Sky turbine that may be mounted on top of a city

Abstract

A sky turbine, having impeller blades with a plurality of panels that can telescope inward and outward. The pitch of the panels can be adjusted, and the pitch of each panel on a blade, passing from the innermost panel to the outermost panel, differs from the pitch of the previous panel by a certain adjustable amount. The sky turbine is preferably mounted above a city at a sufficiently high elevation that air current will be generally faster than just above the ground. In the preferred embodiments, a wing with two pods is pivotally mounted on a tower. Each pod has front and rear shafts, from which four blades extend. Servomotors cause the wing to turn so that the shafts are approximately parallel to the direction the wind is blowing, cause the pitch of the panels of the blades to change, and cause the panels of the blades to move telescopingly.

1 . A sky turbine, comprising: 
 at least one shaft; and    blades extending from the shaft, each blade having at least three telescoping panels.    
     
     
         2 . The sky turbine according to  claim 1 , wherein pressure of air current against the blades causes rotation of the shafts, which is used to generate electricity.  
     
     
         3 . The sky turbine according to  claim 2 , mounted at a sufficiently high elevation that air current will be generally more rapid than on the ground.  
     
     
         4 . The sky turbine according to  claim 3 , mounted above a city.  
     
     
         5 . The sky turbine according to  claim 4 , mounted at the top of a tower containing the city.  
     
     
         6 . The sky turbine according to  claim 1 , wherein the angles of the panels of the blades are adjustable.  
     
     
         7 . The sky turbine according to  claim 6 , wherein there are two parallel pods, with each pod having two opposite ends containing one of the shafts, with the blades extending radially outward from the shaft in each end.  
     
     
         8 . The sky turbine according to  claim 7 , wherein the pods are retained on a wing that can pivot on a vertical axis.  
     
     
         9 . The sky turbine according to  claim 8 , wherein wind speed and direction are detected by sensors that communicate with a computer, and servomotors controlled by the computer cause the wing to turn so that the shafts are approximately parallel to the direction the wind is blowing, and minimize changes in the speed of rotation by causing the angles of the panels of the blades to change and the panels of the blades to move telescopingly.  
     
     
         10 . The sky turbine according to  claim 9 , wherein when the blades telescope inward, the panels of the blades nearer to the shaft are nested within the panels of the blades further from the shaft.  
     
     
         11 . The sky turbine according to  claim 10 , wherein the angles of the panels of each blade are such that the blade forms a helix.  
     
     
         12 . The sky turbine according to  claim 11 , wherein one end of each pod is a front end, and the other end of each pod is a rear end, and the shafts in the front ends of the pods rotate independently of the shafts in the rear ends of the pods.  
     
     
         13 . The sky turbine according to  claim 12 , wherein the shafts and blades on the front ends of the pods intermesh and counter-rotate, and the shafts and blades on the rear ends of the pods intermesh and counter-rotate.  
     
     
         14 . The sky turbine according to  claim 13 , wherein each panel of the blades is equipped with electrical deicing and a moisture-proof seal, and is strengthened by a light structural lattice.  
     
     
         15 . The sky turbine according to  claim 14 , wherein planetary gears increase the speed of the shafts.  
     
     
         16 . The sky turbine according to  claim 15 , wherein each of the panels of each of the blades is a symmetrical airfoil having: 
 a. a chord (C) as its length,    b. a width (B),    c. a dimension (A) which is,            A   =       2   ⁢   C     3             d. a leading edge radius (r),            r   =       B   2       2   ⁢   A               e. a line (M) perpendicular to the chord (C) and located at the dimension (A) from a trailing edge,    f. a dimension (X),            X   =         A   3     -     3   ⁢     AB   2       +     2   ⁢     B   3           4   ⁢     B   ⁡     (     A   -   B     )                   g. a radius (R) centered on the line (M),            R   =     X   +     B   2               and    h. a straight portion, tangent to the radius (R) and the trailing edge.    
     
     
         17 . A symmetrical airfoil comprising: 
 a. a chord (C) as its length,    b. a width (B),    c. a dimension (A) which is,            A   =       2   ⁢   C     3             d. a leading edge radius (r),            r   =       B   2       2   ⁢   A               e. a line (M) perpendicular to the chord (C) and located at the dimension (A) from a trailing edge,    f. a dimension (X),            X   =         A   3     -     3   ⁢     AB   2       +     2   ⁢     B   2           4   ⁢     B   ⁡     (     A   -   B     )                   g. a radius (R) centered on the line (M),            R   =     X   +     B   2               and    h. a straight portion, tangent to the radius (R) and the trailing edge.