Adjustable Wind Turbine Blades for Torque and Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind turbines, both horizontal axis and vertical axis, face challenges in maximizing torque production due to passive design limitations, leading to reduced energy conversion efficiency, large size requirements, noise pollution, wildlife hazards, and aesthetic issues, with wind encountering either capture, shed, or neutral impacts, resulting in pulsing energy production and braking effects.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates adjustable blades that direct wind into channels away from the rotational axis, utilizing separate intake and exhaust openings to minimize vortices and control wind flow, with a wind directional amplifier to optimize wind capture and torque production, allowing for automatic adjustments based on wind speed and enabling quieter, more efficient operation with reduced environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If existing HAWT and VAWT platforms are used, then wind capture is achieved, but large footprint and environmental impacts occur
Solution Approach 1:
The turbine employs adjustable blades that can dynamically change their angle and position relative to the wind flow. This dynamic adjustment allows the turbine to maximize wind capture at any given moment while maintaining a compact physical footprint, resolving the contradiction between power generation capability and land area occupation
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the operational parameters of the turbine by adjusting blade pitch angles and rotational speed in response to varying wind conditions. This parameter optimization enables the turbine to achieve high power output from a small footprint by maximizing the efficiency of wind energy conversion rather than relying on increased physical size
2Power
If existing VAWT designs are used, then wind capture is achieved, but pulsing energy production and braking effects occur
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable blades dynamically adapt their position throughout the rotation cycle, optimizing the angle of attack at different points in the rotation. This dynamic control eliminates the pulsing effect by maintaining consistent aerodynamic forces, and prevents braking effects by adjusting blades to minimize negative drag when passing through opposing wind directions
Solution Approach 2:
The turbine incorporates a control system that continuously monitors rotational position and wind conditions, adjusting blade angles in real-time to maintain optimal performance. This feedback mechanism ensures smooth, consistent energy production by compensating for the periodic variations that occur in vertical axis rotation, eliminating pulsing and braking effects
3Force
If larger turbine size is used, then viable torque production is achieved, but environmental demands and aesthetic issues worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The invention achieves high torque production by optimizing aerodynamic parameters including blade pitch angle, rotational speed, and blade curvature. By maximizing the efficiency of wind-to-torque conversion through parameter optimization, the turbine generates viable torque from a compact size, avoiding the environmental and aesthetic problems associated with large-scale installations
Solution Approach 2:
The turbine employs locally optimized blade designs with varying cross-sections, angles, and materials along the blade length. This local quality optimization maximizes the torque-generating capability of each portion of the blade, enabling high overall torque output from a small turbine, thereby reducing environmental impact while maintaining aesthetic acceptability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enhances torque production at lower wind speeds, reduces noise and wildlife hazards, and improves aesthetic appeal by maximizing wind capture while minimizing negative forces, resulting in a more efficient and environmentally friendly energy conversion process.
Implementation Method 1
The disclosed wind turbine utilizes adjustable blades to force wind into channels away from the rotational axis. These channels direct the wind to conversion surfaces a desirable distance from the rotational axis of the turbine, producing more leverage and torque.
Implementation Method 2
A wind turbine system includes a tower, a wind directional amplifier, a generator, and a wind turbine coupled to the generator. The wind turbine comprises a turbine head comprising a rotational axis extending horizontally therethrough and a hub mounted on the rotational axis.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed wind turbine utilizes adjustable blades, forcing wind into channels away from the rotational axis. These channels direct wind to conversion surfaces a desirable distance from the rotational axis of the turbine, producing more torque. The channels feature independent exhaust points and intake points, minimizing vortices within the blades that can reduce torque. The blades of the disclosed turbine overlap, creating a larger constant percentage of air flow into the turbine channel. A modular tower for mounting a wind turbine is also disclosed. Finally, a wind directional amplifier for use with a wind turbine is disclosed. The wind directional amplifier directs the flow of wind to the optimum location for capture surfaces. When used with multiple wind turbines, the wind directional amplifier may be used to focus more or less air flow to one or more turbines, thereby selectively controlling the output of all the turbines collectively.