Wind energy conversion system
US4495423A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 10, 1981 |
| Grant date | Jan 22, 1985 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 10, 2001 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E10/72
- WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A wind powered device on a support structure is provided with a drive shaft mounted for rotation about its axis on the support structure and is coupled to an electric generator connected to a utility power grid. A rotor is mounted on the support structure and is adapted to drive the shaft, hence the electric generator. The rotor has at least one rotor blade. The rotor is mounted to drive the shaft and also for limited relative rotational movement with respect to the drive shaft about the axis of the drive shaft as the wind velocity driving the rotor changes. The coupling between the shaft and rotor responds to increases and decreases in rotor torque so that as imbalances between shaft torque and rotor torque arise, the rotor tends to run ahead of or behind the shaft. That causes rotation of the rotor relative to the drive shaft and the coupling means sense that change and automatically increase or decrease blade pitch via the automatically responsive mechanical coupling means to tend to bring shaft torque and rotor torque back into balance. Desirably the shaft is governed by a speed regulator, such as a generator connected to a utility power grid, so that it will rotate up to a pre…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.