Vertical wind turbine with external shroud comprising first and second shroud wings
View Patent ↗A vertical wind turbine includes a shroud for directing vehicle-created wind towards the turbine blades, which are oriented in response to wind direction.
1 . A vertical wind turbine comprising:
a rotatable central axle having a central axis,
at least one pair of opposing vertical fan blades mounted for rotation with the central axle,
an electromagnetic electrical energy generation device mounted for rotation with the rotatable central axle,
an external shroud for directing wind toward the vertical fan blades, the external shroud comprising a first shroud wing and a second shroud wing, the first and second shroud wings each comprising a generally rectangular wing wall.
2 . The vertical wind turbine according to claim 1 wherein the fan blades are positioned generally parallel to the central axle.
3 . The vertical wind turbine according to claim 1 further comprising a balancing mechanism mounted for rotation with the rotatable central axle.
4 . The vertical wind turbine according to claim 3 wherein the balancing mechanism is adapted to oppose rotational forces applied normal to the axis of the central axle.
5 . The vertical wind turbine according to claim 1 further comprising a protective cage surrounding the fan blades.
6 . The vertical wind turbine according to claim 1 wherein the external shroud is bilaterally symmetric.
7 . The vertical wind turbine according to claim 1 wherein the shroud is adapted to receive wind incident in opposing directions on opposite sides of the shroud.
8 . The vertical wind turbine according to claim 1 wherein the at least one pair of opposing fan blades comprise at least two symmetrically mounted fan blades.
9 . A plurality of vertical wind turbines according to claim 1 , the plurality of wind turbines being positioned along a line.
10 . The plurality of vertical wind turbines according to claim 9 wherein the line extends along the median of a highway.
11 . A process for energy generation, the process comprising:
a) providing at least one vertical wind turbine, the at least one vertical wind turbine comprising:
a rotatable central axle having a central axis,
at least one pair of opposing vertical fan blades mounted for rotation with the central axle,
an electromagnetic electrical energy generation device mounted for rotation with the rotatable central axle,
an external shroud for directing wind toward the fan blades, the external shroud comprising a first shroud wing and a second shroud wing, the first and second shroud wings each comprising a generally rectangular wing wall;
b) positioning the at least one vertical wind turbine along a median of a highway; and
c) collecting electrical energy from the energy generation device of the at least one vertical wind turbine.