Flow redirector

Abstract

The present utility model relates to a flow redirector ancillary to wind or hydroelectric turbines for industrial electrical power generation, in the form of a cylindrical housing, having a diameter equal to or greater than its height, the top of the cylindrical housing comprising beams that issue from the outermost edges and converge towards the centre thereof; said flow redirector comprises a base in the form of a flattened cone; a region of flow-redirecting blades / walls, wherein the blades are arranged symmetrically with respect to the centre of the housing, and are affixed to the inside of the conical base; a cylindrical central region, in which at least one wind turbine is located, preferably a vertical-axis wind turbine; an upper part, which is entirely supported by the blades and / or by four pillars of the central region, on its cylindrical rim; and a cover that extends in the form of a sloping canopy, increasing the area for capturing fluid, the upper part of which is reinforced with beams, preferably metallic beams.

Description

DESCRIPTIVE REPORT FLOW REDIRECTOR Field of Invention

[0001] The Flow Redirector described refers to the field of Mechanical Engineering, specifically the power generation industry—wind or hydroelectric. Flow Redirectors have applications in hydraulic engineering, instrumentation and industrial process control, and other branches of engineering whenever they prove useful for regulating, concentrating, deconcentrating, measuring, or controlling working fluids—liquids, viscous, or gases—that are relatively chaotic or with varying intensities from different directions, incident on a restricted area. Fundamentals of the Invention

[0002] The Flow Redirector was originally designed for use in the wind-powered electricity generation industry. As will be demonstrated, the device has a much broader range of applications, including hydroelectric generation on lowland rivers, fluid regulation in industrial processes, and functioning as a hydraulic or fluid valve in industrial processes, among other applications.

[0003] Initially, regarding wind power applications, it's important to emphasize that wind energy is characterized by the energy contained in the wind—an essentially kinetic, mechanical energy. Harnessing wind energy is one way to produce electricity: wind power is used as a primary (and renewable) source to drive turbines that, coupled to generators (dynamos), generate electrical currents and transmit them to the power grid.

[0004] Currently, due to the need to use clean development mechanisms (CDM) to reduce global warming (excess of hot gases, aggravating the natural greenhouse effect, which accelerates it in an undesirable and dangerous way for ecosystems, the planet and humanity), wind energy has experienced great expansion, despite the fact that renewable energy still represents only 12.3% of the world's share.

[0005] The use of wind energy dates back centuries: to move sailing vessels and to power mills, whose shaft rotation performed various mechanical tasks.

[0006] Strictly speaking, a wind turbine is a mechanism for capturing the kinetic energy of the wind, whose force is transmitted to a rotor for some other function or device. When coupled to a dynamo—the most common and interesting coupled device—to directly and immediately generate electrical energy, it is considered a wind turbine—usually installed high up, several meters above the ground, with a horizontal axis.

[0007] Since the propellers rotate at low speeds, the turbines need a planetary gear box to transmit kinetic energy at higher revolutions per minute (RPM) to the dynamogenerator, which may be located at the top or, more commonly, at the base, on the ground.

[0008] Therefore, the turbine is most commonly not directly coupled to the dynamo-generator. Placing the dynamo on the ground reduces the complexity of structures and operations involved in lifting hundreds of extra kilograms into the air.

[0009] Obviously, the dynamo generator needs to be connected to the high-voltage, long-distance power grid to use the electricity generated on site.

[0010] In the case of turbines with a horizontal axis, they present, for a better aerodynamic effect, two important characteristics: a) airfoil cross-sections of different sizes, being thicker in the center and gradually tapering towards the ends; b) continuous aerodynamic twist in the blade, carefully studied using different methods, including precise mathematical calculations, dynamic computer simulations and smaller-scale prototypes subjected to wind tunnels. [OH] A typical wind turbine (horizontal-axis turbine), dominant on the market, comprises several basic components, such as: 1) the tower (or support rod); 2) the blades (or propellers), which capture wind energy; 3) the rotor—the blade attachment that transmits rotational motion to the slow-moving shaft; 4) the generator—which converts the rotor's mechanical energy into electrical energy. One of the rotor's main components is the hydraulic system, which allows the blades to move to different positions, currently controlled electronically. Using sensors and pre-prepared tables, current turbines incorporate automatic rotation and adjustment mechanisms to optimize wind force or stop the turbine completely.

[0012] In addition to these four basic components, four other components are present in almost all current horizontal-axis wind turbines: e) Nacelle - a compartment installed at the top of the tower consisting of a gearbox, chassis, yaw system, electronic control system, and hydraulic system. It is the heaviest component in the system. Depending on the wind turbine manufacturer, it can exceed 72 tons; f) Gearbox: This transforms the rotations transmitted by the blades to the low-speed shaft (19 to 30 rpm) so that the high-speed shaft receives the rotations required for operation (1,500 rpm); g) Anemometer: Measures wind intensity, speed, and direction. This data is read by the control system, which ensures the most appropriate positioning for the turbine; h) Wind Vane: Measures wind direction and transmits this information to the system. to control the instantaneous wind position, allowing the wind turbine to remain oriented toward the wind to optimize wind kinetic energy, increasing the power output. These other four components were developed and added over the years, increasing the efficiency of wind-powered electricity capture and generation operations.

[0013] Wind turbine blades have undergone significant development over the past two decades, but their aerodynamic profile alone isn't enough to force the wind to blow perpendicularly. Because winds frequently change direction, auxiliary wind vane systems, including anemometers, become essential for frequently repositioning the wind turbine so that the blades are positioned as perpendicular as possible to the wind direction, maximizing electricity production.

[0014] Wind power is given by the following formula: Pot = ( ^ ) . px A xv 3, with the result in Watts = Joules / second, where: p = air density (varies with temperature and pressure, but at sea level, at 15 0 C and 1 atm, is 1.2256 kg / m 3 ); A = catchment area of ​​the wind turbine's cross-section; ev = wind speed at height h. The higher the turbine, the stronger the winds tend to be, as geographic obstacles and rough terrain (e.g., the presence of trees) greatly affect its power, reducing it. The mechanical power that the converter extracts from the airflow corresponds to the difference between the power of the air fluid before and after its passage through the converter, that is, through the wind turbine.

[0015] It is worth highlighting that the natural power of the winds in a given location is not equal to (and will always be greater than) the power that can be extracted using technology - generally wind turbines.

[0016] Since wind power depends heavily on wind speed and increases with its cube, only regions that have a wind regime Average winds above 2.5 m / s, and for a good part of the day and months of the year, are the areas that prove suitable or attractive for the installation of wind farms. Investors tend to select, obviously, the locations with the highest and most constant winds to install wind turbines and wind farms, selecting them on a decreasing scale: the higher the wind speed, and with more constant winds, in principle, the better. Locations with slower and less constant winds are left for last by developers.

[0017] However, even in areas with good (intense and constant) winds, there are risks: there are limits to mechanical fatigue and equipment efficiency at very high rotation speeds. In regions with regular wind speeds above 10 m / s, wind turbines are typically increased in size to maintain safe axis rotation while also maximizing wind potential.

[0018] Continuous and safe technical measurements of wind potential are fundamental to interest and investment in the wind sector.

[0019] In Brazil, in particular, the best location for wind farms has been the Northeast coast. Although wind is a renewable energy source, the uncertainty of its regime requires long-term measurements, creating increasingly detailed and reliable wind maps, to help determine whether or not to install a wind farm in a location.

[0020] It's important to note that wind farms can be installed in regions far from major customers, requiring an extensive long-distance power transmission network connecting wind farms to consumer centers or large consumers. A thorough understanding of the wind regime (not only speed, but also variations in wind speed and direction throughout the year and even the hours of the day) is essential to implementing wind power projects.

[0021] There are wind losses, mechanical losses, and electrical losses in the generation and transmission process from wind sources. During capture, the wind can be turbulent or from conflicting directions, even if of good intensity, so that the wind energy is not properly captured. There are also other losses of the captured energy, the two most significant being loss due to vibrations and loss during long-distance transmission of the generated electricity. This loss increases the greater the distance and the lower the transmission voltage. This leads engineers to always add a safety margin, in addition to the energy required for the wind system to operate.

[0022] The total uncertainty is given by a standard deviation, which is equal to the square root of the sum of three variances: i) the uncertainty variance of the wind resource; ii) the variance of the power curve; iii) the variance of the losses considered in the design. The square of the standard deviation is equal to the variance, and it reflects the degree of uncertainty of a given normal curve. The sensitivity factor is the ratio of the energy variation to the wind variation.

[0023] The probability of energy being produced depends not only on the average wind speed, but also on its variation; from measurements - the longer historically and more precise, the better - through statistical inference it is possible to construct a normal distribution curve, with mean and standard deviation, that expresses the probability of wind energy production.

[0024] In particular, the uncertainty surrounding wind resources is the most crucial factor for entrepreneurs when calculating the risks and expected returns of wind turbine investments in a given location. Investors are concerned not only with strong winds in a given location, but also with their variability and consistency throughout the year.

[0025] Even if there is wind at good speed, if they form in opposite or conflicting directions, this reduces the efficiency of the wind turbine, making the location for wind power exploration problematic and unattractive. As important as higher wind speed is that it be constant and predictable throughout the day, with little variation in intensity and direction. All wind-powered electricity generation technology faces this significant additional constraint, which also presents a source of economic uncertainty for entrepreneurs, often reducing the attractiveness of exploiting this abundant wind source on the planet and in specific regions of Brazil. To overcome this obstacle and obtain a greater and more consistent amount of wind, increasingly taller wind turbines have been built, regardless of their power output. Ultimately, European countries have opted to build offshore wind farms, where there are stronger and more constant winds throughout the year.

[0026] As the wind passes through the wind turbine and provides it with a certain amount of mechanical energy, it loses kinetic energy, and its speed drops and is disturbed, occupying a larger cross-section behind the turbine, downstream of the wind. The mechanical power that the converter extracts from the airflow corresponds to the difference between the power of the airflow before and after it passes through the converter.

[0027] Therefore, and in this particular context, the study of the best size and shape for wind turbines gains relevance. In the current technological stage, once the natural air jet (= wind) passes through the turbine, it moves it, and the air exiting behind it leaves disturbed and at a slower speed, occupying a larger volume. When passing through a horizontal-axis turbine, the wind potential of this incident wind is depleted.

[0028] Specifically, current wind turbines have the BETZ limit of maximum efficiency: 59.3%, because the output speed cannot be zero. At the same time, horizontal-axis wind turbines are the most popular because they offer three advantages over conventional turbines. vertical axis: i) a technological advantage - they are now quite adjustable to capture wind in different directions; ii) an economic advantage - they have a more advantageous power / investment ratio; iii) a scale advantage - they are more easily increased in size and installed in higher locations.

[0029] As air has a low average density of 1.2256 kg / m 3This means that wind energy is only attractive for industrial projects, usually on a large scale, in regions with wind speeds above 3.0 m / s, where multiple turbines are installed. Even so, there is a global movement, embraced by several governments—especially European ones—to promote distributed, fragmented wind generation. Wind turbines are installed in multiple locations, diffusely, generally by private individuals (individuals and legal entities), without centralized planning, wherever there is wind potential, however small, and already has grid infrastructure for its transmission. Thousands, or hundreds of thousands of smaller generators, combined, make or can make a huge difference, for the better, in the national energy matrix.

[0030] The problem with distributed generation, however, is that the production cost of each kWh of electricity is still high, being lower (much lower) in centralized projects, precisely because of their scale. And those distributed generation technologies that prove competitive with centralized technologies are either sabotaged by governments—to maintain the collection of indirect taxes embedded in electricity—as well as to maintain the integrity of businesses already established based on older technology, such as traditional horizontal-axis wind turbines and thermoelectric plants—generators of electricity on an industrial scale.

[0031] Furthermore, there are two risks that are passed on to individuals who adopt distributed generation technologies: i) the risk of maintenance of equipment in which they lack expertise; ii) the risk of wind and, therefore, the production and eventual sale of the generated electricity. These are, therefore, political, economic, commercial, and legal issues, rather than technological ones. In principle, there is no problem with a country adopting incentives for distributed generation—on the contrary, there may be advantages in diversifying generation sources.

[0032] Wind turbines have been continually improved over time, as well as growing in size. There are several manufacturers on the market, and various types and formats are successfully produced. They have several relevant technical characteristics, but the main ones are perhaps their axis (horizontal or vertical), shape (propellers, blades), and number of propellers or blades, since the angle of incidence of the wind on the turbine's propellers or blades is important; and the turbine's mechanical efficiency is important in order to extract maximum wind power at the site / project. A wind speed and direction sensor, located behind the turbine, drives yaw motors, which steer the turbine, aligning it with the wind. This advanced technology has considerably improved the efficiency of horizontal-axis wind turbines.

[0033] Heating and cooling of vast bodies of water and, to a greater extent, of bare terrain, can cause vertical displacements of large air masses and, thus, generate winds (a phenomenon called convection). When a region has heat concentrated in a core, in a compact area tending to be circular, this tends to cause the vertical rise of hot air and the attraction of layers of cooler air downward, in a more horizontal direction, toward the heated center.

[0034] Combined, it is said that the circulation of winds occurs through convection. In turn, when a region or body of water has a lower and more concentrated temperature, in contact with hot air masses, this tends to cool the air mass and cause rain, with clouds in the region. In any case, wind farms tend to be located in very specific regions, isolated from hydroelectric or thermoelectric power plants (UHE or UTE).

[0035] Most wind turbines are installed at the highest possible location, with the tallest vertical shaft (or tower) possible, where wind speeds tend to be naturally higher. There are already turbines with shafts over 100 meters long and blades over 100 meters long.

[0036] Installation in high locations therefore aims to maximize wind energy use, whose potential depends basically and directly on two factors: a) the wind capture area - the larger the blade, the larger this area tends to be; b) wind speed.

[0037] Multiplying velocity by the capture area yields the volumetric air flow, or volume flow rate. Multiplying the captured volumetric flow rate by the air density yields the mass flow rate, the wind force effectively acting on the system. This explains the strong tendency in the wind generation industry to install turbines as high as possible, with the largest blades / propellers possible.

[0038] Turbine size matters, and the taller the turbine, the stronger the winds tend to be, and thus, the greater the electricity generation per unit of monetary investment. This trend has made the use of wind concentrators less common: essentially a kind of linear funnel that directs wind from a larger area to directly impact the wind turbine.

[0039] For various reasons, there has been no news of wind concentrators being used in the market for more than two decades. Entrepreneurs have been seeking innovations that reduce the investment required, simplify installation and operation, and make economic gains. the wind generation industry is more profitable, even if it wastes the local wind potential.

[0040] According to 2021 data, the world has an installed capacity of around 743 GW in wind generators - the vast majority of which are giant wind turbines, and increasingly larger; increasingly being installed in coastal regions or on offshore platforms, increasingly higher.

[0041] However, current wind turbines have several drawbacks, even problems: i) a high initial investment; ii) expensive maintenance; iii) the need to be installed far from cities; iv) visual and noise pollution. Furthermore, they have an average lifespan of 25 years: being made of carbon fiber, once their useful life is over, they must be dismantled and buried, generating environmental pollution, as they are not, in principle, recyclable. New materials being researched and developed—especially graphene, and even wood—have promised to overcome or reduce many of these problems, as well as considerably increase wind energy capture. The current state of the art, however, still presents the aforementioned problems.

[0042] Current wind turbine technology (horizontal axis) has significantly mitigated the problem of turbine orientation by installing a sensor on the turbine tail, which, through electrical and programmed actuation, repositions the turbine in the direction of the wind. However, these sensors require frequent maintenance and can become confused by frequent wind variations, meaning they don't completely solve the problem of positioning the turbine at the best angle to capture winds. Moreover, they consume considerable energy to move the turbine, weighing several hundred kilograms, several times a day.

[0043] Vertical axis turbines, in turn, also feature highly functional design innovations, especially their leaves (or blades, generally three in number) twisted, which capture winds coming from various directions.

[0044] Vertical-axis propellers have been avoided by the market for industrial applications because they cannot be installed at the highest possible heights and present a disadvantageous installed power / investment ratio. Heavier propellers at lower heights to capture the same wind power equal technological and economic disadvantages. Horizontal-axis turbine propellers, on the other hand, can be installed at higher heights and can be easily lengthened to maximize the wind incidence area and, therefore, power, which has made them preferred in the market.

[0045] Regarding the flow redirector, it is worth noting that it is not strictly a wind concentrator or wind capacitor, but an even broader concept, which includes valves of various types and sizes.

[0046] Fluid flow controllers or flow regulators are used in industrial processes. However, their most common function is to divide working fluids, regulating their pressure uniformly, at a constant rate. However, sudden pressure variations are a seemingly unsolved problem. Therefore, the importance of an object with the function of a valve that aggregates flow rates and directs them wherever desired, in real time, maintaining a constant flow rate, stands out.

[0047] A valve with multiple inlets and a single outlet that regulates flow uniformly and provides consistency could be quite useful in industrial processes. Nothing would prevent it from being divided further down the pipeline, after the fluid flow has been unified, according to the needs of industrial operations.

[0048] Distributed power generation technologies are still under development. Current wind turbines depend heavily on favorable locations to be viable. A device that reduces, or even eliminates, dependence on wind direction, allowing for different sizes, installable in distributed generation modules, and also concentrates the flow of wind before the mass flow impacts the wind turbine, would be of great technological, social, and economic interest. Utility Model Objectives

[0049] The objectives of the object, therefore, are the following: 1) enable distributed (and therefore modular) wind generation of electrical energy; 2) make wind power generation viable in locations that are not so high and have relatively chaotic and inconsistent winds; 3) reduce production cost per MWh; 4) reduce environmental pollution; 5) increase the incidence of mass flow over the wind turbine. Additionally, as we will see, the device also has applications in hydroelectric generation, in lowland rivers, when installed in riverbeds or in bends, in areas of friction where the water receives the force of the water and causes its deflection.

[0050] Thus, the object aims to represent an efficient and ecologically correct alternative for hydroelectric generation in plain rivers, with technology that either does not cause damming or its damming is minimal, which does not hinder navigation or overflow waters into large areas.

[0051] Finally, the object may also find some applications in industrial processes, such as a fluid redirection valve. State of the Art

[0052] Document BR 112017002317-2 discloses a fluid redirection structure that includes a rigid body having an upstream end, a downstream end, and an axis of rotation, the rigid body incorporating a plurality of depressions each spiraling from a tip at the upstream end to the downstream end about the axis of rotation, the depressions being stretched relative to the axis of rotation to thereby, near the downstream end, direct incident fluid along the depressions away from the axis of rotation.

[0053] However, document BR 112017002317-2 differs from the Flow Redirector as it does not reveal a casing that functions as auxiliary equipment for wind or hydroelectric power generating turbines, the casing being a cylindrical box that captures and directs fluids.

[0054] Document BR 112021007408-2 discloses a large-scale modular wind power generation structure and system involving a toroidal or oval-shaped wind amplification structure / module that can be stacked vertically to form a tower that passively accelerates a wind flow that moves around each of the modules due to the Bernoulli principle. Each amplification level includes a plurality of vertical-axis wind turbine generator sets, fairings, and vanes that form a synergistic system in which the efficiency of the vertical-axis turbine and generator sets, and the amount of energy that can be produced per module, are substantially improved compared to turbine sets operating outside the integrated and amplified wind system.

[0055] Document BR 112021007408-2 reveals an invention that, like the developed Flow Redirector, favors the expansion of wind. However, the paths used to achieve this objective are different, since the document does not reveal a cylindrical box with fixed blades / valves that deflect the wind internally.

[0056] Document BR 112021004009-9 refers to a fluidic structure configured to be mounted on the hub of a fluidic turbine, comprising a hub that rotates around a central axis aligned with a principal axis that contributes torque to the principal axis of the turbine through the principle of lift and / or drag. The fluidic structure may be rigid or have some flexibility. The structure has two or more curved fluidic elements extending from an upstream end aligned with the central axis of rotation to a downstream end at some other radial position in the opposite direction to the central axis, and rotates around the central axis. The two or more curved fluidic elements contain chord sections that are generally wider in the upstream position and generally narrower in the downstream position.

[0057] On the other hand, document BR 112021004009-9 does not reveal a casing that functions as auxiliary equipment for wind or hydroelectric power generating turbines, the casing being a cylindrical box that captures and directs fluids.

[0058] US 2014 / 0308120 A1 discloses a wind turbine configuration including a means for increasing wind speed through the turbine body and means for directing fluid air to a discrete portion of the turbine generator. Such a device allows for the capture of wind from any environment, whether low-speed or not, in order to subsequently efficiently increase the overall wind speed for later introduction into the turbine portion. The overall device thus includes an air intake component portion suitably configured with a conical component for directing the captured wind. directly to a part of the turbine, as well as suitable means to reduce the back pressures of the introduced fluid stream.

[0059] However, document US 2014 / 0308120, which claims a device that allows the increase of wind speed, does not reveal a cylindrical box accessory to a vertical axis turbine, with blades and air outlet at the top.

[0060] Document US2012223528A1 discloses a wind energy capture device for electricity production that acts as a wind collector and electricity generator composed of: a) a static vertical collector cylinder (2) composed of 20 static collector channels (4), a spherical deflector box (3) and a complementary spherical deflector box collector (3'), to collect winds from any cardinal point and divert said winds from a horizontal direction to a vertical upward direction; b) a static vertical flow accelerator truncated cone (5) mounted on top of the static collector cylinder (2) and formed by 20 complementary radial collector dividers (1'), which form 20 flow accelerator channels (4') that increase the wind rate by around double and provide a turbine body (6) with a flow with a power density equal to 8 times that of the site, expressed in watts / m2 and an energy efficiency in said turbine body of around 87%;c) a vertical axis vertical upward flow turbine; and d) a generator (8) with electrical and mechanical characteristics compatible with the local interconnected electrical grid.;

[0061] On the other hand, document US2012223528A1 does not describe a flow redirector configured in a cylindrical box shape capable of capturing wind 360° degrees.

[0062] Document EP 3170247 BI discloses methods, systems, and devices for generating wind power. In one aspect, a wind power generator includes a support base; inductors positioned on the support base in a circular arrangement; an annular raceway fixed to the base support and providing a circular track around which the inductors are located; an annular ring rotor placed on the annular ring track and engaged with rollers on the circular track so that the annular ring rotor can rotate relative to an annular ring track, in which the annular ring rotor includes separate magnets to move through the circular array of inductors to cause generation of electric currents; and a wind rotor assembly coupled to the annular rotor and including wind deflector blades that rotate with the rotor and a hollow central interior to contain a wind vortex formed by the deflection of wind by the blades for conversion to electrical energy.

[0063] Document EP 3170247 BI does not, however, reveal a Flow Redirector that captures wind from all directions and accelerates its incidence speed by reducing the volume inside the box in order to increase the extracted mechanical power.

[0064] Thus, the state of the art does not reveal a suggestion of an auxiliary device for wind or hydroelectric turbines for industrial generation of electrical energy, and the device has the shape of a cylindrical box made of rigid material, with a diameter equal to or greater than its height, in addition to allowing an increase in the area for capturing wind or hydraulic flows, from any and all directions that fall on the device, on its lateral area, allowing entry to its interior, when it begins to undergo deviations in direction and sense, redirections. Designs

[0065] FIGURE 1 shows the object in perspective view, in three dimensions. It is essentially a hollow cylindrical box, perfectly symmetrical in all directions, with rows of redirecting palettes inside.

[0066] FIGURE 2 shows, in cross-section, the large regions of the object: a base (1) in the shape of a flattened cone; a region of fluid redirecting vanes (4); a central region (3), cylindrical, where at least one wind turbine will be located, preferably with a vertical axis; an upper part (2), which will be supported entirely on the vanes and on four pillars of the central region, on its cylindrical edge; a covering, called a hat (5), which projects an inclined canopy, expanding the fluid capture area.

[0067] The object may be located on high ground; on top of residences; on top of buildings; on industrial roofs; on top of offshore shafts; and / or supported on any solid site with wind incidence. The slope of a terrain, such as the top of a gently sloping hill, may also serve as a natural slope, increasing the mass flow into the object, as if it were a natural extension of the base in the shape of a flattened cone.

[0068] FIGURE 3 is a projection, on a floor plan, of the limits of the regions described in FIGURE 2, forming successive crowns of circles: the outermost crown (10) represents the projection that the canopy inclination makes on the edge of the object, external to it; the immediately following crown (9) presents the first row of fluid redirection vanes; the following crown (8) shows where another row of fluid redirection vanes are located; the following crown (7) may also house fluid redirection vanes or be an area of ​​intense circulation of the already diverted fluid; the central circle (6), finally, is the region of the object that will house the wind turbine, preferably with a vertical axis.

[0069] FIGURE 4 is a floor plan of the object, demonstrating the shape and arrangement of the fluid redirecting blades, which impact the object externally, from all possible directions and intensities and, when entering the object, they acquire an imperative circular flow (11) - represented here in a clockwise direction, according to the circular arrows drawn.

[0070] FIGURE 5 is a variation of the same figure 4, with the difference that the arrangement of the blades now gives the fluid a mandatory circular flow (11) in an anti-clockwise direction, as shown by the circular arrows drawn.

[0071] FIGURE 6 shows the hat (5), which projects a kind of inclined canopy (12), raising the fluid collection area to its interior: the fluid (gaseous or liquid) is mechanically deflected downwards when it hits the edge of the canopy, forcing the fluid to enter its interior from all possible directions (13). Its upper part must be reinforced with beams, preferably metallic (14), which meet and reinforce each other in the perfect center (15) on a fulcrum. This hat is a solid structure, since it is supported by the base (16) on the upper part of the object.

[0072] FIGURE 7 is a cross-section of the object, showing the basic, essential components, as well as a desirable proportion and their operation: the arrows indicated illustrate the incidence of an air flow (13) from the left of the figure, which forcibly enters the object. This incidence of fluid (gaseous or liquid), however, can come from all directions and speeds, first impacting the outermost row (17) of vanes, within which a clockwise or counterclockwise circulation occurs, depending on the orientation of the vanes. The fluid inside, in addition to the forced clockwise (or counterclockwise) circulation, will also encounter the base and upper part, in the shape of flattened cones, forcing it to impact the central cylindrical part.

[0073] Still in FIGURE 7, the object presents inside the base a dynamo (21) and / or an air compressor (20), mechanically driven by the rotation of the vertical axis wind turbine drawn. The dimensions ly, 2y and 4y mathematically represent desirable proportions to be followed: from the foot of the base to the end of the upper part of the object, at the beginning of the marquee, the distance is 5y, which must be the same size as the radius of the object (5y). Therefore, the height of the object (5y) must be half its diameter (10y), giving it a flattened cylinder shape.

[0074] Still in FIGURE 7, lines 18 and 19 represent, respectively, the duct for the passage of electrical wiring from the dynamo (21) located at the base, and the duct for directing compressed air to a pressure vessel, where it will be stored. The object therefore allows the kinetic energy transmitted by the central shaft (22) of the turbine to be used for immediate electrical generation purposes or, depending on the gears and levers, to be compressed air, to be later used inside the object itself. When used for hydroelectric generation purposes, the object will not have the compressed air subsystem. A small conical base (23) is added to force the fluid vertically, diverting it to the turbine and, then, to the outlet.

[0075] Also in FIGURE 7, arrow 24 indicates the cap's capture of additional fluid through the inclined canopy (which is not represented in this figure 7). Arrow 25 indicates the direction of mass flow outflow: all wind mass flow entering the object, after passing through the turbine located in the central cylinder, exits at an inclined vertical angle, dissipating at a height higher than the object. This outflow forms a kind of air barrier, a natural slope, which tends to become a physical extension, projected into space, of the cap itself. Thus, due to the object's design, the gaseous fluid outlet itself will tend to deflect, capturing more air into its interior, reinforcing wind generation.

[0076] FIGURE 8 is a floor plan of a possible application for hydroelectric generation purposes of the object: we see in the figure a main river (26) receiving waters from a tributary (27). Exactly at the meeting of the waters (28), the object, the adapted fluid redirector, can be installed. (FIGURE 9) for this purpose. The object is installed in the riverbed, at the meeting point of the waters (28). The waters incident on it acquire mandatory circulation and are forced to exit vertically, through the central cylinder, where the fluid is redirected in the best and correct direction, for hydroelectric generation purposes.

[0077] A few meters later, still in FIGURE 8, the river (29) forms a natural curve, where the object (100) can be installed again, in a larger size: instead of the waters eroding this corner of the riverbank, they transmit their kinetic force to the hydroelectric turbine located in the central part of the object, generating energy and then being returned to the normal riverbed (30). Although it is possible to build a dam (31) in the riverbed to increase the force of the water and the scale of generation, this is not the intention: the object must only form a partial dam, obligatorily smaller than 50% of its bed cross-section. The two references 32 in FIGURE 8 represent where concrete walls should be built to prevent the river waters from invading the bank during floods: the wall mechanically reinforces the curve of the river waters, keeping them in their bed.

[0078] FIGURE 9 represents a dome, a hat, to be installed on top of the object when there is a hydroelectric application in a riverbed or on its banks. It can be seen, therefore, that this dome is an inverted hemisphere (33), similar to a soldier's helmet. The water enters the object and is forced out through the top (34), in a vertical direction, but now finds the cover almost completely closed; it only has a single duct opening (35), through which the water that enters the object will be poured, directing the flow to impact a water wheel (36), a hydroelectric turbine, which will rotate with a horizontal axis (37), transmitting kinetic energy to the coupled dynamo, which will generate electrical energy.

[0079] When the fluid redirector is used for hydroelectric generation, it will not have the canopy or the cap, but will instead have the hemispherical dome represented in Figure 9, which redirects all water flow to the waterwheel. The size, dimensions, and height of the waterwheel will depend on the characteristics of each situation and specific project, on a case-by-case basis.

[0080] FIGURE 10 represents the similar object PowerPod: it also captures fluid (air, wind) from all directions, which falls on its ramp (38), entering its interior in a vertical direction, to fall on the upper part (39), where the turbine is located, leaving it in an almost perfect horizontal position (40). Detailed Description of the Invention

[0081] The object describes a cylindrical box open on its lateral surface, for the entry of fluids - liquid or gaseous - in a predominantly horizontal direction in relation to the surface; the fluids that enter it will be diverted by vanes inside, of straight and curved shapes, towards the central area; in the central area of ​​the box there will preferably be a turbine capturing kinetic energy, coupled to a dynamo, preferably located at the base and connected to the electrical network; the turbined fluid in the central part of the cylindrical box will find a forced exit through the top of the box, which will be open, dispersing the fluid in a predominantly vertical direction.

[0082] FIGURE 1 provides an external panoramic view of the object, the cylindrical box. Fluids—liquid or gaseous—enter the cylindrical box through the open lateral cylindrical surface, moving toward its center, and exit through the top, in a predominantly vertical direction.

[0083] FIGURE 2 presents a cross-section of the object, showing the location of its essential parts: the base is indicated by reference sign (1); the roof is indicated by reference sign (2); the location of the fluid diverter blades is indicated by reference sign (4). Furthermore, it is possible to note the representation of the canopy, located above the roof itself (5), adding to it, extending it. Although the canopy is optional, it will be a highly desirable and frequent structure in the use of the object.

[0084] The redirecting nozzle is an optional element and applicable only in more specific situations; therefore, it is not shown in FIGURE 2, but its location would be in place of the awning or even above it.

[0085] FIGURE 3 shows a projection of the object's areas. The central circle (6) is where at least one wind or hydroelectric turbine should preferably be located; alternatively, the central circle (6) in Figure 3 is where a flow valve or fluid flow sensor could be located. The other regions in FIGURE 3 indicate circular crown areas where fluid-deflecting vanes will be located: only region 9 has straight vanes; the circular crown regions 7 and 8 are where curved vanes are located; the region indicated by reference sign 10 is a projection of the canopy's vertical shadow. It is worth noting that the circular crown in region 10 may not exist if no canopy is installed on the object.

[0086] FIGURE 4 shows a floor plan of the bottom of the cylindrical box. The arrows show the flow (13) of fluids coming from all possible directions and impacting the lateral area of ​​the object.

[0087] As seen in FIGURE 4, the lower internal area of ​​the cylindrical box has, in addition to the central circular area, three crowns (circle areas) containing three rows of pallets. The row of pallets outermost to the box is entirely in region 9 of FIGURE 03; the row of palettes innermost to the box, closest to the central circle, is entirely in region 8 of FIGURE 03. The 2 a The row of curved blades is between the row of straight blades and the innermost row of blades, and is the only one that starts in the region of the circular crown 9 and ends in region 8.

[0088] Still in FIGURE 04, in the outermost crown, one can notice straight blades, whose extension passes through the center of the box, of the imaginary circle; this row of straight blades is restricted to region 9 of FIGURE 03. The second row of blades is already curved; each of them begins at the midpoint situated between successive straight blades; they are symmetrically arranged and regularly spaced; each curved blade of this 2 a row crosses the extension of the successive straight blade in a clockwise direction and ends abruptly before the midpoint of the next segment.

[0089] FIGURE 05 shows an enlargement of the arrangement of the successive rows of palettes.

[0090] A fluid—whether air or liquid, such as river water—that strikes any part of the object's lateral face will necessarily be captured, entering its interior; it will be successively deflected by the three rows of vanes and will acquire a forced rotational direction. If viewed from above, this fluid would resemble the formation of a hurricane, as shown on TV using satellite images. In FIGURE 4, the fluid—gas or liquid—will necessarily reach the central region of the cylindrical box rotating clockwise. However, nothing prevents the rows of vanes from being changed in direction to force the fluid to reach the central region rotating counterclockwise.

[0091] Any fluid - whether gaseous, liquid or viscous - that enters the cylindrical box of the object, through the lateral area, coming from any direction, it will have to find an exit, which will be a forced exit upwards and through the center. The central region of the object, therefore, will have an opening to the top, to the roof.

[0092] FIGURE 7 provides further detail on the object, the cylindrical box. We see that the circular base has a radius of 5y; the central, circular area has a radius of ly; the height (ceiling height) of the box, which extends from the lowest part of the base to the highest part of the roof, is 5y. The object, therefore, has not only a necessarily cylindrical shape, but also, preferably, a 2:1 ratio between the diameter of its circular base and its height. However, nothing prevents many other ratios from being experimented with. It is simply recommended that the height be greater than the diameter of the box, as the force of the fluid could tear the box from its position, tip it over, or distort its structure. The diameter of the box being twice the height (a 2:1 ratio) guarantees, structurally, that there will be static friction and sufficiently strong support for the box to resist the lateral forces acting on it.

[0093] Since the box receives fluids—gases or liquids—from any direction but provides a substantially vertical, upward outlet, it is understood that it performs the useful task of redirecting fluids. The incidence of fluids on the internal vanes, in the rows of vanes, gives them a rotational direction and is forced toward the center, facilitating the capture of kinetic energy for wind or hydroelectric generation.

[0094] The object's structural configuration also enables it to function not only as a horizontal flow redirector—gas or liquid—but also as a rainwater and solar collector. Indeed, if installed in more isolated locations, lacking a water supply network or even an electrical transmission network, it could provide part or all of the necessary drinking water, or even part or all of the electrical energy required for social and recreational activities. local economic benefits. Instead of being connected to the long-distance power grid, installed in isolated locations, the electric generator could be connected to a battery, sized to be recharged every 12–24 hours by solar and wind energy. Photovoltaic panels would be installed on top of the object, providing part of the generated electricity.

[0095] The object, in its preferred purpose, is a casing (auxiliary equipment) for wind or hydroelectric power turbines. This casing is a cylindrical box that captures and redirects wind flows. Due to its original design, it captures wind from all directions, concentrating it, accelerating it toward the center of its interior, and deflecting it internally through fixed walls / blades in straight and / or elliptical shapes. This gives the fluid—wind or water—a necessarily circular incidence, similar to that of a hurricane seen from above by satellite, and provides a vertical outlet from above, at an angle equal to or greater than 30° in the opposite direction to the angle of incidence at its entry into the device.

[0096] Even if the incidence of the fluid is turbulent, the object will try to considerably regularize its flow, and rotate this mass of matter - either clockwise or counterclockwise, depending on the configuration of the rows of internal blades.

[0097] The wind turbine generating electricity—which is not the object's main object—should preferably have a vertical axis and be located in the center of the artifact. Although horizontal-axis turbines can be installed in the center of the object, their arrangement must be modified: the installation of the same horizontal-axis turbine should be done with its axis vertical. The turbine would be essentially the same horizontal-axis turbine already used in the market, but its installation would not follow a horizontal orientation, but rather a vertical one, in the center of the object. In any case, the object would not claims no specific turbine to act jointly, leaving the investigation and adaptation to interested entrepreneurs.

[0098] Due to the gradual reduction in the cylinder's volumetric space, as the captured fluid rotates and acquires a standardized and forced clockwise or counterclockwise direction, its velocity increases in the central area of ​​the object before reaching the turbine. Indeed, no matter how low the natural wind speed incident on the object, by the law of flow continuity, in order to have the same mass flow at the exit as at the entrance, its velocity must increase.

[0099] To illustrate, suppose the cylindrical box has a radius of 5 meters and a height of 5 meters; and that the local wind blows at a low speed of 2 m / s; the central part of our cylindrical box will have a radius of 1 meter (obeying the suggested proportions and the ratio of 2:1 between diameter and height). It will be through this central circle of 1 meter radius that all the mass flux that entered will have to exit, in a nearly vertical direction. The incident wind direction doesn't matter—whether from the north, south, northwest, southeast, etc.—because whatever its direction, it will fall substantially on half of the cylindrical (open) lateral surface of the box. In this hypothetical example, the wind capture would be V = (half of) the lateral capture area of ​​the cylindrical box x wind speed = (ji x R xh) xz = (3.14 x 5 x 5) x 2 = 157 m 3 / s of air entering the cylindrical box, into the object. Given that 1 m 3of air weighs 1.225 kg, we would capture a flow of 192.325 kg / s of air. Even though it is incident externally at a low velocity (in the example, at 2 m / s), the reduction in its volumetric space inside the box accelerates the flow; and the wind power varies according to the cube of the wind speed. In fact, the mechanical power extracted from the air flow is the difference in power before and after the converter; and the incident speed at the converter will be the arithmetic mean of the input and output velocities, as stated in the aforementioned technical books. It is essential, therefore, when it is impossible to obtain higher natural wind speeds, so that the Flow Redirector object captures wind from all directions and accelerates its incidence speed (by reducing the volume inside the box) in order to increase the mechanical power extracted.

[0100] The vertical axis of the wind turbine should preferably be attached to the center of the roof, providing greater stability and structural rigidity. The wind turbine axis should be metal and can function as a support pillar for the object's roof. Regardless, the central part should preferably have at least four metal columns supporting the upper structure.

[0101] Regardless of the support pillars in the central area, the rows of pallets will be fixed and will function as if they were support pillars for the entire upper structure: the roof, the canopy, any additional turbines and / or additional generators, as well as solar panels.

[0102] After passing through the turbine - wind or hydraulic - in the central part, the cylindrical box may have shutter windows installed substantially horizontally, in order to give the turbulent turbine fluid, again, a clockwise or counterclockwise direction of rotation;

[0103] All fluid mass entering the device horizontally will exit through the top at a slower speed, due to the capture of wind energy, which is kinetically transmitted to the turbines. Comparing the direction and direction of the airflow exit with the direction and direction of its entry into the box, it can be seen that the exit jet will tend to form an extension of the canopy wall, generating a slope effect: Part of the airflow that would pass horizontally over the cylindrical box may now be diverted, by this slope effect, downward and into the device, increasing not only the mass of air captured but also its incidence velocity on the turbine. The effect may be, depending on the circumstances, cumulative: the exhaust air diverts more additional air to enter the cylindrical box, which generates more energy and more exhaust air, and so on. This slope and cumulative effect, however, would only be possible in the case of wind-powered application of the object.

[0104] Although the additional canopy isn't mandatory, it's strongly recommended: the larger the better. It increases the wind-catching surface, in the case of wind power. It can also be used for hydroelectric purposes.

[0105] The entire structure of the artifact must be made of rigid material, which can be metal, acrylic, reinforced concrete, mortar, masonry bricks, etc. The larger the box, and the thinner and more resistant the structure, the lower its cost.

[0106] If the residual energy is significant, it is advisable to resize the central wind turbine to a larger, more powerful one, and / or install another wind turbine on the roof; or, alternatively, install successive wind turbines vertically on the roof, before reaching the exterior of the object and escaping into the atmosphere. The roof would function like a vertical wind tunnel, with the residual wind leaving its energy in successive turbines until it reaches the exterior, the atmosphere, again. Technical studies will indicate the best wind turbine sizes and their combinations for each size of object.

[0107] By successively diverting the working fluid—gas or liquid—through the rows of blades, the fluid, viewed from above, will increasingly take on a hurricane-like shape. Upon reaching the center, the airflow will (naturally) condense (slightly compressed) and thus impinge on one or more turbines, which will generate electrical energy from all the airflow impinging on the object's lateral area, regardless of wind direction.

[0108] The flattened cone shape of the object's base allows the center to be placed on a slightly higher plane, allowing any water or liquid incident on it to quickly drain to the outer edges and preventing water from accumulating inside. The object functions without compromising its wind-powered functions, as a rainwater collector, which is directed through gutters along the outer edges of the ground and / or roof perimeter to cisterns, where it will be best disposed of.

[0109] The object's roof, without compromising its wind power or its additional rainwater collection function, could also support photovoltaic panels for electricity generation; or even serve as a sunlight-reflecting structure, to concentrate it on a focal point at the top, where the captured sunlight would be given its best destination - either reflected back to another point on the ground, or incident on a solar energy generating device.

[0110] After striking the wind turbine(s) at their center, the (already turbocharged) airflow is forced out through the top. However, comparing the object with the aforementioned POWERPOD, the wind's exit will not be perfectly vertical; it will strike a roof at an angle close to 90°. On the contrary: before reaching any turbine on the object's roof, the turbocharged airflow is again deflected by a cone to tilt it and direct it substantially parallel to the canopy's walls. The main wind turbine, therefore, in the object, unlike the POWERPOD, is not at the top and sides, but at the bottom and center. The turbine at the top, on the roof, is optional and aims to capture the residual energy of the turbocharged airflow.

[0111] The effective wind catchment area of ​​the object is between and its total lateral area, which is A = 2 xnx R xh, where n = number pi; R = circular radius of the object; h = height of the side wall. Thus, it is expected that catchment area is somewhere between A lllín = 1 / 2 X ji x R xhe A niax = TI x R xh, depending on the wind regime.

[0112] The wind catchment area can be dynamically increased by the aforementioned wind slope effect: the air outlet at the inner edge of the roof diverts more winds into the object, generating a cumulative effect.

[0113] Although it allows turbines with a vertical or horizontal axis at its center, the orientation of the object must be horizontal, because the wind incident on it will leave its interior when it reaches its center and the turbine(s).

[0114] The vertical axis wind turbine, located inside and right in the center of the object, may have a more pronounced conical base, so as to act as an obstacle, deflect the wind, and force the air to rise.

[0115] The project offers the possibility of harnessing residual wind energy by installing one or two additional vertical-axis wind turbines on top, with longer arms, something no other vertical-axis turbine model currently offers. Because of this, the project certainly has a 56% higher efficiency than current wind turbines—the captured airflow travels through forced conduits to one or more wind turbines. The project can also function, without major complications or compromising wind power, as a structural base for rainwater harvesting and / or solar power generation. It therefore has the potential to serve as an integrated platform for generating electricity from multiple renewable sources, with significant capital savings in investments.

[0116] The dynamo generator will be installed at the base of the object. If an additional wind turbine is installed at the top, it is recommended that a second dynamo generator be installed suspended. Alternatively, the dynamo generator at the base will need to be expanded and adapted sufficiently to serve two turbines.

[0117] Another possible application for the object is that in the central part, instead of an electricity-generating turbine, there would be an air compressor operating continuously by the mechanical force of the incident fluids—gases or liquids. Instead of a dynamo generator at its base, connected to the power grid, there would be pressure vessels to store compressed air. These would be regularly replaced by pressure vessels (metal cylinders for storing compressed air) for empty ones, and the full ones would be transported by trucks to another location, where they would find their appropriate use at a later date.

[0118] Alternatively, one could consider combining both systems: direct wind power generation and air compression. Indeed, one of the major problems with electricity generation and distribution systems is the mismatch between supply and demand—whether for months, weeks, days, or even hours. Sometimes there may be demand for electricity, but not enough wind to generate it from wind power; on the other hand, there may be insufficient demand for electricity and excessive wind. This points to problems in the energy generation and distribution management system.

[0119] One possible solution to the management problem outlined above, using the object as a reference, would be for it to be able to generate electricity directly with a dynamo generator or to contain an air compressor, driven by the wind turbine itself. When there is excessive wind, the system would compress air; when there is excess demand for electricity over the wind supply, part of the compressed air would be released inside the object itself, driving the wind turbine and generating the necessary electrical energy. Thus, the object offers, with necessary technological adaptations, the possibility of better management of the energy generated.

[0120] Technologically speaking, at least three possibilities are considered for storing the captured surplus energy: 1) storing it in the form of compressed air—this is the simplest and most economical, for the purposes of the object, being directly usable later in the wind turbine that generated the force that compressed the air; 2) storing it in the form of hydrogen—liquid or paste—which requires industrial plants in other locations and utilizing the surplus energy, as part of the energy project; 3) storing it in the form of methanol—which also requires chemical industrial plants to transform the surplus energy into methanol for later use and / or in another location and purpose. The object offers a simpler alternative for storing surplus energy (relative to current demand) in the form of compressed air, as an alternative or in combination with continuous electricity generation.

[0121] Preferably, a gear or pulley mechanism should be capable of coupling / discoupling both the power generator dynamo and the air compressor. The possibility of both being coupled simultaneously should be considered: excess wind energy would be stored as compressed air. All this is done according to automatic computer calculations based on sensors and human commands.

[0122] The entire interior of the object must be made of smooth material, in order to allow maximum air speed and for the captured wind to transmit maximum driving force to the wind turbine in the center.

[0123] The object can be installed on top of hills, on elevations, on top of boats, vehicles or even on top of a vertical pole. The higher it is installed, the higher the wind speeds tend to be.

[0124] Although the primitive, traditional funnel-shaped concentrator already worked (to a certain extent), this object has several advantages over it. 1) it captures winds from all possible directions, making it irrelevant where the wind comes from; 2) it allows for a much greater number of hours of wind incidence on the turbine; 3) it can be of various sizes; 4) it can be installed in virtually any location, on the ground or suspended high above; 5) it makes winds (and locations) of less than 2.5 m / s economically attractive and turbine-friendly; 6) it allows for the manufacture of more efficient wind turbines and the use of residual wind energy—the portion of energy not harnessed after passing through the first (vertical-axis) turbine in the center of the device; 7) it allows for a more rational and predictable wind generation process.

[0125] Compressed air-powered wind turbines would enable a new type of electricity supply: a truck loaded with compressed air and a mobile wind generator could be transported to any isolated region, connecting it to the distribution grid or local building. This would be particularly useful in emergencies or public calamities, replacing fossil-fuel-powered generators. Storing compressed air in pressure vessels (cylindrical metal tanks) would also allow it to be transported to other energy-poor regions, where it could be used as power.

[0126] Air compressed during certain hours, days, or months of the year could be released at other times, rebalancing supply and demand and making the electricity market more stable. If thousands, perhaps millions, of small and medium-sized wind capacitors were manufactured and used to allow for greater air capture for local compression purposes, this would mean a large reserve of potential energy, to be used at the appropriate time to generate electricity. Many electrical and chemical batteries could be dispensed with or reduced if local systems were set up to generate electricity from compressed air, obtained by wind power with the aid of the object.

[0127] In the current state of the art, electricity is generated immediately by the turbine when it receives the wind flow amplified by the funnel concentrator. However, this is not a technical requirement. The timing of the generation of captured electricity is a decision made by corporate management or the public authority managing the National Integrated System (SNI), which in Brazil is the National System Operator (ONS). The generated electricity, when surplus, can be used to compress air in pressure vessels (large cylinders), and then released, at a timely rate, into turbines or wind farms installed nearby, at a much more regular and programmed rate. This is especially true if there is excess energy production or excessive wind.If the excess wind captured is very, very large, it opens up the possibility of exporting energy - in the form of compressed air - to other countries and / or attracting new foreign ventures to Brazil, with payment at cost price for this excess energy: marginal energy cost close to zero or zero for new ventures.

[0128] To be environmentally friendly, or to have the least possible impact on the environment, the object should be covered with one or more screens to prevent birds from being sucked into it and blown up, killing or injuring them. Sound devices to scare birds can be installed to keep them away from the object. If installed in an area with abundant wildlife and forest, environmental impact studies should be conducted and mitigation measures implemented—especially the richer the location is in terms of wildlife and wind potential. At the other extreme, Little or no environmental licensing requirements are expected in poor regions with low environmental diversity, or in semiarid or desert regions. Therefore, the best locations for installing the object may be regions that, in addition to being windy, are high, inhospitable, and quite rocky, with little or no vegetation or fauna. These ideal locations, in fact, are much more abundant in the large mountain ranges—notably the Andes and Himalayas—and in deserts—notably the Gobi Desert in Asia—giving the object potential for global use.

[0129] FIGURE 8, in turn, shows another possible application of the object: for hydroelectric generation in lowland rivers. Indeed, as seen in Figure 8, there are two rivers, with their waters flowing through the main river (26) and the tributary (27). Their waters will meet at some point in the central part (28), where great water turbulence usually forms. It is at this point that the object can and should be installed, substantially submerged, so that the waters of both rivers enter its interior, are rotated, and accelerate toward the center, where they will encounter a hydroelectric turbine. All the captured water is returned to the river (30). All this without the construction of dams and in a modular way.

[0130] FIGURE 8 also shows that in riverbank regions where rivers curve, the object can be installed to capture the force of the water and thus force it to turn vertical-axis hydroelectric turbines. In Figure 8, the water is rotated counterclockwise. All the water continues to flow naturally along the river (30). All this without the construction of dams and in a modular way.

[0131] Eventually, if necessary, as seen in FIGURE 8, the river may have a dam (31) at some points, in order to divert most of the water into the object. The construction of retaining walls (32), or embankments, in some stretches of the river bank may be necessary for safety, environmental or operational reasons.

[0132] In any case, the object has application for hydroelectric generation purposes in plain rivers, where part of the force of the water is harnessed, without dams.

[0133] FIGURE 9 illustrates a technical possibility of adding a part to the upper part of the object, the cylindrical box, that will forcibly redirect the fluid outlet in the desired direction. This part is basically a hemisphere, which would fit perfectly into the upper circular edges of the box; it almost completely seals the fluid outlet, allowing it to be forced out through a duct (35). It could be useful if the hydroelectric turbine needed to be located outside the box, rather than inside. The object's cylindrical box would have a center without a generating turbine—the water would exit the object from above, in the same way, and find the forced outlet through the duct. Although it does not differ substantially from the old water wheels, it could be useful in some situations.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Auxiliary flow redirector for wind or hydroelectric turbines for industrial electricity generation, shaped like a cylindrical box made of rigid material, with a diameter equal to or greater than its height, with the top of the cylindrical box containing beams that come out of the outermost edges and converge towards its center. The flow redirector is characterized by comprising a base (1) in the shape of a flattened cone; a region of the flow redirecting vanes / walls (4); the vanes are arranged symmetrically in relation to the center of the box and are affixed internally to the conical base; a cylindrical central region (3), where at least one wind turbine is located, preferably with a vertical axis; an upper part (2), which will be supported entirely by the vanes and / or by four pillars in the central region, on its cylindrical edge;a covering (5), which projects an inclined canopy, expanding the fluid collection area, with the upper part reinforced with beams, preferably metal.; 2. Flow Redirector, according to claim 1, characterized in that the cylindrical box comprises a metal ring, concentric to the circle of the box, with a diameter equal to the innermost central area of ​​the box, to receive the beams.

3. Flow Redirector, according to claim 1, characterized by comprising at least four beams in the upper part, symmetrically arranged, in the shape of sun rays, in the horizontal direction.

4. Flow Redirector, according to claim 1, characterized by comprising a free central area, in the center of the conical base, which contains at least one wind or hydroelectric turbine, with a horizontal or, preferably, vertical axis.

5. Flow Redirector, according to claim 1, characterized in that its arrangement of palettes combines any straight or elliptical shapes.

6. Flow Redirector, according to claim 1, characterized in that its top is totally or partially open.

Images