Hyperboloid Tower Power Generation with Bevel Gear Torque Regulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power generating devices using turbines in towers are inefficient in converting updrafts into electrical energy, as they do not effectively harness the pressure differential created by the tower's design.
Innovation Solution
A hyperboloid tower with a rotor assembly and generators, where the rotor's blades are rotated by air passing through the tower, converting kinetic energy into electrical current through a drive shaft connected to generators, with a bevel gear assembly and gear boxes to regulate torque, and potentially using Load Commutated Inverter technology.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a traditional turbine is used in a tower to generate power from updraft, then the device can convert kinetic energy to electrical energy, but the conversion efficiency is low and the device does not effectively harness the pressure differential
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the turbine system by positioning it to exploit the pressure differential between the base and top of the hyperboloid tower. The turbine is configured to rotate in response to air flow driven by this pressure difference, optimizing the pressure parameter for maximum energy extraction efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a hyperboloid tower structure with curved surfaces that facilitate efficient air flow patterns. The curvature of the tower walls guides the updraft effectively toward the turbine, improving the kinetic energy available for conversion and reducing energy losses in the flow path.
2Productivity
If the rotor assembly is positioned to maximize pressure differential utilization, then energy conversion efficiency improves, but the device complexity increases due to additional components like bevel gear assembly and gear boxes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the power transmission system into separate functional modules: the rotor assembly for energy capture, bevel gear assembly for directional conversion, and gear boxes for torque regulation. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall system efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The bevel gear assembly acts as an intermediary mechanism between the rotor assembly and the generators. It mediates the transfer of rotational energy, converting the rotation axis and regulating torque through gear boxes, thereby enabling efficient energy transfer while managing the complexity through functional intermediation.
3Power
If multiple generators are used to handle the torque from the rotor assembly, then the electrical energy output increases, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multiple generators instead of a single large generator, dividing the power generation function into separate units. Each generator handles a portion of the torque from the rotor assembly, allowing for standardized, modular manufacturing that simplifies production while achieving the required total power output.
Solution Approach 2:
The gear boxes connected to each generator provide dynamic torque regulation, allowing the system to adapt to varying operational conditions. This dynamic capability enables the use of multiple smaller generators rather than one large static system, improving manufacturability while maintaining flexible power output.
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
The system efficiently converts updraft kinetic energy into electrical energy without fossil fuels, leveraging the pressure differential and rotor assembly to generate a consistent and reliable power output.
Implementation Method 1
The tower is hyperboloid type so that the tower is configured to generate a pressure differential between a base and a top of the tower
Implementation Method 2
a set of blades of the rotor assembly is configured to be rotated due to the air passing through the tower
Implementation Method 3
the set of generators is configured to convert kinetic energy of the air passing through the tower to an electrical current as the drive shaft is rotated by the set of blades
Data Source
AI summary
A power generating device for generating an electrical current from an updraft in a tower includes a tower, a rotor assembly, and a set of generators. The tower is hyperboloid type so that the tower is configured to generate a pressure differential between a base and a top of the tower. A set of openings that is positioned in the tower proximate to the base is configured to allow passage of air from the base through the top. The rotor assembly is coupled to and positioned in the tower so that a set of blades of the rotor assembly is configured to be rotated due to the air passing through the tower. Each generator is operationally coupled to a drive shaft of the rotor assembly so that the set of generators is configured to convert kinetic energy of the air to an electrical current as the drive shaft is rotated.