Abstract: A hub assembly permits a rotor portion of a horizontal axis, fluid-driven turbine (e.g., with three or more blades) to teeter relative to a hub shaft. An outer hub member configured to receive turbine blades is permitted to rotate relative to the inner hub member. Multiple rocker members interposed between the inner hub member and the outer hub member include curved end surfaces that are configured to permit pivotal movement between the rocker members and corresponding features protruding from a hub shaft of the inner hub member. Torque receiving surfaces associated with features protruding from the hub shaft are permitted to slide relative to torque transmitting surfaces of the rocker members.

Abstract: A horizontal axis wind turbine with a ball-and-socket hub is disclosed. The hub enables horizontal axis turbines with two or more blades to teeter in response to wind shear gradients. The new hub design for a turbine equipped with three blades has been modeled using modified FAST code and has shown significant advantages over present three-bladed turbines with fixed hubs in reducing loads on the blades, tower, main shaft and bearings. The new hub design for a turbine equipped with three blades has also shown significant advantages over present two-bladed teetering turbines in reducing loads on the blades and tower. A likely additional advantage of a ball-and-socket hub equipped with three blades over a teetering hub with two blades is that wider teetering ranges are possible due to the significantly reduced likelihood for resonant teetering.

Abstract: A horizontal axis wind turbine with a ball-and-socket hub is disclosed. The hub provides for a second vertical axis, the hub axis, intersecting the center of the hub that enables a change in orientation of the rotor axis without changing the orientation of the main shaft axis. The cause for the rotation around the hub axis is an imbalance in torque applied by the blades across a wind shear axis due to a gradient in wind velocity. Rotation around the hub axis will continue until back-and-forth rotation of the blades is such that the torque is balanced across a wind shear axis and the rotor axis is set at an optimal angle. As changes in wind direction occur, the torque will become imbalanced, and the hub will rotate until a new optimal angle is achieved. The present turbine design allows for the hub to freely rotate ±20° around the hub axis and continuously maintain orientation of the rotor axis at an optimal angle.

Abstract: A horizontal axis wind turbine with a ball-and-socket hub is disclosed. The hub enables horizontal axis turbines with two or more blades to teeter in response to wind shear gradients. The new hub design for a turbine equipped with three blades has been modeled using modified FAST code and has shown significant advantages over present three-bladed turbines with fixed hubs in reducing loads on the blades, tower, main shaft and bearings. The new hub design for a turbine equipped with three blades has also shown significant advantages over present two-bladed teetering turbines in reducing loads on the blades and tower. A likely additional advantage of a ball-and-socket hub equipped with three blades over a teetering hub with two blades is that wider teetering ranges are possible due to the significantly reduced likelihood for resonant teetering.

Abstract: A horizontal axis wind turbine with a ball-and-socket hub is disclosed. The hub provides for a second vertical axis, the hub axis, intersecting the center of the hub that enables a change in orientation of the rotor axis without changing the orientation of the main shaft axis. The cause for the rotation around the hub axis is an imbalance in torque applied by the blades across a wind shear axis due to a gradient in wind velocity. Rotation around the hub axis will continue until back-and-forth rotation of the blades is such that the torque is balanced across a wind shear axis and the rotor axis is set at an optimal angle. As changes in wind direction occur, the torque will become imbalanced, and the hub will rotate until a new optimal angle is achieved. The present turbine design allows for the hub to freely rotate ±20° around the hub axis and continuously maintain orientation of the rotor axis at an optimal angle.

Abstract: The disclosed invention is an apparatus for the distillation of liquids. The apparatus has a plurality of vertically-stacked, parallel disks which are rotated. The liquid to be distilled is introduced into the center of the disk stack and migrates by centrifugal force as a thin film across side 1 of each disk. During migration, the more volatile portion evaporates from side 1 and condenses on side 2 of a neighboring disk. Energy requirements for distillation are provided by heat transfer from side 2 to side 1. The apparatus is substantially adiabatic in that vaporization and condensation occur without external supply of heating or cooling.

Abstract: The disclosed invention is an apparatus and process for the distillation of liquids. The apparatus is comprised of a plurality of vertically stacked parallel disks which are rotated in a horizontal plane. The liquid to be distilled is introduced into the center of the disk stack and migrates by centrifugal force as a thin film across the top surface of each disk. During migration, the more volatile portion evaporates from the top surface and condenses on the bottom surface of a top, neighboring disk. The apparatus is multiple-effect in that the heat evolved from condensation is transferred through the thin, heat-conducting disks to provide the heat necessary for vaporization.

Abstract: Separation of liquid mixtures is achieved through a chromatographic method by employing centrifugal force in combination with dielectrophoretic force. The dielectrophoretic force is generated by electrostatically charging a flat rotatable surface. The resulting non-uniform electrical field acts on the liquid that is applied to the surface.