Abstract: A vertical axis wind turbine is disclosed which includes an upstanding tower. A plurality of radially spaced-apart airfoil supports are rotatably mounted on the tower which extend outwardly therefrom. A generally vertically disposed airfoil blade is pivotally secured, about a vertical axis, to the outer end of each of the airfoil supports. A wind vane is secured to each of the airfoil blades which causes pivotal movement of the associated airfoil blade relative to the associated airfoil support in response to wind direction. A mechanism interconnects each of the airfoil blades to the associated wind vane which causes pivotal displacement of the airfoil blade with respect to the associated wind vane and wind flow with the pivotal displacement being of a magnitude and direction to cause a forward thrust to the airfoil blade from wind acting on the airfoil blade.

Abstract: A blade system and method of use for a wind turbine to produce electrical power. The system has a vertical rotor shaft coupled to an anchor pad and supports a horizontal blade arm. A blade assembly having a rotatable flap is coupled to the blade arm. The flap captures the wind which causes the rotor shaft to rotate and generates electrical power from an electrical generator.

Abstract: A turbine for use with a turbine generator, the turbine including at least one turbine blade for positioning in a flowpath, a hub mounting the at least one turbine blade, and a rotatable shaft in operational communication with the hub via a hinge assembly, an axis of the hub being independent of an axis of the shaft. The hinge assembly is disposed between the shaft and the hub and configured to adjust an angle therebetween. A controller assembly is configured to adjust at least one operational characteristic of the hinge assembly during turbine operation. In one embodiment the operational characteristic is a teeter angle of the hinge assembly. In one embodiment operational characteristic is a stiffness or damping force. Methods for using and controlling a fluid turbine are also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for reducing asymmetric rotor load in a wind turbine includes calculating a time delay for pitching each blade toward feather upon initiation of a shutdown condition. The blades with the larger blade angle begin moving toward feather with an initial pitch rate, while the blade with the smallest blade angle begins moving toward feather with a final pitch rate. Once all the blades have reached approximately an identical blade angle, the blades move simultaneously together to feather at the final pitch rate. By introducing the time delay for pitching the blades having higher blade angles at the final pitch rate, a simple, time-based correction of initial conditions during shutdown reduces the extreme loads on turbine components.

Abstract: A wind turbine uses a support tower with a rotatable upper portion supporting an electric generating turbine. A set of radially oriented blades rotate in a vertical plane. A control vane is mounted on a hinge bar and is movable vertically along the bar as well as bilaterally about the hinge bar, when the control vane is lifted out of a restraint well under the force of a wind vector moving in a first horizontal direction where the turbine would be counter-rotated. The control vane is pressed into the restraint well under the force of a wind vector moving in a second direction, essentially opposing the first direction. The control vane is urged to rotate laterally when lifted out of the restraint well, thereby rotating the upper tower portion until the control vane is positioned for being pressed into the restraint well so as to align the turbine blades for preferred blade rotation.

Abstract: A multiplicity of horizontal axis rotors are coaxially attached, at spaced intervals, to an elongate driveshaft. This driveshaft with attached rotors is aimed, not directly into the wind, but at a slightly offset angle, allowing each rotor to encounter a wind stream having fresh wind, substantially undisturbed by upwind rotors, reducing wind shadow effects from rotor to rotor. That offset angle may be in the vertical plane, horizontal plane, or oblique. The shaft is held with rotational freedom at or near its midsection by a cantilevered bearing means, and drives a load, such as an electrical generator. This cantilevered bearing means, along with the rotor laden driveshaft which it supports, is allowed to pivot, as an entire unit, about the vertical axis of a supporting tower. Certain embodiments comprise an active aiming means, others are configured to have more wind resistance from a downwind section than an upwind section, and so are self-aiming, like a weathervane.

Abstract: A vertical-axle wind power machine comprises a vertical axle, a plurality of jointed radial arms, a plurality of counterbalanced oblique blades at the support points thereof, a friction-rewarding rotary speed multiplying transmission, and an automatic rotary speed regulating means to be performed by either a wind-operated or an alternative digital controlled rotary speed regulating device; the combination of which provides the oblique blades with great sensitivity to the alternation of lee wind and head wind for automatic swinging to the most efficient lee angle at upstanding and overturned positions to sail nearly three quarters and streamline against the head wind resistance for the remaining quarter every circle of rotation, is able to convert the centripetal and centrifugal component forces to the same torque direction of the tangential component force from the same blade by an eccentric-guided angular bracket means and a fork-rooted radial arm, is able to offset the friction loss in the rotary speed mult

Abstract: A wind energy conversion device includes a support frame that pivots on a vertical yaw axis, and a rotor/bushing assembly coupled to the support frame through a governing coupling that permits the rotor/bushing assembly to pivot on a governing axis relative to the support frame. The governing axis is inclined from the vertical preferably by about 30.degree. to provide a substantial gravitational bias of the rotor/bushing assembly toward a normal operating position when wind velocities are below a predetermined threshold. The governing axis also is laterally offset from a drive axis about which the wind rotates a propeller of the rotor/bushing assembly. This facilitates alignment of the rotor/bushing assembly so that the drive axis intersects the yaw axis. As a result, wind induced thrust does not generate a torque about the yaw axis.

Abstract: The windmill has a stub tower having a rotatable platform carrying a wind driven fan with an input shaft driving a transmission mechanism on the platform. The mechanism carries two balanced cranks which rotate continuously and two pitman arms at opposite ends of an output cross shaft driving a single rocking beam having a massive head moved up and down. The head is coupled by flexible members to a vertical pump rod which is reciprocated by the rocking beam. A tail assembly coupled to the platform tracks the wind and rotates the platform so that the fan faces into the wind. The tracking assembly furls the fan out of the wind when the wind speed is excessive. The tracking assembly rises up on an inclined coupling rod to load the tracking assembly gravitationally when the fan is in furled position. When the wind speed decreases, the tracking assembly descends on the coupling rod to turn the platform and unfurl the fan to face the wind.

Abstract: A windmill includes a plurality of fan blade units pivotally mounted in a central vertical transmission shaft each unit having a right-leaf vertical fan blade and a left-leaf horizontal fan blade in which the vertical fan blade as rotated to the leeward can be feathered by a forward rotation of a driving motor to reduce its wind resistance during its leftward rotation towards the windward, and the horizontal fan blade when rotated to the windward can be vertically erected ready for receiving wind energy by a reverse rotation of the motor during its righward rotation towards the leeward for efficiently collecting the wind energy for driving the transmission shaft for power generation.

Abstract: A wind turbine of the type having a rotor (1, 31) with a relatively large number of vanes (3-14, 35-40) mounted one behind the other on a central shaft (2, 30) of the rotor. At least a number of the vanes are mounted for free rotation relative to the central shaft and are coupled to adjacent vanes by a catch device (51, 52, 54, 55). A detecting device (100-105) is provided for detecting impending overload of the rotor, and a vane adjusting device (60-67) is provided which in response to impending overload detected by the detecting device can turn the vanes mounted for free rotation relative to the shaft and relatively to one another so that the vanes become at least partially aligned one behind the other.

Abstract: An improved hydroelectric system provides automatic adjustment for both tidal (reversing) and river (one way) type flow. A plurality of parallel, axial flow auger-type impellors are mounted in a horizontal plane on a floating, inverted-dry-dock type vessel that has an upper deck mounting hydroelectric generators. The vessel has no bottom beneath the impellors but has parallel with them on each side a tank for buoyancy and level and flow control. Over and under the impellors are pivoting deflectors that direct flow onto the impellors and automatically reverse and rest against appropriate bumper stops when the flow reverses, from one open end to the other open end of the vessel.

Abstract: A windmill employs a separate wind vane pivotably mounted on the chassis of the windmill. An internal sensor detects the relative angle between the wind vane and the windmill and activates the pitch-control mechanism of the windmill to feather the windmill blades whenever the angle exceeds a predetermined maximum.