Methods and Devices for Utilizing Flowing Power

A method and apparatus related to the utilization of flowing medium is provided including a turbine blade comprising at least one protrusion along at least a portion of a surface of said blade and a twisted portion.

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Description
RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/538,318, titled “Methods and Devices for Utilizing Flowing Power”, filed on Jan. 21, 2004, which is hereby fully incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to methods and devices for producing energy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The term “alternative energy” may refer to energy produced by sources that are not based on the burning of fossil fuels or the splitting of atoms. Some examples of alternative energy are water and wind power.

Modern turbines fall into two basic groups, horizontal axis turbine designs and vertical axis turbine (VAT) designs. Horizontal axis turbines have blades that spin in a vertical plane like airplane propellers. The blades utilized in a horizontal axis design typically have a special shape that allow them to move more rapidly over one side when fluid passes over them. This creates a low-pressure area behind the blade and a high-pressure area in front of the blade, which produces a lift force. This pressure differential causes the blades to spin.

The blades of certain vertical axis machines work on the same lift-based principles as horizontal axis machine. In a vertical axis machine, however, the blades spin in a plane that is parallel to the ground like an eggbeater. The shape of the blades causes a pressure differential when the fluid passes over them, which causes the entire assembly to spin. Turbines are made in a variety of sizes, and therefore can be created for different power ratings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 depicts a side view of a VAT of one embodiment the present application having flared and twisted blades.

FIGS. 2A and 2B depict a blade for use in a VAT of one embodiment the present application having a flared portion and showing the twist of the blade.

FIGS. 3A and 3B depict a blade for use in a VAT of one embodiment the present application having the flared portion, ridges for resistance, and showing the twist of the blade.

FIGS. 4A and 4B depict a VAT of one embodiment the present application having a space between the blades that allows unobstructed flow through the center of the VAT.

FIGS. 5A and 5B depict a blade for use in a VAT of one embodiment the present application having dimples on the outside surface of the blade.

 DEFINITIONS

Actuator: a device that causes the operation of an electrical or mechanical device to perform work, including, but not limited to a rotor, an actuator, a mill, or a generator.

Brake: device used for stopping an action or component.

Cut in Speed: the wind speed to initiate turning the blades of a wind turbine.

Cut out Speed: the wind speed at which a braking system on a wind turbine will feather or stop the blades from turning.

Gear box: a component of the power train for converting power of the VAT into power to turn the generator.

Gigawatt (GW): a measure of electricity; one Gigawatt equals one million watts.

Inverter: an electronic mechanism to vary the frequency of alternating current produced by the generator.

Kilowatt (kW): a measure of electricity; one Kilowatt equals one thousand watts.

Megawatt (MW): a measure of electricity; one thousand Kilowatts equals one Megawatt.

Nacelle: the cowling or housing which covers the generator, brakes and gears of a wind-turbine.

Penstock: the pipeline that delivers water to a water-turbine.

Vertical Axis Turbine (VAT): a turbine on which the blades revolve around a vertical (up and down) axis; often compared to eggbeaters in appearance.

VAT Generator a device which converts mechanical energy into electrical energy and may be of any type including, but not limited to, synchronous and asynchronous generators and can have multiple poles, such as, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 or more poles.

Wind Turbine Tower: the tower of a wind turbine that supports a VAT and can carry a generator or other assembly to do work.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular methodology, construction materials and flow mediums described herein and as such may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which will be limited only by the appended claims.

As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural reference unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a “blade” is a reference to one or more such blades and includes equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art, and so forth.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods, devices, and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the invention, the preferred methods, devices and materials are now described.

Referring to FIG. 1, an embodiment of a VAT of the present application is depicted having flared and twisted blades 20. This particular embodiment depicts two blades; however, other embodiments may include more than two blades. The blades 20 are coupled to upper and lower end plates 10 and 15, respectively. In one embodiment, blades 20 are made of sturdy yet flexible material that is adapted to withstand both vibration and fatigue. In one embodiment, blades 20 are symmetrically opposed and are each part of a “hemisphere.” Blades 20 may be straight or curved. In one embodiment, curved blades are concaved on the inside surfaces of blades 20.

In one embodiment, end plates 10 and 15 may have slots that are configured to interact with the ends of blades 20 to keep blades 20 in place. In other embodiments, such as that shown in FIG. 1, a central shaft in conjunction with end plates 10 and 15 may be used to keep blades 20 in place. End plates 10 and 15 may be made of any sturdy material that resists vibration and atmospheric elements. In one embodiment, end plates 10 and 15 may be made from carbon fiber. In other embodiments, end plates 10 and 15 may be made of fiber-reinforced thermoplast, plastic, fiberglass, metal, epoxy, or other similar materials with similar properties. Lower end plate 15 may be connected to shaft 50, which extends from lower end plate 15 through rotor 60 and stator 70 inside generator cover 80.

In various embodiments, shaft 50 may be made of a hardened metal or sturdy composite and rotate within upper bearing 40 and lower bearing 45. In one embodiment, shaft 50 may be the central axis of the turbine and may be at least as long as blades 20. Upper and lower bearings 40 and 45 may also facilitate rotation of rotor 60 with respect to stator 70. Rotor 60 and stator 70 may interact within generator cover 80 and may rotate about shaft 50. Centrifugal shield 30 protects the portion of shaft 50 that may be located within upper and lower bearing 40 and 45 and rotor and stator 60 and 70, respectively.

In one embodiment, centrifugal shield 30, bearings 40 and 45, shaft 50, rotor 60 and stator 70 comprise the generator portion of the VAT and may be generally covered to prevent damage from exposure to the atmosphere. In the embodiments disclosed in the present application, generator refers to the portion of the embodiment that generates or transmits power and may be more broadly termed as an actuator. In one embodiment, rotor 60 may be connected to an actuator. The actuator may be a generator, a mill, a pump, or any other device that performs work. In one embodiment, the rotor may have at least one gear that is a part of a gear box (not shown). In various embodiments, the gear box may have a range of rotation of about 2:1, about 3:1, about 4:1, about 5:1, about 6:1, about 7:1, about 8:1, about 9:1, to about 10:1. In various embodiments, the rotor may be adapted to have a pulley, a sprocket and the like.

When blades 20 are exposed to a flowing medium such as air or water, for example, the force of the flowing medium may cause them to rotate. As blades 20 turn, the forces against them may rotate between hemispheres, creating continual rotation as the blades 20 are exposed to the flowing medium.

FIG. 2 depicts one embodiment of the blades used in the VAT of the present application. In this embodiment the blades are both flared and twisted. The middle portion 90 of blade 20 has a wider diameter, or flare, allowing more swept area. This may result in greater power production. The flared portion of the blade may impart improved performance to the blade, which may be attributable to factors such as a greater surface area and a greater transfer of energy from one blade to another blade in the turbine. The flare may be exactly in the middle of blade 20 or may be distributed about the middle portion. Blade 20 also preferably has a twist 95. Twist 95 may be twisted at an angle from about 95 degrees to about 180 degrees. In the embodiment shown, there are two blades 20 that have a 180-degree twist 95. In an alternative embodiment, three blades 20 may be provided, each having a 120-degree twist 95. Because the blades are symmetrically opposed, the sum of their angles may be 360 degrees. Hence, in still another embodiment, there may be 4 blades, each with a 90-degree twist 95. Twist 95 may be a linear twist through the entire shape of blade 20, regardless of its height. Twist 95 may be distributed evenly along the length of blade 20. In other embodiments, twist 95 may be distributed unevenly or may be twisted immediately before an end plate.

FIG. 3 depicts another embodiment of the present application. In this embodiment, one or more of blades 20 have ridges 100, also referred to as “fish scales”. Ridges 100 are shaped to curve in one direction. The curve of ridges 100 may trap and slows the flow medium in one direction but allows the flow medium to flow more freely in the opposite directions. Such control of medium flow may achieve more torque and produce more power. Blades 20 may have ridges along the entire length of blades 20 or in discrete sections of blades 20. Blades 20 may be adapted to have any number of ridges. In some embodiments, ridges 100 may be at least partially recessed on a surface of blades 20. In other embodiments, ridges 100 may at least partially protrude from a surface of blades 20. Ridges 100 may be on the interior or exterior portions of blades 20, and may be placed at any angle, vertically or horizontally along the blade 20. FIG. 3 also shows twist 95.

FIG. 4 depicts still another embodiment of a VAT. In this embodiment, the assembly does not have a central shaft. Blades 20 fit into upper and lower end plates 110 and 115. Upper and lower end plates 110 and 115 are may be configured to have slots 120 and 125. Upper and lower end plates 110 and 115 may be made of any sturdy material that resists vibration and atmospheric elements. In a one embodiment, upper and lower end plates 110 and 115 are made from carbon fiber. In other embodiments, upper and lower end plates 110 and 115 may be made of fiber-reinforced thermoplast, plastic, fiberglass, metal, epoxy, or other similar materials with similar properties. In an alternative embodiment, the slots 120 and 125 may be substituted with molded flanges. In another embodiment, an adhesive, such as methylacrylate may be used to provide a secondary means of attachment between blades 20 and end plates 110 and 115. In an embodiment of the present application without a shaft, medium flow between the hemispheres is less turbulent, which may generate power more efficiently because there is no obstruction in the flow path. In this embodiment, blades 20 preferably overlap each other at approximately the central axis of rotation. There may be a space between blades 20 where they overlap.

FIG. 5 depicts an embodiment in which blades 20 have dimples 130. In this embodiment, the dimples may provide improved performance of the blade. This improved performance of the blade may be attributable to improving the flight of the blade through the air. The flight of a blade having dimples is analogous to the improved flight characteristics observed with a golf ball having a dimpled surface. The dimples may be uniform or variable in dimension, and may be placed according to a predetermined pattern or randomly placed on the blade.

Various other embodiments of the present application may include other dimpled surfaces. For example, in one embodiment, the dimples may be raised simples. Thus, in various embodiments, the dimples may be either concave or convex. In other embodiments a combination of concave dimples, convex dimples and ridges may occur.

The turbine described in the present application may be mounted on a variety of supports. Such supports may include a post, tripod, tower, roof mount, deck, dock, floating platform or slab. Embodiments of turbines of the present application may be mounted on a surface to provide an angle within a range of approximately 90 to approximately 180 degrees with respect to the surface upon which it is mounted. Embodiments of turbines of the present application may also be used in conjunction with a wind augmentation device to increase the amount of medium that the turbine is exposed to. Such augmentation devices may include an airfoil, a wind guide, a focus array, or any mechanical equivalent.

Embodiments of the turbines of the present application may be any size. Size may be best determined by a target amount of output energy/power, which is a factor of the turbine size and medium flow. Below are exemplary turbine energy/power outputs calculated based upon size, velocity, and target output. For example, Table 1 shows residential turbine energy/power outputs for smaller turbines that can be used to generate power on a smaller scale.

The RC4v (cb) is a turbine that has a blade set that is four (4) meters in length. This unit was designed for residential use with the size being dictated by, among other things, potential height restrictions and zoning standards. Based on the swept area of the unit and its projected output capabilities, it generates enough electricity to power the average American home during the course of a year at an average wind speed of 9 mph. This unit may be sited at or on the home and connected to the home through an inverter and then through the meter of the home to the grid. Net metering laws in place through local utilities would apply for energy buy back when the unit provides more power than what is required by the site.

TABLE 1 Residential Turbine Outputs RC-4v (cb) Velocity Velocity Annual Annual met/sec mph Output in Watts Output in KWH 2 4.5 1030 9023 3 6.7 1545 13534 4 9.0 2060 18046 5 11.2 2575 22557 6 13.4 3090 27068 7 15.7 3605 31580 8 17.9 4120 36091 9 20.2 4635 40603 10 22.4 5150 45114 11 24.6 5665 49625 12 26.9 6180 54137 13 29.1 6695 58648 14 31.4 7210 63160 15 33.6 7725 67671 16 35.8 8240 72182 17 38.1 8755 76694 18 40.3 9270 81205 19 42.6 9785 85717 20 44.8 10300 90228 21 47.0 10815 94739 22 49.3 11330 99251 23 51.5 11845 103762 24 53.8 12360 108274 25 56.0 12875 112785 26 58.2 13390 117296 27 60.5 13905 121808 28 62.7 14420 126319 29 65.0 14935 130831 30 67.2 15450 135342

The RC6v was designed as a Commercial Unit. Table 2 shows turbine energy/power outputs for turbines that may be used to generate power on a larger scale. This unit has a blade set that is six (6) meters in length. The output may be significantly higher than the four (4) meter unit due to its increased swept area. This unit was designed to be installed on commercial structures ranging from skyscrapers to industrial parks to large mansion type homes. It may be installed in “suites” or groups of units to provide enough power for the needs of the structure. An average wind speed of 9 mph was used for the rating as this is a low wind speed average and proves the efficiency of the unit. This unit may be sited at or on the structure and connected to the structure through an inverter and then through the meter of the structure to the grid. Net metering laws in place through local utilities would apply for energy buy back when the unit provides more power than what is required by the site,

TABLE 2 Commercial Turbine Outputs RC 6v model Velocity Velocity Annual Annual met/sec mph Output in Watts Output in KWH 2 4.5 2,308 20,218 3 6.7 3,462 30,327 4 9.0 4,616 40,436 5 11.2 5,770 50,545 6 13.4 6,924 60,654 7 15.7 8,078 70,763 8 17.9 9,232 80,872 9 20.2 10,386 90,981 10 22.4 11,540 101,090 11 24.6 12,694 111,199 12 26.9 13,848 121,308 13 29.1 15,002 131,418 14 31.4 16,156 141,527 15 33.6 17,310 151,636 16 35.8 18,464 161,745 17 38.1 19,618 171,854 18 40.3 20,772 181,963 19 42.6 21,926 192,072 20 44.8 23,080 202,181 21 47.0 24,234 212,290 22 49.3 25,388 222,399 23 51.5 26,542 232,508 24 53.8 27,696 242,617 25 56.0 28,850 252,726 26 58.2 30,004 262,835 27 60.5 31,158 272,944 28 62.7 32,312 283,053 29 65.0 33,466 293,162 30 67.2 34,620 303,271

The RC40v is a turbine that was designed for wind farm installations. Table 3 shows turbine energy/power outputs for turbines that may be used to generate power in area such as a wind farm. The RC40v has a blade set length of 40 meters with a total structure height of approximately 250 feet. This unit was designed to be installed in a wind farm setting with other units of its size, for example, in a new development or to retrofit existing, aging wind farms. The industrial power of this unit may be fed into a substation along with the output of the other units in the farm and then the power may be brokered on the open market.

TABLE 3 Turbine Outputs & Revenues RC-40 “V” Models Velocity Velocity Annual Annual met/sec mph Output in Watts Output in KWH 2 4.5 102,532 898,180 3 6.7 153,798 1,347,270 4 9.0 205,064 1,796,361 5 11.2 256,330 2,245,451 6 13.4 307,596 2,694,541 7 15.7 358,862 3,143,631 8 17.9 410,128 3,592,721 9 20.2 461,394 4,041,811 10 22.4 512,660 4,490,902 11 24.6 563,926 4,939,992 12 26.9 615,192 5,389,082 13 29.1 666,458 5,838,172 14 31.4 717,724 6,287,262 15 33.6 768,990 6,736,352 16 35.8 820,256 7,185,443 17 38.1 871,522 7,634,533 18 40.3 922,788 8,083,623 19 42.6 974,054 8,532,713 20 44.8 1,025,320 8,981,803 21 47.0 1,076,586 9,430,893 22 49.3 1,127,852 9,879,984 23 51.5 1,179,118 10,329,074 24 53.8 1,230,384 10,778,164 25 56.0 1,281,650 11,227,254 26 58.2 1,332,916 11,676,344 27 60.5 1,384,182 12,125,434 28 62.7 1,435,448 12,574,524 29 65.0 1,486,714 13,023,615 30 67.2 1,537,980 13,472,705

While the above detailed description describes various embodiment of the present invention, it should be understood that the present invention is susceptible to modification, variation and alteration without deviating from the scope and fair meaning of the subjoined claims.

Claims

1. An turbine blade comprising:

at least one protrusion along at least a portion of a surface of said blade; and
a twisted portion.

2. The turbine blade of claim 1 wherein the at least one protrusion comprises at least one outward protrusion.

3. The turbine blade of claim 2 wherein the at least one outward protrusion comprises at least one ridge.

4. The turbine blade of claim 1 wherein said ridges are at least partially recessed on a surface of the blade.

5. The turbine blade of claim 1 wherein said at least one protrusion and said twisted portion at least partially overlap.

6. The turbine blade of claim 1 wherein said at least one protrusion is on an inside surface of the blade.

7. The turbine blade of claim 1 wherein said ridges are on an outside surface of the blade.

8. The turbine blade of claim 1 wherein said twisted portion is evenly distributed along the entire length of said blade.

9. The turbine blade of claim 1 wherein said twisted portion is evenly distributed along a portion of said blade that is less than the entire length of the blade.

10. The turbine blade of claim 1 wherein said twisted portion is unevenly distributed along the entire length of said blade.

11. The turbine blade of claim 1 wherein said twisted portion is unevenly distributed along a portion of said blade that is less than the entire length of the blade.

12. The turbine blade of claim 1 wherein said blade is substantially flat.

13. The turbine blade of claim 1 wherein said blade is curved.

14. The turbine blade of claim 1 wherein said blade is concaved on an inside surface of said blade.

15. The turbine blade of claim 1 wherein said blade is made from a simple piece of material.

16. The turbine blade of claim 1 wherein said blade is assembled from a plurality of pieces.

17. The turbine blade of claim 1 wherein the at least one protrusion comprises at least one inward protrusion.

18. The turbine blade of claim 17 wherein the at least one outward protrusion comprises at least one dimple.

19. The turbine blade of claim 18 wherein said at least one dimple is shaped to improve wind flow over the outside surface of said blade.

20. The turbine blade of claim 18 wherein said blade comprises a plurality of approximately uniform size dimples.

21. The turbine blade of claim 18 wherein said blade comprises asymmetrically shaped dimples.

22. The turbine blade of claim 18 wherein said blade comprises dimples having a plurality of sizes.

23. The turbine blade of claim 18 wherein said dimples are at least partially recessed on a surface of the blade.

24. The turbine blade of claim 18, wherein said dimples have a plurality of shapes.

25. A turbine comprising:

at least one blade including:
at least one protrusion along at least a portion of said at least one blade, and
a twisted portion; and
at least one rotor,
wherein said rotor is in communication with said at least one blade.

26. The turbine of claim 25 wherein said at least one protrusion and said twisted portion of said blade at least partially overlap.

27. The turbine of claim 25 wherein said at least one blade is attached on at least one end to at least one end piece.

28. The turbine of claim 27 wherein said at least one end piece is in communication with said at least one rotor.

29. The turbine of claim 25 wherein said turbine further comprises a shaft in communication with at the at least one blade.

30. The turbine of claim 29, wherein said shaft is in communication with a magnetic or flexible coupler between said blade and said rotor.

31. The turbine of claim 29, wherein said shaft is in communication with at least one rotor.

32. The turbine of claim 25 wherein said at least one blade is made of materials selected from a group consisting of carbon fiber, fiber reinforced thermoplast, fiberglass, plastic, metal and epoxy.

33. The turbine of claim 25 wherein said at least one blade comprises a plurality of blades and wherein said blades are symmetrically opposed.

34. The turbine of claim 25 wherein said at least one blade comprises a plurality of blades and said blades are arranged in said turbine directing energy transfer from one blade to another blade.

35. The turbine of claim 34 wherein said energy is wind energy.

36. The turbine of claim 34 wherein said energy is hydrodynamic energy.

37. The turbine of claim 25 wherein said at least one blade comprises a plurality of blades and said blades are arranged in said turbine directing energy transfer from one blade to another blade having unobstructed air flow through at least a portion of an approximately central axis of rotation of said turbine.

38. The turbine of claim 37, wherein said portion of an approximately central axis of rotation of the turbine is approximately as long as the twisted portion of the blades.

39. The turbine of claim 25 wherein said turbine is mounted on a surface to provide an angle within a range of approximately horizontal to approximately vertical with respect to the surface upon which the turbine is mounted and an approximately central axis of rotation of said turbine.

40. The turbine of claim 25 further comprising a wind augmentation device.

41. The turbine of claim 25 wherein said protrusion is an outward protrusion.

42. The turbine of claim 41 wherein said outward protrusion includes a ridge.

43. The turbine of claim 26 wherein said ridge is shaped to resist wind flow in one direction.

44. The turbine of claim 26 wherein said blade comprises a plurality of said ridges.

45. The turbine of claim 26 wherein said ridges are at least partially recessed on a surface of the blade.

46. The turbine of claim 25 wherein said protrusion is an inward protrusion.

47. The turbine of claim 25 wherein said inward protrusion includes a dimple.

48. The turbine of claim 25 wherein said twisted portion is evenly distributed along a portion of said blade that is less than the entire length of the blade.

49. The turbine of claim 25 wherein said at least one blade is curved.

50. The turbine of claim 49, wherein said curve is concave on an inside surface of said blade.

51. A turbine blade, wherein said blade comprises:

at least one flared portion; and
a twisted portion.

52. The turbine blade of claim 51, wherein said flared portion and said twisted portion at least partially overlap.

53. The turbine blade of claim 51 wherein said flared portion is widest at approximately the middle of the blade's length.

54. The turbine blade of claim 51 wherein said blade comprises two or more flared portions.

55. The turbine blade of claim 51 wherein said twisted portion is evenly distributed along the entire length of said blade.

56. The turbine blade of claim 51 wherein said twisted portion is unevenly distributed along a portion of said blade that is less than the entire length of the blade.

57. The turbine blade of claim 51 wherein said blade is curved.

58. The turbine blade of claim 51 wherein said blade is concave on an inside surface of said blade.

59. The turbine blade of claim 51 wherein said blade is made from a plurality of pieces.

60. A turbine comprising:

one or more blades wherein at least one of said blades comprises a flared portion and a twisted portion; and
at least one rotor,
wherein said rotor is in communication with at least one of said blades.

61. The turbine of claim 60 wherein said flared portion and said twisted portion of said blade at least partially overlap.

62. The turbine of claim 60 wherein at least one of said blades is attached on at least one end to at least one end piece.

63. The turbine of claim 62 wherein said end piece is in communication with at least one rotor.

64. The turbine of claim 60 wherein said rotor is in communication with at least one actuator.

65. The turbine of claim 60 wherein said turbine further comprises a shaft in communication with at least one of said one or more blades.

66. The turbine of claim 65 wherein said shaft is in communication with a magnetic or flexible coupler between at least one of said one or more blades and said rotor.

67. The turbine of claim 65 wherein said one or more blades comprises a plurality of blades which are symmetrically opposed.

68. The turbine of claim 65 wherein said one or more blades comprises a plurality of blades and said plurality of blades are arranged in said turbine directing energy transfer from a first blade to a second blade.

69. The turbine of claim 68 wherein said energy is wind energy.

70. The turbine of claim 68 wherein said energy is hydrodynamic energy.

71. The turbine of claim 68 wherein said one or more blades comprises a plurality of blades and said plurality of blades are arranged in said turbine directing energy transfer from a first blade to a second blade having unobstructed flow through at least a portion of an approximately central axis of rotation of said turbine.

72. The turbine of claim 71 wherein said portion of an approximately central axis of rotation of the turbine is approximately as long as the twisted portion of the blades.

73. The turbine of claim 72 wherein said portion of an approximately central axis of rotation of the turbine is approximately as long as said blades.

74. The turbine of claim 60 wherein said turbine is mounted on a surface to provide an angle within a range of approximately horizontal to approximately vertical with respect to the surface upon which the turbine is mounted and an approximately central axis of rotation of said turbine.

75. The turbine of claim 60 further comprising a wind augmentation device.

76. The turbine of claim 60 wherein said flared portion is widest at approximately the middle of the blade's length.

77. The turbine of claim 60 wherein at least one of said one or more blades comprises two or more flared portions.

78. The turbine of claim 60 wherein said twisted portion is evenly distributed along a portion of said blade that is less than the entire length of the blade.

79. The turbine of claim 60 wherein said twisted portion is unevenly distributed along the entire length of said blade.

80. The turbine of claim 60 wherein said blade is curved.

81. The turbine of claim 80 wherein said curve is concaved on an inside surface of said blade.

82. The turbine of claim 60 wherein said at least one or more blades includes a plurality of blades wherein said blades comprise a flared portion and a twisted portion and further comprising at least one end piece attached to each end of at least two of said plurality of blades wherein said blades overlap each other at an approximately central axis of rotation having a space between said blades where the blades overlap.

83. The turbine of claim 82 wherein said flared portion and said twisted portion of said blade are at least partially coincidental.

84. The turbine of claim 82 wherein end pieces comprise at least one channel to accept an end edge of at least one of said blades.

85. A method for capturing energy comprising:

providing a plurality of blades wherein at least one of said blades comprise at least one protrusion along at least a portion of the blade surface and wherein a portion of at least one of said blades is twisted; and
exposing said blades to a flow stream.

86. The method of claim 85 wherein said at least one protrusion is an outward protrusion.

87. The method of claim 85 wherein said at least one protrusion is an inward protrusion.

88. The method of claim 86 wherein said outward protrusion is a ridge.

89. The method of claim 86 wherein said outward protrusion is a raised dimple.

90. The method of claim 87 wherein said inward protrusion is a dimple.

91. The method of claim 85 wherein a portion of at least one of said blades is flared.

92. The method of claim 85 further comprising providing at least one rotor in communication with at least one of said blades.

93. The method of claim 92 further comprising providing at least one actuator.

94. The method of claim 85 wherein said providing step further comprises providing a plurality of dimples along at least a portion of said plurality of blades.

95. The method of claim 85 wherein each blade includes a flared portion.

96. The method of claim 85 wherein said flow stream is selected from the group consisting of airflow and water flow.

97. The method of claim 85 wherein said blades are in connection with a central shaft.

98. A method of translating energy comprising:

providing a plurality of blades in connection with a rotor;
placing said rotor and blades in connection with an end plate;
placing said rotor in communication with an actuator; and
exposing said blades to a flow stream.

99. The method of claim 98 wherein said flow stream is selected from the group consisting of airflow and water flow.

100. The method of claim 98 wherein said providing step further comprises providing s plurality of blades wherein said blades comprise at least one ridge along at least a portion of the blade surface and wherein a portion of said blades are twisted.

101. The method of claim 98 wherein said providing step further comprises providing s plurality of blades wherein a portion of said blades are flared.

102. The method of claim 98 wherein said actuator is selected from a group consisting or a generator, a mill, a pump, a speed control device, and a brake.

103. The method of claim 98 wherein said providing step further comprises providing a plurality of dimples along at least a portion of said plurality of blades.

104. The method of claim 98 wherein said blades are in connection with a central shaft.

Patent History
Publication number: 20080273977
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 21, 2005
Publication Date: Nov 6, 2008
Inventor: Jeffrey R. Beard (Aberdeen, WA)
Application Number: 10/570,400
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: Spiral Blade Or Flow Passage (360 Degree) (416/176); 416/227.00R; 416/236.00R; Method Of Operation (416/1)
International Classification: F01D 5/12 (20060101); F01D 5/14 (20060101); F01D 5/00 (20060101);