Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100068052 | INFLATABLE WIND TURBINE - A wind turbine has an impeller surrounded by a turbine shroud and/or an ejector shroud, wherein the turbine shroud and/or the ejector shroud include inflatable portions and/or flexible inflatable portions. In some embodiments, the turbine shroud and/or the ejector shroud include internal rib members whose shape or length can be changed to alter the characteristics of the wind turbine. | 03-18-2010 |
20100080683 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROTECTING A WIND TURBINE IN HIGH WIND CONDITIONS - Systems for protecting a wind turbine in high wind conditions are disclosed. A shrouded turbine may have an ejector shroud disposed adjacent and downstream of a turbine shroud. In one version, the ejector shroud can move to surround the turbine shroud. In another version, the turbine can be pivoted on a support tower to cover the intake end of the turbine and rotate the turbine about an axis at a right angle to the tower axis. In another version, the turbine is supported by a telescoping tower which may be retracted to lower the turbine in high winds. In another version, the tower sections may be connected by a pivotable connection and supported by guy wire(s) which may be lengthened to lower the upper tower section pivotally. | 04-01-2010 |
20110021999 | FILTER FOR FLOW IMPROVEMENTS FOR DELIVERY OF BIOMATERIALS - A flow delivery system includes a syringe and a needle and/or a catheter that delivers an aqueous solution of a material, e.g., a biomaterial alone or mixed with a fluid lubricant, into a body. A filter located within the body of the syringe includes a plurality of openings each of a predetermined size. As the solution travels through the syringe, the solution encounters the filter openings which break up or downsize any biomaterial particles larger than the size of the openings. Also, the filter openings allow any particles of the biomaterial originally smaller than the size of the openings to pass without any downsizing. The size of the filter openings is selected as a function of the size of the opening in the needle and/or catheter. The downsized particles then pass with any other non-downsized particles in a relatively unobstructed manner into the body through the needle and/or catheter. | 01-27-2011 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100284802 | INFLATABLE WIND TURBINE - A wind turbine has an impeller surrounded by a shroud. The shroud is formed from inflatable components extending between two rigid structural members. When inflated, the shroud acts to increase the energy generated by the impeller. Under adverse wind conditions, the inflatable components can be deflated to reduce surface area and wind load on the turbine. | 11-11-2010 |
20110002781 | WIND TURBINE WITH PRESSURE PROFILE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME - A wind turbine produces a unique pressure profile downstream of the wind turbine. This pressure profile reflects the structure of the wind turbine, which includes a shroud that has mixing lobes on a trailing edge thereof. The pressure profile includes high pressure and low pressure regions corresponding to the number and location of the mixing lobes on the shroud. | 01-06-2011 |
20110020107 | MOLDED WIND TURBINE SHROUD SEGMENTS AND CONSTRUCTIONS FOR SHROUDS - A wind turbine shroud that comprises a plurality of wind turbine shroud segments engaged to each other in a radial pattern about a central axis. Each wind turbine shroud segment may be created through a rotational molding and/or blow molding process and can be engaged with other wind turbine shroud segments to create a variety of wind turbine shrouds. | 01-27-2011 |
20110058937 | NACELLE CONFIGURATIONS FOR A SHROUDED WIND TURBINE - A shrouded wind turbine comprises a shroud disposed about an impeller. The impeller surrounds a nacelle body which is shaped to enhance smooth flow of wind through the impeller. Some embodiments include an inlet and an outlet in the nacelle body, allowing airflow through an interior cavity. Other nacelle bodies may be tapered, flared, include mixing lobes around a trailing edge, or may have other shapes that enhance fluid flow. Some nacelle bodies include an annular groove that promotes flow attachment. Maintaining airflow attachment to the nacelle body within the turbine increases the energy generation capacity of the wind turbine. | 03-10-2011 |
20110187110 | FLUID TURBINE - A fluid turbine comprises a turbine shroud, an ejector shroud, and a means for extracting energy from a fluid stream. The means for extracting energy is located in the annulus between the turbine shroud and the ejector shroud. High-energy fluid can flow through the turbine shroud to bypass the means for extracting energy. Energy is extracted from the fluid passing through the means to form a low-energy fluid stream. The high-energy fluid and the low-energy fluid can then be mixed. The turbine shroud and/or the ejector shroud has mixing lobes to increase the mixing of the two fluid streams. | 08-04-2011 |
20110250053 | FLUID TURBINES - Shrouded fluid turbines of various configurations are disclosed. The shrouded fluid turbines include an impeller, a turbine shroud surrounding the impeller, and an ejector shroud around the turbine shroud. The ejector shroud may completely surround the turbine shroud. The turbine shroud may have a plurality of mixing lobes that form a crenellated trailing edge. Alternatively, the turbine shroud may have a plurality of open slots. Means for directing fluid flow into the plurality of open slots may include an ejector shroud that seals with the turbine shroud downstream of the open slots. A plurality of fluid ducts may also connect individually to each open slot. An external stator may be connected to an exterior surface of the ejector shroud. | 10-13-2011 |
20110250062 | FLUID TURBINE - A fluid turbine comprises a turbine shroud and an optional ejector shroud. The turbine shroud and/or the ejector shroud are formed from a hard shell and a membrane. The hard shell forms a leading edge, a trailing edge, and an interior surface of the shroud. The membrane forms an exterior surface of the shroud. The resulting construction is lighter than previous turbine shrouds. | 10-13-2011 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100247289 | SEGMENTED WIND TURBINE - Disclosed are wind turbines comprising a turbine shroud and optionally an ejector shroud. The shrouds are segmented, or in other words have longitudinal spaces between segments. Such wind turbines have reduced drag load, particularly those loads due to off-axis wind forces. | 09-30-2010 |
20100329879 | WIND TURBINE BLADES WITH MIXER LOBES - A horizontal axis wind turbine blade comprises a leading edge surface, a trailing edge surface, an upper camber surface extending between the leading edge surface and the trailing edge surface, and a lower camber surface extending between the leading edge surface and the trailing edge surface. Notably, the trailing edge surface includes a plurality of air flow mixing lobes. An ejector blade may be located above the upper camber surface and behind the trailing edge surface. The ejector blade may include an ejector blade trailing edge surface that includes a plurality of ejector blade mixing lobes. The ejector blade mixing lobes may include a plurality of ejector blade high energy mixing lobes and ejector blade low energy mixing lobes. Advantageously, the mixing lobes allow for a reduced wakes behind the HAWT and thus decrease the requisite separation distance between HAWTs in a wind farm. | 12-30-2010 |
20110014038 | WIND TURBINE WITH SKELETON-AND-SKIN STRUCTURE - A wind turbine comprises a turbine shroud and optionally an ejector shroud. The turbine shroud and/or the ejector shroud include a skeleton support structure, with a skin covering at least a portion of the turbine shroud and/or ejector shroud skeleton. In other embodiments, leading and trailing edges of the turbine shroud and/or ejector shroud are made of a rigid material and are not covered by the skin of the shroud. | 01-20-2011 |