Dynamic Turbine with Adjustable Sweep Area
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing turbine systems lack the ability to efficiently alter their sweep area, which is crucial for managing energy absorption in varying conditions such as reducing friction losses or adapting to extreme weather, despite previous designs that have attempted to address this issue.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic turbine system where blades pivot around a radial axis, connected to ring-shaped support structures, allowing for a significant change in the distance between attachment points, enabling the turbine to alter its configuration from a large to a small sweep area by rotating or translating the blades and support structures, thereby changing its shape from a cylinder to a barrel or sphere-like form.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the turbine maintains a large sweep area for maximum energy absorption, then energy capture capability is improved, but friction losses from spinning flywheels increase and exposure to extreme weather damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The turbine employs dynamic support structures that can move between two positions: a first position where support structures are spaced apart to form a large cylinder-shaped sweep area for maximum energy capture, and a second position where support structures are moved closer together to reduce the sweep area and minimize friction losses. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the system to adapt between energy capture mode and low-friction mode.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the turbine by moving support structures along axial guides between different positions, thereby altering the sweep area from a large cylindrical configuration to a reduced configuration. This parameter change enables the turbine to optimize performance for different operational requirements.
2Productivity
If the turbine maintains a large sweep area for maximum energy absorption, then energy capture capability is improved, but vulnerability to extreme weather increases
Solution Approach 1:
The turbine employs dynamic support structures that can move between two positions: a first position where support structures are spaced apart to form a large cylinder-shaped sweep area for maximum energy capture, and a second position where support structures are moved closer together to reduce the sweep area and minimize friction losses. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the system to adapt between energy capture mode and low-friction mode.
Solution Approach 2:
The system can proactively reduce the sweep area before extreme weather events occur, thereby preemptively reducing vulnerability to wind and wave damage while maintaining the ability to recover to full operational capacity when conditions improve.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the turbine uses fixed support structures for stability, then structural stability is improved, but ability to alter sweep area is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The turbine employs dynamic support structures that can move between two positions: a first position where support structures are spaced apart to form a large cylinder-shaped sweep area for maximum energy capture, and a second position where support structures are moved closer together to reduce the sweep area and minimize friction losses. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the system to adapt between energy capture mode and low-friction mode.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure is divided into multiple independent components that can move relative to each other along axial guides, allowing the turbine to reconfigure its geometry while maintaining overall structural integrity through the modular design.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the turbine uses complex dynamic structures to alter sweep area, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The turbine employs dynamic support structures that can move between two positions: a first position where support structures are spaced apart to form a large cylinder-shaped sweep area for maximum energy capture, and a second position where support structures are moved closer together to reduce the sweep area and minimize friction losses. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the system to adapt between energy capture mode and low-friction mode.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the dynamic reconfiguration capability from complex mechanical linkages and implements it through simpler axial guidance systems that allow support structures to move independently along the axis, reducing overall mechanical complexity while maintaining adaptability.
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 design allows for efficient adjustment of the turbine's sweep area, minimizing friction losses and enabling it to function effectively as both a wind power plant and energy storage device, particularly suitable for offshore installations, by allowing the turbine to be streamlined and reduce exposure to fluid movement during storms.
Implementation Method 1
the blades may perform a pivotal motion around an axis which is parallel to a radial direction of the turbine
Implementation Method 2
Motions in air and water are a concentrated form of renewable energy resources
Implementation Method 3
Motions in air and water are a concentrated form of renewable energy resources
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a dynamic turbine, capable of altering the sweep area in a large interval by moving a first fixing structure, a second fixing structure and blades to and from an essential same plane along an axis of rotation of the turbine.