WO2017144837A1

WO2017144837A1 - Wind turbine system, method and application

Info

Publication number: WO2017144837A1
Application number: PCT/GB2016/000043
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stephen John Mcloughlin; Martin CAVE; Lisa Barnes
Original assignee: Stephen John Mcloughlin; Cave Martin; Lisa Barnes
Priority date: 2016-02-27
Filing date: 2016-02-27
Publication date: 2017-08-31

Abstract

A wind turbine configured to be mounted at any orientation, proximate a wind capture surface, incorporating a rotor-generator assembly comprising helically formed, textured or sculptured rotor blades which present an effective enlarged surface area with unvarying aspect to the prevailing wind, said turbine assembly being at least partially encapsulated in a vectoring housing with control surfaces which serve to both enhance wind capture and also provide for over-speed control means.

Description

WIND TURBINE SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPLICATION

The current reliance on fossil fuels to generate electricity and to provide heating and lighting is at the core of twenty-first century civilization. Although hydrocarbon generation has proved useful, it is regarded as being unsustainable, due to the increasing energy demand and the depletion of global reserves. More recently particular attention is being focussed on the detrimental and irreversible effect of fossil fuel use on the earth's climate. With recent emphasis on gas powered energy systems which are augmenting coal and oil use, the increase in greenhouse gases still appears to be unsustainable in the short or medium term. Such is the influence of fossil fuel emissions on the predicted climate that geologists and climatologists have coined the term "Anthropocene" to describe the influence that man's actions are having on the climate.

Yet, despite many efforts to find alternative energy resources, the viable alternatives to fossil fuel generated energy are limited. All of the alternative energy sources are, to a greater or lesser extent, controversial.

In the field of renewable energy, natural forces are captured and converted into usable energy. Almost always, alternative energy sources are intermittent. In comparison with traditional, nuclear or

hydrocarbon derived energy forms, current renewable energy capture is marginal and therefore requires careful balancing of available kinetic energy within the capture mechanism is essential.

To date, therefore, despite the massive potential for green energy which the planet (and solar system) generates in terms of wind, waves and sun only a fraction of it is captured and utilised. In terms of total global energy consumption, only a fraction of that usage comes from renewable green energy. Low cost devices are therefore required which improve the recovery rate of renewable energy resources.

PRIOR ART IN THE FIELD / BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In order to understand the several improvements which are proposed herein a brief discussion of the form and functionality of existing wind turbines is required. Currently all types of turbines can be classified as being either lift-based or drag-based. There are therefore principally two types of wind turbines which are defined by the axis of rotation and means of collection, such that the traditional hill-top mounted turbine is referred to as a "horizontal-axis wind turbine", or "HAWT" and the Darius "egg-beater" as taught in U.S. Patent 1,835,018 or Savonius wind turbines, as taught in U.S. Patent 1,697,574 are referred to as vertical axis wind turbines, or "VAWT". Uniquely, the instant invention fits within both of the aforementioned wind turbine classes but unlike conventional HAWT and VAWT devices, advantageously has the flexibility to be mounted horizontally, vertically or at any orientation, as desired. The classification of VAWT and HAWT turbines refers to the orientation of the drive-train mechanism, or drive -shaft: notably the instant invention does not have a drive shaft. To date, the amount of energy which can be collected by a turbine is defined and constrained by the swept area of the turbine rotor blade or blades. It is the inventors' intention to increase the collected energy without increasing the rotor blade dimensions, through the use of additional features.

Therefore, the collective features of the instant invention set it apart from existing wind-turbine classes, in that that the instant invention, using direct drive, does not require a gearbox whereas traditional wind turbines utilise a gearbox to drive the generator mechanisms. Furthermore, larger HA WT and VAWT turbines require start-up motors in order to start rotation and HAWT turbines require a YAW motor to turn the device into the direction of the wind. These features are absent in the instant device which represents a novel development in the field of wind turbine and energy generation. Generally, in the field of wind powered electrical generation the generative capacity of the various types of turbines is limited by the available wind speed and the swept area of the turbine. Large HAWT wind turbines, with their greater swept area, therefore have potentially greater generative capacity than small ones. However, the inventors, by utilizing existing surfaces in conjunction with novel rotor configuration, and improved inlet vectoring devices have invented a compact turbine generator system which has a generative capacity which is disproportionate to its size, and which therefore has the electrical output of a larger turbine assembly, without the material costs or invasive footprint of a larger machine.

According to Betz law, the maximum area which can be occupied by the rotor blades a HAWT is 58% of the total swept area. Betz Law applies to lift based turbines where the rotors have interstitial gaps between individual rotor blades. The instant invention is, however, based on a different principle of acceleration. The inventors intend increasing the potential for energy collection without increasing the swept area of the blade of the instant invention by using a series of features that enable the invention to collect in excess of this theoretical figure based on Betz Law. Furthermore, HAWT wind turbines work best in conditions of low turbulence, as turbulence increases the forces applied to the blades, creating cyclic stresses which result in premature blade material fatigue, which therefore results in expensive service requirements and lost revenue when out of service. HAW turbines are therefore typically located on high ground which serves to increase the wind flow, as wind velocity increases towards the crests of hills. However, the key element in eliminating turbulence is the ground to rotor blade clearance.

As with larger turbines, smaller scale domestic HAW turbines require mounting on masts such that, at a minimum, the lowest point of the rotating blades is beyond human reach. Considering, therefore, the requirement to increase the swept area of the turbine in order to capture more energy, as the diameter of the turbine increases, the mast structure also has to be lengthened in order to maintain the ground to blade-tip clearance and, furthermore, the mast structure has to be strengthened to take into account the increase in blade length and the incremental forces imposed on the enlarged rotor structure, thereby increases installation costs. Site-specific customisation of the HAW turbine may also be required. For example, when siting a HAWT, consideration should be given to changes in ground elevation and the proximity of trees and buildings to the turbine in order to avoid siting the turbine in areas of turbulence.

In contrast, the instant invention, beyond the simple requirement for a structural surface from which to capture additional wind energy, advantageously, requires little or no site specific customisation, thereby increasing its application.

Furthermore, HAW and VAW turbines have significant environmental impact with both audial and visual implications. The volume of noise generated by these wind turbines is highly variable, but is largely proportional to wind speed. In HAW turbines, this noise results from a combination of the mechanical noise of the gearbox and generator and the aerodynamic noise of the blades cutting through the air. Visual wind turbine "flicker" results from intermittent alterations to light caused by the rotation of the blades and are also considered detrimental. The inventors intend their device to be encapsulated within vector housing, thereby significantly reducing or removing negative audial and visual impact.

Whereas HAW turbines extract energy from a single circular plane which is swept by multiple turbine rotor blades, VAW Turbines, typically extract energy from a tubular or spherical area, using blades or vanes which are configured to sweep either a hemispherically or helically configured area.

Advantageously, VAW turbines can collect energy from wind blowing from any direction, without the requirement to re-orient or re-position the device. Traditionally, although VAW turbines have significant power generation capability from the windward blade, total power output suffers from the negative effects which the wind has on the returning leeward blade. Positive energy input into the driving blade is therefore partially negated by the force of the wind on the returning blade, thereby reducing the net torque and rotational velocity and resulting in reduction to the net power output of the device.

The instant invention, proposes significant improvement over prior art through the use of a structure and or juxtaposition of a wind turbine in relation to a surface whereby the leeward blade is sheltered from the wind, thereby enhancing net power generation. This is accomplished by partial encapsulation of the rotor assembly within a vectoring housing, whereby the wind is directed to the windward blade.

Furthermore, a part of the rotor mechanism may be concealed in the lee of structure, thereby reducing counter-productive wind induced friction to the return cycle of the rotor blades. In this regard, the invention differs from conventional VAWT's where the rotors are typically exposed to wind from all sides. Although it is clearly advantageous to generate electricity in close proximity to human habitation in order to avoid the significant costs associated with transportation of electricity, the environmental impact created by traditional wind turbine generators: precludes their placement in proximity to human habitation. This, in turn, has resulted in wind powered technology being confined to remote locations, where the visual impact and relatively high noise levels of the rotating turbine blades or vanes has a lower nuisance value. Furthermore, large swept HAWT turbines cause electromagnetic wave interference which has an undesirable impact on signal transmissions such as television and air traffic control. Prior art in the field therefore encompasses a wide variety of wind turbine types and configurations, which fail to fully address the issues of environmental impact.

The inventors' turbine system incorporates novel designs and materials providing enhanced performance and reduced environmental impact. The rotor and housing configuration results in reduced noise levels and is less intrusive, thereby making localised wind harvesting in proximity to human habitation an attractive proposition. The ability to reduce or remove the infrastructure costs of connecting the turbine generators to the electrical grid is of significant economic benefit. The invention is therefore appropriate for use in built, urban, rural or remote environments and either on or off-grid. Furthermore, for remote environments, the system may be directly connected to a DC storage system, for example, comprising banks of re-chargeable battery cells.

Furthermore, the inventors' intend using structural surfaces to increase the effective capture area of the generative mechanism, which advantageously results in a higher wind speed at the inlet of the turbine. This has the net-effect of increasing energy output in relation to the effective swept area of the turbine blades, without increasing the dimensions or material requirements of the turbine mechanism. Whereas prior art in the field has considered only roof mounted wind turbine assemblies, the inventors' improved device expands the applicable range of surfaces and structures from which energy can be harvested, thus increasing its versatility and commercial application.

The validity of utilizing wind enhancing surfaces for increasing the effectiveness of wind energy is confirmed by Computational Fluid Dynamics ("CFD"). and can be illustrated from the following formula for calculating wind energy power output:

(Swept Area of Turbine Blade / 2) x air density (kg/m³) x wind speed³x Coefficient of Efficiency

The example below illustrates the effect that increasing wind speed has on power generation:

Using the following constants:

Swept Area of Turbine Blade

Air Density 1.23kg m³

Coefficient of Efficiency 20%

The resultant energy outputs from the above turbine are:

Wind speed at 2.5m/second = 153W

Wind speed at 5m second = 1,230W This example illustrates the advantages which result from mounting the turbine in proximity to surfaces which increases the effective wind-velocity, whereby doubling the wind speed results in an eight-fold increase in energy generated. The inventors intend to enhance the inherently advantageous surface capture areas and specific features through the method of Computational Fluid Dynamics modelling, as applied to the individual structure and environments in order to beneficially optimize the invention.

The intention is therefore to install relatively unobtrusive, low profile, turbine mechanisms to surfaces and structures. It is applicable to natural features or man-made structures and surfaces, including residential, commercial and industrial buildings. The turbine mechanisms may also, as appropriate, be mounted on solar photo-voltaic ("PV") modules, garden walls, fences, bridges, underpasses or any other structures or surfaces which, by their nature, increase the wind-velocity. The turbine is compatible with almost any planar surface allowing it to be fitted to existing or new, natural or structural, surfaces.

Therefore, unlike prior art in the field which requires specific orientation, the invention may be mounted using universal fixing brackets on horizontal, inclined or vertical collector surfaces and at any required inclination or orientation which thereby increases the turbine system's versatility and range of application. The inventors intend to enhance the inherently advantageous surface capture areas through the method of macro computational fluid dynamics modelling, as applied to the individual structure in order to beneficially optimize the orientation of the invention with respect to both structure and prevailing wind direction.

Taking a specific illustrative example; the prevailing wind direction in Northern Europe is from the south to south-west, which coincides with the most common direction of orientation of solar PV modules are in Northern Europe. The inventors therefore intend, in one embodiment of their invention to attach their light-weight turbine generator system to solar panel modules, utilizing the solar panel surface to enhance wind speed delivery to the turbine. The inventors believe that their wind turbine will effectively result in increasing the yields of individual solar modules and therefore of solar PV panels, solar arrays and solar farms and or hybrid systems including on or off-grid connection. This particular embodiment of the invention has significant economic benefit when applied to solar installations. Large scale solar projects already occupy land which has been set-aside for renewable energy generation and are equipped with infrastructure which connects them to the electrical grid. The large scale solar projects' existing infrastructure is compatible with the requirements of the inventors' wind turbine and, therefore, by mounting turbines on the solar PV modules, unnecessary duplication of infrastructure is avoided.

Therefore, by using solar modules as director surfaces in proximity to the invention the generative capability of new and existing solar photo-voltaic installations is significantly augmented.

Additionally, the vectoring housing can be made from material which has reflective properties, which can further increase the light being received by the active surfaces of the solar module thereby improving the solar module's generative capacity. Furthermore, solar arrays only generate power during daylight hours, whereas the invention has the potential to generate power during both the day and the night. The combined solar-wind generative capability of the turbine and solar PV module or modules helps to smooth power output by contributing power to the grid during the night or during periods of stormy weather, when wind speeds are higher and solar activity is, typically, lower. This significantly increases the diurnal range of electrical generation.

However, while an empirical approach acknowledges the benefits of utilizing surfaces and structures to collect and enhance wind energy, the inventors believe that additional generative capacity can be achieved, particularly through improvements to the configuration of the turbine's rotor sub-assembly and vectoring housing. The inventors note that with drag based turbines which have fixed orientation the offset between the angle of intersection of the prevailing wind and the attack surface of the turbine rotor blade results in undesirable transverse and longitudinal air spillage along the surface of the rotor blade. Deviation of the angle of incidence of the wind with respect to the rotor surface therefore results in sub-optimal rotational speeds, reduced torque and lower generative capacity. Therefore, the output of a conventionally configured drag based rotor mechanism confines peak generator electrical output to a narrow range of localities where wind speed and wind attack angle were optimized.

The inventors believe that the band width of optimized electrical generation can be improved upon, irrespective of the relationship between prevailing wind direction and the orientation of the turbine rotor blades. The invention therefore proposes profiling the surface of the turbine rotor blade in order to increase both the effective blade surface area and the frictional coefficient such that wind spill across the surface of the rotor blade is reduced, thereby resulting in greater torque output per unit volume of air. Therefore, although the preference is to install the invention on the windward side of capture surfaces, the inventors believe that, with the inclusion of the additional features, any capture surface may be suitable, irrespective of its orientation to the prevailing wind. Profiling the rotor blades or vanes may be achieved by removal of material from the rotor surface, or the addition of material to the rotor surface or by integrating a combination of the two. This makes the rotor generator mechanism more effective, even when there is a large angle of incidence of the wind with respect to the rotor capture surface, thereby increasing the suitability of the turbine generator for mounting on structures and or surfaces. Therefore, the invention incorporates novel rotor blade or vane surface texturing features which increase the frictional characteristics of the rotor blade, effectively increasing the frictional coefficient which improves the generative capacity of the turbine even when the prevailing wind direction angle of incidence with regard to the orientation of the rotor blade mechanisms is less than optimal. In summary, the objective of texturing the blades is to diminish wind spill and increase rotor torque. This facet of the invention improves the applicable range of capture surfaces to include structural surfaces where the angle of incidence of the prevailing wind direction might otherwise be considered to be uneconomic, thereby increasing the retro-fit applicability of the invention when retro-fitted to existing structures and surfaces.

As previously mentioned, prior art in the field of VAWT turbine design has significant negative environmental impact. The audial interference results in intermittent or rhythmic rotor noise. In prior art, as a result of the interaction of the rotor, the wind and the turbine housing, the effective rotor capture surface area fluctuates as the turbine rotor mechanism rotates. The change in the rotor surface area which is presented to the prevailing wind is dependent on the phase of rotation of the rotor vanes relative to the VAWT air inlet and results in significant, unwanted and rhythmic, background noise. Therefore the inventors propose to configure their turbine rotor with at least one or alternatively a plurality of helically configured rotor blades which have little or no fluctuation in the resultant capture surface area, irrespective of the phase of the rotor rotational cycle, and which therefore results in a reduced audial footprint.

The inventors intend to further reduce noise levels by changing the traditional Savonius wind turbine configuration. Traditionally, the wind is caught on a concave rotor blade surface which is beneficial as it has a greater surface area. However, this also results in a trailing edge which is traveling at greater speed than the locus of the rotor blades and which creates additional and unwanted noise. In one configuration of their device the inventors intend to utilize a textured convex rotor surface on which to capture the wind. In effect, this configuration places the trailing edge of the rotor blade at the locus of the blades, resulting in lower trailing edge rotational speed and therefore in lower noise levels.

Furthermore, an omni-directional turbine mechanism may be created by duplicating the geometry and features of the windward rotor capture surface on the leeward collector form. This configuration may be utilized to capture energy when the turbine generator mechanism is vertically mounted at the vertex of a building where there are either daily or seasonal alterations in the wind direction. Furthermore, the inventors intend to remove the central shaft from the conventional VAWT design and create a wind turbine that has a single unified rotor part, which is inherently more efficient and can be constructed from low density, lower cost materials which, beneficially, results in the turbine elements being more economically manufactured.

Finally, wherever the form of the structure allows for the wind turbine mechanism to be mounted in such a way as to conceal the return cycle of the rotor blades from the direct influence of the wind, a significant increase in energy output will ensue. This is particularly applicable to locations where the turbine is mounted at the vertex of a structure, where there is well-defined wind acceleration , for example, within the ridge-line of a new-build roof structure, where the turbine is integrated into the roof structure or, alternatively, where the turbine is mounted on or proximate to a solar-panel. However, although wind velocities at the vertices of wind capture surfaces are maximised, the inventors perceive that additional advantage may be gained through the at least partial encapsulation of the turbine rotor mechanism within a vectoring device or protective housing.

Therefore, where the turbine generator is in close proximity to a structure, the inventors intend to enhance air delivery to the turbine rotor through partial encapsulation of the rotor blades within a vectoring device or protective housing.

The inventors' vectoring device has several advantages. Initially, the vectoring device increases the scoop area of wind which is forced into the turbine rotor, resulting in increased inlet wind speed, increased torque and enhanced generative capability. Secondly, through partial encapsulation of the rotor blades, the negative effect of wind on the return cycle of the blade can be reduced or eliminated, resulting in a gain in net energy output. Thirdly, near structure air turbulence effects can be better controlled, resulting in a more regular, sustainable, energy output. Fourthly, where the vectoring housing is equipped with a variable attitude director, the ability to control inlet air-speed prevents damage to the rotor mechanisms when wind speeds are excessive. Fifthly, the turbine blades are enclosed to improve safety. Finally, any negative visual or audial impact is mitigated by enclosing the rotor-blades

Furthermore, the interior of the vectoring housing may be equipped with control surfaces which further direct the wind to optimize its angle of intersection with the rotor blade sub-assemblies. Additionally, these control surfaces may incorporate ribs or keels which may be at any desired angle and form in order to re-direct the wind onto the rotor blades, thereby enhancing wind energy recovery.

In order to optimize all the foregoing features, the inventors believe that the method of utilizing computational fluid dynamics, "CFD" to further construct a micro-environment will result in beneficial customization of the turbine system. Therefore, the inventors believe that, at a minimum, a bi-level CFD analysis will yield significant improvement in energy harvesting. At the macro-level, the structure is subjected to CFD modelling in relation to its environment and at the micro level, the angle of attack is analysed in order to determine the optimal configuration of turbine rotor blades, textural surface and vector housing which will result in the highest energy yield for a given location.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventors therefore propose a novel wind turbine (20) at least partially enclosed within a vectoring housing (45) and preferentially intended to be affixed proximate to the vertex (12) of a windward side (5) of a structure (11). The structure may be man-made or natural as required. The invention (10) advantageously utilizes both the structure (11) and or surface and the dimensional attributes of the vectoring housing (45) scoop air inlet (56) to increase both the volume and the inlet speed of air (5),(20) which results in increases to rotor speed, rotor torque and electrical generative capacity. The turbine mechanism (10) may be mounted vertically, horizontally or at any other orientation, as desired. The turbine (10) is equipped with a permanent magnet generator (75) attached to at least one of a pair of termination plates (30) which are spatially separated by the turbine rotor blades or vanes(20) and affixed thereto. Uniquely, there is no central shaft separating the end-plates (30), and intra-turbine structural integrity is achieved through use of the rotor blades (20). This configuration coincidentally and advantageously minimizes rotationally induced vibration. The rotor blades or vanes are configured to be helical in form and are designed to present a constant surface area to a fluid or air, in this case the directed wind, which reduces intra-turbine turbulence and turbine generated noise and can be used for rotation or propulsion. Each rotor blade (21) may be configured with a windward face which is concave (22) or convex (23), or, for use on the vertices (12) of buildings, where wind direction (1) is changeable, with two conterminous concave faces (24). Furthermore, the helically configured rotors (20) include sculptured or textured surfaces (70) with either raised (71 ) or lowered profiles (72) in order to increase intra-blade surface area friction which reduces wind spill (5). These surface features (70) may be advantageously oriented in relation to the prevailing wind direction (1) to facilitate additional energy capture. Furthermore, the addition of friction inducing textural features (70) to the rotor surface (20) facilitates the potential to use the convex face (23) of the helically configured rotor blade (21) as a capture surface. The use of the convex face (23) of the rotor (21) removes the trailing rotor edge (29) from the circumference of the turbine rotor (20) orbit, resulting in lower operational noise levels. Additionally, the obverse or leeward face (27) of the rotor blades (20) may be sculptured (70), textured or featureless, as required. The use of a multi-function vectoring housing (45) which encapsulates the rotor mechanism (20) and, as previously mentioned, which can be equipped with an enlarged scoop area (56) which increases the volume of air delivery to the turbine rotors (20) and may also have adjustable internal control surfaces (47) which may be further equipped with ribs or keels (48) with which to re-vector the angle of attack of the prevailing wind (1) onto the active windward surfaces (26)of the turbine rotors (20). The vectoring inlet aerofoil (40) is configured to be adjacent to the capture surface (11) also reduces the effect of near- structure turbulence (6). Furthermore the vectoring device (40) serves to reduce or eliminate the detrimental effect of wind impacting the returning leeward rotor blade surface (27). One or more of these features, individually or collectively, serve to further improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the turbine generator mechanism (75). The vectoring device (45) also fulfils safety and environmental functions: the optional inclusion of a hinged (43)by-pass mechanism (41)with which to divert excess air-flow (5), prevents damage to the rotor mechanism (20) during extreme weather conditions and further allow for reductions to be made to the material property requirements of the turbine rotor mechanism (20) while simultaneously expanding its functional operational range. Finally, particularly where the turbine (10) is mounted in proximity to buildings, the vectoring housing (45) provides encapsulation for the rotating elements (19) (75) of the device (10), improving safety and reducing its audial and visual impact. DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY DRAWINGS

Fig 1A: Three dimensional diagram of turbines mounted on wall and roof of a residence

Fig IB: Plan view of the building illustrated in Figure 1A.

Fig 1C: Turbines mounted on industrial units Figure ID Three dimensional isometric drawing of the invention as deployed on a solar panel - arrays

Figure 2: Three dimensional isometric partial cut-away view of the invention

Figure 3 A three dimensional isometric transparent view of a wall mounted version of the invention complete with variable vectoring device.

Figure 4A 4B, and 4C: A cross sectional view of the wind turbine assembly mounted on a capture surface and illustrating negative profile texture, concave rotor capture surfaces, vectoring housing and near- structure and aerofoil mechanism.

Figure 5 A 5B, and 5C: A cross sectional view of the wind turbine assembly mounted on a capture surface and illustrating positive profile texture, convex rotor capture surfaces, vectoring housing and near- structure and aerofoil mechanism. Figure 6A 6B, and 6C: A cross sectional view of the wind turbine assembly mounted on a capture surface _^and illustrating negative profile texture, an omni-directional rotor capture surfaces, with a vectoring housing and near-structure and aerofoil mechanism.

Figure 7A illustrates a cross-sectional schematic of the turbine mechanism of Figure 4, partially encapsulated within a vectoring housing and with a near-structure aerofoil, as deployed during normal operating conditions. Figure 7B illustrates a cross-sectional schematic of the turbine mechanism showing the vectoring housing and near-structure aerofoil in an alternate position which results from response to extreme wind-speeds.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

As generally illustrated in Figure 1, the use of a structural surface (11) to collect or direct wind (5) from a larger surface area (11) than the physical area which is occupied by the wind turbine rotors (20) results in increases to the volume of air being received by the turbine rotor. Furthermore, the use of a capture surface serves to increase wind-velocity, and increase the pressure being exerted on the turbine rotor blades (20), thereby creating the potential for more kinetic energy to be extracted which has the desirable effect of increasing the turbine rotational speed and the net torque output. This in turn, has the effect of increasing the wind turbine's (10) generative capacity. There are a number of significant variables which directly affect the resultant potential energy output of a particular structural surface, whether the structure (11) is man-made or natural. The structure's dimensions, orientation with respect to wind direction (1), material finish or natural rugosity and proximity to other structures all exert varying influence on net recoverable wind energy. Material finishes affect surface friction factors which alter flow velocity and influence near structure air turbulence

(6).Whether the capture surface is man-made or natural, variations in the textural characteristics of a capture surface directly affect the potential for energy generation. The inventors' turbine mechanism (10) is designed to improve energy recovery, irrespective of the structural variables and has, as one of its objectives, delivery of a more consistent wind generated electrical supply.

Figure 1A illustrates the invention as mounted on a residential structure. Figure IB provides a plan view of the same residential installation indicating where the device may be positioned the preferred sites for installation of the invention. (10). The invention (10) is designed to be mounted at the vertex (12) of a wind catchment surface (11), and is typically mounted either vertically or horizontally, with the orientation of the turbine rotor(20) being determined by the optimal plane of energy collection, which is in turn determined by the orientation of the catchment surface (11) in relation to the prevailing wind direction (1). Generally, therefore, for a roof-mounted turbine (10), intuitively, the turbine will most probably benefit from being horizontally mounted and, for a wall-mounted turbine (10), the most probable orientation will be vertical. Nonetheless, any orientation of the device (10) with respect to both the prevailing wind direction (1) and the capture surface (11) can be utilized as required, as particularly illustrated in exemplary Figure 1C, where the device is mounted on the roof surface of an industrial unit. Furthermore, CFD modelling may be used in order to enhance the outcome of input variables of prevailing wind direction, surface orientation and surface texture. For purposes of clarification, although they may be identical in form, when a turbine mechanism is horizontally configured, as illustrated in Figure 2, the horizontal termination plates (30) have no additional identifier, however, when the rotor (20) is vertically configured, as illustrated in Figure 3, the upper termination plate (31) may be referred to as "proximate" and the lower termination plate (32) as "distal".

As illustrated in Figure lCand ID, on structures which have particularly large capture surface areas (11), multiple turbines (10) may be arrayed in order to capitalize on the generative potential of the larger surface area. A similar approach may be applied to roof structures, as particularly illustrated in Figure 1C (4).This approach is particularly suited to industrial buildings, but may also be applicable to natural structures (not illustrated).

In addition to mounting turbines on natural, domestic, commercial and industrial structures as generally depicted in Figure 1 A, IB and ID, there is significant advantage to installing the turbine on the leeward edge (13) of solar photo-voltaic "PV" panels (14) in order to improve the energy yield of solar PV modules, arrays and farms, as illustrated in Figure 1C. The combination of wind turbine and solar PV array creates a particularly compelling green energy generative solution whereby the wind turbine augments the generative capacity of the solar PV arrays, as the wind turbine continues generating electricity after sunset and throughout the night. Furthermore, increased wind speed is frequently associated with stormy weather, when solar PV generative capability may be less than optimal. Therefore, attaching a turbine to existing solar panels (14) will result in the addition of significant energy generative capability, resulting in "smoothed" electrical generation, in both diurnal and annualized cycles.

Furthermore, the wind turbines are compatible with and complementary to the solar installation existing infrastructure. For the avoidance of doubt, the inventors intend the turbine can be integrated with both photo-voltaic and absorber types of solar panels (14). Where the device (10) is located at the vertex (12) of a structural surface (11), as particularly illustrated in Figure 7,advantageously, part of the windward capture surface area (26) of the turbine rotor (20) and part of the vectoring device (45) is located in the direct path of the wind (1), with the remainder of both the turbine elements (20) and the vectoring device (45) being sheltered from the direct force of the wind by the structural surface (11). In this way the negative force of the wind on the returning leeward side (27) of the rotor blade assembly (20) is minimized.

As illustrated in Figures 1A through ID, multiple turbine arrays (10) may be "stacked", either horizontally or vertically, or at any advantageous orientation, as required, in order to optimize wind harvesting from surfaces (11). However, each turbine generator (10) can be an independent, stand-alone unit. Referring now to Figure 2, which illustrates a single turbine mechanism (10) as mounted on a solar PV module (14) and pursuant to the advantageous concept of wind collection from the vertex (12) of a planar surface (11), the inventors conclude that mounting their invention (10) on the leeward edge (13) of solar panels (14) has significant benefit. For example, in the northern hemisphere solar farms, similar to those depicted in Figure ID, are generally configured on slightly sloping land which faces south or south-west to maximize solar energy gain. Coincidentally, the prevailing wind direction (1) in many parts of the northern hemisphere is also from the south-west. As illustrated in Figure 2, the prevailing wind (1) therefore has to traverse the surface of the solar PV module (14) to reach the leeward edge (13) of the solar PV module by which time its speed has accelerated. Therefore, when a turbine mechanism (10) is mounted at the vertex of the leeward edge (13) of a solar PV module (14), the inlet (46) air speed (5) is advantageously increased and, as previously noted, a doubling in wind-speed represents an eight-fold increase in generative capacity, therefore, any gains in wind-speed result in net economic benefit. The actual relative increase in wind speed received by the turbine is site dependent and results from a number of site-specific variables. Furthermore, solar farms are particularly well suited to the purposes of the invention (10) as the spacing interval between successive panels (14) is controlled by the requirement to avoid solar overshadowing between successive banks of PV modules. Advantageously, therefore, the relative position of successive solar PV modules panels (14) which are spaced so as to avoid overshadowing also reduces inter-panel (14) air turbulence (6), resulting in improved laminar air-flow to a turbine rotor (20) which is situated on any upwind solar array. Furthermore, solar farms have an established infrastructure which is compatible with the electrical output requirements of wind turbines to which wind turbines can therefore be connected into, resulting in beneficial reductions to installation costs.

The inventors therefore conclude, that although installing a conventional wind turbine on a wind- capture structure (11) results in marginal incremental energy yield, additional improvements are also required in order to significantly improve the coefficient of efficiency, whereby the generative output of the system may be further enhanced. These improvements are discussed herein and incorporated into the instant invention.

Therefore as illustrated in Figure 2 and 4, the turbine rotor mechanism blades or vanes (20) may be of any desired profile, but the rotor (20) is preferentially configured with a plurality of helically formed rotor blades (21),as illustrated in Figure 2 and Figure 4,although it is equally within the scope of the invention to utilize a single, tightly pitched, helically formed rotor blade or helicoid (not illustrated).The number and pitch of the helical rotor blade sub-assemblies (21) is determined by the diameter and length of the turbine assembly, (10) which is configured to be proportional to the dimensions of the wind capture surface or the anticipated prevailing wind speed as required (11). Through the use of a helically configured rotor profile a standardized rotor-blade cross sectional area is presented to the captured wind at all times.

The incorporation of a helical form (21) into the rotor mechanism, as specifically illustrated in Figure 2, when considered in conjunction with other facets of the invention, reduces intra-turbine air turbulence, resulting in a more constant rotational speed and a consequent reduction in noise generated by the turbine (20). Furthermore, the more regular rotational speed, acts positively to stabilize the input torque and electrical output of the permanent magnet generator (50).As will be understood by those versed in the art, although helically formed rotor blades (21) are introduced as the preferred rotor format, any configuration of rotor blade (20) may be utilized without departing from the spirit of the invention.

As the wind turbine energy collector (10) is designed to be compatibly mounted in proximity to human habitation it is desirable that the noise levels which result from the rotation of the wind turbine rotors (20) are minimized. Traditional wind turbine rotors (20) are noted for the creation of rhythmic background noise which is approximately proportional to the diameter and rotational speed of the turbine rotor (20) assembly. In traditional turbine assemblies, the majority of the noise, results from air pressure normalization, particularly at the trailing edge (29) of the rotor blades (21). Therefore, in an alternative version of the device as illustrated in Figure 5, a reconfiguration of the traditional turbine rotor mechanism (20) is proposed, whereby the trailing edge (29) of the helically configured turbine rotor mechanism (21 ) describes a tight orbit at the origin (201 ) of the rotor (20). This beneficially removes the trailing edge (29) from the circumference of the rotor orbit, thereby resulting in reduced noise levels. In order to achieve this goal, the inventors propose utilizing the convex faces (23) of the rotor assembly (20) as a capture surface. This reconfiguration reduces the rotational velocity of the trailing edge (29) of the rotor assembly (21), greatly diminishing rotor noise. Furthermore, the ability to utilize the convex face (23) of the rotor assembly (20) as a capture surface is made possible by texturing and or sculpturing (70) the surface of the rotor blade (20) so as to prevent wind spill, which will be further described.

Furthermore, in countries where there is a daily or seasonal cycle of anabatic and katabatic wind energy, additional generative capability may be gained by having omni-directional, helically configured rotor blades as illustrated in Figure 6. Figure 6, shows a specific rotor (20) configuration of the device (10), mounted at the vertex of a building (12), where the wind is subject to periodic reversal. This effectively creates two, potentially symmetrical capture surfaces (11) set at right-angles to each other. In order to efficiently capture wind energy, the device is configured with omni-directional (24) rotor capture surfaces (21), so that, irrespective of the direction of rotation of the rotor (20) the wind can be efficiently captured.

The inventors note that there is the potential for significant energy loss as a result of wind-spill across and along the turbine rotors (20) : this energy loss results from indifferent friction of blade and air-current (1) and also the variability of the angle of attack of the wind as it traverses the capture surface (11) and approaches the rotor blade or blade's capture surface (21) It is the inventors' intention to fit the device(10) onto both existing and new wind capture surfaces (11) Furthermore, wind direction (1) is frequently variable which results in variations to the frictional characteristics of the wind as it crosses the capture surfaces (21 ) of the turbine rotors (20) thereby resulting in variable energy recovery. Therefore, as illustrated in Figures 2, 4B, 5B and 6B, the rotor blades (20) also incorporate textured and or sculptured profiling (70), which may be minimal or extensive as required in order to optimize energy harvesting.

In summary, enhancing the proportion of potential kinetic energy capture and utilization in locations where the prevailing wind (1) has an indifferent angle of attack with respect to the mounted turbine mechanism (10), is accomplished by prevention of wind spill across the rotor blade. This simple customisation of the rotor mechanism (20) increases the generative and propulsive capacity of the wind turbine (10) by increasing the friction between the wind (1) and the windward surface (26) of the rotor blades (20). Furthermore, the texture (70) results in reduced transverse and longitudinal wind spill across the windward surface (26) of any rotor blade (21) which is equipped with the modified, textured surface (70). Profiling the rotor blade surface (21) may be accomplished by removal of material from the rotor surface resulting in a negative profile (71), as illustrated in Figures 4B, 4C, 6B and 6C, through the addition of material to the rotor surface, resulting in a positive profile (72), as illustrated in Figure 5B and

5C, or by any combination of profiles, as desired. Furthermore, the form of the profiles may be of any shape which serves to increase friction between the rotor and air or any other medium which interacts with the rotor mechanism and which has identifiable fluid properties. For the sake of illustrative clarity, the shapes which are incorporated into the illustrations are confined to circles and ellipses; however, it is within the scope of the invention to incorporate any shape, as desired. The shapes may be geometric, regular or irregular, interlocking (73), as illustrated in Figure 2, Figure 4C, 5C, or discrete (74), as illustrated in Figure 6C, as required, and may be of any form, density or dimension without departing from the spirit of the invention. The placement of the shapes on the turbine rotor blades may be further enhanced by CFD modelling.

Simple customization of the textured surfaces may be from a library of optimized rotor-blade (21) configurations which take into consideration local wind speeds and prevailing wind directions in order to optimize surface dimensions to the windward rotor surface (26) profile. Therefore the number of textural configurations can be easily adjusted to comply with site-specific variables in order to enhance the generative output of the invention (10). The library may further benefit from the application of computational fluid dynamics ("CFD") modelling in order to optimize rotor blade (21) torque output and turbine (10) generative capability. Additionally, the leeward side (27) of the turbine blades (21) may incorporate drag reducing features. In order to optimise the collection of energy bespoke turbine components may be required. Whereas, traditionally, this may be viewed as uneconomic, the inventors believe that bespoke, tailored solutions can be achieved, in particular by printing customised rotor parts (20) on 3D printers which can therefore be tailored to suit particular environmental requirements without requiring disproportionate disruption to the manufacturing process. The use of 3D printers allows the exploration of reinforced profiles and hollow blade profile sections, which cannot be as economically manufactured by other means. Furthermore 3D printing, injection moulding or extrusion allow for the construction of blade sections in a variety of materials at relatively low manufacturing costs resulting in increased economic benefit.

Furthermore, texturing the blade surfaces (70) increases the structural rigidity of the rotor blade (21), which enables reductions in the material thickness used to construct the rotor blade (21) without compromising structural integrity.

The turbine rotor blade or blades (21) are located between termination plates (30) and are affixed thereto. Prior art typically utilizes a central shaft on which to mount the rotor blade sub-assemblies. This requires the use of materials which have a relatively high structural strength, thereby increasing the weight and the cost of the turbine structure .Therefore the invention (10) has no central shaft which constitutes a significant improvement as it simplifies the construction of the rotor mechanism

(20)eliminates rotationally induced vibration by diminishing internal stresses which are caused by wind induced flexure between the traditionally configured rotor blade (21) and shaft and furthermore has a significant reduction in weight Therefore in the instant invention, as partially illustrated in Figures 2 and 3intra-device structural rigidity and separation of the horizontally configured wind turbine end-plates (30), or vertically configured turbine end-plates, (31) (32) is accomplished through the rotor blades (20) which in addition to their normal wind-collecting function, serve as structural spacing and reinforcement. The rotor blades (20) are therefore attached across an enlarged cross-sectional end surface area directly to the termination plates (30). This design distributes the fluctuating, internal, rotationally induced stresses of the mechanism (10) across the larger cross sectional web area of the turbine rotor ends (25) onto the termination-plates (30). By removing the requirement to attach the rotors (20) to a small diameter shaft, the inventors' design beneficially distributes the stresses across a larger surface area whereby the rotor blades (20) and termination plates (30) can be constructed from lighter materials, which have significantly lower structural material properties, without compromising structural integrity.

Furthermore, beneficially, removal of the central shaft reduces the total turbine mass and allows the bearings (61) which support the turbine generator mechanism (75) to be down-rated, without compromising the turbine (10) functionality, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

Finally, the connected nature of the rotor blades and absence of a central shaft eliminates air-loss through the centre of the turbine and, provides a less convoluted passage for air-flow (1), beneficially resulting in lower levels of secondary internal air turbulence.

The turbine mechanism (19) is constructed from low-cost, easily sourced or recycled materials. The turbine termination plates (30) and rotor sub-assemblies can be formed from re-cycled material which has both environmental and economic advantage. It will be understood by those versed in the art that any method of attaching rotor blades (20) to termination plates (30) may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The inventors consider that a preferred method for manufacturing and assembling the turbine rotor blades (20) and termination plates (30) may incorporate the manufacturing processes of 3D printing and injection moulding, whereby the number of individual pieces may be significantly reduced, thereby simplifying manufacture and assembly of the device. Furthermore, the vectoring housing (45) may be used to confine the separable elements of the rotor turbine blades (20), termination plates (30) and turbine generator mechanism (75), placing them under compression, thereby simplifying the assembly of the device (10) by removing the requirement for additional fastenings. The turbine rotor mechanism (19) is rotationally mounted on bearings (61) which may be configured in any of a number of ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. In one embodiment, therefore, the bearings (61) are preferentially inserted into recesses (38) moulded into the external surface (35) of the termination plate, as required. Referring more particularly to Figures2, 3 and 7, the inventors propose a wind turbine (10) wherein the rotor blades are at least partially contained within a vectoring housing (45) which is designed to work collaboratively with the turbine rotor (20) and a structural surface (11) to enhance energy collection. The vectoring device (45) serves to encapsulate or partially encapsulate rotating elements of rotor, (20) termination plates (30)and permanent magnet generator (75)of the wind turbine mechanism (10) and may be further configured to suit a variety of mounting orientations and environmental considerations.

Furthermore, the control surfaces (47) of the vectoring device (45) may be fixed in relation to the capture surface (11) or incorporate a limited range of motion, as required and as particularly illustrated in Figure 7.

In summary, the vectoring housing (45) serves several functions which largely have three objectives: firstly, the enhancement of wind delivery (5) to the turbine rotational mechanism (20), secondly the protection of the device (10) - and in particular the rotor blades (20) - from excessive wind-speed (5) and finally, the prevention of access to the turbine rotors (20).

Therefore, as previously indicated, the vectoring housing (45) increases the scoop area (56) via which wind is forced into the turbine rotor (20), resulting in increased inlet wind speed (5), increased torque and enhanced generative capability. Secondly, through partial encapsulation of the rotor blades (20), the negative effect of wind (5) on the leeward face (27) during the return cycle of the blade (20) can be reduced or eliminated, resulting in a net gain in energy output. Thirdly, near structure air turbulence effects can be better controlled, resulting in a more regular, sustainable, energy output. Fourthly, where the vectoring housing (45) is equipped with a variable attitude aerofoil (40), or variable control surfaces (47), the ability to control inlet air-speed prevents damage to the rotor mechanisms (20) when wind speeds (1) are excessive. Fifthly, where the device (10) is installed in close proximity to human habitation, housing the rotating turbine blades (20) improves safety. Finally, any negative visual or audial impact is mitigated by enclosing the rotor-blades (20) within the housing (45) and may be further reduced through the incorporation of sound dampening materials (59), within the vectoring housing (50) as illustrated in Figure 4A.

Predominantly, as best illustrated in figure 2 and Figure 7,the vectoring housing (45) inlet serves as a scoop (56), enlarging the turbine inlet area and thereby capturing air (1) which would otherwise have bypassed the rotor mechanism (20). During normal operating conditions, as illustrated in Figure 7A, the cross sectional area of the vectoring entry (56) is therefore larger than the venturi inlet (46) of the turbine rotor (20), which further increases air-flow (5) acceleration and thereby improves generative capacity. Practically, the dimension between the internal surface limit (57) of the vectoring housing (45) and the structural wind energy capture surface (11) is increased in order to capture wind (5) which would otherwise have by-passed the turbine rotors (20). In addition, by progressively reducing the area of the vectoring device inlet (46) the pressure and velocity of the air-flow (5) at the turbine rotor (20)is further increased. This results in increased turbine rotational speed, torque output and improved (10) generative capability.

In order to increase the applicable range of capture surfaces (11), the vectoring housing (45) may be constructed of one or more elements, depending on the particular requirements of the wind turbine (lO)and the wind capture surface (1 l).For example, as generally illustrated in Figure 2 through to 7, when the wind turbine (20) is configured to be mounted horizontally, on a solar panel (14) the vectoring housing (45) may be configured with two potentially separable elements (40), (45), whereas, in an alternative configuration, when mounting the turbine (10)vertically at the vertex of a building (12), a single piece vectoring housing (45) may suffice. The foregoing descriptions are intended to be exemplary and not to provide limitations to the invention. Therefore the desirable attributes determining the configuration of vectoring housing (45) are based on locally occurring factors, which include, but are not limited to, average wind speeds, estimations of peak wind speeds, prevailing wind direction in relation to the planar capture surface, rugosity of the capture surface and other dimensional and operational factors, as necessary.

Several examples serve to illustrate the various adaptive features and advantages of the vectoring housing. In one configuration, as generally illustrated wherein the turbine mechanism (10) is mounted on a capture surface (11), the vectoring housing (45) may comprise two separable elements: a vectoring housing (45) which at least partially encapsulates the rotor mechanism (20) and the near-structure aerofoil (40) which is mounted adjacent to the capture surface (11) and whose function is to reduce the magnitude of near building induced turbulence, and also prevent air-flow from reaching the leeward surface (27) of the rotor blade (20) on its return cycle, thereby optimizing torque at the turbine rotor (20).

However, as illustrated in Figure 6A, where the turbine (10) is mounted with approximately half of its diameter in the lee side (13) of a collector surface structure (11), as, for example, where a turbine is mounted on a solar collector surface (14), there is no requirement for a near structure aerofoil (41) and it may therefore be omitted. Therefore, the requirement for an adjustable aerofoil (41) may be applicable only where the entire turbine rotor mechanism (20) is entirely exposed to the prevailing wind (1).

Where it is required, the near structure aerofoil element (41) may therefore be of either fixed or variable orientation. In its simplest embodiment, therefore, the near-structure aerofoil (41) is fixed in relation to both the vectoring housing (45) and the structure (11). In an alternate, variable configuration, the near structure aerofoil (41) is configured to allow a limited range of movement for the purposes of reducing turbine rotational speeds when wind speeds are excessive, as illustrated in exemplary figures 7 A and 7B. It is therefore equipped with a hinge mechanism

(42) which has a simple latch spring return (illustrated in Figure 3) such that, in response to excessive wind speed forces, the latch spring resistance is overcome whereby the near structure vectoring device

(41) pivots in relation to both the structural capture surface (11) and also in relation to the rotor mechanism (20). Therefore, when wind speeds (5) are excessive, the cross sectional area of the air- inlet(46) is enlarged, reducing air velocity and simultaneously diverting a proportion of the air-flow (5) to the leeward side (27) of the returning rotor blade (21), thereby slowing turbine rotation and acting as a de- facto braking mechanism.

Turning now to the vectoring housing (45), as more particularly illustrated in Figure 7, the vectoring housing (45) may be equipped with moveable control surfaces (47) in order to provide an air-braking mechanism. Therefore, the vectoring device (45) may have at least one surface configured to pivot about a hinge point (54) in response to excessive forces applied by the wind (5) with which to control both the volume and orientation of the air-flow (5) across the turbine rotor blades (20). At its simplest configuration, in response to excess wind-speed, the moveable surface of the vectoring housing (45) reduces the cross-sectional area of the turbine air inlet (56) while simultaneously increasing the cross sectional area of the turbine exit vent (52), thereby reducing the dynamic pressure regime within the turbine housing. The air-inlet conduit (46) returns automatically to the normal operating position in direct response to reductions in wind velocity (5). The restoring force may be spring assisted (65) if required. A more sophisticated version may also employ control surfaces which improve rotor (20) air braking. This iteration of the vectoring device (45) is equipped with moveable control surfaces with which to prevent excessive wind speed (1) from damaging the rotor mechanism (20).

The range of rotational motion of the vectoring device (45) control surface (47) is limited by simple detentes (67) set into the mounting bracket (62), although any other means of limiting the rotational motion of the control surfaces (47) could equally be considered within the scope of the instant invention (10).

Furthermore, the motion of the vectoring housing (45) control surface (47) may be damped in order to achieve a more steady-state control over the air flow (5) received by the rotor (20). Damping of unwanted oscillatory motion of the control surfaces (47) of the vectoring housing (45) may be accomplished by means of any of a number of damping devices, although preference is given to the use of low cost air- shock absorbers (58).

Although the internal surfaces of the air-inlet (56) of the vectoring housing (45) may be smooth, in an alternate embodiment, the addition of ribs or keels (48) to the internal surface(47) of the vectoring device (40) may result in increased energy capture, particularly when the prevailing wind (1) is blowing at an oblique angle with respect to the rotational axis of the turbine rotor (20)thereby re-vectoring the wind onto the rotor blades (20) and resulting in the increased torque and turbine (20) rotational velocity. The keels (48) may be configured to be oriented, perpendicular or curved with respect to the rotor assembly

(20), as required, in order to adjust and optimize the interface of the profiled turbine blades (70) with the delivered air stream ( 1 ). Furthermore by attaching the keel (48) to the vectoring housing (45) control surfaces (47), the keel profile may be adjusted in order to optimize the delivery of air-speed (1) to the rotor blades (20). Keel design may be further enhanced through the use of micro CFD analysis.

[82] As previously discussed, in countries where there is a daily cycle of anabatic and katabatic wind energy, additional generative capability may be gained by equipping the vectoring housing (45) with reversible vectoring inlets (46A, 46B, in Figure 6A) such that the turbine (10) can advantageously be deployed to generate energy irrespective of the prevailing the wind direction (1) . The vectoring device (45) which is utilized in conjunction with the omni-directionally configured (24) turbine rotor mechanism (20) is therefore dimensioned to release the expanded air after it has passed through the rotor mechanism (20). Additionally, in the case of a vectoring housing (45) which is configured for attachment to a vertical surface (2), additional apertures (not illustrated) are inserted into the lower end plate (50) of the housing (45). In the case of a horizontally configured vectoring housing (45), the additional apertures may be inserted into the base (51) of the vectoring housing (45). Advantageously, any rain or moisture which enters the turbine mechanism (10) can effectively drain from the housing (45). Furthermore, in the case of wind turbines which are mounted in series, this beneficially leads the air supply (5) to the leeward wind turbine (10) undisturbed.

Furthermore, the interior surface (47) of the vectoring device (40) may be equipped with acoustic damping means (59), as illustrated in Figure 4A,with which to absorb any noise which is generated by the rotation of the turbine rotor blades (20) or rotor mechanism (15) within the turbine housing (45).

A further, beneficial feature of the vectoring device (40) is that it restricts access to the active turbine blade sections (20) such that humans and wildlife are protected from the rotating blades (20).

A generative means comprising a permanent magnet generator(75) and incorporating rotating magnets (76) and static generator coils (77)is preferentially attached to the external face (35) of the rotor turbine termination-plate (30), the internal face (36) of which forms the locus for at least one and or a plurality of helically formed turbine blade (21) termination (25) attachments. Electrical generation means (75) is simplified by locating the permanent magnet generator mechanism (75) to the external face (35) of the rotor termination plates (30) and attaching the stator winding coils (77) to the mounting system (60) or framework of the vectoring device (40). The generator (77) is directly driven, without recourse to pulleys or gearing, thereby advantageously reducing internal frictional induced energy losses. This therefore represents the simplest possible format of generator construction. The turbine mechanism (10) may be attached in proximity to a structure by any of a variety of fixings

(11), without departing from the spirit of the invention. Preferentially, as illustrated in Figure 3, these take the form of brackets (62) which allow the turbine mechanism (10) to be mounted vertically, horizontally or at any other inclination, as required. The turbine mounting brackets (62) are designed and dimensioned to take into account the requirement for both the weight of the device and also the redistribution of the forces which are captured by the turbine rotor (20) so as to effectively transfer the forces to the structure

(11) without damage thereto. For example, as illustrated in Figure 3, mounting the turbine mechanism

(10) at the vertex of a wall (12) may require the device to be stabilized utilizing a wall mounting bracket

(62) which envelops the corner of a building which confers great stability and spreads the forces imparted on the turbine structure (20) across a larger building surface area (11).

Alternatively, for a roof-mounted turbine, the brackets (62) can be configured so as to attach the turbine mechanism to the roof trusses. Furthermore, as illustrated in Figure ID, for a solar PV module (14) mounted turbine(lO), a simple form of channel bracket (69) designed to slide over the frame (15) of the solar PV module (14) and attach thereto may be preferred, although other mounting mechanisms may be utilized as desired. The use of a formed channel (69) is considered preferable as it acts to distribute the forces imparted by the wind turbine mechanism (10) across a wider surface area (11) of the solar PV module framework (14), reducing the possibility of damage to the panel under conditions of high wind speed (5) while simultaneously and advantageously maintaining the full photo-voltaic collection area.

In addition to providing attachment means for the device (10), the brackets (62) serve several additional functions. The brackets (62) may also be configured to affix the permanent magnet generator coils (77) thereto. Furthermore the brackets (62) also support the vectoring device (45) and, where the vectoring device (45) features a variable air-inlet aperture (46), the brackets (62) may form the node point for the fixed elements of the hinge (55), spring (44) and shock absorber (58) which thereby enable adjustable opening of the vectoring device aperture (46). It will clearly be understood by those practiced in the art that the preceding descriptions are intended to illustrate iterations of the invention, although it will be clearly understood that there are many alternative configurations which equally can be considered within the scope of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is

Claim 1. A wind turbine electricity generator system comprising:

A structural surface qualified by being oriented so as to intersect the wind, whereby the wind

accelerates across the surface;

A helically formed, shaft-less, turbine rotor assembly preferentially attached to a the leeward vertex of the structural surface configured to rotate about an axis and directly coupled to

A permanent magnet generator; and

A vectoring housing assembly configured so as to at least partially encapsulate the turbine rotor assembly, and through the use of aerodynamic control surfaces, increase or decrease the effective volume of wind directed to the capture surface of the turbine rotor mechanism consequently

varying internal air pressure and wind speed at the venturi rotor inlet;

A means of cooperatively attaching the generator system to a structure without damage thereto;

Claim 2. The wind capture structural surface of claim 1 whereby the structure may be man-made or natural.

Claim 3. The unified shaft-less rotor assembly of claim 1 whereby the rotor blades comprise at least one helicoid and more commonly a plurality of helically formed rotor blades which collaborate to present an unvarying cross-sectional aspect to the moving air, said rotor blades having a contoured or textured surface on at least the windward rotor blade surface whereby wind-spill across the rotor blade is minimized or precluded and whereby the effective rotor blade surface capture area is enlarged, said rotor blades being attached directly to coterminous termination plates without having recourse to attachment to a central shaft.

Claim 4. The turbine rotor assembly of claim 1 whereby the capture surface is substantially concave

Claim 5. The turbine rotor assembly of claim 1 whereby the capture surface is substantially convex

Claim 6.The turbine rotor assembly of claim 1 which is configured with conterminous, juxtaposed, symmetrical capture surfaces for use where wind direction is variable.

Claim 7.The turbine rotor blade of claim 1 wherein the windward side of the turbine rotor capture surface is smooth.

Claim 8.The turbine rotor blade of claim 1 wherein the windward side of the turbine rotor capture surface is textured.

Claim 9.The turbine rotor blade of any of the preceding claims_? wherein the texture is oriented in relation to the perceived prevailing wind direction, resulting in an effective increase to the rotor surface area and furthermore increasing surface roughness which reduces wind spill along the rotor surface.

Claim 10. The apparatus of Claim 1 where the turbine power generative means comprises a direct drive permanent magnetic generator.

Claim 1 l.The vectoring housing of claim 1, where the control surfaces are stationary and passive and which may further be configured as a near-structure aerofoil and a vectoring housing.

Claim 12. The vectoring housing of claim 1, where at least one of the control surfaces is fixed and where at least one other internal control surface has an active and adaptive position which is responsive to changes in the wind velocity.

Claim 13. The vectoring housing of claim 1 wherein at least a surface which serves to partially encapsulate the rotor mechanism is equipped with an inlet which is further equipped with variable control surfaces which re-vector the wind direction to specific, desirable, attack angles on the rotor blades.

Claim 14. The vectoring housing of claim 1 wherein the control surfaces are responsive to excess wind loading, providing for simultaneous adjustment to both scoop entry and vent exit cross sectional areas, thereby resulting in alteration to the air volume intake and simultaneous adjustment to the angle of attack of the wind direction relative to the rotor blades.

Claim 15. The vectoring housing of claim 1, wherein the turbine mechanism construction is affixed within the vector housing, under compression thereby without recourse to additional fixings.

Claim 16. The attachment means of claim 1, where the means comprises brackets.

Claim 17. The attachment means of claim 1, where the turbine mechanism is designed to be mounted on or positioned proximate to a solar collector module and the attachment means comprises channel formed brackets for attachment to the vertices of the solar collector panel.

Claim 18. The method of enhancing wind powered electrical generator output through the use of planar collector surface or surfaces which act to accelerate wind velocity.

Claim 19. The method of enhancing wind powered electrical generator output through the use of planar collector surfaces which act as wind velocity multipliers, while simultaneously integrating wind power generation capability with excess wind speed velocity control means.

Claim 20. The method of mounting an integrated rotating vertical axis wind turbine power generating system and variable attitude air inlet cowling in proximity to the planar surfaces of a structure,

Claim 21. The rotating axis wind power generating system according to Claim 1, where the air inlet may be immediately adjacent to the planar surface or may be separated therefrom by an aerofoil collector positioned adjacent to the collector surface,

Claim 22. The method of Claim 1, wherein the air inlet dimensions are proportional to the angle of intersection of the prevailing wind with the planar surfaces of the building, the swept surface area of the building, and the blade surface area and diameter of the turbine assembly.

Claim 23. The method of Claim 1, wherein the wind turbine system and apparatus utilizes a solar photovoltaic module as a planar wind accelerating capture surface.

Claim 24. The further method of Claim 23, whereby the internal surfaces of the vectoring device are formed from a light-reflective material which increases the effective solar incidence of the photo-voltaic surface.