Systems for distributed energy resources

Abstract

A new design of vertical axis wind turbine is disclosed based on a dome structure using dome struts as blades that work in concert to produce rotational motion. The stability and low cost of the new design allows the turbine to function in low wind speed regimes as well as high speed winds that would be encountered in off-shore wind installations. The large stresses and structural requirements of mounting large horizontal axis wind turbines, particularly off-shore, are avoided with the new system. A new energy distribution system is proposed that will capture abundant off-shore wind energy, store it aboard a generator/delivery ship in the form of Hydrogen gas, and deliver it to an existing shore based power plant to produce electricity using a conventional gas turbine. Alternatively, the Hydrogen can be used to produce methane from coal using known processes to add natural gas to pipelines in areas that would normally be consuming the material. Both applications, and the direct production of heat by the new turbines, would stabilize our national energy grid while reducing CO2 emissions.

1 ) An energy capture and distribution system comprising; 
 a wind energy resource;    a self-starting vertical axis wind turbine means for converting said wind energy resource into rotational power,    said self-starting vertical axis wind turbine means mounted on a ship and connected by means of a mast to electrical generation means for the production of electrical power, said electrical power connected to a plurality of water electrolysis cells with the capability to produce Hydrogen gas,    said ship also having storage means for compressing and containing said Hydrogen gas for a prolonged period of time, propulsive means for moving between the location of said wind energy resource and a shore based infrastructure facility and unloading means for delivering said Hydrogen gas to said infrastructure facility.    
     
     
         2 ) The energy system of  claim 1 , wherein said infrastructure facility comprises an electrical power plant connected to an electrical power grid.  
     
     
         3 ) The energy system of  claim 2 , wherein said electrical power plant includes a turbine generator capable of using either methane or Hydrogen or a mixture of the two to produce electricity.  
     
     
         4 ) The energy system of  claim 1 , wherein said infrastructure facility comprises a chemical process plant capable of hydrogenating coal or high molecular weight hydrocarbons to produce methane and other low molecular weight hydrocarbons.  
     
     
         5 ) The energy system of  claim 4 , further including a connected natural gas pipeline for the distribution of said methane.  
     
     
         6 ) The energy system of  claim 1 , further including a gearing system between said self-starting vertical axis wind turbine means and said electrical generation means; thereby supplying higher speed rotational power to said electrical generation means.  
     
     
         7 ) The energy system of  claim 1 , wherein said self-starting vertical axis wind turbine means comprises; 
 a tower;    said mast engaging said tower and adapted to rotate about a generally vertical axis; and    a wind turbine having a plurality of struts, said struts elongated in a first direction and transverse to said direction of elongation having a constant cross section adapted to capture said wind energy resource and having lengths to conform to a largely spherical dome framework design;    said struts attached to one another at hubs according to said framework design by means of a hub connection system; with the assembly of said struts and said hub connection system forming a dome framework with a largely spherical shape having an equatorial plane and poles normal to said equatorial plane,    with polar struts aligned toward said poles engaging coupler means; said coupler means having the capability to position said turbine on said mast and the capability to lock said turbine to said mast and transmit mechanical rotation initiated by said turbine to said mast    
     
     
         8 ) The wind turbine means of  claim 7 , wherein said constant cross section comprises an elliptical tube with the major axis of said elliptical tube oriented roughly tangential to said largely spherical shape, said elliptical tube having an internal elliptical surface adapted to engage said hub connector system and said strut comprising a structural strut, and 
 A blade strut, comprising said structural strut and further including two integral transition sections emerging from the ends of the minor axis of said elliptical tube, with said transition sections joining spaced apart from said minor axis into a blade section, said blade strut having a roughly aerodynamic shape at its exterior and having said internal elliptical surface at its interior.    
     
     
         9 ) The energy system of  claim 1 , wherein said energy capture and distribution system has more than one vertical axis wind turbine means for converting said wind energy resource into rotational power.  
     
     
         10 ) The energy system of  claim 9 , wherein said vertical axis wind turbine means comprises a propulsive means for said ship.  
     
     
         11 ) The energy system of  claim 1 , wherein said electrical generation means supplies a bank of storage batteries for storage of electricity and said water electrolysis cells are not used.  
     
     
         12 ) The energy system of  claim 11 , wherein said bank of storage batteries supplies an electric propulsion system on board said ship.  
     
     
         13 ) The energy system of  claim 1 , wherein a purified water store is contained on said ship and said purified water store is connected through a plurality of supply lines to said plurality of water electrolysis cells; 
 whereby an even buoyancy and weight distribution is maintained and the need to pre-process saline or contaminant containing water on board ship is avoided.    
     
     
         14 ) An energy capture and distribution system comprising; 
 a wind energy resource;    a self-starting vertical axis wind turbine means for converting said wind energy resource into rotational power,    said vertical axis wind turbine means mounted on a tower and mechanically connected by means of a mast to heat generation means for the conversion of said rotational power to heat,    a thermal storage tank having heat exchange surface means for the transfer of said heat to a thermal storage media, and    heating/ventilating means for the utilization of said heat within a structure;    whereby, the combustion of non-renewable resources is offset by the use of said wind energy resource to thermally condition the space within said structure or thermally condition process fluids within said structure.    
     
     
         15 ) The energy system of  claim 14 , wherein said heat exchange surface means comprises a heat exchange jacket fitted to the outside of a liquid storage tank.  
     
     
         16 ) The energy system of  claim 14 , wherein said thermal storage tank comprises a portion of said tower.  
     
     
         17 ) The energy system of  claim 15 , wherein said thermal storage media is water.  
     
     
         18 ) The energy system of  claim 16 , wherein said thermal storage media is rocks.  
     
     
         19 ) The energy system of  claim 16 , wherein said thermal storage media is aluminum.  
     
     
         20 ) The energy system of  claim 17 , wherein said heating/ventilating means include a water source heat pump, said heat pump providing a flow of conditioned supply air to said structure.  
     
     
         21 ) The energy system of  claim 16 , wherein said heating/ventilating means include heat transfer means for directly moving said heat from said thermal storage media to said structure.  
     
     
         22 ) The energy system of  claim 14 , wherein said self-starting vertical axis wind turbine means comprises; 
 a tower;    said mast engaging said tower and adapted to rotate about a generally vertical axis; and    a wind turbine having a plurality of struts, said struts elongated in a first direction and transverse to said direction of elongation having a constant cross section adapted to capture said wind energy and having lengths to conform to a largely spherical dome framework design;    said struts attached to one another at hubs according to said framework design by means of a hub connection system; with the assembly of said struts and said hub connection system forming a dome framework with a largely spherical shape having an equatorial plane and poles normal to said equatorial plane,    with polar struts aligned toward said poles engaging coupler means; said coupler means having the capability to position said turbine on said mast and the capability to lock said turbine to said mast and transmit mechanical rotation initiated by said turbine to said mast.    
     
     
         23 ) The vertical axis wind turbine means of  claim 22 , wherein said constant cross section comprises an elliptical tube with the major axis of said elliptical tube oriented roughly tangential to said largely spherical shape, said elliptical tube having an internal elliptical surface adapted to engage said hub connector system and said strut comprising a structural strut, and 
 A blade strut, comprising said structural strut and further including two integral transition sections emerging from the ends of the minor axis of said elliptical tube, with said transition sections joining spaced apart from said minor axis into a blade section, said blade strut having a roughly aerodynamic shape at its exterior and having said internal elliptical surface at its interior.    
     
     
         24 ) The energy system of  claim 14 , wherein said heat generation means comprises a shear type fluid friction device containing a viscous fluid and having at least one exterior extended surface means for transferring said heat to a working fluid, said working fluid connected in a fluid flow channel to said thermal storage tank.  
     
     
         25 ) The energy system of  claim 14 , wherein said heat generation means comprises a high pressure fluid pump connected to a working fluid contained in a closed circulation loop, said closed circulation loop further including a section of small diameter tubing; 
 whereby said rotational power is converted to heat in the passage of said working fluid through said section of small diameter tubing.    
     
     
         26 ) The heat generation means of  claim 24 , wherein said shear type fluid friction device has at least one disk contained between an upper housing and a lower housing with a specific gap between said disk and each of said housings, 
 with said viscous fluid occupying each of said specific gaps, with said at least one disk connected mechanically to rotate in concert with said mast and said upper and lower housings fixed in position relative to said tower,    said at least one disk, said upper housing and said lower housing each being concentric about an axis of rotation of said at least one disk and said upper housing and said lower housing being roughly congruent to said at least one disk,    with said upper housing and said lower housing each having exterior surfaces and interior surfaces, said interior surfaces being adjacent to said specific gap and with at least one of said exterior surfaces comprising said exterior extended surface means,    said specific gap having a width, said at least one disk having an outer diameter, said viscous fluid having a viscosity and said wind resource having a speed,    such that a fluid friction means based on said width, said outer diameter, said viscosity and said speed has the capability to track an output of said heat in concert with an input of said wind resource;    whereby said shear type fluid friction device can increase a thermal load in proportion to a high wind speed, eliminating much of the need for a furling or braking mechanism in the system.