electricity. Today's wind turbines, due to the mechanical constraints of the speed of rotation and material strength to be configured in 2 or 3-bladed formats, allow rapid rotation and relatively efficient kinetic energy transport to a generation apparatus that only captures a portion of the wind energy passing through the blades. Therefore, there is a need to provide a wind turbine with a higher efficiency that is configured to capture more wind power and in turn produce more electricity. There are further problems relating to modern wind turbines such as the limitation to generate power at different wind speeds, namely the limits where wind speed can be too low or too high resulting in the wind farm not producing power. This limits the effectiveness of such wind warms as a power source especially as there is no means of storing the generated power in the turbine itself besides unreliable batteries. One possible solution may be to have the wind farms produce fuels such as hydrogen fuel when in use which can then be stored and used in times when the wind turbines cannot function. Therefore, there needs to be an improved design for the turbines to allow for such fuel generation in addition to power generation. Summary The present invention provides an improved wind turbine for use in a green energy ecosystem. More specifically the invention is configured to be used within an ecosystem wherein one or more turbines are used to generate power, converting captured wind power into electricity. This generated electricity can then be supplied to a grid to provide power directly to buildings within a desired area. The same turbine can also be coupled to an electrolysis plant. Wherein the electrolysis plant uses the received power from the turbine to perform electrolysis to produce hydrogen. This hydrogen can then be stored and transported to be used as a power source in other systems such as power plants to provide additional power to the grid but also may be used in the vehicles used to transport the produced hydrogen. With such an ecosystem the amount of pollution and greenhouse emissions produced can be drastically reduced compared to fossil fuel power stations, while the combination of wind farms and hydrogen fuel can ensure that the grid has a constant supply of power to meet the demands of the desired area. In its simplest design, the wind turbine used in the claimed system comprises a rotating axis, at the first end of the axis is a plurality of turbine blades configured to rotate the central axis when sufficient wind impacts one or more of the turbine blades. At the second end of the axis and along the length of the rotatable axis there are a plurality of generators. These generators comprise a drive shaft that, when rotated, allows the generator to produce power. The drive shafts of the generators are coupled to the surface of the axis such that the rotation of the axis actuates the drive shaft of the generators. These generators will be coupled to the axis via a suitable means, such as a flywheel, gears, or any other means that would allow the rotation of the axis to drive the rotation of the generators. It is noted that by coupling multiple generators to a single axis the turbine can generate more power as all of the generators are driven simultaneously. This can generally increase the amount of power produced by the turbine especially as most currently used turbines rely on a single generator per turbine column, therefore in current systems there is a limit on the power that can be produced based on the maximum speed of the turbine and the efficiency of the single generator. In the claimed invention the claimed turbine may produce more power for a given wind turbine speed by using multiple generators simultaneously. However, it is understood that the use of multiple generators can hinder the axis rotation, as each additional generator applies more drag to the axis. With this increase in drag the amount of driving force needed to get the turbine up to speed increases, thereby increasing the minimum wind speed required to drive the turbine. To address this problem the turbine comprises one or more sensors. These sensors may be located on the turbine itself proximate to the turbine blades, or be positioned remotely within the area of the wind farm. In either case, the sensors are configured to monitor the wind speed and wind direction proximate to the wind turbine. The turbine further comprises controls that are configured to analyze the results from the wind sensors to model the wind that is impacting the turbine and predict the driving force acting on the turbine blades. From this, the controls can determine a predicted speed for the rotatable axis. This prediction can indicate to the controls the amount of power that will be produced from the generators and also allows the system to determine if the additional drag from one or more generators will negatively impact the amount of power produced. For example, the control can determine if the drag from the generators would slow the turbine to a point where the axis stops rotating and may determine an optimal number of generators to use for the current wind speed. With this information, the controls would be configured to automatically attach and or detach one or more of the generators from the axis thereby ensuring that the optimal amount of power is being generated at all times. In other embodiments of the claimed invention, the wind turbine may comprise additional axes. These additional turning axes can be used to couple more generators to the same turbine as described above. Further, the control would be programmed to analyze each of the rotating axes adjusting the number of generators attached to each axis to maximize power production for the current wind speed. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the axes of the turbine would be arranged coaxially. In this arrangement there will be a smaller central axis surrounded by a larger hollow tube axis, this outer axis can then be surrounded with further wider hollow axes. By using this arrangement, the total volume occupied by the axes can be reduced allowing the turbine to be more compact. In the preferred embodiment, there would be three axes total as any more layer may require an axis that is too wide to be supported by the turbine column. It is also noted that in this arrangement there would be bearings, such as ring bearings or rolling bearings positioned between the surfaces of the axis to allow the axes to rotate smoothly around each other and to help minimize the drag between the different axes especially if one of the axes is not rotating. It is noted that the axis described above may have different lengths with the centremost axis being the longest, and the outmost axis being the shortest. This way the aft end of each axis, referring to the end of the axis that is remote to the turbine blades will be exposed allowing the generators to be coupled to the aft ends of each axis. It is noted that there should be sufficient length to allow a ring of at least 3 generators to be coupled to each of the axes radially. It is noted that with the above-mentioned axis arrangement each axis will require a different driving force depending on its size. As such the control will be configured to monitor each axis independently. This means that the controls will evaluate the required number of generators for each axis separately and add or remove generators accordingly to each axis. This means that in some cases when wind speed is low then all generators may be decoupled from the outer axis as there is not sufficient wind to rotate the wider axis but there is still sufficient force to rotate the smaller central axis. Note that by disengaging the generators from the stationary axes the system can reduce the amount of drag acting on the rotating axis via the bearings between the axes. This ensures that the smaller axis can still turn efficiently even during low wind speeds. As mentioned above the controls of the turbine are configured to monitor wind speed, and may determine both a predicted speed for each axis but also a predicted drag force caused by the bearings and generators coupled to the surface of the axes. Using this information the control will be able to determine how the drag from additional generators may slow the turning axes. This may be especially useful when there are high wind speeds around the turbine as the control may determine the minimal drag needed to ensure the turbine is rotating at a safe speed. To this end, the control may increase the number of generators on each of the axes to increase drag and reduce the axes' rotation speed thereby allowing the turbine to operate at higher wind speeds compared to current wind turbines. It is noted that in the preferred embodiment, each axis comprises its own set of turbine blades. These blades are preferably nested to help protect the end of the blades that are coupled to each of the axes. Further, each axis would preferably comprise two or three blades as used in most wind farms today. However, some problems may be caused by having several sets of adjacent turbine blades. In particular, the formation of a wind vacuum between the sets of blades results in only the front blades receiving the full impact of the wind with little to no force being exerted on the rearward blades. Additionally, if all the propellors are identical there may be a risk of beat frequencies in the noise that the turbines produce that may result in increased noise pollution. Therefore, the turbine propellors need to be configured to remove or at least minimize these effects. One solution is to use turbines that have counter-rotation that is to say any pair of adjacent turbines are configured to rotate in opposite directions. This counter-rotation ensures that the wind flow that is redirected by the first front turbine is moving in the right direction to actuate the second rear turbine. This prevents the formation of a pressure vacuum between the adjacent turbines. By using this system, the turbine may maximize the amount of wind power absorbed for a given turbine volume. The problem with this arrangement is that it may get less effective with each subsequent turbine, as the redirection of the wind may absorb a lot of the initial kinetic energy there would be significantly less energy reaching the third turbine. An alternative turbine comprises a set of turbines wherein the blades of the rearward turbine increase in size, having longer and / or wider blades compared to the more forward turbine. With these different-sized turbines, the effective surface area of each turbine increases as they move rearward down the rotating axis. As such the rear turbine has the largest surface area over which energy from the wind is collected, likewise the more forward the turbine the smaller the blades reducing the surface area over which the wind power is collected. With this design, there is a smaller area of overlap between the turbines, which results in the more forward turbines absorbing less energy allowing more of the wind power to reach the rearward turbines. Further, the area of a turbine that does not overlap with the turbine in front of it can receive the full impact of the wind over that area, this means that each turbine has sufficient energy to turn when wind impacts the turbine column. However, it is noted that with this configuration there needs to be a compromise between the size and weight of the turbine blades. This is to say as the turbine blades increase in size the amount of force needed to rotate the turbine will increase due to the higher mass. Therefore, there would come a point where the amount of force needed to turn the turbine would be too large to be practical as the amount of energy needed to turn the turbine would be more than the energy produced. Additionally, the increase in mass may become too large to be supported by the column, resulting in the turbine structure being unstable. Therefore, in this configuration, the rearward turbine may comprise fewer blades than the more forward turbines, for example, if the front turbines comprise three blades, then there is an option for the rear turbine may only comprise 2. By reducing the number of turbine blades on the rearward turbines the mass of these turbines can be reduced. This reduces the amount of force needed to rotate the rear turbine. This also reduces the amount of friction between the different axes within the turbine allowing the axes to turn more easily reducing the force required to turn the more forward turbines too. As previously mentioned, one problem caused by using multiple turbines on a single column is that a beat frequency may form between the different turbines. It is noted the above-mentioned arrangement wherein the blades are different sizes can help prevent this as the blades will not fully overlap. Another possible solution would be to configure the turbine to rotate at different frequencies. It is noted that due to the axes of the different turbines having different size circumferences, this may be achieved by using the co-axial arrangement for the rotating axes as described above. The turbine may further incorporate dampeners or other means to slow the more rearward turbines thereby ensuring the frequency of rotation in the rearward turbine is reduced compared to the more forward turbine thereby ensuring a beat frequency does not form between the blades of the adjacent turbine. Another configuration for the turbines that can help address the above-mentioned issues is a configuration that uses a locking mechanism that ensures the turbines have a predetermined offset between their respective blades. Such that as the turbine rotates this system will ensure that there is a fixed angle between each pair of adjacent turbines. This may include a set of protrusions, gears, or another mechanism on the front end of the rotating axes that ensures the blades of two adjacent turbines do not overlap. Instead, the offset mechanism would be configured to use the motion of one turbine to push or pull the adjacent turbine thereby ensuring that the rearward turbine maintains a predetermined offset angle with the more forward turbine. This would preferably be repeated for each additional turbine such that when the turbines are rotating there is little to no overlap between the blades of the turbines ensuring that each set of blades receives a portion of the wind impacting the turbine column even when the turbines are identical in size. In cases wherein the adjacent pairs of turbines are counter-rotational, there would be less need for counter-rotation in the turbine as the blades of different turbines should not overlap, further the counter-rotation prevents the formation of vacuums and beat frequencies between the adjacent turbines. However, it is noted that in these systems, the offset mechanism would be positioned between pairs of turbines that rotate in the same direction, thereby reducing the overlap between such turbines. It is also noted that the offset system can be incorporated into a system that utilizes different-sized blades, again the need for different-sized blades would be less necessary due to the fixed offset. However, by introducing this offset the user can help maximize the amount of wind power received by the more rearward turbines. It is noted that this offset mechanism is preferably configured to be controllably engaged or disengaged by the system controller. More specifically, as noted above the more rearward turbines will require the wind to be stronger before it will start turning due to its larger size when compared to the more forward turbine. As the wind speed decreases the number of generators coupled to each of the rotating axes would be reduced to reduce the amount of drag on the axis. Eventually, the system reaches a point wherein the rearward turbine disengages all of its generators as there is insufficient wind to rotate the larger turbine at sufficient speed to generate power. However, at these wind speeds the smaller more forward turbines may still be rotating at a suitable speed for power generation. During these times the system does not want the larger turbine to be pulling the forward turbines causing additional drag that will slow them down and reduce the system's power output. Therefore, the system would be configured to controllable disengage the offset mechanism from the rear turbine, allowing the other turbines to rotate freely from the rear turbine. This same process may be repeated with the intermediate turbine until only the front turbine is rotating freely from all the other turbines. It is noted that when the rearward turbines are disengaged, referring to when they are not generating power as they are rotating too slowly or are stationary. The blades may still cause some interference with the more forward turbine such as forming a vacuum behind the turbine as the stationary blade disrupts the airflow through the turbine. Therefore, it would be preferable to provide a system wherein the rear turbine blades are feathered and / or configured to swivel back, this refers to rotating the turbine blades about 90° so that the profile of the blade is parallel to the elongated axis of the rotating axis. This way the air from the more forward turbine can flow through the rear turbines with little to no disruption allowing the forward turbine to rotate more freely. In systems that use the offset mechanism, the controller may be configured to swivel the turbine blades when that turbine has been disengaged from the offset system. In other cases, the controller may be configured to swivel the blades of the turbine once the turbine falls below a predetermined rotation speed, or when the turbine has been stationary for a certain amount of time. It is noted that once the blades have been swivelled as described above the controller may be configured to monitor the speed of the turning turbines or monitor the wind speed around the turbine. Wherein the controller will be configured to turn the blades back to their original position when the speed of the turning turbine reaches a predetermined threshold, or when the wind speed proximate to the wind turbine is measured to be above a predetermined threshold. This way the controller may automatically reengage a turbine where there are suitable conditions to actuate the turbine. It is noted that the claimed turbine may use a combination of the above-mentioned features to ensure each of the multiple turbines can be utilized effectively by getting the maximum amount of energy being transferred from the wind impacting the turbine blades and with minimal drag on the rotating axes. As previously noted, the rotating axes of the claimed turbines comprise a plurality of generators, wherein the controller housed within the turbine column is configured to attach and detach the generators to a respective axis. It is noted that there would be a coupling feature such as a flywheel, gear, or other rotating member between the rotating axis of the turbine and the drive shaft of each generator, wherein the rotating member is configured to transfer kinetic energy from the rotating axis to the drive shaft to actuate the generator. The controller would be configured to decouple one or both ends of this coupling feature to separate the generator from the axis, when necessary, based on the turbine speed. Wherein the controller will adjust the number of generators to maximize the amount of power being generated without causing excess drag on the rotating axis. When the generators are being driven the power produced by the generator can be directed to different locations by the controller. One option is for the controller to direct the generated power to an electrical power grid that is used to supply electrical power to a desired area. The produced power may also be supplied to a hydrolysis station, wherein the station uses hydrolysis processes, such as proton exchange membrane (PEM) hydrolysis, to produce hydrogen. The hydrogen produced by these stations can then be used as a green fuel source in different applications. For example, the hydrogen may be used to fuel power plants thereby acting as an auxiliary power source for the above-mentioned grid. Or may be used for hydrogen-powered vehicles. It is noted that the hydrogen may be used for both in cases wherein the hydrogen powers the vehicles used to transport the stored hydrogen to the power plant or other desired locations such as a fuelling station for said hydrogen-powered vehicles. It is noted that these hydrolysis stations can be in numerous locations, for example, the station may be proximate to the wind farm so as to reduce the amount of energy loss as the electricity travels to the station. The hydrolysis station may also be located at a hydrogen power plant thereby reducing the cost of transporting the hydrogen to the power plant, lastly, the station may be located at a fuelling station such that the hydrogen is immediately ready to be used in hydrogen-powered vehicles. It is noted that the wind farm may be coupled to a plurality of hydrolysis stations with the plurality of stations covering different locations such as those described above. When the wind turbine is active the controller may be configured to use data analysis to determine where to direct the power from each of the generators. In particular, the controller may receive data indicating the current power demand on the grid attached to the wind farm. In these cases, the system may direct the power from more generators towards the grid when there is a higher demand. In contrast during times when there is lower demand, the system may direct more power towards the hydrolysis stations such that the excess power may be stored as hydrogen for later use during the next time of high demand. The system may be configured to supply power to both the grid and the hydrolysis stations simultaneously, especially during times of low or average power demand on the grid. In these cases, a portion of the generated power is supplied to each downstream system, with a portion of the generated power going to the grid and another portion going to one or more hydrolysis stations. The size of the portion supplied to the grid varies depending on the grid's power demand, wherein the higher the power demand the larger the portion of the produced power that will be supplied to the grid. It is noted that the output of each generator may be controlled independently such that the output of each generator can be supplied to different downstream systems. Wherein the controller may be configured to controllably connect the output of each generator to the grid or one of the hydrolysis stations depending on the grid demand. Wherein the controller can rearrange the outputs of the generators to create the different portions of the power output as described above. The configuration of the system output may also be based on hydrogen storage data. More specifically, the hydrolysis stations used to generate hydrogen may produce data indicating the current levels of hydrogen they have stored. Similarly, the hydrogen power station and / or hydrogen refuelling stations may provide data indicating their current hydrogen levels or data indicating their hydrogen demand. The controller can analyse this data to determine a hydrogen demand level, wherein this level indicates numerically the demand for hydrogen fuel and the likelihood of the current hydrogen supplies running out. In response to this level, the controller may redirect power to one or more of the hydrolysis stations to maintain a predetermined level of hydrogen at the power plant and / or refuelling stations. Wherein once the hydrogen demand level reaches a predetermined threshold more power will be directed to the hydrolysis station. In cases wherein there is more than one hydrolysis station the system controller may be configured to generate demand levels for each of the stations thereby allowing the system to prioritize the stations with the highest demand. As previously noted, the controller may be configured to direct the output of each generator to a different system, allowing the turbine to supply power to different stations simultaneously, and to provide different levels of power to each system thereby providing more power to the stations with the highest demand. It is noted that the claimed system may incorporate both grid power demand data and hydrogen demand data. In these cases, the controller would be configured to analyze both the electrical power demand of the grid and the hydrogen demand of each station before determining where to supply the power output of the turbine. In general, the controller would prioritize the grid demand comparing the current demand levels to an average value to determine if the power demand is high, average, or low, and / or a numerical value for the demand. The controller would be configured to supply the power necessary to meet the grid demand. Then any excess power can be routed to the hydrolysis stations starting with the station that has the highest demand or the lowest hydrogen levels. In some cases, the turbine may not produce sufficient power for the grid, in such cases the grid may pull power from other sources such as the hydrogen power plant described above. In such cases, the alternative sources may lower the grid demand or meet the entire demand. In these cases, the turbine may redirect most or all of the power from the turbine to the hydrolysis station as it is not necessary to power the grid. It is noted that this may also occur when the wind speed around the wind farm is very low resulting in the turbine generating very little power regardless of the grid demand. In these cases, the controller may be configured to redirect all power from the turbine to the hydrolysis stations to ensure that the hydrogen power plant can compensate for the low wind farm power output. Using the above system the claimed turbine provides two wind farm improvements. First, the design of the wind turbine is configured to maximize the amount of power generated for a given wind speed, wherein the turbine blade configuration is designed to absorb the maximum amount of kinetic energy from the wind, the axis arrangement is configured to power multiple generators with minimal drag between the turbine and axes. Wherein the controller can change the number of generators to reduce drag to increase the efficiency of the power generating process thereby producing maximum power for the current wind speed. The second improvement regards the use of the controller to monitor downstream systems and use feedback from these systems to direct the power generated from the turbines of the wind farm. Wherein the system provides a portion of the power to the grid to provide power for a desired area and provides a second portion of the power generated to one or more hydrolysis stations to produce hydrogen fuel for power storage and use in other systems. Using this controller the turbine can optimize the use of the power generated regardless of the wind speed at the wind farm and can use the hydrogen generated by the station as an auxiliary power source when the wind is insufficient to power the turbine. In cases wherein the claimed system is supplying power to a grid, the power may need to have a specific frequency to ensure there are no power disruptions. It is noted that the transformers surrounding the drive shaft of each generator are positioned to produce power at a desired frequency. However, it is noted that as the speed of the rotatable axis changes the frequency of the generator output may also vary. To this end, the feature used to couple the generator to the rotating axis may be configured to be adjustable. More specifically the coupling feature may be configured to be adjusted to a different length to adjust the turning frequency of the generator drive shaft. Wherein the controller is configured to monitor the turning frequency of the rotatable axis and the output of the generators and is configured to adjust the length of the coupling feature to set the output frequency to a desired value or to be within a desired range. Further, the relative position of the generators around the rotating axis may also affect the frequency of the collective output of the generators, in which case the controller will be configured to couple only the set of generators that will produce the desired output frequency when the outputs are collected to be directed to the downstream systems based on the current axis' speed of rotational. It is noted that the controller may use the detected wind speed and drag from the currently coupled generators to determine the rotation rate of the axis and in turn determine the rotational speed and output frequency of the couped generators. In the example above the claimed turbine and system is described as a wind farm providing power to a power system such as a national power grid. However, it is also noted that a miniature version of the same system can be implemented onboard large vehicles such as ships and trains to provide self-sufficient green vehicles. More specifically, the ship may comprise one or more turbines as described above attached to the deck of the ship. The ship would further comprise a hydrolysis station configured to produce hydrogen that can be stored, and the ship comprises a hydrogen engine that uses hydrogen as a fuel source. In this system, the turbines can supply power to directly power the ship's engine and other electrical systems. Then when there are high winds, lower power demand on the ship, or when the ship is stationary, the power from the turbine can be supplied to the hydrolysis station to store the excess power, it is noted that winds tend to be high at sea and along shores meaning even when the ship is docked the turbine may be used to produce power, however, when the ship is stationary this power will primarily be used for producing hydrogen fuel. In some cases, when the turbine produces power above the ship's demand the turbine may supply power to both the ship and the hydrolysis station. Then when the turbine does not produce sufficient power for the ship's demand the stored hydrogen may be used in the hydrogen engine to provide an auxiliary power supply to lower the ship's power demand. In the case of a train incorporating this system, the miniature turbines may be mounted to the sides and / or top of the train within a wind tunnel. Wherein as the train moves the wind tunnel is configured to direct the airflow passing over the moving train down the tunnel and into the turbines. The power from these turbines can be used to power the train systems but is also used for an onboard hydrolysis station that will produce hydrogen that can be used to fuel the train. Unlike the ship system, this train system would only be able to use the turbine when in motion therefore it is important for the controller in this system to prioritize hydrogen production. However, it is noted that if the hydrogen level is above a predetermined threshold the controller can provide power generated from the turbine to the train directly to assist in driving the train forward, thereby improving the train's fuel efficiency by reducing the amount of fuel needed to complete a given journey. In some cases, the system may be incorporated into the train tracks, with miniature turbines close to the surface of the track to receive the wind displaced by passing trains, caused by the ejection of the airflow over the train surface. The power from these turbines may be used to provide power to the local power grid thereby assisting in powering the powered rail of the nearby track, or to provide power to a hydrolysis station at a nearby train station or fuelling station, wherein the power can be used to produce hydrogen fuel that may be used to refuel the train as described above, or to provide power to the stations other systems. 5 By using these systems described above the user can use the improved turbine and control system to create self-sustaining vehicles that provide their own green fuel sources that can be used to power the vehicle even in low wind conditions. It is noted that the described system may be incorporated alongside other power supplies, such as a suitable battery or engine, so as to reduce the need for fossil fuels on these vehicles to recharge the battery or 10 to run the engine, thereby reducing the vehicle's carbon footprint and providing green power. Detailed Description The present invention relates to the field of green energy providing an improved design for wind turbines that can be used to generate electrical power, and a wider green energy system that utilizes said improved turbines. The present invention is depicted in the following figures: Figure 1 depicts the cross-section of a wind turbine as per the claimed invention. Figure 2 depicts an example of a wind turbine that uses counter-rotational turbines. Figure 3 depicts an example of a wind turbine that uses various-sized turbines. Figure 4 depicts an example of a wind turbine that uses multiple turbines with a fixed offset. Figure 5 depicts a schematic of the claimed green energy system. The Figures comprise the following features, please note that like reference numerals have been used to depict like features: 10 - Wind turbine 11- rotatable axes 12 - turbine column 13 - turbines 13A - first offset turbine 13B - second offset turbine 14 - coupling means 15- generators 16 - axis bearings 20 - counter rotational turbine 21 - arrow indicating the rotation direction of a first turbine 22 - arrow indicating the rotation direction of a second turbine 30 - secondary turbine with varied blade size 40 - energy system 41 - wind farm 42 - grid 43 - hydrolysis station 44 - Hydrogen fuelled power plant The present invention provides an improved wind turbine design for use in a green energy system. Wherein the improved design allows for multiple turbines to be utilized in a single column. Further, the improved design allows for multiple generators to be driven simultaneously thereby allowing more power to be generated per given number of turbine rotations. Note that in current wind turbine systems, each wind turbine comprises a single three-bladed turbine that drives a single large generator. Therefore, the new design provides additional power as each of the turbines coupled to the column can drive at least one generator as they rotate, but preferably each turbine would be driving multiple generators thereby providing significantly more power compared to the current design. The improved design further comprises a controller housed within the turbine column. The controller is configured to analyse and control various parts of the turbine system. For example, the controller can monitor the rotation speed of each turbine either through direct measurement of the turbine’s axis rotation or by calculating a predicted speed based on wind measurements proximate to the turbine based on the turbine size and the number of generators. Based on the determined speed of each turbine the controller will determine how to maximize the power produced by each turbine. More specifically, the turbine will need to be rotating at a certain speed to drive the generators, each additional generator produces more drag which may slow the turbine down by a predictable amount. Using this information the controller may determine the optimal number of generators to have coupled to each turbine for the current turning or wind speed. Once this has been determined the controller is configured to add or remove the coupling features that connect the turbine axes to each of the generators thereby altering the number of generators being driven to the predicted optimal value. The output of each generator is coupled to a green energy system designed to provide power to a given area. Wherein the electrical power produced by the generator can be supplied to different downstream systems by said output. Note that the controller described above will be configured to control the outputs of the generators. More specifically the controller will be configured to direct the power output of the generators to a specific downstream system, this may include sending all the power to one system or sending portions of the power to different systems. In the cases where the power output is sent to multiple systems, the controller will be configured to vary the size of the portion provided to each system based on data the controller receives, such as the relative demand for each of the downstream systems. In the case of the claimed invention, the downstream system may comprise a power grid that provides power to the desired area directly, and a plurality of hydrolysis stations that are configured to use the received electricity to power hydrolysis processes, such as PEM electrolysis, to produce hydrogen. This hydrogen may be stored in cells for use in other systems like hydrogen-powered vehicles. The controller would be configured to monitor the power demand of the grid along with either a power demand or fuel level for each of the stations to determine where the power from the wind turbine should be sent and which systems to prioritize. Preferably the energy system would comprise at least one hydrogen-fuelled power plant that is coupled to the same grid of the wind turbines. Wherein the power plant comprises at least one of the hydrolysis stations and may use the hydrogen formed by the station as an auxiliary fuel source for the grid, for example when wind speeds are low reducing the wind turbine output, or when the grid demand is higher than the wind turbines current output. This power plant also provides a means of storing any excess power produced by the wind turbine, either during periods of high wind or during a time when the grid has a low demand, this stored power can then be used at a later time as described above. Figure 1 depicts the cross-section of an example turbine as per the claimed invention, note that the number of turbines and generators can vary from the number shown in this example. The depicted wind turbine 10 comprises three turbines 13 mounted atop a turbine column 12. Each of the turbines 13 are coupled to a respective rotatable axis 11 such that the rotation of the turbine 13 will drive the axis 11 to rotate. Note that in the preferable example, there is one axis 11 for each of the turbines 13, these axes 11 are arranged coaxially with one axis housed within another. With this arrangement, the total volume of the axes 11 can be minimized allowing multiple axes 11 to be housed safely at the top of the column 12. With this coaxial alignment, the axes 11 also comprise a plurality of bearings that are located between the axes to reduce the amount of friction between the axes 11 as they rotate. These bearings 16 also prevent the larger axes from putting substantive additional drag onto the smaller internal axes. This is to say that for a given wind speed, it is likely that the outer axes will rotate slower than the inner axes due to their larger size and mass. As such the slower rotation of the outer axis may cause drag on the smaller internal axis without the presence of such bearings 16. At the aft end of the axes 11, the end opposite the end coupled to the turbines 13 there is a plurality of generators 15 positioned around the axis 11 with the drive shaft of the generators 15 are coupled to the surface of one of the axes 11 such that the rotations of the axis can drive the rotation of the drive shaft thereby allowing the generator 15 to produce power. The axes 11 and generators 15 are coupled together via a suitable coupling feature that is configured to transfer the kinetic energy from the rotating axis 11 to the drive shaft of the generator 15 so as to rotate the latter. This coupling feature may comprise a flywheel, gears, belts, or a simple 2-plate clutch system. Regardless of the specific mechanism used the controller would be configured to actuate these coupling features 14 such that the controller may engage or disengage the feature 14. Note that in the case of the invention engaging the feature 16 refers to coupling the feature to both the axis 11 and generator 15 such that the axis 11 can drive the generator 15, and disengaging refers to decoupling the feature 14 from one or both of the axis 11 and the generator 15 such that the generator 15 is no longer being actuated by the axis 11 and the feature does not apply any drag to the rotating axis 11. It should also be noted that in some cases, the coupling features 14 may be configured to have a variable length. This way the controller may change the frequency of the generator rotations by adjusting the length of the coupling feature 14. In particular, the controller may shorten the feature to increase the frequency of the generator rotations and may lengthen the feature 14 to slow the generator 15 thereby decreasing the frequency of the generator rotations for a given turbine speed. The shorted features may be used to make the transfer of energy from the axis 11 to the generator 15 more efficient allowing more power to be produced even when the wind speed is low. Meanwhile, the controller may use the lengthened features to add more drag to the axis 11 helping to slow the axis 11 during high winds allowing the system to continue operations in such conditions. It is also noted that some downstream systems may require certain frequencies for the electrical signals they receive, the controller would be configured to adjust the features 14 to ensure the output singles formed by the generator have the required frequency. In the claimed wind turbine 10 there would be at least one generator coupled to each axis 11. In the preferred embodiment, there would be multiple generators coupled to each axis 11 as shown in the depicted example. It is noted that the turbine 10 may comprise additional generators 15 compared to those shown in the example, preferable there would be a ring of generators surrounding the axis 11 so that we can maximize the number of available generators 15 while maintaining a relatively low volume for the entire system making the turbine more compact. To help achieve this as shown in the depicted example, the co-axial axes 11 would have different lengths along their shared axis. Specifically, the inner or centremost axis would have a longer length than the outer axis with the outermost axis being the shortest. This way the aft end of each axis 11 is exposed when the axes are arranged co-axially allowing generators 15 to be coupled to the aft end of each axis 11 more easily. This arrangement also means that the size of the generators 15 will not be limited by the size of the space between each axis as they can all be mounted to the outside of the axis assembly as shown. As previously noted, the controller, not depicted, would be housed within the turbine 10 preferably within the turbine column 12, and would serve the purpose of controlling the various parts of the turbine 10. This would require the controller to receive relevant information regarding the operation of the turbine 10, in particular data related to the turbine input, namely the rotation of the turbines 13, and data for the output of the generators 15. Using such data the controller may determine an optimal output for the current system status and adjust the number of generators 15 coupled to each axis 11 accordingly. For example, when the turbines 13 are moving slowly, due to low wind, the controller may remove generators 15 from the axes 11 to reduce the overall drag on each axis allowing them to turn more easily. In addition, when the turbine 13 is moving quickly, due to high winds, the controller would be configured to add more generators 15 to each axis 11, this not only allows more power to be generated but will also increase the drag on each axis 11 ensuring they do not reach dangerous speeds. This controller would allow the claimed turbine to operate over a wider range of wind speeds as the turbine 10 can be automatically adjusted in real-time to keep the turbines 13 spinning depending on the current conditions around the turbine 10. The data received by the controller may be taken directly from the wind turbine 10, this would include direct measurements of the axes rotational speed and a direct measure of the output of each generator. The speed measurements may be used by the controller to determine the optimal power output based on the current turning speed. The controller may then use the generator outputs to determine how many of the available generators are engaged and to determine if the optimal output has been reached. The controller may also use the number of engaged generators to determine the total drag caused by the generators 15, from this the controller may determine if the power output would be likely to increase or decrease when adding or removing a single generator based on the current conditions, as the controller would be configured to calculate a predicted output across all the engaged generators when one generator was added and when one generator was removed compared to the current conditions to determine if further actions are needed to achieve the optimal output for each axis 11. The controller may also be configured to receive external information. This external information may come from one or more sensors coupled to the controller. These sensors may include wind / air pressure sensors configured to determine the wind speed and wind direction around the turbine 10. This data would allow the controller to determine the top rotational speed for each axis based on the current conditions. This information can then be used to correct the controller's estimate for the optimal axis speed. The external data may also include feedback from the downstream systems. As previously noted, the power generated by the generators 15 is sent to one or more downstream systems, and the controller is configured to direct the power to one or more of these systems. In cases where the power is supplied to multiple systems, the controller is configured to determine what portion of the power each system receives and to vary the size of these portions when necessary. To this end, the controller may receive feedback from each of the downstream systems including a relative demand of the system this is a value indicating the amount of power the system requires, and may also indicate if the system requires additional or less power than the average demand value. In these cases, the controller can prioritize the systems with the highest demand. Further, in the cases wherein the downstream system generates fuel or other resources, they may provide feedback on the current resource level and / or the resource demand. This way the controller may prioritize systems that are running low on resources or systems with the greatest demand. In some cases, the wind turbine 10 may further comprise a power storage system house within or near the column 12. This system is configured to store excess power generated by the turbine based on comparing the amount of power produced with the demand from the downstream systems. This power storage system may include batteries that may be recharged using the turbine 10 or a hydrolysis station configured to produce a fuel such as hydrogen when powered by the turbine 10. The batteries or fuel may be used at a later time to provide additional power to the downstream systems in times when there are high demands or when the wind speed is too low to meet the system requirements. This way the controller can provide a means for auxiliary power by directing power to or from the storage system depending on the downstream system requirements and current generator output. In the depicted example the wind turbine 10 utilises three turbines 13 is it noted that the claimed system may incorporate a different number of turbines. It is preferable for there to be more than one turbine 13 as this will help increase the power output of the claimed turbine 10 by accommodating more generators 15. However, it is also preferable to limit the number of turbines 13, as too many turbines 13 may cause too much drag on the inner axes 11 thereby increasing the minimum energy needed to operate some of the turbines 13 which will decrease the system’s efficiency. Therefore, it is preferable to limit the number of turbines to three or less. It is noted that using multiple turbines 13 as described above may cause issues. In particular, the more forward turbines may limit the amount of wind that reaches the more rearward turbines thereby limiting their output. The front turbine's rotation may also result in creating a vacuum between the adjacent turbine preventing the rear turbine from receiving sufficient wind force to turn. Further in cases where multiple turbines are spinning in unison, they may create beat frequencies which may cause additional wear to the wind turbine components. Figures 2 to 4 show different examples of how the claimed turbines 13 can be altered to reduce the negative effect caused by using multiple turbines 13. Note that each of the depicted examples used only a single feature to address the issue, however, these features may be used together to help increase their efficiency. Figure 2 depicts a wind turbine 10 that utilizes two turbines 13 and 20 which are counter rotational. This means that as the front turbine 13 rotates in one direction the adjacent turbine 20 will rotate in the opposite direction, as indicated by the arrows 21 and 22. This works because the blades of each turbine 13, 20 comprise a tilted surface configured to redirect the air flowing over it. This allows the blade of the turbine to absorb the kinetic energy of the wind without halting the airflow. As the rear turbine 20 is counter-rotational to front turbine 13 the blades on the rear turbine 20 will face in the opposite direction this way the rear turbine 20 will have the correct face to absorb the airflow as it is ejected from the front turbine 13. This will allow the rear turbine 20 to absorb more energy from the wind compared to a system where they rotate in the same direction, and will also prevent the formation of a wind vacuum between the turbines 13 and 20. Note that even though the depicted example shows only two turbines 13, 20 this same system may work with additional turbines so long as adjacent pairs of turbines rotate in opposing directions. Figure 3 depicts a wind turbine 10, wherein each of the turbines 13 and 30 have differentsized turbine blades. As previously noted, the surface of the turbine blade is configured to redirect the wind that impacts it. Therefore, by increasing the size of the rearward turbine blades the effective surface area of the latter blades increases. This increases the chance of the airflow that misses the front turbine 13 impacting a blade of the rear turbine 30. In doing so the system ensures that, overall, more energy from the wind can be absorbed as there will be few paths the wind can travel without hitting a turbine blade. In addition, by reducing the size of the frontward turbine blades the system increases the likelihood that the air flowing over the turbine 10 reaches the rear turbine 30. Note that the surface area of the rearward turbines needs to be larger than that of the more forward turbines. To achieve this the rearward turbines may have a longer length and / or a wider width compared to the turbine in front of it. In the depicted example both turbines rotate in the same direction, but note that this turbine can also utilize the counter rotation described above. Additionally, it is again noted that the depicted example uses only two turbines 13,30 but there may be additional turbines so long as the latter turbines comprise bigger blades that are not too massive to turn effectively or too heavy that it may damage the column 12. It is also noted that by having different-sized turbines, the frequency of each turbine’s rotation will vary for a given wind speed. This difference in rotational frequencies helps to reduce the risk of beat frequencies forming between the different turbines 13,30. Figure 4 depicts another method to overcome the above-mentioned problems with multiple turbines. In this example, the three turbines 13,13A and 13B are configured to have a fixed offset. This is to say that one turbine is configured to be at a fixed angle relative to the turbine in front of it. This way the system ensures that there is a minimal overlay between the blades allowing more of the airflow to reach the rearward turbine, as the blades of the turbines 13, 13A, 13B form a near-constant surface around the circumference of the axis 11 similar to an Archimedes screw. To achieve this the wind turbine 10 would utilise a controllable offset system. Wherein the system comprises features configured to push or pull the turbine in front of the turbine with this feature to ensure a minimum offset angle between the two turbines 13, 13A, 13B. This offset feature may include a set of interlocking protrusions, gears, or ratcheted belts. Regardless of the specific features used, these offset features would be configured to be controlled by the turbine controller. More specifically the controller would be configured to adjust the offset angle between the adjacent turbines may adjust the size and / or location of the offset features. Additionally, the controller would be configured to engage and disengage the offset features. More specifically, the controller would be configured to actuate the offset features such that the feature engages or disengages the adjacent turbine. When engaged the feature will push or pull the adjacent turbine to create the desired offset angle as described above. However, when the feature is disengaged the offset feature decouples from one or more of the adjacent turbines thereby allowing the turbines to rotate freely. This will be used in situations when one of the turbines is rotating too slowly resulting in excessing drag on the other turbine. For example, when using different-sized turbine blades the wind may not be sufficient to turn the turbine 30 with the larger blades, but can rotate the smaller turbine 13. Therefore, the controller would need to disengage the offset feature to maximize the wind turbine 10 total output. Therefore, the controller would be configured to monitor the wind speed and or turbine speed to determine if the drag caused by the offset feature and the difference in turbine speed is negatively impacting the system's power output, similar to the controller’s determination based on the generator drag. It is also noted that in cases wherein the turbine 10 includes counter-rotational turbines 13,20 the offset feature would only couple turbines that rotate in the same direction, thereby only keeping a fixed angle between each turbine that rotates in the same direction. As previously noted, the turbine can combine any of the features depicted in Figures 2 to 4 as described above. Thereby utilizing a combination of counter-rotation, different-sized blades, and fixed offsets to maximize the amount of kinetic energy that is absorbed by the turbine for a given wind speed. It is noted that the above wind turbine 10 is used to generate power for a given area. It will most likely be used in a wind farm as part of a green energy system that is configured to generate power for a grid such as a national grid. Figure 5 depicts an example of such a green energy system 40, wherein the arrows indicate where the generated power is moved to in the system. In the depicted example there is a wind farm 41 utilizing a plurality of wind turbines 10 as described above as a means of generating power, the wind farm 41 is connected to two downstream systems a power grid 44 and a plurality of hydrolysis stations 42. The power supplied to the power grid 44 may be used to power systems in the desired area directly. Whereas the hydrolysis stations are configured to use the received power to produce hydrogen fuel. At least one of these hydrolysis stations is used to supply fuel to a hydrogen-fuelled power plant 43, as shown in the depicted example one or more of the hydrolysis stations 42’ can be housed within the power plant 43 to remove the need to transport the generated fuel to the power plant instead the hydrogen could be created and stored on-site allowing it to be readily available and reduces the cost and pollution produced by transporting the fuel. Wherein the power plant 43 is also coupled to the same grid as the wind farm 41 allowing the power plant to act as an auxiliary power source for the grid 44. By incorporating the power plant 43 the system 40 can store excess power generated by the wind farm 41 for later use, for example during times of high-power demand or when there is insufficient wind. This will thereby improve the efficiency of the power system by supplying a means to store the power generated by the wind farm 41 for later use. Note that by using the improved turbine design described above the system 40 is more likely to have excess power supplied from the wind farm 41 as the turbines 10 of the wind farm maximize power production. As previously mentioned, the controller within the turbines 10 would be configured to receive feedback from the system 40. This feedback may include a power demand from the grid 44 indicating the minimum power required from the wind farm 41 based on the current load from the devices and other systems coupled to the grid 44. Wherein the controller would be configured to try a produce enough power to at least match the demand. However, if this is not possible due to a lack of wind at the wind farm 41, the controller may alert the power station 43 of the additional power requirements allowing the power plant to compensate for the wind farm 41 when necessary. In cases, where the power produced from the wind farm exceeds the grid’s demand the controller will be configured to direct the excess power to either a power storage system at the wind farm 41 or to the hydrolysis stations 42, in either case, the excess power can then be stored for later use. the controller may be configured to receive feedback from these systems including the current charge of the storage system or the hydrogen levels at each of the hydrolysis stations. From this data, the controller may determine a relative demand for these systems being able to rank them starting with the system with the highest demand, wherein the controller is configured to prioritize the system with the greatest demand. To do this the controller may only supply power to the top priority system or provide a portion of the excess power to each downstream system with the largest portion going to the top priority system, wherein the portions are sized relative to the system’s demand. It is also noted that the controller may also be configured to prioritize particular systems such as the grid 44 and the station 42 that supplies the power plant 43 regardless of the relative demand, instead of using the data to only rank the remaining downstream systems. In addition to the system described above a miniature version of the same system, 40 can be utilized on large vehicles such as ships or trains. Wherein the wind farm 41 comprises turbines coupled to the vehicle; these turbines may be positioned within a wind tunnel coupled to the vehicle to help direct the airflow towards the turbines as the vehicle moves. The hydrolysis station 42 and power plant 43 would represent hydrolysis stations aboard the vehicle and the power plant would represent a hydrogen-fuelled engine that can act as an auxiliary power source. The grid 44 would represent the vehicle's power system that operates the systems aboard the vehicle. By using the claimed system, the user has the means to provide a self-sufficient green power system as the system utilizes improved turbines to produce more power than current wind farms and provides a means of storing excess power to help provide a backup to the wind farm when providing power. Additionally, the storage system produces a fuel that can be used in other systems allowing the wind farm power to be used in more ways.

Claims

1. A wind turbine comprising:a turbine column;a rotatable axis;a turbine coupled proximate to a first end of the rotatable axis wherein the rotation of the turbine drives the rotation of the rotating axis;a plurality of generators housed in the turbine, wherein the drive shaft of the generators is detachably coupled to the surface of the rotating axis, such that when attached the rotation of the rotatable axis drives the attached generators;the generators further comprise a controllable power output wherein the power generated from each of the generators can be supplied to one or more of several downstream systems; anda controller housed within the turbine column configured to control the detachable couplings and the controllable output of the plurality of generators;wherein the controller is configured to analyse the power output of the generators and the power load / demand from each of the downstream systems; andin response to the analysis, the controller is configured to add or remove generators from the rotatable axis to maximize power generation, adding generators to increase power when there is sufficient wind and removing generators to remove drag from the axis when the is insufficient wind to power all the generators; andwherein the controller is configured to supply at least a portion of the generated power to one or more of the downstream systems based on the amount of power generated and each system's relative power demand.

2. The turbine of claim 1, wherein the turbine comprises a plurality of turbines, wherein each turbine is coupled to a respective axis, and wherein the plurality of axes is arranged coaxially.

3. The turbine of claim 2 wherein the blades of the turbines have different lengths and widths, with the more rearward turbines having longer and wider blades than the more frontward turbines.

4. The turbine of claims 2 to 3 wherein adjacent turbines is configured to rotate in opposing directions.

5. The turbine of claims 2 to 4 wherein the turbines comprise a controllable offset feature, wherein when the feature is engaged the feature is configured to push or pull one of the turbines to have a fixed offset angle relative to an adjacent turbine; and wherein the controller is configured to engage the offset feature of a turbine when the turbine is rotating above a predetermined speed and to disengage the offset feature when the turbine is rotating below the predetermine speed.

6. The turbine of claim 5 wherein the turbine blades of the disengaged turbine are rotated 90 degrees around their elongated axis, such that the profile of the blade is parallel to the rotatable axis.

7. The turbine of claims 2 to 6 wherein the blades of the turbine are feathered.

8. The turbine of claims 2 to 7 wherein the coaxial rotatable axes are configured to havedifferent lengths, wherein the centremost axis is the longest axis, and there is a plurality of generators coupled to the exposed second end of each axis.

9. The turbine of any preceding claim wherein the turbine comprises bearings between the plurality of rotatable axes.

10. The turbine of any preceding claim wherein the turbine comprises one or more sensors configured to detect the wind speed around the turbine, and wherein the controller is configured to determine a prediction for the turbine rotational velocity, and the maximum power output available based on the sensor data.

11. The turbine of any preceding claim wherein the generators are coupled to the axis by an adjustable coupling means, wherein the length of the coupling mean can be adjusted by the controller; andwherein the controller is configured to adjust the length of the adjusting means to adjust the frequency of the generator output to a desired value or to be within a desired range.

12. A power system comprising one or more of the turbines of claims 1 to 11, wherein the downstream system comprises one or more hydrolysis stations and a power grid.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the controller is configured to adjust the direction of the generator output in response to the power grid power demand, wherein the higher the grid demand the more power is diverted to the grid.

14. the system of claims 12 and 13 wherein the controller is configured to adjust the direction of the generator output in response to the stored hydrogen levels at the one or more hydrolysis stations, wherein the controller will divert more power to the station with the lowest hydrogen levels.

15. The system of claims 12 to 14 wherein the system further comprises a hydrogen-fuelled power plant, wherein at least one of the hydrolysis stations is located proximate to the power plant, and wherein the output of the power plant is coupled to the power grid, such that the power plant is an auxiliary power source to said grid.03 10 25AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS HAVE BEEN FILED AS FOLLOWS:-Claims,1. A wind-energy system comprising:(a) a wind turbine having a nacelle and at least two mutually-rotatable, co-axial shafts, each shaft carrying a respective rotor, the rotors being dimensioned and arranged so that an upwind rotor has a smaller swept diameter than a down-wind rotor and adjacent rotors counter-rotate;(b) for each said shaft, a ring of a plurality of electric generators in the nacelle, each generator having a driveshaft detachably couplable to a circumferential surface of the corresponding shaft by a selectively engageable mechanical coupling;(c) a controller configured to:— receive wind-state data and / or rotor-speed data, and independently select, for each shaft, a subset of said generators to engage so as to maintain rotor speed within a permitted band by trading electrical loading against aerodynamic torque; and— route the electrical outputs of engaged generators on a per-generator basis to one or more grid connections and / or to one or more electrolysers to produce hydrogen, the split varying dynamically in dependence on relative electrical-demand of the grid and hydrogen-demand / stock levels of the electrolysers; and(d) wherein the system is configured, upon disengagement of all generators for a given down-wind rotor, to feather or swivel the blades of that rotor to reduce wake blockage and drag on an up-wind rotor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller increases the number of engaged generators in high winds to add electrical loading that limits rotor speed without mechanical braking.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the co-axial shafts are three concentric shafts of different lengths, each carrying a respective rotor and respective generator ring.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a fixed-offset mechanism between rotors that maintains a predetermined angular offset when two adjacent rotors co-rotate.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the generator couplings include clutches or dogs that engage / disengage under electronic control.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller allocates generator outputs between multiple electrolysers according to per-site hydrogen stock signals.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the generator couplings are adjustable in effective ratio / length to maintain a target output frequency to the grid.

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