Energy conversion apparatus

Patent · Tue Apr 20 00:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6463119

Fuchs, F J

An apparatus for maintaining the speed of rotation of a windmill rotor at a fixed ratio to the free flow velocity of the driving wind. This arrangement permits the windmill rotor to rotate at the speed at which its power output is maximized. The apparatus includes a plurality of interleaved rotating and stationary friction discs which convert the rotational kinetic energy of the windmill rotor shaft into thermal energy. An anemometer shaft, which rotates with a velocity which is proportional to the ambient wind velocity, drives a gear train which increases or decreases the pressure on the friction discs so that the load on the rotor is increased or decreased, in an offsetting manner, as the wind velocity changes.

• Assignee: EDB-83-084197
• Patent Number(s): US 4325354
• OSTI ID: 6463119
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 22 Jan 1979; Other Information: PAT-APPL-005003
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

17 WIND ENERGY
WIND POWER PLANTS
DESIGN
ANEMOMETERS
ENERGY CONVERSION
EQUIPMENT
FLUID FLOW
GEARS
HEAT
KINETIC ENERGY
ROTATION
ROTORS
SHAFTS
VELOCITY
VERTICAL AXIS TURBINES
WIND TURBINES
CONVERSION
ENERGY
MACHINE PARTS
MACHINERY
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MOTION
POWER PLANTS
TURBINES
TURBOMACHINERY
170602* - Wind Energy Engineering- Turbine Design & Operation