Vertical spiral wind turbine

Abstract

The present invention teaches a vertical axis wind turbine including a base structure; a yaw system secured to the base structure; a rotatable turbine main body secured to the yaw system, a main shaft rotor including a plurality of vertical rotor blades secured to the main shaft rotor for the collection of wind energy located within the turbine main body, and an electrical control system to control the yaw system. The turbine main body includes a single spiral stator having a single vertically aligned opening. The yaw system rotates the rotatable turbine main body to align or not align the single vertically aligned opening with the wind.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vertical axis wind turbine comprising:
 a base structure;   a yaw system secured to said base structure;   a rotatable turbine main body secured to said yaw system, comprising a single spiral stator having a single vertically aligned opening;   an electrical control system to control the yaw system; and   a main shaft rotor including a plurality of vertical rotor blades secured to said main shaft rotor for the collection of wind energy located within the turbine main body;   
       wherein said yaw system rotates said rotatable turbine main body to align or not align the single vertically aligned opening with the wind. 
     
     
         2 . The vertical axis wind turbine of  claim 1 , further comprising a lower gearbox generator operably connected to the main shaft rotor to produce electricity from the collected wind energy and wherein the lower gearbox generator is positioned within the base structure. 
     
     
         3 . The vertical axis wind turbine of  claim 1 , wherein the base structure is selected from the group consisting of a tower and a building. 
     
     
         4 . The vertical axis wind turbine of  claim 1 , wherein the yaw system comprises a yaw motor assembly, an internal slew gear, and an external slew gear. 
     
     
         5 . The vertical axis wind turbine of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical control system comprises an electrical controller, a wind vane, and an anemometer; and wherein the wind vane and the anemometer are secured on a top portion of the electrical control system and collect wind data to supply to the electrical controller so that the electrical control system can direct the yaw system to rotate. 
     
     
         6 . The vertical axis wind turbine of  claim 1 , further comprising a control enclosure and a yaw system enclosure, and wherein the electrical control system is housed within the control enclosure and the yaw system is housed within the yaw system enclosure. 
     
     
         7 . The vertical axis wind turbine of  claim 6 , wherein the yaw system enclosure is secured to the base structure and the rotatable turbine main body is secured to the yaw system enclosure. 
     
     
         8 . The vertical axis wind turbine of  claim 6 , wherein the control enclosure is secured to the vertical axis wind turbine at a position above the rotatable turbine main body. 
     
     
         9 . The vertical axis wind turbine of  claim 8 , further comprising an upper rotor, an upper gearbox generator, an upper rotor support unit, and an upper gearbox enclosure unit. 
     
     
         10 . The vertical axis wind turbine of  claim 9 , wherein the upper rotor support unit is secured to a top portion of the rotatable turbine main body and houses the upper rotor; wherein the upper gearbox enclosure unit is secured to a top portion of the upper rotor support and houses the upper gearbox generator; and wherein the control enclosure is secured to a top portion of the upper gearbox enclosure unit. 
     
     
         11 . The vertical axis wind turbine of  claim 10 , wherein the upper rotor contains a plurality of horizontal rotor blades for the collection of the wind energy collected by the plurality of vertical rotor blades of the main shaft rotor. 
     
     
         12 . The vertical axis wind turbine of  claim 11 , wherein the upper gearbox generator produces a second source of electricity from the collected wind energy. 
     
     
         13 . The vertical axis wind turbine of  claim 1 , wherein each vertical rotor blade of the plurality of vertical rotor blades has a helical surface configuration. 
     
     
         14 . The vertical axis wind turbine of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vertical rotor blades comprises between 2 and 10 vertical rotor blades and wherein each said vertical rotor blade are circumferentially equally spaced apart from the rotor main body in an annular array.