Vertical-axis wind turbine equipped with a wind speed tracking movable device
The vertical-axis wind turbine with movable fins addresses the inefficiencies at low wind speeds and the risk of over-rotation at high wind speeds by dynamically adjusting the blade configuration, enhancing both efficiency and durability.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024203658
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-22
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-18
- Estimated Expiration
- 2044-11-22
AI Technical Summary
Conventional vertical-axis wind turbines with fixed fins struggle to start rotating efficiently at low wind speeds but are prone to over-rotation and damage during strong winds.
A vertical-axis wind turbine design featuring blades with movable fins that protrude at low wind speeds to increase torque and start rotating earlier, and retract at high wind speeds to prevent over-rotation and damage.
The design allows for efficient power generation at low wind speeds and prevents damage during strong winds by adjusting the blade configuration dynamically based on wind speed.
Smart Images

Figure 0007695028000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a vertical-axis wind turbine.
Background Art
[0002] The appearance of a general vertical-axis wind turbine is shown in FIG. 1. However, there is FIG. 2 in which the blades of the wind turbine are improved because they do not rotate at low wind speeds. The shape of the said blade is also registered in Design Registration No. 1664759. By the way, although the blade shown in FIG. 2 has fins, the fins are fixed and do not have a movable structure.
Prior Art Documents
Non-Patent Documents
[0003] Design No. 1664759
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] The wind turbine shown in FIG. 2 has fixed fins attached to the rear of the blade that do not conform to the blade with a standard airfoil cross-section on the outer blade surface (shown in FIG. 1). The wind turbine shown in FIG. 2 exhibits the effect of the fins in light winds, starts rotating earlier even at lower wind speeds than the airfoil cross-section type shown in FIG. 1, and exhibits amazing generating power. However, in strong winds, it may over-rotate and the wind turbine shown in FIG. 2 is likely to be damaged.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0005] The present invention has conducted intensive research and provides the following means.
[0006] As Means 1, A generator, a hub provided in the generator, and blades provided in the spokes of the hub, wherein the generator is a wind turbine attached to a support column or a tower, and the blades are provided with movable fins.
[0007] A pendulum provided in the spoke, a phase-fixed ring movable up and down provided in the support column, and provided in the phase-fixed ring Connected to the pendulum via an upper and lower connecting rod A phase-fixed ring lug, and the fin connected to the pendulum.
[0008] Provided is a vertical-axis wind turbine that follows the rotational speed of the blade, the fin protrudes when the rotational speed is low, and the fin closes when the rotational speed is high.
[0009] A generator, a hub provided in the generator, and blades provided on the spokes of the hub, the generator being a wind turbine attached to a support column or a tower, the blade being provided with movable fins, A pendulum that moves horizontally provided on the spoke, and a phase-fixed ring that can move horizontally provided on the outer periphery of the hub, A ring connecting rod for transmitting the movement of the pendulum to the phase-fixed ring, A spring is provided between the pendulum and the phase-fixed ring, Provided is a vertical-axis wind turbine that follows the rotational speed of the blade, the fin protruding when the rotational speed is low and the fin closing when the rotational speed is high.
[0010] Incidentally, the horizontal direction means a direction parallel to the ground.
[0011] Incidentally, the "spring" may be any mechanism having an elastic function and returning to its original shape, but a so-called metal spring is preferred.
Advantages of the Invention
[0012] Compared with a conventional blade with fixed fins, when the wind is light, the fins protrude outward, so the wind-receiving area increases, the radius at which the wind force acts also increases, so the torque increases, and it starts to rotate with a weaker wind than a conventional wind turbine, and the wind speed at which power generation starts also decreases.
[0013] Moreover, the time when the blade protrudes outward is during a gentle breeze. During a gentle breeze, the rotational speed is low and the centrifugal force acting on the pendulum is small. Therefore, the pendulum hangs down, and since it has a mechanism that causes the blade to protrude outward when it hangs down, this is the reason.
[0014] On the other hand, in the case of the fixed-blade type, during strong winds, the rotational speed of the windmill increases, and there is a high possibility of destroying the wind power generator due to over-rotation. However, in the present invention, during strong winds, the blade is stored inside the wing, over-rotation can be prevented, and destruction of the wind power generator can be prevented. Therefore, during gentle breezes, it rotates well to increase the generated power, and during strong winds, the increase in rotational speed is reduced, preventing the destruction of the wind power generator caused by over-rotation.
[0015] And since the phase-fixed ring of the present invention is physically connected to all the blades, the degree of opening and closing of all the blades provided on all the wings is the same. Due to this effect, the balance of all the wings is achieved, and the rotational stability during strong winds is maintained. By the way, if this rotational stability is disrupted, vibration and noise will occur, and destruction of the wind power generator will occur. By the way, when the wind speed becomes low and it cannot hang down due to gravity when the wind speed is low, it is also possible to adopt a structure that pulls the pendulum inward with a spring.
Brief Explanation of the Drawings
[0016]
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
[0017] The following is merely an example and shows an example for carrying out the present invention. Figure 1 shows a generator of a type called a vertical-axis wind turbine. Conventionally, it starts rotating even at low wind speeds and produces almost no noise, so no pollution is caused. Among vertical-axis wind turbines, it is said to have the best performance. Many models with a wind turbine having a wing in the wing cross-section and adopting a sophisticated design are commercially available around the world.
[0018] Generally, the starting wind speed is about 1.5 to 2 m / s. When the wind becomes strong and the rotation of the windmill becomes too fast, there is a possibility of damaging the wind turbine, and it may be equipped with not only an electromagnetic brake but also a mechanical brake.
[0019] By the way, in order to convert lift into rotation, many wings adopt a wing type called Clark Y with a wing thickness ratio of 17 - 20% or a cross-section that generates the same high lift as an aircraft wing.
[0020] By the way, the hub is a key part that gathers the spokes that radiate from a single rotating shaft and spread out in all directions. It always keeps the angle and positional relationship of each spoke constant. The hub is composed of a hub disk, spokes, and a hub waterproof cover. The hub disk is a disk for fixing the spokes to the input shaft of the generator. It is made of a strong material and can withstand high rotations during strong winds and severe load fluctuations during wind prevention.
[0021] Figure 2 shows a vertical-axis wind turbine with blades arranged on the outer surface of the wing. The blade with a rearward-extending fin on the outer surface smoothly guides the wind when receiving wind from the front during rotation, generating lift similar to the airfoil shape. When receiving wind from the rear, it generates strong drag, and through the synergistic effect, it exhibits high rotational force and power generation.
[0022] Using a simple test machine, in the data of the experimentally made blade with a blade thickness ratio of about 32%, the rotation of the windmill starts with a gentle breeze of wind speed below 1 m / s. When the wind speed is 2 - 7 m / s (per second), compared with a conventional airfoil-shaped wind turbine that emphasizes lift, the output exceeds three times. It is a vertical-axis wind turbine characterized by a hybrid blade that combines a lift type of airfoil section and a drag type that emphasizes wind from the rear.
[0023] Figure 3 is an external view of this wind turbine, which adopts a blade with the fins of the blade in Figure 2 improved to be movable. In order to change the cross-section of the blade according to the wind speed, the movable mechanism for swinging the fins combines the principles of gravity, centrifugal force, and lever, so it does not require external energy supply. When the wind speed is from calm to gentle breeze or the blade rotates at a low speed, almost no centrifugal force acts on the pendulum, and the fins are fully open with the weight hanging down. Even in a gentle breeze, it can receive wind with high efficiency and rotate the blade. As the wind speed gradually increases, centrifugal force acts on the pendulum, and it swings at an angle proportional to half of the rotational speed. The force created by the weight screwed to the pendulum is changed into the tension for driving the fins through the link mechanism, and it is swung to a cross-section suitable for the wind speed by self-control.
[0024] In strong winds, the blades rotate at high speed, the pendulum jumps up to the uppermost position, and the vanes are in a fully closed state, changing to a blade thickness ratio of 30% or less. At this time, the outer surface is different from the smooth surface of the blade cross-section. The strong curvature and the unevenness created by the joints of the vanes are arranged like a washboard to generate turbulent flow, making it difficult to generate the lift like that of the blade in the blade cross-section. By also generating a braking effect, over-rotation is less likely to occur.
[0025] Figure 4 shows the state where the blades do not rotate or rotate at a very low speed from calm to gentle winds, with almost no centrifugal force acting on the pendulum and it hanging down. In this state, the vanes are in a fully open state and the blade thickness ratio increases to around 40%. In our experiment, when the blade thickness ratio exceeds 30%, the starting wind speed can be reduced to 1 m / s or less, and the power generation start wind speed also follows and is reduced.
[0026] The pendulum hanging down due to the weight of the bob swings around the pendulum fulcrum. The phase-fixed ring equipped with the phase-fixed ring connection lug moves up and down while rotating around the support shaft without resistance through the upper and lower connecting rods. The phase-fixed ring restricts the irregular movement of the pendulum, and the force synthesized by the weight of the pendulum bob and the centrifugal force changes to a strong tension by a mechanism combined with the lever principle. That tension is transmitted through the pendulum blade connecting rod to the link mechanism inside the blade, causing all the vanes arranged on the blade to swing at the same timing and opening degree. The timing and force at which the vanes start to close can be changed by removing the screw of the bob fixed to the pendulum and adjusting the weight of the bob.
[0027] Figure 5 shows the state where the centrifugal force acts on the pendulum and it is in the most expanded state when the wind speed increases. When the wind speed increases, the pendulum jumps up, the direction of the weight of the pendulum changes at the pendulum fulcrum, and it changes to a tension that pulls the link mechanism inside the blade by the pendulum-blade connecting rod. Since the blades to which the tension is transmitted restrict displacement via the phase-fixed ring, all the blades start to close at the same timing, and when the pendulum jumps upward to the uppermost position, the blades are fully closed. If the wind speed increases due to strong wind, the rotation of the windmill will speed up. At the same time, the centrifugal force acting on the pendulum also increases, so the force to close the blades also increases. The higher the rotation of the windmill, the stronger the force to firmly close the blades.
[0028] Figure 6 shows the inside of the blade. The centrifugal force is transmitted from the pendulum, through the pendulum blade connecting rod, blade rotation lever, blade rotation shaft, and blade rotation bell crank, as tension to the blades inside the wing. And the tension is supported by the main girder frame and the bearings of the bearing sub-frame orthogonal to it, and pushes and pulls the blade rotation lever integrated with the blade rotation shaft.
[0029] The blades fixed to the blade rotation shaft via the connecting bell crank can swing by pushing and pulling the blade rotation lever. A blade connecting bell crank is fixed to the blade rotation shaft, and the blades are fixed to the outer surface. Therefore, the arranged blades swing in proportion to the angle through which the pendulum has moved.
[0030] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the blade. Since the cross-section at full closure is basically based on an airfoil cross-section, the thickness ratio of the blade is 30% or less. The link mechanism and movable parts can be almost entirely housed inside the blade, providing minimal protection from severe wind, rain, and direct sunlight, and enabling long-term use. However, regular inspections and maintenance are necessary.
[0031] Figure 8 is an external view of the generator with a large diameter corresponding to the standard-sized generator in which the pendulum of Figure 3 operates in the vertical direction, with the pendulum operating in the horizontal direction. When it is mounted on a large-diameter generator, the diameter difference from the support shaft is large, the component weight of the lug becomes excessive, and the weight balance and strength instability increase. Therefore, the pendulum is operated in the horizontal direction, and a mechanism is provided to operate it horizontally together with the phase-fixed ring and the connecting rod that float on the outer periphery of the hub disk.
[0032] When the pendulum operates in the vertical direction, gravity acts when it is stationary and no centrifugal force acts, causing the pendulum to hang down. However, when the pendulum operates in the horizontal direction, the pendulum cannot return to the center due to gravity. Therefore, a spring pulls it toward the center to produce the same effect as when the pendulum hangs down due to gravity. By the way, the spring is preferably a metal wound spring, but it is not limited to this, and any spring having elasticity may be used. For example, there are resin springs, rubber, and dampers.
[0033] Since the phase-fixed ring is arranged on the outer periphery of the hub disk, it has a large diameter. However, the phase-fixed ring lug becomes unnecessary, and the upper and lower connecting rods also become unnecessary and can be replaced with small connecting rods, resulting in the same weight.
Explanation of Signs
[0034] 1 Blade 2 Hub 201 Hub Disk 202 Spoke 203 Hub Waterproof Cover 3 Generator 4 Support Shaft 5 Fin 6 Phase-Fixed Ring 7 Phase-Fixed Ring Lug 8 Upper and Lower Connecting Rods 9 Pendulum 10 Weight 11 Weight Fixing Screw 12 Pendulum Fulcrum 13 Pendulum Blade Connecting Rod 14 Fin Rotating Lever 15 Fin Rotating Shaft 16 Fin Connecting Bell Crank 17 Fin connecting rod 18 Main girder frame 19 Bearing sub-frame 20 Ring connecting rod 21 Spring
Claims
1. A wind power generator comprising: a generator; a hub provided on the generator; and blades provided on spokes of the hub, the generator being mounted on a pole or a tower, the blades having movable fins; A pendulum is provided on the spoke, a phase locking ring is provided on the support and can move up and down, a phase locking ring lug is provided on the phase locking ring and connected to the pendulum via an upper and lower connecting rod, and the fin is connected to the pendulum, A vertical axis wind power generator characterized in that the fins extend in accordance with the rotation speed of the blades when the rotation speed is low and close when the rotation speed is high.
2. A wind power generator comprising: a generator; a hub provided on the generator; and blades provided on spokes of the hub, the generator being mounted on a pole or a tower, the blades having movable fins; A horizontally movable pendulum is provided on the spoke, and a horizontally movable phase locking ring is provided on the outer periphery of the hub, a ring connecting rod for transmitting the motion of the pendulum to a phase-locking ring; A spring is provided between the pendulum and a phase locking ring, and the fin is connected to the pendulum. A vertical axis wind power generator characterized in that the fins extend in accordance with the rotation speed of the blades when the rotation speed is low and close when the rotation speed is high.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
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