Abstract: A wind turbine for extracting energy from the wind and providing electrical energy to a load. The wind turbine may include a rotor arranged to drive a generator, and an electronic controller for connecting the generator to an electrical load. The electronic controller operates to reduce the tip speed ratio of the turbine rotor as wind speed increases. The rotor is designed have a power coefficient at low values of tip speed ratios that becomes negative for wind speeds exceeding a predetermined wind speed value. The electronic controller cooperates with the turbine rotor such that the turbine rotor looses a positive power coefficient and the wind turbine slows when wind speeds exceed the predetermined wind speed value.

Abstract: A wind turbine control system converts AC power generated by the wind turbine to DC power for use in a load. The control system may include a plurality of modules that convert the AC power to DC power. The control system may include a turbine module that converts the AC power produced by a generator of the wind turbine to DC power. The turbine module may also include a boost converter that boosts the DC current to a higher voltage that improves efficient transfer of the DC power to the load. The control system may further include an output module having a buck converter that bucks the voltage of the DC power to a level needed for use by the load. The control system may control the amount of power generated by the wind turbine based on power needs of the load.

Abstract: A vertical axis wind turbine includes an elongated rotor propelled by wind-drag, having a high aspect ratio, with a length, L, and diameter, D, wherein 5<L/D?15. The rotor is mounted on a pole adapted to be installed in the wind in a vertical orientation. The rotor is constructed from thin vane sheets that form two curved vanes that are supported along their vertical length by vertically extending rigid vane supports located at two different radial locations on the rotor, stiffened by radial ribs. The vane supports support the thin vane sheets and provide transfer of wind induced torque along the vane sheet length to a generator that is located at one end of the rotor and connected thereto to convert rotational energy of the rotor into electricity as the rotor rotates about the central pole and directly drives the generator rotor at the same rotational speed.

Abstract: A small wind-powered electricity generation system, providing regulated AC electric power from wind energy to a power system grid, has a wind turbine that produces less than 10 kW of peak electric power in a permanent magnet generator that produces generator power with a frequency that varies with the wind speed. The wind turbine utilizes a cross-wind type rotor having a power coefficient that varies with the operating tip speed ratio and has an optimal tip speed ratio wherein the power coefficient is maximum. A power converter, for converting generator power to regulated electric power by applying a controlled load to the generator controls the operation of the wind turbine rotor such that the operating tip speed ratio is greater than the optimal tip speed ratio in a low wind speed region, is approximately equal to the optimal tip speed ratio in a medium wind speed region, and is greater than the optimal tip speed ratio in a high wind speed region.