Wind turbine device
View Patent ↗A hybrid blade wind turbine device formed of at least a pair of straight outer airfoil blades, and a pair of inner helical wing blades, as supported for rotation within a safety protective cage structure, which wind turbine can be mounted in the vertical, horizontal, or other aligned operational positions. The inner helical half wing blades, being preferably somewhat shorter than the length of the outer airfoil blades, act to “regularize” the swirling wind regime flowing through the hybrid wind turbine, so as to maximize the efficiency of the outer airfoil blades. The helical half wing blades can be formed of individual segmented vane segments to provide improved operational capabilities for the overall hybrid wind turbine. To best harness annualized available wind conditions, the hybrid wind turbine can be customized, through modification of the number of vane segments, the selection of the specific shape of the outer airfoil blades, and the specific operational positioning of the outer airfoil blades. Alternatively, the helical half wing blades can be formed as generally smooth-walled blades.
1. A method of achieving maximized wind harvesting for generating electrical power, comprising the steps of:
providing a rotatably supported helically twisted blade with a plurality of flexible elongated vane segments, wherein each vane segment has a fixed edge and a free edge, and the free edge of one segment one of at least partially overlaps and substantially abuts the fixed edge of the next adjacent vane segment; and
creating separation air slots between the elongated vane segments by allowing the free edge of at least one vane segment to rise up from the fixed edge of the next adjacent vane segment during rotation of the rotatably supported helically twisted blade,
wherein during rotational operation, the separation distance between the radially-outermost mounted vane segments is greater than the separation distance between the radially-innermost mounted vane segments; and
wherein, when operating at high rotational speeds, the respective separation air slots created between vane segments of the helically twisted blade operate as an air brake to help prevent runaway rotational conditions.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the free edge of each vane segment overlaps the fixed edge of the next adjacent vane segment by a distance in the range from approximately 0 to 2 inches.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein during rotational operation, the free edge of each vane segment is adapted to rise up from the fixed edge of the next adjacent vane segment by a separation distance in the range of between approximately ⅛″ to ¾″.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of mounting each of the vane segments within an aerodynamically-shaped vane nose bracket.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of mounting the helically twisted blade to a substantially vertically aligned rotatable turbine mast.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the helically twisted blade is rotatably supported within a protective safety cage.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of converting rotational energy of the rotatably supported helically twisted blade into electrical energy.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of converting rotational energy of the rotatably supported helically twisted blade into electrical energy utilizing one of a direct drive permanent magnet alternator, a belt drive permanent magnet alternator, a direct drive generator, a belt drive generator, a direct drive air motor and a belt drive air motor.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the helically twisted blade is twisted from one end to the other end, through a twist rotation of one of approximately 45°, 90°, 180°, and 270°.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of mounting a plurality of substantially straight airfoil blades fixed for rotation with the helically twisted blade and rotatably supported therewith.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the airfoil blades are longer than the helically twisted blade.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the helically twisted blade and airfoil blades are rotatably supported within a protective safety cage.
13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the step of converting rotational energy of the rotatably supported helically twisted blade and airfoil blades into electrical energy.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the converting step comprises utilizing one of a direct drive permanent magnet alternator, a belt drive permanent magnet alternator, a direct drive generator, a belt drive generator, a direct drive air motor and a belt drive air motor.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the helically twisted blade is twisted from one end to the other end, through a twist rotation of one of approximately 45°, 90°, 180°, and 270°.