Challenge
A spoked wheel, in which the rim is stabilised and pressurised by prestressed spokes, is a highly effective lightweight structure that can be built in almost any size, with diameters ranging from 1 to 200 metres, for example. What would the rim of a spoked wheel look like if it were used as a ring-shaped rotor blade?
Invention
The RES-Sinusodial Ring Turbine is characterized by the following features:
- The rim is divided into an equal number of segments
- Each segment consists of airfoils facing the incoming flow
- Each segment is divided into convex and concave halves
- Within a single segment, the suction and drag sides of an airfoil transition from the outer to the inner rim
- Prestressed spokes connect the sinusoidal ring to a nozzle housing the generator
- The turbine is driven directly by the uplift resulting from each half of a segment, which creates torque at the horizontal axis of rotation
Advantages
- An elegant and effective rotor drive
- Uncompromised lightweight structure
- The sinusoidal, ring-shaped rotor blade operates at the optimal distance from the axis of rotation
Applications
- Small wind turbines are used for local power generation
- Medium-size wind turbines can be installed at a greater distance from buildings
- Large turbines are used for offshore electric power generation