Wind power accounts for about 8 percent of the electricity prod­uced in North America. Some 50,000 + large wind turbines crank out power throughout the continent. These massive wind turbines, up to 100 meters tall, capture energy in the wind and convert it electricity that people can use to run dishwashers, air conditioning and lights. That 8 percent may not sound like much until we realize that the wind power is just catching on. Huge new wind far­ms accounting for thousands more megawatts of capacity are in the development.

Trouble in the industry

Conventional wind turbines with large blades are destructive to communities and local environments. Animal habitats are disrupted and wildlife is driven from the area. Noise and vibrations cause human health problems. Home values and real estate prices are reduced.

Environmentally friendly WindUpdraft turbine

How does it work
In a conventional design, large diameter blades, turbine-generator and other heavy equipment are mounted on top of the tower. Our design brings the small diameter turbine-generator back to the ground level, eliminating many shortcomings of the conventional wind turbines. The only elevated portion in our design is a balloon based intake, which does not have moving parts. Balloon allows the intake to be floated to higher elevations. That flexibility does not exist with a rigid tower.

The balloon lifted intake, made of light materials, incorporates a venturi system interconnected to the ground based wind turbine by a lightweight pipe.
Wind, with a help of the venturi effect induces air updraft to power the turbine generator. In addition, a natural updraft based on the buoyancy due to pressure and temperature difference between the ground level and the balloon helps to produce energy, even in the absence of the wind.
To sum up, a balloon based WindUpdraft system makes conversion of wind energy to electrical power safer and more economical.

Background of the invention (Canadian Patent 2,808,001)

The purpose of the system is to collect energy generated by airflow from the wind, extract it and convert it to electricity. A lighter than air helium filled balloon is used to lift air intake portion of a wind energy conversion system in order to harness the wind energy. The turbine and the generator are mounted on the ground.  The intake nozzle assembly is configured to receive and to accelerate wind. The accelerated wind creates low air pressure area in the venturi piping downstream of the balloon. This point of suction is where a lightweight reinforced piping connects to allow the air from the ground to be drawn in the upward direction. The resulting air movement spins the ground mounted turbine and the generator. The mounting of the generating system on the ground allows economical maintenance due to relatively easy access.

 
MAIN COMPONENTS OF THE SYSTEM

The system shown on the drawings is the proprietary system being registered in Canada for patent protection, and comprises of the following main components (Fig.1):

      Base

      Generator

      Turbine

      Flexible tube

      Outer shell

      Balloon

      Venturi piping assembly (Fig.2)

      Helium filled balloon

The wind enters the outer shell of the wind concentrator mounted on the helium balloon, (Fig.1). It is shaped similarly as the intake of a jet engine. Due to the laws of the physics the wind speed will increase as the pipe diameter decreases. The increased air speed creates area of lower air pressure due to the venture effect. This becomes our connection point to the vertical pipe which leads to the turbine and the generator mounted on the ground level. The lower air pressure causes a high velocity air to flow up in the pipe from ground intake to the balloon. This high velocity air movement causes the turbine to spin. A generator, connected to the turbine converts the mechanical spinning motion of the turbine into electricity.

A high strength cable system extends from the ground to the balloon to ensure the mechanical integrity under the worst weather conditions. The system turns always towards the wind with the help of the stabilizer fins.  

The initial operating altitude of the system will be approximately 10 to 20 meters, subject of the local bylaws. In rural areas the air collection system can be elevated to 100 meters or beyond.

Fig. 1.    WIND ENERGY CONVERSION SYSTEM     Canadian Patent CA2808001

Fig. 2.  VENTURI ASSEMBLY – single stage shown for clarity

Additional Benefits:  Heating and Cooling system

uWIN lands itself for a direct production of heating or cooling air, using vortex (Ranque-Hilsch) tubes.  The updraft airflow in the pipe (Fig.3) passes through large vortex tube, where spinning air creates hot and cold air streams.

Conventional wind turbines need to produce electricity first and then feed electric power to heating or air cooling system.