WO2025075640A1

WO2025075640A1 - Wind power device

Info

Publication number: WO2025075640A1
Application number: PCT/US2023/075822
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wei-Jin LEE; Niel LEE; Erik Lee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2023-10-03
Filing date: 2023-10-03
Publication date: 2025-04-10
Anticipated expiration: 2026-04-03
Also published as: CN119755014A

Abstract

A wind power device has a housing and at least one power transferring assembly. The housing has a height direction, a width direction, a front side, a back side, an air inlet, and an air outlet. The power transferring assembly has a guiding board and multiple first wind turbines. The guiding board extends from the front side to the back side of the housing. The guiding board has a back end located higher than a front end. Multiple grooves are formed on the guiding board. The first wind turbines are respectively disposed in the grooves. Each one of the first wind turbines has a shaft and multiple scoops. In any two of the first wind turbines, a scoop size of the first wind turbine which is farther from the air inlet is larger than the other. Therefore, the guiding board is capable of guiding and concentrating the airflow.

Description

WIND POWER DEVICE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a wind power device, especially to a wind power device that has multiple wind turbines arranged in a flow channel.

2. Description of the Prior Arts

Conventionally, a wind power device in the configuration of a wind tunnel has a wind tunnel and multiple wind turbines mounted in the wind tunnel. As shown in the China patent publications NO. CN101,109,364A, NO. CN114,183,304A, and NO. CN1,858,442A, the wind turbines are arranged in a row along the wind tunnel and are level with each other, and all of the wind turbines are identical; however, the wind turbines in this arrangement cannot be operated effectively since the prior wind turbine has weakened the airflow, and thereby the airflow is not strong enough to drive the latter wind turbines.

Some other designs expand the wind tunnel to make space between blades of the wind turbines and an inner wall surface of the wind tunnel to preserve a strength of the airflow, but a part of the airflow near the inner wall surface of the wind tunnel would pass the wind tunnel without contacting the blades of the wind turbines due to the arrangement of the wind turbines, and therefore the energy of the airflow is not sufficiently utilized.

To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a wind power device to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide a wind power device that is capable of utilizing energy of an airflow more sufficiently.

The wind power device has a housing and at least one power transferring assembly. The housing has a height direction and a width direction. An air inlet is formed on a front side of the housing, and the air inlet expands along the height direction and the width direction. An air outlet is formed adjacent to a back side of the housing. A chamber is formed in the housing, and the chamber fluidly communicates with the air inlet and the air outlet. The power transferring assembly is mounted in the chamber, and each one of the at least one power transferring assembly has a guiding board and multiple first wind turbines. The guiding board is disposed in the chamber, and the guiding board is connected to two opposite inner wall surfaces along the width direction of the housing, and the guiding board extends from the front side to the back side of the housing. The guiding board has a front end and a back end at two opposite ends of the guiding board, the front end is adjacent to the front side of the housing, and the back end is adjacent to the back side of the housing, and the back end is located higher than the front end along the height direction. Multiple grooves are formed on the guiding board, and the grooves are arranged along an extending direction of the guiding board and spaced apart from each other. Two ends of each one of the grooves extend to the two opposite inner wall surfaces along the width direction of the housing. The first wind turbines are respectively disposed in the grooves, and an upper half part of each one of the first wind turbines protrudes upward from the guiding board. Each one of the first wind turbines has a shaft and multiple scoops. The shaft is disposed along the width direction, and the scoops are connected to the shaft along a circumferential direction of the shaft, and the scoops are spaced apart from each other. Wherein, a length of the scoop along a radial direction of the shaft of the first wind turbine is a scoop size, and in any two of the first wind turbines, the scoop size of the first wind turbine which is farther from the air inlet is larger than the other; one end of the shaft of one of the first wind turbines extends out of the housing.

Therefore, the guiding board is capable of guiding and converging the airflow, thereby increasing strength of the airflow to drive the first wind turbines. Besides, arrangement in locations and the scoop sizes to the first wind turbines helps the first wind turbines to contact the airflow over the whole cross-sectional surface of a space between a top side of the housing and the guiding board, thereby utilizing the energy of the airflow more completely.

Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a wind power device in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the wind power device in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a power transferring assembly of the wind power device in Fig. 1, shown connected to multiple power generators and without second wind turbines; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the wind power device in accordance with the present invention; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the wind power device in Fig. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to Figs. 1 to 3, a first embodiment of a wind power device in accordance with the present invention includes a housing 10, a power transferring assembly 20, and multiple power generators 30. The housing 10 has a height direction H, a width direction W, a front side 11, and a back side 12. The housing 10 includes an air inlet 13, an air outlet 14, two lateral sides 15, multiple filtering nets 16, and a chamber 17.

In this embodiment, the housing 10 is a cuboid, and the front side 11 and the back side 12 are two surfaces which are opposite to each other, but it is not limited thereto, the housing 10 may be in other shapes according to needs. The air inlet 13 is formed on the front side 11 of the housing 10, and expands along the height direction H and the width direction W; to be more precise, in this embodiment, an area of the air inlet 13 is as large as an area of the front side 11, but it is not limited thereto.

The air outlet 14 is formed adjacent to the back side 12 of the housing 10, and in this embodiment, the air outlet 14 is formed on one of the two lateral sides 15. To be more precise, the two lateral sides 15 of the housing 10 are opposite to each other, and each one of the lateral sides 15 connects with the front side 11 and the back side 12. The housing 10 in this embodiment preferably includes two said air outlets 14 respectively formed on the two lateral sides 15. Each one of the air outlets 14 is located at the end of a corresponding one of the lateral sides 15, and said end is adjacent to the back side 12, but it is not limited thereto; for example, in another embodiment, the housing 10 may only have one air outlet 14, and the air outlet 14 is formed on one of the two opposite lateral sides 15 of the housing 10; or the air outlet 14 may be formed on the back side 12 of the housing 10. In addition, in this embodiment, an area of the air outlet 14 may be smaller than the air inlet 13, and the air outlet 14 is located adjacent to a top side of the housing 10, but it is not limited thereto, as a location of the air outlet 14 may be adjusted according to the need of the user; for example, in another embodiment, the air outlet 14 may be located adjacent to a bottom side of the housing 10, a middle part of the back side 12 along the height direction H, or another part of the housing 10.

In this embodiment, the housing 10 may further include the filtering nets 16, the filtering nets 16 respectively cover the air inlet 13 and the two air outlets 14, but it is not limited thereto.

The chamber 17 is formed in the housing 10, and the chamber 17 fluidly communicates with the air inlet 13 and the air outlet 14, and thereby an airflow may flow into the housing 10 via the air inlet 13, pass through the chamber 17, and then flow out from the air outlet 14.

The power transferring assembly 20 is mounted in the chamber 17, and the power transferring assembly 20 has a guiding board 21 and multiple first wind turbines 22.

The guiding board 21 is disposed in the chamber 17, the guiding board 21 is connected to two opposite inner wall surfaces along the width direction W of the housing 10, and the guiding board 21 extends from the front side 11 to the back side 12 of the housing 10. The guiding board 21 has a front end 211, a back end 212, and multiple grooves 213.

The front end 211 and the back end 212 are two opposite ends of the guiding board 21, and the front end 211 is located adjacent to the front side 11 of the housing 10 as well as the back end 212 is located adjacent to the back side 12 of the housing 10. In this embodiment, the back end 212 is located higher than the front end 211 along the height direction H. To be more precise, a space between the guiding board 21 and the top side of the housing 10 forms a flow channel, and the guiding board 21 is arranged inclined such that an area of a cross-sectional surface of the flow channel is decreasing from the front end 211 to the back end 212 of the guiding board 21.

The grooves 213 are formed on the guiding board 21, arranged along an extending direction of the guiding board 21, and spaced apart from one another. To be more precise, the grooves 213 are arranged from the front end 211 to the back end 212 of the guiding board 21. Two ends of each one of the grooves 213 respectively extend to the two opposite inner wall surfaces along the width direction W of the housing 10, but it is not limited thereto.

The first wind turbines 22 are respectively disposed in the grooves 213. Each one of the first wind turbines 22 has a shaft 221 and multiple scoops 222. In this embodiment, an upper half part of each one of the first wind turbines 22 protrudes upward from the guiding board 21; in other words, the shaft 221 is level with the guiding board 21, but it is not limited thereto. In addition, the first wind turbines 22 in this embodiment are vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs). The shaft 221 is disposed along the width direction W in a corresponding one of the grooves 213; the scoops 222 are connected to the shaft 221 along a circumferential direction of the shaft 221, and the scoops 222 are spaced apart from each other. An end of the shaft 221 of one of the first wind turbines 22 extends out of the housing 10; preferably, in this embodiment, two ends of the shaft 221 of each one of the first wind turbines 22 extend out of the housing 10, but it is not limited thereto; for example, in another embodiment, the wind power device may have only one of the ends of the shaft 221 of one of the first wind turbines 22 extending out of the housing 10, and the wind power device may further have a link unit such as a belt which connects all of the first wind turbines 22 to transfer powers into one single output.

In this embodiment, each one of the scoops 222 extends to the two opposite inner wall surfaces of the housing 10 along the width direction W; in addition, each one of the scoops 222 has a windward side, and when the scoop 222 rotates with the shaft 221 to an uppermost position, the windward side would face to the air inlet 13.

A length of the scoop 222 along a radial direction of the shaft 221 of the first wind turbine 22 is defined as a scoop size, and in any two of the first wind turbines 22, the scoop size of the first wind turbine 22 which is farther from the air inlet 13 is larger than the other; in other words, the first wind turbines 22 have varied scoop sizes, and the first wind turbines 22 from the air inlet 13 to the air outlet 14 are arranged in an order of increasing scoop sizes.

In this embodiment, each one of the first wind turbines 22 may have two bearings 223 which are mounted on the housing 10 and the shaft 221. To be more precise, the two bearings 223 are respectively mounted on the two opposite lateral sides 15 of the housing 10, and the shaft 221 is supported by the two bearings 223.

In this embodiment, a power generator 30 is connected to the shaft 221 of one of the first wind turbines 22, thereby the power generator 30 is driven by the first wind turbine 22, and generates electrical power, but it is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the shaft 221 of the first wind turbines 22 may connect with other devices such as a gear set, a heat generator, and so on.

The wind power device may further have a second wind turbine 23 which is mounted at the air outlet 14. In this embodiment, the second wind turbine 23 is a horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) and has a shaft and multiple blades, a windward surface of each one of the blades faces inward with respect to the housing 10, and the shaft extends to an exterior of the housing 10 through the air outlet 14, but it is not limited thereto; in another embodiment, the second wind turbine 23 may not be an HAWT, or the wind power device does not have the second wind turbine 23.

When the wind power device is in operation, the airflow enters the chamber 17 via the air inlet 13, and then flows along the guiding board 21. Due to the decreasing area of the cross-sectional surface of the flow channel from the front end 211 to the back end 212 of the guiding board 21, the airflow would be converged and accelerated according to the continuity principle in fluid mechanics, and the converged airflow is strong enough to drive the first wind turbines 22 located latter in the flow channel, and thus the energy of the airflow can be utilized more completely and effectively. Since the first wind turbines 22 are arranged in the order of increasing scoop sizes from the front end 211 to the back end 212 of the guiding board 21, the wind power device is capable of effectively utilizing the energy of the airflow over the whole cross-sectional surface of the flow channel; in addition, instead of being arranged level with each other, the first wind turbines 22 are mounted along the guiding board 21 which is inclined, thereby reducing influences of the first wind turbines 22 located prior in the flow channel.

Finally, when the airflow arrives at the air outlet 14, the airflow would drive the second wind turbine 23, thereby fully utilizing the energy that the airflow contains. In this embodiment, the wind power device may be installed on a building, and thus the back side 12 of the housing 10 is connected to a wall of the building, such that the air outlet 14 is located on the lateral side 15 of the housing 10; as a result, the second wind turbine 23 is designed as an HAWT, but it is not limited thereto, in another embodiment which has the air outlet 14 located on the back side 12 of the housing 10, the second wind turbine 23 may be designed as a VAWT like the first wind turbines 22.

Next, with reference to Figs. 4 and 5, a second embodiment of the wind power device is similar to the first embodiment, but a main difference of the second embodiment is that the second embodiment has three of said power transferring assemblies 20 mounted in the housing 10A.

The three power transferring assemblies 20 are arranged in the chamber 17A along the height direction H, and thereby the wind power device is capable of contacting the airflow over a large-sized area of the air inlet 13 A, transferring much more energy of the airflow. Besides, a number of the power transferring assemblies 20 is not limited to three; in another embodiment, the wind power device may have two or more than three of the power transferring assemblies 20.

In this embodiment, a part of the chamber 17A forms a communicating portion 171 A, said part of the chamber 17A is adjacent to the back side 12A of the housing 10A. The guiding board 21 of each one of the power transferring assemblies 20 does not extend into the communicating portion 171 A, and thus the airflow is capable of flowing upward in the communicating portion 171 A, and then the airflow flows out via the air outlet 14 which is located adjacent to the top side of the housing 10A. Due to the communicating portion 171 A, the airflows guided by the different guiding boards 21 are converged into one single stream and become strong enough to drive the second wind turbine 23.

In summary, the power transferring assembly 20 has the guiding board 21 which retracts the cross-sectional surface of the flow channel, thereby being capable of helping to converge the airflow; besides, arrangement in locations and the scoop sizes to the first wind turbines 22 also helps the first wind turbines 22 to contact the airflow over the whole cross-sectional surface, thereby utilizing the energy of the airflow more completely.

Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and features of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

CLAIMS WHAT IS CLAIMED IS;

1. A wind power device comprising: a housing having: a height direction and a width direction; an air inlet formed on a front side of the housing, the air inlet expanding along the height direction and the width direction; an air outlet formed on or adjacent to a back side of the housing; and a chamber formed in the housing, and the chamber fluidly communicating with the air inlet and the air outlet; and at least one power transferring assembly mounted in the chamber, and each one of the at least one power transferring assembly having: a guiding board disposed in the chamber, the guiding board connected to two opposite inner wall surfaces along the width direction of the housing, and the guiding board extending from the front side to the back side of the housing; the guiding board having: a front end and a back end at two opposite ends of the guiding board, the front end adjacent to the front side of the housing and the back end adjacent to the back side of the housing, and the back end located higher than the front end along the height direction; multiple grooves formed on the guiding board, arranged along an extending direction of the guiding board and spaced apart from each other, and two ends of each one of the grooves extending to the two opposite inner wall surfaces along the width direction of the housing; and multiple first wind turbines respectively disposed in the grooves, and an upper half part of each one of the first wind turbines protruding upward from the guiding board; each one of the first wind turbines having: a shaft disposed along the width direction; and multiple scoops connected to the shaft along a circumferential direction of the shaft, and the scoops spaced apart from each other; wherein, a length of the scoop along a radial direction of the shaft of the first wind turbine is a scoop size, and in any two of the first wind turbines, the scoop size of the first wind turbine which is farther from the air inlet is larger than the other; one end of the shaft of one of the first wind turbines extends out of the housing.

2. The wind power device as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the air outlet is formed on the back side of the housing.

3. The wind power device as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the air outlet is formed on one of two opposite lateral sides of the housing.

4. The wind power device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the wind power device has: multiple filtering nets respectively covering the air inlet and the air outlet.

5. The wind power device as claimed in claim 3, wherein, the wind power device has: multiple filtering nets respectively covering the air inlet and the air outlet.

6. The wind power device as claimed in claim 1, wherein: a second wind turbine is mounted at the air outlet.

7. The wind power device as claimed in claim 5, wherein: a second wind turbine is mounted at the air outlet.

8. The wind power device as claimed in claim 1, wherein: two bearings are mounted on the shaft of each one of the first wind turbines, and the two bearings are mounted on the housing.

9. The wind power device as claimed in claim 7, wherein: two bearings are mounted on the shaft of each one of the first wind turbines, and the two bearings are mounted on the housing.

10. The wind power device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wind power device further has: a power generator connected to the shaft of one of the first wind turbines.

11. The wind power device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the wind power device further has: a power generator connected to the shaft of one of the first wind turbines.

12. The wind power device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wind power device has multiple said power transferring assemblies.

13. The wind power device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the wind power device has multiple said power transferring assemblies.