Technical field of invention

The invention relates to a pillarless wind turbine and a pillarless wind turbine system and, in particular, to a rotating wind turbine that slides on a rail in a circle, the rotating turbine rotates a generator.

Background of the invention

Due to the population explosion and ever-increasing demands of humans, humanity is feeing energy crisis, environmental pollution, and climate change, etc. It is known that wind energy is a renewable, unlimited, and clean energy source. However, this energy source is dispersed, unstable and intermittent, so exploitation of the energy source is very difficult and costly, with high electricity pricing, making it difficult to compete with other energy sources.

A currentlycommon wind power generation system uses a horizontal axis wind turbine, in which system the turbine and the generator weighing hundreds of tons are mounted on a pillar hundreds of metersin height. Therefore, this leads to high assembling costs, complicacy, unsafety, etc., resulting in highelectricity pricing, which makes it difficult to compete with other energy sources.

Summary of the invention

Therefore, anobject of the invention is to exploitthe unlimited, inexpensive, safe, and clean wind energy source with large, stable, and continuous powerto replace other energy sources to meet the ever-increasing energy demand of humans;

A next object of the invention is to contribute to the environmental protection; and

Another object of the invention is to contribute to the prevention and restraint of climate change.

To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a pillarless wind turbine comprising: a rail with an I-shaped cross-section forming a circle on the horizontal surface, wherein the rail is fixed to the foundation, and wherein a guide slide slot is provided thereon; an annular-shaped turbine base rotatably mounted to be slidable on the guide slide slot of the rail by holding tabs (4 ') held to the guide slide slot of the rail, wherein detent pins (6) are formed thereon; at least one turbine blade comprising: a circular turbine blade base (8) with braking ears (9) so that together with the detent pins (6) lock the turbine blade to the turbine base, when the turbine blade rotates in the same direction as the wind, to rotate the turbine base; a main turbine blade shaft (10) and a side turbine blade shaft (12) vertically fixed on the turbine blade base, and at least one plate-shaped fabric winward portion vertically mounted across the main and side turbine blade shafts; and at least one generator (16) connected to the turbine base via at least one transmission. Thanks to such design, when the wind blows, it will drive the least one plate-shaped fabric winward portion to rotate the turbine blade base, and engage the braking ears into the detent pins (6), so that the turbine blade base is fixed relative to the turbine base, thereby rotating the turbine base and transferring mechanical energy to the generator to convert the mechanical energy to electrical energy.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a turbine base is composed of several separate plates; the plates are connected together via couplings for flexible turbine operation, reduced torque duringrotation, and easy replacement when necessary.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a wind turbine comprises sereval turbine blades arranged symmetrically on the turbine base.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the main turbine blade shaft and the side turbine blade shaft are hollow; each main turbine blade shaft and each side turbine blade shaft have at least three tubes nested into pairs of main and side shaft tubes, wherein each of the tube pairs is fitted with one winward portion, and these three winward portions can be inserted into one another when the tube pairs slide up and down for the insertion; and a hydraulic piston or a pneumatic pump that can be raised when the wind is weak to increase the power, or lowered to reduce the power when the wind is strong, and the tube pairs of the main turbine blade shafts and side turbine blade shaft being raised and lowered equally.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, the fabric of the winward portion is carbon fiberor parachutefabrics, or light fabrics with good strength, softness, and good wind catching ability.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the turbine blade also includes a bracing bar (13) fixed to the main turbine bladeshaft (10) and the side turbine bladeshaft (12) so that the turbine blade is not closed.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, the transmisson comprising: a gear (14) with an input and an output, the input fittedwith the output of a toothed rack (7); a gearbox (15) with an input and an output, the gearbox input matching with the output of gear (14) to control the rotation speed of a generator rotor; and therotor of the generator (16), with the input fitted with the output of gearbox (15), making the rotor rotate, the rotating rotor causing the generator to operate.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, the pillarless wind turbine is associated with multiple generators depending on its power.

The present invention also providesanpillarless wind turbine system comprising several pillarless wind turbines, in which the pillarless wind turbines are nested, withthe wind turbine having small turbine base placed inside the wind turbine with a larger turbine base; and the number of turbine blades on the turbines also varies. According to yet another aspect of the present invention of the pillarless wind turbine system, the wind turbines are arranged concentric with each other, and operate independently.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a top-down schematic view of a pillarless wind turbine connected to three generators according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the pillarless wind turbine according to said embodiment of the invention;

Figure 3 is a side view of the pillarless wind turbine according to said embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 is a top-down block diagram showing the pillarless wind turbine system with nested wind turbines according to an another embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 5a shows the turbine blade according to the invention being raised when the wind is weak to increase power, and Figure 5b shows the turbine blade according to the invention being lowered when the wind is strong to decrease power.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

The invention will be described in more details based on the following particular embodiments with reference to the drawings, and these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention. Other variations or alternatives of the invention are all made within the scope of the invention without deflection from the spirit of the invention.

As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, a pillarless wind turbine according to the invention comprises a rail 2 with an I-shaped cross-section forming a circle placed on a foundation 1, an annular shaped turbine base rotatably mounted to be slidable on a guide slide slot of the rail, turbine blades rotatably mounted to be verticalon the turbine base, and generators 16 connected to the turbine base via transmissions, which according to this embodiment is a rack-and-pinion transmission.

Rail 2 is fixed on foundation 1 on a horizontal plane, with guide slide slot 3 on the rail, so that the wind turbine base 4 slidably rotates on the rail and the slide slot of the rail.

According to the embodiment in Figure 1, turbine base 4 has an annular shape, which is made of four segments of a circle and linked together through joints 5. Thus, the turbine operates flexibly, reduces the torque during rotation and is easy to replace when necessary. The turbine base 4 is located and rotated on a rail 2, and has holding tabs 4’ held onto a guide slide slot 3 to keep the turbine base from sliding off the rail. The turbine base has two detent pins 6 that are engagable with braking ears 9 of a turbine blade (will be described later) that fix the turbine blade relative to the turbine base when the turbine blade rotates in the same direction as the wind, thereby rotating the turbine base. A toothed rack 7 is fixed to the inner circumference of the turbine base 4. Generators (according to the embodiment m Figure 1 being three generators) are associated with the turbine base 4 via rack-and-pinion transmission, in which a gear 14 is engaged with the toothed rack 7. The gear 14 is fixed to the shaft of the generator, or connected via a gearbox 15 of the generator 16.

A turbine blade includes: a turbine blade base 8 of circular plate shape rotatably mounted on a turbine base 4 through a vertical rotating shaft mounted on the turbine base, a main turbine blade shaft 10 and side turbine blade shaft 12 vertically fixed on the turbine base, and a plate-shaped winward portion 11 made of fabric, which is vertically mounted across the main turbine blade shaft and the side turbine blade. A turbine blade base 8 has two braking ears 9 located outside the turbine blade base 8. The two braking ears 9 are structured to be engaged into two detent pins 6 to fix the turbine blade base 8 to the turbine base 4 when the turbine blade rotates in the same direction as the wind to rotate the turbine. The main turbine blade shaft 10 is fixed to the center of the turbine blade base 8, wherein this main turbine blade shaft is a hollow cylinder consisting of several nested tube segments, which according to the embodiment in Figures 2, 5 a, and 5b include three tube segments, and having a hydraulic piston or a pneumatic pump (not shown) to be raised (Figure 5a) when the the wind is weak to increase the power, or to be lower (Figure 5b) to reduce the power when the wind is strong. The side turbine blade shaft 12 is fixed on the outer edge of the turbine blade base 8, wherein this side blade shaft is a hollow cylinder consisting of several nested tube segments (which according to this embodiment have three tube segments), and having a hydraulic piston or a pneumatic pump (not shown) to be raised (Figure 5a) when the wind is weak to increase the power, or to be lower (Figure 5b) to reduce the power when the wind is strong, such that the main turbine blade shaft 10 and the side turbine blade shaft 12 are raised or lowered equally. A winward portion 11 made of fabric winward portion (in which tiie fabrics woven by carbon fibers or parachute fabrics of a light fabric type with good strength, softness, good wind capture are preferred) connects the main turbine blade shaft 10 and the side turbine blade shaft 12, which according to this embodiment have three winward portions connecting each pair of the respective tube segments of the main turbine blade shaft 10 and the side turbine blade shaft 12. A horizontal bracing bar 13 fixes the main turbine blade shaft 10 and the side turbine blade shaft 12 on the top edge of the winward portion 11 so that the turbine blade is not closed.

Accordingto this embodiment, the wind turbine shown in Figure 1 comprises four turbine blades that are rotatably mounted in the vertical direction on four segments of the circular turbine base 4. However, the wind turbine may have more than four turbine blades and be arranged asymmetrically on the turbine base.

Generators include: a gear 14 with an input and an output, the gear input fitted with the output of the toothed rack 7; a gearbox 15 having an input and an output, the gearbox input fitted with the output of the gear 14 to control the rotational speed of a generator rotor; and the rotor of generator 16 having an input fitted with the output of the gearbox 15 making the rotor rotate, which makes the generator operate. According to the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the pillarless wind turbine is linked with three generators 16. However, more or fewer than three generators may be arranged depending on the power.

The operation of the pillarless wind turbine is described below. Reference number 17 shows the rotational direction of the turbine blade base 8 when the turbine blade starts to rotate in the opposite direction of the wind; reference number 18 shows the rotational direction of the turbine blade base 8 from when the turbine blade is in the opposite direction of the wind until it is in the same direction as the wind; reference number 19 shows the rotational direction of the turbine; reference number 20 shows the wind direction.

The operating principle of a pillarless wind turbine and a wind power generation system using thereof according to the invention is presented as follows:

A wind turbine will be installed in windy areas. When it is windy, a wind 20 drives the turbine blades, particularly the winward portion 11, which rotates the turbine blade base. When the winward portion 11 rotates and is gradually in the same direction of the wind with the rotational direction of the turbine, the braking ear 9 of the turbine blade base 8 is blocked by the detent pins 6 of the turbine base 4, so that the turbine blade base 8 no longer rotates in independence of the turbine base 4, which state is refered to as a closure state of the winward portion 11, and so that the wind 20 drives the winward portion 11 to rotate the turbine base in the direction of the arrow 19 and slide on the rail 2, and be held on rail 2 by the guide slide slot 3 of the rail. When the wind turbine rotates 180°, the winward portion 11 now rotating in the opposite direction of the wind 20, the wind drives the winward portion 11 to make the turbine blade base 8 rotate 180° in the direction of the arrow 17 to open the winward portion 11 to reduce wind resistance, then the turbine blade base 8 rotates in the opposite direction with the direction of the arrow 18, and the winward portion 11 futher opens until the turbine rotates 360°. Once it has rotated 360°, the braking ear 9 of the winward portion 11 is blocked again by the detent pin 6 and the winward portion 11 closes so that the wind 20 drives to rotate the turbine. The main turbine blade shaft 10 and the side turbine blade shaft 12 are slightly inclined in the direction of the wind 20 when the winward portion 11 is in the wind direction with the rotational direction of the turbine to raise the turbine to reduce the rotational friction (not shown). When the wind is weak, the hydraulic piston or the pneumatic pump will raise the winward portions 11 (Figure 5a) to increase the output capacity. In contrast, when the wind is strong, the hydraulic piston or the pneumatic pump will lower the winward portions 11 (Figure 5b) to reduce the power.

When the turbine rotates to rotate the toothed rack 7 on the turbine base 4, the toothed rack 7 rotates the gear 14, the gear 14 rotates the gearbox 15 and rotates the rotor of the generator 16, and the rotating rotor makes the generator operate and generate an electric current

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which a pillarless wind turbine and a wind power generation system using this turbine may be a single turbine (one turbine) as shown in Figure 1, or a wind turbine system (double turbine) comprising sereval turbines, as shown in Figure 4. The turbines are nested, with the wind turbine having a smaller turbine base placed inside the wind turbine with a larger turbine base. According to the embodiment as shown in Figure 4, the wind turbine system comprises three nested wind turbines, in which the wind turbine with a smaller turbine base is placed inside the wind turbine with a larger turbine base. These turbines are arranged concentric with each other, and operate independently or are operably connected together into an assembly, and the number of turbine blades on the turbines also varies depending on the design power. During the construction process, it is possible to build a small inside turbine before use, that is a single turbine (one turbine), and further expand larger outside turbines into double turbines (multiple turbines).

Effect of the invention

Thanks to the structure of the pillarless wind turbine mentioned above, heavy equipments such as generators and turbine bases are mounted near the ground, thus reducing costs, and allowing simple and safe installation. The winward portion of the turbine blade has a large area to catch the wind, and can be lowered when the wind is strong to ensure safety and raised when the wind is weak to increase the power and stabilize the power. In addition, it is possible to manufacture a wind turbine with a large diameter so there is no limit to the power. Thanks to the pillarless wind turbine and the pillarless wind turbine system according to the invention, it is possible to take advantage of tiie unlimited, clean, safe, and inexpensive renewable energy source that can replace other energy sources to satisfy the ever-increasing energy demands of humans. Having the endless source of energy to replace other energy sources will contribute to environmental protection, ecosystem restoration and climate change prevention and restraint.