U.S. patent application number 09/990855 was filed with the patent office on 2002-05-23 for windmill with multiple double-acting piston/cylinder compressor system and apparatus and method of mounting multiple windmill blades to enhance performance.
Invention is credited to McCabe, Francis J..
Application Number | 20020061251 09/990855 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27400605 |
Filed Date | 2002-05-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020061251 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
McCabe, Francis J. |
May 23, 2002 |
Windmill with multiple double-acting piston/cylinder compressor
system and apparatus and method of mounting multiple windmill
blades to enhance performance
Abstract
A windmill compressor apparatus has multiple double acting
piston/cylinders actuated by the windmill. The windmill
additionally has multiple pairs of blades to enhance power output
and lift.
Inventors: |
McCabe, Francis J.;
(Ottville, PA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BENASUTTI, P.A.
17294 BERMUDA VILLAGE DRIVE
BOCA RATON
FL
33487
US
|
Family ID: |
27400605 |
Appl. No.: |
09/990855 |
Filed: |
November 21, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60252772 |
Nov 22, 2000 |
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60252812 |
Nov 22, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
417/336 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F03D 9/28 20160501; F03D
9/17 20160501; Y02E 70/30 20130101; F04B 17/02 20130101; F03D 13/20
20160501; Y02E 60/16 20130101; Y02E 10/72 20130101; F03D 1/00
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
417/336 |
International
Class: |
F04B 017/02 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A windmill compressor apparatus comprising: windmill means
mounted to a windmill shaft to rotate said shaft in response to air
flow through said windmill means; multiple double-acting
piston/cylinder means each having a piston operating within a
cylinder to compress air upon movement of the piston within the
cylinder; each of said cylinders having a piston shaft connected to
said piston therein; said piston shaft extending from said
cylinder; drive means connecting said piston shafts to said
windmill shaft to drive said piston shafts in response to rotation
of said windmill shaft; and conduit means connected to the
piston/cylinder means to permit the flow of air into said cylinders
to receive compressed air from said cylinders.
2. The windmill compressor apparatus of claim 1 further comprising
positioning the multiple double-acting piston/cylinder means such
that the cylinders are radially space from one another.
3. A windmill compressor apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein
said cylinders are of different diameters.
4. The windmill compressor apparatus of claim 3 wherein pressure
relief valves are disposed in discharge lines exiting said
cylinders of different diameters.
5. The windmill compressor apparatus of claim 4 wherein the
pressure relief valve for the cylinder with the largest diameter is
set to be actuated at a pressure which is less than the pressure
relief valve for the cylinder with the smaller diameter.
6. The windmill compressor apparatus of claim 1 wherein the drive
means comprises a crank arm attached to the windmill shaft to
rotate therewith; said crank arm having a portion thereof connected
to the piston shafts to rotate said piston shafts, thereby
withdrawing and inserting the shafts with respect to the cylinders
to compress air.
7. The windmill compressor apparatus of claim 1 wherein the crank
arm has a portion thereof opposite to the end which is connected to
the piston shafts, which portion acts as a counterbalance to the
pistons.
8. The windmill compressor apparatus as in claim 1 further
comprising multiple pairs of windmill blades.
9. The windmill compressor apparatus of claim 8 wherein the
multiple pairs of blades are attached to multiple hubs on said
windmill shaft.
10. The windmill compressor apparatus of claim 9 wherein the blades
in each pair of windmill blades are interconnected with braces.
11. A windmill compressor apparatus comprising: windmill means
mounted to a windmill shaft to rotate said shaft in response to air
flow through said windmill means; the windmill further comprising
multiple pairs of windmill blades.
12. The windmill compressor apparatus of claim 11 wherein the
multiple pairs of blades are attached to multiple hubs on said
windmill shaft.
13. The windmill compressor apparatus of claim 11 wherein the
blades of each pair of windmill blades are interconnected with
braces.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Continuation-in-Part of two of my
prior applications, namely WINDMILL WITH TWO PISTON COMPRESSOR
SYSTEM, Serial No. 60/252,772, filed Nov. 22,2000; and APPARATUS
AND METHOD OF MOUNTING MULTIPLE BLADES TO ENHANCE PERFORMANCE,
Serial No. 60/252,812, filed Nov. 22,2000; the disclosures of which
are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Technical Field
[0003] This invention relates to improvements in windmill
compressed air systems, and more particularly, to a multiple double
acting piston/cylinder system actuated by a windmill, which
additionally has multiple airfoils in a stack to enhance power
output and lift.
[0004] 2. Background Art
[0005] In the prior art, it was known to use windmills to compress
and store compressed air. Such a system is shown in my prior art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,132,181, issued Oct. 17, 2000, which discloses
windmill structures and systems. Therein I disclose a number of
ways of attaching the rotating shaft of a windmill to various
mechanical means and compressors.
[0006] One of the problems that I have noted in my work with
windmills is that there may be periods when the wind is either very
slow or very fast for a sustained period of time. This can affect
the usefulness of the windmill system in compressing and storing
compressed air.
[0007] Further, in the prior art, it has been known to mount air
foils in stacks, such as the wing 5 arrangement in bi-planes and
tri-planes. I have discovered that the performance of such
arrangements may be enhanced depending on the mounting and relative
positioning of the air foils.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Summary of the Invention
[0009] I have invented a windmill compressed air system which
utilizes two double acting pistons and cylinders. These are most
preferably of different volume, but have the same stroke length.
They have pressure control valves to provide for alternative
choices depending on wind availability. The larger diameter piston
is used to quickly pump up the volume of the storage tank for the
compressed air to a desired level. After that, the smaller diameter
piston takes over.
[0010] The larger diameter piston cuts off at lower air speeds, so
that at least some useful work can be gained from the windmill
turning and driving the smaller diameter piston.
[0011] Further, the improved airfoil arrangement comprises airfoils
in combination which provide needed structural strength while
causing windmill air flow enhancement which is greater than the sum
of the individual air flows (under the same air flow
conditions).
[0012] I have invented a windmill compressor apparatus
comprising:
[0013] windmill means mounted to a windmill shaft to rotate said
shaft in response to air flow through said windmill means;
[0014] multiple double-acting piston/cylinder means each having a
piston operating within a cylinder to compress air upon movement of
the piston within the cylinder;
[0015] each of said cylinders having a piston shaft connected to
said piston therein; said piston shaft extending from said
cylinder;
[0016] drive means connecting said piston shafts to said windmill
shaft to drive said piston shafts in response to rotation of said
windmill shaft; and
[0017] conduit means connected to the piston/cylinder means to
permit the flow of air into said cylinders to receive compressed
air from said cylinders.
[0018] I have further invented a windmill compressor apparatus in
which I position the multiple double-acting piston/cylinder means
such that the cylinders are radially space from one another.
[0019] Most preferably, the cylinders are of different diameters.
Pressure relief valves are disposed in discharge lines exiting said
cylinders of different diameters. The pressure relief valve for the
cylinder with the largest diameter is set to be actuated at a
pressure which is less than the pressure relief valve for the
cylinder with the smaller diameter.
[0020] The drive means comprises a crank arm attached to the
windmill shaft to rotate therewith; said crank arm having a portion
thereof connected to the piston shafts to rotate said piston
shafts, thereby withdrawing and inserting the shafts with respect
to the cylinders to compress air. The crank arm has a portion
thereof opposite to the end which is connected to the piston
shafts, which portion acts as a counterbalance to the pistons.
[0021] The windmill compressor apparatus as defined above may
further comprise multiple pairs of windmill blades. The multiple
pairs of blades are attached to multiple hubs on said windmill
shaft.
[0022] The blades in each pair of windmill blades are
interconnected with braces.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0023] FIG. 1 is a rear view of a windmill system;
[0024] FIG. 2 is a side view of the windmill system shown in FIG.
1; and
[0025] FIG. 3 is a top view of a portion of the windmill system
shown in FIG. 2.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0026] Referring to the Figures, they show a windmill system
apparatus which comprises a windmill designated generally 10 having
a plurality of blades 12 mounted to a hubs 14 and 15 connected to a
shaft 16 which is journaled in bearings 18 mounted on a horizontal
beam 20 which is rigidly connected to a vertical tube 22 and a base
24 supporting the entire structure.
[0027] Referring to FIG. 2, this shows a side view of a plurality
of air foils or blades 12 positioned with respect to one another.
The blades are shown as being predominantly flat, of uniform
crosssection and having a lip at the down wind edge (as shown in my
prior U.S. patents for air foils and windmill structures such as
U.S. Pat. No. 6,132,181, issued Oct. 17, 2000). The blades are
positioned with respect to one another such that the center of the
central portion of one blade is spaced approximately 50% of the
blade cord length from the center to the center of the central
portion of the other blade.
[0028] I discovered that this arrangement provides for more air
flow deflected in a downward direction.
[0029] FIG. 2 shows the mounting at the ends of the blades to the
hub plates 14 and 15. In this arrangement, additional braces 17 and
19 may be provided for the purposes of stiffening.
[0030] A plurality of such blade arrangements are provided spaced
radially from one another.
[0031] The outboard end of the shaft 16 is connected for rotation
to a crank arm 28. One end 29 of the crank arm 28 is "T" shaped and
is used to counterbalance the stroke of the pistons in the
piston/cylinders 42,44. The other end 30 of the crank arm has a
shaft 32 extending therefrom which supports bearings 34 and 36.
Mounting means disposed about these bearings support and are
connected respectively to the piston shafts 38 and 40 of the dual
acting piston/cylinders 42 and 44, respectively. The other ends of
the air cylinders are mounted to be pivoted on bases 46 and 48,
respectively.
[0032] In operation, as the windmill rotates, it turns the shaft 16
which, in turn, rotates the crank arm 28. Since the shafts 38 and
40 of the pistons are journaled to the shaft 32, as the crank arm
rotates, it drives the pistons in and out of their respective
cylinders. One of these cylinders of the piston/cylinder 44 is of a
greater diameter than the other, 42. Both of the cylinders are
double acting and both have the same stroke length on rotation of
the crank arm. However, they are spaced radially so as to sequence
top and bottom dead center points (by approximately 30 degrees),
thereby distributing the loading over a longer duration of rotation
and reducing the maximum force needed for a given pounds per square
inch/cubic feet per minute rate.
[0033] Referring to the Figures, they show the air exchange system
using these two piston/cylinders.
[0034] Since there are check valves at each end of the cylinders,
each cylinder is double acting in that on the withdrawal stroke of
the piston shafts 38, 40, compressed air is forced out of the upper
end of the cylinders of the piston/cylinders 42, 44 in FIG. 3; and
on the down stroke, compressed air is forced out of the lower end
of the cylinders. There are check valves 50, 52, FIG. 2, at both
ends to keep the air from flowing back in once it has been
exhausted from the cylinder. There are also check valves 54, 56,
FIG. 2, at the air intake to keep the air from flowing out once it
has been drawn into the cylinder. Down stream of the exhaust check
valves, such as 50 and 52, there are adjustment relief valves 57,
59 which will be discussed more fully hereinafter. Also, downstream
of the check valves are check valves 58; to keep air from flowing
back into the system. Downstream from that valve 58, there is a
hose or piping 60 to the compressed air reservoir tank 62. The same
piping system is provided for both cylinders.
[0035] System Operation
[0036] In operation, the pressure relief valves 57, 59 are set at
predetermined pressures. For example, for the bigger diameter
cylinder 44; relief valve 57 might be set at 55 or 60 pounds per
square inch. For the smaller diameter cylinder, pressure relief
valve 59 might be set at approximately 86 pounds per square inch
pressure. Thus, after the pressure reaches 55 psi, the valve 57
simply exhausts its compressed air. Therefore, the windmill does
not have to push against the combined forces of the bigger and
smaller piston/cylinders. Once that pressure is reached, the
smaller piston/cylinder nevertheless keeps working and keeps
compressing air up to its limit of approximately 86 pounds.
[0037] The smaller cylinder is designed to work with winds of
approximately 6 to 10 mph. Once the volume is reached in the tank
62 and the lower pressure limit is reached, the bigger diameter
cylinder drops out of the production of compressed air, so that at
least something is gained from the windmill system. Otherwise, the
windmill would stall because it cannot drive both pistons at low
speeds. Thus, this arrangement extends the range of useful work
that the windmill can perform.
[0038] Note that when no pressure is in the tank 62 and the
windmill first starts up, both cylinders pump compressed air into
the storage tank as pressure in the tank climbs to the preset
pressure of the larger cylinder.
* * * * *