GB2568972A - Power generation apparatus and its method of use - Google Patents

Power generation apparatus and its method of use Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2568972A
GB2568972A GB1720192.2A GB201720192A GB2568972A GB 2568972 A GB2568972 A GB 2568972A GB 201720192 A GB201720192 A GB 201720192A GB 2568972 A GB2568972 A GB 2568972A
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United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
shaft
mobius
rotating part
axis length
energy
Prior art date
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GB1720192.2A
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GB201720192D0 (en
Inventor
John Jones Alan
Rajendra Bompally Meera
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Eight Twenty LLP
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Eight Twenty LLP
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Priority to GB1720192.2A priority Critical patent/GB2568972A/en
Publication of GB201720192D0 publication Critical patent/GB201720192D0/en
Publication of GB2568972A publication Critical patent/GB2568972A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02S—GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
    • H02S10/00—PV power plants; Combinations of PV energy systems with other systems for the generation of electric power
    • H02S10/10—PV power plants; Combinations of PV energy systems with other systems for the generation of electric power including a supplementary source of electric power, e.g. hybrid diesel-PV energy systems
    • H02S10/12—Hybrid wind-PV energy systems
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03D—WIND MOTORS
    • F03D3/00—Wind motors with rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the air flow entering the rotor 
    • F03D3/06—Rotors
    • F03D3/061—Rotors characterised by their aerodynamic shape, e.g. aerofoil profiles
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03D—WIND MOTORS
    • F03D9/00—Adaptations of wind motors for special use; Combinations of wind motors with apparatus driven thereby; Wind motors specially adapted for installation in particular locations
    • F03D9/007—Adaptations of wind motors for special use; Combinations of wind motors with apparatus driven thereby; Wind motors specially adapted for installation in particular locations the wind motor being combined with means for converting solar radiation into useful energy
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/0248—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies
    • H01L31/036—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by their crystalline structure or particular orientation of the crystalline planes
    • H01L31/0392—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by their crystalline structure or particular orientation of the crystalline planes including thin films deposited on metallic or insulating substrates ; characterised by specific substrate materials or substrate features or by the presence of intermediate layers, e.g. barrier layers, on the substrate
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/0248—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies
    • H01L31/036—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by their crystalline structure or particular orientation of the crystalline planes
    • H01L31/0392—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by their crystalline structure or particular orientation of the crystalline planes including thin films deposited on metallic or insulating substrates ; characterised by specific substrate materials or substrate features or by the presence of intermediate layers, e.g. barrier layers, on the substrate
    • H01L31/03926—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by their crystalline structure or particular orientation of the crystalline planes including thin films deposited on metallic or insulating substrates ; characterised by specific substrate materials or substrate features or by the presence of intermediate layers, e.g. barrier layers, on the substrate comprising a flexible substrate
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/04—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
    • H01L31/042—PV modules or arrays of single PV cells
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
    • F05B—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
    • F05B2240/00—Components
    • F05B2240/20—Rotors
    • F05B2240/21—Rotors for wind turbines
    • F05B2240/211—Rotors for wind turbines with vertical axis
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
    • F05B—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
    • F05B2250/00—Geometry
    • F05B2250/20—Geometry three-dimensional
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
    • Y02B10/00—Integration of renewable energy sources in buildings
    • Y02B10/30—Wind power
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
    • Y02B10/00—Integration of renewable energy sources in buildings
    • Y02B10/70—Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/70—Wind energy
    • Y02E10/74—Wind turbines with rotation axis perpendicular to the wind direction

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Sustainable Energy (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Wind Motors (AREA)

Abstract

A power generation apparatus 10, comprising: a shaft 20; and a rotating part 12 coupled to the shaft about an axis of rotation for converting wind energy into electrical energy, and wherein the rotating part 12 being in the shape of a Mobius and being at least partially covered with a photovoltaic material 26 for converting solar energy into electrical energy. The axis of rotation may be vertical or horizontal. The shaft 20 may be coupled to the turbine blade 12 at its peripheral edge. The Mobius strip may be elongate and have a longitudinal axis length to a short axis length in the ratio of between 1:1 to 30:1. The PV material used may be crystalline silicon (c-Si), cadmium telluride (CaTe), amorphous silicon (a-Si) or copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS). The Mobius may be entirely covered in photovoltaic material 26. The shaft 20 may be coupled to the rotor of an electrical generator. The power generated may be converted to an appropriate voltage and frequency for supply to a power grid or electrical load.

Description

POWER GENERATION APPARATUS AND ITS METHOD OF USE
Technical Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to a power generation apparatus and its method of use. In particular, this invention relates to a power generation apparatus which harnesses both solar and wind energy sources to produce electrical energy.
Background
It is well known that the energy requirements for the world are increasing year-on-year, whereas the available hydrocarbon energy reserves are a finite resource. Despite new coal, oil and gas fields being found, and new ways of extracting these dwindling resources developed, considerable attention has turned to renewable energy sources as a way of supplying the ever-growing energy needs of the world. However, in 2015, renewable sources of energy still only contributed around 10% of the world’s energy.
Unlike geothermal, hydroelectric, tidal and wave energy, all areas of the world are subject to wind and sunlight. There have also been substantial technological developments in terms of both solar cells and wind energy systems in recent years and in the United Kingdom alone these renewable resources have seen outputs double in the five years to 2014.
Despite these recent gains, utilisation of these two renewable energy resources still find their critics, with wind energy turbines often objected to as being unsightly on land and offshore, noisy and dangerous to wildlife. Electrical power generation using photovoltaic cells, despite the improvements in terms of efficiency made in recent years, still also has not lived up to the expectations of the 1990s. The capital expenditure is still too high for many to justify the return on investment and the amount of sunlight and daylight received varies with location and also seasonally. Banks of tracking or focussed systems, which include complex and expensive control systems to orientate the photovoltaic cell to the sunlight, are also unsightly.
In an attempt to address some of the problems, including aesthetics, various wind energy vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT) have been developed. These systems present a much smaller height and footprint which can reduce noise and potential damage and disruption to wildlife. It has also been proposed to combine solar panels with vertical axis wind turbines to increase overall efficiency, as described, for example, in WO 2016/065480 Al, but this approach uses a complex tracking system to align the solar panels. This approach, like all prior art techniques, suffers the same fundamental problem that the wind and solar collectors are not usually aligned so that all of the available resource can be collected or harvested.
In addition, developments in recent years in terms of increased efficiency and aesthetics have led to the development of a solar panel that is formed in the shape of a Mobius strip or band. A Mobius strip is a geometric shape that only has one side and only one boundary or edge. Exploiting the one-sided nature of the Mobius has been proposed to maximise the efficiency of a solar cell, as set out in GB 2 441 178 A.
Whilst various attempts have been made to provide a wind turbine that includes solar cells on, or near, the blades of the turbine to improve the overall efficiency, and to alleviate some of the problems outlined above, although none have solved the problem. Therefore, a strong need exists for a power generation apparatus which enables the effective conversion of both solar and wind energy sources to electrical energy.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a power generation apparatus and its method of use which overcomes or reduces the drawbacks associated with known products of this type. It is an object of the present invention to provide a combined solar and wind power generation apparatus using a one-sided turbine blade shaped as a Mobius strip and which enables wind and solar energy to be collected from any point, direction and speed. The one-sided configuration enabling the maximum amount of the renewable energy resource to be harnessed within the constraints of the conversion efficiencies of the turbine blade and the photovoltaic material, as opposed to more traditional turbines, whose two-sided structure means that, at best, only one side of the blade would be exposed to incident solar energy. The one-sided configuration eliminates the need for expensive and complicated tracking control systems, and may also obviate the need for fluoropolymer coatings. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a power generation apparatus that is actively collecting wind or solar energy or both. The present invention ensures that the power generation apparatus is aesthetically pleasing and scalable and, as such, it can be utilised in many different environments such as industrial, commercial, agricultural, brownfield, greenfield and urban areas.
Summary Of The Invention
The present invention is described herein and in the claims.
According to the present invention there is provided a power generation apparatus, comprising:
a shaft; and a rotating part coupled to the shaft about an axis of rotation for converting wind energy into electrical energy, and wherein the rotating part being in the shape of a Mobius and being at least partially covered with a photovoltaic material for converting solar energy into electrical energy.
An advantage of the present invention is that wind and solar energy can be collected from any point, direction or speed using the one-sided Mobius and thereby maximising the renewable energy sources.
Preferably, the rotating part being formed from a support material.
Further preferably, the support material being a flexible, resilient or rigid material.
In use, the support material may be a synthetic plastics material and/or a thermoplastic and/or thermoset material formed from a blend of virgin and/or recycled polymers from both postindustrial and domestic waste streams.
Preferably, the rotating part is coupled to the shaft around its narrowest point, generally along a line that bisects the longitudinal axis of the Mobius.
Further preferably, the rotating part is coupled to the shaft around its widest point, generally along a line that bisects the short axis of the Mobius.
In use, the axis of rotation may be generally vertical or horizontal.
Preferably, the shaft is coupled to the rotating part at its peripheral edge.
Further preferably, the shaft is coupled to the rotating part at two points of its peripheral edge.
In use, the Mobius may be formed from a strip of support material having a longitudinal axis length to a short axis length in the ratio of around 1:1 to around 30:1.
Preferably, the Mobius being formed from a strip of support material having a longitudinal axis length to a short axis length in the ratio of around 10:1 to around 15:1.
Further preferably, the Mobius being formed from a strip of support material having a longitudinal axis length to a short axis length in the ratio of around 12:1.
In use, the strip of support material forming the Mobius may be twisted about the longitudinal axis length by a twist angle of 180°, 360°, 540°, 720° or more.
Preferably, the ratio of longitudinal axis length to short axis length and/or the twist angle are adjusted to suit climatic conditions and/or location and/or topography.
Further preferably, the photovoltaic material being configured as a photovoltaic cell selected from the group consisting, but not limited to, any one of the following: crystalline silicon (c-Si), cadmium telluride (CaTe), amorphous silicon (a-Si), and copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS).
In use, the Mobius being entirely covered in photovoltaic material.
Preferably, the output of the photovoltaic cell being taken via one or more pairs of connecting wires positioned inside the shaft and connected to a rotational coupling.
Further preferably, the rotational coupling being an electrical slip ring arrangement.
In use, the shaft is elongate, hollow and rigid.
Preferably, the shaft, or parts thereof, is formed from a welded construction and/or machined and/or pressed and/or cast and/or forged from a suitable metal material.
Also according to the present invention there is provided a method of power generation, comprising the steps of:
providing a power generation apparatus comprising a shaft, a rotating part coupled to the shaft about an axis of rotation for converting wind energy into electrical energy, and wherein the rotating part being in the shape of a Mobius and being at least partially covered with a photovoltaic material for converting solar energy into electrical energy;
coupling the shaft to the rotor of electrical generator; and extracting and converting the electrical energy induced in the stator of the electrical generator and the electrical energy obtained from the photovoltaic material to an appropriate voltage and frequency for supply to a power grid or electrical load.
It is believed that a power generation apparatus and its method of use in accordance with the present invention at least addresses the problems outlined above.
It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variations of the present invention are possible and it is intended that the present invention may be used other than as specifically described herein.
Brief Description Of The Dra wings
The present invention will now be described by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows a plan view from the side of a power generation apparatus in accordance with the present invention and shows a combined wind and solar turbine blade being fixed to one end of a shaft;
Figures 2a to 2e are illustrative of various Mobius-shaped solar and wind turbines that can be utilised in the power generation apparatus of the present invention;
Figures 3a to 3f illustrate that solar energy can be collected throughout the day as the sun passes across the sky and how the Mobius-shaped turbine ensures that the maximum amount of solar energy is collected; and
Figure 4 is a high-level schematic diagram showing how power generation apparatus in accordance with the present invention is configured to convert and provide an electrical power output.
Detailed Description Of The Preferred Embodiments
The present invention has adopted the approach of utilising a combined solar and wind power generation apparatus using a one-sided turbine blade shaped as a Mobius strip to enable wind and solar energy to be collected from any point, direction and speed. Advantageously, the one-sided configuration enabling the maximum amount of the renewable energy resource to be harnessed within the constraints of the conversion efficiencies of the turbine blade and the photovoltaic material, as opposed to more traditional turbines, whose two-sided structure means that, at best, only one side of the blade would be exposed to incident solar radiation. Further advantageously, the onesided configuration eliminates the need for expensive and complicated tracking control systems, and may also obviate the need for fluoropolymer coatings. Further advantageously, the present invention provides a power generation apparatus that is actively collecting wind or solar energy or both. The present invention ensures that the power generation apparatus is aesthetically-pleasing and scalable and, as such, it can be utilised in many different environments such as industrial, commercial, agricultural, brownfield, greenfield and urban areas.
Referring now to the drawings, a combined wind and solar energy generating apparatus 10 is shown in Figure 1. The apparatus 10 is configured as a rotating turbine blade 12 that is formed or shaped as a Mobius strip. A Mobius strip is a geometric configuration that only has one side 14 and only has one boundary or edge 16. If one where to trace around the edge 16 one would return to the starting point without ever crossing edge 16. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the Mobius strip is formed from one twist of a rectangular strip of material, although this is in no way intended to be limiting as the turbine blade 12 can be utilised in many different geometrical configurations of Mobius strip, as detailed below.
The Mobius strip forming the turbine blade 12 is formed from a support material. The flat strip of support material is elongate, having a longitudinal, or long, axis and a transverse, or short, axis. The strip of support material may be formed of flexible, resilient or rigid plastics or the like, or any other suitable material, as will be understood to the skilled person. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the strip of support material forming the turbine blade 12 has been twisted about the longitudinal axis by 180°, and the two ends have been attached at a join 18 with this half twist in place.
The periphery of the blade 12 is fixedly attached to a shaft 20 such that the wind flow passing over the blade 12 produces lift and drag which results in a turning torque about the shaft’s 20 axis of rotation causing rotation of shaft 20. The proximal end of the shaft 20 is connected to the blade 12 and the distal end (not shown in Figure 1) is connected to an electrical generator 36 such that the rotational movement of the shaft 20 as it turns under the influence of the wind flow passing over the blade 12 induces a voltage in a plurality of electrical induction coils which are located within an electrical generator 36 stator assembly, as shown schematically in Figure 4.
In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the shaft 20 is elongate and is fixedly attached to the periphery of the blade 12 such that the shaft 20 and the blade 12 are configured in a generally vertical configuration, and the rotation of the blade 12 and shaft 20 is in a generally vertical configuration. In Figure 1, the blade 12 is attached to the shaft 20 at its narrowest point, generally along the line that bisects the major or longitudinal axis of the Mobius strip, such that the blade 12 is elevated in wind flow to maximise the wind flowing onto the blade 12 on its left and right longitudinal edges 22, 24. It is this turning force on the left and right longitudinal edges 22, 24 of the blade 12 that produces a turning force about shaft 20 such that the blade 12 and shaft 20 are rotated in the wind flow.
The surface 14, or portions thereof, of the Mobius strip forming the turbine blade 12 is also covered in a photovoltaic material or solar cell (illustrated schematically as numeral 26 in Figure 1). The connecting wires (not shown) from the photovoltaic material 26 are taken inside the shaft 20 to a rotational coupling 28 (as best shown in Figure 4) such that the incident solar energy falling on the surface 14 of the Mobius strip is converted into electrical energy. The rotational coupling 28 can be provided as an electrical slip ring arrangement which provides an electrical connection between the connecting wires from solar cell 26 and the rotational coupling 28 through a full 360° of rotation. The skilled person will understand that the rotational coupling 28 can also be situated near, or integrated with, the electrical generator 36.
The skilled person will understand that the rotation of the blade 12 on shaft 20 converts wind energy into electrical energy, and also converts solar energy into electrical energy such that wind and solar energy can be collected from any point, direction or speed using the one-sided Mobius strip forming the turbine blade 12 and thereby maximising the effect of both the renewable energy sources. There is no part of the turbine 12 that is not actively collecting wind or solar energy or both. The universal properties of the Mobius strip forming the turbine blade 12 ensuring that uninterrupted, continuous and concentrated solar energy is collected. The terms ‘collection’, ‘harnessing’ and ‘conversion’ are used interchangeably to refer to the process of capturing, or making use of, the wind or solar energy resources and generating electrical energy.
The Mobius strip forming the turbine blade 12 can be formed from a strip of support material having a longitudinal axis length to a short axis length formed as a square (1:1). In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the longitudinal axis length of the strip of support material is around 12 times the short axis width (12:1). The skilled person will appreciate that any number of strip geometries can be utilised from 1:1 to 30:1, or more. The size of the turbine blade 12 can be adjusted to suit any climatic condition, position and/or topography.
In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the solar cell 26 can be implemented as a flexible substrate which supports a crystalline silicon (c-Si) cell technology. Alternatively, the solar cell 26 is selected from the group consisting, but not limited to, any one of the following: cadmium telluride (CaTe), amorphous silicon (a-Si), and copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) and other next generation photovoltaic technologies as the technology matures. The above list is in no way intended to be limiting and exhaustive.
Figures 2a to 2e show various one-sided Mobius strips forming the turbine blade 12 of the combined wind and solar energy generator 10 of the present invention. Whilst in the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1, the strip of support material forming the blade 12 has been twisted about the longitudinal axis by 180°, and the two ends have been attached at a join 18 with this half twist in place. This is in no way intended to be limiting as more than one such half twist may be included, such that the total twist may be 180°, 360°, 540°, 720° etc., as shown in Figures 2a to 2e.
Figures 3a to 3f illustrate how the turbine blade 12 of the combined wind and solar energy generator 10 of the present invention can be used to harness electrical energy throughout the course of the day and to capture the maximum solar energy from the sun.
Figures 3a to 3f show how a shadow 30 is cast from the blade 12 fixedly attached to shaft 20 as the sun (not shown for reasons of clarity) moves across the sky when the apparatus 10 is in use. What is also apparent from Figures 3a to 3f are the shaded portions 32 which show those portions or areas of the blade 12 that are not in direct sunlight at that point in time. The skilled person can see that the incident solar energy falls against the rotating blade 12, the collection and conversion of the solar energy is very high. What is also apparent from Figures 1 to 3 is that the present invention permits wind and solar energy to be collected simultaneously from any point, direction and speed using a onesided Mobius strip forming the turbine blade 12. The shape of the Mobius strip forming the turbine blade 12 ensures that a part of it is always receiving solar energy irrespective of the sun’s position.
The one-sided configuration of the present invention enabling the maximum amount of the renewable energy resource to be harnessed as the blade 12 is always exposed to the energy source, as opposed to more traditional turbines, whose two-sided structure means that, at best, only one side of the blade would be exposed to incident solar radiation. In addition, the need for a fluoropolymer coating on the photovoltaic panel 26 is eliminated or reduced, as the turbine blade 12 will be self-cleaning due to the fact it spins and the shape of the Mobius encourages dirt and water not to stick to the photovoltaic panel 26.
Figure 4 shows how the output of the Mobius strip forming the turbine blade 12 of the combined wind and solar energy generator 10 of the present invention can be connected to an electrical supply or grid 40, or a battery system. For reasons of clarity in Figure 4, the skilled person will appreciate that there are a significant number of voltage conditioning circuitry and components needed to output the voltage to the grid 40 and this drawing is a schematic diagram only and, in order to aid clarification, many other circuit elements are not shown.
As described above the distal end of the shaft 20 is connected to an electrical generator 36 such that the rotational movement of the shaft 20 as it turns under the influence of the wind flow passing over the blade 12 induces a voltage in a plurality of electrical induction coils which are located within the stator assembly of the electrical generator 36. To support the shaft 20, the generator 36 includes axial bearings 42 which minimise friction, stiction and resistance to motion when the blade 12 turns in the wind flow.
The output of the electrical generator 36 will be single or 3-phase alternating current (AC) that has be converted 38 before being outputted to the electrical grid 40. The converter 38 ensures that the voltage and frequency at the output of the electrical generator 36 is matched to the fixed values of the grid.
The output of the photovoltaic panel 26 disposed on the blade 12 is outputted via rotational coupling 28, will be a direct current (DC) level with an AC signal superimposed having a frequency which is dependent upon the speed of shaft 20 rotation. The output of the photovoltaic panel 26 is then passed through a low-pass filter 44 to remove the AC ripple and then passed through an inverter 46 to produce an AC output which can be outputted to the grid or load 38. Of course, the skilled person will understand that further treatment, including voltage reduction, and/or rectification steps could be employed to produce a DC output from both the wind and solar sources for storage in batteries etc.
Figure 4 illustrates only a single turbine 12 but of course it is envisaged that a number of turbines 12 could be operated independently.
The construction of the shaft 20 can be via any suitable form of metal fabrication, i.e. from a welded and bolted construction. Equally, the shaft 20, or parts thereof, can be machined, pressed, cast or forged from a suitable metal.
The invention is not intended to be limited to the details of the embodiments described herein, which are described by way of example only. It will be understood that features described in relation to any particular embodiment can be featured in combination with other embodiments.
It is contemplated by the inventor that various substitutions, alterations, and modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Examples of these include the following:
An alternative blade 12 and shaft 20 arrangement may be provided depending upon the application required. For example, rather than being configured generally horizontally, the blade 12 and shaft 20 can be mounted generally horizontally.
Equally instead of the blade 12 being attached to the shaft 20 at its narrowest point, generally along the line that bisects the major or longitudinal axis of the Mobius strip, the blade 12 can instead be attached to the shaft 20 at its widest point, generally along the line that bisects the minor or short axis of the Mobius strip.
In addition, the surface, or portions thereof, of the shaft 20 can also be covered in photovoltaic material 26.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, instead of the shaft 20 being fixedly attached to the periphery of the blade 12, the shaft 20 passes completely through Mobius strip forming the turbine blade 12.
This invention is particularly, but not exclusively, applicable to power generation which enables the effective collection of both solar and wind energy resources in an aesthetically pleasing, homogenous and sculptural arrangement.

Claims (23)

1. A power generation apparatus, comprising:
a shaft; and a rotating part coupled to the shaft about an axis of rotation for converting wind energy into electrical energy, and wherein the rotating part being in the shape of a Mobius and being at least partially covered with a photovoltaic material for converting solar energy into electrical energy.
2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotating part being formed from a support material.
3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the support material being a flexible, resilient or rigid material.
4. The apparatus as claimed in claims 2 or 3, wherein the support material being a synthetic plastics material and/or a thermoplastic and/or thermoset material formed from a blend of virgin and/or recycled polymers from both postindustrial and domestic waste streams.
5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotating part is coupled to the shaft around its narrowest point, generally along a line that bisects the longitudinal axis of the Mobius.
6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotating part is coupled to the shaft around its widest point, generally along a line that bisects the short axis of the Mobius.
7. The apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the axis of rotation is generally vertical or horizontal.
8. The apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the shaft is coupled to the rotating part at its peripheral edge.
9. The apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the shaft is coupled to the rotating part at two points of its peripheral edge.
10. The apparatus as claimed in any of claims 2 to 6, wherein the Mobius being formed from a strip of support material having a longitudinal axis length to a short axis length in the ratio of around 1:1 to around 30:1.
11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the Mobius being formed from a strip of support material having a longitudinal axis length to a short axis length in the ratio of around 10:1 to around 15:1.
12. The apparatus as claimed in claims 10 or 11, wherein the Mobius being formed from a strip of support material having a longitudinal axis length to a short axis length in the ratio of around 12:1.
13. The apparatus as claimed in any of claims 2 to 6 and 10 to 12, wherein the strip of support material forming the Mobius being twisted about the longitudinal axis length by a twist angle of 180°, 360°, 540°, 720° or more.
14. The apparatus as claimed in any of claims 2 to 6 and 10 to 13, wherein the ratio of longitudinal axis length to short axis length and/or the twist angle are adjusted to suit climatic conditions and/or location and/or topography.
15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic material being configured as a photovoltaic cell selected from the group consisting, but not limited to, any one of the following: crystalline silicon (c-Si), cadmium telluride (CaTe), amorphous silicon (a-Si), and copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS).
16. The apparatus as claimed in claims 1 or 15, wherein the Mobius being entirely covered in photovoltaic material.
17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the output of the photovoltaic cell being taken via one or more pairs of connecting wires positioned inside the shaft and connected to a rotational coupling.
18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the rotational coupling being an electrical slip ring arrangement.
19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shaft is elongate, hollow and rigid.
20. The apparatus as claimed in claims 1 or 19, wherein the shaft, or parts thereof, is formed from a welded construction and/or machined and/or pressed and/or cast and/or forged from a suitable metal material.
21. A method of power generation, comprising the steps of:
providing a power generation apparatus comprising a shaft, a rotating part coupled to the shaft about an axis of rotation for converting wind energy into electrical energy, and wherein the rotating part being in the shape of a Mobius and being at least partially covered with a photovoltaic material for converting solar energy into electrical energy;
coupling the shaft to the rotor of electrical generator; and extracting and converting the electrical energy induced in the stator of the electrical generator and the electrical energy obtained from the photovoltaic material to an appropriate voltage and frequency for supply to a power grid or electrical load.
22. A power generation apparatus as described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.
23. A method of power generation as hereinbefore described.
GB1720192.2A 2017-12-04 2017-12-04 Power generation apparatus and its method of use Withdrawn GB2568972A (en)

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Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
SU868103A1 (en) * 1979-12-14 1981-09-30 Тюменское Специализированное Монтажное Управление Треста "Уралмонтажавтоматика" Windwheel
GB2441178A (en) * 2006-08-25 2008-02-27 Alan Jones Solar panel
WO2014143995A1 (en) * 2013-03-15 2014-09-18 Powerhouse Electrical Contractors Inc. Photovoltaic and wind energy production system

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
SU868103A1 (en) * 1979-12-14 1981-09-30 Тюменское Специализированное Монтажное Управление Треста "Уралмонтажавтоматика" Windwheel
GB2441178A (en) * 2006-08-25 2008-02-27 Alan Jones Solar panel
WO2014143995A1 (en) * 2013-03-15 2014-09-18 Powerhouse Electrical Contractors Inc. Photovoltaic and wind energy production system

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