Vertical Axis Wind Turbine with Upward Flow Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wind power generation apparatuses are inefficient, costly, and not easily installable in populated areas, lacking in design for reduced dimensions and safety for humans, animals, and birds.
Innovation Solution
A wind power generation apparatus featuring a turbine with a vertically rotating impeller and blades, a wind redirecting element, a generator, and a wind guiding device that includes upright and sideways wind guiding elements to optimize wind capture and direction, with optional solar panels and bird protection features, allowing for compact, efficient, and safe installation on rooftops and in various environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional wind power generation apparatuses are used, then electricity can be generated from wind power, but the dimensions are large, manufacturing and installation costs are high, and they are not easily installable in populated areas
Solution Approach 1:
The wind power generation apparatus is divided into multiple functional segments: a vertical axis turbine with impeller blades, separate wind directing elements, wind guiding devices, and a generator. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates modular installation in various locations including populated areas and rooftops, significantly reducing the overall footprint while maintaining electricity generation efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from conventional horizontal axis wind turbines to a vertical axis turbine configuration. This dimensional change allows the apparatus to capture wind from any direction without reorientation, reduces the ground footprint, and enables installation in urban environments and on rooftops where space is constrained, thereby reducing apparatus dimensions while maintaining productivity
2Productivity
If conventional wind power generation apparatuses are used, then electricity can be generated from wind power, but manufacturing, installation, and servicing costs are significant
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus is designed with separable components including the vertical axis turbine, wind directing elements, wind guiding devices, and generator that can be manufactured independently and assembled on-site. This segmentation reduces transportation costs, simplifies installation procedures, and allows for localized manufacturing, thereby significantly reducing overall manufacturing and installation costs while maintaining electricity generation efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The wind directing elements and wind guiding devices are designed to automatically channel wind flow to the turbine without requiring complex control systems or active adjustment mechanisms. This passive self-service design reduces manufacturing complexity, eliminates the need for expensive control electronics and actuators, and simplifies installation and maintenance, thereby reducing costs while preserving productivity
3Productivity
If conventional wind power generation apparatuses are used, then electricity can be generated from wind power, but they pose safety concerns for people, animals, and birds
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the conventional horizontal blade rotation to vertical axis rotation with an impeller configuration. This inversion fundamentally changes the wind interaction pattern, creating a more compact structure with reduced rotational speed at the perimeter, thereby reducing safety hazards to people, animals, and birds while maintaining electricity generation efficiency through the vertical axis turbine design
Solution Approach 2:
Wind directing elements and wind guiding devices serve as intermediaries between the incoming wind flow and the turbine impeller. These components gently channel and accelerate wind flow toward the blades in a controlled manner, reducing turbulent wake and rotational speeds, thereby mitigating safety hazards to wildlife and humans while preserving the energy capture efficiency of the turbine
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 apparatus enhances wind energy capture efficiency, reduces installation and maintenance costs, and ensures safety for wildlife while being adaptable for installation in populated areas, offering a compact and efficient solution for wind power generation.
Implementation Method 1
a wind guiding device located under said turbine and guiding the wind substantially upwardly toward said turbine
Implementation Method 2
a wind redirecting element which redirects the wind around said blades
Implementation Method 3
a generator connected with said turbine and generating electricity in response to rotation of said impeller about a substantially vertical axis under an action of wind
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for generating electricity from wind power includes a turbine having an impeller rotatable about a substantially vertical axis and having a plurality of blades, a wind redirecting element which redirects the wind around the blades, a generator connected with the turbine and generating electricity in response to rotation of the impeller about the substantially vertical axis under an action of wind, a wind directing element which directs the wind into an interior of the apparatus, and a wind guiding device located under the turbine and guiding the wind substantially upwardly toward the turbine.