Vertical Axis Wind Turbine With Guide Vanes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wind turbines face inefficiencies and high costs due to their size, weight, and sensitivity to variable wind conditions, as well as visual and environmental disruptions, and Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) have lower efficiency and issues with wind guidance.
Innovation Solution
A turbine system comprising a support structure, a turbine assembly, and a guide vane assembly, where the guide vane assembly directs fluid flow towards the turbine assembly to enhance energy harvesting, with a design that distributes weight and reduces moment about the support structure, allowing for rotational displacement and efficient energy capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWTs) are used to improve energy capture efficiency, then energy capture efficiency is improved, but height, size and weight increase making installation and maintenance costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional HAWT design by using a vertical axis turbine assembly where the turbine rotates perpendicular to the wind flow direction. This inversion allows the turbine to capture energy from winds from any direction without requiring tall towers and long blades, thereby maintaining energy capture efficiency while significantly reducing height, size and weight
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a movable guide vane assembly that can dynamically adjust its position and orientation to track wind direction changes. This dynamic adaptation allows the vertical axis turbine to efficiently capture energy from variable wind conditions without requiring the large size and weight of fixed HAWT structures
2Weight of stationary object
If Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) are used to reduce height and size, then height and size are reduced, but energy capture efficiency decreases because blades receive energy for only part of the rotation cycle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a guide vane assembly as an intermediary component that redirects wind flow onto the turbine blades at optimal angles throughout the entire rotation cycle. This mediator ensures that the blades receive energy continuously during rotation, eliminating the inefficiency of conventional VAWTs where blades only capture energy for part of the cycle
Solution Approach 2:
The guide vanes are positioned and configured to ensure continuous energy transfer to the turbine blades throughout the entire rotation cycle, rather than allowing periods where blades rotate against the wind flow. This continuity of useful action maintains high energy capture efficiency while preserving the compact vertical axis design
3Ease of operation
If planar surface guide vanes are used to guide wind flow to blades, then wind guidance is provided, but wind is dispersed away from the intended direction of flow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces planar surface guide vanes with curved or contoured surfaces that are specifically shaped to redirect wind flow smoothly onto the turbine blades. These curved surfaces prevent wind dispersal by maintaining focused flow paths, thereby improving wind flow efficiency while preserving the guidance function
Solution Approach 2:
The guide vane assembly employs different surface geometries and orientations at different locations to optimize local wind flow characteristics. Each vane is specifically configured to redirect wind from its local position onto the blades, ensuring focused and efficient flow direction without the dispersal problems of uniform planar surfaces
4Productivity
If HAWTs are deployed to improve energy capture, then energy capture efficiency is improved, but visual and environmental disruptions increase
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the turbine axis from horizontal to vertical, the patent creates a more compact structure that is less visually intrusive and causes fewer environmental disruptions while maintaining energy capture efficiency through the guide vane system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the turbine by using a vertical axis configuration with guide vanes, allowing the system to capture energy effectively from winds of varying speeds and directions without requiring the large physical footprint and height of conventional HAWTs, thereby reducing visual and environmental impact
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 improves energy capture efficiency and reduces maintenance costs by distributing weight and optimizing wind flow, making it more suitable for variable wind conditions and reducing visual and environmental impacts.
Implementation Method 1
the guide vane assembly comprising a plurality of guide vanes positionable for guiding fluids impinging thereupon towards the turbine assembly to thereby rotationally displace the turbine assembly about the first axis
Implementation Method 2
a turbine assembly movably coupled to and configured to be supported from the inner portion of the support structure to enable rotational displacement thereof along the periphery of the central hollow and about the first axis
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a turbine system comprising a support structure, a turbine assembly and a guide vane assembly. The support structure defines a central hollow and has an outer portion and an inner portion forming the periphery of the central hollow. The turbine assembly is movably coupled to and configured to be supported from the inner portion of the support structure to enable rotational displacement thereof along the periphery of the central hollow and about the first axis. The guide vane assembly is coupled to the outer portion of the support structure for circumscribing the support structure, the guide vane assembly comprising a plurality of guide vanes positionable for guiding fluids impinging thereupon towards the turbine assembly to thereby rotationally displace the turbine assembly about the first axis.